By chapter 3 I knew this was not going to be a book I would be comfortable reading. Unfortunate because the premise sounded so good!

Hopefully it will reach the correct audience.

I realized at chapter 4 that this book wasn’t for me. I’m sure it will be great for the right audience.

Thank you for the gifted ARC and opportunity to preview it.

Ooooooooooh man this was SO GOOD🙌🙌

Aemyra has been hiding her whole life in Tir Teine waiting for the moment the King dies so she can bond to his dragon, take back the throne that is rightfully hers, and protect her people from the oppressive group The True Religion who are pushing anti-magic teachings. When the king finally dies Aemyra's plan fails horribly and she finds herself in a dangerous position with her biggest foe Prince Fiorean, a powerful fire wielder who is arrogant, cocky, and cold. When Aemyra finds herself forced into an alliance with the Prince she must be careful because the corruption runs deep and she can trust no one.

This book has it all; magic, dragons, political and religious intrigue, dragons, corruption, betrayals.
The author pulls from her Scottish roots which I LOVE. I recommend using the pronunciation guide, I found myself having to use it frequently in the beginning but by the middle I was comfortable with the language. It's a lot at the start and I do wish the guide was at the beginning of the book instead of the end. The conflict in this is heavy. The True Religion is an offensive and misogynistic group that is trying to rid Tir Teine of magic, their matriarchal society(who believes the one true Goddess blessed them), and believes women should be used for their womb and not much else. It will make you sad and furious. There is a scene near the end of the book that is disturbing and heavy that brought me to tears. I would check the trigger warnings! And the ending....😳
This is an excellent fantasy that I HIGHLY recommend and I expect it to blow up when it comes out.
Thank you to Netgalley and Randomhouse for the ARC

I read this book in a day and absolutely loved it! It felt fresh and unique. The world building was comprehensive yet not overwhelming and I loved the setting. The magic system is elemental and unique. There is a Scottish Gaelic pronunciation guide at the back of the book which is excellent as well.

Aemyra is the hidden heir to the Tìr Teine kingdom, hiding until the current king passes so she can bond his dragon and claim her birthright, guided almost entirely by her semi-absent father. The kingdom has fallen under the influence of the True Religion, which oppresses magic users and influences the crown heavily. Aemyra's plan all goes sideways after the king's death and the story really kicks into high gear. Aemyra has a very distinct moral code and is incredibly loyal so those values guide her actions. She is the embodiment of a strong female character.

The enemies to lovers was done exceptionally well. They weren't pretending - they were actually trying to kill each other! When we get the political marriage, I thought the vibe would change instantly but it was well done and involved some tough vulnerability and conflict resolution between the two characters which I felt was so genuine in terms of advancing development.

The ending had me gasping. My heart hurt at the end of the book for Aemyra. How am I supposed to wait another 1-2 years for book 2? I NEED to know how this resolves. It was so good!

Thank you Penguin Random House and Hazel McBride for the ARC!

I felt that while this book was very interesting, but there was a lot of information that was difficult to keep straight. First, I enjoyed the magic system in which we have various powers that people are born with. I think it was a great idea, but I didn't think it was looked into enough. We only really learned about fire (which I understand the main characters use) but I feel like others would be helpful to better understand the magic system as a whole. I wish there could be more depth to her sexuality and her relationships with her brother and father. Overall, the main character is complex, but I didn't feel like we understood the "why" she was the way she was. The writing almost felt disjointed; really deep and intricate at times and then quick like she wanted to just get to the next thing. I almost would say to extend the book in order to see more depth in the characters. I thought her relationship with Fiorean was confusing in the beginning and while I enjoyed the tension between them, I felt like the jump from enemies to lovers was quick. I really enjoyed the ending and felt like she set it up for the second book well. Overall, I enjoyed the story but felt like there was so much going on that I had a hard time keeping everything straight.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group for allowing me to read this as an advanced digital copy via NetGalley; all thoughts are my own.

