Member Reviews
Never did I imagine that a mythology inspired book would have me so enthralled. This book had so many (amazing) twist and turns in it. Every time I thought I had figured someone out, boom! I was wrong.
It's not very often I come across a book that I have to physically prevent myself from skipping ahead and ruining the surprise for myself.
Lia's story is captivating, mysterious and her character development is top notch. A certain someone in her life had me drawn in and then the big surprise had me literally speechless, jaw dropped, wondering what in the actual hell just happened.
The cliffhanger has me wishing this wasn't an ARC read and the second book was already out. Very well written and excited to learn more about Lia's fate.
thank you to the author for providing me a free arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review!
Lia, the princess of the dying and cursed desert nation of Locris, is one of two chosen maiden sacrifices forced to compete in a deadly race through Ilion, her enemy nation, and arrive at a temple to seek sanctuary. To date, no one has survived the race but Lia has been preparing for months but what she never prepared for was her beloved younger sister to be chosen as well. Forced to race through an unknown city, protect her sister, and find a way to save her dying country, Lia will do whatever she has to in order to succeed. Even if that means trusting the attractive yet mysterious Ilionian sailor, Jason.
This book was actually pretty fun! It pulled me out of a slump and I devoured it in a day. I love a good Greek mythology/Gods and Goddesses story and this one did not disappoint. I enjoyed the magic/lore and the themes of sisterhood. I wouldn't say the writing was the most beautiful and lyrical but it didn't take me out of the story, this is nitpicky of me but actually the mmc's name being Jason is what was constantly taking me out of the story. The twists were predictable but still fun to read and the enemies to lovers was pretty good! Maybe the romance felt a little rushed but the chemistry/attraction was well built, I could believe in their romance. Overall I enjoyed this story and am very excited to continue especially after that cliffhanger!
Finally a fantasy by one of my favorite authors. Sariah is fabulous at witty-swoony banter and now she has added fantasy to her repertoire and it's fantastic!!! Lia has been training all her life for one moment. She's planned and waited; however, all does not go as planned. She meets Jason along the way, and the banter and chemistry between these two is perfection. Weave into this story a little magic, a little mystery, family drama and a plot twist that had me speechless, and you have A Tribute of Fire. I would highly recommend this book.
I loved loved loved those story line! First ever Saraih Wilson book and it did not disappoint!
The story shortened is that Lia is a princess who goes to Illion for a chance to become an acolyte. She is selected because her half sister Quyhn was basically sent to be slaughtered by the townsmen in a sacrifice to the Eye of the Goddess. Their main goal is to get to the temple for safety before they’re killed. Quyhn sacrificed herself so Lia can make it to the temple. When arriving, they locked her out do she climbed the wall to get in. He is one of the first Locrian women to make it.
She becames an acolyte to a group of women and swear an oath to only serve the Goddess. On her journey, she learns trust, honesty, secrecy, how to protect herself more, uncovers mysterious truths and has a lover that is exposed to truly liking her despite knowing he’s deceiving her or unable to tell her his truths. And likewise, no one knows that she is a Princess with an agenda to help save her Kingdom.
In my opinion, it becomes funny that they both have secrets of identity and then get mad at eachother for both deceptions. The bigger story is yet to be revealed and finding the eye of the goddess still missing!
My first Sariah Wilson Book and it will not be my last. The things I look for most in a fantasy is romance, magic, fighting and elaborate world building, and a Tribute of Fire delivered in all those aspects. I absolutely adore our main character Lia, and her determination to save her country even at the cost of possibly losing herself. A true herione.
Jason was of course swoon worthy, and all of his and Lias interactions had me sitting on the edge of my seat with suspence. I do love a slow burn enemies to possibe lovers.
All and all this was a story of sisterhood, betrayal, love and suspense at every corner.
The cliffhanger of this book is making me desperate for book two.
I’m going to be in my feelings for a good long while, because… she knows exactly what she did in this one.
I want this review to be spoiler free because the twists are twisting and the turns are turning in this plot-driven romantasy. Listen, if you are a fan of reylo and know they were done dirty: you should read this. I loved the Troy-esque vibes, the entire cast of side-characters with their own stories, the battles, the absolutely mental unraveling of the mystery— just, yes okay?
I didn’t expect it to be quite as peppery as it was. There’s quite a lot of heat, per se, but nothing explicit. So,
Spice: 🫑🫑🫑(innuendo and a lot of heavy kissing)
Two uses of the same curse.
Read this if you like to be left with your jaw on the floor and your fists in the air. Or if you just love a good fantasy set in that far away time of odysseys and torchlight.
How do I review this gorgeous "Romantasy?" I am going to try! I loved it! It was full of angsty women and sword-wielding handsome heroes! Perfect! I truly enjoyed the magnitude of the story-telling! I felt all the things: joy, frustration, anger, love, terror, and pure fascination with how this story was keeping me hooked! I really fell in love with the main characters! Most especially the hero - if I like them, I am a true fan of the whole book and I will impossibly wait for book 2. I was moved throughout the story! It is truly a journey of so much and I am here for the whole series! Thank you!
