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A Fire in the Sky #1
A Fire in the Sky
Dragons are extinct. Witches are outcast. Magic is dying.
But human lust for power is immortal.
Dragon fire no longer blisters the skies over Penterra, but inside the lavish palace, life is still perilous…especially for Tamsyn. Raised in the glittering court alongside the princesses, it's her duty to be punished for their misdeeds. Treated as part of the royal family but also as the lowliest servant, Tamsyn fits nowhere. Her only friend is Stig, Captain of the Guard...though sometimes she thinks he wants more than friendship.
When Fell, the Beast of the Borderlands, descends on her home, Tamsyn’s world becomes even more dangerous. To save the pampered princesses from a fate worse than death, she is commanded to don a veil and marry the brutal warrior. She agrees to the deception even though it means leaving Stig, and the only life she’s ever known, behind.
The wedding night begins with unexpected passion—and ends in near violence when her trickery is exposed. Rather than start a war, Fell accepts Tamsyn as his bride...but can he accept the dark secrets she harbors—secrets buried so deep even she doesn’t know they exist? For Tamsyn is more than a royal whipping girl, more than the false wife of a man who now sees her as his enemy. And when those secrets emerge, they will ignite a flame bright enough to burn the entire kingdom to the bone.
Magic is not dead...it is only sleeping. And it will take one ordinary girl with an extraordinary destiny to awaken it.
For Tamsyn is more than the false wife of a man who now sees her as his enemy. And when those secrets emerge, they will ignite a flame bright enough to burn the entire kingdom to the bone.
Magic is not dead . . . it is only sleeping. And it will take one ordinary girl with an extraordinary destiny to awaken it.
But human lust for power is immortal.
Dragon fire no longer blisters the skies over Penterra, but inside the lavish palace, life is still perilous…especially for Tamsyn. Raised in the glittering court alongside the princesses, it's her duty to be punished for their misdeeds. Treated as part of the royal family but also as the lowliest servant, Tamsyn fits nowhere. Her only friend is Stig, Captain of the Guard...though sometimes she thinks he wants more than friendship.
When Fell, the Beast of the Borderlands, descends on her home, Tamsyn’s world becomes even more dangerous. To save the pampered princesses from a fate worse than death, she is commanded to don a veil and marry the brutal warrior. She agrees to the deception even though it means leaving Stig, and the only life she’s ever known, behind.
The wedding night begins with unexpected passion—and ends in near violence when her trickery is exposed. Rather than start a war, Fell accepts Tamsyn as his bride...but can he accept the dark secrets she harbors—secrets buried so deep even she doesn’t know they exist? For Tamsyn is more than a royal whipping girl, more than the false wife of a man who now sees her as his enemy. And when those secrets emerge, they will ignite a flame bright enough to burn the entire kingdom to the bone.
Magic is not dead...it is only sleeping. And it will take one ordinary girl with an extraordinary destiny to awaken it.
For Tamsyn is more than the false wife of a man who now sees her as his enemy. And when those secrets emerge, they will ignite a flame bright enough to burn the entire kingdom to the bone.
Magic is not dead . . . it is only sleeping. And it will take one ordinary girl with an extraordinary destiny to awaken it.
326 pages, Hardcover
First published September 24, 2024
1031 people are currently reading
75686 people want to read
About the author
Sophie Jordan
83 books8,991 followersPseudonym:
Sharie Kohler
Sophie Jordan took her adolescent daydreaming one step further and penned her first historical romance in the back of her high school Spanish class. This passion led her to pursue a degree in English and History.
A brief stint in law school taught her that case law was not nearly as interesting as literature - teaching English seemed the natural recourse. After several years teaching high school students to love Antigone, Sophie resigned with the birth of her first child and decided it was time to pursue the long-held dream of writing.
In less than three years, her first book, Once Upon A Wedding Night, a 2006 Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Nominee for Best First Historical, hit book shelves. Her second novel, Too Wicked To Tame, released in March 2007 with a bang, landing on the USA Today Bestseller's List.
Sharie Kohler
Sophie Jordan took her adolescent daydreaming one step further and penned her first historical romance in the back of her high school Spanish class. This passion led her to pursue a degree in English and History.
A brief stint in law school taught her that case law was not nearly as interesting as literature - teaching English seemed the natural recourse. After several years teaching high school students to love Antigone, Sophie resigned with the birth of her first child and decided it was time to pursue the long-held dream of writing.
In less than three years, her first book, Once Upon A Wedding Night, a 2006 Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Nominee for Best First Historical, hit book shelves. Her second novel, Too Wicked To Tame, released in March 2007 with a bang, landing on the USA Today Bestseller's List.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,534 reviews
October 17, 2024
This book is ridiculous, it has no plot, the synopsis takes 40% to catch up to and that sex scene where they consummate their marriage was atrocious. An absolute waste of time and paper.
https://youtu.be/VdzwNt5On4Y
https://youtu.be/VdzwNt5On4Y
December 10, 2024
✩ 4 stars ✩
What to Expect:
➼ Arranged/Forced Marriage
➼ Dragons & Witches
➼ Forbidden/Dying Magic
➼ Touch Her & Die
➼ Court Politics
➼ Romantasy
➼ Fierce/Likable FMC
➼ Enemies-to-Lovers
➼ Love Triangle Adjacent
➼ Magical Secrets
➼ King of the The North/GOT vibes
➼ Multiple POV
If you loved the Game of Thrones television series (i.e. everyone 🙃) I think you’ll love this book! The overall vibe and characters were very reminiscent of GOT in my opinion. The MMC in particular had strong “King of the North” energy, and the setting had a similar medieval feel. I would highly recommend listening to this one if you can get your hands on the audiobook! The narrators were perfectly chosen and their accents made reading this feel like a fully immersive experience.
