A Fire in the Sky

A Fire in the Sky
by Sophie Jordan
 
Book: A Fire in the Sky
Publisher: Avon Books
Pub Date: September 24, 2024
Genre: Adult, Romance, Fantasy
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Book Links: Goodreads  Amazon
 
New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan returns to the high-stakes, sweeping world of dragons, romance, and drama first evoked in her bestselling young adult Firelight series, in a brand-new epic adult romantasy series.
 
Dragons are extinct. Witches are outcast. Magic is dying.
But human lust for power is immortal.
 
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. Her only friend is Stig, Captain of the Guard...though sometimes she thinks he wants more than friendship.
 
When Fell, the Beast of the Borderlands, descends on her home, Tamsyn’s world becomes even more dangerous. To save the pampered princesses from a fate worse than death, she is commanded to don a veil and marry the brutal warrior. She agrees to the deception even though it means leaving Stig, and the only life she’s ever known, behind.
 
The wedding night begins with unexpected passion—and ends in near violence when her trickery is exposed. Rather than start a war, Fell accepts Tamsyn as his bride...but can he accept the dark secrets she harbors—secrets buried so deep even she doesn’t know they exist? For Tamsyn is more than a royal whipping girl, more than the false wife of a man who now sees her as his enemy. And when those secrets emerge, they will ignite a flame bright enough to burn the entire kingdom to the bone.
 
Magic is not dead...it is only sleeping. And it will take one ordinary girl with an extraordinary destiny to awaken it.
 
My Review: YES! Sophie brought us dragons again. I absolutely LOVED her Firelight series and was beyond excited to see her bring dragons back.
 
I have been reading everything by Sophie for many many years now and she always deliver, especially when it comes to romance.
 
Now to the book...
 
Tamsyn has grown up with royalty and did everything with the princesses as they grew up together. However, any issues they have will result in being whipped... which falls to Tamsyn and only her. A sad start, but Tamsyn is a fighter.
 
She will have to be after she ease drops on a conversation which then turns into her being offered up as a bride...
 
Tamsyn good friend Stig, is aware of this and has such hatred over this. He treasures Tamsyn and their friendship. Their friendship began on the day he showed her the wall of those who were a whipping boy/girl before her and have gone on to have lives on their own. But now? That dream may no longer be a reality.

It all happened so fast. The very next day Tamsyn is off down the aisle to marry the beast. When it comes time for the bedding... well the beast became just that as he found out just got married to the whipping girl and not the princess. 

Not much that can be done now, they are meant to head off in the morning and start the journey home. Tamsyn is about to find out just how tough she really is. When one of the men can't stand her and make an attempt to hurt Tamsyn is when her true nature broke free.  

A dragon, a man burned and the beast thinking the worst about his wife. In a way you kinda almost feel for the guy, he has been kind to Tamsyn despite everything. So maybe he isn't all that bad... 

Coming down from her dragon scare, Tamsyn and Thora have a quick chat. Then she makes her way through the woods and meets up with her husband. Oh and the kingdom may be in a full blown panic as well.  

As the book neared the end, I couldn't put it down. I had to finish it. I absolutely adored this book and being brought back into Sophie's version of dragons. Its every bit of romance, magic and dragons that could wish for.  

My Rating:

✪✪✪✪✪

Weekly Spotlight - Best Fantasy Reads of 2024

 

Iron Flame

“The first year is when some of us lose our lives. The second year is when the rest of us lose our humanity.” —Xaden Riorson

Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College—Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky.

Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders’ capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves.

Although Violet’s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she still has her wits—and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules.

But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year.

Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College—and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.

My Review

A Fire in the Sky
New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan returns to the high-stakes, sweeping world of dragons, romance, and drama first evoked in her bestselling young adult Firelight series, in a brand-new epic adult romantasy series.

Dragons are extinct. Witches are outcast. Magic is dying.

But human lust for power is immortal.

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. Her only friend is Stig, Captain of the Guard...though sometimes she thinks he wants more than friendship.

