2.75 stars rounded up.

Of Flame and Fury follows Kelyn Vara, a member of the Crimson Howlers; a crew who take part in phoenix racing, the most profitable and deadly work you can find. When the Howler’s rider is brutally killed during a race, Kel is forced to join forces with arrogant and hot-headed Warren Coupers - the last person she would ever want on her team. Kel must contend with perilous races, the threat of a deadly disease, and her growing attraction to Coup. After a mysterious tech mogul takes an unsettling interest in the team, Kel uncovers a sinister plot that will threaten everything she cares for, as she fights to keep her phoenix and her magic out of the hands of those who would use it for their own gain.

This book had great bones; the elements for a great story were there, but nothing was fleshed out or explained enough. I wanted more phoenix racing, more phoenix lore, more world-building, more tension in the romance, more explanation of the rebellion group. Everything felt very surface level, which often left me confused or wanting more information. There are lots of plot points, and it could be possible that the author didn’t have the page count to develop them.

The characters were fine, but I didn’t feel connected to them and they lacked depth. I found Kel to be very self-absorbed and impulsive, often being rude or dismissive to her teammates. The romance was unfortunately not the “smouldering enemies-to-lovers romance” that was advertised. This is a rivals-turned-allies romance with mild dislike that lacked tension and chemistry. This book is also YA, so there is only kissing and no spice at all (I thought this was worth a mention as the romance in this book has been marketed as for fans of Fourth Wing).

The pacing felt quite slow in the first half, and then quickly ramped up in the second half. The phoenix racing scenes were my favourite parts of the book, and I think they were written well with a decent amount of action. The plot felt quite predictable, and none of the twists really surprised me.

All in all, this book was fine. However, I think the lack of depth and the comparison to Fourth Wing did it a disservice. I’m not sure I enjoyed it enough to warrant picking up the sequel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Books/First Ink for providing me with an eARC. All opinions are my own.

Kel Varra and her friend Dira are members of the Crimson Howlers phoenix racing team. When they need new members, rider Warren ‘Coup’ Coupers and his brother, Bekn, join the team although Coup and Kel constantly butt heads. When financial difficulties threaten Kel’s home, Kel and the Howlers accept an offer from a billionaire tech mogul for sponsorship and training of Kel’s phoenix Savita. But things aren’t quite as they seem and the offer might just be too good to be true.

I had an absolutely fantastic time with this. I was gripped right from the first page – drawn into the excitement and tension of phoenix racing. The book was filled with vivid descriptions, both of the races and the phoenixes themselves. I loved that we got to know Savita’s character and see the bond between her and Kel. The author did a great job of showing the bond between human and creature – this connection felt realistic and very well developed.

The storyline was intriguing, and I was hooked trying to connect the threads Kel was gathering. The twist completely shocked me – it was masterfully done – and the ending was fantastic. I would absolutely read more in this world/with this character, but I was also really satisfied with the ending we got – especially the fact that it didn’t just follow the standard format.

On the romance side, there are a lot of familiar tropes – fake dating, (sort of) enemies to lovers, and grumpy-sunshine (but not in the format you’d normally expect) – but these were generally done well. I did at times feel like I was missing a few things but it made a lot of sense as I discovered more.

Overall, this was a really original, engaging YA read that I absolutely would not hesitate to recommend.

With thanks to First Ink and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Kel and Coup’s forced proximity romance was predictable but still sweet. The concept of racing phoenixes was a fresh and exciting twist—I loved learning about the different types and challenges of handling such fiery creatures. However, I wish the story had dug deeper into what the phoenixes go through and the ethics of racing them.

Unfortunately, the tension and stakes didn’t fully grab me, so I never fully got lost in the world. Still, as a debut, it showed promise with an original idea and likable characters. I’m curious to see how the author develops this world and story in the future.

I absolutely love this author, and their latest book is everything I hoped for – fast-paced, fiery, and full of heart. Set on an island of ash and fire, the world of phoenix racing is brutal and brilliant, and Kelyn Varra is the kind of fierce, flawed heroine you root for from page one.

The bond between Kel and her phoenix, Savita, is beautifully written, and the tension between her and Warren Coupers crackles just as much as the races themselves. With high stakes, sharp twists, and a creeping threat that builds to an explosive finish, this is fantasy at its most gripping.

If you love bold characters, blazing action, and just a hint of slow-burn romance, don’t miss this!

I loved this book it was like fourth wing meets fast and the furious. My 2 favourite things! Great story and characters.

I’ll be honest, the pacing really dragged in the first half & it took me a while to get fully into it. But once it picked up around the halfway point, it did not stop. The action & the drama all kicked off!! THAT plot twist had me gaspingggg (iykyk!!) I really didn’t see it coming at all & it added such an interesting layer to the story.

