As a fantasy reader who loves stories involving dragons and witches, this book caught my attention the moment I heard about it and it didn't disappoint. Sophie Jordan gets the story moving right from the first chapter, and keeps it going at a great pace as she builds towards a cliffhanger ending.

It is primarily told through two POVs - Tamsyn and Fell. Both of these characters are well crafted and developed, meaning both perspectives are equally engaging to read. I especially enjoyed seeing both of their views with regards to each other and their relationship - a very fun enemies to lovers, starting with a marriage of convenience (with a twist) and developing into something more. While it doesn't take long for the attraction to develop, there are a number of obstacles for them to overcome which keeps things interesting, and I'm looking forward to seeing how they navigate some of these in book 2.

The world building is well done and the lore is interesting without being overly elaborate or complex, making it easy to understand and follow. As a result, this book is a pretty quick read and I found it really helped pull me out of a little bit of a reading slump.

A fun read which I think a lot of romantasy lovers will really enjoy, this is a great series starter and I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes from here!

5 fire-breathing stars!!

This book had me captivated from the start. The writing was well written with easy prose which made the story flow nicely from the first page. I'd never heard of a whipping boy/girl before and found this to be a worthy and fascinating arc for this story.

I had guessed where this story was going to lead, and I wasn't wrong. However, I was invested and wanted, no, NEEDED to see how it would play out in the end.
To which my only disappointment stems from the fact that the second book is not already available!!

Watch out Fourth Wing. There's a new dragon tale in the midst!!

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me access to this book via Netgalley.

I read it in about a day and the writing was engaging enough to keep me interested but at various points I was frustrated with the characters, plot and pacing. The story started well, got a bit slow and repetitive in the middle during the journey North but picked up after the transformation and once they were in the Borg. Tamsyn was a mixed bag for me I did appreciate her resilience in the face of a lot of what happened to her and that she did not fall apart but thought she was horribly naive and forgiving about the royal family (aside from Alise) and Stig (curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal). Fell felt like your typical romantasy mmc, strong broody and handsome with a cause but I found him a little boring. Despite this I thought Fell and Tamsyn had decent chemistry. I do think things went from zero to sixty with them during the crossing and would have like a bit more interaction/ communication and getting to know each other before Tamsyn went walkabout. I feel this would have made Fell’s desperation to find her and the yearning between them afterwards to have a proper marriage and what happens at the end a little more believable to me. I made a prediction at start of the story and was half right so am pleasantly surprised that the author had a few twists up her sleeve. Despite my issues with the book the ending did leave me wanting to see where the story goes so job done. Overall 3 🌟

Absolutely loved this book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to @netgalley @hqstories @harlequinaus @sosophiejordan for the opportunity to read this book before release day which is on ✨26.09.24✨


This is probably the first new release I have loved this year. It only took me 3 sittings to finish. Jordan’s writing reminds me of JLA it is so descriptive and lyrical.

As for the story. I loved our main character Tasmyn, she is a whipping girl who was taken in by the royal family. She was a very vulnerable character but I love how she grew into herself as the story went along. I’ll be honest I really hated Fell when we first got introduced to him. But as the story went along I learned to love him.

Overall the character, the enchanting writing style, the world, lore and the overall story with these character made this go into my top 10 for the year!!

#sophiejordanbooks #afireinthesky🔥 #afireinthesky #netgalleyreads #netgalley #netgalleyreviewer #bookstagram #booksbooksbooks #booklover #bookworm #bookaddict #readersgonnaread #reading

This is the first book I have read by this author and I really enjoyed it! I flew through it in 2 days! It was so hooked I couldn’t stop want to see what would happen next.
This was so beautifully written I felt like I was right there with the characters. So much detail I loved it!

The chemistry between Tamsyn and Fell was electrifying I was hoping for a little bit more but being the first in the series I can see why it’s a bit slow however the last 20% was awesome and I’m really looking forward to the next one! 😃

This book was definitely not what I expected. I have to admit, going into it my expectations were more on the side of action packed fantasy romance. By the time I finished this book, I didn’t quite know how to feel about it.

The plot, while slow to develop, was pretty intriguing towards the last 40% of the book. I haven’t read any of Sophie Jordan’s books prior to this so I was surprised when the book read more like a historical romance in a fantasy world. Personally I felt that the romance, whether or not due to the circumstances in which the characters got together, felt lust based and inauthentic. I didn’t feel connected to them and felt pretty passive while reading it. I am however, excited to see where the next book takes these characters after that ending.

Dragons
Touch her and 💀
Touch him and 💀
Enemies to lovers
Magic

I loved the worldbuilding and the MMC and FMC and thought it was a great spin on a dragon story. Loved how the quick burn the romance / lust was.

However I found the pacing difficult and lots of internal monologues that made it difficult to get into the story. Overall I enjoyed and it was probably more a 3.5.

