4.5 stars. The Sky on Fire follows Anahrod, a woman from the Sylands (high altitude mountainous regions) who for some reason, that will be later explained, ended up living in the Unders - the swampy jungle regions at the base of the mountains. Anahrod has the skill of being able to talk to and control animals, and at the start of the book she has a Titan Drake called Overbite who she uses to travel around. A group of people find her when she is trying to stay out of the way of the King of the Unders, Sicaryon, and ask her to be their guide and basically stop them being killed by the various dangers in the region so they can get home. From this a heist is fored! The start of the book was a bit jarring - from being stuck in a place she's not from, to finding out the history of why she is there and then introducing a lot of other characters to Anahrod there is a LOT happening, but it does settle and each charcter comes into their own. There are multiple dragons who each have a bonded dragon rider and are in charge of the Skylands and lots of rules and structure to how they live and behave which was interesting. There's found family, family reunions, romance (MM/MF/FF and poly) and of course, THE HEIST!! I loved this book, as I said earlier the start throws a lot of story at you, but it's so worth getting to grips with it, it was briiliant!

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

This was an early DNF. I couldn’t get into the story at all, and it was 100% because of the narrative style. It was jumpy and leaving too much of the description unsaid. I was constantly lost, and I couldn’t be bothered to persevere until I got the hang of the world and the characters.

4.5⭐? 5⭐?

I recently finished Jenn Lyons' A Chorus of Dragons series so I was more than hyped up for this, and it did not disappoint!

The Sky on Fire is set in a world where dragons rule in cities high in the mountains, where it's preached that the goddess of creation made humans to serve dragons and help them not lose control of themselves by bonding with them.

Anahrod was pushed off a cliff when she was 15-years old and has been living on the world below, the jungle-covered surface where everything can and will try to kill you. Until, in the middle of a particularly risky situation, some skylanders show up, and she’s kind of forced to help them. And then gets kidnapped…for a heist. What’s not fun and exciting about this book?

Similarly to her other works, Jenn Lyons expertly writes a cast of diverse, quirky characters and relationships among them. People wear rings to express what their gender, sexual, etc preferences are, or if they want a monogamous relationship or are single. And the characters themselves are all amazing,Ris, who flirts shamelessly with Anahrod from the first moment they meet. Claw, who is way too knife-happy and the only one who can understand Kaibren, because he only speaks in quotations...just to name a few.

It's refreshing to see such an intricate high fantasy as a standalone, though it did leave me wanting for more. Maybe just another 50 pages, I really wanted to see more of the aftermath and get to know that character that was introduced at the end (iykyk, no spoilers).

Overall, it’s just such a fun, exciting book. I stayed up until 1am last night finishing it and it was definitely worth the loss of sleep. (Might be a new favorite of 2024?) If unconventional dragon riding bonds, sky cities, and quirky characters are your thing, I strongly recommend The Sky on Fire.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6623463826

I requested this on the basis of a comparison with Fourth Wing, and while it is in the same ballpark genre-wise, it didn't quite grab me in the same way. Some good world building, and some characters with a lot of potential, but somehow I never quite got the stage where I felt that I cared about them. That was possibly because so much action is packed into the book, at such a brisk pace, that there wasn't really any time to do so. So for me this one was decent but not great. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was my first Jenn Lyons book, and I was not disappointed. I had heard wonderful things about her stories and worldbuilding, and dragons, and found them to be entirely true, despite this being a very different story than the ones she’s told before.

Anahrod just wants to be left alone. She’s content in the Deep with her titan drake for company, and she doesn’t need local warlords or dragon riders coming down and dragging her into their shenanigans, thank you very much.
But her past is finally catching up to her, and she’s not going to be able to go back to anonymity after this. Because the people who’ve found her have a plan, and they need Anahrod to help them commit the biggest heist anyone has ever imagined.