Is it a classic enemies to lovers? Not quite, it felt more like rivalry or mutual annoyance but the romance still worked for me. There’s still so much to uncover in the world of phoenix racing & with that ending turning everything on its head, I’m keen to see where book two takes us!!

3.5 from me ♥️

Oh I love, love , loved this story! My imagination is now full of flaming, stunning phoenixes, the book is a fast moving, action packed, high octane ride and I just couldn’t put it down. Amazing to think this is a debut novel, I will be eagerly looking out for future books from this author. I need more Phoenix stories! Just superb.

Of Flame and Fury may be THE YA book of the summer. It’s hot (literally, thanks phoenixes), its gripping. Its unputdownable. The characters are so well written that they could be real people, and I am SO hooked that I a) couldn’t stop reading b) NEED BOOK TWO IMMEDIATELY. THERE WILL BE A BOOK TWO RIGHT?? The writing is fantastic - and I am already itching to reread this and Mikayla Bridge is absolutely a new autobuy author for me!!

A quick moving story mixing elements of formula one with the fantasy world. Fantastic world building which develops through out the story and enables the reader to truly picture the events unfolding.

I would highly recommend this read

Thank you to the publishers for the e-ARC!

I really enjoyed this book! It was a fast paced, fun and easy urban fantasy to read. I loved the concept - F1 style racing with phoenixes - it was fresh and exciting!

Mikayla Bridge's "Of Flame and Fury" is an exciting beginning that transports readers to a world of phoenix racing on the ash island of Cendor. Heroine Kel Varra and her tough but lovable crew, the Crimson Howlers, need a victory and the prize money that comes with it. When tragedy strikes, Kel Melior sets out with her arrogant arch-nemesis, Warren "Coup" Coupers, to ignite an incendiary enemies-to-lovers affair as fiery as the mythical beasts upon which they mount.

In addition to the heart-stopping competitions, the novel expertly weaves intrigue and manipulation as a mysterious tech mogul becomes a foreboding interested party in Kel's phoenix, Savita. The writer crafts a richly inhabited world of odd creatures and magical race tracks, all at breakneck speed so that readers grip their seats. With action, fantasy, romance, and suspense in perfect harmony, "Of Flame and Fury" is an unputdownable book, bound together by well-crafted characters and a crazily original concept.

4.25 stars

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the early copy of this book. I absolutely loved every aspect of this book. I loved the characters so much. I loved the fact that this was a debut book. This was written perfectly.

This was a fun, easy, fast paced read.

We follow our fmc Kel and her phoenix Sav who ends up having to team up with our mmc Coup in order to have a team to continue competing in phoenix racing. However, a fire one night means Kel has no choice but to accept an offer from Canen Cristo and be a phoenix racing team for Cristo Industries.

We see enemies to lovers, Kel can’t stand Coup from the beginning and thinks he irresponsible, but we see their relationship blossom throughout the story. We also follow Kel as she uncovers a plot involving her phoenix Sav and how she deals with this.

This will be a popular ya choice with its fast paced and action packed plot.

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

Would recommend for young adult fantasy readers

• enemies to lovers
• action packed
• phoenix races
• political worlsbuilding
• fast paced


A fun plot about phoenix races and riders who navigate this world with a cute romantic subplot that had funny banter and moments.

3.75/5

I thought the concept of the mythology of phoenixes intertwined with the exploitation of mankind was very clever, hitting close to reality in a fantastical way.

Phoenixes born to be wild, vicious and untamed - creatures that should be respected.

We follow Kel, the tamer of the crimson howlers who is forced into teaming up within the CAPR Phoenix racing with her rival, Coup the rider, which her traitorous and high maintenance Phoenix allows him near almost straightaway. Two best friends, and two brothers - Two sides of the coin have to work together with an irrefutable offer which turns leads to the group uncovering a particular conspiracy.

Our found family did not disappoint, I did wish to see more character development as I think they all have a lot more to give considering the breadcrumbs of their backgrounds. Coup seemed to be the most complex, our arrogant rogue with a ton of baggage. I adored Bekn and would love to do a deep dive into his brain because I fear this man does not get appreciated enough.

Savita is one sassy Phoenix, I really liked how life like her interactions were, I loved the descriptive writing of the phoenixes.

I do feel the marketed enemies to lovers trope was over-embellished, with the main characters having a dislike of each other, a small connection and then were seen to be together. Personally, I think the tension could have been stronger to make it more enjoyable but also feel I wasn’t as deeply connected to the characters so made it harder.

