Rating: 4.75/5 stars

I immensely enjoyed A Tribute of Fire by Sariah Wilson. As a sucker for found family tropes, I was thrilled to see it executed so well that it created its own special element within the story. The character of Jason had me riding the line between right and wrong, making for a compelling and morally complex narrative.

The twists in the plot were incredibly well done, keeping me on the edge of my seat. However, the pacing was the only aspect that kept me from giving this book a perfect score. While the story started and ended strong, it lost a bit of momentum in the middle. Despite this, the ending left me absolutely stunned, and I needed some time to process and recover from the emotional impact.

Overall, A Tribute of Fire is a fantastic read that I highly recommend, especially for fans of dark fantasy romance and well-executed found family dynamics.

This book is SO GOOD!! I just want to enthusiastically second what everyone else has already said in spades. The story begins strong and never lets up, the chemistry between the leads is off the charts, the world building based on Greek history/mythology is well done, and the cliffhanger at the end is wild (but in the very best way!). I just cannot wait to read Book 2!

A Tribute of Fire by Sariah Wilson is the first book of The Eye of the Goddess series. This is such a great romantasy read! I often struggle to follow the world building in fantasy books, but Sariah so beautifully weaved this world and the character development was top notch. There are tie ins to Greek mythology, a trial in which the FMC is a tribute for her nation, curses, and a nice little forbidden romance slow burn to top it all off! I was hooked from the start and cannot begin to tell you how excited I am to read the remainder of this series.

Thank you so much Sariah Wilson and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest feedback!

I tend to be picky with fantasy books, but this one HOOKED ME and with the final cliff hanger, I'm gonna be STRUGGLING to wait til next October for the sequel!!

Such an interesting way to bring Mythology to life and I'm rooting for Lia and Jason despite all their hurdles!

I haven’t read anything by this author before, but I was familiar with her name as as a contemporary romance writer when I was approached to cover this book. I’m always excited to see how established authors make the transition into writing in the fantasy genre! Sometimes, I feel like they bring a breath of fresh air to a genre that can feel bogged down in worn-out tropes more often than not. And while the summary itself didn’t feel all that new, it still intrigued me and I went in with high hopes!

And, overall, those hopes were met! As I said, the premise of this one did feel familiar at times, with many fantasy books over the last decade focusing on deadly trials and competitions. However, I really appreciated the way this was woven into the Greek mythology and history of the book. The author’s note was particularly interesting as it added some depth to the points of reference used for this story, many of which I hadn’t been familiar with before picking up this book.

I also really enjoyed our main character! Too often, we are introduced to FMC with a single badass fight scene in the first chapter…and then the book proceeds to bash readers over the head with reminders that the heroine is badass, but any actual evidence of that fact is nowhere to be seen. Here, Lia remains fierce and driven throughout, reinforcing the fact that she is a woman to be reckoned with. Of course, there is a very “Hunger Games” essence to the affair with the whole “beloved and untrained sister” thing, but even here, I feel like the book did enough to build up this relationship to distance it from too many comparisons.

I also enjoyed the romance, for the most part. Yes, it was a bit on the instalove/lust side, but there was enough chemistry between the two to pull me through. I enjoyed their banter and all of the scenes we had with them beginning to grow closer (of course, he’s an “enemy” so we’re checking off the seemingly required “enemies to lovers” trope that we see in so much romantasy currently). However, I feel like some of the twists and reveals at the end of this book were fairly obvious right from the start. This didn’t necessarily reduce my enjoyment of the book, but it’s something to note.

The story also ends on a fairly significant cliffhanger, so readers should know that going in. As a whole, the book was enjoyable and had a distinct arc, so this ending felt earned. What’s worse in my opinion is when books spend the entire first novel setting up a concept and then end on a cliffhanger right when the point of action/conflict is introduced. This one has enough adventure and intrigue to hold up on its own, so that’s a definite win. Overall, I thought this was a solid fantasy entry from an author making her first attempt in the genre. Romantasy fans should definitely give it a go!

Rating 8: Full of adventure, danger, and a swoon-worth romance, Sariah Wilson’s debut romantasy enters the genre with a bang!

Link will go live on Nov. 8 on The Library Ladies

This book was fire! Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this as an ARC.