The plot of The Sky on Fire was twisty and turny and kept me wanting more. It evolved drastically as the story developed, and I loved all the little tidbits of information that were dropped for Anahrod (and me) to work out along the way.
I found the characters felt well rounded and their relationships were complex in the best way. Everything felt very believable - I mean maybe not the dragons, but a girl can dream - and I was swept into the world very quickly.
While the world was high fantasy and therefore completely different from our own, I didn’t find the rules and traditions hard to follow. I particularly loved the casual inclusion of ‘late blooming’ for transgender characters, and how this was clearly a happily accepted part of the world and culture.

While there were romance subplots within the book, they were definitely subplots. I would consider this a fantasy containing romance rather than a romantasy.

Overall, The Sky on Fire was a fast paced high fantasy heist, and I would highly recommend it for fans of dragons, and fantasy in general.

Thank you the Publisher and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange of a honest review.

This book had great premises, but unfortunately it didn’t meet my expectations. It revealed to be a great disappointment and it really pains me to say that I had to DNF it. Since the beginning I couldn’t connect with the characters and I think that’s what pushed me to give up.

The Sky on Fire by Jenn Lyons and it’s an Adult fantasy standalone which is set in a world ruled by dragons. The world building itself was quite intriguing but nothing special. And yet, I’m fairly sure that’s the writer’s writing style that didn’t meet my personal taste. The descriptions weren’t as evocative as they should’ve been, they could have been impactful, but they remained quite dull.

As I said before, what really convinced me to DNF this book were the uncharacterised characters. The beginning cannot introduce a character in their entirety, but it should at least set up a scrap of background or emotions to at least try to build a sort relationship with the reader. Yet, Anahrod’s povs were as dull as the descriptions. She remained detached throughout the narration and I didn’t read about a single emotion or more personal thought while reading the book.
As the story played out, it was nearly impossible to feel attached to the characters. It wasn’t only the main character to feel uninteresting, but the whole cast was quite stereotyped and I was unable to feel affection for any of them.

As a character driven type of reader, I prefer books much more focused on characters. That could be one of the reasons why I couldn’t appreciate this book. It simply turned out to be not my cup of tea! I read a lot of reviews that shared my thoughts and others that completely loved this book, so take this review for what it is: my humble and honest opinion.

Down in the jungles of the Deep, Anahrod lives as best a quiet and solitary life as she can. That is until one day five outsiders come looking for her, thwarting a kidnapping by Sicaryon, King of the Deep. With a motive of their own, this band of misfits has a job they want her in on – stealing from a dragon’s hoard in the city.

Get in, get out, seems easy enough, but this hoard belongs to Neveranimas, and Anahrod and Neveranimas have a history, one the dragon still wants Anahrod dead for.

With multiple POVs, there’s a lot going on for the members of this heist. Some characters definitely felt more developed than others, and there were two barely mentioned that I forgot they were even involved. They might as well have not even been there, and their roles passed onto other members of the group.

The world building is pretty simple and easy to follow, and there’s no overly long, detailed descriptions. There’s definitely more of a focus on characters, and if that’s your thing, or you’re looking for an easy dip into fantasy, this book is perfect for it.

Things do move slowly in places, at a pace that doesn’t quite match the story as a whole, and for me this stopped it from being an amazing read, and more of a great read. Another thing I noticed was that it felt more YA than adult, and I kept forgetting that the MC is in her thirties and not a teenager.

I do think the comparison to Fourth Wing is unfair, though. Aside from dragons, this is nothing like FW, and I think a lot of people might pick this up with certain expectations that The Sky on Fire just won’t meet, which will only leave those people disappointed, and this book with an unfair DNF/low rating.



Did I like the book? Yes.

Did I love it? In places.

Would I recommend it? If a character driven, fantasy heist set in a dragon-run world is your thing. Yes, but ignore the FW comparison.

The Sky on Fire was a very fun read. I loved The Chorus of Dragons but that series was very, very lore heavy and this one is a much more relaxed affair.

This book focuses on Anahrod, a woman who was supposed to be sacrificed years ago but wasn’t and has been living a solitary life. Then she ends up involved in a heist and a dragon war.

