Enticing Romantasy: Dragons, Witches, and Dark Secrets. A Fire in the Sky by Sophie Jordan.

Synopsis

New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan returns to the high-stakes, sweeping world of dragons, romance, and drama first evoked in her bestselling young adult Firelight series, in a brand-new epic adult romantasy series.

Dragons are extinct. Witches are outcast. Magic is dying.

But human lust for power is immortal.

Dragon fire no longer blisters the skies over Penterra, but inside the lavish palace, life is still perilous…especially for Tamsyn. Raised in the glittering court alongside the princesses, it’s her duty to be punished for their misdeeds. Treated as part of the royal family but also as the lowliest servant, Tamsyn fits nowhere. Her only friend is Stig, Captain of the Guard…though sometimes she thinks he wants more than friendship.

When Fell, the Beast of the Borderlands, descends on her home, Tamsyn’s world becomes even more dangerous. To save the pampered princesses from a fate worse than death, she is commanded to don a veil and marry the brutal warrior. She agrees to the deception even though it means leaving Stig, and the only life she’s ever known, behind.

The wedding night begins with unexpected passion—and ends in near violence when her trickery is exposed. Rather than start a war, Fell accepts Tamsyn as his bride…but can he accept the dark secrets she harbors—secrets buried so deep even she doesn’t know they exist? For Tamsyn is more than a royal whipping girl, more than the false wife of a man who now sees her as his enemy. And when those secrets emerge, they will ignite a flame bright enough to burn the entire kingdom to the bone.

Magic is not dead…it is only sleeping. And it will take one ordinary girl with an extraordinary destiny to awaken it.

Audiobook Review

4,5 stars (because the narration was really good otherwise I would probably have given 4 stars).

Narrators:          Fiona Hardingham narrates Tamsyn (perfect match)

                                 Joe Jameson narrates Fell (deep sexy male voice that I had enjoyed as Oliver in Boyfriend Material)

                                 Will M. Watt narrates Stig.

I must confess that I listened to that book because of the hype surrounding it. And also because of dragons!

If I have to sum it up I would say it’s a solid romantasy, the world building is not extremely new but holds many elements I love in my fantasy stories like dragons and witches and the romance is very enjoyable. It’s an easy and fast read that will keep you entertained and will probably leave you wanting to read the sequel because… you will see!

Some elements of the story I really liked:

-the concept of whipping girl or boy.

I had no idea that existed but it seems the author found some mentions of that custom in the centuries past.

Basically, Tamsyn, an orphan the queen found at the palace door is to get punished by proxy. Whenever the princesses are being naughty, Tamsyn is flogged (by a regent that I must say deeply enjoys doing the whipping).

In exchange, Tamsyn is raised in luxury like a daughter to the princesses.

-Fell’s reaction to the treachery

Fell is a border Lord. His surname is the Beast as he is tasked with protecting the kingdom against invaders and, in the past, dragons. When he came to the king to ask for a princess bride, he had been tricked in marrying Tamsyn. Unaware of who he married and bedded.

He could have lashed out or treated her very poorly but instead he protected his wife and was gentle with her.

I love a protective hero, someone very powerful and able to beat anyone into a pulp but gentle with his wife and people. It’s the perfect combo!

-the … surprise element.

I won’t say more as I don’t want to spoil your fun but lets just say that I had an inkling about Tamsyn but I was wrong! On the other hand, I was right about the other surprise at the end of the book! Cryptic, I know, you’ll just have to read the book to understand LOL

All in all, I think it’s a good start to a new series that will please romantasy readers and dragons lovers! I will read (or rather listen to) its sequel!

Thanks for reading.

Sophie