Fire to the Stars

by Morgan J. Watchorn

In a kingdom cursed to turn people into dragons, two teens from opposite worlds, each with nothing left to lose, form an uneasy alliance. Told in dual perspectives, this sweeping debut follows their search for redemption and the slow-burning bond that could save them both.

Every month, the kingdom of Florent braces for the Ignition: a solar event that turns ordinary humans into vicious dragon shifters. And anyone can be a dragon's next victim.

Claire knows this all too well because the Ignition consumed her and her father, her town, and the life she thought she’d have. Now, she's scraping by on her wits as part of a sisterhood of thieves—lying, stealing, her heart locked tight—until she tracks down a disgraced dragon slayer who may be the one person who can give her back the life she once had.

Abel has been shunned by the prestigious Slayers Guild for conducting research that’s too...unorthodox to condone. But there’s no one Claire trusts more than a rulebreaker, and that research might be the one thing that could help her. So when Abel reveals he is hunting again, Claire tries to hire him under false pretenses. Abel, however, is reluctant to accept a job from a criminal, no matter how charming she is. And yet...he really needs the money.

Together, Claire and Abel will race through Florent and uncover dangerous secrets in their quests for forgiveness—and survival. But that knowledge may cost them the very thing they’ve grown desperate to protect: each other.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Dragons, Romance, Romantasy, Young Adult Fantasy, Audiobook

Unknown Binding

First published August 4, 2026

About the author

Morgan J. Watchorn is the author of fantasy books that feature unapologetic girls at the heart of cataclysms—either fighting or causing them. Her debut YA fantasy novel FIRE TO THE STARS will release from Knopf Books for Young Readers on August 4, 2026.

A Southern California native, she graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of California, Irvine with an overachiever complex that both haunts and motivates her to this day. When she’s not writing, she can be found at the barn with her spoiled horses.

She is represented by Josh Adams of Adams Literary.

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been excited to read this as the premise of the book sounded really fun and I was not disappointed!!! This is the kinda YA fantasy I adore. The world building was interesting with intriguing belief systems which supported dragon hunters that “protected the people .” I love a book that challenges belief systems , brings enemies together and lets them figure it all out. On top of that I think we all know I love enemies to lovers. What’s better than dragon hunter vrs … dragon !!! Slow burn to top it off because she hires him so he feels morally obligated to behave !!! Omg yes please. I adored this book. The main and side characters. The conclusion was very satisfying!! Highly recommend!!

[Andi]

70% was as far as I made it before throwing in the towel.

This has to be the most boring book for this year (and the year is still young, so maybe more books will be surpassing the role of 'most boring'.

I kept waiting for tension, surprise, deeper emotions and backstories for the characters. I got none of that. You're reading what you're seeing on the page, a dragon hunter who is awful at using a sword and riding a horse, killed his brother but not before torturing him to find cure only to come up with none. The female lead is a daughter of a farmer who became a dragon and killed her father and destroyed her town hires him under guise for looking for dragon but the dragon is actually her.

How do people turn into dragons? Two brothers up in the sky got into a fight and one cursed any humans that become too greedy to become dragons. Which makes no sense because how can you destroy all of humanity's greed?

The romance is boring and somehow he ends up falling for her but they do nothing romantic and or have any sort of romantic feelings except letting her be a shoulder for her to 'oh woe is me' and they apparently have sex?

But the most irritating thing of all? This takes place either in France or France adjacent. The author makes the characters half-ass French. Why? I don't know. I wish that if you were going to use French in books make the characters speak it in full or don't and just indicate that the character is speaking a different language. In this book it's called 'Old Form' or something of that nature. So, is this an alt. universe earth?

There aren't any side characters, really. There is Lyle but he doesn't really show up enough for you to care, or care about his kidnapped mother. There is a threat of people in masks with blue cloaks, that can self heal, but they're also not there enough.

All I know is, dragons are in again and a pretty cover does not support the text inside.

Out of respect for the author, due to not finishing it I will not be rating this.

[Alina Bellchambers · Rating 5 out of 5]

My official cover blurb for this spectacular fantasy:

"Dragons like you've never seen them before! A propulsive whirlwind of a fantasy filled with adventure, romance, and sassy banter".

YA fantasy fans, FIRE TO THE STARS is one not to be missed—plus, you'll discover your new favourite pet, a tinderfox! 🌟🦊 Thank you to Morgan and Knopf for the early copy. This is my honest endorsement.

[Gwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and to the author for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Fire To The Stars 4.5/5⭐

I did not expect this to be as emotionally scarring as it is. . .

Don't forget to follow me on YouTube, where I post all about my favorite clean books! https://www.youtube.com/@ItsRenity

✨Plot✨

In the French-Fantasy world of Florent, a curse causes people to turn into dragons on ignition day every month. The Slayers Guild kills those dragons to keep the country safe. When a young girl named Claire becomes a dragon, she wakes up to find her entire village burning, with her as the sole survivor. With her as the sole survivor. To scrape by between ignitions, Claire joins a group of thieves until she meets a disgraced dragon slayer who may be the one person who can give her back the life she once had.

Abel has been cast out and shunned by the Slayers' Guild for conducting research too. . . unorthodox to condone. But there’s no one Claire trusts more than a rulebreaker, and that research might be the one thing that could help her. So when Abel reveals he is hunting again, Claire tries to hire him under false pretenses. Abel, however, is reluctant to accept a job from a criminal, no matter how charming she is. And yet...he really needs the money.

Together, Claire and Abel will race through Florent and uncover dangerous secrets in their quests for forgiveness—and survival. But that knowledge may cost them the very thing they’ve grown desperate to protect: each other.

