The first 2/3 of this book I found a bit slow and predictable (3 stars). An easy read but nothing amazing. However, the last 1/3 really picked up (5 stars) and now I'll be looking out for the next in the series! I'd not heard of this author before and I'm glad I didn't know anything about her other series (of which this series is a prequel to), as it would have ruined it for me.

Thank you Netgalley and HQ for the earc in exchange for an honest review. I was super excited to start this as what’s not to love dragons AND romance but unfortunately this was not a good read for me and there were many points when I just wanted to give up and not finish.

I found that the writing was repetitive and basic, jumped quickly rather than going in depth into scenes and I found myself getting confused during the supposed action. The same scenes were told with mostly internal monologue that just didn’t add interest to the story. The love interest just didn’t seem all that believable particularly after the bedding scene which was just uncomfortable to read.

It wasn’t until about 40% into the book that there was movement in the story I thought there would be more banter and scenes between Tamsyn and Fell but they barely spoke to each other and when they did it just fell flat and I found myself just not caring what happened next. The book has spice but with no connection between the main love interests this just felt cringey and forced.

I normally love romantasy but this book failed to deliver either a good fantasy or romance for me. I wanted to know more about the dragons and the magic of the world and I’m guessing the next book will delve into that but unfortunately the series isn’t for me and I won’t be continuing.

Quite good fantasy novel - enjoyable enough.

I believe that this type of fantasy novel is nowadays called a romantasy as it incorporates romantic fiction with a fantasy background. This is the story of Tamsyn, the whipping girl of the royal court, becoming involved, not willingly at first, with a seasoned warrior.. The novel contains the fantasy elements of dragons, magic and witches while also developing the romance and sexual exploits of the main characters.. It has various original ideas and the concept works well, leading to further novels according to the author. I found it entertaining and engaging even if there was too much introspection for my liking as the chapters are all first person. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A superb addition to the fantasy arena, fast paced and with many twist along the way. Tamsyn is the royal whipping girl - part of the family but not really. She is instructed to make the ultimate sacrifice and wed the Beast of the Borderlands but will tricking him to think she is a princess be her greatest mistake? Dragons are extinct, witches are outcasts but magic lives! Fantastic.

I’ve been hearing so much about this book I did a little squeal when I saw the ARC land in my inbox, and thankfully, it did not disappoint.

A whipping girl for the royal family, Tasmyn is using to bearing the brunt of life for her ‘sisters’, but now she’s taking the biggest hit yet; marrying the Beast from the North. However, what feels like the end of life as she knows it, is actually just the start of something very important.

Unlike some fantasy books that can take you a while to get into, this book had me hooked by its talons from the start and I inhaled it in an afternoon. Fell’s broody, grumpiness mixed with his feelings for Tasmyn was wonderful and I thought Tasmyn was a great FMC. Some of the twists were a little bit predictable, but I like that as it makes me feel smart.

I will be counting down the days for book two because I feel like this series is about to explode in the best possible way.

Thank you Harper Collins for the ARC.

Wow...what a book.
That twist, I really didn't see it coming. And now I need the next book and sincerely hope I don't have too long to wait.
I loved seeing Tamsyn's character progress - for her to finally stand up for herself.
I hope we get to learn more about Fell in the next one. I did have my suspicions about him once that twist mentioned above hit.
I'm so disappointed in Stig and hope he will burn.
If you haven't added this to your tbr, you need to!

This started off as your typical romantasy, and I'm not saying that's a bad thing, a royal setting and the brutal lord that comes to visit to claim one of the princesses as his wife, but gets way more than he bargained for.
Tasmyn, isn't technically a royal princess, she's the royal whipping girl.

What to expect
Grumpy broody MMC
Resilient FMC
Royals
Dragons
Magic

Dragons are extinct - or so they thought. This was such a refreshing twist on a dragon book. One that I don't think has been done yet. And I'm really looking forward to where this series takes us. About 50% in I could see where this was going and the twist was semi predictable, but honestly sometimes I find a huge comfort reading books like this.

My only critic is that it actually could be longer! It would help turn the language from NA to epic fantasy with more worldbuilding and a bit less inner monologue, but it wasn't a deal breaker, it meant I read this super fast because it was so easy too.

Of course it ends of a dreaded cliffhanger, like most series, so I'll definitely be eagerly awaiting the next installment.

