If you’re obsessed with Fourth Wing or House of the Dragon, A Fate Forged in Fire needs to be your next read.
From Fourth Wing and A Court of Thorns and Roses to Powerless, romantasy fans have plenty to love — but for those craving something fresh, the first installment in a new duology, spotlighted on Goodreads’ list of most anticipated 2025 romantasy novels, might be your next obsession.
Hazel McBride’s A Fate Forged in Fire is a Celtic-inspired romantasy that brings myth and magic to life. In the kingdom of Tìr Teine—once ruled by powerful queens but now without a female heir for generations—Aemyra, the blacksmith’s daughter with a rare gift for fire magic, waits in secrecy. Her destiny? To bond with the king’s dragon after his death and rise to protect the people she loves.
But when her carefully laid plans unravel, Aemyra is thrust into a treacherous web of politics and power—caught between shifting alliances and Prince Fiorean, a formidable dragon rider and fire wielder who just so happens to be her fiercest rival.
With more than 70,000 followers and 6.5 million likes on TikTok, Hazel McBride credits the platform with helping to fuel the rise of the romantasy genre in recent years. ‘There are always toxic corners of the internet,’ she noted, ‘but I think the key is approaching it all with an open mind’.
Being a TikTok creator isn’t without its challenges. Hazel explained that TikTok is different from platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube—where most of your audience already follows you and understands your background. On TikTok, the majority of people seeing your content don’t know you, so they’re much quicker to take things out of context.
A Fate Forged in Fire by Hazel McBride will be released in hardback by Renegade Books on May 27, 2025, priced at £20. Let’s be ready to discover a new romantasy world!