✨Characters✨

Claire was annoying at first, but then you learn more about her and she really grew on me, and I really liked her character!

Abel was not my favorite character; I feel like it was back and forth between being a super tough dude who was raised in a family of dragon slayers and being completely naive and clueless. He was still a fun character to follow regardless!

✨Romance✨

Really cute and sweet, but lowkey would've liked more of a focus on grief than the romance just taking over the story.

✨Writing Style✨

Beautiful! I couldn't put it down; it was super fun, and I flew through it!

✨⚔️Action⚔️✨

Very fun dragon fights and fire-foxes; I adored the action scenes!

✨Magic System✨

Just dragons and cool animals, but it was so fun!

✨Would I Recommend It?✨

Yes!! If you like fantasy or dragons at all, read this!

[Morgan Watchorn]

Hello, lovely readers! Thank you for your interest in Fire to the Stars. I hope you enjoy! Either way, you have my deepest gratitude for giving my work a try.

*Content warnings are currently listed on my website on the Books page and will be included in the final copy.

[Muffinsandbooks]

J’ai pas réussi à accrocher et j’en suis la première déçue car tout avait du potentiel… :(

[Camille · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read an early copy of this book and gosh was I blown away. Filled with quick-witted characters, gorgeous prose, and plot that makes you want to read just-one-more-chapter, this book is an absolute must read. While I typically stay away from dragon-related books, this is the book that made me reconsider my prior dislike of the genre.

Also, shout out to my favorite angsty boy Abel. He is perfection. He must be protected at all costs.

[fai ♡]

stunning cover hello

[ellie w · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an Advanced Readers’ Copy of this book from NetGalley 7 months before release. But my real flex is that I heard the first emerging ideas for this novel over the phone about 6 years ago.

Fire to the Stars is exciting, thrilling, and endearing. The world is clearly much bigger than the story itself and lives past the final page. My only struggle was being totally not used to reading YA and having to resettle into that style, but FTTS is exactly the kind of book that teenage-Ellie would’ve be obsessed with: careful in its character construction but unbridled in its address of dark and delicate topics. I cannot wait to see this on the shelves.

[Camille · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book feels like a classic YA fantasy in the best way! It has dragons, dragon slayers, reluctant allies, and an inn where there’s only one bed. What more could a reader ask for?

This book follows Claire, a girl cursed to turn into a dragon during Ignition day each month, and Abel, a dragon-slayer whose research into a cure is her only chance of survival—if he doesn’t discover her secret and kill her first. I think the author does a great job creating tension between Claire and Abel. We get to see how their outlook on each and their society changes over the course of the story. The dragon curse also creates an actual reason for Claire and Abel to be cautious of each other. This book is reluctant allies-to-lovers at its finest!

I also have to talk about the dragons. I think it’s fascinating (and horrifying) that people in this kingdom spontaneously turn into dragons on Ignition day each month. There’s no way to predict if you’ll turn, and you’ll have no memory or control of what happens if you do. I think it’s an interesting curse and a strong central plot for this story.

I’ve been craving a book that gives me nostalgic, YA fantasy feelings. Fire to the Stars does exactly that. I can’t wait to read more by this author!

I received a copy of Fire to the Stars as a #GetUnderlinedPartner from Penguin Random House. All opinions are my own.

[Sara Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

Fire to the Stars had a genuinely unique storyline and plot, and I really enjoyed the overall concept. There were some interesting ideas here that kept me curious enough to keep reading, and I really enjoyed the playful banter between the characters. Those moments brought some fun and personality to the story and kept things entertaining.

But truthfully, I kept waiting for the story to give me more. I wanted tension, surprises, deeper emotions, stronger character development, and more of the characters' backstories. None of those elements ever really developed, leaving some of the emotional moments feeling flat.

I also wanted so much more from the world building, especially when it came to the ice magic. I found myself wanting to understand more about how it worked and what was possible with it. And I absolutely would have loved some dragon POV chapters! I think seeing their perspective could have added a really interesting layer to both the story and the world.

There were definitely moments where the pacing felt slow and I found myself getting a little bored. The story kept me entertained enough to continue, but I never quite reached that point of being completely absorbed in it or desperate to know what would happen next.

Overall, I enjoyed the unique premise and the playful character dynamics, but I think the story had so much more potential for tension, emotion, and depth than it ultimately delivered. It was an entertaining read, just one that left me wanting more in several key areas. That said, I enjoyed the author's storytelling style and the ideas they brought to this story, and I'll definitely be looking forward to seeing what they write next.

Huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Knopf Books for the gifted ARC!

[Roshni Patel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Florent, a medieval, French-inspired realm, is plagued with a curse from the War-Torn Gods, and anyone can fall victim to it. The Ignition, a monthly solar event, can claim Florent’s people and turn them into dragons. Claire’s fallen prey to it, and her hometown has suffered from the uncontrollable monster she becomes. She hopes she can convince Abel, a dragon slayer rumored to have been looking into a cure, to help her, but he’s put aside his research and taken to hunting again.

Fire to the Stars is Morgan J. Watchorn’s debut novel, told from both Abel and Claire’s perspectives. While the notion of a French-inspired fantasy world is intriguing, the world building is disjointed and confusing; readers aren’t privy to the world’s qualities ahead of time, resulting in world that can change at a moment’s notice. In addition, the characters Abel and Claire had seemingly no high stakes or qualms regarding their quest together, and the characters had very little tension and chemistry between themselves, making them read as flat.

