*the game of thrones theme tune plays in the background*

I was expecting a Gaelic inspired Romantasy with dragons and what I got is literally a House of the Dragon fanfic with every name changed to Gaelic and the white hair changed to… you guessed it…. Ginger.

Now if it had been marketed to me as such I wouldn’t have been quite so pissed about it. Despite having a pronunciation guide, and being a Scot, I found the overuse of Gaelic names, places and nouns confusing and felt it was overdone.

Before twigging that this was a fanfic rewrite I spent the whole time going “this is very familiar and something seems off” and “this is very danerys targaryen coded”.

I did not feel connection to the characters so the envitable deaths were more of a “oh dear” than the usual tears and snot I’d suffer.

Aemyra has some wicked banter but otherwise she’s pretty insufferable and unlikable. Daemo…. I mean Draeven is also hugely unlikeable.

For me this wasn’t a Romantasy. There was 0 development of the romantic plot we went from enemies to instalove.

The female rage was all well and good until the smut was literal P in V … I honestly skim read the later scenes. Same same. The only thing that distinguished it from the misogyny of the rest of them is that it was consensual.

The first 200-250 pages were super slow but I did get into it. But given how similar it is to George RR Martin’s world the end was not surprising at all and I was left feeling underwhelmed.

Kudos though, I didn’t work out who the culprit was.

This book/series had promise but I feel it has been marketed poorly and sets anyone who’s watched/read GOT and HOD up for a disappointing ride if you’re looking for something unique. My stars are for the banter, the female rage and the familiarity of George RR Martin.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced E-ARC :)

Definitely one to look out for! Filled to the brim with fantasy, steamy scenes and lots of character development.

I did find the FMC bratty and very annoying. The other characters were okay though. Aemyra lacks every skill possible to be a Queen apart from her strength.

I loved the themes of vengeance, anger and loathing. The fighting was top tier and I do love a good FMC who isn’t expected to bow down and sit pretty.

Itll be interesting to see how things go when the next book comes out.

It took me a minute to get immersed into the story, but once I was there I was in. A thrilling Scottish fantasy, with a finger up to the patriarchy, Hazel McBrides debut novel is a masterpiece.

This book is an important commentary on many issues faced within society today, and the general attitudes of the masses towards solving those issues. The author has created an interesting world in which the patriarchy is flipped on its head and how this world might look to the eyes of men and women. It had some very well written, but strikingly uncomfortable moments, that highlighted some of the extreme views women continue to face at the hands of religion and said patriarchy.

The overall plot was very slow for the first two thirds of the book, accelerating at breakneck speed for the final chapters. I felt that the FMC was not fully developed with some conflicting actions and thoughts. I also found her to be brash to the point of self sabotaging, but that’s personal taste. There were some interesting twists in the last third, the final twist being slightly obvious, but pleasing all the same. I think it’s fairly clear what’s happening with this, but only the next book will be able to tell me for sure how the situation managed to occur.

Overall it was an ok read!

Gonna be honest...I was a little lost at the start as my little chaotic brain struggled to put together all the info and world building...

BUT THEN..

I became obsessed with the plot and FMC's journey!!

🔥 High stakes
🔥 Twists, shocks
🔥 Brilliant dialogue that'll make you go grrr and oooh
🔥 THE ROMANCE PUSH AND PULL
🔥 The ending -- whaaaaat

Loved it.

Matriarchal fantasy romance, female rage, dragons, political warfare and a headstrong FMC with fire magic! I found pure escapism within 'A Fate Forged in Fire' and was counting down the minutes until I could next pick up the book (for the first time in a while!). This publication will definitely scratch the dragon itch all fantasy readers currently have as well as introduce a new and entertaining series to the bookish world. I can't wait for book two to be published so I can continue reading about Aemyra's adventure and fight for the throne.
Additionally,
I was fascinated by Hazel's author note which explained her use of Scottish Gaelic within the book as well as a background of the language. A pronunciation guide is also included which provided not only dialect variations but also explanations for these variations which I found super interesting.

”Weak men would rather guilt strong women than become strong themselves,”
“’those who grasp for power will never keep it.’”

To read a long list of how to pronounce every name used in the novel was off-putting. I freely admit, it nearly made me put it back down again. But I decided to see if the story was worth it.

