A Fate Forged in Fire: The bestselling romantic fantasy phenomenon and TikTok sensation (Bonded to Beasts)
To become the first queen in centuries, a powerfully blessed blacksmith must use her wits and fire magic to overthrow the corrupt powers ruling her kingdomāwhile also fighting her growing desire for one of her dragon-riding adversariesāin the first book of a sizzling Celtic-inspired fantasy romance duology.
Once a territory built on matriarchal rule and values, TƬr Teine has since grown frail from a long line of fruitless kings, the most recent of which have ruled under the influence of the True Religion, an oppressive group who have steadily poisoned the region with their anti-magic teachings.
Born to rule and blessed by fire, Aemyra has begrudgingly lived in hiding rather than risk her life in court, waiting in anticipation for the current kingās death so she can bond to his dragon, claim her throne, and protect her people. But when the king dies and Aemyra is ready to take what is rightfully hers, her ambitious plan is foiled, and she is thrust into a game of vicious politics and plots.
Her biggest adversary is Prince Fiorean, a dragon rider and one of the most powerful fire wielders in the territory. Cold, arrogant, and blindly supportive of his corrupt family, he is everything Aemyra despises. But as chaos engulfs the court, they find themselves reluctantly entwined, forced to forge an uneasy allianceāone that quickly ignites into something more dangerous than either of them expected.
Behind enemy lines and slowly falling for her so-called adversary, Aemyra uncovers just how far the rot of corruption has spread, and what she may have to sacrifice to claim her throne.
Once a territory built on matriarchal rule and values, TƬr Teine has since grown frail from a long line of fruitless kings, the most recent of which have ruled under the influence of the True Religion, an oppressive group who have steadily poisoned the region with their anti-magic teachings.
Born to rule and blessed by fire, Aemyra has begrudgingly lived in hiding rather than risk her life in court, waiting in anticipation for the current kingās death so she can bond to his dragon, claim her throne, and protect her people. But when the king dies and Aemyra is ready to take what is rightfully hers, her ambitious plan is foiled, and she is thrust into a game of vicious politics and plots.
Her biggest adversary is Prince Fiorean, a dragon rider and one of the most powerful fire wielders in the territory. Cold, arrogant, and blindly supportive of his corrupt family, he is everything Aemyra despises. But as chaos engulfs the court, they find themselves reluctantly entwined, forced to forge an uneasy allianceāone that quickly ignites into something more dangerous than either of them expected.
Behind enemy lines and slowly falling for her so-called adversary, Aemyra uncovers just how far the rot of corruption has spread, and what she may have to sacrifice to claim her throne.
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Community Reviews
2.5 stars, rounded down to 2. The plot was actually kind of interesting, even if it was a little predictable. I don't think predictability was the problem here. The main problem is that FMC is really hard to root for. She's very rash and makes bad decisions all the time while thinking she knows better than everyone else. As a 26-year-old, that's easy to understand, but as someone trying to take control over a region as the rightful queen? It makes it kind of hard.
I also struggled with the spice because I didn't feel like the FMC and MMC had built a rapport by that point so I felt really awkward reading it.
The religion stuff was an added layer that makes her seem like the better option, but I feel a little weird about this being framed as a religious conflict instead of truth v. misinformation for the purpose of gaining power.
I also struggled with the spice because I didn't feel like the FMC and MMC had built a rapport by that point so I felt really awkward reading it.
The religion stuff was an added layer that makes her seem like the better option, but I feel a little weird about this being framed as a religious conflict instead of truth v. misinformation for the purpose of gaining power.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for my first ARC opportunity. Below is my honest review.
The kingdom of Tir Tiene has historically been a Matriarchal Society, where the land and its people thrived under the rule of a Queen and her bonded Dragon. For many decades, however, only males infants were born, creating an imbalance. The Kings became corrupted by a hunger for supremacy and their power, and might in magic, only grew once they bonded with what remained of the ancient dragons in the land. For generations, these male rulers were slowly led astray from their polytheistic roots of worshiping the Goddesses, and they fell victim to the exploitation of a new, misogynistic "True Religion" that seeks to dominate society by condemning magic, oppress women, and instill fear of the dragons.
