4.5 ⭐️

A Fate Forged in Fire kicks off an exciting new fantasy romance series that promises to captivate fans of Danielle L. Jensen and Rebecca Yarros. With a delightful mix of beloved tropes and fresh twists, this book is a must-read for anyone who loves intricate world-building, sizzling romance, and compelling political intrigue.

At the heart of the story is Aemyra, the last heir to a once-thought-destroyed matriarchy. Hidden away for her protection, she must navigate a world of dangerous secrets, betrayal, and her own growing powers. As the last of her kind, Aemyra’s journey is both a personal quest for survival and a fight for her people’s legacy.

What truly sets this book apart are the rich, multi-layered elements woven into its narrative. The relationship between Aemyra and Prince Fiorean is full of tension, sparks, and intrigue. Their dynamic is further enhanced by an engaging mix of banter and the slow-burn romance that builds over time. There’s also an exciting magical system at play, where bonds with mystical creatures empower individuals, adding an extra layer of excitement to the story. And, of course, the dragons—an essential element of any good fantasy—are present in all their fiery glory.

Beyond the romance, A Fate Forged in Fire is rich in political machinations, making for a plot that’s both thrilling and unpredictable. Fantasy readers who love strong female protagonists, an LGBT normative world, diverse representations, and a healthy dose of drama, will be eagerly awaiting the next installment!

Enemies to lovers done so damn well and the slow burn is to die for. THAT CLIFFHANGER IS RUDE AND I NEED THE NEXT RIGHT NOW

I loved this so much thank you thank you

The world building in this book is incredible. I love how Fiorean and Aemyra’s relationship builds. Their meet-cute is perfect for who they are; vicious and stubborn creatures.

The cliffie is a DOOZEY. I am fine with cliffhangers in general, but this one is going to hurt a little. All the tension and build up between A & F is a slow burn that is worth the read. I hope that Alfred eats rocks and Katherine comes around. I can’t say much more without giving away too much, but this one is going to weigh heavy on my heart until the next comes out.

After seeing in previous reviews, I agree that the pronunciation guide should be at the front. That is my only critique, which honestly is not really a critique.

Spice: 2/5
Romance: 2.5/5
Enemies to lovers
Third person POV
One love interest

RATING: 3 out of 5

I’m going to break this review down into sections of the book because my feelings were constantly changing while reading this book lol.

1% - 30%:

I do not like Aemyra. She is way too ignorant, cocky, and bratty with none of the depth and soul to back it up.  Also I feel like she made two really weird comments about her twin brother? I’m sorry but I would never say my sibling’s shirt brought of their eyes or that the tight pants they wore accentuated their muscular legs. Cringe. Ew.

30% - 50%:

Aemyra has grown so much and I finally get to see the humility and depth that balances out that cocky attitude that I love to see behind the FMC. I already love Fiorean even though he is not getting as much screen time as he deserves and hope we get to see more from him. I am finally immersed in this book and I love the way this story is heading. Some parts were predictable (who cares, I still love it) but there were a few things that happened that I genuinely didn’t expect and I was left shocked and reeling.

50%-70%:

There is a lot of mixed writing in here. One chapter was very detailed and had so much soul behind it and the next chapter was choppy, immature and awkward. I don’t understand why everyone is saying the enemies to lovers is done well because it wasn’t, they were enemies for like a total of 3 chapters. It did not feel realistic and it did not progress from enemies to lovers naturally. It was rushed. Also was she a healer or a blacksmith??

70%-100%:

This felt very rushed and chaotic to finish this. The characters stopped having growth and became very one dimensional. I did not connect with this book but I did like the idea overall so I would be willing to try the next book and hope the author is more consistent in the writing. I personally don’t have a problem with this but maybe some people do: it did end on an expected cliffhanger.

Thank you so much to Hazel McBride, Random House Publishing and NetGalley for letting me read this!