Yes, I enjoyed it immensely - this is a genre I adore and there are twists that keep it fresh, and one isn't the Gaelic. The story runs away at a fabulous pace and it keep it up all the way through. The characterisations are lovely and filled with illustrative detail and speech patterns. It has all the luxury of Sarah J Maas, the unbridled enjoyment and unashamed revelling in itself. It doesn't swerve difficult topics; it is violent in places and it leaves you tense, because you care about these characters. The language isn't shy. It's real, real people using real language and doing real things. And the evil is creepy and scary, and so very, well, REAL.

Aemyra is warmly arrogant and just self-aware enough to be likeable. Draevan is undeniably brave and viciously cunning; Fiorian is complex and yet, so very simple. I want to know of what happens to them; I want to read on and I will be looking out for the sequel.

However, as well as the Gaelic, which is a bit annoying and unnecessary really - we all cope with Tolkein without the need of a translator - I was slightly put off by the very clear influence of Game of Thrones with the dragons. There are new bits, new lore, but it still borrows a bit too much, and if the name Daercathian was replaced with Targaryan, you wouldn't have to make too many adjustments.

I do feel a bit mean writing that, but it is the truth. But, for all that, I liked Game of Thrones, and I like dragons. And, ultimately, I'll be looking for the sequel in around a year. And that is success in a writer and a book.

I really wanted to love this book, but unfortunately it wasn't for me and it put me in a reading slump.

I'm not sure if it's because of the FMC Aemyra. I just couldn't warm up to her and I really tried! I love strong female characters, but she just came across as angry and entitled from the beginning. Being rude to the prince for no reason at the beginning. She knew it could affect the business of the people who had brought her up as their own. She didn't care for anyone but herself. She was rude to get brother. Everyone.

The synopsis sounds like something I'd normally love but sadly I didn't. I found this book really hard going at times as I wasn't rooting for any characters in particular (except the dragons!).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC!

I feel like I'm hating on 'strong' female characters a lot lately, but I didn't like Aemyra. I love strong female characters who are allowed to have personalities beyond 'anger' and 'arrogance'. Like, why is Aemyra such an arse to pretty much everyone? Even her own family. She also makes ridiculously stupid decisions and seriously overestimates how good she is at...well, anything, frankly. Aemyra is goddess blessed and has strong fire magic, something she wants to desperately wield and claim her birthright - the whole kingdom. Aemyra wants her kingdom back, which used to be matriarchal and has since become run by men. The problem is that the dragons are also becoming weaker the longer there are no women born in the royal line. As you might expect, Aemyra is unhappy with this and even more unhappy with the pseudo-cult that is gaining more power in her world.

These religious men believe in a patriarchal society and want to erase the magic users, so I obviously understand and agree with her anger at the men trying to put women down and create a heteronormative world. My immediate comparison was obviously the Catholic Church, which I imagine is what the author was going for. If not Catholic, then something Christian.

The male MMC, Fiorean, is...fine? There's not much interesting going on with him, and I would have liked more personality to be given to him. They're enemies to lovers, as he's part of the royal family who holds the throne that Aemyra believes to be her own. Unfortunately, I just didn't feel anything going on between them.

I also wish we had more world-building. We get some, but not much. We get some hints as to the other lands, such as one land having griffins instead of dragons, but not much more. Fantasy works best when there's a solid world created, but I couldn't see it here.

There are plenty of people who love this, and I'm cheering on you, but it just wasn't for me.

I went into this one with such high expectations and I don't know if it was just that I've been reading too much fantasy lately but this one missed the mark for me.

I enjoyed elements of the story and characters but really didn't feel like it brought anything new to the table. This definitely could have been a me problem because I know that a lot of people love this one, I just have to be honest about my own experience.

I found the plot very predictable and it took me some time to get into the story. I enjoyed the Celtic influences and the feminine rage but didn't particularly love the main character, which isn't always a bad thing but I didn't find her to be a particularly memorable FMC.
I understand that this is a debut novel and I will consider continuing the series when the next book releases.

I did like the bonding element with the mythical creatures in the story - I just wish it was explored more fully because this could have been a massive draw to this series for me, perhaps it will be expanded on in the next book.

All in all, this was a decent debut and I'm sure it will be loved by many.

Thank you so much for the arc in exchange for my honest opinion, I really appreciate it.