I’ve been seeing this book all over my feed by others getting this same chance and once I got started I was hooked. If this book had teeth, they sunk deep in me! I liked the characters, they were relatable but also realistic in that they were flawed but still had unique strengths. The epic quest and the concept of sacrificing one for many to save more than just those close to her but a whole nation, was so well done and never abandoned throughout the story. The problems that arose along the way and how some had me holding my breath that the worst was about to happen. The relationships that formed were so sweet and refreshing to read. The slow slow burn romance that literally end me holding my breath and biting my lip. The unexpected moments were so well done I had so many things I never saw coming! And the cliffhanger ending left me yearning for more and it’s not even released yet.

It was so well done and I’m so excited for its’ release because I can see this becoming a huge hit! I plan on buying this book without a doubt! 5 stars, no complaints!

I’ve always loved stories rooted in Greek mythology, and "A Tribute of Fire" by Sariah Wilson hooked me from the very first page. I already knew Sariah was an amazing romance writer, but after reading this incredible romantasy, she’s proven she’s just as talented in this genre too! The story revolves around a nation on the verge of extinction due to an ancient curse from the earth goddess. Their hope for salvation lies in Princess Lia, who must compete in a life-or-death race to the goddess’s temple alongside her untrained sister. To make things even more intense, they’re up against two maidens from their rival nation, Ilion.

Lia’s strength, determination, and dedication to her people are truly inspiring. She’s trained for this race, but her sister is not prepared at all. From the moment they step onto enemy soil, the challenges are relentless. Lia’s plan is simple: survive, find the relic, and save her people. But things get complicated when a frustratingly handsome sailor from Ilion keeps showing up in unexpected places, adding a thrilling element of surprise to the story. Their chemistry and banter are absolutely fantastic!

The plot twist at the end left me completely stunned, and I desperately need the second book! Sariah Wilson, please write faster! I highly recommend "A Tribute of Fire" to anyone who loves a gripping romantasy.

Thank you, @literarymediatours, @sariahwilson411, and Montlake Publishing for #gifted ebook ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

I was very impressed with this book. There were times that it got a little slow for me. When it picked back up, I was really engaged with the book.

The FMC, Princess Lia, is a very strong and independent who wants to save her people. She believes that if she can get to the Ilonian temple, she can steal an object that will help save her people. Little does she know, that her life and her sister's life is in jeopardy in order to just get to the temple.

Insert Jason, AKA Prince Alexandros (sp.) who lures in Lia into romance as Jason. She is actually already betrothed to him as the Prince.

That is where the twists come in at the end of the book. There is another big twist that I was happy about. The book ends on a cliffhanger. Now I need to know what happens next.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6885804156

https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/1946400737?source=link_share

I also reviewed this book on Amazon on 10/7/2024 under Katie Peck. The review has not yet posted.

Reviews to TikTok/Instgram to come in the next week.

Super good book! I felt at the beginning the love story felt a little forced, but it eventually got better! I really enjoyed the premise though and feel like it’s definitely an original!

Thank you Sariah Wilson and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is a book that started kind of almost average. The characters were compelling, the protagonist ferally appealing, but the romance, despite the palpable chemistry and delicious make-out descriptions, wasn't really pulling me in, mostly because it was very, very much instalove.

But despite it being instalove, it's also still very much enemies-to-lovers. It's complicated to try and explain it without spoilers but don't be fooled: this IS an enemies-to-lovers story, and we can expect the "enemies" part to be even more overt next book, which promises to be even better than this first installment. So if you're planning on DNF'ing it because it's not delivering on the enemies part, please hold on a little bit longer because I promise you it's worth the wait!

Without spoilers, what I can say is that this is a thrilling book, hard to put down, a clear deliberate hook at basically every chapter's end. It also has incredible action scenes, well described and meticulously strategized, that could make up some astounding choreography in an adaptation. Pretty much no character is neglected, there are reasons to care about and love or even hate any of them even if they're not a party of the main romance. It's also rich to the brim with mythological references, especially Greek, so if you're into that stuff, you're in for a feast! There are also references to Reylo and its fandom history, which is very much a plus (it's not, however, a necessity to be terminally online to understand the plot, which is great. But it's a treat that it's there. What can I say? I'm a terminally online Reylo who loves the Reylo world domination).

It's a powerful story of female empowerment and sisterhood (an actual found family! actually done right! and it doesn't have to preclude romance! what a concept!) without being preachy or feeling anachronistic or misplaced, and you can clearly see the nod to Maureen Murdock's Heroine Journey too. It could be a very cogent tale of xenophobia as well, but it's kind of undermined by the fact that it falls into the "bigotry for a reason" trope. It makes sense given the inspirations of the book, but still.

