I wanted to love this book, have it be my new fantasy obsession, but was left disappointed by a character who didn’t endear herself to me and trope-y writing. Aemyra is suppose to be a queen who rallies the people, that the general populace wants to fight behind and yet, I found her unlikable and too stubborn. Her character development was a little slow and chunks were often skipped. She went from completely distrusting Fiorean to complete faith in him in just a handful of chapters.
The plot had a lot of promise, I love the premise of the religious war. However, like many of the major plot points, it was not afforded enough time for it to be fully developed. Time was instead dedicated to the enemies to lovers trope that made the novel a little too predictable.
The Scottish Gaelic woven in was wonderfully done and the ceilidh was one of the most memorable scenes.
Overall, I felt this book could’ve done with being longer and dedicating more time to fleshing out the plot rather than the tropes.

3.75 ⭐️

Overall, I liked this. There were parts which I thought were good - for example, I loved the fast pace and that the writer wasn't afraid to let us jump right into the world, without feeling like they had to spend ages building it for us. I think allowing the reader to fill in some of the blanks sometimes is a good thing. I also found some scenes really brutal and shocking so I liked that the plot wasn't necessarily predictable.

I can't quite put my finger on why I didn't love it but something felt off to me with the characterisation and relationships throughout. I didn't believe that Aemyra would fall for Fiorean the way that she did and I maybe felt like the romance was put in for the sake of making it a romantasy?

I enjoyed this book but I didn’t fully fall in love with it. Aemyra came across quite unlikeable, arrogant, and entitled - I love strong FMCs who are sure of themselves but in this case the FMC didn’t act like a leader to her people. Some of her choices also left me feeling frustrated. Overall I just wanted a bit more from everything - the world-building, the characters, the relationships. It felt like it lacked depth across the board and, as a result, I found it hard to connect with/care about some the characters and plot points at times.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

A good and interesting read, I really enjoyed A Fate Forged in Fire by Hazel McBride.

We follow main character Aemyra who lives in a world of dragons and magic and it really got my undivided attention.

I am giving this novel 4 stars as some parts were quite tiresome and I found my mind wandering.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and author for allowing me ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow this was a wild journey, I think I went through every emotion possible while reading (and discovered some new ones too). I absolutely adored Aemyra and her fiery personality just made this book come to life for me.

There were so many twists and turns, I didn’t know what to expect next and I can say I definitely did not expect the ending!!!! Hellooo?? I need the next instalment right this very second please.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️.5

This book is the DEFINITION of feminine rage
I am speechless
I took the first 30% of this book at a leisurely pace but then suddenly it was like BOOM and I just could not put it down
The world building is deep and rich and the Scottish lore is beautiful
This has one of my new all time favourite FMC’s

If you like fantasy, feminine rage, enemies to lovers, he falls first, GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY
WIFE, strong FMC vibes, this book is for you

I will be getting a physical copy for my trophy shelf for the world to see

I was so excited when I saw all the hype and teasers for this book on bookstagram, so I immediately requested it once it appeared on NetGalley. Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to love it, this book just wasn’t for me.

A Fate Forged in Fire is the first book in a new romantasy series, and the debut novel for Scottish author Hazel McBride. This book follows blacksmith Aemyra, who is the heir to a kingdom which was once under matriarchal rule, but has since been ruled by kings. Now, it is time for Aemyra to come out of hiding and take her rightful place as queen.

Firstly, the writing felt very clunky and wooden. It read like a first draft; the bare bones of the story were there, but it needed to be polished and prettied up. I also had a hard time with the world-building. At the beginning, there were lots of names of places, gods, and characters dropped in, with little explanation of who or what they were. While there was a pronunciation guide, it would have been useful to have had a glossary too. The magic system was interesting (a bonding system) but I wish it had been further explained.

As for the characters, I could not connect to the FMC at all. She came across as very childish, rude, and bratty, and made some really stupid decisions. She also contradicts herself a lot; at the start of the book, she defends women from some priests of an opposing religion, but then later in the book she looks down on and judges other women as “weak” just because they hadn’t taken the same path in life as she had. For a book that is about upholding a matriarchal society, this felt very out of place.

