I was so excited about this book. It’s got dragons and a heist. So it was right up my alley. However, it felt more like the first day of work at a new job. You meet so many new people so quickly that it’s overwhelming and you forget who everyone is straight away. I also found the halfway point to be sooooo incredibly slow. I believe this book still has potential and I definitely wanna give Jenn’s first series a go.

THE SKY ON FIRE is a standalone fantasy full of dragons, magic, and the fight against tyranny.

There is so much packed into this book that I don't quite believe the page count (448 pages listed everywhere.) I'm guessing the font must be small given the number of hours of audiobook (over 12) and also how much was in this book. There are chases, a heist, time for friends to become enemies and become friends again. There are multiple dragon attacks and a romance to sizzle up.

It makes for an action packed book, running from disaster to disaster (all while Anharod tries not to deal with her clear interest in two people and then does just before there's no time to deal with it.) It's very pacy and I was swept along in the fight to get revenge and money, and then to survive and defeat the dragon causing all the trouble.

The audiobook is narrated by Lauren Fortgang who does a great job at bringing dragons to life, giving them a gravely voice that doesn't quite feel human. The book is mostly told from Anharod's perspective, but I liked that Gwyneon got to speak a few times as he's precocious and clever and I wanted to protect him from the start.

I really appreciated getting to read a standalone dragon book that isn't almost a thousand pages long. You get a story in one go, reasonably short to listen to, while still getting all the magic and battles of dragons. The ending wraps up nicely and gives you enough information to imagine what would come next in the world without needing another book.

This book was a fast paced and fun fantasy ride! The story kept my attention from start to finish. The band of characters were interesting, and some were more likeable than others! The world building was unique and intricate. It was full of dragons, magic and all sorts of weird creatures! This was my first book from Jenn Lyons, but I can't wait to read more in the future!

I was already pretty interested by the fact this is a standalone by Jenn Lyons, full of dragons + a heist. By the time I'd finished the prologue I'd gone from interested to hooked. Dragons threatening a man due to a supposed bot ched execution by his predecessor and ordering him to find the survivor.

We skip forward a bit and get introduced to a new location, 'The Deep'. Full of different biomes as the rest of civilization live above we meet our protagonist, Anahrod. Soon after the rest of the diverse + quirky crew are introduced, with Ris being a fantastic standout.

The power dynamics between dragons & their riders is also a real unique take and I loved it. Overall, this was a really fun read and I'll be picking up more of Lyons' books!

This was an amazingly intense fantasy read!

I loved almost everything about this book (I wish we had more heated scenes between the main characters but the tension throughout the whole book was quite good).
The characters, the dragons, the places and the tension? Amazing, I loved it so much from the first page! I loved that it wasn’t really dragons vs humans or dragons vs dragons, but more like a mixture of it all.
You will definitely fall in love with the group we follow throughout the book as they are a very weird but loving group of strangers that become friends; and lovers for some. That ending though, I’m hoping to get something else after that!!

Thank you to netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange of an honest review!

Dragons! DO I need to say more! Seriously, if there’s a dragon in a book I’m there and I feel sorry for any author who promises and does t deliver on all that awesome, fiery, roar-some greatness! Then I hear there’s magic, corrupt leadership, secrets and a heist - Am I in heaven?

Well it doesn’t end there, there’s even more delectableness in the epic, high stakes, sweeping fantasy! An amazingly endearing queer romance in the background, a ragtag eclectic crew and of course, I may not have mentioned - Dragons!

Our protagonist Anahrod is just trying to survive, she doesn’t want anything from anyone but, everyone seems to want something from her! Anahrod just wants somewhere she can hide and escape from her complicated past but, she’s dragged into a heist, to steal from the Dragon Regent’s hoard, the same Dragon Regent that wants her dead!