* A Fate Forged in Fire* is an exciting blend of Celtic-inspired fantasy, political intrigue, and fiery romance that pulls readers into a richly crafted world. Hazel McBride introduces Aemyra, a fierce and determined heroine, whose quest for her rightful throne is both gripping and intense. The chemistry between Aemyra and her adversary, Prince Fiorean, is electric, adding a thrilling romantic tension to their alliance. The vivid world-building and well-paced plot make this novel a captivating start to a promising duology, perfect for fans of strong-willed heroines and magical battles.

First of all, thank you to Random House publishing and Netgalley for granting me an arc!
Second of all, these opinions are my own thoughts and level of enjoyment on the book.

I'm going to rate this as a 3.75 stars.


There were elements that I liked, but I did not really care for the characters all that much unfortunately. A book about dragons? I'm all for it, but I wish there was a more in depth look at dragons. The elemental magic and world building was interesting and complex, mainly fire magic AND dragons? Sign me up please. A matriarchal society battling the ongoing presence of a patriarchal and misogynist religion is definitely interesting and I appreciate the author for including it. While we are on this topic, I just want to add that this book has a scene that could potentially be distressing to some readers, please please check the Author's Note in the beginning for any trigger warnings and distressing themes.


About the FMC, Aemyra... well I liked her in the beginning, but then she did something so stupidly impulsive that even she knew it was foolish herself afterwards. This was the first moment I kind of sighed and got a bit mad at Aemyra. Our FMC is fiesty, mouthy, impulsive, and has childish behavior unbefitting of a Queen and an adult I might say. She has to try really hard to reign herself in and her anger almost always shows itself through her magic. I get it though, we have a character who has control over fire and she herself has a fiery temper so it's hard to control.

The MMC, Fiorean I also liked in the beginning and appreciate a good enemies to lovers, but I also like slow burn, which a number of reviews said this story had. I, personally do not see this as a slow burn, but maybe more in the middle. I think this book is an enemies to lovers, although there may be some argument on that depending on the way readers will view things that happen in the story.

I think one thing to note is that this book is apparently marked as "young adult" and "adult" and I believe this should be classified as an adult book. Aemyra is 26 years old iirc even though I think she acts petulantly. There is also some spice in this book, I'd maybe say it's maybe a 2 or 2.5/5 on the spice scale.
I almost feel like the most interesting character was actually one of the side characters, I don't want to name them since I want to be safe and not give anything too spoilery just in case, but their name does start with a D.

I can see a lot of readers that would love this book, and to a degree I did like it and enjoy it, but I do not enjoy Aemyra as much, she is just not my cup of tea.
That being said, I think I will pick up the next and last book because of the frustrating cliffhanger. I want to see where the story will progress and please please PLEASE have more parts with the dragons, it's one of the main reasons why I wanted to read this story.

Review published on Goodreads 11/7/24

Very few books have had me in an absolute chokehold from the very first line. A Fate Forged in Fire is one of them. I experienced probably every single human emotion while reading this book. I laughed, I sobbed, and I giggled and kicked my feet like a schoolgirl with a crush.

This book has everything that I look for in a romantasy: enemies to lovers, magic, and, most importantly, dragons. There were lovable characters, hateable characters, and absolutely loath-able characters. It was fast paced, thrilling, and had me on the edge of my seat needing to know what happened next. The only reason I didn’t read this book in one sitting is because I need sleep. The world is Celtic-inspired with elemental based magic and two warring religions, arguably the most important aspect of this book.

A lot of what happens in the book is so relevant to our world today, especially how the women are sometimes treated. I’m not sure if the author intended to make those parallels or if they kind of just happened. Either way, it had me sobbing with anger, frustration, and heartbreak for the characters, which is something no other book has been able to do. Pretty impressive if I do say so.

Overall, I enjoyed this book immensely, even though it made me sob at 1a.m. If any part of my review intrigued you or made you interested in reading the book, listen to your instinct and READ IT!

