A review by thebookrealmguide
Of Flame and Fury by Mikayla Bridge

adventurous challenging emotional lighthearted sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This was such a fun YA romantasy summer read! 

It’s a debut for the author, Mikayla Bridge. Very light hearted, action-packed, and original story. I loved the topic of phoenix racing. This is what drew me in to read the book in the first place. I think I needed a change of pace from dragons, and this was similar yet different enough to satisfy my need to something new. The phoenix racing is akin to if horse racing and F1 racing had a baby. Very fun and accelerating. 

I don’t get to say this often, but the characters were so fun and lovable. I loved their innocence, but still a very fiery bunch that kept me on my toes. They were just very enjoyable to curl up with at the end of the day. A true sense of found family with this crew of teens, and I felt like a Howler as I read as well. I also loved our non-brooding, cocky MMC, Warren “Coup”. I also have been reading too many broody leads lately and he was just the right fix of sunny golden retriever energy that I needed. While I loved our FMC, Kel, I would say, Savita, her phoenix, stole the show. I loved every moment with her, and missed her dearly when she wasn’t on the page. 

Definitely pick it up! It’s compared to a Fourth Wing meets Iron Widow. I really think it had a vibe of its own though. It’s also marketed as an enemies-to-lovers, but I got more reluctant teammates, maybe even rivals, vibes from Coup and Kel than enemies. Plus it all starts with some fake dating! Very entertaining. As a YA, it’s pretty closed door, but I love that every once in a while too. The sweetness in the romance is so rewarding. 

We were left with a great cliffhanger to pick up from in Book 2! I’ll definitely be looking forward to continuing with the series. 

I loved immersive reading the ARC with the ALC. Safiyya Ingar did a fantastic job verbally bringing this world to life. There were many characters she plays and she gave each their own flavor and spirit. 

Thank you NetGalley, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux for my ARC, and Macmillan Audio for my ALC.