The ending though, my dears. THE ENDING. It's one of the best cliffhangers I've ever seen and it sealed the book as having a 5 star rating for me. Part of it I predicted, but the core of it I didn't, and it promised WORLDS AND UNIVERSES for the next installment. I'm genuinely expecting the second book to be on a whole other league now, and I can't wait for it!

Also... Are we sure this is Wilson's first fantasy? It seems she's only done romcoms so far? It doesn't even feel like it! She nailed the genre!

The story is of Lia who is from a cursed nation of lorcis. To save her kingdom, she comes to ilion, to work as a acolytes and get the goddess key she is looking for to restore her kingdom.

During her journey she meets, Jason, She is instantly attracted to him, but she is reserved because he is an illion. Jason is always there whenever she needs And their slow burn chemistry is die for. I loved how the story progressed and you get to understand more about their history. I Loved How resilient Lia is And i cannot wait for the next book to find out what happens next as this one ended on a major cliffhanger.

Overall it's a great read for all fantasy lovers out there.

I have enjoyed a number of Sariah Wilson's contemporary romances, and I was excited when she announced she was writing a fantasy romance.

The story kicks off mid-chase scene and that really framed the story well. Lia is not living a simple or easy life and there was so much happening. Sariah did a great job with the world building and creating interesting characters. I was hooked from the beginning and really enjoyed following Lia as she trained, fought, learned, and worked through her relationship with Jason, a sailor she doesn't want to trust.

Immersed in the culture and world-building.
My main reason for reading anything aside from plot itself & feeling.

Two Locrian Tributes are chosen to fight their way through a maze in a city not known to them in a race to the temple of an Earth Goddess who cursed their people long ago. Cursed their land to be barren. With ocean access but nothing green.
Without grass,trees,and wildlife.

The Locrian Princess Thalia is trained ahead of time, against the rules.
Schemes to get selected as a tribute.
All for a chance to return to her people who something to save them.
Along the way she became a part of a found family and discovered so much more to life. Sacrificing for others.

Thalia aka Lia is a likeable protagonist who despite her naive nature is bold, compassionate, saving of her fellow women in need, and a fighter.

This book is full of banter, emotion, magic, & survival.

I do wish they spent more time on the labyrinth construct along with the time spent in in trying to survive.

However, I do love this adventure based in moral, faith, family, & a hint of destiny.

An ending that will surprise you.

Copy recieved was an ARC.
My opinion is my own and is left voluntarily.

This is a fast paced, action filled gem of a book with a very strong FMC.
Lia makes her own choices and she survives and kicks ass while doing it.
I really like the worldbuilding, the friendships and the lovestory. There is a lot happening in this book and much of it I really didn't see coming, which I love!
That ending though... I kinda need book two soon! Or.. you know, now!

I put this book down when I had to work/sleep/eat/be present with my children, OTHERWISE…. This book is all consuming. Seriously, I could.not.stop. The cliffhanger is serious, BUT IT IS SO WORTH IT.

Found family
Enemies to lovers
Greek mythology
STRONG FMC
Morally gray MMC
Dragons (ish?)

“Courage can only exist in the same space that fear does.” UGH. Demaratus!! I love you, you drunken father figure 😆

“When you kiss me, it will be because you choose to, not because I tricked you into it.” Jason… good.ness. I don’t even have the words for you. I went back and forth between reading it for the sisterhood that she made and waiting for Jason to come back to steal my heart.

I’m going to need this made into a special edition. And, I cannot wait for part deux.

This is available on Kindle as a pre-release NOW!! Or everywhere November 1, but really… if you have Amazon, just read it now. Go. Thank me later.

A Tribute of Fire by Sariah Wilson is an exciting romantasy inspired by Greek mythology. The story follows Lia, the princess of Locris, as she competes in a deadly race to break a curse and save her nation. The stakes are high as Lia fights for survival alongside her sister, Quynh, while also being drawn to Jason, a sailor from an enemy nation. The world-building is immersive, and the themes of sisterhood, strength, and resilience are beautifully portrayed. The twists and betrayals in the plot kept me hooked, and the romance added a compelling touch. Though the pacing slows a bit in the middle, the thrilling start and jaw-dropping ending more than make up for it. Sariah Wilson delivers a gripping and emotional adventure that’s hard to put down. Fans of fast-paced fantasy with strong female characters will love this!
Arc review

The world of A TRIBUTE OF FIRE is epic. Lia embarks on a journey to break an ancient curse placed on her homeland. She will travese seas, race against death, beg borrow and steal for the secrets to save her people. There is adventure and intrigue in each turn of the page.

