A Fate Forged in Fire
Discover your next romantasy obsession! (Bonded to Beasts, Book 1)
Published on 31. March 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
416 pages
978-1-4087-4905-0 (ISBN)
Description
Born to rule. Blessed by fire. Broken by desire.
Aemyra has always known she is destined for more than the life she leads as a blacksmith: gifted with fire magic from the Goddess Brigid, she is the first female heir born to the throne of Tir Teine in two hundred years. But her father has kept her identity secret while he has been in exile, waiting for the right time to put his plan in motion and see his daughter ascend the throne. Once a territory built on matriarchal rule and values, Tir Teine has been without a female heir for two centuries and recent kings have allowed an oppressive and corrupt religion - the True Religion - to infect the land and its people, slowly poisoning their minds with anti-magic teachings.
Raised among the people, Aemyra has felt their struggles and has seen Tir Teine fall into decline as the True Religion has gained power. She has waited in anticipation for the king to die, biding her time until she can bond to his dragon - one of the last in existence - and claim her throne. When her true identity is revealed, Aemyra is thrust into a game of vicious politics and plots, one she finds herself woefully unprepared for.
Her biggest adversary is Prince Fiorean, a dragon-rider and the most powerful fire wielder born in decades. Cold, arrogant and without remorse, he is everything Aemyra despises. When he commits an unthinkable act against her, she seeks her vengeance but is captured and forced to become his bride to keep her father and his allies in check. Held captive by her enemies, her life hangs in the balance.
When members of the royal family are poisoned, all eyes point to Aemyra and only her marriage to Fiorean keeps her from the executioner's block. Forced to appear as the dutiful wife, Aemyra begins to see that there is perhaps more to Fiorean than she first believed - his facade as a cruel and heartless prince starts to crack and something wild, raw and unexpected sparks between them - a desire and want they can't fully accept, but neither can deny.
As she begins to unravel the plot behind the poisonings, she uncovers just how far the rot of corruption has spread and her loyalties to her family, her people and herself come into stark contrast with the reckless and uncontrolled feelings that she has developed for Fiorean. Under the heavy gaze of the royal court, Aemyra begins to understand the true weight of the crown and she must decide what she is willing to sacrifice to claim her throne.
Aemyra has always known she is destined for more than the life she leads as a blacksmith: gifted with fire magic from the Goddess Brigid, she is the first female heir born to the throne of Tir Teine in two hundred years. But her father has kept her identity secret while he has been in exile, waiting for the right time to put his plan in motion and see his daughter ascend the throne. Once a territory built on matriarchal rule and values, Tir Teine has been without a female heir for two centuries and recent kings have allowed an oppressive and corrupt religion - the True Religion - to infect the land and its people, slowly poisoning their minds with anti-magic teachings.
Raised among the people, Aemyra has felt their struggles and has seen Tir Teine fall into decline as the True Religion has gained power. She has waited in anticipation for the king to die, biding her time until she can bond to his dragon - one of the last in existence - and claim her throne. When her true identity is revealed, Aemyra is thrust into a game of vicious politics and plots, one she finds herself woefully unprepared for.
Her biggest adversary is Prince Fiorean, a dragon-rider and the most powerful fire wielder born in decades. Cold, arrogant and without remorse, he is everything Aemyra despises. When he commits an unthinkable act against her, she seeks her vengeance but is captured and forced to become his bride to keep her father and his allies in check. Held captive by her enemies, her life hangs in the balance.
When members of the royal family are poisoned, all eyes point to Aemyra and only her marriage to Fiorean keeps her from the executioner's block. Forced to appear as the dutiful wife, Aemyra begins to see that there is perhaps more to Fiorean than she first believed - his facade as a cruel and heartless prince starts to crack and something wild, raw and unexpected sparks between them - a desire and want they can't fully accept, but neither can deny.
As she begins to unravel the plot behind the poisonings, she uncovers just how far the rot of corruption has spread and her loyalties to her family, her people and herself come into stark contrast with the reckless and uncontrolled feelings that she has developed for Fiorean. Under the heavy gaze of the royal court, Aemyra begins to understand the true weight of the crown and she must decide what she is willing to sacrifice to claim her throne.
Reviews / Votes
A Fate Forged in Fire is a romantic, thrilling journey through a world of dragons and destiny. The fiery heroine Aemyra will have you rooting for her from the very first page. Filled with lore, vivid world-building, and an enemies-to-lovers romance that left me breathless, McBride has crafted an adventure that feels both timeless and utterly unique. * Elizabeth Helen, author of Bonded by Thorns * Hazel McBride expertly combines all the best ingredients of the romantasy genre to forge this fiery, addictive read. The rich world building, deadly political schemes, intriguing magic system and sizzling enemies-to-lovers will surely delight readers, but what I personally love most about A Fate Forged in Fire is the delicious female rage that ignites every page, making this book impossible to put down! * Rosie Hewlett, author of Medea * A Fate Forged in Fire delivers visceral action, dagger-to-throat enemies to lovers, lush worldbuilding, and explosive female rage - everything I could want in a romantasy. Hazel McBride's prose is addictive and her storytelling, cinematic. Rarely have I been so swept away. * Brigitte Knightley, author of The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy * Hazel McBride transports us into a world of dragons and scheming rivals. I was pulled in immediately by the lush world building rooted in Celtic mythology, but the twisty, action-packed plot and steamy marriage of convenience made it impossible to put down. I absolutely loved it! * Demi Winters, author of The Road of Bones and Kingdom of Claw * A brutal, breakneck, and blazingly hot new romantasy. A Fate Forged in Fire is true enemies-to-lovers in all their most cutthroat (and hot) glory, ruthless dragon riders forging unforgettable bonds with their beasts, and plot twists so intense with feminine rage, I was glued to the pages. * S. A. Maclean, author of The Phoenix Keeper * With exquisite world building rooted in Scottish culture and an enemies to lovers romance so hot, it sizzles off the page- this book was a non stop thrill ride. * Elliot Fletcher, author of The Macabe Brothers * A smoldering, magical, beautifully empowering romantasy that will keep you reading late into the night. * Abigail Owen, #1 New York Times bestselling author *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
John Murray Press
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Illustrations
N/A
Dimensions
Height: 194 mm
Width: 127 mm
Thickness: 30 mm
Weight
300 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4087-4905-0 (9781408749050)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
05/2025
Renegade Books
€5.49
Available for download
Person
Hazel McBride is a Scottish author currently living in The Netherlands. 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. She is a member of the LGTBQIA+ community and having diverse and queer characters feature prominently in her novels is hugely important to her.