If you enjoyed books like Quicksilver and When the Moon Hatched you'll love this book. It's very on trend with what's been coming out in romantasy these past few years. Unfortunately this book was't quite hitting it for me. I didn't connect with our fmc, Aemyra, at all. But I know this book will be loved. Honestly this is a fantastic debut novel.
Thank you Netgalley and Random House for letting me read this book.

This started off great. But I slowly lost interest about halfway through the book.

I love that the FMC, Aemyra, is so unapologetically her. She knows what she wants and she's not afraid to go after it.

Is there a word that would mean a lot worse than misogyny? Because that is the world of A Fate Forged in Fire. It hurt to read. It was brutal. It was unforgiving. And I would rally behind Aemyra anytime.

I wasn't particularly a fan of the romance. I can't believe I'm saying this but I would have been fine without it.

I don't have any strong feelings for this book. I don't exactly love it but I can't say I hate it either.

I've read tons of fantasy books with the same premise as this one. I guess that's why I'm giving this an average rating because nothing really stood out to me.

I don't think I've ever gotten so angry while reading and if I have, it's been a while. A Fate Forged in Fire drove me crazy. Initially the plot moved a bit too slowly for me but once I was in the thick of it, everything was just in constant motion. There's quite literally a bit of everything in this story: dragons, magic, religion, war, political intrigue, romance, betrayal, gorgeous world building, and so much more!

The amount of feminine rage in this story incited my own rage to the point that I had to stop and take breaks while reading except, those breaks didn't last very long. The story is so beautifully forged carefully crafted that I had to keep going. This is a story that consumes you and if you're not careful, you just might get burned. It is a must read and I cannot wait for everyone to read it when it becomes available on May 27, 2025!

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publish Group - Ballantine Delacorte Press for gifting me the opportunity to read this ARC! All opinions are my own

3.5 stars

This was a quick read and did a nice job with world building. There is a lot of death and violence and the misogyny runs DEEP with the enemy of the story. And the author is not afraid to sacrifice beloved characters (and kids) to keep the story moving and let you know the stakes.

I'm still trying to figure out where the true alliances are bc the story does just enough to question what is going on. I'm sure we will find out what ails are queen in the next installment.

It took me a while to fully get into the book. I think the world building and the difficult names made it a bit confusing in the beginning. But once I get into it, I couldn't put it down. I loved that the enemies to lovers trope felt actually like real enemies and was a slow burn. And the ending! I can't wait to see what happens.

Aemyra might seem like a simple healer and blacksmith, but she is hiding a secret... She is the first princess born to her people in centuries and so intended to be queen...if she can defeat the current royal family.

The book is incredibly fast paced, and Aemyra is an incredibly well rounded character, with strength and weaknesses. The connection she has with Prince Fiorean often feels like a sexually charged cat and mouse, and I really enjoyed the exploration of her friendships with the other female characters. I hope we will get to see more of Queen Katherine and Princess Margaret in the next book, to get more of a sense of their perspectives.

I really enjoyed the enemies to lovers dynamic, as well as Aemyra's coming of age experience and the influence of Scottish culture, and I plan to purchase the next book to finish the duology.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This one took me a while to get through, it picked up in the latter half but it dragggged in the first part. There were parts of this that I really loved, but for the majority unfortunately it fell a little flat for me. I didn’t love the fmc, some of the decisions she made drove me crazyyyy. The romance between her and the mmc lacked a lot for me. Some of the world building was a little hard for me to follow as well. I did enjoy the sibling relationship between Andarian and Aemyra a lot, loved that dynamic! And I’m always a fan of dragons. Although this wasn’t my favorite personally, I still am intrigued to see where it could go for future books.

Thank you Random House and Netgalley for the chance of reading A Fate Forged In Fire.
I loved Aemyra's strong will and can't wait to see more of it in the the next book The storyline characters and world building was pretty good as well but could use a little work but still interested in next book. Loved the dragons.

I love a good dragon book! When you add enemies-to-lovers slow burn, fiesty FMC and "touch her and die" MMC it was an instant add to the TBR.

The book opens with just enough world building and character introduction to be easy to lean into the enviroment. You understand who Aemyra is and what the main plot will be pretty quickly. This book gave me the "rage against the patriarchy" attitude that I was expecting. TRIGGER WARNINGS ⚠️ when this book gets dark, it gets DARK so be prepared for violence and SA. The battle between the magic users belief and the religious followers fighting for the thrones was just the right amount of light political intrigue for me to follow. The dragons for me is always the best part! It added so much to this book! I love when authors give dragons a personality to add a bit of humor and connection to the rider.

Sadly a lot of this book did fall flat for me. Nothing about this story felt new or surprising. The storyline read like every other romantasy plot I've read in the last 2 years. Aemyra felt too naive for majority of this book. I felt so frustrated reading through a lot of her dialogue and felt there was no growth to her character. The romance between her and prince Fiorean also seemed lacking. He was just as annoying and naive and the romance happened too fast to be believable.