This book from the start is very heavy on the world building and lots of information to take in.. also do your self a favour and flip to the pronunciation guide in the back it will come in very handy

Once I got over the initial world building this story really picked up it was really enjoyable
I can’t wait to see what comes next

As a typical fantasy book, this one had loads and loads of information dumping. The world building was clump up and shoved down our throats. After we get past that, the story gets quite enjoyable <3

#AFateForgedInFire #Netgalley

So the first half of this book was a bit … all over the place? A lot happened and a lot to keep up with, including all the names and pronunciations. Actually, it would definitely make it easier to have the pronunciation guide at the beginning of the book rather than the end!

But the second half was phenomenal!! Honestly the relationship between Aemyra and Fiorean, their banter and their chemistry, made everything else worth it!

I’m not trusting daddy dearest and Alfred has GOT to go! Can’t wait for the next book 😁

3.5 🌟
As a reader I don't necessarily have to enjoy the whole story to enjoy the story as a whole. That's what I feel here. Until like the 96% point I thought I might like it overall. By 98% I was ready to throw my hands up and be done.
I liked the overall idea of this book, but others just weren't for me. I liked the world building, elemental magics, and animal bonding.
I didn't really care for most of the characters. The FMC was almost too impulsive and angry for me. At some points it felt necessary and fit well, but others it almost felt like a forced emotion for everything. But maybe other readers will relate to her better. I just didn't feel she was ever as humble as she claimed.
I almost wanted to like the MMC at some point. Until it all felt pointless.
Still has potential. Someone will love this, it just wasn't me.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me a chance at reading this book.

This is very much so a teen book disguised as an adult read. I mean, I hope this is billed as young adult, because there is a great steep of a divide between this and Juliet Marillier. I have a ruler / level in which I rate all (everyone) who wants to write about Celtic / Druidaic fantasy.

The problem with this book is you got a female antagonist who does nothing but whine, complain, and rage against the machine (er, monarchy).

In this book, it's a women driven monarchy. Well, it was, until women heirs were hard to come by... and those are who bond with dragons / lead. Our female lead is the daughter of a clan who was ... kicked out? exiled? passed over? in exchange for a new religion that doesn't use magic. Sure the book started out good with her being a blacksmith, using menstrual blood to help her magic, and being outspoken... fearless, even.

But then that bravado started to piss me off. I then realized that she was just a 'insert moody, brash, non-girly girl stereotype'. She had no character or depth to her. She did things just to be the ~special, hidden princess~.

The romance was supposed to be enemies to lovers, but at 60% in the book when she gets wed to him, I felt no feelings for him, and at 70% when they finally start having feelings and they screw... just didn't feel it. Also, her last lay was a female, and she has never bedded a male... there is a line in which he says before they consumate that it'll hurt probs because he is so thick (and she has never been fucked by a man). She says she can take it... then he tells her that she can ride. We're all supposed to laugh because she rode him... yeah, sorry, wasn't really feeling the romance.

Dragons, court politics, not knowing who to trust, and some romance - count me in.

Unfortunately for me, this book was harder for me to become obsessed with. I think the main problem was I didn't love our FMC. I had different expectations for her, and some of her choices felt just like not right? and then when I felt like I was finally getting into it, getting emotional around the 65-75% of the book, the author threw me for a loop with how she ended this book - and not in a like "omg I didn't see this coming" but in an "omg I don't like this".

Moral of the story, well written but maybe not for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I genuinely enjoyed reading this book. The world-building and political history was slightly confusing to grasp at first. The ending, I saw coming from a mile away, but I wanted to be SO WRONG. The overall book was fun, and I would definitely recommend it if you enjoyed Fourth Wing and Game of Thrones.

We have our FMC, Aemyra, who is a hidden and rightful heir of Tir Teine who dreams of one day bonding with her own dragon. She is the embodiment of feminine rage and power! We also have our MMC, Fiorean, who is apart of the current royal family of Tir Teine. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), unexpected events and heat-of-the-moment actions force these two to work as allies rather than enemies.