There’s a trend lately to make world building overly complex and then call it well developed. This plot was pretty predictable, but I really appreciated how quickly I felt acclimated to this world. Let’s normalize clear descriptions please! 👏🏻👏🏻 This author did a great job detailing the world, characters, and their surroundings without bogging down the story with extraneous details and unnecessarily flowery words. Cough, Cough* When the Moon Hatched. Cough*. 🙃
I think the predictable nature of the plot might lead some readers to give this a lower rating. To an extent, I agree and can see where they’re coming from. I hope to be a little more surprised in the next book, but I think this was an excellent introduction to the series! Based on how things ended, it seems likely that war is on the way, possibly from many directions. The final scenes also hint at the possibility for many new characters to be introduced. Both MC’s have mysterious backstories and I’m looking forward to learning more about both their histories as the series continues.
Yay! Another Dragon book I actually like. 🙌🏻
Now I just need someone to explain why they put a horse on the Fairyloot edition. 🤔
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Pre-read: Genuinely so excited for this one despite the mixed reviews! Hope it doesn’t let me down! 🤞🏻
What to Expect:
➼ Arranged/Forced Marriage
➼ Dragons & Witches
➼ Forbidden/Dying Magic
➼ Touch Her & Die
➼ Court Politics
➼ Romantasy
➼ Fierce/Likable FMC
➼ Enemies-to-Lovers
➼ Love Triangle Adjacent
➼ Magical Secrets
➼ King of the The North/GOT vibes
➼ Multiple POV
If you loved the Game of Thrones television series (i.e. everyone 🙃) I think you’ll love this book! The overall vibe and characters were very reminiscent of GOT in my opinion. The MMC in particular had strong “King of the North” energy, and the setting had a similar medieval feel. I would highly recommend listening to this one if you can get your hands on the audiobook! The narrators were perfectly chosen and their accents made reading this feel like a fully immersive experience.
There’s a trend lately to make world building overly complex and then call it well developed. This plot was pretty predictable, but I really appreciated how quickly I felt acclimated to this world. Let’s normalize clear descriptions please! 👏🏻👏🏻 This author did a great job detailing the world, characters, and their surroundings without bogging down the story with extraneous details and unnecessarily flowery words. Cough, Cough* When the Moon Hatched. Cough*. 🙃
I think the predictable nature of the plot might lead some readers to give this a lower rating. To an extent, I agree and can see where they’re coming from. I hope to be a little more surprised in the next book, but I think this was an excellent introduction to the series! Based on how things ended, it seems likely that war is on the way, possibly from many directions. The final scenes also hint at the possibility for many new characters to be introduced. Both MC’s have mysterious backstories and I’m looking forward to learning more about both their histories as the series continues.
Yay! Another Dragon book I actually like. 🙌🏻
Now I just need someone to explain why they put a horse on the Fairyloot edition. 🤔
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Pre-read: Genuinely so excited for this one despite the mixed reviews! Hope it doesn’t let me down! 🤞🏻
September 20, 2025
Read this if you need a easier read but certainly something different in the
fantasy romance
world.
⚔️Arranged Marriage
⚔️Dragons
I flew through this and had a good time with this one. Was this perfect, nah. But I loved this just because it was different and wasn't the typical cookie cutter fantasy romances out there lately.
Read My Honest Book Review on My Blog:
A Fire in the Sky
Check out my honest review of this sequel: Scar in the Bone
Connect With Me:
BLOG ⟫ INSTAGRAM ⟫ NEWSLETTER ⟫
⚔️Arranged Marriage
⚔️Dragons
I flew through this and had a good time with this one. Was this perfect, nah. But I loved this just because it was different and wasn't the typical cookie cutter fantasy romances out there lately.
Read My Honest Book Review on My Blog:
A Fire in the Sky
Check out my honest review of this sequel: Scar in the Bone
Connect With Me:
BLOG ⟫ INSTAGRAM ⟫ NEWSLETTER ⟫
September 28, 2024
Well, I'm disappointed. I just had high hopes and I did not love the outcome.
The writing is so flowery? Something that could be a page was done in 2-3, or many details for not that important elements. But then descriptions were missing too somehow. Not a lot happened and the pacing felt off. The romance was... odd? Not sure I'd call it a romance at all.
So we have the royal family with 3 daughters and they have another that is the whipping girl? Basically, when they misbehave she gets the punishment. There is this man who 'collaborates' with this kingdom and he asks for a 'gift' in return. There used to be dragons and the state of the kingdoms is due to the aftermath of the war. So they need to work together/marry to unite.