The MMC was okay, but lacked depth. It felt like he was just there to tick the box of “possessive love interest that’s also your enemy” and he didn’t feel fully fleshed out. The enemies-to-lovers vibes were definitely there, but because I didn’t love the characters, their romance fell very flat for me.

I found the first 70% of the book very slow, and I wish Aemyra was calling the shots more and had a bit more agency. There were some plot twists that I saw coming, and by the end of the book, I just felt quite disappointed.

Overall, this book just wasn’t for me. The author certainly has great ideas, but the execution was lacking, and I won’t be picking up the next book in this series. Thank you to NetGalley and Dialogue Books/Renegade for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Based on the premise, I went into this book with high expectations. Dragon riders, feminism, political intrigue, magic and enemies to lovers? With those ingredients, I felt sure that I was going to absolutely love this book. And, despite a bit of a slow start, I wasn't wrong.

It did take me a minute to get into it and wrap my head around some of the world building, but once things got going I was hooked. The enemies to lovers romance particularly drew me in - the tension, the sharp wits and quick quips... The chemistry between them is fantastic, and I loved seeing how their relationship grew and evolved over time.

The FMC Aemyra is full of layers, which slowly get peeled back as the story progresses. On the surface she is confident, strong and at times rather cocky. She believes that the throne is her birthright, and when the time comes for her to claim it she isn't going to let anything stand in her way. She knows who she is, and she owns her power completely. But beneath all of that she is human. She feels things, and she has vulnerabilities. She has flaws and she makes mistakes, and what's more she acknowledges those things. Hazel McBride has done a fantastic job of crafting a fiercely feminist character without falling into the trap of her being too unaffected by her emotions.

With increasingly high stakes and some absolutely heart-breaking twists and turns, this is definitely one for any romantasy lover to put on their tbr. As for me, I'm going to be not-so-patiently waiting for book 2, because that cliffhanger hurts!

"You are the light, Aemyra... Shine for us."
"I will shine... I will shine brighter than the fucking sun for my people."

3.75 ⭐

When I read the description of this book I was enthralled by the promise of a matriarchal society, Scottish Gaelic inspiration, a fiery FMC who seeks her crown as is her birth right, fire magic, dragons and enemies to lovers - and for the most part the book delivered. Aemyra is the first female born to the Clan Daercathian in centuries, goddess gifted in fire magic, and until recent history the line of succession always passes to the first female heir - but in Tìr Teine a new religion, the True Religion, is slowly taking dominance, and this religion favours men. In present times, men have ruled for too long and the decline in society is starting show, people feel more emboldened in their misogyny, and not to mention the dragons are dying, with only three remaining and no females to continue their kind. When the mad King dies, Aemyra declares her claim for the throne and attempts to bond with his dragon - but things do not go to plan. Aemyra must come up against the current royal family, the new King and the Chosen, and with the help of her father's army she plans to win back her rightful place as Queen.

I knew from following Hazel McBride on social media that this book was inspired by House of the Dragon and you could really see those influences coming through the entire way through this book. I really enjoyed immersing myself in this world of politics, religion, dragons and magic wielding, it really had all of the aspects that I love in fantasy novel. This story hit on all the right notes, but in the end I feel like it didn't quite have the soul I was hoping it would have to really make this a stand out. We are given snippets of history and world building which join together mostly, and as this is the first novel in a series it makes sense that not everything is made clear, but I do wish a bit more time had been spent on these aspects to really give this book a good base. Some references to what the previous monarchs had done that was so amazing, how that inspired Aemyra, or some flashbacks to the wars and events mentioned in the story - given this was written in third perspective there was definitely some room to show the history on page, or show how Aemyra learned about it with the flashbacks to her upbringing. Without this some of the world building fell a bit flat, I wanted to truly understand why the True Religion was so seemingly popular or what about them made their oppression so formidable, or some more information regarding their mysterious pendants.