While the premise of the plot is interesting, and the cover appealing, the reading experience was not as immersive as I had hoped. I DNF’ed this book at 20%.

This book was reviewed as a digital ARC thanks to NetGalley, Knopf Books for Young Readers, and Penguin Random House.

[Ananya Devarajan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read an early version of this novel, and let me just say, FIRE TO THE STARS will absolutely steal your heart. Whether it is the complex, yet lovable, characters or the intricate worldbuilding or Morgan Watchorn's captivating prose, there is truly something for any and all readers to enjoy. I cannot begin to phrase how much I adore Morgan and FIRE TO THE STARS, so I'll stick with a simple—READ THIS BOOK!

[emersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 rounded up! The end was so good

[Tori Veltkamp · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very detlightful read. The pacing was smooth and enjoyable throughout and the conclusion was fully satisfying and did well to tie all the strings together. Abel was my favorite character. 😊

[Satsuki · Rating 5 out of 5]

SUPER GORGEOUS BOOK OMG. DEFINITELY ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I'VE READ IN 2026!!!

Okay, so I picked up this book because the cover is absolutely gorgeous, and YES, this book was so much better than I expected.

And then I found out that this is the author's debut novel.

EXCUSE ME???
THIS IS A DEBUT???

I was genuinely shocked. The level of structure, pacing, information control, and worldbuilding feels way too polished for a debut. At this point, I honestly think the author is one of the most promising new fantasy authors out there, and I'm really curious to see what she does next. I wouldn't be surprised if this book wins several awards and she becomes a major name in fantasy.

The story is set in a kingdom where people have begun to be cursed and turn into dragons through a process called Ignition. The story follows two POV characters: a girl who has been cursed and is terrified that she will eventually become a dragon, and an infamous former dragon slayer who has been exiled from the Dragon Slayer Association.

The girl has a plan. She contacts the dragon slayer because she wants to avenge the dragon that destroyed her village, and the two of them begin traveling together.

Of course, the boy has a secret too... 👀

What I especially love is how carefully the author handles information and clues. She weaves them into the story while simultaneously building up the characters and the world. The information never feels like random exposition. Everything seems to have a purpose, and the pieces gradually come together.

One of the best things about this book is that, even though the worldbuilding is detailed and the story has surprisingly deep themes, the reading experience itself never loses its momentum.

The story takes its time when it needs to, but it never feels stagnant. There is always this sense of acceleration, almost like a roller coaster. The writing is so vivid and visual that, at times, I felt like I was reading a manga rather than a novel. It was such a fun and unique reading experience.

I especially love how the author handles information from the reader's perspective.

At first, we don't know much about either the FMC or the MMC, and both of them have secrets. Normally, that could make it difficult for readers to get emotionally invested, because we're missing so much information.

But this is a dual-POV story, so they are suspicious of each other too.

That means that even when we don't know the full truth, we can still understand what each character is currently thinking and feeling. Their suspicions basically mirror the questions we have as readers.

And because both of them are so cute, I ended up thinking something like:

"Okay, there are still so many mysteries, but at least I know what they're REALLY feeling... So... how are they going to discover each other's secrets? Hehehe."

It creates this really interesting almost god-like perspective for the reader.

We are still solving the mysteries, but at the same time, we have access to both characters' internal thoughts. So we're watching two people try to figure each other out while knowing things that neither of them knows about the other.

I REALLY liked that.

I also LOVE the contrast between the book title and the chapter titles.

The book title itself is very simple, but it turns out to be an important keyword and a piece of foreshadowing that eventually pays off. I really like that kind of title: simple on the surface, but increasingly meaningful as you understand the story.

Meanwhile, the chapter titles feel almost like Japanese light novel chapter titles, many of them are like little sentences or mini-summaries.

Since the story jumps between different POVs and different points in time quite a lot, these chapter titles give you just enough orientation that you never really get lost.

And then I found out that the author is also an English-Japanese translator who has translated many Japanese novels and manga, and suddenly I thought:

"Ahhh, THAT actually makes a lot of sense."

There is something about the pacing and the way information is delivered that feels extremely practiced. Maybe that's part of it, maybe not, but as a Japanese reader, I really enjoyed the book from that perspective too.

The story also reminded me of Marie Antoinette and Joan of Arc, especially in its themes of scapegoating and the way societies create someone to blame.

I later found out that the author has also mentioned Marie Antoinette as an inspiration on her blog, so I was very happy to realize that my impression wasn't completely off!

The only thing that wasn't quite my cup of tea was the mystery itself. At one point, the direction of the mystery suddenly started to feel a little like going from Disney's Atlantis to Hercules, and I honestly found myself thinking, "Wait, how did we get here?" 😂

But this is really just a matter of personal taste. The overall execution is still very good, and I can absolutely see why other readers might love this direction. So I don't really blame the book for it. Just a small caution for readers whose taste in fantasy mysteries is different from mine.

Overall, I am genuinely impressed by how thought-through this book feels.

The worldbuilding, the character relationships, the mysteries, the information flow, and the pacing all seem to have been designed to work together. The author clearly knows what information to give the reader, when to give it, and what to let us figure out for ourselves.

And honestly, that is probably what impressed me the most.

Even if the ending somehow distracted me, I think I'll still rate the author's storytelling ability very highly.

For a debut novel to feel this carefully constructed is honestly kind of wild. I can't wait to see what this author writes next.

Highly recommended if you like:

The Floating World — especially if you liked the character/worldbuilding combination
A Forgery of Fate — especially for the FMC/MMC relationship
Dragon Raja or Eragon — for the adventure and action side

One warning: this is dragon hunting, not a dragon-human romance/bond story!