Thanks to NetGalley and the author for this book, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
i absolutely loved this book way more than i was expecting. this book blends the romance, fighting, magic, and mythology seamlessly and i was truly impressed. i loved lia’s determination and fire and you get to see her grow. the banter was fantastic and the plot truly kept on my toes. now the end… i truly did not see either plot twist coming and my jaw DROPPED and i couldn’t believe the book was over. i cannot wait to see what book 2 has in store!!!!
This first book was a good set up for the story. I really enjoyed the characters, found family/sisterhood, and romance. The female main character was bold and determined. Her inner monologue included teachings from others who had influenced her along the way, which added to the growth of her character. I was intrigued by the realm that seemed to be both cursed and blessed by a goddess. However, there were so many unanswered questions and unknown aspects about the setting/magic system, it fell a little flat for me on the world building. I found the plot twists to be predictable. I was expecting a bigger reveal of the main character’s magic or abilities but that never came… so I guess I’ll have to wait for the next book!
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the e-arc. This book hasn’t even been released yet and I already wish I had the second book in my hands so I could see where the story is going!
I have been a fan of Sariah's for many years. This book is a departure from her normal sweet but slow burning modern romance novels. But it's an incredible departure. A Tribute of Fire has everything you love about Sariah's writing but with a twist. I had a hard time putting this down until it was done and I'm waiting impatiently for the 2nd book in the trilogy. It can't come soon enough.
Thank you to Sariah Wilson for providing me with a digital early copy of this book.
Let's start by saying this book could be the next Throne of Glass, Harry Potter or A Court of Thorns and Roses. Do I need to say more?
The synoposis is something like this: In a dying nation cursed centuries ago, Lia the princess of Locris is chosen as one of the two maidens to be sacrificed as an offering to the goddess. There is an attractive sailor in the midst, (Jason) and a lot of trickery, badass fighting....lots of secret to uncover.
Personally Sariah Wilson's books are always one of my faves, as soon as I saw this book was available as an ARC I did not hesitate to apply and read it. The romance in A Tribute of Fire is on point, exactly what is needed in a romantasy.
Since finishing this book I have been thinking about the next book in the series, I cannot wait so many months for another book when book 1 is so good.
If you haven't already be sure to preorder this book, it is due to release on the 1st of November 2024 and it will be a day to remember.
This book was okay. I didn't enjoy that the kiss was litterally 20% in and was so sudden. Also the facts that it has godnesses and temples.
Sariah Wilson's debut romantasy novel is full of mystery, action, and romance, and will leave the reader with a slew of questions that they'll just have to wait for the sequel to answer.
When Lia, the princess of a dying nation, gets chosen as tribute for a race against death (aka many men with weapons), she concocts a dangerous plan that could potentially bring her home back to its former glory. But Lia's plan has many obstacles, and the closer she gets to her goal, the more difficult it becomes to separate friends from foes.
The two aspects of the novel that stood out to me the most were the found family (as I affectionately called it the "girl gang") and the curated feeling of skepticism. I am always a sucker for a found family trope and the concept of the adelphias makes it even more intriguing as the group shares a connection that is yet to be fully understood. Lia's training emphasizes skepticism, and while on this quest to save her nation, it becomes even more vital to her as she attempts to find out who she can and cannot trust. Due to the use of first-person POV, the reader can only know what Lia knows which adds an extra layer of suspense as we are on the same playing field as Lia.
I often have difficulty starting fantasy novels, due to the world-building aspect, but A Tribute of Fire piqued my interest from the beginning and kept me enamored throughout. I highly recommend this novel to individuals who enjoy romantasy, slow burn, found family, and suspense. I will definitely be on the lookout for future novels in this series!
Thank you to the author for an ARC copy via NetGalley.
4.75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Never in my life has a cliffhanger wrecked me more than this! How am I supposed to read anything else to emotionally get over this! Sariah, how could you!!
This may very well be the Romantasy of 2024, I’m calling it now!
This book follows Lia the Princess of Locris, a nation that has been cursed by the Goddess after her ancestor committed a heinous crime. Leaving it barren and at the mercy of a rival kingdom. She is to be married to the Prince of Ilion but she has other plans, and desperately needs to save her kingdom. After training in secret to join a deathly trial, that no maiden has ever survived in 1000 years, to make it to the priestess temple, she is thrown a curveball that she never saw coming.
On the night before Lia is to depart she meets “Jason” and I might even say it was lust at first sight. Jason is a charming sailor who has secrets of his own. While Lia does her best not to fall for his charms he makes it incredibly difficult. The plot twist to this, I will never get over!
The found family, the absolute heart breaking betrayal, the goddess, the dreams, as well as the fantastical creatures in this book are like nothing I’ve ever read before. I am still processing the ending of this book, and it’s one that will definitely be difficult to recover from. Some of the plot twists in this book left my jaw on the floor!! I am absolutely waiting on pins and needles for the next book!