Thank you Dialogue and Netgalley for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

The synopsis for this book gave me high hopes for an epic, feminine rage-fueled story with dragons but unfortunately it fell a little flat for me. It’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the story I just found myself questioning a lot of the world building. I didn’t really understand why creatures bonded with the Dacaerians (what was in it for them?) I also desperately wanted more dragons and to learn more about the bonding (again the reason why the bonds are there in the first place).

The main character Aemyra was hard to like, now I’ve read books before where the FMC is unlikeable but I just found her frustrating and this took me out of the story. I kept wanting to root for her, but her decisions and reactions to certain elements of the story were just not to my liking. I really think scenes could have been developed further to really get into her head and emotions. I struggled to believe how distraught she was after she discovered information that should have been devastating. Even her rash decision that caused her to be captured was just a bit flat. For a story that is advertised as feminine rage she just came across a bit bratty and childish.

I wasn’t sold on the romantic pairing either, the forced marriage plot should have worked well within the premise of the political world but I couldn’t get on board with it. Even the twist didn’t particularly excite me, by that point I had lost all investment in Aemyra getting her rightful place back on the throne, her decisions made it hard to believe she deserved to be there and it didn’t feel like the big betrayal that it could have been.

Things I liked:
The dragons - what there was of them I enjoyed, with a fresh idea of how they communicate with their bonded human I just wanted more.
I liked that unlike many other fantasy stories Aemyra has always known her true heritage rather than discovering this where the story begins. I think she should have been a stronger character having grown up with that knowledge.


This was very House of Dragon coded with the warring ‘houses’ fighting over the rightful heir to the throne, there was political elements that I enjoyed and many of the characters were morally grey which created a more interesting dynamic.

Overall this was a good (okay?) debut fantasy, but to me it will be easily forgotten as I’m not dying to know what happens next.

Really enjoyed this, it was easy to understand and loved the tension! Also the first paragraph cracked me up 🤣

First of all i want to thank Netgalley and publishers Dialogue Books for the opportunity to read an arc of this book.
Omg i enjoyed this book so much definatly 5 stars.
I want to say that i hope the actual book will have the pronunciation guide in it as i found it very useful.
Names of people and places are based on Scottish Gaelic and i feel the pronunciation guide was a really good idea.
Before reading please be aware of possible triggers such as misogyny, sexism, domestic violence, sexual harrassment/assault and a case of attempted forced sterilisation.
The FMC has been hidden for most of her life so that when the time is right she can claim the throne.
A male orientated religious group want the king and his (male) heirs to stay on the throne as they have no respect for women at all and we follow our FMC as she attempts to take her place and when plans go awry she must make a political alliance in order to survive.
This book also includes elemental magic and bonding with magical creatures such as dragons.
Such an enjoyable book and i will definatly be buying when it releases on May 27th.

I absolutely loved this book! The Celtic lore woven throughout the story was incredible. The magic system with the bonded animals, known as beathach, was such a clever touch. Aemyra is an amazing FMC—fierce, powerful, and unapologetically independent. I adore that she’s the kind of character who will rescue herself rather than waiting for someone else to do it.

The book does address some heavy topics, so I’d recommend checking the trigger warnings before diving in. I found these themes especially impactful given the current state of the world—misogyny, religious conflict, and the oppression of women and girls. It was all handled thoughtfully and resonated deeply with me.

“A Fate Forged in Fire” is dark, gritty, and at times gruesome, but it’s also action-packed, engaging, and full of unexpected twists. I’m definitely looking forward to the release of book two!

4/4.5 star review
This was a highly anticipated read for me as I have been following the authors journey on tt, and so I am so happy to say I really enjoyed it.
It is unique for a romantasy that it is based on Scottish heritage and so yes there is a bit of difficulty with the Scottish words and pronunciations. Whilst there is a pronunciation guide and glossary would be useful and I was worried it would be at the back all along and I had missed it and I hadn’t.

I started about 25% of this before a certain dragon book came out so left it and came back to it. Stuck with it for a couple more chapters but once I got to 40% make couldn’t put it down.
The story goes into a different direction to what I thought but I really enjoyed it as it featured some of my favourite tropes.
There were plenty moments of humour, some bleaker moments and more spice than I thought,
There is another twist at the ending which sets up for book 2
Overall an enjoyable strong 4 star read

Okay, so I have a few thoughts on this one.