AND THE ROMANCE??
💘 Knife-to-throat scenes
💘 Witty banter
💘 Touch her and die
💘 He falls first
💘 Slow burn

Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Random House and Hazel McBride for the ARC copy of A Fate Forged in Fire!!

Before you start this book, please save yourself.. go to the back and read through the pronunciation guide!! This book has a ton of Scottish Gaelic words; it helps with names, places, and words frequently used throughout the entire book.

NOW for the review.

Tropes this book had that kept me reading:
- DRAGONS (i mean look at the cover)
- slow burn
- Enemies to lovers
- Touch her and die
- Daddy Issues
- Matriarchy (cause F the patriarchy)
- FMC that takes no BS.


This book is the slowest of slow burns. I realize we have to build a fantasy book, lots of things to place before you can get to the climax.. but, my god, I suffered through this book until I got about 67% of the way through.. then at that point it finally got somewhat good. More or less I wanted to keep reading at that point. However, even the cliffhanger at the end I was like "alright then"...(insert shrug) If we were going to end on a cliffhanger I want to be screaming in rage. I'm really hoping book 2 closes the gap for me and I'm able to love the story.

First off thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the chance to read this as an ARC!

I DEVOURED this book! It has enemies to lovers, crazy tension, excellent world building, political intrigue and a strong FMC.

Aemyra is the long lost heir to Tir Tiene, a matriarchal society, who is goddess blessed with the strongest fire power seen in over a century. The succession once the king dies is far from settled. Aemyra must battle for her birthright from the Princes one of whom she is beginning to have feelings transform from hate to… something else. The princes are not her only opponents. She also has to face the True Society, a religious sect who has seized power during a time when only males have been born into the line of succession. They seek to oppress women and shift the goddess worshipping, strong matriarchal society into something that benefits them and their followers, leaving no room for dissent.

I can’t wait for the rest of y’all to read this book! I have a sneaky feeling it may be a top read for 2025. Hazel McBride does a fantastic job with her world building, it is descriptive but not overwhelming. I don’t know how I’m going to wait what will feel like an eternity for the next book in this series!!

If you love slow burn fantasy romances and enemies to lovers, I highly recommend this one! I had never read a book written by Hazel Mcbride before, and now I really want to dive into her backlist.
A Fate Forged in Fire is as great as its cover is gorgeous. It had so many good tropes and a very well-woven world. I loved every second of it, i can't wait for book two!

I really liked this fantasy book. Kinda reminded me of the Villian's assistant mixed with House of Dragon. Great plot and keeps you captive.

I was easily drawn into this book the moment I started it. I went on to finish it in about 24 hours. I loved the concept of having a female queen in hiding waiting to take her throne and that there has not been one born in 100 years. We learn the path to her throne has not been easy nor will it be to solidify her claim to it. This book has a bit of a swaggering female lead but she never waivers in her beliefs or cause. She has much to learn and mistakes are made. She meets her match in Prince Fiorean and the author shows us quite literally that they are enemies (they fight each other!). As the story progresses and thanks to their forced proximity, we learn there is more to him than meets the surface level. Both are loyal to their families but their dragons actually show us that some middle ground can be found? I can't say much without giving things away other than I loved the interactions between her dragon and his. I also enjoyed the banter between Aemyra and Fiorean. At one point I did laugh out loud and at another I gasped and kicked my feet. There is some religious oppression and a tragic scene in the book. Fiorean cares deeply for Aemyra's wellbeing and I liked how he tended to her in the times she was vulnerable. The book does end on quite a heart wrenching cliffhanger. I anxiously await book 2's release. I love that this will be a duology and am curious to see how the author will wrap up the story. I went to sleep thinking about this book, woke up thinking about it, and re-read the last couple chapters! 4.75 stars because I was a bit unclear about Aemyra and Sorcha. Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the arc. These are my honest opinions.

Okay, where to start with this book...