This was a really fast paced story, perhaps even too fast paced at times. So much happened in this book and I was on the edge of my seat the entire way through, but sometimes I felt like important scenes and information was brushed over too quickly, or we didn't get to sit in the characters feelings and internal monologue to really know how they were feeling, and this created a bit of a disconnect. Aemyra was extremely strong willed and often very arrogant which can be a bit off putting at points, I think if time had been spent showing how she was raised so that we could truly understand her character, this would've made more sense - instead it came across a little bit immature. There was a quote: "You acted foolishly. Without considering the consequences. Your actions were those of a child, not a queen." and I have to agree completely. Some of the choices Aemyra made really had me scratching my head and wondering if she was ready for the throne. The relationship with Fiorean was one of these head scratchers. The initial progression of their relationship was really interesting, he was a true enemy of hers and the hatred ran deep, especially considering some of the actions he was involved in. But then, after a forced marriage, a few kind words and heated moments, their relationship moved very quickly, causing Aemyra to leave herself vulnerable by being far too trusting, and this just didn't entirely work for me.

Overall, I did enjoy this and I think it was an interesting starting point for both this series and as a debut for McBride. There are some clear places where the authors writing, plotting, characterisation and structuring can be improved on and I am hoping as she gains some confidence with this series that we will see that shine through. You will <b>definitely</b> need to check your trigger warnings for this book, there is a sexual assault scene in this book that is pretty horrifying, as well as graphic violence, death, extremist religious ideas and misogyny. I am looking forward to seeing where this series goes with the second book and really interested to see how McBride find her strengths, she is definitely one to watch this space for. I would recommend this book to those who enjoyed The Jasad Heir and Eragon. Thank you to Hazel McBride, Dialogue Books and NetGalley for sending me this ARC in return for my honest review.

Firstly thank you for allowing me to read this for my honest review.

I enjoyed this book but it didn’t completely wow me. The story was good but did feel flatter in places. I enjoyed the main characters and felt the connection was great! However there was moments with the FMC I feel like she could do more, but that could just be my mind.
This is my first book by this author and I would read her again.

This book was an excellent start to a new fantasy duology, with other books planned in this world.

I loved the magic system and world-building in this book, and I'm very excited to see where the story leads from here. I really enjoyed the writing style as well, and while I would've liked some more exploration of the dragons and magic I'm sure that this will be explored in the next book.

I also was intrigued by the politics happening in this story, and looking forward to seeing what Aemyra's next steps in this adventure are.

Overall, I'd give this 4.5 stars and thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This really took me by surprise! This is an intense and action-packed story with potential to be the next big thing in “romantasy”. A slow burn with ACTUAL enemies-to-lovers. I can take or leave romance but this is faultless in that sense.

The world building is descriptive, and the political and religious intrigue are on an immense scale — if I’m honest I was completely overwhelmed at first due to a lot of information with little context. Although, once I got the hang of it I was absolutely storming through the book!

All of the characters are well thought out and I love that none of their personalities blend together. The FMC is bossy, bitchy, bisexual and a badass — a few things that make me say “I f*cking love her!” Docile she is not, but why should she have to be? The feminism is prevalent in this one and we love to see it. 🙂‍↕️

The plot is full and rich, and after the initial brain spins I was fully invested in Aemyra and her story.

If you’re into fast-paced and action-filled plots, with a stabby FMC and slow burn enemies-to lovers (oh, and dragons!) then look no further. ✋🏻

This book isn’t even out yet and I’m craving book 2. Probably because that cliffhanger was diabolical!

"Prickly on the outside but squishy on the inside."

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you Netgallery & publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For fans of:
💞Enemies to lovers
🐲Dragons
💕Arranged Marriage Trope
👀🔪Touch her and Die
😭Betrayal
💔Trauma
😈FEMAL RAGE!!!
🐉I said dragons right? :P
🌶🌶and some spice!

What I liked: I love me a bisexual baddy! And I know here personality is not for everyone she comes off- at least from what i read as a tad arrogant and condescending but hey she knows she's royalty and hot shit and sometime you have to own that.
MC:- Whew..... no notes... we love this man.
Loved the political system the plot and the Celtic inspired world building it really created a fully fleshed unique world!

Not so much:
- Some of the dialogue had me re-reading like did she really just say that?
- The first half of the book was a bit tedious- and yes I know with fantasy we have to lay the ground work and was worth if for that ending!!
- Lastly- and this is just personal preference- would have LOVED to see more dragon fights more battles with dragons... just MORE DRAGONS!