And yes, the ending is happily ever after ❤️.
★★★★★

[Anna Makowska · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a total "wow, beautiful cover" pick combined with the dragon x dragon slayer trope, and it met all my expectations. It reminds me a bit of Serpent & Dove, except I didn't like Serpent & Dove because the characters read kinda vapid, but I did like this one, with its pseudo-French fantasy world, pseudo-Christian religion with a twist and hunter x hunted enemies to lovers. It also reminded me of another book I've read this year and enjoyed a lot, Green & Deadly Things, that we have a disgraced knight mmc and his "sworn enemy" fmc, a grand quest to save the world and themselves in the process, and a romance that builds upon slow mutual trust rather than hate-lust.

I'll always be a sucker for:
🐲 road-trip quest with constant looming threats (as opposed to mostly cozy camping scenes)
🐲 morally grey mcs: fmc is a victim of an unfair situation, but also doesn't hesitate to steal and even kill, even though she feels guilty about it, but she's not a damsel or a doormat; mmc performed cruel experiments on his brother when he transformed into a dragon, he also feels guilty about it, but he continues participating in the dragon slaying business; they were both written in a sympathetic way and their moral dilemmas understandable
🐲 cute animal sidekick
🐲 enemies to lovers that relies on slowly building mutual care, trust, respect and seeing each other's point of view as opposed to the too common bickering "I hate you but can't resist you" dynamic
🐲 monster fmc (even though she's not a dragon most of the time, they're supposed to transform once per month)
🐲 us vs the world

I also enjoyed the plot twist at the end. A lot of recent fantasy tackling the theme of gods end up painting the gods as cruel, powerhungry and evil, but here they were actually well meaning and it was the "human" element that twisted the religion into oppression.

What can I say, give me a book that doesn't bore me, doesn't annoy me, has characters, plot and worldbuilding I like, and no serious complaints, and you get a 5. I don't know why this happens so rarely though, I've been in a reading slump for months! And because of it, I've fallen behind on arc reviews, so this one lands over a month late, which it definitely didn't deserve in hindsight.

It truly surprised me positively, that I expected a typical dreaded romantasy trope soup, and I've gotten the exact kind of YA fantasy adventure I crave. I had similar reaction to Deathly Fates if anyone's looking for similar vibes, i.e. journey/quest, cute non-spicy romance, non-preachily written book that still tries to convey moral messages about redemption, forgiveness, being open-minded, taking responsibility for one's actions, etc. No, really, so much of YA fantasy I'm picking is so on-the-nose preachy that I end up dnfing half of them. You can convey a positive moral message while writing at a YA level and not chapter book level.

One thing I don't get is why the characters on the cover look different than they're depicted in the book, Claire was described as having black hair and Abel was described as having olive skin.

Anyway, this was a very solid debut and I'd be looking forward to seeing more books from this author.

Thank you Netgalley, Random House Children's Books & Knopf Books for Young Readers for the ARC!

[Pine Reads Review · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Pain means I’m alive. Pain means I can help. Pain means I must keep moving.”

When the Gods, and brothers, Diu and Noctu created Florent and the first humans, the Immortals, they didn’t expect them to turn into covetous monsters set on overthrowing the Gods. As punishment, the brothers stripped the Immortals of their magic and Diu created the dragon curse: once a month on Ignition day, the greediest humans turn into dragons. The Ignition destroyed Claire Belgard’s life as her hometown was ruined and her father was murdered by a vicious dragon, leaving her to work as a thief. Claire decides to hire the dragonslayer Abel Estellio in hopes of getting her life back. Abel, coming from a family of dragonslayers, has been shunned ever since his brother turned into a dragon and Abel decided to look for a cure. In an attempt to restore his reputation, Abel takes the job from Claire, and as they work together, the secrets of their past come to light.

Fire to the Stars was such an interesting read, and I finally understand the hype about dragon-related books. Claire and Abel were both morally gray characters, and I liked how they were able to share their shame about their past actions with each other. They’re both selfish characters, and I’m glad that didn’t change by the end of the story because it made them feel distinct. While they were interesting characters separately, I found their relationship to be boring. I loved learning about Claire’s history, from her childhood in Sellecastel and her work with the thievery group—the Dames Blanches—and I thought her romance with Abel didn’t fit in with the story. Similarly with Abel, he holds so much guilt about the events that occurred after his brother first turned into a dragon, and his relationship with Claire felt uninteresting in comparison. Also, the pacing of this book felt off. The beginning and ending were both great (I felt like I couldn’t flip the pages fast enough), but the middle felt really slow and disconnected. There were too many plot points that felt unnecessary. By the end of the novel, they prove to be important, but the lack of connection in the middle of the book just felt overwhelmingly confusing. However, like I said above, the ending was so fun to read. Watchorn really delved into the politics of Florent, which I found to be the most interesting part of the story. Overall, this was a good read with great political commentary.

Fire to the Stars releases August 4th, 2026.

Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and Knopf Books for Young Readers for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.

Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook @pinereadsreview, and check out our website at www.pinereadsreview.com for reviews, author interviews, blogs, podcast episodes, and more!

[Ashley - The Tattered Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

🎧📖 𝒜𝐿𝒞 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌📖

𝐹𝒾𝓇𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒮𝓉𝒶𝓇𝓈 by Morgan J. Watchorn

𝑅𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔: 🥀🥀🥀🥀 ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏғ 𝟻 ᴇɴᴄʜᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ʀᴏsᴇs

✨ 𝐻𝑜𝑜𝓀✨

In the kingdom of Florent, a mysterious solar event transforms ordinary people into dragon shifters. A cursed thief desperate for a cure and a disgraced dragon slayer searching for redemption form an unlikely alliance, only to uncover secrets that could change their world forever.

𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌:

ʜᴜɢᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ᴘʀʜᴀᴜᴅɪᴏ ғᴏʀ ɢɪғᴛɪɴɢ ᴍᴇ ᴛʜɪs ᴀʟᴄ!

𝒲𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒾𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑔𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓉𝑒𝓈𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓉 𝓉𝑜 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓀𝒾𝓃𝑔𝒹𝑜𝓂... 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝒷𝑒𝒸𝑜𝓂𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎 𝓂𝑜𝓃𝓈𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝓎𝑜𝓊'𝓋𝑒 𝒷𝑒𝑒𝓃 𝓉𝒶𝓊𝑔𝒽𝓉 𝓉𝑜 𝒻𝑒𝒶𝓇?

Dragon shifters, thieves, disgraced heroes, and a kingdom built on fear? Sign me up.

This debut immediately pulled me in with its unique premise and never let go. The idea of an entire kingdom living in fear of a monthly event that can transform anyone into a dragon is such a fresh twist on dragon fantasy, and the mystery surrounding the Ignition kept me hooked from beginning to end.

Claire and Abel are wonderfully layered protagonists. Claire's determination and resilience make her easy to root for, while Abel's quiet intelligence and moral conflict add emotional depth to the story. Their relationship develops at a satisfying pace, allowing trust to build before romance takes center stage.

The world-building strikes a great balance between accessibility and depth, and the themes of prejudice, redemption, and hope elevate the story beyond its action-packed adventure. This feels like a fantasy that asks meaningful questions while still delivering dragons, danger, and plenty of heart.

🎙️𝒩𝒶𝓇𝓇𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃:
Helen Laser and Dallis Seeker make an outstanding narration duo. Their performances give Claire and Abel distinct personalities while capturing the emotional weight of their individual journeys. The quieter, vulnerable moments feel just as compelling as the action-packed dragon encounters, and the slow-burn chemistry develops naturally through their performances. Together, they make the world of Florent feel vivid, dangerous, and completely immersive.

𝒯𝓇𝑜𝓅𝑒𝓈 & 𝒱𝒾𝒷𝑒𝓈:
🐉 dragon shifters
⚔️ reluctant allies
❤️ slow-burn romance
🗡️ thief FMC
🔥 disgraced dragon slayer
✨ unique magic system
🌍 immersive world-building
🔍 hidden conspiracy
💛 redemption arc
⚡ high-stakes adventure

𝑅𝑒𝒶𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝒾𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓁𝒾𝓀𝑒...
🐉 *Fourth Wing* (for dragons)
⚔️ fantasy quests with heart
❤️ slow-burn romance
🌍 unique fantasy worlds
🔥 morally complex heroes
✨ character-driven YA fantasy

🗣️ 𝒲𝑜𝓇𝒹 𝑜𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒮𝓉𝓇𝑒𝑒𝓉:
Early readers are especially praising the original dragon mythology, emotionally compelling protagonists, and hopeful themes woven into a high-stakes fantasy adventure. Critics have also highlighted the refreshing take on dragons and the balance between action, romance, and thoughtful social commentary.

𝐹𝒾𝓃𝒶𝓁 𝓋𝑒𝓇𝒹𝒾𝒸𝓉:
𝐹𝒾𝓇𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒮𝓉𝒶𝓇𝓈 is an impressive fantasy debut that combines dragons, adventure, emotional character growth, and an engaging slow-burn romance into an unforgettable journey. If you're looking for a fresh take on dragon fantasy with memorable characters and immersive world-building, this audiobook is absolutely worth adding to your TBR.

ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ!
𝒜𝓈𝒽𝓁𝑒𝓎
ʙᴏᴏᴋsᴛᴀɢʀᴀᴍ: @ᴛʜᴇᴛᴀᴛᴛᴇʀᴇᴅᴘᴀɢᴇ

[bookishbunna]

"To mourn a dragon is, itself, a form of greed. If you must, grieve the human they never were."

In the kingdom of Florent, the most greedy are cursed to shift into mindless dragons once a month. After his brother shifted and wiped out his entire family, disgraced dragon slayer Abel Estellio takes up a new hunt to try and restore his ruined reputation. His desperate experiments on his younger brother only led to one tragic conclusion: that there was no cure for the curse, so he'd only brought undue suffering to his brother in his final moments.

But his unorthodox research planted a question in Abel too: are dragons really sinners being punished for their greed, and if so ... why was his sweet brother the one cursed instead of him?

Dragon shifter Claire Belgard also wants to know why she was chosen for this cursed fate. She grew up kind and empathetic under the care of her gentle Papa and her community, only to doom them all after she shifted one night. Now on the run, Claire is seeking out the infamous Abel Estellio: the only slayer who may still see dragons as human. She wants the rumored cure from him if not his mercy ... but soon, Claire finds that she wants his love as well.

◆ Reserved Dragon Slayer MMC x Feisty Dragon Shifter FMC
◆ Enemies-to-Lovers & High Stakes
◆ Redemption Arc & Morally Gray Characters
◆ YA Standalone Romantasy & Dual 1st POV
◆ Cute Fire Fox Companion!!! 🦊

I literally could not put this book down!!! Fire to the Stars has an incredibly unique premise with a twist on the entire "dragon shifters" romantasy trope, along with a fast-paced plot that had me blazing through the pages!

