A Fire in the Sky

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Loved this book!

Tamsyn is the main character and you find yourself rooting for her from the beginning. She is a whipping girl for the royal princesses but she is strong and resilient. Whilst loyal to the royal family, she still has her own mind and protects those around her.

The book contains a perfect level of spice and you're left wanting more.

Fell is a huge hunk of a man and is referred to as 'The Beast'. Tamsyn isn't intimidated by him at all and it leads to a great dynamic between the two.

She is betrayed but the twists leave you guessing as to where it will come from! It ends on a cliff hanger and leaves you wanting more.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

My review will be posted in the following location on the 25th June.

https://www.instagram.com/hf.payne/

Firstly, thank you NetGalley, HQ, and Sophie for allowing me to read an early release of this wonderful book!

I was immediately on Tamsyn's side in all things - a girl found abandoned and used as a whipping girl for the princess's bad behavior, forced into marriage through trickery to the Lord of the Borderlands.
Although at first, I didn't like Fell, his character development meant that I understood and liked him better about halfway through the story.
Stig - no, I didn't like him - he gave me Dain in fourth wing vibes.

I loved this book, and finished it in a weekend, not even realizing I hadn't moved for the whole day to get a coffee. The world-building, the character development, the magic lore, and the beautiful writing make this enchanting and enthralling.
Already on my Amazon WL for release and recommending to friends to do the same.

I enjoyed this book immensely. It had an unexpected twist which I did not foresee which I loved. An easy writing style makes the reading experience pleasurable and provides a good amount of descriptive detail without being too much at any point.
There are all the requirements for a great book, in my humble opinion, including romance, family love, power, deceit, conflict, action, mystery, history and change. The main characters are well crafted, believable and react and respond exactly how the reader would expect until...(no spoilers). There is a little spice (just so you know). Can't wait forthe next instalment!

I loved this book! I really enjoyed the author's writing style and found myself struggling to put it down!

It felt like the perfect mix of fantasy and romance and although I suspected how the plot would develop, it was enjoyable to realise I'd worked it out rather than a feeling of frustration or predictability. I can't wait for the next one.

Tiktok review to be posted on release date.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC to review.

I really enjoyed this book a lot. Enemies to loved is my favourite trope to read, and this book does it very well.
This book had me hooked, and I can't wait for book two!

I loved this book! Started it and couldn't put it down. It grabbed me within the first few pages.

Really liked the FMC and MMC and their relationship, the enemies to lovers, angst and 'she's mine' vibes. The spice was spicing, but there could have been more, IMO 🤣

Would definitely recommend it and can't wait for the next book!

This an original and exciting take on the enemy to lovers fantasy trope with some very unexpected plot twists by the end of book 1 that leave you on edge for book 2. Tamsyn and Fell have a mysterious past connected to dragons and witchcraft. Both were abandoned as children and as adults find themselves in a marriage of convenience. But what happens next is unexpected and opens the way to giving them answers about their pasts. I can't wait for book 2!

A Fire in the Sky is the first book in Sophie Jordan's new adult romantasy series, set in a world where dragons are extinct and magic is fading. Tamsyn is a whipping girl at the royal court of Penterra and is punished for the princesses' misdeeds. Her life is upended when she is forced to marry Fell, the Beast of the Borderlands, under false pretenses to save the princesses from marrying him instead. Their relationship evolves as Tamsyn's identity and hidden powers come to light, revealing secrets that could reignite the dormant magic and transform the kingdom.

As soon as I started reading this book, I was instantly hooked, and I couldn't stop until I'd finished it in one go. I've never read the young adult Firelight trilogy, but given this new series is a prequel or origin story to the Firelight series, I think it was a great entry point, and it meant that I didn't really know where the plot was going so it was all very unexpected. I was definitely along for the ride and I was totally invested.