Overall a great start and the ending really sets the tone for the next one! -wow!

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this arc.

Enemies to lovers
Elemental magic
Dragons

This is the first book I read of this author.
I really enjoyed it. I devoured the book in less than 24 hours. I was pulled in by the world building and characters

I loved that this book didn’t compare to the likes of fourth wing. It was a different take on dragon bonds.
I love a strong FMC - although at times I felt she was naive to the goings on around her. I really enjoyed the fact that she was fighting for her birthright in a man’s world. Where men seen women as nothing but a womb. This is a true enemies to lovers (sigh) if only all books were written like this. I’m talking, fighting, wielding blades, threatening to unalive each other.
Aemyra was a bada** - she loves her family and her people and truly believed in what she stood for. There were times where I thought she was a bit naive but I think that came from being in hiding.
The enemies to lovers to enemies was like whiplash.. the ending was a little predictable but I refuse to believe that Fiorean is that much of an a**.
I have rated this 4 stars and really can’t wait for book 2.

I like the idea behind the book, the bare bones idea but unfortunately fount the execution lacking. The thing with books like this, protagonists fighting to get back a throne or respect or land, titles etc is either they completely give it up until they're convinced to fight or it's to the other extreme, they fight and are tough, certain of their dues being owed. The problem is the perfect one is somewhere between the two. This book followed the latter strategy. The family have hidden in plain sight and are amassing an army etc. The problems I had are with the characters and how it just did not feel organic, it felt forced and the main protagonist was not likeable either.
Not for me, maybe better as a YA.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hazel McBride for the ARC ☺️

I really enjoyed reading this book, it had everything in it that I love! Dragons, a strong FMC, enemies to lovers (but then back to enemies)! Ended on a cliff hanger that has me excited to read the next book!

Aemyra is a likeable character who goes through so much and is betrayed at every turn, I only hope that this changes in the next book! I had high hopes for her and Fiorean, I did not expect the betrayal from him at the end!

First of all, thank you to NetGalley, the publisher Dialogue Books & author Hazel McBride for allowing me to read this early: I am eternally grateful to have experienced this book.

Some fantasy books ease you into their world, gently guiding you through the lore and politics like a courteous host. A Fate Forged in Fire is not one of those books. Instead, it dumps you straight into the middle of the action, hands you a vaguely threatening map, and basically says “Good luck, champ!”. Around the 15% mark, things start clicking into place, and from there, it’s a wild ride of betrayal, ambition, and oh—did I mention the DRAGONS?!

At the heart of this book is Aemyra, a heroine I adore. She’s not here for power—she wants the throne for her people, and she’s written in such a strong, determined way that you HAVE to root for her. Is she impulsive? Oh, absolutely. Does she make some truly questionable choices? Also yes. Her dynamic with Prince Fiorean is chef’s kiss—instant rivalry with just enough tension to keep you guessing. Are we getting a rivals-to-lovers arc? Maybe… Their verbal sparring? Delicious.

And then, THEN, there’s the dragon. Aemyra bonds with a massive, mysterious dragon, and plot twist—she’s a girl dragon. (Cue Donkey from Shrek: “I mean, of course you’re a girl dragon! I love you!”) Speaking of Shrek, the parallels are undeniable. Aemyra’s forced marriage to Fiorean gives off major Fiona-and-Lord-Farquaad energy, and when Terrea swoops in to chomp a guard in half during a dramatic rescue? That’s some peak ‘Dragon eating the priest at the wedding’ vibes. I would’ve preferred if she ate the priest here as well, but I’m not about to complain. If Shrek was medieval political fantasy with House of the Dragon aesthetics (just swap the ashy blondes for auburn-haired warriors), that’s what we’re working with here.

Hazel McBride does a phenomenal job crafting a world that feels lived in—one where women like Aemyra have been silenced for too long, and where every decision carries weight. The power dynamics, the betrayals, the absolutely infuriating way Aemyra is manipulated… I was SEETHING by the end. And just when I thought I had a grip on the plot, BAM, the ending knocked me flat. I came in expecting enemies to lovers, and instead, I got enemies-to-maybe-lovers-to-oh-no-you-did-NOT-back-to-enemies and I am not okay. The betrayal? The AUDACITY?? Me and my girl Aemyra? We do NOT forgive. We do NOT forget. My trust, like Aemyra’s, has been shattered, and I demand justice in book two.

