I struggled at first to get invested but once the male character came into the plot it got better. Still wanted more from the story

It was a good read but just felt lacking a bit. I really liked the magical school premise but it just at times felt a bit hard to connect with the characters

Don't fear the fire is an interesting debut featuring a unique magic school that focusses on starsigns. Full of mystery and intrigue, it will suit young readers that enjoy the tropes found family, magical school, and good versus evil. Whereas it wasn't the read for me, the characters were well developed and unique in their personalities and quirks, and the plot flowed smoothly.

DNF'd at 33%. I just could not get into this book. The plot was slow, the characters were uninteresting and flat. I really wanted to like this but I just could not bring myself to even finish it.

So Scarlett Dalton finally turns eighteen and gets to go to Leighton Academy (about time!). It's this school for kids with magikal powers, and she's SO ready to get out of boring old Whistlington.

She's never really fit in anywhere, you know? So she's thinking Leighton will be her big chance to start fresh. And when she meets her roommates - both Sagittarius like her - she's like, "Yes! Finally found my people!"

But then weird stuff starts happening at school. She ends up having to work with this guy Claude Richardson from the boys' academy next door (not part of her plan). As they dig into what's going on with the students and these deities in their world, Scarlett's wondering if maybe she's on the wrong team...

Honestly, I had all the feels reading this. I stayed up way too late finishing it because I just couldn't put it down. The characters actually talk like real teenagers without being annoying, and Scarlett's not one of those "chosen one" types who's automatically good at everything.

It was such a quick, fun read, and thankfully not another copycat YA story. The magic system is super cool - they did this whole thing with astrology and magical creatures that really works.

If you're into good characters, soulmate connections, magic stuff, plus lots of "OMG didn't see that coming" secrets and betrayals - you should definitely check this out.

Don't Fear the Fire was an interesting read. In the beginning, the scenes and writing style felt disjointed, though that became less of a problem later on. However, the writing style was not one that worked well for me. I felt that I didn't really know the main character well, as well the romance plotline didn't exactly make sense. Information given was not delivered well, as in, later on, we find out more about the world, and certain things we find out exist that were not introduced earlier in the book, so I felt a little confused when that was just randomly dropped. We also did not know the side characters well, and the fact that it was set in the 1960s I found completely pointless, as it does not come up later in the book or relate to anything in the story. The plot I also found to be cliche.
The magic system I found very interesting, though there were parts of it I didn't like, and I loved the boarding school vibes, with the creepy forest and the studying in the common room or the library.

4/5 stars
“Her mind refused to focus on anything other than the flame that lingered in her hand.”
Finally old enough to attend Leighton Academy, a school for those born with magikal powers, eighteen-year-old Scarlett Dalton cannot wait to escape from her small, mundane hometown of Whistlington.
Having struggled to fit in her whole life, she hopes Leighton Academy will offer her the fresh start she’s always craved, and when she meets her two Sagittarius roommates, it feels as though her dreams of building a strong friendship group have finally come true.
But when strange happenings begin to occur at the school, Scarlett is forced to work alongside Claude Richardson from the rival boys’ academy, and as they start to uncover the secrets of the students at the academy, and the deities that reside within their world, Scarlett starts to wonder if she might be fighting for the wrong side…

I loved this book. I really liked the characters and the storyline. the only thing that didn't sit right with me was the ending, for me there were so many options on how this book could have ended but this ending wasn't it.

Lois Miller crafts a powerful narrative about resilience, healing, and the complex emotional journey that follows a life-altering event.

If you loved the crave series than you will love this book! The setting was really fun and I loved the characters in it!

Magik School - Soul Mates - Secrets - Twists & Turns.
Such a great debut YA novel that I couldn't put down!

The world created within this story was fantastic and easy to understand. I loved that there were different elements to the magik system (astrology, fates, magical creatures)
The characters were interesting and extremely likable. Scarlett (FMC) made some really great connections along the way and I loved reading about her finding her place within the world.
The ending has left me wanting more (it's not a cliffhanger though!). I would love to read more about the magik system and learn more about the characters!

A great story of friendship, belonging and finding yourself.

This needs some editing I feel like. I can tell it's a debut and it's not that great. This reads somewhere between middle grade and ya and I was expecting different, which isn't bad but definitely not for me. Has a magic school and a believable romance but I just really wasn't invested at all in any of the characters. Plus a lot of the side characters are utterly forgettable. Thanks Netgalley for an early copy but unfortunately not for me.

I want to say thank you to the author, the publisher and netgalley for this book

This was hands down a 5 star read!
I was so hooked on it, I had to tear myself away!
I was apprehensive about the outsider fmc going to a school setting and being the outside if you will but let me tell you, Scarlet can hold her own and she's very assertive And is such a well rounded character, this is wrote unlike other books of the same setting. The story is written so well and you can imagine everything that is happening and have a clear picture in your head.

100% if you want a story where you have a love triangle of sorts, a well written school system, great characters and more, pick this book up!

Sadly, I did not enjoy this book. The writing felt cliched and unoriginal, the heroine was completely unlikable and selfish, and the plot was painfully obvious. So much went unexplained and felt random, while people changed personalities constantly. None of the encounters between characters felt organic and realistic; instead, everything served to push the heroine's storyline.

Story: Scarlett is happy to go to Leighton Academy for the magically gifted. While she isn't sure about her magical ability, she hopes to finally be with people who will accept her. But not all is as it seems at the academy.

