A review by natashaleighton_
A Fire in the Sky by Sophie Jordan

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

An immersive and plot twisty, high stakes romantasy that swept me off my feet! Fans of magic, witches, dragons or sizzlingly intense (angst-filled) romance should definitely consider checking this out. It’s MARVELLOUS! 

You probably know by now that I’m a sucker for books with dragons, so it should come as no surprise that I jumped at the chance to read this. Described as an enemies to lovers/ marriage of convience romantasy (with dragons), I went into this with very high expectations—and to my relief it definitely lived up to them. 

The worldbuilding was good, though a little light in terms of lore. But, the tension between our MCs, Tamsyn and Fell (once they came face to face) was incredibly delicious. I really liked Tamsyn, and found myself emotionally invested in her almost instantly. I do warn, we start the book from Tamsyn’s POV during a violent situation (a whipping) so I urge everyone to check the TWs before picking this up. That being said, the depth we get from Tamsyn (and also Fell) and the emotions they were anow invoke were impressive.

An orphan raised alongside princesses and treated (for the most part) as part of the family, I imagine it wasn’t easy for Tamsyn to come to terms with being a whipping girl. The flashbacks had me especially weepy at times and wanting to give her soo many hugs! I personally don’t think I’d have the mental capacity (let alone the pain threshold) to endure what she’s had to her whole life. 

Yet, her love for her “sisters” and the optimism and compassion she shares not only for them but for the King and Queen was remarkable — they totally didn’t deserve her. 

And I can’t forget the fabulously brooding Fell, who was incredibly likeable too. Stoic and guarded at first glance, with a beastly reputation to mask his hidden compassionate side. I loved watching Tamsyn slowly uncover just how caring he truly is—making her to reevaluate everything she thought she knew about him. I also loved that he utterly embodies the “touch her and die” trope when it comes to Tamsyn, who he definitely falls for first.

We don’t get to explore his past in as much detail as we do Tamsyn’s, but the snippets we did get were good. I will say that though I did suspect a certain twist when it came to Fell, I still didn’t fully expect THOSE turn of events. I wasn’t ready for it to end soo soon though! I’m now waiting with bated breath for news on the sequel (which I desperately NEED a copy of immediately!)

This is also a prequel of sorts, for the origins of the dragon shifters in Sophie Jordan’s Firelight trilogy (A YA series I believe.) I’ve actually yet to read it, but knowing it’s set in the same world has me really eager to read it.

Overall, a satisfyingly pacy read that romantasy readers should definitely consider checking out. 

Also, thanks to Rachel Quin and HQ for the stunning proof. 
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