A Fate Forged in Fire is an Adult Romantasy novel, following our main character, Aemyra, a female heir to the throne.
Here is what I like about the book:
- The matriarchal society. Once a strong MAtriarchy, the fantasy world in which the story is set is slowly crumbling with the influx of non-magic wielders and wielders alike who are slowly changing faith to the 'true religion' which is more patriarchal and diminished the roles that the women have held. The religion started to rear its head in ti Tiene, where the story is set, which hadn't had a female royal until out dear Aemyra came along.
- I liked the worldbuilding in the story. While it initially confused me, the more I read, the better I understood. There are separate territories for each specific element wielder, and any wielder who had bonded to an animal could not travel these borders. I would love to see some more of the other territories in late books too.
- Aemyra. She is 26 and has trained her whole life to take her rightful place on the throne. the plan falls through and she lands herself in a series of obstacles and betrayals throughout the book. I loved that her character was well-rounded and well-developed - she seemed human, and this was shown through her interactions with characters (she did piss me off at some points of the story, however.

Things that could be improved:
- The romance. I did like Aemyra and Prince Fiorean eventually, but i feel the transition between hate to lovers was far too abrupt. There was some insta-lust after their first few encounters, which seemed out of place when they had done nothing to garner such interest. I did like how it ended up though, with the relationship developing somewhat naturally.
- The royalty system. It is my belief that the royals (who are all apart of the same clan and hence related?) share similar physical traits, the most notable being the fiery red hair). This may be to my own interpretation, but does that insinuate that Prince Fiorean and Aemyra are related??
- The magic. I loved the explanation of the magic system, but i feel as if some more information on how it manifests, how its controlled etc would add more to the story
- The true religion. The followers of the true religion seemed to thawrt Aemyra at every step, form their inces, to ingested powders and more. I think some more depth into there cure all magic repellent would be useful, and make it appear to be more than a convenient plot point

In summary, I really enjoyed this book. My critques are on minor aspects of the storyline, which i think would further improve the story. I like the plot, an the twist at the end. I will definitely be anticipating the next instalment, and all the more to come from HAzel McBride.

3.5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House publishing for the opportunity to read and review this arc

I'm going to be brutally honest and say that this book just didn't do it for me. I'm so sorry. I would have DNF'd at the midpoint if this wasn't an ARC and I felt obligated to finish.

I really, really liked the premise-- a hidden queen with fire magic and a dragon, rising up to reclaim her throne?! SOLD. Unfortunately, the MC drove me crazy. She continued to make selfish, reckless mistakes time and time again, landing herself in situations that could have been easily avoided. And what's worse is that she never seemed to learn from her mistakes; she did the same thing over and over again. I also didn't buy the romance. It came on way too fast and hinged on an all-too-convenient miscommunication trope where the guy is portrayed as being a bad guy at first but then it turns out it's all just a quickly forgivable misunderstanding.

There was so much potential for this book to be centered around a strong, savvy queen who was the one maneuvering others, rather than being the one being continuously outmaneuvered due to her own thoughtlessness. The worldbuilding is interesting, and there's a ton there for the author to dig into in future books. But while I'm sure there is absolutely an audience for it, but that audience just isn't me.

Perhaps one reason for this is because my impression of the book when I requested was that it was adult fantasy. It reads as YA to me. If I'd known that, I either wouldn't have requested, or I would've adjusted my expectations accordingly. In adult fantasy I expect characters not to thoughtlessly rush into situations time and time again, and that when they do make mistakes, that they learn from them. I didn't see that here in any form and ultimately that was the reason I would have DNFed.

2 stars for an intriguing world and premise, but I knocked off 3 stars because of an MC I couldn't root for and a romance that felt way too convenient and rushed.

This was a strong start to the duology, the world worked well overall and enjoyed the overall feel of this and how it worked in this universe. The concept was everything that I was looking for and had that fantastical element that I was expecting. The characters worked well in this universe and was enjoying the romance element. I’m excited to read more in this world.