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The Fire That Binds #1
Firebird
An instant New York Times bestseller!
House of the Dragon meets From Blood and Ash in this epic, scorching dark romantasy.
A conqueror captivated…
A witch prophesied to save them all…
An unforgiving world where dragons rule Rome.
Julian Dakkia, Roman general and nephew to the emperor, has played his role as conqueror well. Yet, the moment he laid eyes on Malina, he was enthralled by the Dacian dancer. Years later, the fierce beauty stands before him, a captive on a scarred battlefield, her life in danger. He instinctively shifts into his fierce dragon form to save her, an action that may mean his head on the imperial gate.
The rules of their world dictate that he is the conqueror and she is the captured. But he and his dragon know one thing: their bond has nothing to do with the laws of mighty Rome. She belongs to them. And they belong to her.
Fierce and powerful, twenty-one-year old Malina has survived the loss of her family and she is determined to fight until her dying breath. Still, she can’t believe that the centurion who had once bestowed a secret talisman on her is the Roman general of legendary brutality…and now holds her life in his hands. Nor can she deny how her soul has always seemed to answer his. Slowly she learns that Julian is caught in his mad uncle’s machinations for domination, and helps him plot the downfall of the empire itself.
As they navigate a world where flying deathriders conquer and burn, their love will ignite a firestorm that can only end in heartbreak or death. Or both.
Firebird is a fantasy with some dark themes, including elements of master/slave relationship, attempted sexual assault (not between MCs), and dubious consent (not between MCs). Readers who may be sensitive to these elements, please take note.
House of the Dragon meets From Blood and Ash in this epic, scorching dark romantasy.
A conqueror captivated…
A witch prophesied to save them all…
An unforgiving world where dragons rule Rome.
Julian Dakkia, Roman general and nephew to the emperor, has played his role as conqueror well. Yet, the moment he laid eyes on Malina, he was enthralled by the Dacian dancer. Years later, the fierce beauty stands before him, a captive on a scarred battlefield, her life in danger. He instinctively shifts into his fierce dragon form to save her, an action that may mean his head on the imperial gate.
The rules of their world dictate that he is the conqueror and she is the captured. But he and his dragon know one thing: their bond has nothing to do with the laws of mighty Rome. She belongs to them. And they belong to her.
Fierce and powerful, twenty-one-year old Malina has survived the loss of her family and she is determined to fight until her dying breath. Still, she can’t believe that the centurion who had once bestowed a secret talisman on her is the Roman general of legendary brutality…and now holds her life in his hands. Nor can she deny how her soul has always seemed to answer his. Slowly she learns that Julian is caught in his mad uncle’s machinations for domination, and helps him plot the downfall of the empire itself.
As they navigate a world where flying deathriders conquer and burn, their love will ignite a firestorm that can only end in heartbreak or death. Or both.
Firebird is a fantasy with some dark themes, including elements of master/slave relationship, attempted sexual assault (not between MCs), and dubious consent (not between MCs). Readers who may be sensitive to these elements, please take note.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 8, 2025
2321 people are currently reading
45556 people want to read
About the author
Juliette Cross
45 books4,534 followersFor upcoming news and releases, sign-up here: http://eepurl.com/XeKIn
JULIETTE is a multi-published author of paranormal and contemporary romance, including the best-selling STAY A SPELL series. As a native of Louisiana, she lives in the heart of Cajun country with her husband, four kids, and sundry animals. When she isn’t working on her next project, she enjoys binge-watching her favorite shows with her husband and a glass (or two) of red wine or whiskey.
Follow JULIETTE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliettecro...
Follow JULIETTE on FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/juliettecros...
Follow JULIETTE on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Juliette__Cross
JULIETTE is a multi-published author of paranormal and contemporary romance, including the best-selling STAY A SPELL series. As a native of Louisiana, she lives in the heart of Cajun country with her husband, four kids, and sundry animals. When she isn’t working on her next project, she enjoys binge-watching her favorite shows with her husband and a glass (or two) of red wine or whiskey.
Follow JULIETTE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliettecro...
Follow JULIETTE on FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/juliettecros...
Follow JULIETTE on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Juliette__Cross
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,656 reviews
December 25, 2024
I know 2 things:
1. This Romantasy is going to blow up when it comes out
2. I did not like it one bit
Now that we both know these two things, let’s proceed with caution shall we? This is a story about a witch blessed with emphatic magic to feel and control the emotions of others. She is captured by an infamous Roman general who is immediately captivated by her and makes her his body slave. In this world the Roman Empire is obviously corrupt and lots of people are actually dragons. The general (love interest) is keeping secrets and is probably not as evil as his reputation would have you believe.
Before I unleash my inner rath let me say 2 nice things. Firstly I appreciated that the Malina wasn’t just a snarky stabby rinse and repeat FMC. She’s definitely snippy but I wouldn’t quite put her into the 100% insufferable category. Secondly I liked that the author picked Ancient Rome as her setting inspiration because finallyyyy the girlies get to have their romance empire moment. Nice!
Now for… everything else.
At the end of the day I don’t think I was ever going to jive with a colonizer/slave master x slave romance. For this story to even remotely work it would have to be handled with such nuance. Firebird doesn’t have that. The power imbalance between them was so icky that I found myself closing my eyes in dread at scenes leading up to intimacy because I was like “no pleaseee don’t do anything until you both are actual equals.” That’s just not a pleasant way to experience romantic progression.
This issue was also exacerbated by the fact that the love interest Julianus is a dragon. The dragon within him (and also just straight up the man) often says things like “you are mine” “tell me you’re giving yourself to me” “my treasure” “say you are mine” etc. I understand these are romantasy cash lines and while I’m not even a big fan of them in the base case, given the context, they were so uncomfortable to read. I’ll also say that since this is a romance you know the love interest is going to be redeemed and has his reasons etc etc. but I just didn’t buy it? I don’t care why he conquered and murdered all her people, I care that he did it in the first place.
Let’s move on from the romance. Let’s talk about world building/ setting. This is a Romantasy pitched as From Blood & Ash meets House of the Dragon. Unfortunately the only similarity between Cross’s Roman inspired setting to George R.R. Martin’s Westeros (besides the existence of dragons) was gratuitous violence towards woman. If you are hoping this story will have complex political maneuvering and characters with depth, look elsewhere. The politics is so surface level I couldn’t even submerge my pinky in it. Plus the presence of dragons just felt like an excuse for insta love, mating bonds, and “inexplicable connections” between two people to exist.
Humor me, let’s come back to the romance itself for a second. APART from the ickiness in the context between them, the actual interactions between Malina and Julianus made me feel nothing. Their dynamic was just canned romantasy lines, attraction without substance, and cringe spicy scenes. I know that’s pretty subjective but words like nub, quim, and cunny were present. No thank uuu
Alright wrapping up this rant. I’ll admit I read this book up until the 60-70% mark before I truly started skimming it. That is LATE in the game for a dnf and skim. I stuck with it for that long only because I was genuinely curious how the author was going to navigate the power imbalance between them romantically, not because I cared about the characters, the romance, or the world stakes.
I leave you with a quote from early on, when our guy Julianus turns into a dragon on site when he sees his girl being attacked:
“Treasure. Slicing into the world, I roar. The gray half-man shakes with fear. As he should. He is no dragon. Nor man. He is a vile creature who planned to defile my treasure. He must bleed. He must die.”
Literally: rawr XD
1. This Romantasy is going to blow up when it comes out
2. I did not like it one bit
Now that we both know these two things, let’s proceed with caution shall we? This is a story about a witch blessed with emphatic magic to feel and control the emotions of others. She is captured by an infamous Roman general who is immediately captivated by her and makes her his body slave. In this world the Roman Empire is obviously corrupt and lots of people are actually dragons. The general (love interest) is keeping secrets and is probably not as evil as his reputation would have you believe.
Before I unleash my inner rath let me say 2 nice things. Firstly I appreciated that the Malina wasn’t just a snarky stabby rinse and repeat FMC. She’s definitely snippy but I wouldn’t quite put her into the 100% insufferable category. Secondly I liked that the author picked Ancient Rome as her setting inspiration because finallyyyy the girlies get to have their romance empire moment. Nice!
Now for… everything else.
At the end of the day I don’t think I was ever going to jive with a colonizer/slave master x slave romance. For this story to even remotely work it would have to be handled with such nuance. Firebird doesn’t have that. The power imbalance between them was so icky that I found myself closing my eyes in dread at scenes leading up to intimacy because I was like “no pleaseee don’t do anything until you both are actual equals.” That’s just not a pleasant way to experience romantic progression.
This issue was also exacerbated by the fact that the love interest Julianus is a dragon. The dragon within him (and also just straight up the man) often says things like “you are mine” “tell me you’re giving yourself to me” “my treasure” “say you are mine” etc. I understand these are romantasy cash lines and while I’m not even a big fan of them in the base case, given the context, they were so uncomfortable to read. I’ll also say that since this is a romance you know the love interest is going to be redeemed and has his reasons etc etc. but I just didn’t buy it? I don’t care why he conquered and murdered all her people, I care that he did it in the first place.
Let’s move on from the romance. Let’s talk about world building/ setting. This is a Romantasy pitched as From Blood & Ash meets House of the Dragon. Unfortunately the only similarity between Cross’s Roman inspired setting to George R.R. Martin’s Westeros (besides the existence of dragons) was gratuitous violence towards woman. If you are hoping this story will have complex political maneuvering and characters with depth, look elsewhere. The politics is so surface level I couldn’t even submerge my pinky in it. Plus the presence of dragons just felt like an excuse for insta love, mating bonds, and “inexplicable connections” between two people to exist.