Final verdict? This book HURTS, but in the best way! Aemyra is a brilliantly written protagonist, even when she makes frustrating choices (girl, please think before you act, I beg you). The tension is impeccable, the dragon bonding had me cheering, and the betrayals had me ready to throw my e-reader across the room. If you love badass heroines, dragons with perfect timing, and fantasy books that emotionally wreck you, A Fate Forged in Fire belongs on your TBR!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go scream into the void until the sequel drops.

Whilst I enjoyed the idea of the story I thought the execution slightly fell short. It is very obvious that this is inspired by House of the Dragon and whilst this is not a deal breaker it is off putting to an extent. I thought the world building was fine but there was a lot of information dropped without much explanation which was confusing.

The main character was frustrating for the most part, she made decisions which were ridiculous and her emotions would flip for no reason. She watches her adoptive mother die and like an hour later is flirting with her enemy. The romance felt flat, there was not enough chemistry between them to really sell it.

That all being said the premise was interesting enough I will continue with the series. I like the magic system and the dragons worked well. All in all this was a fast paced read which had its issues but was intriguing enough that I want to know what happens next.

Born as the first daughter of the clan after over a century of being without a Queen, Aemyra bides her time until she can take her rightful throne. Yet, when the coup happens, she is thrown into a game of politics that she isn't prepared for.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

I was utterly hyped for the book because I've been following the author for quite some time on Instagram now. Bisexual adult female main character? Yes, I'm in. Scottish/Celtic-inspired world-building? Hell yes! Unfortunately, the book just fell flat for me. The plot idea and the world-building are interesting on a superficial level, but if you think too much about either, it just unravels and leaves you with more questions than answers. I could forgive shoddy world-building if the writing style and the characters were great, but neither is great either. The writing is extremely wooden and sometimes reads like a first draft. The dialogue is cringy. The characters, though? Oh dear. Oh dear.

The side characters are utterly flat or fall into stereotypical tropes. I can forgive either if it were just one or two side characters, but it concerns every side character. There's no depth to any of them. (This is utterly sad because a bunch of them are the FMC's family.) The two main characters though? Haha, no. Aemyra is stupid, single-minded, utterly ruled by her emotions (to the point of never thinking about what she is doing, so she always ends up in worse situations), never listens to anyone, stubborn, so fucking arrogant and full of herself, acts almighty and edgy while also belittling everyone else, and doesn't behave like a 26-year-old woman. She acts as if she is 16 years old and is a typical Mary Sue character. She has special hair & eye colour, she is utterly powerful (to the point where she can't even control her power because she's so emotional), and she gets a special dragon, too. She is the queen of all pick-me female characters because, for all her feminine rage etc., she looks down on women who aren't like her. If you write a rage-fueled FMC: make her empowering and not looking down on other women.
The MMC has absolutely no character depth. He is loosely inspired by Varys/Little Finger from GoT by acting as if he is pulling all the strings in the background but there's not one single brain cell in his head. Of course, he's a feminist when it suits him.

The chemistry between them doesn't exist. They are the "enemies-to-lovers" trope and while they do have the "I want to kill you" aspect down, they don't have a logical development from "I want to kill you" to "I want to fuck you/I love you". It just happens out of nowhere and then they fuck like rabbits. The sex scenes are boring as hell, too.

I'm only giving this two stars because the dragons have more personality than dragons in other recent fantasy novels.


✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

TWs & CWs: death, general violence and gore, sexual content, physical abuse of the FMC (by the ends of side characters), the death of parents and a sibling, attempt at a forced sterilisation of the FMC

Trope(s): enemies-to-lovers, feminine rage

Genre: Fantasy

Heat/Spice: 1 🌶️

DNF’d at 30%

Main character was not very relatable
I read the original fanfic and think that some of the modifications made were not serving the story as they were done to mask the fact that this is derivative material.

Did not make content since review is not positive