While there were a lot of things I liked about this book, as it's premise is so incredibly cool, but I found that it ultimately wasn't for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this eARC.

This fast romantasy had me hooked from the beginning. Aemyra, our FMC, is a total badass and quite the stubborn lass but we love her for it. She is destined to take the throne and blessed with fire magic she fights for her rightful claim to the throne.

Fiorean, our MMC, is the brother of the usurper and a fierce warrior and dragon rider. He is the morally grey villain we all swoon over.

Our two MC’s must form an alliance and figure out how to not only work together but help save the kingdom from the corrupt, True Religion.

This fast paced story keeps you engaged the entire way through then ending with a cliffhanger 🤬 Packed with politics and religion this is a wonderful story in the fantasy world and for lovers of magic and dragons.

While I loved the fast pace, it lacked a bit of world building and deeper character development. It wasn’t a deal breaker for me, but I felt we could’ve flushed it all out a bit more.

There was one particular scene, it was in the trigger warnings, that was intense to read but made me want to burn it all down right alongside Aemyra. “For the little girls who were told to put their fires out. Burn them all to the fucking ground.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/💋/🌶️🌶️

I liked it honesty anything with dragons I am there. But with how fast pace the book was mixed with the name dropping and little to no backstory made this difficult to follow, the main character lacked consistency, and she was a bit too immature. I liked the magic system but that was about it for me, I wanted to enjoy this a lot more than I did.
Thank You for allowing me to read this story.

I have so many feelings about this book. Mainly that this book was absolutely amazing. On the other hand, Hazel McBride—you better count your days for that ending.

A Fate Forged in Fire has it all: a ferocious, fire-wielding, protagonist, betrayal, dragons, corrupt institutions, magic, and ENEMIES to lovers. Did I already mention dragons?!

AFFIF also challenges sexism, the patriarchy, and corrupt religion while tackling women’s rights and featuring LGBTQ+ representation.

This book has easily become one of my favorite reads this year and I am counting the days until the public will be as obsessed with this story as I am!

You can check out my review now on my Instagram page, @autumnsannotations.

I am predicting that this is the next big fantasy book!

Our FMC is living a double life, keeping her true identity a secret. That is, until the King dies. Aemyra attempts to take what is rightfully hers; the throne, her kingdom, and her dragon. But when her plan is foiled, she is captured and forced to marry the late king’s younger son, Prince Fiorean.

This is a true fantasy story complete with all of the tropes below:

⚔️ true enemies to lovers to enemies?
⚔️ magical elements
⚔️ bonded dragons 🐉
⚔️ badass FMC
⚔️ banter
⚔️ spice 🌶️
⚔️ battles scenes

CHECK YOUR TRIGGER WARNINGS!!!!! There is a SA towards the end that made my blood boil. So beware when reading that it’s graphic.

Thanks SO much for the early copy. I genuinely enjoyed this from start to finish. The cliffhanger was a doozy!

A Fate Forged in Fire is a fantasy novel set in the kingdom of Tir Teine, a kingdom once ruled by a matriarchy but is now ruled by a corrupt patriarchy. The story revolves around Aemyra, a skilled blacksmith with a hidden identity as the rightful heir to the throne. Meanwhile, the "True Religion" seeks to dominate society by condemning magic and oppressing women.

Likes:
Adarian. Need I say more? Genuinely though, Adarian's characterization is my favorite thing in this book and I wish we got to see him more than we did. Fingers crossed for book 2.

I also quite enjoyed the way current women's rights issues were brought up while maintaining the book's fantasy elements. I thought that that was done incredibly well. Parts of the description of the True Religion and the actions of those who follow it made me incredibly uncomfortable because of the connections to today's society but I firmly believe that that is a good thing and that uncomfortable feeling is why I enjoyed that aspect of the book so much.

Dislikes:
Honestly, it's not that big of a deal and this is more of a personal preference than anything, but I am slightly disappointed that the dragons couldn't converse to the humans they bonded with. From my understanding, they could feel each other's emotions and I enjoyed that, don't get me wrong, but I do wish that there was a more humanized communication with the dragons because I feel like their characterizations have so much potential and could be very interesting to read.

For me, the pacing was a bit off and hard to follow. It took me a while to get into the book and I feel like while part of that is simply I'm a college student and don't have a lot of time for personal reading as the semester wraps up, a major part was the pacing was simultaneously too fast and too slow. Most of the time it felt like there was so much happening and yet nothing actually happened to further the plot.

Imagine my surprise when I discovered that Aemyra was actually twenty-six years old. I don't know if I missed a mention of her age earlier in the book or simply forgot it but I fully thought that she was 16-18 until almost 50% of the way through the book. I thought she was younger and not an adult with a fully formed brain because quite honestly, Aemrya can be incredibly immature at times. I do think that this leaves room for her character to develop more in book 2 as she grows into her role as queen and I truly hope that happens.