Humor me, let’s come back to the romance itself for a second. APART from the ickiness in the context between them, the actual interactions between Malina and Julianus made me feel nothing. Their dynamic was just canned romantasy lines, attraction without substance, and cringe spicy scenes. I know that’s pretty subjective but words like nub, quim, and cunny were present. No thank uuu
Alright wrapping up this rant. I’ll admit I read this book up until the 60-70% mark before I truly started skimming it. That is LATE in the game for a dnf and skim. I stuck with it for that long only because I was genuinely curious how the author was going to navigate the power imbalance between them romantically, not because I cared about the characters, the romance, or the world stakes.
I leave you with a quote from early on, when our guy Julianus turns into a dragon on site when he sees his girl being attacked:
“Treasure. Slicing into the world, I roar. The gray half-man shakes with fear. As he should. He is no dragon. Nor man. He is a vile creature who planned to defile my treasure. He must bleed. He must die.”
Literally: rawr XD
October 14, 2025
colonizer/oppressed romance is now a thing guys.
Read
April 15, 2025DNF.
I posted a TT saying how excited I was to read this and my mind changed.
I was so excited for this one, it started off strong especially when I saw Romanian language being used (because I’m half Romanian), but I got to the part where she ends up being his slave and he’s the master and it rubbed me wrong but then the rubbing got worse when I read a child wearing a slave collar. I just didn’t like that. And then I skipped ahead to see if he redeems himself in any way (which I’m not sure if he does because I couldn’t read the rest) but I read a spicy scene and he called her lady parts down there “cunny”. Nope. No thank you.
Again, I was SO excited for this one, but these were things that just rubbed me wrong and were not for me at all. So I will not be continuing this book unfortunately.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an early copy, I am super appreciative.
I posted a TT saying how excited I was to read this and my mind changed.
I was so excited for this one, it started off strong especially when I saw Romanian language being used (because I’m half Romanian), but I got to the part where she ends up being his slave and he’s the master and it rubbed me wrong but then the rubbing got worse when I read a child wearing a slave collar. I just didn’t like that. And then I skipped ahead to see if he redeems himself in any way (which I’m not sure if he does because I couldn’t read the rest) but I read a spicy scene and he called her lady parts down there “cunny”. Nope. No thank you.
Again, I was SO excited for this one, but these were things that just rubbed me wrong and were not for me at all. So I will not be continuing this book unfortunately.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an early copy, I am super appreciative.
June 13, 2025
If people tell me not to read this because of the slave/slave master dynamic and they have some “moral superiority” over me or some ish, let me just tell you, don’t yuck my yum. I LOVE a damn off balance power dynamic. Oh he’s the boss and she’s his secretary? Love it. She’s the servant? Hell to the YES. Slave? Governess? He bought her at an auction?! Just take all my freaking money because it’s freaking DELICIOUS! You have issues with this??? Oh and now we are bringing up colonization because somehow we have to get involved in ancient roman politics on top of everything when I’m just trying to read a damn romance book? If I can read freaking dark romance books where the mafia is literally murdering people and these sociopath heroes are throwing consent out the window and we are all good with that cause it’s labeled “dark romance,” then slave/slave master should be no issue.
Don’t yuck it just because someone else told you you have to, okay? It’s fine. It’s fantasy. It’s consensual and it’s romantic and it’s fine. We don’t have to make every damn thing in life a social issue, okay? Don’t @ me in the comments because I sincerely don’t give a crap what anyone says about any of this because this book is actually great. And if you didn’t like it cause of that trope and gave it one star just because of that trope that’s super lame of you. You should’ve just walked away from it cause this isn’t for youuuuu! It’s for gremlins like me who like politically incorrect books!! And or people who just aren’t triggered by social dynamics of Ancient Rome. 🤷🏻♀️
Anywhoo, here’s my OG review from when I first read it 😘
This publishes on my birthday next year and it’s a sign because this book is freaking glorious. GLORIOUS!
Gloooooooooooooooooooooorious!!
This world is an ancient Roman Empire but also dragons and gods and magic. Like I said. FREAKING GLORIOUS.
Julian is a dragon, but obvs he’s still a man, who finds a beautiful foreign girl dancing one night and gifts her a golden coin. Malina, said girl, is drawn to this dragon man and keeps this coin as protection and never forgets about this man.
Four years later these two are reunited when Julian leads an army that kills the entire village she’s living in (See?! See?! Glorious) and when she’s taken as a spoil of war Julian is NOT having it. He recognizes his foreign dancer girl being attacked by one of his men and his dragon is rumbling suuuper possessively and wonderfully and yaaaaalll. It’s delicious. DELICIOUS. This dragon isn’t gonna let this girl get away this time, no matter what the cost.
I loved this one so much. Gobbled it up. Pre-ordering the beautiful edition of this book. It’s so freaking good. I don’t want to share too much because you just need to read it and trust me that it’s great and thank me later.
Thanks for the ARC, review is my own.
Don’t yuck it just because someone else told you you have to, okay? It’s fine. It’s fantasy. It’s consensual and it’s romantic and it’s fine. We don’t have to make every damn thing in life a social issue, okay? Don’t @ me in the comments because I sincerely don’t give a crap what anyone says about any of this because this book is actually great. And if you didn’t like it cause of that trope and gave it one star just because of that trope that’s super lame of you. You should’ve just walked away from it cause this isn’t for youuuuu! It’s for gremlins like me who like politically incorrect books!! And or people who just aren’t triggered by social dynamics of Ancient Rome. 🤷🏻♀️
Anywhoo, here’s my OG review from when I first read it 😘
This publishes on my birthday next year and it’s a sign because this book is freaking glorious. GLORIOUS!
Gloooooooooooooooooooooorious!!
This world is an ancient Roman Empire but also dragons and gods and magic. Like I said. FREAKING GLORIOUS.
Julian is a dragon, but obvs he’s still a man, who finds a beautiful foreign girl dancing one night and gifts her a golden coin. Malina, said girl, is drawn to this dragon man and keeps this coin as protection and never forgets about this man.
Four years later these two are reunited when Julian leads an army that kills the entire village she’s living in (See?! See?! Glorious) and when she’s taken as a spoil of war Julian is NOT having it. He recognizes his foreign dancer girl being attacked by one of his men and his dragon is rumbling suuuper possessively and wonderfully and yaaaaalll. It’s delicious. DELICIOUS. This dragon isn’t gonna let this girl get away this time, no matter what the cost.
I loved this one so much. Gobbled it up. Pre-ordering the beautiful edition of this book. It’s so freaking good. I don’t want to share too much because you just need to read it and trust me that it’s great and thank me later.
Thanks for the ARC, review is my own.
March 15, 2025
I loved this so much!
Full review to come.
Warning to everyone, though.. this is a DARK Romantasy. I feel like Brambl may not be doing the best at marketing this. Because I see a LOT of reviews that are dogging on it for the dynamic in here. And if you are not fully warned, this is going to smack you in the face. No shade to anyone who isn't interested in that, but it is a big part of this story.
If a Master/slave scenario in Ancient Rome, where they fall in love isn't gonna work for you... maybe... DON'T read it? Just for your own peace of mind.
I had a thrilling time though, as I did know what to expect, so I was there for the journey and for learning about this world and the dragons and everything else involved.
5 stars
3 on the spice scale
*Thank you to the author and McMillan for an ALC and ARC of this title.*
Full review to come.
Warning to everyone, though.. this is a DARK Romantasy. I feel like Brambl may not be doing the best at marketing this. Because I see a LOT of reviews that are dogging on it for the dynamic in here. And if you are not fully warned, this is going to smack you in the face. No shade to anyone who isn't interested in that, but it is a big part of this story.
If a Master/slave scenario in Ancient Rome, where they fall in love isn't gonna work for you... maybe... DON'T read it? Just for your own peace of mind.
I had a thrilling time though, as I did know what to expect, so I was there for the journey and for learning about this world and the dragons and everything else involved.
5 stars
3 on the spice scale
*Thank you to the author and McMillan for an ALC and ARC of this title.*
May 23, 2025
✩ 3.45 stars ✩
What to Expect:
➼ Enemies-to-Lovers
➼ Forced Proximity
➼ Fated Mates
➼ Celtic Witch x Roman Dragon Shifter
➼ Political Intrigue
➼ Captor/Captive
➼ Only One Bed
➼ Forbidden Romance
➼ Dark Romantasy
➼ Dual Narration
➼ Dual First Person POV
I read a lot of reviews about the slave/master dynamic going into this and I was expecting this to be very dark and maybe even non consensual, but thankfully that wasn’t the case. As an American, I can tell you that sometimes the government just sucks and there’s not much you can do about it. 🙃 I think that about sums up the circumstances these characters found themselves in. I felt like he made the best choices he could in a bad situation and that her “slave” status felt more like a cover story than anything else. In the circumstances, it would have been very difficult for him to free her, and if he did, where would she go? She was a major player in the battle so her absence wouldn’t go unnoticed and her people have already been defeated. Doesn’t exactly leave them with a lot of options…
There’s also the fact that they are mates. Should he just drop his mate off somewhere and hope for the best or give up on their bond all together? I felt that he would have done that if she had asked or if he thought she truly would have been safer, and that was enough for me. 🤷🏼♀️
He also had a plan in the works to overthrow the current ruler which would allow him to make changes and free her in the very near future. He was very open with her about his plans too, so I felt like the FMC was actively making decisions and choosing whether or not she would play an active role in the plan for the majority of the story. If you DNF’d this early on, I could see why you might think the worst of it, but I didn’t feel as strongly about it by the end. It wasn’t any worse than The Winner’s Curse trilogy and I’ve never heard anyone raise a fuss about that. 👀 Kind of hypocritical if it’s only because the roles were reversed.