Now for the spoiler stuff:
- So ofc he asks to marry one of the princesses and is tricked into marrying the one that is the whipping girl. They also have to consummate the marriage in front of others. At this time our mmc still does not know she is not who he thinks she is. She is just like 'ok' lets do this.
- No one bats an eye about how our fmc is not extremely scared from years of beatings.
- The whole romance was missing. All of a sudden he needs her? No.
- Ofc she has red hair, and at the very end, the guy has silver hair. How could they not?
- I liked the stupid guard at first but then he was annoying.
- Ohhh also, when they were with the monster that 'took on' the likeness of a loved one? Our FMC saw the stupid guy???? Sure.
------------------------------------------
Was I supposed to read the Firelight Series before this?
The writing is so flowery? Something that could be a page was done in 2-3, or many details for not that important elements. But then descriptions were missing too somehow. Not a lot happened and the pacing felt off. The romance was... odd? Not sure I'd call it a romance at all.
So we have the royal family with 3 daughters and they have another that is the whipping girl? Basically, when they misbehave she gets the punishment. There is this man who 'collaborates' with this kingdom and he asks for a 'gift' in return. There used to be dragons and the state of the kingdoms is due to the aftermath of the war. So they need to work together/marry to unite.
Now for the spoiler stuff:
- So ofc he asks to marry one of the princesses and is tricked into marrying the one that is the whipping girl. They also have to consummate the marriage in front of others. At this time our mmc still does not know she is not who he thinks she is. She is just like 'ok' lets do this.
- No one bats an eye about how our fmc is not extremely scared from years of beatings.
- The whole romance was missing. All of a sudden he needs her? No.
- Ofc she has red hair, and at the very end, the guy has silver hair. How could they not?
- I liked the stupid guard at first but then he was annoying.
- Ohhh also, when they were with the monster that 'took on' the likeness of a loved one? Our FMC saw the stupid guy???? Sure.
------------------------------------------
Was I supposed to read the Firelight Series before this?
October 3, 2024
2.5 stars. It's not a bad book. I'm not entirely convinced it's a good book either, and it's hard to explain what worked for me and what didn't without giving away too many spoilers. The premise overpromised and the execution underdelivered.
Not a huge amount happens until the very end. For me, it was light on the world-building, and the twists and reveals were predictable. The writing is heavy with internal monologue, and it got quite repetitive. I also found some of the descriptions hard to picture...what do you mean a dragon has hands?! Cheeks??!
And any HOTD fans will understand when I say that there is a character in this (Stig, his name is Stig) who gives Sir Cristen Cole vibes 🤢.
The development of the romance was SO rushed. Fel, the MMC hates Tamsyn, the FMC, after a betrayal early in the book. They then have ONE conversation in which they call a tentative truce, and then they are separated becausespoilers
and he is heartbroken and miserable. And later, he's willing to leave everyone, every responsibility and every belief he's held on to for his entire life, for her. They did have a second conversation before that, I suppose...I should add, at this point, they've known each other a matter of weeks. It just didn't compute for me. There was no substance to them, so I couldn't get invested in them as a couple.
It is a quick read, so it's not too much of a commitment if you want to see if it works for you. There's a sprinkle of dragons in this one. More in the next book, I imagine. It ends on a cliffhanger. Will I read the second book? I don't know if I care enough 😬
Thank you NetGalley and HQ for sending me the arc.
Not a huge amount happens until the very end. For me, it was light on the world-building, and the twists and reveals were predictable. The writing is heavy with internal monologue, and it got quite repetitive. I also found some of the descriptions hard to picture...what do you mean a dragon has hands?! Cheeks??!
And any HOTD fans will understand when I say that there is a character in this (Stig, his name is Stig) who gives Sir Cristen Cole vibes 🤢.
The development of the romance was SO rushed. Fel, the MMC hates Tamsyn, the FMC, after a betrayal early in the book. They then have ONE conversation in which they call a tentative truce, and then they are separated because
It is a quick read, so it's not too much of a commitment if you want to see if it works for you. There's a sprinkle of dragons in this one. More in the next book, I imagine. It ends on a cliffhanger. Will I read the second book? I don't know if I care enough 😬
Thank you NetGalley and HQ for sending me the arc.
June 3, 2024
I am living a teenage dream right now! When I was in school I loved Sophie Jordan’s firelight series and now she wrote this new adult dragon shifter romance?! This was everything I wanted it to be! Arranged marriage, touch her and die vibes, brute of a man, and a woman who’s more than she seems. I loved this!!!!
April 10, 2025
i wasn’t sure what to expect with this but i have been so pleasantly surprised with how much i enjoyed this! it was relatively fast paced, bingeable and exciting! i wasn’t expecting this to end how it did but i am SO excited to read the next book!
June 12, 2024
this was actually so bad it was funny. it was so repetitive, zero chemistry, so awkward at times. i just can’t
December 26, 2024
This book started off strong and I was into it, but sadly around the 40-50% mark I started to lose interest.
The plot itself was a little slow, and in my opinion the romance aspect didn't make up for that. The relationship between Fell and Tamsyn didn't have much build up. They were enemies (but with instalust) for one second and then all of a sudden a switch flips. Like, it flips so quickly I got whip lash & was so confused what was going on. It was kind of a let down, and I wanted more tension there. Also, it seems so unrealistic that Fell basically just accepted Tamsyn as his bride when the fate of his territory was hinging on him marrying a true princess... He was angry at first but got over it unrealistically fast 💀 there was just a lot that didn't add up for me with regards to the romance.