I'm still interested in continuing the series and see where the story goes. I'm hoping for a lot more character development for the MC. But I guess I will have to wait until the next one to see if it's worth it!

This blew my mind. I wasn't expecting to be hooked like I was.

A woman who has been hidden her whole life, secretly training and scheming to take back the throne that is rightfully hers, is thrust into utter chaos when none of it goes to plan.

This FMC is the epitome of feminine rage and she is kickass because of it. She fights for her people, for the woman who have had their rights taken away, to then be forced into unspeakable situations at the hands of this "true Religion" all hits a little close to home. While this may be a trigger for some people. I was like "F*k yeah... F*k them all up girl!!!"

While she has trained and prepared the best she could, she is still completely out of her dept and I loved that we see her make mistakes. But it always fortified her more and helps her grow as a character.

Then we have freaking DRAGONS! The bonding and journey they go on is one built of respect and I loved it. Just adds to the feminine strength of this book!

The enemies to lovers is a slow burn that just freaking hits... And like literally hits. I was unable to put the book down because of it. I needed, no I craved, to know how it would all work out. Right from their very first interaction, you know it's going to be tortuous.

The whole story I found to be perfect, fast paced, with twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. All the side characters added a different layer. Some to hate passionately, some to question their loyalty and some to instantly love. It's was filled with heart break, rage, triumph and defeat.

I highly recommend

There is not enough words in the english dictionary to describe my love for this book! I found it thrilling, page turning and utterly amazing.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | six stars

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

OBSESSED OBSESSED OBSESSED OBSESSED. Easily one of my favorite books of the year and probably one of the best romantasy books I've ever read.

This story follows Aemyra, the rightful queen of a nation ruled by a tyrannical family with ties to an oppressive religious regime. Aemyra grows up in hiding, with her twin and her foster family, until she tries to take back her kingdom and is thrust into a dangerous environment of court politics alongside her enemy, Prince Fiorean.

This book has it all: a strong, kind, feminist icon of an FMC; a cinnamon-roll-for-her-only MMC; a gripping plot; characters that are heartbreakingly, authentically human in their flaws and strengths; tension and romance that had me literally giggling out loud; and -maybe most importantly- dragons.

I found this story and its themes of resilience, female empowerment, and community to be deeply moving without it feeling like moral grandstanding. I loved how the author dealt with Aemyra's moments of self doubt and concern for others, and the duality of her guarded gentleness with her ferocity.

The ending was absolutely devastating. My heart will remain in tatters until I get my hands on the final book in this duology.

This book was just ok for me. I was enjoying it initially, but once I hit 30% I just got bored. Love the dragons, the romance was fine, it just got too predictable. There was nothing to distinguish this novel from any other romantasy I've read in the past year.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc!

I really enjoyed this dragon romantasy! The elemental magic is really cool and the heroine drew me in. Lovable characters and a plot that makes you want to keep turning the page.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group for letting me read this book before it's release.
Thank you NetGallery for this opportunity.

A Fate Forged in Fire- 4.5 stars

Dragons -check
Magic- check
Romance- check

Okay this book left me gutted in the end. As I'm writtign this review I am still spirling so needless to say I can't wait for book 2.

Ameyra is our main female character and she's full of spunk. Thankfully her twin brother has a calmer edge to him.
I enjoyed the world that was created for this book, but did find it a little confusing to follow at times hence the 4.5 stars.
The book was easy to read and caught your attention quickly. I felt there were twists and turns that kept you enthralled in the story.
I love fanatsy books so this book was right up my alley, but I think even if fantasy isn't your main genere that you would still like this book. There is more to the book then just the fantasy aspect. There is a fight over woman oppression, a fight of religions , and a fight over the crown. Overall a good read!

Aemyra is hiding herself and her magic, along with her twin, in plain sight of their enemies. They are biding their time until their father calls them to challenge their rivals to the throne. But first Aemyra has to bond with a dragon and survive court with people who want her, and magical people like her, dead. If only her temper and impatience can hold off long enough for something to go right.

Tropes: elemental magic, enemies to lovers, arranged marriage

Kudos to Hazel McBride for writing a female main character that draws you in and makes you root for them but also makes you want to throttle them for their incompetence. McBride does this so well by sticking with the fmc perspective throughout the book. Hopefully book two comes out soon cause that was a huge cliffhanger ending!

Trigger warnings: war, torture, blood, rape, misogyny, sexism

I really enjoyed reading this book! I was sucked in immediately and could not stop until the book was over. The plot was interesting and kept a good pace which is something I really look for in a book. Also the characters were unique and there journey kept me enticed the entire time. I will be recommending this book to all of my friends and family.

The dedication captures it all: For the little girls who were told to put their fires out. Burn them all to the fucking ground.

A Fate Forged in Fire is a stunning combination of intense, empowered womanhood on the back of fierce dragons and magic.

To begin, I absolutely loved this book and found myself hoping for peace, smiling at some well written banter, clenching my hands in frustration, blushing and squealing at some toenl curling chemistry and screaming in shock, betrayal and rage right along side of Aemyra!