This book is for you if you enjoy fantasy with a dash of romance! With a matriarchal pagan religion under attack from a monotheistic outside religion that aims to destroy a culture, it is evident that the world building had a lot of Celtic influences. Considering that crazy cliffhanger of a conclusion, I hope the second book shows us more of the nation.

This book was absolutely amazing. I went into this honestly not expecting much as it was an uncorrected proof and I've not heard of this author but this was one of the best books I have read all year. I learned this is to be a duology i believe, but i wish it would be way more because i would buy them all. This is definently a 5 star rating book. Aemyra is an amazing character with depth that I did not expect to see. I really enjoyed the relationship and acknowledgement of Terrea and Aemyra. The enemies to lover with Fiorean was written perfectly and had me really engaged. And I don't want to spoil anything but the villian aspect wirh Alfred was one of the best I have seen. I strongly recommend this book to everyone. I started this book last night and ended up reading over 70% while I was at work and couldn't stop. If you enjoy fantasy, enemies to lovers, magic, dragons any of it then get this. The book is well worth a pre order.

Wow!!!!

If you want a female rage with all types of betrayals and an interesting magic system, this is for sure the book for you!

Aemyra is a very complex, yet kind character. I loved the way her character's decisions felt relatable, especially simple mistakes that many of us would've also made. It helped to make her feel real and build a certain level of trust.

Now the enemies to lovers to enemies plot was so good. I did feel like they had a really interesting dilemma that made them enemies in the first place. I'm interested to see if the MMC will continue to be the enemy, or if it's somehow for some level of the greater good.

Overall, the story kept me interested and the plot twist was pretty unexpected so I enjoyed getting to read something I honestly didn't see coming. I will most definitely be continuing this series as more of the books come out. I cannot wait to purchase a physical copy of this when it is published.

WHEW i wasn't ready. i was not. A fate forged in fire is SO GOOD. the feminine rage i needed. It is a true screw the patriarchy story. Plus dragons. i truly at no point knew where we were going (not in a bad way) every time i thought i had it figured out i was wrong. I read it all in two days and could not get enough.. . while the FMC is 26, she is flawed. She was not raised in the courts. I found myself understand her struggle to understand what it meant to be queen. I cannot wait to see book two! i need it IMMEDIETLY

I heard that this was a debut... If that's true, it's one heck of a debut and if not, it's a hell of a book anyways! How dare you leave me in the lurch like this, ma'am.
This was thought-provoking, exciting, and DRAAAAAGONS! Eek! I could go on about this one for awhile, but I won't. I'll just say this: My favorite debut book the first half of the year was James Logan. My favorite debut for the second half of the year is by Hazel McBride.

4.25/5.0

Thank you so much NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this eARC!

This book had me in a chokehold a quarter of the way through. The first quarter was very hard to get through. The world building felt slow and it really only picked up after that first part.

The world building, albeit slow, was great. We learned a lot about the society and magic system and goddesses and their significance in the world.

The romance was a slow burn for sure. I definitely was able to get a feel for where the slow burn was heading and it was slightly predictable based off some context that was provided. What I will say is that the spicy scenes had me blushing and kicking my feet. The main protagonists love interest isn't what you'd expect once you get past the hard exterior.

The twist ending had me gasping every couple of minutes and while I had an inkling as to what was going to happen a couple chapters before hand, it still didn't take away from the shock factor of reading it on...paper? Kindle screen???

Overall, this book was a 9/10 for me. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy slow burn romance, political dramas, and cliffhangers that leave you craving more of the story!

This book started out so slow. But when the action picked up it just swept you away. It did suck me in and make me want to stay up late to finish it. Aemyra is a girl after my own heart. She has a fire of her own that does not come from her elemental magic. Join Aemyra on her journey with all its twists and adventures. It's a journey you won't regret taking.

I absolutely loved this. It was such an addicting read with female empowerment, captivating characters, and plot with the romance we all want! This was the perfect read for anyone craving more from House of the Dragon. It had its heart wrenching moments but also female rage/revenge to balance it out. Would definitely recommend!!

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.