While I enjoyed the premise of the book, it really took me a while to get into it. The word building was really complex and there were a number of words that I just couldn’t wrap my head around. It would have been useful to almost have a bit of a glossary alongside the guide at the front to support name pronunciation (even though I questioned myself the whole way through if I was reading things correctly).

I found the FMC Ameyra a tricky character to get on board with at first and there were so many aspects of her persona that lacked logic. She was bold and fiery but felt as Queen there would have been a stronger sense of independence and leadership that surrounded her. However, she grew and developed so much throughout the story.

This book was a real slow burn, enemies to ‘lovers’ vibe. Once I got past the first 20% I settled in more and found it easier to get lost in.

I enjoyed the relationship between Ameyra and Fiorean it did make me laugh in parts, his touch her and die vibes really did it for me! Fiorean was on both my good and bad sides throughout I think he is a character people will want to dislike but won’t be able to.

While I enjoyed this there were some elements that were pretty shocking and therefore please check the triggers as I found one part of this book super difficult to read.

I am so grateful to have been given access to an ARC of this but I am gutted that I have to wait so long for the second book!

Actual rating 2.5/5 stars.

Aemyra was raised as a blacksmith's daughter but knows her true place is sitting on the throne. When her plans to bond with the late king's dragon and claim his seat are thwarted she must spend time bonding with the enemy instead, if she hopes to continue living and one day gain her rightful place as ruler.

Aemyra ruined this book for me. I can get on board with an unlikeable character when I feel the author has purposefully made her so, but here I saw few redeeming features and didn't gel with her character arc so left the book feeling merely frustrated at her views on the world and how little emotion she appeared to have.

Her reactions to the events that occurred were only ever briefly mentioned and then moved on from when, in reality, she should have been devastated and angered and violent, baying for revenge and all of the things the synopsis marked her out as being.

The storyline itself had the bones to be a very interesting one but it too, unfortunately, failed to grasp my attention. I found it hard to throw myself into the story but this, unlike Aemyra herself, this did alter as the book progressed and I found myself slowly warming to the events happening. The romance wasn't one of these things but the progression of events was.

I really had high hopes for this book, the cover looks so beautiful! The description of the book is something I really would love. But I just don’t know what it was, I just couldn’t wait to finish the book and couldn’t connect with the characters.

This is the first book in the Bonded to Beasts series and it was a great start!

There is just something that hits different when it‘s REAL enemies to lovers. I really enjoyed the tension and hate between the two MCs. Think dagger to throat, fighting with knifes and then doing OTHER things with knifes 👀

We get a stabby bi-furious FMC who isn’t afraid to speak up and fight for what is rightfully hers. The morally grey MMC gave off Aemond Targaryen vibes and I was absolutely here for it.

The female rage in this book was high and I ate it up. The combination of Celtic lore, dragons, oppressive religion and „f*ck the patriarchy“ was highly entertaining.

The twist at the end was everything I hoped for, because I honestly love a good cliffhanger. The crueler the better 🙌

"You are descended from ancient queens. Fire runs through your veins. Embrace it"

Celtic Mythology - check. Stabby bi-furious FMC - check. Dragons - check. A rightful Queen - check!

A Fate Forged in Fire was everything I wanted it be. I don't want to say too much because I urge you to read it and enjoy one of my favourite enemies to lovers in a long time. The tension was palpable, the back-and-forth insults were perfect and the pure fiery hatred between Aemyra and Fiorean was exquisite. This was a true "I actually want to kill you" vibe.

As a massive House Of The Dragon fan, I was intrigued to see how the influence would shine through in this story, and my god did it do just that. Two Houses at war, dragon warfare, female rage, religious influence and interference, political manoeuvres, deep familiar bonding and a sense of fulfilling your destiny: it is all wrapped up in this delicious and decadent Celtic world building that just so perfectly hits the mark for me.

The last 20% of this book is some of the best story and character development I've read in a very long time, and it's actually taken me a few days to write this review without giving anything away whilst also convincing you to read this because this story is best left to be discovered and enjoyed so you FEEL everything.

I absolutely cannot WAIT for book 2, I just need it NOW. Thank you to the publisher for the advanced reader copy.