A Fate Forged in Fire

I had expected this book to be a classic romantasy which are usually heavier on the romance and lighter on the world building, however, it was a breath of fresh air in that it definitely felt more epic fantasy with the romance and spice which come in around 50% of the way through, supporting a very strong plot. I loved the characters and, of course, the dragons! I'm fully invested, and I will 100% be reading the next in the series once released.

🔥 Compelling Characters & Immense Growth • Aemyra is a ferocious, heroine—born with fire magic and hidden power, forced to rise from obscurity when her claim to the throne is threatened. Her journey from overconfidence to humility and purpose is one of the story’s core draws . • Prince Fiorean, the cold and arrogant dragon-rider, begins as Aemyra’s primary obstacle—and slowly evolves into her reluctant ally. Their dynamic captures the essence of a high-stakes court drama .🐉 Dragons & Magic Rooted in Celtic Lore • The tropical themes of fire magic tied to dragons (or “beathaichean”) are woven into the political and spiritual fabric of the story. Magic isn’t just flashy—it’s meaningful and tied to identity and power . • The world is steeped in Celtic-inspired worldbuilding, including nods to Gaelic language and tradition, enhancing depth and authenticity in the setting .🎭 Political Intrigue & Moral Complexity • Set in a kingdom long ruled by corrupt, patriarchal kings, the story explores power struggles, betrayal, and the tension between an ancient matriarchal heritage and oppressive royal structures . • Demonstrates ambiguity of political maneuvering and the human cost of revolution .✍️ Vivid Writing, Emotional Intensity • McBride’s prose is both lyrical and gritty, blending cinematic scenes of dragonflight and combat with intimate emotional moments. Dialogue crackles with wit and subtext • She doesn’t shy away from difficult themes: misogyny, religious extremism, violence, and trauma appear throughout—but are handled thoughtfully and with care⭐️ I connected with Aemyra’s fiery independence and her fierce determination to reclaim her legacy.⭐️ Lush Celtic-based worldbuilding and politically charged drama offer depth that enhances the fiery magic and emotional arcs.⭐️ Themes of resistance, female power, and moral texture—especially through dragons and religious conflict—create both escape and resonance.A Fate Forged in Fire delivers a potent blend of politically charged fantasy, emotionally resonant romance, mythic worldbuilding, and a heroine who embodies rage, strength, and evolution. If any of these elements made you feel fired up—or deeply satisfied—you’ll have to give this book a try.

✶✶✶.75 / 5 𝔰𝔱𝔞𝔯𝔰 ꔫ“𝔄𝔢𝔪𝔶𝔯𝔞 𝔥𝔞𝔡 𝔟𝔢𝔢𝔫 𝔣𝔬𝔯𝔤𝔢𝔡 𝔦𝔫 𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢, 𝔟𝔲𝔱 𝔞 𝔮𝔲𝔢𝔢𝔫 𝔴𝔬𝔲𝔩𝔡 𝔯𝔦𝔰𝔢 𝔣𝔯𝔬𝔪 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔞𝔰𝔥𝔢𝔰.”⊹₊ ˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹I found it hard to rate this book because I really struggled to get into it—it took me until around 35–40% to actually start following the journey and somewhat enjoy it. I didn’t like Ameyra at the beginning, which probably contributed to how hard it was to engage with the story. For a book featuring fire, dragons, and powerful women, it should have screamed empowerment—but I didn’t really get that.I found the worldbuilding confusing at first, and it was hard for me to understand the magic system. However, once it finally clicked, I really enjoyed the remainder of the story and feel this series has a lot of potential. It was both annoying and refreshing to see all of Ameyra’s plans fail—we’re so used to main characters landing in a bad situation, plotting for half the book, and somehow everything just works out. I appreciated that it wasn’t so easy in this one.That said, I didn’t love how she seemed to give up a bit once she was forced to work with Fiorean. As a reader, you want her to stay with the MMC and see their relationship grow—but Ameyra was all bark and no bite for a little too long, in my opinion.જ⁀➴ᡣ𐭩 𝔄𝔢𝔪𝔶𝔯𝔞She came across as very entitled, and her behaviour just didn’t make sense. Even the way she spoke about other women felt odd—especially considering she had experienced being put down for being a woman herself. Later on in the book, I did start rooting for her—but she really was clueless. It gave off a bit of a “child playing house” vibe. However, I do think there’s a lot of room for growth and character development if her arc is given the justice it deserves. And let’s be honest—considering the situation she’s in, without any real support or guidance she can trust for most of the story, there’s only so much growth that’s realistically possible.I give the book grace for that—but I’ll definitely have high expectations for the next one."𝔓𝔦𝔱𝔦𝔣𝔲𝔩. 𝔗𝔥𝔢𝔰𝔢 𝔴𝔬𝔪𝔢𝔫 𝔥𝔞𝔳𝔢 𝔫𝔬 𝔰𝔱𝔯𝔢𝔫𝔤𝔱𝔥." - THIS WAS A BIG NO!જ⁀➴ᡣ𐭩 𝔉𝔦𝔬𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔫I’m going to need to see more of Fiorean, because at the moment, he’s kind of giving nothing. The one thing I do love right now is their romance—there’s a great push and pull between them, with some serious tension. But given how much their relationship had developed, the ending felt a bit intense and abrupt. I would have liked more romance and emotional development to justify that kind of reaction—it felt like we skipped a couple of chapters."𝔖𝔬 𝔥𝔬𝔴 𝔠𝔞𝔫 ℑ 𝔟𝔢 𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢? ℑ𝔣 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔬𝔫𝔩𝔶 𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔱𝔥𝔞𝔱 𝔪𝔞𝔨𝔢𝔰 𝔪𝔢 𝔟𝔲𝔯𝔫 ... 𝔦𝔰 𝔶𝔬𝔲."I will be continuing this series and I am excited for the next book!

I imagined every man as Jamie Fraser and there are dragons. What more do you want?Aemyra is living in hiding, a young woman gifted in fire magic who spends her days healing with her mother and waiting. When the time comes well laid plans come with endless complication and Aemyra is stuck in the heart of her enemy. Aemyra believes she is the person to save her people but her enemy Prince Fiorean believes the same. Two well matched opponents who may just be too well matched…This is sooo good. The Celtic vibe was really really refreshing and I did my best to read everything in a Scottish accent. Double bonus with fire red hair was casting Jamie Fraser as every hot man.The magic system and lore were well explained and thoughtfully crafted, I love the beast bonding, it was really different to stuff already out there. There was a beautiful subtlety to it.The characters are layered and complex and the political system isn’t black and white and it all makes sir a really rich world. Aemyra is uncouth and fairly masculine in a lot of her manners, she’s also confident and capable which make a lovely change for a heroine. The enemies to lovers romance is genuinely scorching and not only cos they’re fire wielders…Hazel McBride is bold. She goes for big kills and big twists. I don’t think any character is safe in her stories and I love that!Highly recommend and looking forward to book 2!Thank you #netgalley and #DialogueBooks for my #arc

This book is absolutely incredible. So so gripping and unputdownable. It kept you guessing and kept throwing in something different. I’m not leaving any spoilers it’s just too good. It’s a must read