Anyway, I digress…
When it was all said and done, I just wasn’t all that enthralled by this story or their relationship. I think a lot of people will love this, but it was just missing that spark for me. Overall, this was an enjoyable read, but it doesn’t really stand out to me in the vast sea of Romantasy reads. I honestly think I might not be that into Dragon shifters in general so it could be a me thing. It feels a little too much like monster romance to me and that’s just not my jam. 🙃
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Pre-read: Did you guys know about this emoji?! 🐦🔥🐦🔥
I’ve seen some valid negative viewpoints on this one.
I love Juliette Cross and I own two editions of this book so I’m hoping I will still enjoy it somewhat…
≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫
Connect with me on Instagram
What to Expect:
➼ Enemies-to-Lovers
➼ Forced Proximity
➼ Fated Mates
➼ Celtic Witch x Roman Dragon Shifter
➼ Political Intrigue
➼ Captor/Captive
➼ Only One Bed
➼ Forbidden Romance
➼ Dark Romantasy
➼ Dual Narration
➼ Dual First Person POV
I read a lot of reviews about the slave/master dynamic going into this and I was expecting this to be very dark and maybe even non consensual, but thankfully that wasn’t the case. As an American, I can tell you that sometimes the government just sucks and there’s not much you can do about it. 🙃 I think that about sums up the circumstances these characters found themselves in. I felt like he made the best choices he could in a bad situation and that her “slave” status felt more like a cover story than anything else. In the circumstances, it would have been very difficult for him to free her, and if he did, where would she go? She was a major player in the battle so her absence wouldn’t go unnoticed and her people have already been defeated. Doesn’t exactly leave them with a lot of options…
There’s also the fact that they are mates. Should he just drop his mate off somewhere and hope for the best or give up on their bond all together? I felt that he would have done that if she had asked or if he thought she truly would have been safer, and that was enough for me. 🤷🏼♀️
He also had a plan in the works to overthrow the current ruler which would allow him to make changes and free her in the very near future. He was very open with her about his plans too, so I felt like the FMC was actively making decisions and choosing whether or not she would play an active role in the plan for the majority of the story. If you DNF’d this early on, I could see why you might think the worst of it, but I didn’t feel as strongly about it by the end. It wasn’t any worse than The Winner’s Curse trilogy and I’ve never heard anyone raise a fuss about that. 👀 Kind of hypocritical if it’s only because the roles were reversed.
Anyway, I digress…
When it was all said and done, I just wasn’t all that enthralled by this story or their relationship. I think a lot of people will love this, but it was just missing that spark for me. Overall, this was an enjoyable read, but it doesn’t really stand out to me in the vast sea of Romantasy reads. I honestly think I might not be that into Dragon shifters in general so it could be a me thing. It feels a little too much like monster romance to me and that’s just not my jam. 🙃
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Pre-read: Did you guys know about this emoji?! 🐦🔥🐦🔥
I’ve seen some valid negative viewpoints on this one.
I love Juliette Cross and I own two editions of this book so I’m hoping I will still enjoy it somewhat…
≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫
Connect with me on Instagram
April 13, 2025
DNF @pg119
She wears a literal slave collar with his name on it.
She wears a literal slave collar with his name on it.
April 13, 2025
“Every dragon waits for his god-given treasure his whole life. And I have found mine.” ❤️🔥🐉
We’ve got:
— Enemies to Lovers ❤️🔥
— Captor / Captive tension ⛓️
— Fated Mates destined by the stars ⭐️
— Forbidden Romance (the kind that hits even harder) ✋
— Touch her and die… literally 🔥
Set against an Ancient Rome backdrop, the story wraps you into a world of rebellion, dragons, gods, traitorous bloodlines, and found family!
Our FMC Malena was gifted with god-like powers from the goddess Minerva — a divine punishment bestowed upon her after a tragic event. Her gifts are meant to right the wrongs of mankind and punish the wicked… and that mission? Adds a whole extra layer of high stakes. ⚔️✨
Julian, our dragon shifter MMC, fully leans into his dark, possessive side — and I love that we get to see the dragon POV take over when those instincts hit.
Some more popular tropes you might enjoy:
— Rebellion
— Traitorous family ties
— Found Family
— Fated connections
— And of course, a heavy dose of spice
The concept was so unique, I just wish the world building had a little more depth, especially with such a cool setup and mythology. The plot was somewhat lacking, along with the lack of angst, and I really feel like the framework of the story is there! It just lacked so much depth, which is why I can’t speak too much on it. The ending was abrupt, but it definitely left me invested enough to want book 2.
I know people didn’t like the master/slave dynamic, but it wasn’t entirely cringe for me, though it did get redundant.
It’s an okay read if you’re looking to add a dragon shifter book to your TBR — just read it for the vibes.
And don’t forget to check your TWs before diving in! ⚠️
We’ve got:
— Enemies to Lovers ❤️🔥
— Captor / Captive tension ⛓️
— Fated Mates destined by the stars ⭐️
— Forbidden Romance (the kind that hits even harder) ✋
— Touch her and die… literally 🔥
Set against an Ancient Rome backdrop, the story wraps you into a world of rebellion, dragons, gods, traitorous bloodlines, and found family!
Our FMC Malena was gifted with god-like powers from the goddess Minerva — a divine punishment bestowed upon her after a tragic event. Her gifts are meant to right the wrongs of mankind and punish the wicked… and that mission? Adds a whole extra layer of high stakes. ⚔️✨
Julian, our dragon shifter MMC, fully leans into his dark, possessive side — and I love that we get to see the dragon POV take over when those instincts hit.
Some more popular tropes you might enjoy:
— Rebellion
— Traitorous family ties
— Found Family
— Fated connections
— And of course, a heavy dose of spice
The concept was so unique, I just wish the world building had a little more depth, especially with such a cool setup and mythology. The plot was somewhat lacking, along with the lack of angst, and I really feel like the framework of the story is there! It just lacked so much depth, which is why I can’t speak too much on it. The ending was abrupt, but it definitely left me invested enough to want book 2.
I know people didn’t like the master/slave dynamic, but it wasn’t entirely cringe for me, though it did get redundant.
It’s an okay read if you’re looking to add a dragon shifter book to your TBR — just read it for the vibes.
And don’t forget to check your TWs before diving in! ⚠️
April 21, 2025
Are white American female authors OK?
like...I am really concerned about the stability of their mental health right now!!!
because what the fuck possessed you to write this??? in 2025????
YOU ARE RUINING THE FANTASY ROMANCE GENRE!!!! 😡😡😡😡😡
like...I am really concerned about the stability of their mental health right now!!!
because what the fuck possessed you to write this??? in 2025????
YOU ARE RUINING THE FANTASY ROMANCE GENRE!!!! 😡😡😡😡😡
June 9, 2025
3.75✨
Did I actually read a romantasy after years of not being able to pick up anything from this genre ?
Yes, yes I did ! 🦦
Did I actually enjoy this one ?
Also yes ! ✨
Well, well, well 🦦 It is time to express my thoughts about this one too. I confess I did have great expectations from this one from the moment I found out about it. I mean, a book inspired by the dacian-roman history (me being a romanian girl) ? Sign me up !!! A book featuring dragons (which I find to be fascinating and lovely creatures by the way) ? SOLD ! Of course I had to try it !
While I had these expectations, I was also very cautious because of the genre this book falls into. Like, I haven’t read a romantasy/fantasy novel in so long (and sadly nothing really appealed to me and this thing started to frustrate me). But then this one came and I could finally read !!🦦✨ Now that’s a good reason to be happy. 🦦
I really loved the characters, I grew attached to them really fast, I found the worldbuilding to be really interesting. This idea of an ancient Rome (where the society is stratified by dragon lineage) ruled by dragons it’s quite fascinating to me (did I mention I really love books with dragons ? Mentioning again, just to be sure !)
I think it’s really interesting how the author rewrote history to serve her purpose, really liked the setting. Also, there were romanian words used 🥺🥹 I really liked to see those there. This one is really fast-paced, I couldn’t tell when did the pages fly and that’s a really good thing. The writting style was really good (maybe the spicy scenes kinda felt a bit cringey at some points), but other than that, I feel like this is a great first installment for this series. But, most importantly, it made me want to pick up other fantasy/romantasy books and that’s a total win for me. It turns out I really missed reading this kind of books.🦦
Do I have to say how much I loved Julian ??? Is there any need ??? ‘Cause I feel like words cannot describe how much I appreciated his character. He was such a sweetheart at his core despite his hard exterior. I really appreciated his devotion to Malina, his dedication to protect her and his willingness to risk it all in order to both achieve his goal and keep Malina safe. The way he saw the world, the way he wanted to do things, everything about him showed a kind soul. And Malina was absolutely amazing. Such a brave and determined girl, despite how much she lost, I really enjoyed seeing her bonding with Kara, Ruskus and especially Stefanos.
Now, I saw many people saying that this one is more like a dark romantasy because it features the master-slave relantionship. And yeah, she is formally his slave, but to me it didn’t feel like he mistreated her. He really had no intention of treating her like his slave. It didn’t feel like a dark romantasy for me (except for this trope that was used), but nothing really felt nonconsensual, disgusting or out of place.
