I wanted to love this soooooooo bad!
I really liked where it was going and the wording building and then it fell victim to my "adult" brain. I couldn't do the YA insta-love thing. It was becoming a chore to read and not exercise my rolling eye muscles. BUT I give it 3 stars because I skipped forward to the last chapter and the epilogue and it was intriguing. I'm sure people who don't mind love triangles or YA fantasy will dig this. It was well written and I loved the author's voice.

A Kiss of Hammer and Flame is an engaging fantasy romance with an intriguing premise and strong character dynamics. From the very start, the world-building pulls you in, adventure, and slow-burning romance in a way that makes for an fun read. The protagonist is well-developed.

However, while the book starts strong, the latter part of the story loses some of its initial momentum. The pacing slows, and the climax doesn't feel as gripping as the buildup promised. It’s still a fun read overall, but the ending left me wanting just a bit more.

WOW! If this isn't a book to brag about I don't know what is... I started it late last night. Never did I anticipate I would be closing the book at 1am left in complete shock... This book was insane! It was twisted, it was gripping but it was so darn good!

"A Kiss of Hammer and Flame" by Amy De La Force is the first book in a planned trilogy. The story follows Cahra, a blacksmith apprentice, who is unexpectedly thrust into a 400-year-old prophecy that holds the fate of the capital city in its grasp. As she unravels secret after secret, the gripping mystery and her perilous journey kept us eagerly turning the pages.

You will find:
Reluctant hero
Warring kingdoms
Ancient prophecies
Found Family

Spice: 0/5 - romance is a subplot
Worldbuilding: 1/5 – Would like more vivid details to bring the world to life.
Unique Plot Elements: The Key, the Scion, and the Weapon.
Character Development: Would love to see more depth in the side characters and their backstories.
Favorite Character: Hael – His intriguing past and the potential for future romance make him a standout!

Many thanks to Netgalley and the author for the ARC.

I am sorry but this is a DNF book at 40%
I couldn't get into more of the story even that sounds promising but this was a not for me, it had a very good plot but sadly it wasn't make it for me./

A Refreshing and Captivating Fantasy Adventure

This book was such an interesting and refreshing take on fantasy! The worldbuilding was rich, the magic felt unique, and the story had just the right mix of action, romance, and mystery to keep me hooked.

Cahra is a strong and compelling protagonist, and I loved how her simple act of forging a sword set off a chain of events that could change the fate of an entire empire. Hael is the kind of enigmatic, powerful character that instantly draws you in, and the dreamlike connection between him and Cahra added an extra layer of intrigue. The story moves at a great pace, with high-stakes adventure, political tension, and a simmering romance that keeps things exciting.

If you’re looking for a fantasy that feels fresh while still delivering all the magic, action, and romance you love, this one is definitely worth picking up!

I really liked a Kiss of Hammer and Flame and think it has the potential to become a great fantasy series. I loved Cahra's whole story, her strength as a blacksmith, her kindness in the face of overwhelming pain, and her very real reaction to having your whole life change.

In terms of the 3 books listed in the description as what this book is similar too/if you are a fan of these you will like this. A Kiss of Hammer and Flame is much more similar to Throne of Glass (the first book in the series) compared to The Book of Azrael and The North Wind, the latter 2 skew more adult with spicy content whereas A Kiss of Hammer and Flame thus far has skewed fairly YA with mostly longing glances. Nothing wrong with a longing glance though, we all need some build up and I do not know if the series will move to more NA/Adult as the books go on.

One area I would have liked expanded on in this book was the romance. This book is classified as a romantasy and while there are many debates as to what this means this book did have a romance subplot but I would have liked just a tad bit more focus on building it up to give it more of an emotional impact on the readers. I don't want to spoil anything so I won't say more just that the way the book ended made the romance subplot of the book feel a little lacklustre (thought there is a lot of hope for future books).

The magical system, the unknowns of what the future is for our characters, and the interesting backstory and character of Hael all make for some great potential for future books. Also the FMC has a badass hammer like Thor and I love that

All in all A Kiss of Hammer and Flame was a good read and I will be looking for the next books in the series.

An interesting premise and real potential, but awkward phrasing and a lot of “she said…” “he ran…” “she turned…” The writing style felt very basic, and with little to no variation in sentence structure, the composition overwhelmed the content and started to feel repetitive and dull even in moments of intense drama &/or action.

In my opinion, some intensive stylistic editing is needed, though it’s an extremely common issue with debut authors, particularly young ones.

First of all, thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this ARC.

I feel like the book started off really strong. I adore the main character, Cahra, who is a blacksmith, a trait i have not yet seen in a main character. She had some really solid character development throughout the book, however i feel like at some point past the middle she gets a bit confusing. Her feelings do a very sudden 180, which i feel disrupted the flow of the book completely.
I also really enjoyed the fact that the characters weren't stuck in one place the whole book. The constant shift in environment was a great way to keep me engaged and reading the book, as new environments created new ways for the characters to learn and develop.
I loved the ending, though it did feel like it was written in quite a rush and was slightly confusing at times.
Overall, i give this book 3 stars, I like the plot and really enjoyed the first half of the book, however the sudden change in quality after the halfway point was quite disappointing.

The battle scenes were action-packed. I had a hard time getting into this book though, because it felt like it took too long to get to the actual plot. The relationships felt forced and shallow, and could use more “personality” scenes between them. I really wanted to like it, but unfortunately this one just didn’t keep me hooked.

