Title: Of Flame and Fury
Author: Mikayla Bridge
Publication: July 15, 2025
Publisher: Firrar, Straus, and Giroux
Genre: Teens, YA Fiction, Fantasy
Pages: 416
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SYNOPSIS: (From Goodreads)
On an island built from ash and shrouded in fire, phoenix racing is a sport just as profitable as it is deadly.
Seventeen-year-old Kel Varra and her team of underdogs, the Crimson Howlers, are desperate to win the annual races and the fortune that comes with it. But the Howlers need a new rider, which leads Kel to join forces with Warren “Coup” Coupers – an arrogant rival she can’t get out of her head.
As tensions rise on and off the track, Kel’s home is mistakenly burned down, and she’s forced to take a job from a mysterious tech mogul with an unsettling interest in her phoenix, Savita. This sets in motion a conspiracy that threatens everyone Kel cares for, especially Coup, for whom her embers of resentment are quickly igniting into something dangerously new.
REVIEW:
**A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
Mikayla Bridge is a debut author and her book has hit all the marks! I don’t read much YA Fantasy because I find it hard to relate to or focus on the stories but this book had me from beginning to end. There is something so interesting about Phoenix racing and I have never seen it in a plot until now. The world building is fantastic. The author dropped me right into the action with her descriptors and storytelling.
There is an enemies to lovers trope but it’s very age appropriate and doesn’t take away from the plot at all. The thrilling world of magic, phoenixes, and competitive racing where riders lose their lives took me on a journey. Early on, I suspected I knew the plot but the ending will blow you away. I was unprepared and I hope there is another book because I need to know what happens!
At some points, I did feel a little lost but I can’t tell if that was the author’s intention or if there were some plot holes. Of course, if this is a series then we may learn in another book.
Overall, I really enjoyed Of Flame and Fury!