I feel like their relantionship was pretty nice written (kinda too insta-lovey for my taste tho). At some point I couldn’t understand when did they even fall in love. Like, they barely met (okay they first met 4 years prior, but still, it’s not like they spent any time together or got to actually know each other all that much). But that’s a matter of personal taste and tbh in this case it didn’t really ruined my reading experience all that much, ‘cause I was actually so engaged, so curious to see where it all goes, that I chose to leave aside the details. :)))
I am really looking forward to reading the second book. I will be eagerly waiting to see how it all ends. 🦦
Did I actually read a romantasy after years of not being able to pick up anything from this genre ?
Yes, yes I did ! 🦦
Did I actually enjoy this one ?
Also yes ! ✨
Well, well, well 🦦 It is time to express my thoughts about this one too. I confess I did have great expectations from this one from the moment I found out about it. I mean, a book inspired by the dacian-roman history (me being a romanian girl) ? Sign me up !!! A book featuring dragons (which I find to be fascinating and lovely creatures by the way) ? SOLD ! Of course I had to try it !
While I had these expectations, I was also very cautious because of the genre this book falls into. Like, I haven’t read a romantasy/fantasy novel in so long (and sadly nothing really appealed to me and this thing started to frustrate me). But then this one came and I could finally read !!🦦✨ Now that’s a good reason to be happy. 🦦
I really loved the characters, I grew attached to them really fast, I found the worldbuilding to be really interesting. This idea of an ancient Rome (where the society is stratified by dragon lineage) ruled by dragons it’s quite fascinating to me (did I mention I really love books with dragons ? Mentioning again, just to be sure !)
I think it’s really interesting how the author rewrote history to serve her purpose, really liked the setting. Also, there were romanian words used 🥺🥹 I really liked to see those there. This one is really fast-paced, I couldn’t tell when did the pages fly and that’s a really good thing. The writting style was really good (maybe the spicy scenes kinda felt a bit cringey at some points), but other than that, I feel like this is a great first installment for this series. But, most importantly, it made me want to pick up other fantasy/romantasy books and that’s a total win for me. It turns out I really missed reading this kind of books.🦦
Do I have to say how much I loved Julian ??? Is there any need ??? ‘Cause I feel like words cannot describe how much I appreciated his character. He was such a sweetheart at his core despite his hard exterior. I really appreciated his devotion to Malina, his dedication to protect her and his willingness to risk it all in order to both achieve his goal and keep Malina safe. The way he saw the world, the way he wanted to do things, everything about him showed a kind soul. And Malina was absolutely amazing. Such a brave and determined girl, despite how much she lost, I really enjoyed seeing her bonding with Kara, Ruskus and especially Stefanos.
Now, I saw many people saying that this one is more like a dark romantasy because it features the master-slave relantionship. And yeah, she is formally his slave, but to me it didn’t feel like he mistreated her. He really had no intention of treating her like his slave. It didn’t feel like a dark romantasy for me (except for this trope that was used), but nothing really felt nonconsensual, disgusting or out of place.
I feel like their relantionship was pretty nice written (kinda too insta-lovey for my taste tho). At some point I couldn’t understand when did they even fall in love. Like, they barely met (okay they first met 4 years prior, but still, it’s not like they spent any time together or got to actually know each other all that much). But that’s a matter of personal taste and tbh in this case it didn’t really ruined my reading experience all that much, ‘cause I was actually so engaged, so curious to see where it all goes, that I chose to leave aside the details. :)))
I am really looking forward to reading the second book. I will be eagerly waiting to see how it all ends. 🦦
June 5, 2025
repeat after me 👏🏻 "sex" between a slave and slave owner is rape 👏🏻
and romanticizing the slavery and ownership is fucked up
actually mortified for anyone trying to defend this💀 ETA: apparently it's virtue signaling to not think that r*pe is "kinky", again, mortified for the lot of you. pathetically embarrassing. thanks for bringing more attention to my review though 😘
and romanticizing the slavery and ownership is fucked up
actually mortified for anyone trying to defend this💀 ETA: apparently it's virtue signaling to not think that r*pe is "kinky", again, mortified for the lot of you. pathetically embarrassing. thanks for bringing more attention to my review though 😘
July 26, 2025
ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ✦ . ⁺ . 2.9 - 3.1 ☆ . ⁺ . ✦
ㅤ ㅤ ˋ°•*⁀➷ㅤmight contain spoilers ❗
ㅤ My hopes for this particular book were pretty high, especially since it is supposedly heavily inspired by the Dacian-Roman history; and, as a Romanian, this means it is literally inspired by my own history. You can imagine my absolute surprise and excitement when I discovered there is a possibility to read a fantasy book that focuses on aspects coming from my own culture. And the book itself was indeed a quite entertaining read; however, there are so many things that could have been done much better.
ㅤ I would also mention that this is more of a dark fantasy book with some uncomfortable subjects, such as a master/slave relationship, so make sure to check the trigger warnings in advance if you know yourself to not be a fan of such things.
ㅤ ㅤ "I am death incarnate, and the world will know my wrath."
ㅤ ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ short summary
ㅤ Juliette Cross serves up a delicious and quite entertaining fantasy romance in Firebird, where dragon bloodlines, emotional baggage, and undeniable chemistry collide. At the heart of the story is a guarded, tormented hero carrying the weight of a painful past and a compassionate yet strong(also naive and unnecessarily stubborn, but we will skip that) heroine determined to break through his emotional walls.
ㅤ When fate throws them together on a mission that’s as dangerous as it is personal, sparks fly — fast and passionate. As they face external threats, buried secrets, and their own vulnerabilities, the real battle becomes learning to trust in love and in each other.
ㅤ Blending high-stakes fantasy with deep emotional healing, Firebird is a story of resilience, redemption, and the kind of love that’s written in the stars.
ㅤ ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ honest thoughts
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ I don't usually have anything against pretty simple and easy-to-read writing; but, due to the writing style, I found myself forgetting the actual setting of the book in so many instances. Apart from the random old expressions thrown in the book from time to time, I entirely forgot that the action was supposedly taking place in ancient Rome.
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ I understand this is the first book in the series, and there is obviously the need to introduce and set all the things in order for the imaginary world. But would it have really been that hard to add a bit more action to this plot? Apart from the very last part of the book, there is not really much going on, and, despite being quite intrigued by the story and the random shockingly gruesome or explicit scenes from time to time, there wasn't really much to keep me entertained at one point.
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ I would have loved to see a bit more of the fantasy element, especially in what concerns the dragons themselves. This might be due to the fact that I HIGHLY enjoyed reading the very short excerpts in the dragon's POV, but I think it would have brought much more depth to the bond between the dragon itself and the human.
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ Despite being the ultimate sucker for any type of slow-burn (especially the slowest slow-burn possible), I am not a complete hater of insta-love and I can definitely see it working in some series. This was, sadly, not the case here. I was so confused about how fast this book was speeding through the romance plot and how quickly things were moving that I almost got a whiplash. I have absolutely nothing against the darker nature of the love story, but I was begging the main characters to just slow down a bit from time to time.
ㅤ And, while I am on this subject, I will also mention that the spice in this book, was simply not it. I almost lost my mind (in a bad way) when I got to the first smut scene, and, unfortunately, the ones that followed weren't that great either.
ㅤ Also, why did the author decide to take Tamlin as a role model for Julian expressing his concern over the well-being of the FMC? – Yes, I am talking about THAT temple scene that comes later in the book that was suspiciously similar to one particular annoying scene from Under the Mountain in ACOTAR.
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ My biggest disappointment concerning this book was the ending. Who was rushing the author to finish this book? Because I felt like one moment we were in the middle of a very tensioned and action-packed scene, and then POOF -in less than 3 pages we have complete serenity and peace. I genuinely thought I skipped a few chapters or something was wrong with the book on my Kindle. I understand there are more books to come, but I think there still needs to be some importance paid to the ending of each book in particular.
ㅤ ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ characters
ㅤ This might probably be a very short passage because I don't think I have anything to say about these characters in particular.
ㅤ ↬ Malina - I really tried to see this powerful, brave, and entirely inspiring FMC in her, but I just couldn't. I was only met with a rather childish and unnecessarily naive main character that I was simply struggling to relate to. I was also slightly disappointed when not enough attention was actually paid to her cultural background. Apart from the very first few chapters, there is also no mention of actual elements to complete her image as a character and to bring more sympathy towards her.
ㅤ ↬ Julian - I wanted to like this man, I truly did. He had all the qualities to make me love him: he is a dragon, he is broody, he is a righteous man caught in the political machinations of a doomed world, and he is such a kind and misunderstood soul. However, the author apparently decided to throw all of these things out of the window as soon as the romance plot starts developing in full force (about 40 pages in) and changed him to a simping mess that has no other personality trait than to yearn for a slightly boring woman.
ㅤ ↬ Trajan - I am apparently more intrigued by his story, which is surely to be explored in the second book, considering the last chapter and the small excerpt that we got from what is to come.
ㅤ ↬ Caesar - Never thought I would say this to Caesar, but I truly hope you rot in hell for all the sick things you've been doing in this book.
ㅤ ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ should you read this?