I did find the ‘plot twists’ to be quite predictable, however the ‘new character introduction (without spoilers) did feel slightly out of place to solidify our fmc’s condition. It didn’t seem to flow as well as it could and came across as rushed to try and tie up any ‘loose ends’ however I understand their had to be a cause but didn’t feel as strong a storyline considering it was a big reveal.

Although, I did still very much enjoy the story from around 50% to 75% it felt very fast paced and kept you hooked, eager to know how it would unfold. I would have liked to see richer world building to give substance to the embedded character backgrounds and lore. For example, technology was a big part of this book but wasn’t really explained much considering its significance.

The book was described as fourth wing inspired - I fear this gave a false impression as the only main comparison would be the riding of a mythological creature.

Again to premise I did really enjoy this book and think as it is a YA book, ages of 14+ would love this book.
Thank you so much to Netgalley, MacMillan Children’s books and First ink for the opportunity to read this book!

Wow, this was a great fast paced fun book. It was just different enough to make it interesting but relatable enough to make it a cosy immersive read.

The pace of this book was great. It reads very YA but honestly I needed a fast paced, action packed read. This was so close to being a 5 star read for me, I just wanted a tad more history and refined world building.

But the characters were solid, the story development was well thought out and Savita was amazing! It was pretty clear who the villain was and where the story was heading although one of the twists did catch me off guard.

The writing was easy to read and follow, and like I said the pace is consistently go go go throughout the book. I look forward to seeing what Bridge can do in the future!

A big thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Children’s Books and Makayla Bridge for the opportunity to read an ARC of Of Flame and Bury in exchange for an honest review.

Of Flame and Fury is a YA romantasy set in a world where magical creatures including phoenixes exist alongside humanity. Kel Varra owns her own Phoenix, Savita, which she uses to compete in Phoenix races. These races are exhilarating and dangerous. Her team find themselves requiring a new rider and that’s how Kel’s nemesis, the arrogant and reckless Warren Coupers, joins the team. Through various circumstances Kel and Coups team end up relocating and working for a tech billionaire.

The concept in Of Flame and Fury is exciting, and I enjoyed the fast pace and unique world-building. I especially liked the blend of magic with a modern setting. However, the plot felt predictable, and I found myself wishing for more twists or depth. That said, the foundation is strong, and I’m curious to see how the sequel builds on it.

I’ve had so much fun reading Of Flame and Fury and rated it 4⭐️. The one for lovers of YA stories, urban fantasy, reluctant allies to lovers, F1 racing with phoenixes, slow burn romance.

Once upon a time, the first Alchemist saddled a phoenix, and their bond was unlike anything the world has ever seen. So pure, that when it came to it, the phoenix shared the rebirth with the bonded human. They were reborn together. They saved each other.

Phoenixes have been a passion of Kel’s since she was a little girl and she has grown up with her own, Savita, living comfortably with her father -famous for his studies on the species, on their farm, until his unexpected death. Ever since Kel, alongside with her best friend Dira, tried to protect Savita and her father’s legacy. But someone has to pay the bills so they hav formed a racing group Howlers, and entered the phoenix racing world - a deadly but most profitable sport on the island build from ash and burning with fire. When the death of their rider stops them from competing, and with a threat of being unable to pay the creditors and keep the Savita and her aviary, Kel enters into a forced truce with her biggest competitors, Warren Coupers and his brother, aka the sweetheart of racing world. Together, the group are recruited by an altruistic billionaire Cristo.

And for the first time hope is on horizon, as Coup quickly bonds with Savita and the new sponsorship helps them win the races. But something isn’t right, and Kel worries about Savita who starts to show symptoms of a rebirth. What happens next is a race against time and fight against those in power, uncovering dark secrets of their billionaire boss, and the mysterious and deadly disease AB which has been sweeping through the world leaving only bodies in its tracks. But near the finish line, there are no happy endings.

This YA fantasy will delight fans of modern urban fantasy, high stakes, and worlds where Fourth Wing meets F1 race course, or Fast and Furious franchise. It’s deadly, and devastating, yet filled with so much yearning . And so when enemies become lovers (in a cute YA way), and the stakes can’t get any higher in or off of the race track, you won’t be able to keep yourself from turning the pages. Brilliant debut from Mikayla Bride and a hottest YA fantasy pick of the summer, which I’ll be pre-ordering for my “trophy case”.

"Phoenixes are the new dragons"

Of Flame and Fury is a fast-paced novel that comes out of the gate with an action-packed sequence that will grip fans of The Fast and the Furious. The plot moves quickly and the stakes are high giving Of Flame and Fury all the characteristics of a page turner. The world building was interesting, combining the grittiness and dubious ethics of horse racing with the high stakes and danger of stock car racing.

For me personally, the focus on the action made it difficult for me to get into the story or become invested in the characters. However, readers looking for gripping action will no doubt eat this book up.