Whilst this isn’t the book that’s quickest off the blocks when it comes to pace, Lyon’s has created an immense, vibrant and stunning world, populated by dragons and humans living side by side amidst a strata’ed society that ranges from the mountainous peaks that are home to the dragons down to the depths of society that is home to the least fortunate humans, the Deep.

Lyon’s explores the societies, the culture, the traditions and most importantly the relationships between humans and dragons, which feels much more realistic and far less altruistic than in other books that explore this relationship. Another fascinating aspect of this society are "garden rings", used to identify gender, sexuality and relationship status. The Sky on Fire delivers a reality feeling with its cast of diverse people and representation.

As I said, the plot doesn’t take off as soon as the starting pistol rings, it’s got pace that is more realistic, if you’re going to perform a heist, it needs to be planned and there are skills to be developed, information to be sourced and of course characters to get to know, and of course that romance sub-plot I mentioned.

There’s so much more I want you to know tell you but, that’s where I could go to far. All I will say is that you’re going to love the relationships and dynamic Anahrod, Ris and Sycarion and of course Pelaron the dragon!

Thank you so much Pan MacMillan, Tor and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Loved "A Chorus of Dragons" by the same author, writing style and vibes are great. I'm an epic fantasy fan and always enjoy a good standalone.
Short review because I'm burnt out.

Dragons, magic, corrupted dragon leaders, secrets and a dangerous heist bringing an eclectic crew together - what more could you ask for?! Oh, and not to forget the delightfully queer romance subplot, which is always a bonus for me! I mostly requested this book from Netgalley because I loved the dragon on its cover, and am now really happy I had the chance to read it.

In The Sky on Fire, Anahrod lives only for survival... until she gets kidnapped. Twice. Or three times? There's a theme there. Everyone in this book wants something from her - be it her help, or her death. Anahrod has a complicated past that she's tried to escape by hiding in the Deep, but it has finally caught up with her. The unlikely crew that drags her away from her hiding place needs her help to steal from a dragon hoard, and specifically from the hoard of the dragon regent, who would especially love to see Anahrod dead. What could possibly go wrong?!

The main strength of The Sky on Fire is the world-building, in my opinion. Jenn Lyons created a detailed, vibrant world filled with dragons and humans, living in a complex society that takes time to be understood but is then really interesting. Dragons live on mountain peaks alongside the "high society" of humans, while the less fortunate live in the Deep and are considered easily expendable. The bond between dragons and humans is quite different from how it is often described in other dragon-centred fantasy (much less friendly/trusting) and some of the dragons take on a bigger role as characters of their own, not necessarily attached to their rider (whether they have one or not). I also thoroughly enjoyed reading the parts about the Deep and their different customs - I wish there was of more chance to explore their society, although I guess it really wasn't a focus of this story! The magic system across the different parts of this world was interesting, too, with a mix of spells and inscriptions that could be learnt also by non-naturally-magical beings.

The plot took a while to develop. I felt the start was quite slow and only really geared up after about 25%. Once it did, though, it got really interesting and kept me hooked for the majority of the remaining pages! There was a lot of planning involved, with a big chunk of the book spent figuring out how to carry out this dangerous, daring heist. Perhaps not enough time is spent on the actual heist, but I did really enjoy all that happened after! The consequences of the crew's actions set so much in motion, including some rather unexpected revelations. Some of the obstacles were perhaps solved too smoothly, with pieces falling oh-so-conveniently into place (or people acquiring awfully quickly some very convenient skills)... but others were faced with really interesting ideas.

This book had a lot of characters and for a while I got a bit lost on who to focus on, but eventually the main ones were fleshed out more and more. The dynamic between Anahrod, Ris and Sycarion was excellent and I couldn't get enough of their scenes together (in pairs or all three at the same time!). I wish there was more of them, as their romantic interactions didn't feel quite explored enough, but a bit rushed, so I didn't quite get to feel the depth of the connection between them! Among the dragons, Pelaron and Neveranimas were obvious standouts - one as an incredibly trusting and reliable ally, the other as a powerful and highly intelligent enemy.