ㅤ I think the only suitable answer to this question for me would be "MAYBE you should be reading this?". The thing is, I pretty much enjoyed this, but it wasn't even close to what my actual hopes were regarding it. I was only looking for something easy to read to get me out of an looming reading slump, and it kind of worked. I am not sure if it worked because I quite enjoyed it, or because now I just want to go and find something better to read...😅
ㅤ However, the thing is, this is a pretty interesting story, and it was really nice to see a quite different setting for once and to see elements from the Roman and (very slightly) Dacian cultures. If you are ok with insta-love in books and you are trying to find a slightly darker fantasy book with dragons and elements of mythology, then this might work wonders for you!
⊹₊┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ✿ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈₊⊹
ㅤ ᯓ ✿ pre-reading ⪼ ㅤ started ┆26-Apr-2025┆
ㅤ ㅤ ⤿ Please be the fun and short read that will get me out of this awful slump 🙏🏻 also, this being inspired by the Dacian and Roman history, while I am Romanian myself? I am sold!
ㅤ ㅤ ˋ°•*⁀➷ㅤmight contain spoilers ❗
ㅤ My hopes for this particular book were pretty high, especially since it is supposedly heavily inspired by the Dacian-Roman history; and, as a Romanian, this means it is literally inspired by my own history. You can imagine my absolute surprise and excitement when I discovered there is a possibility to read a fantasy book that focuses on aspects coming from my own culture. And the book itself was indeed a quite entertaining read; however, there are so many things that could have been done much better.
ㅤ I would also mention that this is more of a dark fantasy book with some uncomfortable subjects, such as a master/slave relationship, so make sure to check the trigger warnings in advance if you know yourself to not be a fan of such things.
ㅤ ㅤ "I am death incarnate, and the world will know my wrath."
ㅤ ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ short summary
ㅤ Juliette Cross serves up a delicious and quite entertaining fantasy romance in Firebird, where dragon bloodlines, emotional baggage, and undeniable chemistry collide. At the heart of the story is a guarded, tormented hero carrying the weight of a painful past and a compassionate yet strong
ㅤ When fate throws them together on a mission that’s as dangerous as it is personal, sparks fly — fast and passionate. As they face external threats, buried secrets, and their own vulnerabilities, the real battle becomes learning to trust in love and in each other.
ㅤ Blending high-stakes fantasy with deep emotional healing, Firebird is a story of resilience, redemption, and the kind of love that’s written in the stars.
ㅤ ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ honest thoughts
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ I don't usually have anything against pretty simple and easy-to-read writing; but, due to the writing style, I found myself forgetting the actual setting of the book in so many instances. Apart from the random old expressions thrown in the book from time to time, I entirely forgot that the action was supposedly taking place in ancient Rome.
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ I understand this is the first book in the series, and there is obviously the need to introduce and set all the things in order for the imaginary world. But would it have really been that hard to add a bit more action to this plot? Apart from the very last part of the book, there is not really much going on, and, despite being quite intrigued by the story and the random shockingly gruesome or explicit scenes from time to time, there wasn't really much to keep me entertained at one point.
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ I would have loved to see a bit more of the fantasy element, especially in what concerns the dragons themselves. This might be due to the fact that I HIGHLY enjoyed reading the very short excerpts in the dragon's POV, but I think it would have brought much more depth to the bond between the dragon itself and the human.
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ Despite being the ultimate sucker for any type of slow-burn (especially the slowest slow-burn possible), I am not a complete hater of insta-love and I can definitely see it working in some series. This was, sadly, not the case here. I was so confused about how fast this book was speeding through the romance plot and how quickly things were moving that I almost got a whiplash. I have absolutely nothing against the darker nature of the love story, but I was begging the main characters to just slow down a bit from time to time.
ㅤ And, while I am on this subject, I will also mention that the spice in this book, was simply not it. I almost lost my mind (in a bad way) when I got to the first smut scene, and, unfortunately, the ones that followed weren't that great either.
ㅤ Also, why did the author decide to take Tamlin as a role model for Julian expressing his concern over the well-being of the FMC? – Yes, I am talking about THAT temple scene that comes later in the book that was suspiciously similar to one particular annoying scene from Under the Mountain in ACOTAR.
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ My biggest disappointment concerning this book was the ending. Who was rushing the author to finish this book? Because I felt like one moment we were in the middle of a very tensioned and action-packed scene, and then POOF -in less than 3 pages we have complete serenity and peace. I genuinely thought I skipped a few chapters or something was wrong with the book on my Kindle. I understand there are more books to come, but I think there still needs to be some importance paid to the ending of each book in particular.
ㅤ ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ characters
ㅤ This might probably be a very short passage because I don't think I have anything to say about these characters in particular.
ㅤ ↬ Malina - I really tried to see this powerful, brave, and entirely inspiring FMC in her, but I just couldn't. I was only met with a rather childish and unnecessarily naive main character that I was simply struggling to relate to. I was also slightly disappointed when not enough attention was actually paid to her cultural background. Apart from the very first few chapters, there is also no mention of actual elements to complete her image as a character and to bring more sympathy towards her.
ㅤ ↬ Julian - I wanted to like this man, I truly did. He had all the qualities to make me love him: he is a dragon, he is broody, he is a righteous man caught in the political machinations of a doomed world, and he is such a kind and misunderstood soul. However, the author apparently decided to throw all of these things out of the window as soon as the romance plot starts developing in full force (about 40 pages in) and changed him to a simping mess that has no other personality trait than to yearn for a slightly boring woman.
ㅤ ↬ Trajan - I am apparently more intrigued by his story, which is surely to be explored in the second book, considering the last chapter and the small excerpt that we got from what is to come.
ㅤ ↬ Caesar - Never thought I would say this to Caesar, but I truly hope you rot in hell for all the sick things you've been doing in this book.
ㅤ ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ should you read this?
ㅤ I think the only suitable answer to this question for me would be "MAYBE you should be reading this?". The thing is, I pretty much enjoyed this, but it wasn't even close to what my actual hopes were regarding it. I was only looking for something easy to read to get me out of an looming reading slump, and it kind of worked. I am not sure if it worked because I quite enjoyed it, or because now I just want to go and find something better to read...😅
ㅤ However, the thing is, this is a pretty interesting story, and it was really nice to see a quite different setting for once and to see elements from the Roman and (very slightly) Dacian cultures. If you are ok with insta-love in books and you are trying to find a slightly darker fantasy book with dragons and elements of mythology, then this might work wonders for you!
⊹₊┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ✿ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈₊⊹
ㅤ ᯓ ✿ pre-reading ⪼ ㅤ started ┆26-Apr-2025┆
ㅤ ㅤ ⤿ Please be the fun and short read that will get me out of this awful slump 🙏🏻 also, this being inspired by the Dacian and Roman history, while I am Romanian myself? I am sold!
April 24, 2025
I loved it. It was well written, heartfelt, deeply satisfying, and clever. While I expected more action from an ancient Rome setting with a general as a main male character, I can’t say I’m disappointed in the character focused, romance-centric story. Instead of fighting (of which there was still some), the plot seems to be dedicated more towards political maneuvering; spying, treason, playing the long game. The setting felt as richly Roman as a Gladiator movie, while it could just as easily be any fantasy empire for those less historical fiction-inclined. The dragon shifter lore was well melded with mythology without being unnecessarily complicated.
Every character is well written; not even the evil emperor feels caricature-ish. Malina is a healthy balance of strong and vulnerable. Julian is brutal and ruthless, but soft for her. The side characters are fun and loveable. Despite their situation, Malina and Julian’s relationship has boundaries and understandings and is, in my opinion, very well done.
Firebird feels like a cozy romantasy, with all the trappings that readers of the genre love: enemies-to-lovers, fated mates, bed sharing, touch her and feel the wrath of my dragon, caretaking, and so much else. I could hardly ask for a better marriage of my academic interests and personal reading tastes.
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for our honest review. – Caitlyn P.
Every character is well written; not even the evil emperor feels caricature-ish. Malina is a healthy balance of strong and vulnerable. Julian is brutal and ruthless, but soft for her. The side characters are fun and loveable. Despite their situation, Malina and Julian’s relationship has boundaries and understandings and is, in my opinion, very well done.
Firebird feels like a cozy romantasy, with all the trappings that readers of the genre love: enemies-to-lovers, fated mates, bed sharing, touch her and feel the wrath of my dragon, caretaking, and so much else. I could hardly ask for a better marriage of my academic interests and personal reading tastes.
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for our honest review. – Caitlyn P.
April 19, 2025
“Malina.” His voice broke with emotion and he softly pressed his lips to the skin of my throat. “What have you done to me?” “No more than you’ve done to me,” I breathed. 🔥
Of course, I was bewitched—body and soul. Happily, blissfully entranced by my mate. ❤️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️.5
I have to start off by saying, after finishing this book I do not understand the bad hype it is getting. Yes, the storyline follows a slave/captor plot line but it is not because he wants her to be! He hardly treats her like a slave at all. This man fall so hard for her pretty quickly it’s crazy. The first book, Gild in the plated prisoner series was 100% more toxic/dark than what is going on in this book. It honestly seems like a pretty genuine “fated mate” romance! The characters just live in a society that sucks and the plot of the book is him hating it and working to change it.
I thought Juliette did a really good job of telling the story with the authenticity of Rome at the time. It was an awful, tough place to be back then and the author definitely captured that well.
I liked her writing! The pacing and romance to plot ratio seem pretty well done! 👍 I loved the dragons in this! Their shape shifting and dragon to man dynamic was really interesting and cool to read!
My only dislike was I would have liked a-little more tension/angst and I went into this thinking it was a series following these specific characters. Juliette gives us a little preview of the next book and I think it will pick up from where this book left off but with different main characters.
