Of Flame and Fury

This is packed with big, flashy ideas, and I had a good time with it. Phoenix racing is such a cool concept, and it’s used in a way that feels dangerous and genuinely fun. It reminded me a bit of Monsters Born and Made, with a dash of The Hunger Games, with the fake, very public dating between rivals, but it also carves out its own lane pretty quickly.It read more young adult for me in terms of its characters, but there are darker moments, too. The worldbuilding around phoenix magic and the political instability kept things moving, and I especially appreciated how the story weaves in ethical questions. The villain, in particular, was quite nuanced and I understood their motivations entirely, even if I didn't agree with how they went about things.The romance was cute, and I'm a sucker for rivals-to-lovers. It felt more like a background thread compared to Kel’s bond with her phoenix and the high-stakes racing. That said, the fake dating aspect was fun, and the audiobook really elevated the pacing and tension, especially during the races.Overall, this is a campy, high-energy debut with phoenixes, politics, and just enough chaos to keep things interesting. If Phoenix Racing sounds even remotely fun to you, especially if you love competitive, adrenaline-heavy sports narratives, this one’s worth checking out.Thanks so much to Macmillan Audio and Macmillan Children's for the beautiful physical copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

This was a unique fantasy- phoenixes was an amazing twist in the year of all things dragon, and they were handled well, an edge of danger that never really went away. I do hope she continues on and makes this a series. I hesitate to call this enemies to lovers, they were enemies for about ten minutes. 🤣 but the love story was sweet.

This story lives in anger, grief, and the fallout of both. From the start, Of Flame and Fury makes it clear it’s not interested in being gentle. The emotional intensity is front and center, and the stakes feel personal rather than abstract, which makes everything hit harder.What really worked for me was the sustained momentum. The fury driving the story feels earned, the tension stays high, and the emotional throughline never loses focus. I did want a bit more depth in a few places, but overall this was immersive, cathartic, and deeply satisfying.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️𝗩𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸:🔥 simmering rage and resolve🖤 emotionally heavy, personal stakes⚡ steady, forward-moving pacing𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗳:you’re not in the mood for anger-driven, emotionally intense storytellingBig thanks to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for the gifted copy!

📖 Of Flame and Fury by Mikayla BridgeRating: ★★★★☆Sometimes a book arrives like wildfire, consuming everything in its path, leaving you breathless in the beautiful aftermath of its flames.Of Flame and Fury swept through my reading world with the fierce grace of its phoenixes, delivering a story that burns bright with possibility while occasionally flickering in its depths. Mikayla Bridge has crafted something genuinely unique here, a world where the bond between tamer and phoenix mirrors our own complex relationships with love, control, and freedom.The heart of this story beats strongest in the slow-burn dance between Kel and Coup. Their enemies-to-lovers arc unfolds with delicious authenticity, each barbed exchange and reluctant moment of vulnerability building toward something that feels earned rather than inevitable. The banter crackles with wit and tension. Watching them fall felt like witnessing something sacred, messy and beautiful in equal measure.But it's the found family dynamic of the Crimson Howlers that truly made my heart soar. There's something profoundly moving about watching broken people choose each other, again and again, forging bonds stronger than blood through shared purpose and unwavering loyalty. The team's unbreakable connection resonates with anyone who's ever found their tribe in unexpected places.Bridge's phoenixes are breathtaking creatures that left me desperately envious, their descriptions so vivid I could almost feel their flames against my skin. The author navigates the complex ethics of their captivity with thoughtful nuance, never offering easy answers to the tension between love and control, protection and freedom.While the concept sparkles with originality and the character backstories unfold with rich complexity, one element of the world’s danger left me unsettled. The mechanics of the illness, how it spreads and intensifies, didn’t always click for me, leaving a small void between what I felt and what I understood.The animal rights themes weave seamlessly through the narrative, challenging both characters and readers to examine our own relationships with the creatures we claim to love. It's a delicate balance Bridge strikes beautifully, honoring both the fierce protectiveness of love and the recognition that true love sometimes means letting go.📦 What to Expect✨ Unique Fantasy World💖 Slow Burn Romance🔥 Enemies-to-Lovers Dynamic🐦‍🔥 Breathtaking Phoenix Magic💔 Found Family Bonds🏁 High-Stakes Racing Competition⚖️ Complex Moral Questions🎯 Final ThoughtsThis book burns bright with potential and delivers genuine emotional resonance, even when it doesn't quite reach the scorching depths it promises. If you're drawn to stories that challenge your heart while entertaining your soul, let these phoenixes carry you away.📚 Book TagsKeywords: Phoenix Racing, Enemies-to-Lovers, Found Family, Animal Rights, Memory Loss, Slow Burn RomanceTropes: Enemies-to-Lovers, Found Family, Magical Creatures, Racing Competition, Memory Issues, Morally Gray Characters

I absolutely loved this book, but I do feel strongly that calling it “enemies to lovers” is a disservice to what it actually is. The real love story here, the one that mattered to me more than anything, wasn’t romantic at all. It was Savita. Her relationship, her presence, her impact ....that is the emotional core of this story, and it eclipses any connection with the MMC a hundred times over.The worldbuilding was lush and immersive without ever stalling the pacing, and the structure kept me locked in from the start. But that final 30%? Utter chaos in the best way. Breathless, relentless, cinematic, my heart was racing from chapter to chapter.Of Flame and Fury has officially made Mikayla Bridge an instant-buy author for me. I will pick up anything she writes next, without hesitation.