Strong-willed Aemyra has hidden her fire magic and her true identity for most of her 20-something years. Living under the guise as a meager, yet talented blacksmith, along with her twin brother and their adoptive family. She has bided her time, training in secret, until the day came where she would meet her fate as the rightful heir to the throne. For as foretold, she is Goddess-Blessed as the first female born unto a legacy of rightful heirs to the throne. When the current King lay upon his death bed, plans which were put into action long before her birth are set in motion. She will either triumph and take her place on the throne as the long-awaited Queen, or will perish as Tir Tieneās last hope for peace and prosperity.
Likes: The world building and politics were done well and certainly set the stage for what I expect will become a popular Fantasy Series. I also enjoyed the pacing of the story, with action scenes that kept me alert and eager for the next page. I loved that the Dragons were a integral part of the plot; having enough personality to be believed as sentient, while still upholding the animalistic ferocity of an ancient beast that would sooner reign fire upon you if they feel the land and its people are threatened. My favorite character in the book was actually Aemyraās twin brother, Adarian, and I wish heād held a more prevalent role in the story. Instead, he seemed more like a side-kick who didnāt have much of a life other than to be faithful to his sister once she became Queen.
Dislikes: Aemyra came across as an arrogant, self-absorbed, entitled brat for the first Ā¾ of the book. I repeatedly wanted to give her a chance to grow up, given how hard her childhood seemed to be, yet by about the half-way point, my hope was dashed due to her immaturity and impulsivity that won over logic and reason placing her and everyone she ācaredā about in danger. It is hard to cheer for a heroine who claimed to be training her entire life to become a queen for the people, all the while screaming inside as she made repeatedly reckless decisions and a upholding blatant refusal to be reasoned. I NEED a heroine to possess more compassion, to accept advice with serious consideration, to have a willingness to consider the implications of her actions for the greater good, and overall ā just more humility. Sadly, I just didnāt get that.
The tension between Aemyra and Fiorian was awkward from their first interaction. At first, I attributed this to Aemyra preferring women to men, or that perhaps she was ruffled by having to suffer someone above her imposed station. Once they are forced to ācooperateā with one another, it was difficult to tell if it was a genuine āenemies to loversā trope, or if our heroine was merely being easily manipulated? Their hatred for one another was palpable and easy enough to understand, but once they are forced into a situation where they have to work together, their relationship dynamic felt rushed and not enough of a slow-burn to be believable, ultimately feeling that both parties were disingenuous.
For all my personal views on pro-feminism, this book has left me with a conundrum. By the end of the book, I am left with more questions than answers. I was truly unsure of who, in Aemyra's life, is actually trustworthy. I am uncertain as to whether she or anyone (sans maybe Adarian) is the best suited to be the new ruler. I would like to know more about the history of the Goddesses, how magic came to be gifted to some and why some people do not possess magic, and also how the bonding of dragons came to be in the first place? I cannot fathom where Fiorian stands in all of this - that whole situation was just super messy. And finally, I wonder why the dragons donāt just destroy the entire kingdom and wait for better humans to come along?
I want to believe that the multiple forms of betrayal that Aemyra endures, and all these unanswered questions, will be explained and ironed out in future books.
Themes:
Strong Family Bonds
Politics & Anarchy
Hidden Royalty
Celtic Lore
Enemies to Lovers?