I especially love how well the characters matched each other with their juxtaposing personalities. Born to a neglectful yet prominent household with a silver spoon in his mouth, MMC is a polite, reserved gentleman, awkward at times but also always earnest and compassionate. In contrast, FMC grew up as a bold and unrestrained farm girl within a tightknit community. The witty banter between them was absolutely fantastic, and I also enjoyed seeing the FMC so unabashedly worried for MMC's health and safety, since unlike her, he had more "book smarts" than "street smarts".

While they remained powerful in their own right, it was refreshing to have both MMC and FMC care equally for each other throughout the story. They truly ended up saving each other like they were their mutual redemption 😭

The worldbuilding was both unique and easy to understand (though sometimes darker than I expected 👀), and I adored the little tidbits of lore and private communications we got at the start of every chapter. With fun, complex characters, hunter vs hunted vibes, and the cutest pet fox Lucy, Fire to the Stars is packed with everything you might want in a YA romantasy debut!

[YSBR · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Fire to the Stars is a YA fantasy novel that follows a dragon-shifter who hires a dragon slayer to try and cure her. Claire Belgard is a teen girl living in the kingdom of Florent, where a curse placed by the gods turns select individuals into dragon-shifters every month during a lunar eclipse event known as the Ascension. Because  dragons destroy and kill during their transformation, it is up to the Slayers Guild to track down and execute these shifters before they can cause more destruction. Claire is desperate to live, and seeks the help of Abel Estellio, a dragon slayer rumored to have performed controversial experiments on his younger shifter brother, Micah, in an attempt to find a cure for dragon-shifters. Claire initially conceals her dragon-shifter status from Abel, claiming that she has hired him to hunt down another dragon. Her real goal is to uncover his rumored cure before she turns into a dragon again. Despite their initial reluctance to partner with one another, the two eventually grow closer as they travel through Florent with Abel’s fire fox familiar, Lucy. What follows is a rich exploration of political intrigue, religious trauma, and romance as Claire and Abel race against time in order to find a cure and defy the gods. Claire and Abel are presented as white on the cover, Florent is inspired by French medieval culture, and there is some diversity in the supporting cast. 

I really enjoyed this story, and I can not stop recommending it to my friends who also read romantasy. I loved the relationship between Claire and Abel, and how much it evolved over the course of the story. Their banter was fun and well developed, without taking up too much time away from the plot. I liked that even though this book had romance, there was still a lot of substance to keep the reader engaged. The entire plotline dealing with the dueling gods, Diu and Noctu, was very interesting, and added an element of religious trauma that gave depth to the story. Clare and Abel have grown up believing that only wicked people are cursed by Diu to become dragon-shifters, which is a belief that is challenged once the two of them become affected by this curse. The author did a good job in incorporating discussion of religion into the Fire to the Stars, and I felt that it worked to elevate this story into a work of higher fantasy, comparable to books like Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobbe, or Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. Finally, I LOVED Lucy the fire-eating fox! She was such a cute pet companion, and I adored how close she and Claire grew during their journey. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fire to the stars is a YA fantasy novel where a curse turns some humans into dragons. These dragons spend the day ravaging and burning until the night comes and they turn back to humans. They have no recollection of what they do as a dragon. They say the people that are selected are “bad” and only being righteous will save you from the curse. Claire thought she was good until the day she shifted and killed her whole village. Abel is a disgrace. He didn’t kill his brother immediately after he shifted, he tried to find a cure and when that failed he killed his dragon brother. But it doesn’t matter. He still is looked down upon. Claire needs a slayer to help her find a cure. Abel doesn’t know it but he needs Claire too. Together can they find a solution?

The premise of this was really good but I found myself putting it down and struggling to pick it back up. I’m not sure if it was pacing, the chemistry, or the content.
The pace wasn’t bad. I wouldn’t say it was slow, but there wasn’t a huge amount of action.
The chemistry was almost nonexistent to me. I didn’t feel the love between them. It felt like Claire was using Abel. Abel you could tell was in love but Claire felt distant.
The content so SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER Abel basically ends up torturing his brother and it’s all well and good because he’s sorry afterward. Like okay we get it the ancient book of religion told you dragons bad but to do all that to your 7 year old brother? It was a little hard for me. I have a 7 year old and it was hard for me to read. The torture isn’t hardcore or anything just sad and hard to read.
One other big thing: Claire does some really stupid thing for absolutely no reason and it makes it harder for everyone else. I get it, it was a plot device to get the story to where the author wanted it but the reason why was never clearly stated. I just don’t think I like Claire. She does some shit things like not offering another dragon the opportunity to not change when she had the information, she threatened someone with a knife and was super surprised when they threatened her back and “had to act in self defense.” She just wasn’t a good person and I didn’t like her.
Guess I didn’t really like Abel either. Sorry someone that does that to their own blood has a special place waiting for them.

The ending was okay. Other than the random Claire highjinks the reason for everything made sense.

Thank you to Random House Children’s Books for the arc!

3.25 out of 5

[Nyx Lewis-Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gonna be honest, I thought from the cover that this was sapphic, and I'm a liiiiittle bit disappointed that it's not.

That said, I really enjoyed it! It was darker in places than I expected and approached that darkness unflinchingly, but it was balanced out with hope, compassion, and moments of levity.

I love the banter between Abel and Claire, and the way that they grow together throughout the story. I definitely started with a little more attachment to Claire, but by the end I was quite invested in both of them.