As well as loving the plot, I also loved the relationship between Tamsyn and Fell. Their instant attraction and chemistry was perfect as it didn't fall onto the instalove side of the line. The sex scenes were just right, and it was the perfect balance of plot and romance. It was just everything I was looking for.

I thought the world was fascinating - the presence of whipping girls or boys to take the punishment for the royal family, and the method of proving the consummation of a marriage were just a few of the ways that this world felt both fleshed out and original. It really felt like a real (but odd and interesting) fantasy world that had been really well thought through.

The only note I wrote while reading the book itself was "Omg it's amazing! So emotional and gripping" and that was around page 50, and after that I was too enthralled to write any further notes. So it's safe to say that I will definitely be reading the rest of this series. That cliffhanger had me gasping for more, and if this was a completed series already, I know I would binge the whole series right now. This is the perfect start to an adult romantasy series, and I can't wait to read the future books!

Disclaimer: I received an ARC from NetGalley but this is my voluntary and honest review.

In a book that is a million miles away from what she normally writes, Sophie Jordan, manages to capture the magic of fanasty story telling as she tells the story of the girl who is not a princess but is treated like one. Opening with dragons and closing with them too, this is a captiviting novel about Tamsyn, a whipping girl, who entered a false marriage.

What will happen when he finds out....will they fall in love? You've just got to read to discover what's inside this very different book.

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!

Romantasy + Dragons is a win-win for me. I loved it more than I expected to. There's really not much I can say without spoilers, but I implore you to READ THIS BOOK!

It has multiple POV, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, dragons/magic/witches. The world building was good and not too intense. The witch element was not as prominent as I expected, and I wish there were more dragons, but the story was intriguing, and I hope it will go more in depth in the next books. The FMC, Tamsyn, is interesting, and I really enjoyed her character arc. The MMC, Fell (The Beast of the Borderlands) is strong, intimidating but caring and gentle - a pretty perfect MMC. There is an interesting dynamic with Tamsyn’s best friend also. There were lots of surprises which I really enjoyed, and the pacing of the story was well executed.  

I will definitely be looking to read more from this author, and I can not wait for the next book! 

Thank you to the author, Sophie Jordan, the publisher, HQ, and Netgalley, for providing me with the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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.

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.

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

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!

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 honestly loved every second of this, I cannot believe how much I loved and how fast I read it.
I love the characters and their growth throughout and the intricate world building.
I'm just so excited so this review is less than eloquent but, just please please take a chance in this book so we can all talk about it, okay!? It is so so good!

Wow.

I'm not even sure I know where to start. I'll start by saying I will be recommending this book to whoever will listen! If you love dragons, magic, arranged marriage and spice this book will not disappoint!

From the get go, I found myself loving Tamsyn and wanting the best for her. The chemistry between her and Fell was 🔥🔥 and I appreciated it a LOT!

I am chomping at the bit for the next instalment already!

Thank you so much to HQ and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a great Fantasy story, dragons that can become human, what next! There was a lot of atmosphere to this story that drags you in. A lovely, very fitting conclusion.

Could not put this book down! I just wanted to inhale it!

It was intriguing, engaging and just the right amount of spice!

Tamsyn was a perfect female lead. Her prestigious yet lowly position in court was a rollercoaster. 1 minute she's a princess the next a servant. Her mysterious life unfolded so well throughout the book. Giving just the right amount of background as you go along to keep you guessing!

Fell was a wonderful beast with rough edges and unruly followers. But his more tender nature just shone through! In the beginning it was so hard knowing whether to route for their marriage or hope he rejected Tamsyn to keep her safe.

The treachery thought up by the royals was both unbelievable and totally predictable. I loved the under current of mistrust that surrounded them as the book went on.

The only slight issue I had with this book was that it was too short!!! I could have read 200-400 more pages and still be wishing there were more!

Enemy to loves done right! If you love this trope buy this book! I could not put it down and the twist I did not see coming. Please give us book two asap!