When Fell, the Beast of the Borderlands, descends on her home, Tamsyn’s world becomes even more dangerous. To save the pampered princesses from a fate worse than death, she is commanded to don a veil and marry the brutal warrior. She agrees to the deception even though it means leaving Stig, and the only life she’s ever known, behind.

The wedding night begins with unexpected passion—and ends in near violence when her trickery is exposed. Rather than start a war, Fell accepts Tamsyn as his bride...but can he accept the dark secrets she harbors—secrets buried so deep even she doesn’t know they exist? For Tamsyn is more than a royal whipping girl, more than the false wife of a man who now sees her as his enemy. And when those secrets emerge, they will ignite a flame bright enough to burn the entire kingdom to the bone.

Magic is not dead...it is only sleeping. And it will take one ordinary girl with an extraordinary destiny to awaken it.

My Review

Draw Down the Moon
by P.C. & Kristin Cast

New York Times bestsellers P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast return with a new duology set in a dark and magickal world filled with incredible danger and irresistible romance.

Wren Nightingale isn't supposed to have any powers. Born of magickal parents but not under a moon sign, she was destined for life as a Mundane—right up until she starts glowing on her eighteenth birthday. In a heartbeat, Wren's life is turned upside down, and she's suddenly leaving her home for the mystical Academia de la Luna—a secret magickal school on a hidden island off the Seattle coast.

Lee Young has always known about his future at the Academia. He has one goal: pass the trials, impress the Moon Council, and uphold his family's reputation. But he wasn't expecting to be attending alongside the girl he's been secretly in love with for as long as he can remember.

As Wren and Lee are thrown into the Academie's gruelling trials, they quickly learn there's something different--and dangerous--about the school this year. Wren will have to navigate a web of secrets, prophecies--and murder. And Lee will have to decide who to protect--his family's legacy, or the girl he loves.

My Review

Burning Crowns

Burning Crowns
by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber
 

Book: Twin Crowns #3
Publisher: Balzer + Bray    
Pub Date: April 25, 2024
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Magic
Format: eARC    
Source: Publisher
Book Links: Goodreads  Amazon

Twin queens Rose & Wren survived the Battle for Anadawn and brought back magic to their kingdom. But danger lurks in Eana’s shadows.

Wren is troubled. Ever since she performed the blood spell on Prince Ansel, her magic has become unruly. Worse, the spell created a link between Wren and the very man she’s trying to forget: Icy King Alarik of Gevra. A curse is eating away at both of them. To fix it they must journey to the northern mountains—under the watchful guard of Captain Tor Iversen—to consult with the Healer on High.

Rose is haunted. Waking one night to find her undead ancestor Oonagh Starcrest by her bed, she receives a warning: surrender the throne—or face a war that will destroy Eana. With nowhere to turn and desperate to find a weapon to defeat Oonagh, Rose seeks help from Shen-Lo in the Sunkissed Kingdom, but what she finds there may break her heart.

As Oonagh threatens all Rose and Wren hold dear, it will take everything they have to save Eana–including a sacrifice they may not be prepared to make.

My Review: After reading the first book, I knew this series was going to be one I had to finish. These twins have had such great steady growth through each book, that it showed in the end just how far they have come and quickly became characters I wont soon forget.

Now...

It's nice to see a sweet new start for these ladies. Back from their royal tour and settled back home. These queens have made such great progress from how its all started. The kingdom is thriving, its safer now for all to live. Settling to royal life and finally having that peace they always wanted.  

All is well with the celebration until a spell they practiced well had gone out of control. Not because of Rose or Wren...but Oonagh behind it. 

The celebration ends and days pass when Wren has to leave to go meet the King and finally reveals to Rose the scar. The scar which Rose tries to heal and reveals poison. To make things more intense, the mirror the prince "found" in the library lead Oonagh to come out and give Rose a message. 

From finding peace to a new threat in such a short time, it looks like they will have to remove this threat and maybe then these sisters can finally rule their kingdom in true peace. They also finally got their ever after person, and it was about time. 

I love how the authors went about writing this book in the way that it didn't feel like anything was rushed or leave me with a million questions. It was done so well that I felt like the series was complete. Even though I do wish there was more. 