I would definitely recommend reading at least 50% to see if you like it! ❤️
Of course, I was bewitched—body and soul. Happily, blissfully entranced by my mate. ❤️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️.5
I have to start off by saying, after finishing this book I do not understand the bad hype it is getting. Yes, the storyline follows a slave/captor plot line but it is not because he wants her to be! He hardly treats her like a slave at all. This man fall so hard for her pretty quickly it’s crazy. The first book, Gild in the plated prisoner series was 100% more toxic/dark than what is going on in this book. It honestly seems like a pretty genuine “fated mate” romance! The characters just live in a society that sucks and the plot of the book is him hating it and working to change it.
I thought Juliette did a really good job of telling the story with the authenticity of Rome at the time. It was an awful, tough place to be back then and the author definitely captured that well.
I liked her writing! The pacing and romance to plot ratio seem pretty well done! 👍 I loved the dragons in this! Their shape shifting and dragon to man dynamic was really interesting and cool to read!
My only dislike was I would have liked a-little more tension/angst and I went into this thinking it was a series following these specific characters. Juliette gives us a little preview of the next book and I think it will pick up from where this book left off but with different main characters.
I would definitely recommend reading at least 50% to see if you like it! ❤️
May 9, 2025
To be completely honest, I'm disappointed that this was published and granted a special first edition in the year of 2025. Firebird has completely broken my faith in the state of publishing and the types of stories that are getting pushed out. This book is beyond problematic, and the worst part is that the author seems completely unaware of the fact.
Firebird is described as a Roman inspired romantasy with dragons. In reality, this book is 5% dragons and 95% a slave x master romance. And here comes the rant ...
The author starts the book with a trigger warning saying that this book contains depictions of slavery. Even the back cover blurb mentions the fact. I am not mad that this book depicts slavery. In fact, a large majority of fantasy books depict colonization and slavery, as those stories are reimaginings of our world and history. However, those books have nuance and self-awareness. They depict slavery and occupation in order to set up plots with uprisings and displays of human resilience. They don't build slavery into the world building because it's a good backdrop for a forbidden romance.
Unlike those novels, Firebird showcases a concerning lack of nuance. The problem is not that this book's main character is a slave, I didn't need a trigger warning for that, it's the fact that the romance tropes and dialogue in this book combined with the inclusion of enslaved characters create a problematic character dynamic. For example: If a character in a contemporary romance tells their love interest "you belong to me," sure it's a little cringey, but it's not problematic. However, if your "master" character says that to your enslaved character he's supposedly attracted to, there are numerous concerning connotations. Another example: If your male lead in a contemporary romance feels sexual attraction to the female lead before getting to know her, that's fine. But when a slave owner feels sexual attraction to his slave, even if she reciprocates and there's consent, you cannot help but be reminded of the history of slaves who were unable to speak out against the men in control of them. Do you see why this is a problem?
Even aside from the slave/master romance aspect, this book's writing as a whole is quite weak. In fact, this book has my least favourite type of scene ever in it. That is a scene in which the author graphically depicts sexual assault, just to give the love interest a chance to say "that's wrong" and present himself as (the world's shallowest) feminist. Additionally, there are far too many scenes of the male lead in this book complaining to himself about how much he hates being a colonizer, often as he sits aside and watches passively. Even when he does take a stand, I hate when authors (specifically in fantasy books with characters from different sides of an oppressed state) act like being an oppressor who feels guilty for being privileged is anywhere near as fatiguing or dangerous as being someone oppressed.
I really hate to give ARCs such low ratings, but this book really let me down. The book discusses a variety of topical themes like sexual assault, colonization, and how autonomy and privilege affect relationships. These themes are critical to incorporate into media, especially considering what's going on in the world right now. The problem is the book doesn't tackle any of its themes well.
If you are looking for fantasy books that discuss how colonization can affect your sense of self-worth and relationships with nuance, here are some recommendations:
-Song of Silver, Flame like Night
-The Winner's Curse
-A Song to Drown Rivers
-An Ember in the Ashes
-Babel
Thank you to MacMillan Audio for providing me with an audio ARC in exhcange for an honest review.
Firebird is described as a Roman inspired romantasy with dragons. In reality, this book is 5% dragons and 95% a slave x master romance. And here comes the rant ...
The author starts the book with a trigger warning saying that this book contains depictions of slavery. Even the back cover blurb mentions the fact. I am not mad that this book depicts slavery. In fact, a large majority of fantasy books depict colonization and slavery, as those stories are reimaginings of our world and history. However, those books have nuance and self-awareness. They depict slavery and occupation in order to set up plots with uprisings and displays of human resilience. They don't build slavery into the world building because it's a good backdrop for a forbidden romance.
Unlike those novels, Firebird showcases a concerning lack of nuance. The problem is not that this book's main character is a slave, I didn't need a trigger warning for that, it's the fact that the romance tropes and dialogue in this book combined with the inclusion of enslaved characters create a problematic character dynamic. For example: If a character in a contemporary romance tells their love interest "you belong to me," sure it's a little cringey, but it's not problematic. However, if your "master" character says that to your enslaved character he's supposedly attracted to, there are numerous concerning connotations. Another example: If your male lead in a contemporary romance feels sexual attraction to the female lead before getting to know her, that's fine. But when a slave owner feels sexual attraction to his slave, even if she reciprocates and there's consent, you cannot help but be reminded of the history of slaves who were unable to speak out against the men in control of them. Do you see why this is a problem?
Even aside from the slave/master romance aspect, this book's writing as a whole is quite weak. In fact, this book has my least favourite type of scene ever in it. That is a scene in which the author graphically depicts sexual assault, just to give the love interest a chance to say "that's wrong" and present himself as (the world's shallowest) feminist. Additionally, there are far too many scenes of the male lead in this book complaining to himself about how much he hates being a colonizer, often as he sits aside and watches passively. Even when he does take a stand, I hate when authors (specifically in fantasy books with characters from different sides of an oppressed state) act like being an oppressor who feels guilty for being privileged is anywhere near as fatiguing or dangerous as being someone oppressed.
I really hate to give ARCs such low ratings, but this book really let me down. The book discusses a variety of topical themes like sexual assault, colonization, and how autonomy and privilege affect relationships. These themes are critical to incorporate into media, especially considering what's going on in the world right now. The problem is the book doesn't tackle any of its themes well.
If you are looking for fantasy books that discuss how colonization can affect your sense of self-worth and relationships with nuance, here are some recommendations:
-Song of Silver, Flame like Night
-The Winner's Curse
-A Song to Drown Rivers
-An Ember in the Ashes
-Babel
Thank you to MacMillan Audio for providing me with an audio ARC in exhcange for an honest review.
April 16, 2025
This review is going to ruffle a few feathers, but I really don’t care because I guarantee 90% of the 1 star reviews didn’t even read the book. I really really feel like we did not read the same book.
I think the best way to do this is to debunk the two most common things that are circulating about this book that are a) not true and b) wildly WILDLY not true.
1. Slave/master romance: first off, a lot of people are upset that this wasn’t included in the trigger warnings. Yes, it was. It 100% was. And if that wasn’t enough for you, I’m very sorry. 🤷🏻♀️ And when the author says there are ELEMENTS of it, they really are just elements. Let me explain (possible spoilers): Malina is not a slave, a genuine actual slave, at any point in this book. She is living with a Celtic clan, helping out as a witch warrior, when a band of Roman warriors takes them out. She survives, among with many others. All the survivors are set to be chained up and taken into Rome to be sold into slavery. Our MMC Julian, a centurion, recognizes Malina from a brief encounter they had 4 years prior, and he doesn’t want to see her sold into slavery. So he takes her back to his home and makes her PRETEND to be a slave. Yes that’s right, pretend. Because if the other centurions and other nobility found out that she wasn’t a slave, she would be k*lled. So to clarify, he never bought her, she was never sold, she was RESCUED from being taken as a prisoner of war and sold at a slave market. He is never cruel to her, he never treats her like a slave. Yes, he gives he a job in his home because, once again, she needs to play the part of a slave in order to survive. Maybe this takes a basic knowledge of the Roman Empire to understand, but that’s the truth. It’s really not that deep. Malina even clarifies part way through the book that she is, in fact, NOT A REAL SLAVE.
2. Grooming: this one makes me laugh because it is so far from the truth that it’s more just a clear representation of the capabilities other readers have of comprehending the reading material than it is a genuine p*ss off for me. It goes to show how illiterate society has become, to a truly terrifying degree. There is no grooming in this book. I repeat, there is not even one little thing in this book that even alludes to grooming. Malina is nearly 18 in the prologue, during which she has a brief verbal, NONPHYSICAL NONROMANTIC encounter with Julian. And the conversation is innocent and along the lines of her being chosen by the gods yada yada, he gives her a talisman of a god, etc etc. Then, after less than 20 pages, we are now 4 years later. When Malina is almost 22. NOTHING happens, romantic or sexual or anything of the sort, between our main characters until then. Malina is not infantilized, she is not childish, she is not a child PERIOD.
Seeing these complains told me three things and three things only:
1. The readers didn’t actually read the book, they read the controversy.
2. The readers read the book and misinterpreted things that were very clearly spelled out in it.
3. The book community hasn’t been offended by a book in a while and they decided on this one to be offended by next. I really don’t know why because it was fucking great.
All that aside, this book was so good. I loved it. It is so rich in historical detail, historical detail that does not make it into a lot of fiction, namely the slave trade of Celts, Gaels and Brits during the height of the Roman Empire. It showcases how depraved the nobility in the Roman Empire were, and it is disgusting. It also added some incredible fantastical elements that help to emphasize the brutality of the Roman Empire. Namely, the dragon shifters. It was amazing.