Overall, I enjoyed the vibes and definitely think that this series has potential and I'm excited read book 2.

Aemyra is the promised queen living in secret as a blacksmith while waiting for the current king to die so she can seamlessly insert herself in the line of succession without unnecessary bloodshed. Things do not go according to plan.

This was really fun. I loved the dynamic with fiorean, and really enjoyed the dragons. I thought the “true religion” was a really interesting way to include some additional political and religious elements. However, it felt a little too convenient that the priests had so much immunity to fire. I wish we did get to see more of the surrounding countries and their citizens given that they play a pretty big role in the conflict.

Thank you to Hazel McBride and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC! I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Actual rating: 6 ⭐️

What to expect:
- True enemies to loves
- Well-written fantasy world
- Dragon riders
- Betrayals
- Elemental magic (fire, earth, water, air)
- Quick fast-paced read
- Spice 2/5 🌶️
- Bisexual fmc
- ⚠️CLIFFHANGER⚠️

I don’t even know where to start. Maybe with the fantastic world-building, the sizzling relationship, or perhaps the badass female main character? Seriously, everything about this book was amazing.

Let me begin with the relationship. This book is a rare gem in the enemies-to-lovers genre because it actually features true enemies. I’m talking about holding a knife to each other's throats and promising to kill one another. The progression from enemies to lovers was phenomenal; it felt natural and wasn’t abrupt. There was no insta-lust or insta-love, which was incredibly refreshing.

The female main character, Aemyra, is the definition of a badass. She’s aware she is the rightful queen and makes sure everyone knows it—#Goals! I loved her quick-witted comebacks… they had me laughing out loud. On the flip side, her vulnerability also stood out. Aemyra was raw in a way that I wish more main characters could be.

And then there’s the male main character, Fiorean. Wow. I went through all the emotional stages while reading about him. I hated him, then I liked him, then I hated him again, only to sort of love him (after that ending, I can’t be too sure). I swear, this book gave me whiplash! He was amazing, and I loved how he treated Aemyra. He wasn’t overly possessive; instead, he genuinely cared for her and wanted her to be herself. He embodies the idea “I wouldn’t burn the world down for you; I’d hand you the matches.”

That cliffhanger was brutal… I refuse to accept that I have to wait 1-2 years before I get to read the next book.

My favorite scenes:
- Aemyra helping Fiorean with his bond
- Fiorean calming Aemyra after Sir Nairn
- Any scene with Terrea and Adarian
- Ameyra masturbating at the thought of Fiorean 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

I really enjoyed this book. I am bummed it ended on a cliffhanger, as I was hoping for a somewhat happy for now ending. I am hoping it's a duology vs longer series. I feel like there were some especially "current topic" type moments (my body, my choice; religious patriarchy). The mfc reminds me a bit of Aelin from Throne of Glass/Maas. It's not a bad thing, as sometimes there needs to be mistakes and bad decisions to allow for growth...but she is definitely full of herself from time to time. I hope she finds some actual female friends in the next book. I was not expecting the results for one of the main protagonists in this book (eventually yes, but not that soon.) Also, yay for dragons - they seem to know their stuff better than the people at this point. I liked the magic/old gods vibe and dragons, otherwise it would have been a bit dry/too historical romance for me. I do think the sort of 180 for the mmc was a bit much, but I'm sure it will be explained more in the future book(s). Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the ARC opportunity.

If you’re a fan of fantasy with dragons, elemental magic, and a badass FMC, A Fate Forged in Fire is a book you don’t want to miss. This is the first book in a fire duology, and I can’t wait to read the second one after that cliffhanger.

I loved the FMC—she gave me "female rage" vibes, and I’m all for a matriarchy! There’s political intrigue, power plays, "the world is on fire," and in the middle of this chaos, we have enemies-to-lovers.

I highly recommend this to anyone who loves epic fantasy with fire, dragons, and a kickass female lead. You won’t regret it!

Tropes:
- badass female main character
- feminine rage era
- matriarchy
- elemental magic
- enemies to lovers
- DRAGONS
- cliffhanger
- fire duology

Do you like dragons? This book is for you.

1-10: I give this a 6
Spice:🌶️

This book I feel missed out on a lot potential for so many things it would be hard to talk about with out giving spoilers, I do have to say I felt all the arguing and fighting through 80% of the book with out much romance tension after this is under a romance category this made it more fantasy then romance

When I first picked up *A Fate Forged in Fire*, I had no idea how much I’d get swept into Freya’s world. Told through her eyes, the story feels raw and intimate as she grapples with the unexpected turn her life takes. Freya’s voice is strong and relatable—she’s determined, flawed, and so easy to root for.

