I am so upset. I fell in love with this story, and it took me for a fucking ride.

First, I adore Jason & Lia. Ugh.

Second, the ending?! Never have I reached such an abrupt end…I need the next book now

Third, I was required to keep my wits about me. The world truly was pulling me in and I became shrouded in the mystery, fearful of magic. There is so much deception but I am loving it. I just want the best for all my favorite people. The bonds between each acolyte in their group of 5. The return of she who shall not be named. I just can’t even deal with myself and everything I am feeling.

This is going to be my favorite series. I already know, and now I wait with my heart in my stomach for the next book. I am confused and distraught. I am torn apart that I am reading this book so far in advance that I must now suffer an even longer wait.

I do feel like this book could be twice the length and I would still adore it. I almost wish that were true so I could know what happens next.

💔

This one didn’t work out for me. At almost half way through I wasn’t invested in the story or the characters. I had no trouble putting it down and I wasn’t very motivated to pick it back up, and when that happens it’s just time part ways. Even the trial (a plot element I love!) was actually pretty short and fell flat for me. I think I may have enjoyed it more had I read this when I was first getting into fantasy.

I don’t leave a star rating or review on my socials if I DNF as I don’t think that’s fair, but I think I read enough to leave feedback and an explanation here.

This book was fantastic! A strong multi levelled FMC, amaing world building, a plot that just kept giving, that cliffhanger!!!
The story has a hunger games meets mythology feel and I expected the race to the temple to take up a lot more of the book than it did. HOWEVER that only turned out to be a good thing as the plot just got better and better. I cant wait for the second book and I plan on checking out the authors other books

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this ARC!

A fiesty FMC, palpable tension and a plot full of unexpected twists made this a compelling read, was a quick read but by no means a 'short' book, it was pacy and kept me engaged throughout!

This book is truly incredible. If you're looking for a strong FMC and unrequited love, this is your story. The chemistry between Lia and Jason is to die for, and the plot twist?! I'm usually really good at figuring out plot twists but this one, this one got me. I can't WAIT for book two to come out.

The way I DEVOURED this book. I loved this so so much. I didn’t really know if I was going into it buttt this book captured my attention from the start.

I enjoyed many parts of this book, including the writing style and fantasy world that the author created. The plot was overall interesting and I did want to keep reading to find out what would happen next. I found that too much time was spent on the romance element, and would have preferred more plot development instead. It ended with many questions left unanswered, not just from the cliffhanger. I wonder if she plans a sequel? It would be good to fill in the gaps.

I enjoyed this book SO much!!! I couldn’t believe it was Saraih’s DEBUT romantasy!!! The action, the twists, the romance, the CLIFFHANGER!! I can’t believe we have to wait a whole year for book 2!!

The world building was TOP notch, the chemistry was sizzling, and the growth of our FMC, Lia! It was all amazing. All I can say is just go read it!!

Favorite quote: “When you kiss me, it will be because you choose to, not because I tricked you into it.”

Tropes:
- Enemies to lovers
- Ancient Greece x The Hunger Games
- Hidden magic
- Forbidden love
- Found family/sisterhood
- Death trial
- Tiny bit of dragons

It's so worth the read!!!!!

“𝙄𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙, 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚.”

As a princess of a dying nation cursed by a goddess, Lia would do anything to save her people. Every year, two young women from her country are offered up like lambs for the slaughter in a death race to the goddess’ temple, and in a thousand years, no one has made it alive. If she can make it through the labyrinthine city, she can find the solution to the famine and curse plaguing her home within the temple walls... if the magnetic sailor transporting her across the sea doesn’t distract her from her goals.

𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙨 𝙄 𝙨𝙖𝙬 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚, 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙, 𝙊𝙝, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚. 𝙄’𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙖𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪.

I am a sucker for Greek mythology and retellings, and I really enjoyed this one. It was such a fun and creative romantasy spin on the Trojans tale. Lia is such a strong and badass character from the get go, and I love that she gets even stronger throughout the book, not just physically, but through empowerment fueled by her sisters/adelphia. Jason is an absolute dream and had me swooning all over the place. The last chunk of the book left me with my jaw perpetually on the floor with plot twist after plot twist! Sariah is a cruel mistress leaving us like this until next summer!

𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙚. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙙𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙨, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩. 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧.