What a great read. This book has it all, magic, tension, action, drama, spice (on the lighter side), and everything else in between. Tamsyn is the main character and you can't help but be on her side. She's hasn't been dealt an easy life. Fell is a great character too and I loved the dynamic between him and Tamsyn. I flew through this book as I didn't want to put it down. I love when I'm hooked for the first few pages. There was a great twist that I didn't see coming either.

The world building is excellent as is the character development and the magic. I loved the author's style of writing too. For me it was the perfect mix of fantasy and romance and I'm looking forward to reading the next book.

I am obsessed with this book!! It is going to be such an amazing series!
I loved the writing style and the world and characters!! By chapter 2 I was completely hooked and couldn’t get enough! I will definitely be buying the physical copy for my shelf! Love love love!!!

Things I love in a book:
- Dragons ✔️
- Romance but not too much ✔️
- Quick pace ✔️
- A strong female protagonist ✔️
Not only this book had everything I love but also it was amazing.
I never read anything from the author but for me she is an author I want to follow from now on. This was one hell of a ride, a marvellous ride from the begging to the end, and I for sure want to read more books from her.
I needed more when I finished... I STILL NEED 😅
I recommend this book for the romantsy people as me, you will not regret reading it .

Calling fans of When the Moon Hatched and Game of Thrones!!

Wow, I was hooked from the beginning of this story. It follows the FMC Tamsyn who is brought up as part of the Royal family as the whipping girl (punished for the princesses misdeeds). The lord of the Borderlands (our MMC Fell) visits the King and demands he marries one of the princesses. The King agrees and unbeknownst to Fell arranges for Tamsyn to be the bride as he doesn’t want one of his blood daughters to marry such a brute and be taken to a place like the Borderlands. She wears a veil the whole ceremony until the marriage is consummated and only then does Fell find out he has not married Royal blood.

The story unwinds from here. There are two plot twists in the book and both are absolutely incredible. If you like Witches, Dragons, Game of Thrones vibes with people being used as pawns then this book is for you.

The writing and plot of this book are fantastic. Sophia Jordan has you captivated from the first chapter. I could not put this book down. Her writing is almost poetic at some points which immerses you into the world.

I love Tamsyn’s and Fell’s relationship in this book. I feel like there is so much more to both of them and I cannot to see how their characters both develop throughout the series.

You need to add this book to your TBR right now!

Thank you NetGalley and HQ for a copy of the eARC🔥

I absolutely loved this book. It had everything that I love in a story. It spoke to the teenager that lives in me still, of dragons, princes and princesses. There was romance and lust for the adult I am now. This part of the story also had a twist in how love is manifested.
It was a rocking adventure and the protagonist was not a meek and mild princess, she was gutsy and knew what she wanted.
It’s been a long time since I read a fantasy like this and I can’t wait to read the sequel.

This book has absolutely destroyed me - and I don’t say that lightly. I’ve not read spicy or enemies to lovers for a long long time as I got sick of the boring predictability of it all, so when I was offered this I was ready to “meh”.

On the other hand, I love magic, dragons, witches….that is right up my street but it’s been ages since I’ve read anything “dragony”, so I was looking forward to that element.

I couldn’t have been more wrong - I devoured this book - absolutely devoured it. From the start it had me gripped - I’m so pleased that it was a bank holiday weekend so I could devote more time to it. The last section absolutely destroyed me, ripped me apart. Incredible. I can not wait for the next book. Literally I cannot wait.

My thanks to Netgalley and Rachel Quin Marketing for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review (and for destroying me)

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.

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!

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!

5 Star
3 Spice

- Arranged Marriage
- Dragons

Hooked from the very beginning. Couldn't put it down. I thought I had points figured out but then was surprised I didn't expect what happened and loved it!

Really enjoyed it will be one of my fave Romantasy books of the year, there's light world building but enough to not get lost.
Hopefully the next book will have a bit more back story of the world but I can't wait to find out what happens next especially with how it ended!


