paging_escapism 's review for:

Of Flame and Fury by Mikayla Bridge

4.25

adventurous funny lighthearted tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Of Flame and Fury by Mikayla Bridge was probably one of the best debut books I’ve read in a very long time. The book felt so well thought out and managed to be fast paced without being rushed. Set in a unique world full of magical creatures, it was amazing to have phoenixes take center stage—especially in the amazing context of racing them for sport. I was sat. 

The rivals to lovers romance is given the perfect amount of tension and attention to make it a central plot point without losing any of the characters or world building. In terms of spice, I felt like this book flirted with transitioning to the older end of YA with some of the descriptive language used. While nothing actually wound up happening on page that would tip into NA territory, I will be curious to see if that line is crossed in the next book. Because there will be a next book… right? Right!? 

I absolutely recommend this to anyone that wants to stay in their comfy YA/NA romantasy wheel house but with a fresh take from a fresh author. 

Thank you to NetGalley, Mikayla Bridge, and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group/Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux (BYR) for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.