Also... how was Tamsyn not more traumatized by her entire childhood and then just blindly accepts that she has to marry some brutal warrior she's never met just so she can save her sisters...? Who may not have even had to marry him in the first place?
I just couldn't get very invested in this story. The premise was really interesting, but the execution fell short for me. Sophie Jordan is a great writer but unfortunately this one wasn't for me!
The plot itself was a little slow, and in my opinion the romance aspect didn't make up for that. The relationship between Fell and Tamsyn didn't have much build up. They were enemies (but with instalust) for one second and then all of a sudden a switch flips. Like, it flips so quickly I got whip lash & was so confused what was going on. It was kind of a let down, and I wanted more tension there. Also, it seems so unrealistic that Fell basically just accepted Tamsyn as his bride when the fate of his territory was hinging on him marrying a true princess... He was angry at first but got over it unrealistically fast 💀 there was just a lot that didn't add up for me with regards to the romance.
Also... how was Tamsyn not more traumatized by her entire childhood and then just blindly accepts that she has to marry some brutal warrior she's never met just so she can save her sisters...? Who may not have even had to marry him in the first place?
I just couldn't get very invested in this story. The premise was really interesting, but the execution fell short for me. Sophie Jordan is a great writer but unfortunately this one wasn't for me!
March 19, 2025
2.5 rounded up
okay, it was alright. nothing really special. tamysn did annoy me quite a bit with her whole pity pastry, but otherwise it was okay.
fell… i literally can’t. i like him, but some of the shit that has come out of his mouth is sexist and i haven’t decided about him yet. also, the beast?? really?? could there be any worse nickname?
full rtc
- currently reading ⏳ -
sooo… it’s okay so far, but i feel like we all saw that plot twist coming (more like a plot straight??)
- preread 🔥 -
got the arc of book 2, so now i gotta read book 1 ❤️
okay, it was alright. nothing really special. tamysn did annoy me quite a bit with her whole pity pastry, but otherwise it was okay.
fell… i literally can’t. i like him, but some of the shit that has come out of his mouth is sexist and i haven’t decided about him yet. also, the beast?? really?? could there be any worse nickname?
full rtc
- currently reading ⏳ -
sooo… it’s okay so far, but i feel like we all saw that plot twist coming (more like a plot straight??)
- preread 🔥 -
got the arc of book 2, so now i gotta read book 1 ❤️
May 9, 2025
First 50% - oOoOo this could be juicy and our MMC is hot af
Second 50% - did we take a wrong turn somewhere? Wtf happened?
Second 50% - did we take a wrong turn somewhere? Wtf happened?
dnf
July 17, 2024DNF 12%
Not worth hate reading lol. I am not this kind of romantasy reader.
Not worth hate reading lol. I am not this kind of romantasy reader.
November 16, 2024
I rented this book through Libby after placing it on hold and I'm so glad I went against my better judgement to read this book. It gripped me to the very end but I'll be putting my full review below.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
This book follows Tamsyn, the royal whipping girl of the three princesses of the kingdom of Penterra. She was adopted by the king and queen after being found in the courtyard of their palace, left by forces unknown when she was but a few days old. She is raised as a princess alongside the true princesses of the kingdom, resigned to her role as the whipping girl.
Her future is up for debate, however, and her loyalty to the kingdom of Penterra when she is tasked with marrying Fell, known as the Beast of the Borderlands. What he doesn't know is that he is not marrying a princess of Penterra like he was promised but their whipping girl. By the time he realizes the deception, it is too late to back out of the marriage.
He goes back to his home in the Borg, however, with Tamsyn now in tow. They don't realize the danger she provides their traveling party...nor does she.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
I wasn't expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. I'm glad Tamsyn didn't try to be snarky with Fell and blame him for everything. I'm glad she didn't try to pick fights with him for no fucking reason like I've seen female lead characters do in almost every other book I've read lately. I've grown tired of that so this was a nice change.
I noticed that Tamsyn grew to know her place among the people of the Borderlands a lot more quickly than most FMCs do in the other books I've read and I feel like the other FMCs could take a page from Tamsyn's book. However, I know it will still take her more time to grow completely acclimated to the life Fell essentially grow up with.
I found that I don't like the MMC as much in this book than in previous books from the past several months. Fell isn't "shadow daddy" enough for me, which is a shame. However, the end of the book changed that quite a bit. I don't want to spoil the end of the book for anyone but boy, does it get good!
I definitely wasn't expecting Tamsyn to have the power she does at the end of the novel. Most of the books I've read lately have the FMC gaining powers she didn't know she had and Tamsyn is no exception to that. What I was NOT expecting is for her to gain the powers she ends up gaining while in clear danger. Holy shit!
This book gripped me from the second chapter and I couldn't stop reading it. I actually put another book aside for this one when Libby told me that it was available for me to check it out for my turn. I am ultimately glad I put that book aside for this one because it was very much worth it in the end. I would definitely recommend this book if you enjoy dragons, warriors, and witchcraft.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
This book follows Tamsyn, the royal whipping girl of the three princesses of the kingdom of Penterra. She was adopted by the king and queen after being found in the courtyard of their palace, left by forces unknown when she was but a few days old. She is raised as a princess alongside the true princesses of the kingdom, resigned to her role as the whipping girl.