As the plot unfolds, I found myself completely invested in her journey. The mysterious Caelan adds so much tension and intrigue. Their interactions are charged with emotion and complexity, and watching their relationship evolve felt as unpredictable as it was rewarding. The world around them is vibrant and alive, with magic practically crackling off the pages.

At times, Freya’s inner monologue slows the pace, as she reflects deeply on her choices and struggles. But it also made her feel so human to me, and I appreciated her vulnerability. The story has its twists and turns, and while not all the secondary characters are as fleshed out as I’d like, they still brought depth to the conflicts Freya faced.

I loved the mix of action, magic, and emotion. By the end, I felt like I had been on Freya’s journey with her—through fire and all. It’s a story I’d recommend to anyone who loves first-person narratives full of heart and adventure.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 7%. A lesson not to accept so quickly when I receive a request to read a book. I tried? But also, I find Aemyra insufferable and am not interested in wasting my time with this one. I’m sure it’ll be for plenty, but it’s not for me!

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

I enjoyed A Fate Forged in Fire by Hazel McBride for its blend of strong, Celtic-inspired world-building and compelling characters. The story's protagonist, Aemyra, is both fierce and relatable, as she struggles with her destiny and battles systemic corruption. The slow-burn romance with the dragon-riding Prince Fiorean adds a satisfying layer of tension and complexity to the plot.

The themes of empowerment and resistance against oppressive traditions felt both timely and timeless, and the fiery action scenes were exciting. Some of the in-world terminology took a bit of adjustment, but it added depth to the setting. Overall, it’s a gripping fantasy with heart and heat, perfect for fans of magical intrigue and political drama.

What’s worse than starting an incomplete series? Starting a series that isn’t even OUT YET—and leaves you pacing the room, absolutely floored.

First off, a huge thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC. This book has everything: a true enemies-to-lovers dynamic, a rich backstory, and vibrant world-building centered on a matriarchal society. Sign me up immediately. When I say enemies-to-lovers, I mean knives as literal foreplay, okay?

This might just be one of my favorite dragon books ever. The author has crafted an immersive universe packed with complex characters who’ll have you seething one moment and pitying them the next—well, except the religious zealots; they can 🔪.

What stood out the most to me was the emotional vulnerability of both the FMC and MMC. The MMC’s struggle to express his emotions felt so raw and relatable, and the way they navigated their feelings for each other was incredibly compelling. And the FMC? She’s so real. She’s not some poised, perfect queen who’s got it all figured out. She’s a young woman grappling with self-doubt, making mistakes, and learning the hard way. Watching her face her shortcomings and grow—flawed, broken, but constantly adapting—was refreshing in a genre that often leans toward idealized heroines.

And that ending? Absolutely brutal. The cliffhanger is cliffhanging, and my only regret is reading this six months before its release, knowing I’ll have to wait probably a year and a half for the sequel. Just kidding, no regrets. Mostly~

This was DNF.

Made it 25% of the way through and could not stand the main character..
*I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review*

I first fell in love with fantasy romance while in lockdown for COVID19. This genre is always a fall back when I get in a reading slump. At first, I didn't think I would enjoy the book as much as I did.. but that quickly changed. I do feel like it was a little slow to take off, but once it did I couldn't put it down!

wow, this romantasy was amazing! yes, of course some tropes and themes will be similar to other romantasy books but I LOVED this one. The writing was great and I enjoyed the FMC's personality. This one will definitely be popular this year!

I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.

Tir Teine, a territory once prosperous under the rule of Goddess blessed Queens, is now ruled by the males of the royal bloodline as there has not been a female born of royal blood in hundreds of years. The people suffer as the ruling royals are greatly influenced by the True Religion, religious zealots, who seek to eliminate Goddess worship and snuff out magic as well as those born with the power to wield it. With the reigning King close to his end, Aemyra, the first female born of royal blood in centuries and the true heir to the throne, is ready to step out of hiding and into her birthright to claim what has always been hers.

This story had so much potential; political scheming and intrigue, magic, enemies to lovers, slow burn, and dragons!! However, despite the promising potential of the story, this book was not for me. The word building was underdeveloped, the description of the magical system felt incomplete, there was a lack of character development, and the writing felt disjointed at times. Having said that, I have no doubt there are some who will enjoy this story. Ending on a cliffhanger and being the first in what is set to be a duology, the second book may be able to bridge these gaps and round the story out.

A Fate Forged in Fire is an exciting Celtic-inspired fantasy romance that combines political aspects, forbidden love, and a magical world.

The story follows Aemyra, a blacksmith with a hidden royal identity. Determined to reclaim her throne in the kingdom, she faces political corruption and her growing feelings for the dragon-riding Prince Fiorean.

I felt immediately attached to Aemyra’s character. Her strength and vulnerability is a rememberable theme. Fiorean provides a tense romantic dynamic. Fans of fiery MCs, slow-burn romance, and dragon-filled adventures will fall in love with this book!

A big thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing an eARC!