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- Book: A Fate Forged In Fire
- Author: Hazel McBride
- Publisher: Delacorte Press
- Publication Date: May 27, 2025
- Pages: 416
- Genre: Romantasy/YA/Fantasy Fiction
- Spice Rating: 1.5 out of 5 🌶️.5
- My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 ⭐⭐⭐.5
This was my first my 1st ARC (Advance Reader Copy – pre-release) book. Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with this free ebook copy in exchange for my honest review.
Overview: Dragons, destiny, fire, trauma, major trigger warnings, and a romance(?) that can’t decide what it wants.
Okay, so let’s talk about A Fate Forged in Fire—a book that had me hooked by the concept (hello, dragons, a badass FMC, and secret royalty), confused by the pacing, and still somehow reaching for the next one by the end.
McBride throws us into a world of Celtic Clans, Dragons, forced marriage, political scheming, and big emotional stakes. And I wanted to love it. The lore has so much potential—Celtic influences, magical bonds, ancient rivalries—but it felt like we were constantly skimming the surface. I needed way more backstory on the clans and the Dragon bonds to really buy into the stakes. Instead, it’s kind of like, “Here’s a dragon bond! Trust us, it’s intense.”
Let’s get to the romance. It’s enemies-to-lovers—but not in that delicious, slow-burn, “I hate you but also your hand brushed mine and now I’m spiraling” kind of way. No, this one’s more: “I hate you. Now we’re married. Now we’re kissing. But I still hate you. Wait—I love you. Now we’re enemies again.” I mean, whiplash much? I wanted to feel the tension, not just be told it was there.
Also, heads up: heavy trigger warnings—child death, forced marriage, abuse, drugging, and more. And while I appreciate that McBride doesn’t shy away from tough topics, (and there is a “disclaimer” before you even start to read.) But like, it’s a seriously dark world, and not quite always handled with the sensitivity it needs.
That said… the book does get better the further you go. The second half flows better, the emotional moments land a little more solidly, and even though the ending leaves a ton unanswered, I wasn’t extremely mad about it. I was actually kind of excited to keep going. There’s something here, even if it’s not fully realized yet.
So, final verdict? It’s messy, chaotic, but still strangely addictive. If you’re into dramatic/traumatic, red flag chaotic romances, dragons, and emotional turmoil with a side of magic and major royal politics, give it a shot. By the very end, I was invested enough to want book two. (Just wished it would’ve hooked me a bit earlier 😕 ) I’m curious to see where the story goes next.
🫶🏻 – Ali