I really liked the characters. They’re all very well defined and they’re a lot of fun to read. The dragons are very interesting and I enjoyed this take on the creatures. The plot is very fast moving. A lot happens in a book that is under 500 pages so I really had to keep my concentration at the maximum so I didn’t lose track of what was going on. It does stop the story from getting stale as the characters are thrown from one dangerous situation to another.

The Sky on Fire has so much in it that I enjoy, a wonderful misfit band of characters! Dragons! A heist! It has an interesting world and an engaging plot so I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Although this is a standalone story, the end does promise that there could be more in this world and I hope so. I liked the characters and I would love to read more from them in the future.

I love Jenn Lyons, she's a fantastic author, but this is not my favourite of her books. In fact I really struggled to get into it.

There's are lots of components of a great story - an enticing backstory, great world building, some lovely little touches such rings which tell an observer all about the person wearing them, and some interesting characters. I think perhaps there was just too much going on with lots of scene jumps, but not a huge amount happening overall.

I loved the commitment to diversity, of many types.

I'll definitely give this another read when I can read a big block in one go as I think that might enable me to be more immersed in the story and get more engaged.

Thank you NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC. This is unfortunately a DNF @ 45%. For the most part, I do see this book being well-liked by many others. It's got an interesting world revolving around dragons being on a higher hierarchy over humans—quite an unexpected set up from the pitch mentioning dragon riders!—and I found the social system regarding rings that indicate your gender and orientation fascinating. I love a queernormative fantasy world.

Unfortunately, as a character-driven reader, I struggled to be interested in all but the protagonist Anahrod, and even that was a slog to go through, because the situations she finds herself in end up dull. It was such a long set up to get to the point of the story where the heist was even introduced. Perhaps on another day, I will give this novel another chance.

Unfortunately I did not finish this book. It was not for me, you were thrown in and expected to just understand what was going on. I found the formatting made the book hard to engage with (although I appreciate this is irrelevant as it is not a finished copy).

The names used also (Anahrod and Overbite as an example) were bizarre and off putting and I’m sorry to say I just couldn’t read on.

Will put 3 stars as a medium rating as I think it is unfair of me to rate a book I have not finished but I can’t leave it blank

This book I was instantly intrigued and interested to read this book, especially after reading the blurb of the book. With the way that the book started I was instantly intrigued to see what would happen. I loved the author's writing style as it really worked in this book. As the story developed I just wanted to continue reading to be able to see what was going to happen next. The character develop very nicely throughout the book, alongside the story which help made it very intriguing, and gripping. Finally with the way the ending of the boo I had really enjoyed it and hoped for another book in the series.

This was a first for me by this author and I would most certainly grab more by her! Overall this was an enjoyable and engaging fantasy story that was well written and executed.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.75 rounded to 4

After initially really struggling to get into this, once I hit about 25% I was invested enough to enjoy the rest. It's not perfect - some characters needed to be more fleshed out, pacing was a bit TOO quick with jumps from event to event without much respite, some of the writing felt clunky and unnecessary.

However, the world is so interesting from the magical elements (dragons, dragon riders, sorcerers and terrifying beasts) to the societal ones (people display their gender and sexual identity as well as personality traits with elaborate rings)! This really managed to keep me hooked in. I also really ended up enjoying some of the characters, in particular Gwydinion and Sicaryon, even if FMC Anahrod annoyed me at times.

There is a heist, but don't make that your main reason for picking up the book - its very brief and not even the real overarching plot. Don't expect much spice levels either - while there's plenty of suggestive language and one surprisingly kinky conversation, anything beyond that is fade to black. There's also a poly throuple so if that's not your jam then you may not love the small romance subplot.

I'd say if you're a fan of found family, witty, snappy dialogue and dragons with big personalities then this is the book for you!

You know when you read a book and then sit back and think damn, now I really need to read everything this author has ever done, how have I not been a fan this whole time? Yeah. Jenn Lyons. How have I not been a fan this whole time??