As I'm finding with many YA books as I approach 30, I found some things to do with their ages a little suspect. Mostly regarding Abel's backstory: I'm expected to take at face value that Abel, not yet 18, has had time already to establish a widely known reputation as this incredible dragon slayer, and then also destroy that reputation? Bit unbelievable to me. But I do appreciate the choice to make the characters around 18. Any younger wouldn't be fitting for the story as it unfolds.

I will say this book handles the "where are the adults" conundrum that YA books often struggle with quite well. There's good reason for Abel and Claire not to start out with adult support, good reason that most adults aren't useful or trustworthy, AND this isn't a story that is carried 100% on the backs of intrepid teenagers - where it's appropriate, adults who are competent and genuine are incorporated to take some of the load without taking the focus away from Abel and Claire in terms of story and plot. It was refreshing!

I felt that the climax wrapped up a little quickly from the last reveal to the start of the denouement - I felt like there could have been a little more complexity in that. I did appreciate the time taken for the denouement though, as I am often a little put off by very short approaches to aftermath. I liked that we got to see consequences and changes on a wider scale being brought about before we had our goodbye to the characters.

All in all, a really solid 4 star read that I would be happy to recommend to any fans of YA, though I would recommend it more for older YA readers (and adults) because of some of the themes.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book rating: 3.5⭐️
Genre: YA fantasy
Themes: dragons, curses, hunters, enemies to lovers
📖 Read if you like: Rebel Witch, Serpent & Dove, The Red Winter

In an unlikely union of dragon and dragon hunter, two scarred beings will change the course of fate with this forbidden love story. In a kingdom where the greedy are turned into dragons every month, Claire has been living in coiled dread. After decimating her village and killing her only family, she is looking for the legendary slayer Abel who is rumoured to have a cure to the dragon curse. Meanwhile, Abel has been shunning by his guild for his questionable experiments and unorthodox perspective on dragons. Just as he returns to hunting, the two will cross paths and set off on an unexpected quest.

Claire is a criminal who excels at lying and carefully guarding her heart. Abel is traumatized by his own actions and trying to survive in his new reality. He makes an easy mark and she a willing player. Parts of the romance were very obvious and the beginning was a bit too staged and slow moving. I was waiting for more tension from elaborate subterfuge and emotional turmoil and was left with a rather simplistic depiction. I was expecting more depth to make the playful characters more compelling, and the pacing was slower than expected. I really had to push through certain chapters, but I was nonetheless entertained.

The world building was elaborate with gods, monsters and an interesting belief system that propagated the dragon hunt within this medieval French inspired land. The slow burn enemies to lovers dynamic challenged the foundations to this world and unearthed an unexpected secret. It had a good twist and a very satisfying ending and a book with dragons is always going to catch my eye.

I thought this book has an original plot with a lot of really good ideas. There was something missing for me to really become invested in the story from an emotional lens, but I enjoyed the style of writing and creativity. I was entertained and surprised at the end, which is always noteworthy. Will be following this author to see what they write next!

Thank you to Penguin Teen for an eARC.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Huge thanks to the Netgalley team, the Random House Children's Books | Knopf Books for Young Readers team, and the force of nature that is Morgan J. Watchorn for providing an ARC copy of this novel for me to review. I feel incredibly fortunate to leave my thoughts on this one.

Fire to the Stars is a book like no other, and I'm not saying that just to say it. With precise, compassionate prose, it combines the witty, romantic, monster-hunter banter of ND Stevenson's Nimona with the dark, scientific, morally gray edges of Hiromu Arakawa's Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 1 into a dynamic, fiery tornado that'll leave you breathless by the end of the last page.

In some senses, to call this book a novel would feel inaccurate. Rather, it is a ballad of Abel Estellio and Claire Belgard, of fire and ice, of suns and moon, of light and dark, of right and wrong. Cinematic in its epic scope while staying tremendously grounded in its humanity, Watchorn's debut pays tribute to what feels like Eastern anime and Western fiction contemporaries while also breaking the YA mold in its careful rendering of the lightest and darkest parts of us.

Also, if you can't tell by now, I want this novel to have a video game, a feature-length movie, and tinderfox merchandise because that is nothing less than what it deserves. It is astoundingly vivid in its vision and execution, and only a master storyteller could produce a work of this high caliber.

To put it more precisely, I believe that Watchorn's work will define and expand the YA genre for years to come, and I cannot wait to read more of her works in the future.

[S · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has so much potential, and I wanted to love it- I did up until the last 15%. It's very dark but very well written, with an interesting worldbuilding system, a well-paced plot, instantly sympathetic main characters, and even some cute and cool animal sidekicks. I was invested not only in Claire and Abel's relationship, but in how the philosophical questions raised by the religious system would be answered within the story. There is so much buildup to what could be a cathartic, wonder-filled reveal... and then it sort of fizzles out. The big twist explanation is bogged down by overly technical details; it reads like the author is trying to write the wondrous and fantastical without ever having actually encountered actual divine truth and beauty. What consolation the characters get rests on them being chosen for qualities intrinsic to themselves; there is not any redemption so much as "if we make better choices now that makes up for everything we did before, and it means we're really good people inside now". Honestly, it reads a little bit like the author has decided to pick a bone with the Catholic church (making some valid points along the way) without an accurate understanding of why exactly certain things could have gone so wrong. The theme throughout the entire book seems to be getting at the question, "why does human suffering exist"- and the answers given are completely unsatisfactory, because they do not point to the only true Answer. So for me, the worldview in this book just didn't work and is definitely not enough to make the darkness of the story worth it.