Her future is up for debate, however, and her loyalty to the kingdom of Penterra when she is tasked with marrying Fell, known as the Beast of the Borderlands. What he doesn't know is that he is not marrying a princess of Penterra like he was promised but their whipping girl. By the time he realizes the deception, it is too late to back out of the marriage.
He goes back to his home in the Borg, however, with Tamsyn now in tow. They don't realize the danger she provides their traveling party...nor does she.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
I wasn't expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. I'm glad Tamsyn didn't try to be snarky with Fell and blame him for everything. I'm glad she didn't try to pick fights with him for no fucking reason like I've seen female lead characters do in almost every other book I've read lately. I've grown tired of that so this was a nice change.
I noticed that Tamsyn grew to know her place among the people of the Borderlands a lot more quickly than most FMCs do in the other books I've read and I feel like the other FMCs could take a page from Tamsyn's book. However, I know it will still take her more time to grow completely acclimated to the life Fell essentially grow up with.
I found that I don't like the MMC as much in this book than in previous books from the past several months. Fell isn't "shadow daddy" enough for me, which is a shame. However, the end of the book changed that quite a bit. I don't want to spoil the end of the book for anyone but boy, does it get good!
I definitely wasn't expecting Tamsyn to have the power she does at the end of the novel. Most of the books I've read lately have the FMC gaining powers she didn't know she had and Tamsyn is no exception to that. What I was NOT expecting is for her to gain the powers she ends up gaining while in clear danger. Holy shit!
This book gripped me from the second chapter and I couldn't stop reading it. I actually put another book aside for this one when Libby told me that it was available for me to check it out for my turn. I am ultimately glad I put that book aside for this one because it was very much worth it in the end. I would definitely recommend this book if you enjoy dragons, warriors, and witchcraft.
November 23, 2024
in the mood for a fantasy romance with dragons? a forced marriage? look no further!
tamsyn is property of the crown. when a king’s ally requests a princess to wed, he hands her no questions asked. she’s then taken away by her new husband, fell. in a land without magic and dragons.
tamsyn and fell have an undeniable connection even though she’s being forced to marry him based on a lie. on their journey together, secrets are revealed and the plot starts doing its thing.
this is closer to a 3.75 for me. while I gobbled it up in one sitting, I do think that there were some pacing and development issues. I also had a big problem with the consummation scene lol. but I still had fun and will likely continue the series.
🎧 the audiobook was phenomenal. I started it and could not put it down. I was truly blown away by the voice acting.
the accents, emotions, and overall quality of acting had me completely absorbed. thank you so much libro.fm for the gifted audiobook!
what to expect
⟢ fantasy romance
⟢ enemies-to-lovers
⟢ forced marriage
⟢ dragons
tamsyn is property of the crown. when a king’s ally requests a princess to wed, he hands her no questions asked. she’s then taken away by her new husband, fell. in a land without magic and dragons.
tamsyn and fell have an undeniable connection even though she’s being forced to marry him based on a lie. on their journey together, secrets are revealed and the plot starts doing its thing.
this is closer to a 3.75 for me. while I gobbled it up in one sitting, I do think that there were some pacing and development issues. I also had a big problem with the consummation scene lol. but I still had fun and will likely continue the series.
🎧 the audiobook was phenomenal. I started it and could not put it down. I was truly blown away by the voice acting.
the accents, emotions, and overall quality of acting had me completely absorbed. thank you so much libro.fm for the gifted audiobook!
what to expect
⟢ fantasy romance
⟢ enemies-to-lovers
⟢ forced marriage
⟢ dragons
September 9, 2025
I enjoyed this so much more than I thought i was going to. I'd heard such mixed things. But this was really good. I predicted one of the reveals, but the one near the end, didn't see that coming at all. Very keen for book 2 now and looking forward to continuing the series.
January 18, 2025
4 Stars
was hesitant to read based on the reviews but i actually really enjoyed it. looking forward to the next book.
was hesitant to read based on the reviews but i actually really enjoyed it. looking forward to the next book.
October 7, 2024
I think this series has a lot of promise (specifically due to the ending of this one)
It’s an easy to get into romantasy with lots of inner dialogue and some pining (specifically from the mmc). Sadly the dialogue was a bit too repetitive for me to love but like I said, the ending was fun! I’ll definitely be checking out the sequel (especially if there is more dragons!!!🐉)
Thank you so much to Libro.FM and Avon books for my ALC 💜
2.75/5⭐️
It’s an easy to get into romantasy with lots of inner dialogue and some pining (specifically from the mmc). Sadly the dialogue was a bit too repetitive for me to love but like I said, the ending was fun! I’ll definitely be checking out the sequel (especially if there is more dragons!!!🐉)
Thank you so much to Libro.FM and Avon books for my ALC 💜
2.75/5⭐️
interested-in
January 8, 2025started this last night lol the mixed reviews scare me 😳
July 21, 2024
I’m definitely in the minority on this one, but Sophie Jordan’s newest fantasy novel was a complete miss for me. At best, it was predictable and boring; at worst, it was painful to read.