I probably would have enjoyed this when I was 16 - feisty but dense heroine, eye wincingly emo love interest, the usual "adults ruin the world" storyline, overblown melodrama and painfully cliche dialogues. But I've read enough books now where I am more impressed when the heroine is NOT a speshul snowflake with no brain power whatsoever, when not everyone falls inexplicably in love with a person who is rude and unpleasant to be around all the time, and when the the love interest changes personalities every five pages so as to fit into the heroine's storyline better.

In all, it's not a terrible read but it does lack the strong writing skills that would have made it a more nuanced, believable, and engaging story. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

DNF at 47%
It was not enjoyable for me but I can’t see how it could be someone’s cup of tea. Overall the writing style was good and I just did not find the plot interesting. Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this ARC.

Lois Miller delivers a powerful and gripping story with vivid storytelling and deeply compelling characters, this book explores resilience, courage, and the strength it takes to face life’s toughest challenges. The emotional depth and fast-paced narrative keep you turning the pages, making it impossible to put down. A must-read for those who love stories of perseverance and transformation.

Don't Fear the Fire by Lois Miller
A fierce and inspiring story of resilience, Don’t Fear the Fire is a novel that burns bright with passion and strength. Lois Miller delivers a protagonist who faces adversity head-on, making for an empowering read that blends raw emotion with a captivating narrative.

Leighton Academy by Lois Miller is a captivating YA fantasy. The story follows Scarlett, a determined student at Leighton Academy who aims to graduate at the top of her class to support her aunt. When an unexpected force awakens within her, she teams up with a student from the boys' academy, leading to a thrilling journey filled with secrets and danger.

The writing is enchanting, with a dreamlike quality that draws you in. Miller’s world-building is rich, blending magic, astrology, and mythical creatures in a fresh way. Scarlett’s growth and the heartfelt relationships she forms with those around her add depth to the story. Her journey of self-discovery, paired with her willingness to break the rules, makes her relatable and engaging.

Leighton Academy offers a unique twist on familiar themes, making it a must-read for fans of fantasy and romance. Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the ARC!

🩷 Book Review 🩷
📚 Don't Fear the Fire
✒️ Lois Miller
🗓 25th March 2025
💫💫💫💫

Thank you to @netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book took me by surprised. I was thinking it was going to be another high school/academy style drama where the FMC doesn't feel pretty but it was so much more.

We are introduced to Scarlett, a girl with magik and finally has the opportunity to attend Leighton's Academy. She has always been an outcast, hence the initial thought that this was a another school drama, but she quickly finds her place amongst the students, in particular her roommates that have this aspect of found family.

Odd things begin to happen at the school and she is forced to collaborate with Claude. They start to unravel the world they thought they knew and something more than a friendship blooms between not only them but also another student Theo.

I loved the writing style. It was very ethereal and I found it easy to read and get lost in. The magik system reminded me a little of Zodiac Academy (I have only read book one in that series and am not interested in reading the rest), it had a little o astrology, fates and magical creatures.

I think my favourite aspect would have to be the relationships Scarlett had with everyone. She was very true to herself and valued all the connection she had.

The ending wrapped up nicely but does leave an opening for another book.

4⭐️

There’s something about this novel that made me feel so nostalgic. Like the feeling I had while reading this was the same one I had when reading ya fantasy for the first time, this feeling of being on an adventure with the characters.

This is a YA fantasy set in an academic setting. Our fmc is Scarlett, who comes to Leighton Academy so she can study and graduate top of her class to support her aunt. But as she makes new friends and settles in, she realizes things aren’t as they seem. A force within her starts to take over, so she teams up with someone from the boys’ academy to help her.

The first thing I noticed was the writing. Very ethereal and it easily wove the tale of these characters without losing my attention one bit. I felt enraptured.

I absolutely devoured this. The romance took a turn that I didn’t expect, but I ended up LOVING. The mmc makes me mellltt. He fell first and harder.

“I’m sick of pretending that you’re not all I think about.” Eeekk!

I liked the magic system. We get to see some astrology, fate, and magical creatures weaved into this world.
The relationships Scarlett had were so heartwarming. The friends she connected with, whether those were her roommates or the boys.
She remined me of myself in the way she was a strict rule follower, but most situations would have her break them.
Ugh I need the next installment stat!


Thank you to Cranthorpe Milner Publishers on Netgalley for this earc.

What drew me most to this book was the cover. To a big degree most of us book lovers are cover**ores to a various degree. What kept me glued to the story were the characters. And that lasted just long enough for the plot to grip me completely.

It has been exactly 7 years (give or take) since a debut author impressed me this much. There is nothing about this book that screams debut author. If you remove the name from the book, ask me to read it and guess who wrote it, I would probably tell you Leigh Bardugo, Laini Taylor, Maggie Stiefvater, or even Cassandra Clare. That's how good this book is.

In today's world it's almost hard to come up with an original story. Not to knock any author down but most themes have already been tapped. Most we can do is take something that has already been done and put a different, authentic and unique spin on it. And this is exactly what Lois Miller does here. She tells a gripping tale of belonging, and finding oneself in a world where she never really fit. And just when she does, a few wrenches get thrown in there to complicate things. Probably a story most of us have read a few times in our lives. But here, it's original and unique enough where it becomes a gripping story you're reading for the first time.