A Fire in the Sky by Sophie Jordan | Pub Date Sep 26 2024 – 4 stars
#AFireintheSky is the first book in a new series by Sophie Jordan. Set in a world where magic and dragons once existed but are now only memories, the story centers on a girl named Tamsyn. Found as a baby and raised in the palace by the royal family, she serves as a "sister" to the princesses and as their whipping girl. When Fell, The Beast of the Borderlands, comes to the king demanding one of his daughters as a wife, the royal family decides to sacrifice Tamsyn, passing her off as a "real" princess. With no choice, Tamsyn accepts the role. On their wedding night, when the truth is revealed, Tamsyn finds herself an enemy of Fell. But with their marriage already consummated, he has no choice but to take his not-so-royal wife back to his people. The journey to her new home is treacherous, and not all of Fell’s people are pleased with what has happened. When one of them attempts to take advantage of Tamsyn, her true and dangerous nature is unleashed. As secrets come to light, the question remains: will the growing feelings between Tamsyn and Fell be strong enough to withstand the challenges they face?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters are well-developed and likable, with the FMC standing out as particularly unique and fresh. However, I would have liked to see a bit more chemistry between Tamsyn and Fell. The writing is smooth and the story flows easily, making it an enjoyable read. I gave this book 4 stars, mainly because I wanted more detailed descriptions of the world, more interaction from side characters, and felt that some scenes were either too rushed or felt a bit choppy.
Overall, though, I really liked this book and I'm looking forward to the next one to see where Tamsyn's journey leads.

Publisher: @hqstories
Pages: 384

Thank you @NetGalley and @sosophiejordan for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Fire in the Sky follows Tamsyn who is the whipping girl for the royal family in Penterra. She ends up forced to marry Fell who is the Beast of the Borderlands. They have great passion during their wedding night but Fell feels cheated when he sees who she is. Tamsyn is more than she seems and it won’t be easy married to a man she doesn’t know.

This was just okay. Personally I found the storytelling to be quite weak and it felt quite childish. I was intrigued in the first chapter but then I lost interest in it. The romance wasn’t great and I just don’t think this is the best fantasy romance out there.

I loved this story. The characters drew you in and the book left you wanting more. Great for those who love dragon stories however it is more than just that; a lovely story with enough twists and turns to keep your interest

I need book two already.

Going into this the only thing I knew was it had dragons. While this is a very clear book one. I do wish there was a little more world building. But this is a relatively short fantasy book. So I'm hoping book two fixes that part.
The characters themselves intrigue me. It still feels like I barely know them. Which again is due to the books length. But what we do learn is interesting enough that I want to pick up future books in the series.

I was sent a copy of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.....for a full review please see my Amazon and Goodreads accounts

An epic new story. A whipping girl brought up as a princess, but the world has a fascinating twist in store. An amazing new dragon story, hopefully with plenty more to com. I was hooked from the very start. Beautifully written and just the right amount of heat

ᴡʜᴇɴ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ғᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴀ ᴅʀᴀɢᴏɴ, ɪᴛ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ʙᴇ ᴅᴇɴɪᴇᴅ

📚[arc review]

Thank you so much to @hq and @sophie for the arc of this book which I totally loved.

Dragon fire no longer blisters the skies over Penterra, but inside the lavish palace, life is still perilous – especially for Tamsyn. Raised in the glittering court alongside the princesses, it's her duty to be punished for their misdeeds. Treated as part of the royal family but also as the lowliest servant, Tamsyn fits nowhere. So when she is tasked with the ultimate sacrifice of pretending to be one of the true royal princesses and marry Fell, the Beast of the Borderlands, son to the great dragon slayer, Tamsyn accepts her fate even if it means tricking the deadly warrior…

Tamsyn has no idea of her potential or of the power she has until she does and she’s cared of what she is.
Her and Fell don’t really get along that well, especially after he finds out what she did. But their chemistry and lust run way deeper and. They will starting to see each other as their “maybe future”

Fell is seeing as such a a hard person and just a soldier, which is understandable especially after everything that happened to him, but we don’t even know entirely his story.
He has a weak spot: his wife.
He doesn’t know why or how but she becomes someone important for him and he actually care deeply about her.

She’s scared to cross that line with him because of things she found out about her self, but love and attraction is more strong than using your brain. 💓

In this book you have
🐉Enemies to Lovers
🐉Marriage of Convenience
🐉Magic
🐉Dragons
🐉Witches
🐉He tends to her wounds

I don't often read romantasy books, preferring fantasy over the romance aspect, but this book gave me everything that I could possibly want for a book in its genre; an arranged marriage despite a potential love triangle, a hidden identity (both known and unknown) and hinted soul mates with confirmation towards the end due to them both being Dragons/dragon shifters.