4.5 ⭐️

Title: Tribute of fire
Author: Sariah Wilson
Genre: Romantasy
Tropes: Forbidden romance, enemies to lovers, insta love/attraction, hidden identities,
found family, cursed land, deadly hunt
Format: eARC
Rating: 4 Stars

Summary:
The story follows Lia, a princess from Locris. Two maidens are taken as tributes to the Goddess and are forced to participate in a deadly race to the temple. This year it is Lia who will run the race. She is determined to sacrifice herself and save her dying nation; however, now the stakes are even higher--her sister is chosen as the second tribute. Lia is fiercely determined and protective of her family, both biological and found. She has a plan-- Survive the race, locate the secret relic hidden in the temple, and save her people.

Thoughts:
A Tribute of Fire is the compelling story of Lia’s journey to save her dying nation. It encompasses the power of personal strength and growth and the monumental impact of family. It is a testament to the value of the family you are born into and the family you find or choose in your lifetime.

This book is fast paced, and action filled. It was easy to read and has a wwell rounded cast of characters. I loved Lia’s strong will and determination to save her people. I enjoyed the witty banter and forbidden romance, the world building, and loved the concept of the adelphia. After that cliffhanger, I can’t wait to see what’s next for Lia in book two!

If you love high stakes fantasy books with badass FMCs, mysterious MMCs, found family/sisterhood, world building with Greek mythology elements, and a slow-burn/forbidden romance then you should definitely check out this book!

Thank you to Sariah Wilson and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this eARC in exchange for my honest review! Reviews posted to NetGalley and GoodReads.

I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have received an advanced copy of A Tribute of Fire from the author and NetGalley.

A Tribute of Fire has a ton of potential to be an amazing story but it unfortunately wasn't my cup of tea. I tried reading this book twice because I have heard so many wonderful things about this story from so many others. The first time I DNFed but the second time I finished reading the whole thing. I wasn't able to connect with the two main characters in the story and that made it an issue to connect with the overall storyline as a whole. I additionally was able to easily predict the plot twists. I do think the author has a wonderful writing style though and I would check out future works in the future. If you love fantasy, Greek Mythology, insta-love, and romance then I recommend giving it a try!

3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ - DNF

I really really wanted to like this book. I don’t read many mythology themed stories but i really loved the tropes, the blurb and the deadly trials theme that was presented.

Sadly though, i ended up DNF’ing this book around 45%. I got so lost in world-building and it was too overwhelming to continue on. I felt like the whole story was based on this main trial and then it ended too quickly and our FMC was thrown into another adventure.

At this time, the world-building for me just overpowered the romance/adventure themes and the storyline felt like it was jumping around too much for me to stay grasped to the book.

Lia is the princess of a desert nation cursed centuries ago by the earth goddess. Nothing grows on her land of Locris, and her people rely on imported goods to survive. The adversarial nation, Ilion, still worships the goddess. As part of their ritual and the goddess’s curse, two maidens from Locris must compete in a life-or-death race to reach the temple. No woman has survived. And this year, Lia is one of the chosen. She is not entirely unprepared, however. She believes that the key to freeing her land from the curse lies in Ilion. So she has trained for the task at hand. What she didn’t plan for was her beloved sister Quynh to be the other maiden. Nor for a handsome and alluring Ilonian sailor, Jason, to distract her along the way. Now Lia must somehow survive the race, ensure her sister’s survival, and find the mysterious item that can return her land to its former glory. A Tribute of Fire by Sariah Wilson is a high-stakes fantasy novel in which Lia must overcome her enemies, escape death, and learn the truth about how to save her people.

Wilson successfully steps into fantasy with A Tribute of Fire. The world-building was easy to follow, based on Greek mythology with unique subplots woven in. Lia is a likable character, consistently warring with herself while growing throughout the story. The attraction between her and Jason felt believable and natural. But some of the intimate scenes lasted too long for not going anywhere past first base. I also enjoyed meeting her temple sisters and wanted Lia to trust them with her true intentions. This book loses points for redundancy and lack of momentum in the middle. But once we get to the third act, the plot twist and cliffhanger will have readers waiting for the sequel.

Absolutely stellar! I was not expecting a cliffhanger, so to get through the book and get to that point I was in utter shock and need more immediately! It was addictive and I didn't want to put it down. The audio was great and kept me engaged.

Honestly, A Tribute of Fire blew me away! This book has everything I crave—fantasy, romance, action, mystery, and even a touch of mythology that pulls you into a world that’s impossible to leave. Lia is the fierce, determined FMC who goes from princess to warrior, all to save her kingdom from a curse. And the tropes? We’re talking forbidden romance, touch her and die, fated, enemies to lovers, and a super intense slow burn. You feel every single moment.