Obviously, read the trigger warnings. This book isn’t for everyone. Just like every single other book is not for everyone. That said, I don’t usually like dark romance and I did like this. Though I think this would be considered very soft as far as dark romance goes, I feel like it would appeal more to romantasy readers than to dark romance readers, as it is very politically and historically heavy, with a slight emphasis on the romantic relationship.
I think the best way to do this is to debunk the two most common things that are circulating about this book that are a) not true and b) wildly WILDLY not true.
1. Slave/master romance: first off, a lot of people are upset that this wasn’t included in the trigger warnings. Yes, it was. It 100% was. And if that wasn’t enough for you, I’m very sorry. 🤷🏻♀️ And when the author says there are ELEMENTS of it, they really are just elements. Let me explain (possible spoilers): Malina is not a slave, a genuine actual slave, at any point in this book. She is living with a Celtic clan, helping out as a witch warrior, when a band of Roman warriors takes them out. She survives, among with many others. All the survivors are set to be chained up and taken into Rome to be sold into slavery. Our MMC Julian, a centurion, recognizes Malina from a brief encounter they had 4 years prior, and he doesn’t want to see her sold into slavery. So he takes her back to his home and makes her PRETEND to be a slave. Yes that’s right, pretend. Because if the other centurions and other nobility found out that she wasn’t a slave, she would be k*lled. So to clarify, he never bought her, she was never sold, she was RESCUED from being taken as a prisoner of war and sold at a slave market. He is never cruel to her, he never treats her like a slave. Yes, he gives he a job in his home because, once again, she needs to play the part of a slave in order to survive. Maybe this takes a basic knowledge of the Roman Empire to understand, but that’s the truth. It’s really not that deep. Malina even clarifies part way through the book that she is, in fact, NOT A REAL SLAVE.
2. Grooming: this one makes me laugh because it is so far from the truth that it’s more just a clear representation of the capabilities other readers have of comprehending the reading material than it is a genuine p*ss off for me. It goes to show how illiterate society has become, to a truly terrifying degree. There is no grooming in this book. I repeat, there is not even one little thing in this book that even alludes to grooming. Malina is nearly 18 in the prologue, during which she has a brief verbal, NONPHYSICAL NONROMANTIC encounter with Julian. And the conversation is innocent and along the lines of her being chosen by the gods yada yada, he gives her a talisman of a god, etc etc. Then, after less than 20 pages, we are now 4 years later. When Malina is almost 22. NOTHING happens, romantic or sexual or anything of the sort, between our main characters until then. Malina is not infantilized, she is not childish, she is not a child PERIOD.
Seeing these complains told me three things and three things only:
1. The readers didn’t actually read the book, they read the controversy.
2. The readers read the book and misinterpreted things that were very clearly spelled out in it.
3. The book community hasn’t been offended by a book in a while and they decided on this one to be offended by next. I really don’t know why because it was fucking great.
All that aside, this book was so good. I loved it. It is so rich in historical detail, historical detail that does not make it into a lot of fiction, namely the slave trade of Celts, Gaels and Brits during the height of the Roman Empire. It showcases how depraved the nobility in the Roman Empire were, and it is disgusting. It also added some incredible fantastical elements that help to emphasize the brutality of the Roman Empire. Namely, the dragon shifters. It was amazing.
Obviously, read the trigger warnings. This book isn’t for everyone. Just like every single other book is not for everyone. That said, I don’t usually like dark romance and I did like this. Though I think this would be considered very soft as far as dark romance goes, I feel like it would appeal more to romantasy readers than to dark romance readers, as it is very politically and historically heavy, with a slight emphasis on the romantic relationship.
March 18, 2025
“The man who’d given me..hope and dreams of a better future, was now my new nightmare, my new master.”
Set within the Roman Empire our FMC Malina is a witch who can read & manipulate emotions. During a raid she is captured by the MMC Julian who is a Roman commander & dragon shifter 🐉
Firebird is filled with possession, obsession & the burn is oh so hot 🥵 but don’t expect a slow burn, Julian & his dragon fall fast and hard for Malina .
“My treasure” 💎 “My entire soul is on fire for you” 🔥 Now keep in mind this is a slave/master forbidden romance which I understand isn’t for everyone.
This book is for you if you love:
>Dragon shifters & witches
>Roman gods
>Touch her & die
>Forbidden love
>I’d burn the world for you
>Fated mates
The ending has me excited for book two! I’m hoping the political intrigue is ramped up & the different Roman gods are expanded upon 🙌🏼
“When death lives in your home, you never let your guard down.”
Please double check the trigger warning page before you dive in!
Waterstones and B&N currently have stunning special editions of this book for pre-order. It has also been hinted that FairyLoot will be including this book as their March Romantasy book pick!
Thank you NetGalley & Pan Macmillan for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Set within the Roman Empire our FMC Malina is a witch who can read & manipulate emotions. During a raid she is captured by the MMC Julian who is a Roman commander & dragon shifter 🐉
Firebird is filled with possession, obsession & the burn is oh so hot 🥵 but don’t expect a slow burn, Julian & his dragon fall fast and hard for Malina .
“My treasure” 💎 “My entire soul is on fire for you” 🔥 Now keep in mind this is a slave/master forbidden romance which I understand isn’t for everyone.
This book is for you if you love:
>Dragon shifters & witches
>Roman gods
>Touch her & die
>Forbidden love
>I’d burn the world for you
>Fated mates
The ending has me excited for book two! I’m hoping the political intrigue is ramped up & the different Roman gods are expanded upon 🙌🏼
“When death lives in your home, you never let your guard down.”
Please double check the trigger warning page before you dive in!
Waterstones and B&N currently have stunning special editions of this book for pre-order. It has also been hinted that FairyLoot will be including this book as their March Romantasy book pick!
Thank you NetGalley & Pan Macmillan for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 20, 2025
2.5 ⭐️ (thank you for the opportunity to read this arc!) I feel like the way that this book has been advertised and spoken about really set the wrong expectations. I have seen people say that this is just a fun enemies to lovers fantasy with dragons and while it is that, I feel it is also important to note that this is a dark romantasy, the dynamic between the two love interests is a “slave/master” dynamic which will not be for everyone (I don’t think it’s for me) so the way the romance was written in this book a lot of times ended up taking away from the story for me because I just was not into it and not rooting for the characters to be together. It felt like we were trying to focus more on the plot and politics and world building then the romance ( which is fine and I love that a lot of times) however, it somehow at the same time felt like not much really happened through the course of this book? And then because the romance didn’t have much of a buildup or depth to the characters getting to know each other it just fell flat for me. Idk I just wasn’t invested in the characters being together or even the plot by the end of the book which is sad because it started off so strong. I was loving the vibes of the world and the original introduction of the main characters. Ultimately I do think this is largely because I had a different expectation going into the book based off of what I had heard so just incase you are wanting to read this and have heard similar things, in my opinion this is a fantasy with a dark romance subplot!
April 18, 2025
I really didn’t know much about this one before going in, I feel like even the blurb doesn’t give much of what it actually is either. So I’ve loved this author in the past (her small towns and Stay a Spell contemporary/paranormal-lite series) and I only knew this was a new fantasy romance from her. So when I received the audio ALC from the publisher, I decided to jump in. Anddddd, I don’t know about this one. 😬 This felt very icky, power imbalance was gross, and maybe it being set in a reimagined Ancient Rome was better in theory than realization.
This is a reimagining of Ancient Rome, where gods, goddesses, mythology of Rome has been reinvented and in this world, Romans share ancestry with ancient titans, dragons, and the gods. This is a dark romantasy and includes a master x slave dynamic between the hero and heroine (the ick I mentioned earlier). Malina is a dancer whose village was invaded by Romans and her clan was wiped out, Julian is a Roman general and nephew to the emperor. Sure he is secretly working with others to rebel against the emperor, but in this whole book we get a whole lot of power imbalance in their relationship if you can call it that. I really didn’t feel their connection or believe they’d have been together if it wasn’t for their setup (which conveniently they’re fated mates too, but that kinda made it worse cause where is her agency in any of this).
Anywaysssssss, I get that it’s going to be a series (which isn’t complete yet), I get that the hero is trying to rebel in his own way, and I get that it’s set in Ancient Rome BUT if we can reimagine it to have dragon shifters why can’t we also reimagine the power imbalance and excessive violence towards women? This book has a lot of on-page violence towards women (think any Ancient Rome movies/shows you’ve seen before) and it’s just not the journey I want to go in. On top of that, the lack of actual world building, the magic (maybe more comes later in the series but it felt lackluster here), the steam (very cringe), and all of his basic dragon possessiveness and “my treasure” thoughts. It just all felt surface level and not enticing. I can see this book getting veryyyy mixed reviews once it’s out and I get it completely. Overall just not it for me, it didn’t read like this author’s usual voice, and needless to say I won’t continue on.
I received an audio ALC, all thoughts in this review are my own.
CW: slavery, rape, sexual assault, violence, relationship power imbalance (master x slave)
This is a reimagining of Ancient Rome, where gods, goddesses, mythology of Rome has been reinvented and in this world, Romans share ancestry with ancient titans, dragons, and the gods. This is a dark romantasy and includes a master x slave dynamic between the hero and heroine (the ick I mentioned earlier). Malina is a dancer whose village was invaded by Romans and her clan was wiped out, Julian is a Roman general and nephew to the emperor. Sure he is secretly working with others to rebel against the emperor, but in this whole book we get a whole lot of power imbalance in their relationship if you can call it that. I really didn’t feel their connection or believe they’d have been together if it wasn’t for their setup (which conveniently they’re fated mates too, but that kinda made it worse cause where is her agency in any of this).