The initial half of the story gave me massive Under the Oak Tree / Marriage of Convenience vibes, with the demand of a princess as a reward for massive war deeds, and the medieval time period it seems to be set in. I also must admit I saw a pretty big spoiler for this book, but it didn't take away from the experience and actually had me seeing signs right from the very beginning. Not only that, but I didn't expect this book to focus so much more on the fantasy aspect and experiences Tamsyn went through over the steamy scenes that romantasies are usually more known for, but I thoroughly enjoyed it all.

Despite all the above, I was not prepared for the ending at all. It definitely left me wanting, and I will be eagerly awaiting the sequel because there are just too many unanswered questions.

A Fire In The Sky is a great read for lovers of spicy romantasy!

In a classic fantasy setting with extinct dragons and hidden magic we follow our main character Tamsyn. From her time as the whipping girl for the monarchy to seeing her grow into a more independent woman as the book progresses. She was rather naive in the beginning and led a sheltered life even with her circumstances. I really enjoyed her dynamic with Fell, the Border King, and felt their relationship was very believable. Fell wants more for his people, fiercely protective of his kingdom and wanted a seat at the table to be able get the support of the monarchy. I’m looking forward to seeing them navigate their challenges as the series develops.

I did feel like the writing could fall into the trap of telling and not showing and the twist was so heavily hinted at that it was a bit underwhelming. It was still entertaining and a rather quick and easy read. I would recommend it to lovers of the romantasy genre.

This book is the perfect mix of fantasy and romance ........... where an abandoned child is raised to take the
punishment of the misdeeds of a Royal Princess . The ultimate sacrifice is to replace the Princess and marry Fell , The Beast
of the Borderlands . The ultimate betrayal that ends with an enemy to lover relationship , one that ignites the dormant magic
within our heroine that could transform the Kingdom .
This is a thoroughly enjoyable book , the plot and relationships kept me turning to the next page to see what happened next
But I must say I HATE !! cliff hangers -I will have to wait a while to see what happens next !

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

First things first, I cannot WAIT to read the sequel to this book when ever that may be released! I loved the mystery behind the magic aspect, and the two major twists which I never saw coming. A really good romantascy read with spice that didn’t make me cringe!

I absolutely loved this book. The twist was unexpected and I love it! I will be keeping an eye out for more books from this author!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC!

A fresh take on romantasy. A genuine character, plenty of action, and a good explanation of the plot twist, that leaves you hungry for more.

Tamsyn is a not-perfect heroine and that makes her real, believable. She’s stronger than her sisters, who have been shelter all their lives, but she still can be overpowered by a man. She doesn’t know martial arts, she is not a perfect hunter, fighter, or political plotter. She is exactly who she has been raised to be: a whipping girl. A poor child who’s only job was to get beaten for the transgressions of the processes. She’s a bit brainwashed at the beginning, never seeing a different future for herself, and not understanding the world behind the walls of her cage. She’s smart though, loyal, and has a strong fighter’s spirit.

The love interest is dark, brooding, typical hero, certainly better than other men, stronger, better hunter, with perfect eyesight, sixth sense for Tamsyn and the danger. The true merit of the story: there is a reason why he displays abilities above an ordinary person. He’s not special just to satisfy the sighs of the reader, he’s uniqueness is valid for the plot.

And the plot itself is pretty good too. A whipping girl set up to marry a fighter. Forced to keep up the ploy to protect her ‘step’ sisters and the safety of the kingdom. A soldier, a leader, betrayed by his king, driven by his desire to rid the world of the blight of the dragons. Lots of known tropes: <spoiler>arranged marriage, one tent, who hurt you</spoiler>. A couple of great twist <spoiler>suspected him to be a dragon but was so sure she was a witch not a dragon (woop woop 🥳) the childhood friend turn boyfriend turn traitor and murderer - that one had it coming</spoiler>.

The book reads easy; quick smooth chapters, that push the narrative further and just beg you to keep on reading.

My favorite aspect of the entire book is the development of the main character, I love how she start to stand up for herself and fight for what matters the most.

The ending <spoiler>with the long lost brother</spoiler> oophff, can’t wait for book two.