There are some dark themes so check the triggers

This is book one of a new series, and it’s a wonderful mixture of romance and fantasy, that really had me hooked from the first page.
Tamsyn is a whipping girl for the Royal Princesses of Penterra. She is a foundling, taken into the Royal household, given the same education as they had, but without the expectation of a titled husband. Her closest friend is Stig, Captain of the Guard.
When Lord Dryhten, AKA The Beast comes to the court looking for the hand in marriage of one of the princesses, Tamsyn experiences feelings of fear, danger and violence from this man. When she is ordered to marry The Beast instead of the Princesses, she is thrust into a whole new world of dangerous experiences.
Fell, Lord Dryhten discovers his new bride is not Royal. He needed a titled bride to provide money for his poor kingdom, he wants to prevent famine and disease there. The Wedding ceremony is sealed in blood, both have crosses scored across the palms of their hands, Tamsyn and Fell both feel warmth and surges of electricity between them, and the wedding night sex is passionate, with an all consuming tingling of body and the soul. No bad sex awards here!!
A Fire in the Sky is exactly what it says, but think magical beasts that were thought to be extinct, with a compliment of Witches, Wood Spirits, Temptresses, Magical spells and astonishingly written good sex. There are many twists and turns, powerful stuff indeed.
Genuinely cannot wait for book two, it’s going to be a real treat. This book has been so good. A five star read.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers, HQ Books for my advanced copy, freely given in exchange for my honest review.
I will leave reviews to Goodreads and Amazon UK upon publication.

This book's premice is really interesting and unique, I was so intruigued by it, however, unfortunately did I not love it. I found it really hard to connect to the characters and root for them. I also did not care one bit about Stig, I understand his purpose in the story but it did not do anything for me. Also the start was very slow and it took a good while for things to happen. I did love the tension between the two main characters and the fms, dicvoering all these new things about her. I thought that was very intruging. Overall I did like it but I dont know if I will continue the series sadly.

As someone in my 40s, I was there for the big fat fantasy books of the noughties (and before and after) and now I'm trying to catch up to the big fat romantasy that's here today - and it's a challenge to the senses! Does that mean any problem with the books in this genre is a me-problem? Probably, so take this review with a pinch of salt.

This book definitely has romance at the forefront, and by that I mean in the proper genre sense. The book is laser-focused on the hero and heroine, what they're thinking and feeling - and mostly just what they're thinking and feeling about each other, and each other's genitals. The trope is essentially a forced/arranged marriage.

It felt like half the book was leading up to the wedding. In ye olde days, this would've been done and dusted by chapter 3, but I need to face facts - things have changed. And maybe it's okay if in romantasy-world we spend chapter after chapter thinking about the wedding night or riding on a horse. I suppose I just wanted the plot to get going a little faster.

Despite the obvious signs, it took me a while to guess what was happening to the heroine but I guessed the other half of it.

I'm not sure yet if I'd come back for a return book. There's some promise but I'm not sure I find the thing that connects them to be plausible. Or the sudden love they have for one another after barely a moment together. An easy read but a few issues for me personally.

What a book

Writing gripped me,
Characters drew me in
i cannot wait to see what Sophie writes next

A Fire in the Sky, the first book in Sophie Jordan’s adult fantasy series, has left me DESPERATE, for the next book. This is one of those books where it’s both a privilege and a curse to gain early access to read it; it was so very good but now I can’t wait to see what happens next!

In A Fire in the Sky we find ourselves in the kingdom of Penterra, where dragons are extinct, witches are outcasts and where magic is dying. Within the castle lives Tamsyn, the royal whipping girl, who is tasked with the ultimate sacrifice of pretending to be a true princess and marrying Fell, the Beast of the Borderland and son of the great dragon slayer. She accepts her fate, even if it means deceiving the great warrior. But not only does Fell now have a false wife, one that he can’t seem to resist despite himself, he will come to learn she harbours secrets, buried so deep that even Tamsyn doesn’t know they exist. For magic is not dead … it is only sleeping. And it will take one ordinary girl with an extraordinary destiny to awaken it.

There is so much I could say about this one but I feel that it’s the kind of book that you’ll enjoy more for going in blind. There were some wonderful twists and turns and whilst I had an inkling about Tamsyn the reveal took me totally by surprise and was not what I’d expected. I will say though that the world building and magic system was excellent and I cannot wait to spend more time in this world. I really liked Tamsyn, I mean how can you not love the feisty underdog and enjoyed seeing how Fell’s feelings towards her grew. This is a multi POV book, though predominantly Tamsyn and Fell, and it worked perfectly for it.

This was such a brilliant start to what I’d imagine is going to be one heck of a wild ride of a series.