For readers looking for:

Ancient civ & myths
Survival trial
Royal intrigue
Curse breaking
Women with swords
Dream connections
Slooooow burn
Sensual over spicy

*

I liked this book better in the moment, but looking back as a whole I can't pinpoint anything of consequence that actually happened. Much of the story was Lia attempting to gather information to break a curse but these scenes felt episodic and more focused on world building than contributing to character development or plot progression.

Also, I don't think the synopsis accurately prepares you for the book itself. The death race is only the first third of the book. The majority of the book is the main character surviving. I'm not including a spoiler warning when it's not a spoiler. I think the synopsis over emphasizes the race in proportion to it's relevance to the actual content.

Side characters, though very lovely and endearing, are conveniently placed with a built-in directive to assist Lia at all cost with no resistance. While it was heartwarming for Lia to have sisterhood after she experiences so much loss, their unwavering support was a heavy handed means to make Lia's espionage work easier.

The romance between Lia and Jason was a highlight in that it successfully delivers a traditional slow burn. While their attraction is instant and there are many passionate (non explicit) scenes, Lia has so much to consider before giving into the pull she feels to Jason. Sensual dreams makes it harder and harder for her to resist his charms though. The flow between submission amd resistance to the attraction is wonderfully written.

As critical as I may sound, I am still interested in continuing the series. I'd like to see how much of this book affects the potential of the second.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the advance digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Sariah Wilson is a fantastic romance author, but now she's entered the world of Romantasy and she definitely knows what the readers want. Characters that can't decide if they're enemies or lovers, an incredible FMC, a sisterhood of strong AF women, tragedy, anxiety inducing battles, and spice 🙌 I felt every emotion to could possibly imagine while reading this book. The author truly brought me on a journey that I cannot wait to continue. The ending has me screaming for more!

I promise this will be one of your favorite reads of 2024, or ever.

"'It only takes one person to change the world, one person to save a life.'"

"'In the stories, the beasts that must be vanquished are always female. Have you ever wondered why? It is because men have always feared women's destructive potential. Knowledge gives us power. Your power is a threat.'"

This book was this author's first switch from romance to fantasy romance, and while there were aspects I enjoyed, as a lifelong fantasy reader there were also many things that left me wanting.

I loved the premise of the book, with this hunger games style labyrinth race in a Greek-inspired world. And I loved that section, the action scenes were so creative and well-written. However, that sequence is actually about 10% of the book if not less, so I actually wasn't really prepared for the type of book this actually was since I thought that would be the main part of it.

I love Greek mythology, and really enjoyed getting to dive into the story of the Locrian maidens. The Greek influences on the story are nicely done, with the ancient stories having such a big impact on their lives.

I loved the sisterhood between the main character and her group at the temple. Their relationship and support for each other was so sweet, it might have been my favorite part.

My least favorite part was the romance, which surprised me given the author's background. Their relationship was insta-lust and never really moved beyond that. They never really got to know each other, and so when she started wondering if she loved him I had no clue where that was coming from. I'm sure there will eventually be a plot reason for their draw to one another, but I would have liked to see more from their relationship than how hot they both were and how much they wanted to kiss each other.

I also found the plot twists very predictable. I've seen most people raving about those, so that might just come from a difference in reading background and your mileage may vary.

Overall, I thought this was a predictable read with a disappointing romance, but it set up some interesting things. I hope the next book builds on what I loved in this one: the action scenes and the secrets surrounding the goddess and the temple. I think I will continue the series to see where it goes next.

Thanks to the author for the early copy of the book. This review was left voluntarily and all opinions are my own.

4.5 ⭐️ (rounded up). What an absolutely captivating fantasy novel! The world building is so vibrant and detailed. Between the religion, the magic (or questionable lack there of), and the mythology, it is meticulously done and works beautifully together to weave a glorious tapestry. Lia, the FMC, is everything I love in a female main character - head strong, skilled in combat, world weary, and confident.

Highlights:
✨Enemies to Lovers
✨Forbidden Love
✨Slow Burn
✨Found Family/Sisterhood
✨Greek Mythology Inspired

Favorite Quotes: "And as soon as I saw his face, my heart whispered, Oh, there you are. I've been waiting for you."

"The code says that there is no honor in a man who rushes to war because he doesn't care if he dies. There is valor in battle for those who desire to live. Courage can only exist in the same space that fear does."

"This was another aspect that had always bothered me. This believe that women were special enough to be pleasing to the goddess, but that we were ultimately easy to discard and unimportant. Strong enough to be slaughtered but not important enough to fight for."

Thank you to the author and Literary Media tours for this advanced copy. My opinions are my own