I also really liked the fact that characters wore "garden rings", used to identify one's gender, sexuality and relationship status. The Sky on Fire included a diverse cast of people, with great LGBTQ+ representation, ranging from trans, to bisexual and homosexual characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I'd recommend this to anyone who loves dragons and epic heists in a high fantasy world!

Dragon
Heist sign me up

The world building was a tiny bit too much but I loved it
Like I’m un my dragon era and this did not disappoint

Headlines:
Exciting but slowly paced
World building density
Heisty-dragon fun

Lock in your concentration because there's a lot to The Sky On Fire. It started out with full on excitement but settled into a more slowly paced journey over jungle, seas, courts and tribes. There was a cast of characters to get your teeth into that promised and delivered on found family and romantic connections (more on that later).

The characters in this book were different species, with a range of gifts and magic; we got drakes, trolls, dragons and dragon riders, then some more average folks too for balance. Lyons painted a vivid picture of the lands, sea and air, almost to the point of sense and smell. It was a gritty tale and not that fun for the characters in parts.

I spent some time in trust during this book...where was it going...what was the end goal...who was conning who...who could be trusted. The heisty tones were well done, the cast of characters stretched my capacity for who's who a little but it ended up worth the ride.

I'm not sure I got wholly invested in the romantic elements but kudos to the author for what they did with the emerging love triangle. I did like the core characters and was intrigued how they forged their way out of scrapes repeatedly.

Overall, lots of depth and world building with a solid story underpinning.

Thank you to Tor for the review copy.

3.5 stars rounded up.

The Sky on Fire by Jenn Lyons is her first novel since the excellent Chorus of Dragons series, and if you wanted even more dragons, you’ll be in luck. A group of thieves recruits (or kidnaps) the protagonist in hiding to help them steal a dragon’s hoard – the same one she stole from as a teen. The problem is, she never actually did steal from the dragon, she’s considered a villain by the general populace, a powerful warlord wants her captured, and dragons are known for going on unpredictable murderous rampages.

It’s a fun heist novel that relies a little too much on late in the game revelations. I could have done with more down time with the characters to see their full facets, but the fact I wanted more is a positive, and the worldbuilding was familiar and fresh at the same time. As a fan of her existing series, this is a far more accessible starting point that should hopefully pull more people into her work.

This review is for The Sky On Fire by Jenn Lyons which releases in the UK on the 11th July! Thanks so much to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan/Tor for giving me an eArc copy for this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is the first book I have ever read by this author, but have heard so many good things about this book as well as their other series!
As soon as I heard this had dragons, heists, magic and romance… you know I was in.

Let’s start with the things I loved. I loved the main character, and that she wasn’t the stereotypical 18 year old saviour of the world. She was older, grouchier, sassier and a little bit of a badass. She’s also super independent, and we find out she can communicate/possess animals. I loved watching her learn to trust again after what happened in her childhood (no spoilers, you’ll have to find out). The story had a great range of characters, all diverse coming from different backgrounds and upbringings. The ring system they had was also great, where everyone wears rings showing their ‘preferences’ not just for their partners but also just for themselves, to show others how they like things and how they are as a person. It was super interesting and I’ve never read anything like it before! I also loved the pacing of the book, it never felt rushed or slow and flowed really well.

However what I didn’t like was that most of the other characters, and the main characters relationship to them, felt super flat and superficial. There didn’t feel like there was any depth to them and felt super one dimensional. You don’t end up feeling connected to them for most of the story, until about maybe 70-80% way through the book, then the high stakes make you feel a bit more for them. The magic system was also a little confusing as well, and didn’t seem well explained. I’m not sure if this will be part of a series or not, as I finished the book with a lot of unanswered questions.

I would still recommend this to any fantasy readers out there, especially any lovers of dragons. It was a wild ride with plenty of twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat!

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 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.