Thank you netgalley for a free early copy of this e-ARC!
(May contain spoilers)


The story was enjoyable, but the abrupt romantic shift was confusing. I didn't understand the attraction personally and am not a huge fan of love triangles. However, I liked the main character, Cahra, and her development, even if the romance didn’t quite make sense to me. But the story itself has me interested in what's next!

I have mixed feelings on this one. I like the overall story, but I feel the writing kind of lets it down a bit. The first half of the book is more solid than the second half, and the abrupt change in romantic interest was a bit disconcerting and out of left field.

Some of the writing style and word choice was a bit disjointed and the prose didn't always flow very well, leaving it confusing at times as to what was actually happening.

That said, I did like the main character, Cahra. It was nice to see a FMC as a blacksmith. She had some good character progression in the book, even if the romantic choice didn't make sense.

I think this has promise going forward.

I’m conflicted on this book, but over all I did really enjoy it!
The FMC, was super likable and I loved how unique she was. You don’t typically see much diversity with fantasy lately and this author did a great job at coming up with something fresh!

My main disappointment with the book is the romance side of it, it feels as though it came out of nowhere. I honestly think it would have been great without it. (Which is shocking as I love a good romance! lol)

Overall, I would love to read more from this universe and I’m excited to see what else this author writes!

Fun but not a fan of love triangles, I did enjoy the main character and the world building. I adored the sword forging element and having a physically stronger and capable woman was really cool to see.

Unfortunately this one was a DNF at 40%. This book started off really strong for me. I was so intrigued by Cahra as a character and the slow build of her relationship with Terryl. The premise of her building this sword and kicking off a prophecy was also really intriguing. Where it fell flat for me was with Cahra as an FMC. I know this is YA but when something is revealed about Terryl I felt like she started spiraling in a way that felt very young for me. It felt like we spent a lot of time focusing on her very juvenile reactions to small reveals instead of moving the plot along. And I was frustrated at the insta-lust aspect and how Cahra’s reactions were more aligned with someone who had spent quite a bit of time and put a lot of effort into a relationship with someone instead of having spent a few days and made some prolonged eye contact with someone.

I also felt a little confused with the world building. I understood that there were three kingdoms all at war with each other, but before this sword was created what were they fighting about? Why did the kingdoms hate each other? What is special about each kingdom? And why were they so divided? I feel like we were kind of thrown into the middle of the story and I missed the setup. (I do understand this may have been told later in the story and I might have missed it because of DNFing.)

I think folks who enjoy a classic fantasy story with a plot line that isn’t too confusing or over complicated will definitely enjoy this one, it just wasn’t something I found myself able to finish.

A great YA fantasy with a strong female maincharcter and a spell-binding story. The worldbuilding and storyline keeps you tied to the pages.
3,5 beautiful stars and a great thanks for the ARC!

Perfect YA book for Fantasy lovers. There is no spice, but future romance is hinted at. Time will tell if any feelings develop into actions in later books. This book kept me engaged and the characters were well written. The ending is completed well and there is very little cliffhanger for the next book. This book was original and enjoyable. Amy de la Force took me on an epic quest through brutal, war-torn moments with excellent writing and character development. A unique book that is an enjoyable read.

Tropes include: found family, quest, prophecy fulfillment, forbidden romantic feelings, hidden royalty, strong FMC, and self-discovery.

My favorite character: Hael. A big baddy that can speak to the FMC in her subconsciousness throughout the book and is fully present at the ending. This character has so much promise for future books. He is one of the romantic interests that may develop in future books.

Read this book if you enjoy Young Adult books focused on character development as the FMC finds her inner strength and purpose.

Summary:
Cahra, a blacksmith apprentice, is thrown into a 400-year-old prophecy to save the capital city, Hael'stromia, and retrieve the greatest weapon. Hael'stromia has been empty and petrified after the last Emperor died the weapon has been lost to the inside of the unreachable black pyramid. Cahra believes she is a low-born commoner, ex-thief turned blacksmith, and traitor to her country Kolyath as she escapes with a Prince and spy after being hunted for the weapon she created. Cahra meets an Oracle that explains she is the answer to the prophecy. Cahra and her guards/acquaintances travel to the capital where they are met with resistance from two of the three countries as they converge on the capital to try and get the ultimate weapon first. Cahra sacrifices herself in a trade and completes the prophecy freeing the weapon while gravely injured. The capital is filled with regrowth and is open to all of the tri-countries as they attempt to find peace among themselves after battling for 400 years.

Thank you NetGalley and Canelo for this opportunity to read A Kiss of Hammer and Flame.

This was a solid YA fantasy romance with an interesting premise and a likable three dimensional FMC. We go on this journey with Cahra and understand her emotions and experiences as her world is turned upside down. She is forced to flee from her home with a strange lord and learns of a prophecy that she unknowingly set into motion involving multiple kingdoms with a long history she has yet to learn about.

The first half of the book was stronger than the second. Characters and relationships were given more time to develop in the first half. The storyline also seemed more rushed and muddled at the end. Some of the world building was also confusing.

The relationships between characters is where I think the book was most lacking. The romances felt clunky without enough build up. Both friendships and conflicts between characters seemed a bit sudden and made it hard to follow certain trains of thoughts.

Overall, an engaging fantasy novel with a strong FMC and interesting premise.

3 ⭐️

*Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC for an honest review. All opinions are my own*

Overall an amazing read! I flew through this and will be for sure following along for the rest of the series!

This was a well written book, however, it was slightly confusing to understand and the fmc was not the most likeable, Amy de la Force did a great job writing her debut novel and I'm curious to see what the remainder of the series is like.