So we have Tamysn, the royal whipping girl, who is forced to marry Fell, a warrior from the northern part of the kingdom. Fell is tricked into married Tamsyn, who isn’t exactly pleased about the arrangement either, and he takes a while to warm to her. They have lots of repetitive and awkward sex, which is the only real chemistry shown between characters (if you can even call it chemistry) and otherwise Tamsyn is ignored and dismissed by Fell. After something happens on their journey from the palace to The Borg, Fell suddenly realizes how much he loves Tamsyn and goes insane (not literally) trying to rescue her. Then they realize they both have something major in common that will change life as the world knows it, and the book ends.
The writing style absolutely did not work for me. When there wasn’t direct action happening in a chapter, the rest of it was written like a never ending internal monologue. I also hated how the different point of views retold the same events with little to no added information or substance.
The entire thing just fell flat for me. The ending felt forced and cringy, and I was honestly more pleased by the fact it was over than by the final scenes themselves.
Thank you NetGalley and Avon publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
So we have Tamysn, the royal whipping girl, who is forced to marry Fell, a warrior from the northern part of the kingdom. Fell is tricked into married Tamsyn, who isn’t exactly pleased about the arrangement either, and he takes a while to warm to her. They have lots of repetitive and awkward sex, which is the only real chemistry shown between characters (if you can even call it chemistry) and otherwise Tamsyn is ignored and dismissed by Fell. After something happens on their journey from the palace to The Borg, Fell suddenly realizes how much he loves Tamsyn and goes insane (not literally) trying to rescue her. Then they realize they both have something major in common that will change life as the world knows it, and the book ends.
The writing style absolutely did not work for me. When there wasn’t direct action happening in a chapter, the rest of it was written like a never ending internal monologue. I also hated how the different point of views retold the same events with little to no added information or substance.
The entire thing just fell flat for me. The ending felt forced and cringy, and I was honestly more pleased by the fact it was over than by the final scenes themselves.
Thank you NetGalley and Avon publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 25, 2024
LORD BEASTS ARMY WILL RISE, and I will BE IN the FRONT LINES!!!!
Hooked from the beginning. Intrigued and surprised!
Thought I had some points figured out that completely left me speechless.
The ending is a fav trope of mine! So ready for book 💕 🐉
Hooked from the beginning. Intrigued and surprised!
Thought I had some points figured out that completely left me speechless.
The ending is a fav trope of mine! So ready for book 💕 🐉
Read
October 3, 2025This was mid/borderline bad
February 4, 2025
DNF @ 21%
This is painful for me to write. I'm honestly surprised that this was written by Sophie Jordan. I've read many of her books and have always really liked them, so I have no idea what's happened here. A Fire in the Sky was one of my most anticipated releases of 2024. Her YA dragon series is what made me fall in love with dragon books! The writing in this one, though, is cumbersome and repetitive. There's a lot of inner monologues from different characters, all recounting the same events with no additional information. Many passages are overly dramatic, with short, blunt sentences that I'm sure were written to try and add emphasis and drama, but they all came across as annoying "mic-drop" moments where the characters keep trying to illicit a gasp from the reader. Examples:
"It was a good day for a whipping. I'd had my share. Too many to count. But today was special. Today the border lords arrived."
"Ever since we were little girls, we had done everything together. Played together. Ate together. Took lessons together. There was no distinction between us. We were sisters. No difference except one. A very important distinction. I was the only one to bear any punishment."
"I shook my head. It was not even a request. Not even a proposition. It was a statement of fact. A forgone conclusion."
"He had taught me to fight. He had taught me the meaning of honor. That you bled for the things that mattered. Your homeland. Your people. A worthless and feeble king. I inhaled."
"I let my words hang in the air. Not a threat. Precisely."
"My boyhood was gone. The time for childish things was over. I had things to do. Important things. Adult things. And yet there was something about her. Something that had me lingering over her."
"She was going to be free. Free to be. Free to choose." (This one made me roll my eyes the most.)
"When I was ten years old, I learned that there would be no grand state wedding for me. No multitude of guests. No weeklong festivities. No royal hunts for the wedding party. No lavish feast with all manner of entertainment. No bells tolling throughout the land. No marriage rites..."
"Especially not at ten. Not yet. I was a little girl. I didn't worry about such things. I lived in the moment."
"I spent my mornings learning with tutors and our governess. In music lessons. Dance. Art. Comportment."
This is not all of them, and this is only up to 16%. Is the author's period key broken on her keyboard? What happened to commas and flowing sentences? Reading this is like driving on a bumpy road.
This is painful for me to write. I'm honestly surprised that this was written by Sophie Jordan. I've read many of her books and have always really liked them, so I have no idea what's happened here. A Fire in the Sky was one of my most anticipated releases of 2024. Her YA dragon series is what made me fall in love with dragon books! The writing in this one, though, is cumbersome and repetitive. There's a lot of inner monologues from different characters, all recounting the same events with no additional information. Many passages are overly dramatic, with short, blunt sentences that I'm sure were written to try and add emphasis and drama, but they all came across as annoying "mic-drop" moments where the characters keep trying to illicit a gasp from the reader. Examples:
"It was a good day for a whipping. I'd had my share. Too many to count. But today was special. Today the border lords arrived."