Thank you Netgalley and HQ for the eArc

Ha! Brilliant.
I wasn't so sure at the beginning, the market seems so full of fantasy, and dragon novels now. And I found it a slightly slow starter.
BUT: very soon I was completely hooked, and as I got further and further into the book, the inability to put it down increased dramatically.
Some of the twists I found a little predictable, but I am probably older than the average reader and have read an awful lot. However, they were handled beautifully, with great suspense built up and fantastic writing.
Apparently there is going to be another book about this compelling duo, and I can't wait to read it! But don't worry, there is no cliffhanger.
I've just added this author to my list of books to look out for, and I am really glad I gave this one a go.

Incredible! Omg this book is the first book I’ve read in months that has been gripping enough to thoroughly binge! I absolutely loved this book, from Tamsyn’s upbringing to Fell’s brute like appearance. The whole book had me captivated, I devoured every word and cannot wait for book 2!!

Thank you NetGalley and HQ for this eCopy to review

A Fire in the Sky is the first instalment in a new romantasy series, which captivated me from the very first page. The story of Tamsyn, a whipping girl whose life takes an unexpected turn, was both thrilling and deeply emotional.

Jordan’s world-building is nothing short of spectacular. The kingdom of Penterra, with its intricate politics and vivid landscapes, felt incredibly real. I could almost see the castle’s towering spires and feel the tension in the air as Tamsyn navigated her complex relationships with the royal family.

The romance in the novel was beautifully crafted. The chemistry between Tamsyn and her love interest, Fell was palpable, and their journey from reluctant allies to passionate lovers was both believable and heart warming. The explicit scenes were tastefully done, adding depth to their relationship without overshadowing the plot.

What truly set this book apart for me was Tamsyn’s character development. Watching her grow from a downtrodden servant to a strong, confident woman was inspiring. Her resilience and determination resonated with me, making her one of my favourite protagonists in recent memory.

I enjoyed the chapters from different points of view as I felt that they created a well rounded story, particularly her relationship with Stig and how it changes once she marries Fell.

The ending was a bit of a cliff-hanger so I cannot wait to see what happens next

A Fire in the Sky* by Sophie Jordan is a captivating romantasy set in a world where dragons are extinct and magic is fading. Tamsyn, the main character, is a strong and resilient whipping girl for the royal family, tasked with marrying Fell, the Beast of the Borderlands, under false pretenses. The enemies-to-lovers dynamic between Tamsyn and Fell is exciting, with great chemistry and just the right amount of spice. Tamsyn’s hidden powers and mysterious past make the plot full of unexpected twists that keep you hooked until the end.
The world-building is unique and well thought out
The story ends on a cliffhanger, leaving you eager for the next book.
I’ve enjoyed the author’s books over the years, whether they were historical romance or contemporary fiction; she is definitely a gifted writer that can captivate readers with her words.

Very grateful to the publisher for my copy, opinions are my own

I loved this book so much!! The cover had me before I had even read the book! It was a magical world and I loved the characters.

It was a short and super fun read, who doesnt love dragon shifters?

I’ve very much been on a romantasy kick recently so when I received an email containing a Netgalley widget for a NA romantasy with dragons? Yeah, I definitely wanted to read that book. So thanks to Rachel Quin and HQ for this opportunity.

Tamsyn was raised as the palace whipping girl. Raised with the princesses and given anything she could ever want, you might think Tamsyn has it easy. But for every time one of the princesses misbehaves, she gets whipped instead in front of them. Still, they’re her family and she would do anything to protect them, including lying to and marrying Fell, a deadly warrior who insists on marrying a princess. Fell isn’t happy about it but he takes her along. The journey reveals a side to Tamsyn that she didn’t know existed though, and when she realises that she’s truly an enemy to her new husband, she has a decision to make.

This was definitely a fun read.

I’m not sure about the dragons seeming to have an almost human form, but other than that, it was fun to read and the book didn’t necessarily take the path I thought it would.