Another excellent romantasy! I find myself somewhat bored with some ya romance at the moment, especially the fade to black spicy scenes - I'm an adult reader, and I find it weird that sex isn't more normalised in books that are at the core, a romance.
This was a lovely refresh! The spice is very well written and very exciting.
I loved the twist of this book - no spoilers - as I think every woman would like to be Tamsyn at times, and she's a great mix of feminine and powerful.
Loved the sibling relationship - so nice to have loving siblings in a romantasy.
Solid three point five out of five. Would read the next one.
Not five stars as I feel it does read a little stilted at times, and like a newer author not settled into genre, but that's personal opinion.

Enemy’s to lovers, dragons, fantasy - what’s not to love. Great storyline and fabulous characters. It did take me a while to read but not because of the writing. I loved the writing. I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a dragon themed book.

There’s always something about reading a romantasy about dragons that I love and A Fire In The Sky didn’t disappoint. From the very first page I was instantly hooked on the story of the royal family’s whipping girl Tamsyn and how she has spent her life takening the punishments for her adopted sisters.

The plot is set around a very historical world in which dragons and witches have been not been around for years after what was called the threshing where they were hunted down and slaughtered and how the royal family of Penterra have relied on the beast of the borderlands to defend them. When Fell the known beast of the borderlands comes to court in demand of a royal daughter for his service he is tricked into a marriage with Tamsyn and what entails is a journey to his homeland and the hidden secrets that neither are aware of as well as trying to understand the connection they have felt towards the other since they first met.

I throughly enjoyed this book and found it so hard to put down. I loved the tension between Tamsyn and Fell and while they didn’t get along for most of the book I wouldn’t call them true enemies to lovers..they do have a connection and their chemistry together was very well written as was the spice scenes..it does end on a cliffhanger that I wasn’t expecting but does make me very excited for book two!

I was invited to read this book (thank you author/publishers) and I had zero idea what it was about when I said, sure, I'll read it.
It turns out, saying yes was a great decision.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I like this. It was hot - literally dragon fire hot - and although I had a feeling from the start about where this was going I didn't care because I was enjoying it too much.
I don't like spoilers and I try and avoid them at all costs in reviews, so I will say that, for the first time in a while I stayed up way past my bedtime reading because I was really into this book, I have recommended it to friends and my eldest niece already as I know they will like it and I am kind of hoping there will be some kind of special edition because I know it will be pretty.
Now, if I could just get my hands on book 2.....

Firstly thank you to NetGalley, the author & HQ

I really enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would!

This book had so much that I loved:
Dragons & witches✅
Enemies to lovers✅
Magic✅
Quickly gripping✅
Forced marriage✅

The main character Tamsyn was somebody that I rooted for from the very start. raised as a whipping girl for the royal families daughters behaviour, then being forced into a marriage she is not the typical FMC.

Although some of the plot was predictable and I had my suspicions I still thoroughly enjoyed seeing that I had worked out the plot, it wasn’t annoying and predictable but rather an OMG I was right!

The end of this book had made absolutely shocked and I 100% cannot wait for the next one! I will be recommending this to everybody!

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

A pure entertainment popcorn read that brings the heat - both between the two MCs and with all the mentions of dragons. I wasn't sure what kind of book this would be when I picked it up, whether it would lean more towards fantasy or romance. It is 100% a steamy romance in a very cool fantasy setting, emphasis on the romance. The world building is simple to follow, easy to understand and interesting to read about - nothing overly complex or difficult to get your head around. There's some insta-lust and an obvious deeper connection between FMC Tamsyn and MMC Fell from the very beginning, which may not be everyone's cup of tea. Having said that, a very fun beginning to a sizzling romantasy series. Plus, you can't go wrong with dragons!

Wow! Just wow!

I have so many emotions writing this because this book was perfection!

We follow Tamsyn the royal whipping girl who was found on the doorstep of the castle and taken in by the king and queen.

They marry her off to Fell, Beast of Borg in the North.

The world building was brilliant and the insertion of characters as the story progressed was excellently done. I loved both the FMC and MMC so much!

If you like enemies to lovers and marriage of convenience tropes, dragons, witches, magical creatures then trust me when I say that you NEED to read this book! It’s book 1 in a new series and you can bet that I’ll be avidly waiting for the next book!

Title: A Fire in the Sky
Author: Sophie Jordan
Pages: 336
Rating: 3/5

Arc Copy (gifted) - review left voluntarily
Publish date - 26th September 2024

"Dragons are extinct. Witches are outcast. Magic is dying. But human lust for power is immortal."

Tamsyn the royal whipping girl is forced to marry Fell. A warrior from the Northern part of the kingdom. Fell is tricked into marrying Tamsyn.

We follow the story with different multiple perspectives and lots of internal monologue.

The spice was fun albeit awkward in places which made some great writing. I also felt anger for Tamsyn.

The plot was predictable but it makes a nice light fantasy read.

The ending was fantastic and I can't wait to see where the rest of the plot will go.

You'll love this book if you like
- romantasy
- enemies to lovers
- marriage of convenience
- spice
- magic dragons and witches

Thank you @netgalley and @harpercollinsuk for allowing me to review.

Will you read it? If you've read it already, what were your thoughts??