Sword & Scorcery
Dragon Bondings
LGBTQ+ Representation
TW: Sexual Assault, Male Dominance/Misogyny, Religious similarities to Paganism vs Christianity/Judaism/Islam
The kingdom of Tir Tiene has historically been a Matriarchal Society, where the land and its people thrived under the rule of a Queen and her bonded Dragon. For many decades, however, only males infants were born, creating an imbalance. The Kings became corrupted by a hunger for supremacy and their power, and might in magic, only grew once they bonded with what remained of the ancient dragons in the land. For generations, these male rulers were slowly led astray from their polytheistic roots of worshiping the Goddesses, and they fell victim to the exploitation of a new, misogynistic "True Religion" that seeks to dominate society by condemning magic, oppress women, and instill fear of the dragons.
Strong-willed Aemyra has hidden her fire magic and her true identity for most of her 20-something years. Living under the guise as a meager, yet talented blacksmith, along with her twin brother and their adoptive family. She has bided her time, training in secret, until the day came where she would meet her fate as the rightful heir to the throne. For as foretold, she is Goddess-Blessed as the first female born unto a legacy of rightful heirs to the throne. When the current King lay upon his death bed, plans which were put into action long before her birth are set in motion. She will either triumph and take her place on the throne as the long-awaited Queen, or will perish as Tir Tieneās last hope for peace and prosperity.
Likes: The world building and politics were done well and certainly set the stage for what I expect will become a popular Fantasy Series. I also enjoyed the pacing of the story, with action scenes that kept me alert and eager for the next page. I loved that the Dragons were a integral part of the plot; having enough personality to be believed as sentient, while still upholding the animalistic ferocity of an ancient beast that would sooner reign fire upon you if they feel the land and its people are threatened. My favorite character in the book was actually Aemyraās twin brother, Adarian, and I wish heād held a more prevalent role in the story. Instead, he seemed more like a side-kick who didnāt have much of a life other than to be faithful to his sister once she became Queen.
Dislikes: Aemyra came across as an arrogant, self-absorbed, entitled brat for the first Ā¾ of the book. I repeatedly wanted to give her a chance to grow up, given how hard her childhood seemed to be, yet by about the half-way point, my hope was dashed due to her immaturity and impulsivity that won over logic and reason placing her and everyone she ācaredā about in danger. It is hard to cheer for a heroine who claimed to be training her entire life to become a queen for the people, all the while screaming inside as she made repeatedly reckless decisions and a upholding blatant refusal to be reasoned. I NEED a heroine to possess more compassion, to accept advice with serious consideration, to have a willingness to consider the implications of her actions for the greater good, and overall ā just more humility. Sadly, I just didnāt get that.
The tension between Aemyra and Fiorian was awkward from their first interaction. At first, I attributed this to Aemyra preferring women to men, or that perhaps she was ruffled by having to suffer someone above her imposed station. Once they are forced to ācooperateā with one another, it was difficult to tell if it was a genuine āenemies to loversā trope, or if our heroine was merely being easily manipulated? Their hatred for one another was palpable and easy enough to understand, but once they are forced into a situation where they have to work together, their relationship dynamic felt rushed and not enough of a slow-burn to be believable, ultimately feeling that both parties were disingenuous.
For all my personal views on pro-feminism, this book has left me with a conundrum. By the end of the book, I am left with more questions than answers. I was truly unsure of who, in Aemyra's life, is actually trustworthy. I am uncertain as to whether she or anyone (sans maybe Adarian) is the best suited to be the new ruler. I would like to know more about the history of the Goddesses, how magic came to be gifted to some and why some people do not possess magic, and also how the bonding of dragons came to be in the first place? I cannot fathom where Fiorian stands in all of this - that whole situation was just super messy. And finally, I wonder why the dragons donāt just destroy the entire kingdom and wait for better humans to come along?
I want to believe that the multiple forms of betrayal that Aemyra endures, and all these unanswered questions, will be explained and ironed out in future books.
Themes:
Strong Family Bonds
Politics & Anarchy
Hidden Royalty
Celtic Lore
Enemies to Lovers?
Sword & Scorcery
Dragon Bondings
LGBTQ+ Representation
TW: Sexual Assault, Male Dominance/Misogyny, Religious similarities to Paganism vs Christianity/Judaism/Islam
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