One of the best books I've ever read. How long do I have to wait for Book 2????? This is going to define the romantasy genre for me for a long time. I have such a bad book hangover!
Thank you to the author and publisher for the e-ARC. I was extremely excited to jump into Sariah's first romantasy. Her contemporary romance books are phenomenal, I was sure this would follow suit. There is a lot of promise with this one, however, as I was reading, I came across what I believe to be plot holes and/or areas where the story didn't line up. I was often left feeling what I read was contradictory or unclear which made it hard to wrap my head around aspects of the story as a reader.
The two cliff hangers at the end, I had figured they were coming, albeit I didn't know how (I called them both).
What was extremely enjoyable:
- The bander btwn the MCs -- no surprise there given Wilson's romance writing experience;
- The goose (hopefully geese, in book 2).
There is ALOT here, it's a big book and the whole priestess-thing is very interesting. Overall, a solid "stab" at a romantasy, this could be a fun read for someone new to the genre. I will plan to read book 2 as I want to see how the story unfolds; as I wrote above, it has a lot of promise.
A Tribute of Fire is... remarkable and I am EAGER to read the next book! ATOF has all the things you need in a romantasy read - enemies to lovers, slow burn, royalty, strong characters and even some greek mythology. And that cliff hanger - ugh! - it could not have been any better.
Lia is a princess from a cursed nation and has a plan to save her people. However this plan is quite dangerous and there is a chance it can fail. She decides to go through with it and along the way she comes across many challenges - including losing a loved one, gaining enemies and a handsome sailor, Jason, who she can't get over with!
Thank you Sariah Wilson and NetGalley for the eARC!
“𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙝 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙣𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙.”
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Another day, another ARC! holy wow I absolutely loved this book. I devoured it within a week because it was THAT good and captivating.
It gave the vibes of the hunger games, but with an Ancient Greek setting, which was executed really well. This concept was so cool! The world building and description of the scenes were amazing, it was like I could actually envision myself watching everything in the book happen.
Lia is a princess in a kingdom that is dying and barren, and of course she hates seeing her people suffer because of a decision her ancestor made. So, she takes matters into her own hand to try to save her people by participating in the life-or-death race to a temple in another city.
I love how bold and determined Lia is. She’s strategic and keeps herself calm, cool, and collected. She’s very mature for her age (I believe she’s 19?) but it makes sense that she had to grow up fast because of her circumstances. She is also a certified badass — to prep for the race, she trained her battle skills everyday with her mentor and the country’s soldiers. I really loved Lia’s character growth and her commitment to her beliefs and mission, despite the multiple obstacles that she faces. Her determination was admirable.
The plot twists in this book were actually wild. There were two major plot twists where I was like “HOLY SMOKES” and immediately had to pause for a second, digest the twist, and re-read it. You know when you read a really shocking part of a book and slap your hand to your mouth in response? That was me during the end of the book.
Overall, I really really enjoyed this book and think it was amazing. I would describe this as an upper YA, fantasy hunger games with an Ancient Greek twist — and I’m so here for it.
Wow! This is a wonderful, multi layered, exciting and interesting story. It's rich and detailed but there is no unnecessary filler. I really don't want to have to wait to read the rest. If you like well rounded characters, detailed world building and an exciting plot you will enjoy reading this.
The fate of a cursed nation depends on a princess who must outwit a mortal enemy and outlast the trials of a death-defying ritual in a thrilling adventure by USA Today bestselling author Sariah Wilson.
Lia is the princess of Locris, a dying desert nation cursed centuries ago by an earth goddess—one still worshipped by the thriving and adversarial nation of Ilion. Every year, Ilion offers the goddess a sacrifice: two Locrian maidens forced to compete in a life-and-death race to reach her temple. In a millennium, no maiden has made it out of Ilion alive. This year, Lia is one of the hunted.
An education in battle gives her a fighting chance, but the challenges are greater than she feared: Lia’s beloved but untrained sister Quynh has been put in the path of danger. The winding streets of Ilion itself have been transformed into a labyrinthine maze of countless choices and dead ends. And if the risks weren’t significant enough, Lia is reluctantly drawn to the commandingly attractive Jason, an Ilionian sailor she loathes to trust and desires like no man before.
The tribute game is on. It’s up to Lia to lift the goddess’s curse, restore Locris to its former glory, and change the fate of every young woman destined to follow in her path.
This is my first Sariah Wilson book and it did not disappoint in any way! This book has every element that I could ask for in a book along with an amazing plot.
Lia was such a strong character, she took heroine to a whole new level with A Tribute to Fire. Greek mythology is definitely in my top amount of favorites when it comes to reading and Wilson made this one another favorite.
The writing style was easy to follow, nothing over complicated or complex, it had a modernized way to it that didn’t leave you trying to understand what was happening.
I will definitely pick up more of her books!