"Ever since we were little girls, we had done everything together. Played together. Ate together. Took lessons together. There was no distinction between us. We were sisters. No difference except one. A very important distinction. I was the only one to bear any punishment."
"I shook my head. It was not even a request. Not even a proposition. It was a statement of fact. A forgone conclusion."
"He had taught me to fight. He had taught me the meaning of honor. That you bled for the things that mattered. Your homeland. Your people. A worthless and feeble king. I inhaled."
"I let my words hang in the air. Not a threat. Precisely."
"My boyhood was gone. The time for childish things was over. I had things to do. Important things. Adult things. And yet there was something about her. Something that had me lingering over her."
"She was going to be free. Free to be. Free to choose." (This one made me roll my eyes the most.)
"When I was ten years old, I learned that there would be no grand state wedding for me. No multitude of guests. No weeklong festivities. No royal hunts for the wedding party. No lavish feast with all manner of entertainment. No bells tolling throughout the land. No marriage rites..."
"Especially not at ten. Not yet. I was a little girl. I didn't worry about such things. I lived in the moment."
"I spent my mornings learning with tutors and our governess. In music lessons. Dance. Art. Comportment."
This is not all of them, and this is only up to 16%. Is the author's period key broken on her keyboard? What happened to commas and flowing sentences? Reading this is like driving on a bumpy road.
October 24, 2024
#1 A Fire in the Sky - ★★★★★
I devoured “A Fire in the Sky” in a day. I loved everything about it, and I would give anything to be able to read it for the first time again.
Tamsyn and Fell have their own points of view, which I really liked. It gave me a chance to understand how they are both feeling and get to know their story.
Tamsyn is such a strong female character. As a whipping girl, she is used to taking punishment, but she will never be ashamed of who she is.
“I would take the long march to the chapel on my own, through the deepening day. I understood this. There were some walks you must go alone in life. This would be one of them.”
And Fell is quite a strong character as well. A leader and a fighter, spreading fear wherever he goes. And yet Tamsyn is slowly getting under his skin and he starts to get a soft spot for her. But he’ll never admit it.
“She was a peculiar thing. A puzzle I could not quite piece together. A non-princess. I didn’t care what they called her. No royal took a beating with a smile and called it duty.”
Their attraction for each other is instantly evident, even though they are both trying to hide it and fight it. The whole tension made this book such an enjoyable read. They go through an incredibly hard journey together, a journey that will change their lives forever.
I won’t reveal anything else, as I don’t want to spoil anything, but I gasped at the big twist. Thinking about it now, I have no idea how I didn’t see that coming. I did, however, anticipate the twist at the end. It turns out, the story doesn’t end here and I can’t wait to come back for more! I loved this book with all my heart. Every single thing about it.
“She had not looked for it. Had not wanted it. And yet it had found her… And when love found a dragon, it could not be denied. Before she knew it, they were bonded. There was no severing them. For as long as she lived, there would be no other for her. Like a seed to the pod, they were a set, a duo, a pair.”
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I devoured “A Fire in the Sky” in a day. I loved everything about it, and I would give anything to be able to read it for the first time again.
Tamsyn and Fell have their own points of view, which I really liked. It gave me a chance to understand how they are both feeling and get to know their story.
Tamsyn is such a strong female character. As a whipping girl, she is used to taking punishment, but she will never be ashamed of who she is.
“I would take the long march to the chapel on my own, through the deepening day. I understood this. There were some walks you must go alone in life. This would be one of them.”
And Fell is quite a strong character as well. A leader and a fighter, spreading fear wherever he goes. And yet Tamsyn is slowly getting under his skin and he starts to get a soft spot for her. But he’ll never admit it.
“She was a peculiar thing. A puzzle I could not quite piece together. A non-princess. I didn’t care what they called her. No royal took a beating with a smile and called it duty.”
Their attraction for each other is instantly evident, even though they are both trying to hide it and fight it. The whole tension made this book such an enjoyable read. They go through an incredibly hard journey together, a journey that will change their lives forever.
I won’t reveal anything else, as I don’t want to spoil anything, but I gasped at the big twist. Thinking about it now, I have no idea how I didn’t see that coming. I did, however, anticipate the twist at the end. It turns out, the story doesn’t end here and I can’t wait to come back for more! I loved this book with all my heart. Every single thing about it.
“She had not looked for it. Had not wanted it. And yet it had found her… And when love found a dragon, it could not be denied. Before she knew it, they were bonded. There was no severing them. For as long as she lived, there would be no other for her. Like a seed to the pod, they were a set, a duo, a pair.”
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April 25, 2024
***I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley***
I'm rating this 4 stars for entertainment value and getting me out of a reading slump. The writing is good, but it could stand another round with an editor. There's just a LOT of repetition of thoughts, exposition, and the main conflict, which causes the pacing to be a little off. In terms of romantasy, it's nothing groundbreaking, but the plot is fun, and even though I knew exactly what the big twist was going to be by about 7% in to the book, I enjoyed the ride to get there. Tamsyn is kind of an annoying heroine, but I did really like Fell. The spice is spicin' pretty good. I want to know a LOT more about the dragons. Overall, there's a lot to like here, and I will definitely read the next book!