What makes this book so powerful is the themes of resilience and empowerment woven through Lia’s journey. She’s risking her life in the deadliest game ever, and it’s all for the people she loves. The connection to Greek mythology just enhances it—makes the world feel all the more real and rich.

Jason, our brooding Ilionian sailor, is the perfect mix of rugged and mysterious, and the chemistry between them? Just perfect. Hunger Games fans, this one’s for you, but it has its own pulse, its own high-stakes adventure, and a heroine you won’t be able to forget. I can’t wait for Book 2—this world has me hooked!

A good fantasy with a crazy cliffhanger! Definitely would recommend for romantasy lovers. Easy to follow perfect for people just getting into fantasy books

Oh this was SOSOSOSOSOSO GOOOOOOD.

Sarah reached out with this arc and I was intrigued, and always up for a good romantasy, but I did not think I would love it this much.

I love a good independent, strong minded heroine. I felt like the characters used existing tropes, but not in the traditional rinse and repeat style.

Absolutely recommend!!

I enjoyed a lot about this book but it was also very frustrating at times. The plot was additive, I didn’t want to put it down but the romance just felt forced to me. I didn’t buy into their chemistry and I think it’s because a lot of their conversations were told and not shown. The main Greek mythology elements was really entertaining, I love Greek mythology so this ticked a lot of boxes but I would have preferred if the author stuck to just the one main inspiration rather than trying to include too many references into the book. I saw the main cliffhanger coming a mile away but it still had a few twists and turns I didn’t expect that kept me engaged. I am keen to see where the author will take this one in book 2 so will definitely keep reading the series to find out more.

A Tribute of Fire is a fantasy romance novel that follows our protagonist, Lia, the princess of Locris, which is a desert nation suffering under a centuries-old curse from an earth goddess. The concept of having two Locrian maidens as tributes in a deadly race had great potential, with elements of Greek mythology and an epic romance.

The fantasy element of this story was very interesting and got me hooked. However, in my opinion, the fantasy takes a backseat to the romance, which I did not like at all. I loved the first quarter of the story where Lia prepares for the race where she wants to get selected as a tribute in order to put an end to the curse on her land. However, the actual race is a pretty short part of the book, which confused me. The writing for the fighting sequences, however, was excellent, and I could picture it all! Her life at the temple with her "found" sisters was also very compelling, and I liked her interaction with these characters a lot more than the love interest. There was fierce loyalty among them that was honestly her saving grace.

Lia meets Jason back in Locris before the trial starts and has her first kiss, and we find out what an AMAZING kisser he is... and this is repeated over and over and over. If I had to read about what an amazing kisser Jason is one more time, I would seriously lose it. Girl, you don't even have any other experience to compare it to? Jason also accompanies her on the voyage, and Jason becomes the one and only important factor in her life, apart from finding the eye of the goddess. It was insta-lust, and she keeps thinking about him, wanting him, dreaming about him for absolutely no reason, and getting sidetracked from her actual mission. I feel that the book would have been much better if the romance didn't take up such a big portion of the story, and towards the end, I had to drag myself to finish the book.

Overall, I really enjoyed the writing and the concept, but the romance is what ruined it for me. I also did not enjoy the inner monologue of Lia and how it made her sound immature. The ending was also very predictable for me, but there are some things unsaid from the first book that would make me pick up the next one. I believe romantasy readers would absolutely devour this story!

3,5⭐

Thank you to Netgalley, Sariah Wilson, and Tales and Teacups for the eARC and Audiobook!

I had the wonderful opportunity to get an arc for tis book and it was not at all what I was expecting in the best ways!! I truly was hooked from the very start and it was one of the best audio books I’ve ever listened to.

The plot was interesting and felt different from the norm. If you liked yrene’s story in Tower of Dawn and liked The Gilded ones, you’ll love this story! I also adored the sisterhood that was formed in this book and all the characters are so good

The romance had an element I normally don’t like but the way it was done in this had me desperate to keep reading. It’s a reylo fan fic which I’ve never read before and I really enjoyed it! THE YEARNING is truly delicious and I cannot wait to see how the romance builds in the next book. It got a one on the spice scale

Overall this story felt full of adventure, quests, danger and defying what you’d think is possible. Overall a MUST READ

I would categorize this as a New Adult book because of some of the romance and themes but there aren’t a lot of swears and it isn’t full of gore