The Sky On Fire starts with a plan. To steal from the hoard of the most dangerous dragon currently living, the regent of dragons, Neveranimas. And when it’s such a dangerous job the best option is to find the one person who supposedly stole from her before. Only one problem, that person was thrown to their death over a decade ago.

Anahrod has been living in the harsh jungles of the Deep for over a decade. Dodging creatures, bandits, and especially nosy warlords. Now, she is caught up with an adventuring party who need her for skills she’s not sure she possesses. And one of them happens to be a gosh darn dragon-rider.

With wanted criminals, dragon politics, cunning misfits, annoyingly attractive red-heads, and a past that is sprinting to catch up with her, Anahrod is going to be dragged kicking and screaming into a high-flying adventure. And she’s just trying to hang on to her stomach contents!

This is a fiesty little standalone of dragons and magic. I read this so fast. I love it when the best laid plans go horribly wrong. I love heists. I love dragons. I love silly little flirtations that only complicate things. Turns out I love Jenn Lyons, and I will now be going off and reading her Chorus of Dragons series and I’ll be back in 5 books.

Four and a half
Having been hugely impressed by the authors Chorus Of Dragon's series I obviously had to dive into this book as soon as I saw it. I will start by saying this isn't high, complicated fantasy but definitely more accessible and I feel fits very well into more current and popular tropes.
A society ruled by Dragons , a rag tag group coming together and a deadly heist all combine to give the reader a very entertaining read. I thoroughly enjoyed the assorted characters with their diverse needs and thought that the magic in play was well done without being over the top. If I have a slight niggle it's just that because things happen quickly I thought that perhaps supporting characters could have been given more depth but this does work as a standalone so for many reasons I can understand why. There's a smidge of romance to enhance the story and a family history that just didn't convince me but I very much enjoyed turning the pages and I definitely recommend this book. As this ends its clear that the author could easily write a sequel if she wishes and I would happily jump all over that !
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

Sometimes you just want to read a standalone with dragons and this book delivers!!! It’s a wild ride that’s high stakes as we follow a group of diverse misfits on a heist. The group has some fun dynamics and all of the characters are very much distinct. I absolutely adored the animal companions and the magical interweaving with the dragons. The book does throw you in at the deep end but the story is not overly complex and I feel it’s an accessible read. It’s action packed and maybe too action packed in a way, but I don’t know if that’s a more of a personal preference on my part. The best characters are indeed the dragons and the power they hold is something to behold. It’s an epic story set in a rich world, I highly recommend this book. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

THE SKY ON FIRE is a fantastic story! I have always enjoyed Lyons' story and no one writes High Epic Queer Fantasy as Jenn Lyons she is the mastermind. Deliciously Queer and in a way so similar to my favourite novel of hers Ruin of Kings book one in the Chorus of Dragons Series.

I feel in love with Anahrod's voice, just as I did all those years ago when I was introduced to Kieren. The Sky on Fire made me desperate to re-read book one of The Chorus of Dragons series. Lyons has created a beautiful and thought-out world that captivates what the rules would be if Dragons governed humans. High is better than the deep, it all makes sense in this complex and beautifully written story.

Lyons dragons are more God-like than Dragons I have seen in a while and I enjoyed how they are brought down to earth. this was especially demonstrated between one rider and his dragon and their complex and difficult relationship. this was one of my favourite threads of the story and although the villain I found this dragon and his rider's story fascinating.

No one can fault Lyons for her wonderful characterisation. Each character felt 3D and thought through, even just a father making a life for himself selling hot dogs to students felt fleshed out and interesting. I know that The Sky on Fire is a stand alone which I think works but I would be delighted to see more into this world. Especially from different POV for example Ana's brother.

Overall 5 wonderful stars and have ordered the hardback straight away!

Took my a while to get into this one, but once I was I really enjoyed it.
I'm loving anything with dragons at the moment so this was right up my street!
Great book!