Content:
Language- none
Romantic content- some steamy kisses, several fade-to-black scenes
Violence: lots of gore and death, mostly off-page dismemberment and beheading (both of humans and dragons), a fairly disturbing description of a young child being tortured

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ebook in exchange for an honest review!
4.5 out of 5 stars, rounded up
I have a soft spot for fantasy that involves dragons, especially if they’re a little bit different from what one would usually expect from dragons in fantasy. This story, with Ignition looming large and the threat of anyone you know becoming a frenzied dragon that day, is exactly what I look for.
I think that the author does a great job setting the characters up. Claire and Abel are very sympathetic (although I’d argue that once the contents of his research are revealed, Abel becomes a bit less sympathetic) and they have great chemistry both in terms of romance and in terms of a protagonist duo.
I loved the main plot, finding out why Ignition has been happening and why the Slayers Guild is so adamant that dragons must be killed as soon as possible. I didn’t feel like I guessed what was going on, not because the author didn’t allude to things well enough, but because the truth of what was happening was so far beyond what either of the POV characters ever suspected that of course they wouldn’t guess it. Of course they wouldn’t think that their evil boogieman god is being held captive and the masked cultists are drinking his blood for the immortality it gives them.
My only complaint is that the contents of Abel’s research are disappointing. I feel like it was less research and more just him torturing his brother and going hmm, yes, interesting. It feels out of character for him, seeing as he’s clearly an empathetic person and initially it seems like it was a big, devastating decision for him to have had his brother die. For the reality to be that his brother simply faded and died because of the “research,” and for his notes and experiments to be so thoroughly heartless? It was a bit of a letdown.

[Astrophel AKA Beeneedssleep · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's Books for an arc. All opinions are my own.

★ Rating: 4.5/5
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Are There Gay People in this?*: ❌

Incredible Fantasy Romance debut!

This book just worked for me—particularly, I really loved the way their religion tied into the dragon lore. At its core, this book is basically "what if werewolves were dragons?" but the fact their religious doctrine connects dragons to greed and therefore makes it morally acceptable to hate/kill them makes SO much sense. Now, to be clear, I don't think the worldbuilding is anything revolutionary, but I do think a lot of thought went into it, which I appreciate.

I also loved both Claire and Abel as characters. I always appreciate when the badass fmc gets to actually carry the team and save the mmc. Like Abel, for all his slayer training, is way more of a damsel in distress than Claire will ever be. Additionally, both of them (but especially Abel) have some serious character flaws, and while I wasn't always blown away by how they were handled, I still think they were treated seriously and empathetically.

Overall: I would highly recommend this to fans of fantasy-forward romantasy. It is pretty slowburn and there's plenty of plot, but the central romance is definitely a substantial part of the story. I was very impressed by this debut, and will definitely be checking out whatever Morgan J. Watchorn writes next.

* I count a book as including gay people if any of the main or secondary characters are implicitly or explicitly queer or trans. This does not necessarily mean the protagonist is queer or that there is a queer romance

[V · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ah, I really hoped I'd like this book, but alas.

My dislike started from the beginning when there was a flirting moment between both MCs. And there was a weird moment where the inn owner tied Abel up when he brought her to the inn (she was unconscious). Like??? What was that for? It was so anime. It was unnecessary. It didn't feel weird until the book made it weird. But I forced myself to read through it.

The writing was fine, I'll give you that. But the problem is ... I couldn't connect with either Abel or Claire. This book has dual POVs, and both use the 1st person perspective. So, I suspect I couldn't connect with either of them because, before I could emotionally care for one person, the perspective shifted to the other at the wrong moment, and maybe in the wrong way since it didn't work for me. Both MCs also aren't very likable, in my opinion. They act more like annoying 17 y.o. teenagers.

And that impacted their romance. I don't enjoy YA books with this kind of romance. By this, I mean it just lacks chemistry. I couldn't feel or care about their romantic feelings for each other. In fact, I didn't like it. Their flirting and kissing somehow gave me the ick. I don't know, maybe because I was hoping romance in YA books wouldn't feel like this? The romance isn't that prominent (or is it?) but it gave me the impression that it's not what I'm looking for in YA romance.

I think what I liked about this book was the cover and the last part, where the rules for dragon hunting changed to approaching them with compassion. That part touched me. And only that.

[Deana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3★

Fire to the Stars is a YA fantasy with a strong foundation. The world of Florent, the monthly Ignition that turns ordinary people into dragons, and the history and mythology tied to the gods’ war and ascension are all well constructed and clearly the strongest part of the book. Claire and Abel both come with compelling backstories, Claire’s loss of her father and home in the Ignition, Abel’s disgrace from the Slayers Guild, that give the setup real emotional potential.

Where the book fell short for me was execution. Both leads read older than their stated ages, and their choices didn’t always feel consistent with what we know of their histories and how they’ve been shown to think. There’s a moment where Claire gives up entirely that didn’t feel earned, and overall the character development felt thin given how rich the backstories were. The romance was predictable enough that its eventual payoff had little impact.

The plot is engaging and kept me reading, but it’s also fairly easy to see coming. It was apparent early on that there is more to the religion surrounding the gods’ war and ascension, which softened the impact of the eventual reveal. I also found the book leaned more on exposition than on discovery, I would have liked Claire and Abel to uncover more of this history through their travels rather than through info dumps, especially since their actual journey across Florent felt fairly lackluster on its own.

Readers who love dragon lore and mysteries rooted in gods, history, and ascension myths will likely find a lot to enjoy here, even with the pacing and character issues. I’d rate this 3 stars, a book with real ambition that didn’t quite land the full execution.

For my full review, check out my blog post here.

Thank you to Random House Children's Books for an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.