I'm rating this 4 stars for entertainment value and getting me out of a reading slump. The writing is good, but it could stand another round with an editor. There's just a LOT of repetition of thoughts, exposition, and the main conflict, which causes the pacing to be a little off. In terms of romantasy, it's nothing groundbreaking, but the plot is fun, and even though I knew exactly what the big twist was going to be by about 7% in to the book, I enjoyed the ride to get there. Tamsyn is kind of an annoying heroine, but I did really like Fell. The spice is spicin' pretty good. I want to know a LOT more about the dragons. Overall, there's a lot to like here, and I will definitely read the next book!
May 27, 2025
عمل فانتازي ملحمي ينقل القارئ إلى عالم ساحر مليء بالتنانين، الممالك المتناحرة، والأسرار المدفونة. تدور القصة حول تاجا، فتاة عادية تكتشف أنها تملك صلة غامضة بالتنانين، مما يجعلها هدفًا لقوى سياسية وخارقة في عالمها.
May 4, 2025
I keep being lazy, going for short fantasy books, and expecting a 5 star read 🥱
I feel like 1 more star should be removed because of the excessive amount of repetitive words…
“Gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone”
Meh, I didn’t feel the emotion there bud, maybe add 1 more “gone” to it?! 😵💫
Ok but I did somewhat enjoy the fast pace of this and MMC was giving major daddy vibes so I’m giving this a 3 ⭐️ for good reading vibes (minus the freaking random word repetitions 🙄)
I feel like 1 more star should be removed because of the excessive amount of repetitive words…
“Gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone”
Meh, I didn’t feel the emotion there bud, maybe add 1 more “gone” to it?! 😵💫
Ok but I did somewhat enjoy the fast pace of this and MMC was giving major daddy vibes so I’m giving this a 3 ⭐️ for good reading vibes (minus the freaking random word repetitions 🙄)
December 11, 2024
It started off so well and then it literally went downhill and made no sense?
July 11, 2024
I like fantasy books that keep my attention from the beginning and that's what the first 20 percent of this book did. This romantasy follows the fmc Tamsyn who lives in the palace with her 'sisters' after she was dumped in a basket on the palace grounds when she was a baby. Tamsyn plays the role of the whipping girl which means that any time any of her 'sisters' misbehaves or does anything bad. The fmc is oddly protective of them and decides to go in her 'sisters' place and marry a man Fell who they call a beast of a borderlands.
I liked how fast-paced the book was especially in the beginning though it kinda slowed down after the wedding. I liked how strong the fmc was and how the mmc was already into the fmc after the wedding day despite what she had to do. They did have chemistry and there were so spicy scenes but the romance kind of took a back seat from the middle of the book when the dragon-shifting aspect came into play. There was some repetitive stuff in the writing and there wasn't much worldbuilding but I enjoyed it overall, especially the ending and I'm excited to read the next book. Thank you Avon for this arc for an honest review.
Read for:
- Romantasy
- Dragons/dragon shifters
- Arranged marriage
- Hidden identity
- Steamy scenes
- He falls first
- A mini love triangle but the fmc is not interested
I liked how fast-paced the book was especially in the beginning though it kinda slowed down after the wedding. I liked how strong the fmc was and how the mmc was already into the fmc after the wedding day despite what she had to do. They did have chemistry and there were so spicy scenes but the romance kind of took a back seat from the middle of the book when the dragon-shifting aspect came into play. There was some repetitive stuff in the writing and there wasn't much worldbuilding but I enjoyed it overall, especially the ending and I'm excited to read the next book. Thank you Avon for this arc for an honest review.
Read for:
- Romantasy
- Dragons/dragon shifters
- Arranged marriage
- Hidden identity
- Steamy scenes
- He falls first
- A mini love triangle but the fmc is not interested
October 29, 2024
Look, the story begins with a con in which she has to sleep with a complete stranger who has no idea who she is. And it spends the first third of the book on the details of this.
So really, not my thing from the beginning.
But beyond that, the little story that we do actually get about dragons and witches is pretty fun.
Ultimately, another great idea competely obliterated by the need for overblown, forced romance that is ICK from the very beginning.
I think if this had maybe not gone so hard (ha ha) in the beginning with the sex and dramatic sexual longing then maybe I'd have committed more fully.
Romance lovers will get their rocks off here but fantasy lovers will yearn for more story.
Side note: I left my copy on a ship in the Pacific so I hope it adds some nice spice to someone else's holiday!
With thanks to Harper Collins for an ARC
So really, not my thing from the beginning.
But beyond that, the little story that we do actually get about dragons and witches is pretty fun.
Ultimately, another great idea competely obliterated by the need for overblown, forced romance that is ICK from the very beginning.
I think if this had maybe not gone so hard (ha ha) in the beginning with the sex and dramatic sexual longing then maybe I'd have committed more fully.
Romance lovers will get their rocks off here but fantasy lovers will yearn for more story.
Side note: I left my copy on a ship in the Pacific so I hope it adds some nice spice to someone else's holiday!
With thanks to Harper Collins for an ARC
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