I initially found getting into the world "challenging" only because so much of the world building initially relies heavily on in-universe Scottish Gaelic inspired vocabulary that little context is given; you are kinda forced to just guess and figure it out on your own. I found myself guessing at possible meanings and references and even resorting to some failed Googling. My main criticism is that a glossary at the beginning of the novel would be greatly appreciated (consider it the same as including a map; if you are going to reference places and use a language unfamiliar to most, help the people out with easy to access reference material!

Next, I truly enjoyed the unraveling of all aspects of the plot as it kept me guessing and desperately trying to find out if Aemyra was understandably naive or constantly being left in the dark. 8 found the political intrigued, alliances between clans and the old ways vs The True Religion (oh and thereby the suppression of others and the oppression and subjugation of women) relatable in a way that kept me in a space able to understand the logical profession and nuances of everything while also not feeling as if everything was so real that I was unable to enjoy the book and escape; a good sense of balance between the real and fantasy was greatly appreciated. I also loved the guessing game related to if the love interest was the introduced MMC given the absolutely brutal violence inflicted on each other and hatred for each other. The "who's gonna be the love interest?" and the "will they; won't they?" is particularly exceptional in the book. Passages such as: “But from that very first moment in the forge, when you blazed through my glacial pretenses, I knew I never wanted to be free of it. Of you. Because the intensity with which you burned simmered through my soul and left me forever changed...I never knew what it felt like, to burn... So how can I be fire? If the only thing that makes me burn … is you.” immediately causes heart flutter, blushing and internal and external "sighs" of jealous and swooniness. They also make you stop and wonder why people don't talk or text like this in today's world; clearly a missed opportunity for a more beautiful and passionate way to express oneself that probably will lead to sex if you are lucky. 😍 I mean talk about swoon worthy while also sweeping me off my feet! Or the passage “I cannot erase what was done in the past, or the mistakes that my father made, but I can promise you that I will do whatever it takes to protect the people of this territory. And you," I mean c'mon, very few can individuals in this real world can compete with the level of honesty, remorse and the fierce passion of Fiorean! I mean Aemyra is only "human"; who can withstand that level of romance!? Who can honestly say passages like that " does nothing for them"?

Having sadly finished the book, the results are unclear regarding the rollercoaster of our FMC and MMC relationship and the fate of our dear universe and Queen. What is clear is that the small clues left by McBride throughout the book leads me to believe that is only the surface and barely the beginning of their romantic journey and that there is so much more laying ahead for Aemyra and her dragon.

The blended family, lost or dwindling magic, myths of dragons and rumors of a curse all hinging on a woman stepping into her destiny was beautiful to read and experience. The emotion within the book can be overwhelming especially when presented through tragedy, trauma, violence and betrayal. I mean with lines like "Get it off of me" 😩😭 um anyone else having a PTSD level flashback to Kingdom of Ash? Same level of pain and tears right there but absolutely worth it to the story and character growth. Aemyra prides herself as being from humble and meager roots but only after stepping into her true role does she, in my opinion, experience real pain, suffering and trauma and then goes on to struggle to grapple with those experiences is what makes Aemyra relatable and a phenomenal character.

Although ending on a cliff hanger and one that devasted me to my core (ifykyk) because I hate betrayal and the whole "I have to sacrifice/push you away to save you" character decision/device because the idealist in me and desire for HEA is constantly screaming in my brain"No! No don't sacrifice yourself/give up/give in/ resign yourself to your fate/push people away to save them/make them think you betrayed them so they move on because you aren't good for them". Additionally this current reality/timeline/universe really blows so this particular use of the device hurts a wee bit more than usual.

Hazel McBride is a talent that this genre needs and I can't wait to force all of my friends to buy and read this book! The combine the mythology and culture of Outlander, with the brutality and desire for power of GOT or HOTD all rolled up into an amazing fantasy story with strong romance plot lines that makes this a must read for any fan of the above mentioned franchises and Fourth Wing (Rebecca Yarros), A Flesh and Fire (Jennifer L. Armentrout), The Legend of Thezmarr (Helen Scheuerer) The Bridge Kingdom (Danielle L. Jenson) and Spark of the Everflame (Penn Cole)!

Hazel McBride, I readily and desperately await your next entry into this wonderful and captivating series!!!

Wow, once this book hit its stride, it didn’t stop or look back. I loved the Celtic ties. The FMC is strong, fierce, and likeable. I’m not sure morally gray is the right word for the MMC - I have thoughts and feelings that I’ll need to unpack. It leaves on a cliffhanger. The plot and world building are strong, and characters are well-fleshed out. 3.75 rounded up to 4. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher is exchange for my honest review. I so appreciated the ability to read this story early.

Oh.My.Gods! If you're looking for your next romantasy obsession, look no further! If you're a fan of Danielle Jensen, Game of Thrones, and House of Dragons...you're going to love this books! The FMC is stabby and vengeful and has some anger issues (i want to be her bff haha) and the MMC is broody (swoon worthy!!!) And there's dragons, what more do you need?!