One of the plot twists was obvious fairly early on for me. But Tamsyn’s side? Yeah, I thought she was something else entirely. Something that still would have been very dramatic. So that was definitely fun.

I did appreciate the romance. It’s supposed to be enemies to lovers but it isn’t quite? Because of the marriage of convenience, they’ve had sex before they even really know each other. And just from that there were obviously some curious feelings. Yes, politically there are some questions about their relationship. But even then, their countries are technically on the same side. So, yes, there’s some dislike and questioning whether they want each other. But it’s not really enemies to lovers. Honestly, that would probably work better if Fell decided he was into Stig instead.

But despite that, I did enjoy the romance and I’m curious to see what route it’s going to take. I like that Fell was willing to support Tamsyn even when she wasn’t so sure about him. He seemed like a good guy and I liked that about him.

The smut was also pretty decent. There was a good balance of smut and story which I know many will appreciate.

Finally, the world building was interesting too. I want to learn more about the dragons and the witches, but due to the past, we’ll have to learn about them along with our protagonists. And I don’t mind that. It meant we were picking up the information at a good pace and that I still have questions going into the next book.

So overall, a very good read that I’ll definitely be getting my hands on a physical copy of. I can’t wait until book 2 comes out!

A Fire in the Sky by Sophie Jordan is a real treat in the enemies to lovers fantasy genre. It really has it all, dragons, magic and of course, the protagonists. Ms Jordan shows real skill at plot building and manages her cast with deceptive ease, an arranged marriage followed by a long journey over difficult terrain allows the relationship to develop and the reader is carried along with the newly weds. I thoroughly enjoyed this title and am looking forward to the sequel when it appears. Highly recommended to all who enjoy well written fantasy.

Wow wow wow wow!

This is hands down my favourite book of 2024. I devoured it, and fantasy books are usually a slog for me. It can take me weeks to finish some but this I flew through in a week!

I love fantasy books that aren't too heavy fantasy and I can connect to the characters and the story. This was exactly that. I was hooked from the start.

Tamsyn (fmc) lives in a palace with her "sisters" but she is not treated the way they are. She is the royal whipping girl. She takes all of their punishments and isn't quite a part of the family. She loves her sisters and will do anything to protect them which even includes going in her sisters place to marry Fell (mmc) ''The Beast of The Borderlands''

I instantly felt the tension between the two of them. They didn't know how to interact with each other other than to quarrel. I loved any time that Fell showed a softer side to Tamsyn. It gave his character depth and made him more than just a moody kidnapper.

I LOVED the dragon shifting part and I was so excited when this happened!!! I love dragons and this book introduced them so well! I LOVED the ending and I could kind of see it happening but i still enjoyed it. I can't wait for the next one and to see what this author does with this world and characters. More dragons please!!!!!!!

My husband kindly bought more of this authors books as he saw I enjoyed this so much so stay tuned for more dragon reviews!!!

Thank you to HQ Stories for sending me the beautiful special edition hardback. All opinions are my own and I am so grateful for the opportunity to read this!!

Dragons are said to be extinct and Witches were hunted to eliminate all magic in the world of Penterra…

While ‘A Fire In The Sky’ had plenty of predictability, I still loved the direction it took, with plot twist after plot twist. I must admit that ending…now that I didn’t see coming at all!

I practically devoured this book within 48 hours, so the fact it’s not officially out in the world yet is a problem, because I’m desperate to continue the triology

It’s rare I adore both the female and male mc’s equally, but Tamsyn being the strong women she is and Fell being the epitome of hard on the outside, but gooey on the inside, made it easy. The fact that there was duel pov’s from them both, as well as a few additional pov’s, was fantastic

I only hesitated giving this 5 stars because I feel like the ending has set book two up for that level of perfection. This was still easily ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

#AFireInTheSky #NetGalley

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.

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 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.