Title: A Fate Forged in FireAuthor: Hazel McBride
Series: Bonded to Beasts #1
Pages: 416
Publication Date: May 27, 2025
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Fantasy / Romantasy
Synopsis:
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 kingdom—while also fighting her growing desire for one of her dragon-riding adversaries—in the first book of a sizzling Celtic-inspired fantasy romance duology.
Once a territory built on matriarchal rule and values, Tìr 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 king’s 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 alliance—one 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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A Fate Forged in Fire is a Celtic-inspired romantasy filled with dragons, fire magic, and a ton of political intrigue. Overall, I had some mixed feelings about the story. I really liked the concept of a blacksmith-turned-queen fighting for her place in a world shaped by matriarchal legacy and patriarchal corruption. It’s such an intriguing premise! And the setting is rich with mythology and lore, but I thought some of the world-building was too much at once and bordered on info-dumping at times. Overall, however, I did enjoy the story enough that I’m interested in seeing how the story progresses in the second book.
Aemyra is a determined and passionate heroine, and while she didn’t always make the smartest choices, her convictions were admirable. She’s bold and cocky, and she has a sense of entitlement that is a bit off-putting, if understandable. I like how she grows and changes over the course of the story and how she is humbled a bit. Other characters were interesting and well-developed, and the dragons were a major highlight!
Though I enjoyed the plot, the pacing felt uneven to me. It was rushed in parts where I wanted more development, especially with character motivations and the romance. I enjoyed the love story between Aemyra and Fiorean, but their relationship could’ve been fleshed out a bit more. Sometimes, their conversations and the chemistry between them felt a bit forced, and other times, it was super swoon-worthy. That being said, it definitely has enemies-to-lovers, opposites attract vibes, which I loved.
I think readers who enjoy a strong heroine, a magical world in political unrest, and a slow-burning romance will enjoy this romantasy. It’s an interesting start to the Bonded to Beasts duology, and after that cliffhanger, I’m curious to see what happens next. Plus, the dragons!!! I’ll stick to my belief that you can’t go wrong with dragons. lol
‘Weak men would rather guilt strong women than become strong themselves, and Aemyra was content to show them what strength truly looked like”
- enemies to lovers
- dragons
- bi rep
- hidden heir
- slow burn
Hazel McBride is a Scottish author currently living in The Netherlands.
Book one in her upcoming adult fantasy romance duology, A FATE FORGED IN FIRE is being published in early 2025 by Renegade books UK and Dell US with pre-empt deals with Aufbau in German and NeoN Libri in Italian
After gaining her BSc in Psychology at the University of Glasgow, she moved to the Dominican Republic. Switching the laid-back Caribbean for the sun-drenched Canary Islands a year later, she then moved to the South of France and is now fluent in three languages. As a bisexual author, having queer characters feature prominently in her novels, alongside her Scottish heritage is hugely important to her.
You had me at dragons. If the dragons are written well, then I can forgive quite a bit of info dumping etc. I’m definitely adding this one to my TBR
I had trouble pronouncing some of the names in this book lol but I loved the dragons and can’t wait to see what happens in book two also!