My Rating:

✪✪✪✪✪

Iron Flame

Iron Flame
by Rebecca Yarros

Book: Empyrean #2
Publisher: Red Tower Books
Pub Date: November 7, 2023
Genre: New adult, Fantasy, Dragons, Romance
Format: Print
Source: Bought
Book Links: Goodreads  Amazon

“The first year is when some of us lose our lives. The second year is when the rest of us lose our humanity.” —Xaden Riorson

Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College—Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky.

Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders’ capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves.

Although Violet’s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she still has her wits—and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules.

But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year.

Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College—and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.

 

My Review: Love! I have no words for this. Scratch that, I have a lot but that would make this more of a book itself than a review. Seriously the emotions this one put me though...

This book dives right into where Fourth Wing left. Violet is talking to Brennan. He's alive and Violet is just so stunned. Plus a city that supposed to have burned, exists, among other things that exist that were said otherwise. Safe to say Violet's mind is trying grasp everything going on. 

What all this new information does is cause Violet's trust in Xaden to change, question that the stories her dad told are real along with the stories she's read as a child, the decision to stay or go back with this knowledge and so much more.

But first, deciding what to do next. Violet and the rest of the squad decide to go back. Those that already knew of this will be fine. But its Violet who will be a massive target. From needing her shields to be strong, especially for keeping Dain out, to the numerous assassination attempts on her life and her squads. 

What change the tone and course of this book was toward the end after Violet and her squad gat their hands on some forbidden books. I can't tell you enough just how much this part had me in an emotional chokehold and how fast I tore through the rest of this book. 

It is such a quick change of pace from Xaden saving Violet which shows just how much Xaden loves her and the lengths he will go for her. Plus the unexpected aid from Dain. Then in the chaotic mess of revealing the truth to everyone and leaving them with a choice to make. 

I simply love this series... I have read more books than I can count, but its the rare few that grab me so deeply that I add a piece of it to my bookish tattoo sleeve and this one has earned it's spot. It's certainly a series that will remain with me and it's only just begun.

 

My Rating:

✪✪✪✪✪

Fourth Wing

Fourth Wing 

by Rebecca Yarros 

Book: The Empyrean #1

Publisher: Red Tower Books

Pub Date: May 2, 2023

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Dragons, New Adult

Format: eBook

Source: Borrowed

Book Links: Goodreads Amazon

Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Yarros  

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders. 
 
But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them. 
 
With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant. 
 
She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise. 
 
Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret. 
 
Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die 

 

My Review: I love Violet. She is so smart and will do so well being a scribe just like her dad. However, I'm not a fan of her mom throwing all that out the window and forcing Violet to do something she doesn't want. She is a General 24/7 with no love or kindness in sight for her kids. 
 

So, Violet goes off to try and get her own dragon. The struggle to get there is something. Barely started and she already has people wanting to end her and claiming they'll do it themselves even. The bright spot in all this? Dain. He is so sweet, and you will love him off the bat. He notices Violet and quickly gets her somewhere out of sight to help her and he cares for her and also wishes she was in Scribe. But even he knows how the general is.  
 

I will say that the first few chapters are kind of annoying to get through. It's a lot of repeating. We get it, people want Violet dead and revenge. Okay, Violet shouldn't be trying to ride, she should be a scribe as planned and be safe. It's a lot of repeats that I could have done without. 
 

HOWEVER, once you are past that and get to the bonding with dragons' part....it sets the course right there, has you bonded to that book until the very last word. It's simply where it takes off for me and I knew I was about to read something worthwhile.  Violet bonds not to just any dragon and gains an extra Suprise on top of that. Oh, want a fun twist? Violet and Xaden now have the pleasure of being tied together but not in the way you think. Yeah, wait until you read how that unfolds.  
 

The best part? Seeing just how much the dragons love Violet and how strong the bond seems even though it's just the beginning. That moment of her dragon waking her up was instantly a game changer. From that moment, this story became everything, and I couldn't stop reading.   

 

I'm used to Rebecca's more romance heavy books, but she takes to writing high fantasy like it's second nature. This was so well done that I'm so glad to call her an all-time favorite author of mine. 

 

My Rating:

✪✪✪✪✪