Anywaysssssss, I get that it’s going to be a series (which isn’t complete yet), I get that the hero is trying to rebel in his own way, and I get that it’s set in Ancient Rome BUT if we can reimagine it to have dragon shifters why can’t we also reimagine the power imbalance and excessive violence towards women? This book has a lot of on-page violence towards women (think any Ancient Rome movies/shows you’ve seen before) and it’s just not the journey I want to go in. On top of that, the lack of actual world building, the magic (maybe more comes later in the series but it felt lackluster here), the steam (very cringe), and all of his basic dragon possessiveness and “my treasure” thoughts. It just all felt surface level and not enticing. I can see this book getting veryyyy mixed reviews once it’s out and I get it completely. Overall just not it for me, it didn’t read like this author’s usual voice, and needless to say I won’t continue on.
I received an audio ALC, all thoughts in this review are my own.
CW: slavery, rape, sexual assault, violence, relationship power imbalance (master x slave)
January 30, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Dragon shifters
Forbidden magic
Touch her and die
Fated mates
Alt historical fantasy
Insta love
Firebird was an addictive, fast paced read with chemistry off the charts! Malina is the last living Celtic of her clan and she possesses a special magic that allows her to control others emotions. That’s how she has survived so long. Julian is a pure blooded Roman and therefore, a powerful dragon shifter. He leads his uncle, the Cesar’s, army but is harboring a secret. Our two leads first meet in the prologue 4 years prior to the main plot and there is an immediate connection between them.
This alt historical Roman inspired fantasy is best gone into blind! Just be sure to read the short glossary to understand the types of dragons.
Thank you so much Bramble for an eARC, I enjoyed this immensely!
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Dragon shifters
Forbidden magic
Touch her and die
Fated mates
Alt historical fantasy
Insta love
Firebird was an addictive, fast paced read with chemistry off the charts! Malina is the last living Celtic of her clan and she possesses a special magic that allows her to control others emotions. That’s how she has survived so long. Julian is a pure blooded Roman and therefore, a powerful dragon shifter. He leads his uncle, the Cesar’s, army but is harboring a secret. Our two leads first meet in the prologue 4 years prior to the main plot and there is an immediate connection between them.
This alt historical Roman inspired fantasy is best gone into blind! Just be sure to read the short glossary to understand the types of dragons.
Thank you so much Bramble for an eARC, I enjoyed this immensely!
December 1, 2024
Oooh i enjoyed this one. I love plots that are based in the roman empire because it always makes for an interesting plot. The fmc is a witch who meets the mmc when she was dancing. She meets him again years later when he shifts to a dragon and saves her from his men assaulting her. She is maid his bedroom slave to tend his personal needs and keep her safe. As the book goes on there is lots of Roman political intrigue, class differences, dragon shifting and the mc’s spend more time together.
I wouldn’t really call this enemies to lovers, yes the fmc hated the mmc for a while but he has always been attracted and captivated by her. There is alot of tension/attraction between them especially after she becomes his personal ‘slave’(non sexual). The mmc is a dragon shifter as all roman leagues are and he is so protective of the fmc before she even knows that they are mates.
The world building and lore was so intriguing to me, i wanted to know more about the mmc’s uncle who is Cesar the Emperor of Rome. The romance was good and steamy and though there is tension after they get together is kinda more of a partnership. The ending wasn’t really a cliffhanger but i am interested in seeing how the next book goes. I thought the writing was also easy to read and get through. Overall a good Romantasy, thanks to Bramble for this arc for an honest review.
I wouldn’t really call this enemies to lovers, yes the fmc hated the mmc for a while but he has always been attracted and captivated by her. There is alot of tension/attraction between them especially after she becomes his personal ‘slave’(non sexual). The mmc is a dragon shifter as all roman leagues are and he is so protective of the fmc before she even knows that they are mates.
The world building and lore was so intriguing to me, i wanted to know more about the mmc’s uncle who is Cesar the Emperor of Rome. The romance was good and steamy and though there is tension after they get together is kinda more of a partnership. The ending wasn’t really a cliffhanger but i am interested in seeing how the next book goes. I thought the writing was also easy to read and get through. Overall a good Romantasy, thanks to Bramble for this arc for an honest review.
May 10, 2025
DNF'ing @ 58%
This isn't my first slave/master dynamic, it isn't even my first Roman era slave/master dynamic (shoutout to Defy the Eagle 🙌👑)
Since I see a lot of outrage over this sort of pairing, I want preface the review by explaining why I sometimes find it interesting to read:
・:〃➜ I'm lucky in my ethical background and personal experience. I don't carry any baggage so I'm not triggered by it.
・:〃➜ The ravishment fantasy is old af. It's been renamed to non-con, but before that there were bodice rippers and before that gothic romances. It's not new, it's not something that's going away anytime soon. (You want a deeper insight? Watch ContraPoints' video )
・:〃➜ Most important of all: I can read whatever I like because I don't believe in censure.
With that out of the way,
↬ This books still sucked
I kept wondering how the author managed to piss off all sides and I think I came up with a halfway decent answer:
「 ✦ この本は中途半端だ ✦ 」
This book is 'chuuto hanpan'. It means 'betwixt and between' and 'half-assed'.
When you read the blurb, the tone is very... epic-y. Chosen one, fated mates, destroying 'evil empire', very standard, very basic fantasy setting.
The only reason I ignored that and still decided to try it was all the outrage about the master hero and slave heroine.
But this is barely a master/slave relationship. She's pretty much free to do as she wants as long as she pulls her weight, aka does chores, and stays within his protection because *surprise* the world is unsafe.
She's free to ask questions, she's not overworked, she's not afraid of being violated, beaten or murdered.
I can see the outrage churning: "Are you saying she should be afraid of that?!"
↬ Yes! That's the whole point of the dynamic! She's supposed to be afraid and the hero is supposed to feel guilty at her fear. He's supposed to want her but not understand why she won't freely give herself to him. We get to see him being hurt every time the heroine flinches or won't look him in the eye. He's supposed to be a bit dim and realize she has to be free to truly love him. Because men don't understand what it's like to not have power.
This fantasy is about men realizing how powerful they are and how they've abused that power.
Or, on the other spectrum of heroines, if the heroine is a spitfire, a woman full of spirt and defiance, then we're supposed to see him be shocked at it. He's supposed to want to tame and conquer her until he realizes he can't and sets her free, which is when she's supposed to stay freely.
This book didn't understand that.
The heroine is tame already. She has 'anger' and 'hatred', but not enough to be truly defiant. But she's also not submissive or terrified. She's a chuuto hanpa heroine.
The hero is not a bad man. Just misunderstood. Just caught in a bad situation. This isn't even a spoiler, we know this almost from the very beginning. There's no 'big reveal' that it was all an act, since he never even acts cruel. There's no growth needed there. He already treats her with respect and reverence and wishes for her to give herself freely to him. He's a chuuto hanpa hero.
They don't appeal to readers that don't like master/slave pairings.
They don't appeal to readers that do like them.
That's how you piss off both sides~
「 ✦ あくまで私の意見だ ✦ 」
So, this is my opinion. It's why I think the book is not doing so great, but everyone's experience is different and everyone will read and interpret the book in their own way. And I didn't even get to my issues with the world building and how it makes no sense for people to believe in 'other Gods' when there are literally God decedents walking among them?
Since I made it past the 50% mark, I'm shelving this as read~
This isn't my first slave/master dynamic, it isn't even my first Roman era slave/master dynamic (shoutout to Defy the Eagle 🙌👑)
Since I see a lot of outrage over this sort of pairing, I want preface the review by explaining why I sometimes find it interesting to read:
・:〃➜ I'm lucky in my ethical background and personal experience. I don't carry any baggage so I'm not triggered by it.
・:〃➜ The ravishment fantasy is old af. It's been renamed to non-con, but before that there were bodice rippers and before that gothic romances. It's not new, it's not something that's going away anytime soon. (You want a deeper insight? Watch ContraPoints' video )
・:〃➜ Most important of all: I can read whatever I like because I don't believe in censure.
With that out of the way,
↬ This books still sucked
I kept wondering how the author managed to piss off all sides and I think I came up with a halfway decent answer:
「 ✦ この本は中途半端だ ✦ 」
This book is 'chuuto hanpan'. It means 'betwixt and between' and 'half-assed'.
When you read the blurb, the tone is very... epic-y. Chosen one, fated mates, destroying 'evil empire', very standard, very basic fantasy setting.
The only reason I ignored that and still decided to try it was all the outrage about the master hero and slave heroine.
But this is barely a master/slave relationship. She's pretty much free to do as she wants as long as she pulls her weight, aka does chores, and stays within his protection because *surprise* the world is unsafe.
She's free to ask questions, she's not overworked, she's not afraid of being violated, beaten or murdered.
I can see the outrage churning: "Are you saying she should be afraid of that?!"
↬ Yes! That's the whole point of the dynamic! She's supposed to be afraid and the hero is supposed to feel guilty at her fear. He's supposed to want her but not understand why she won't freely give herself to him. We get to see him being hurt every time the heroine flinches or won't look him in the eye. He's supposed to be a bit dim and realize she has to be free to truly love him. Because men don't understand what it's like to not have power.
This fantasy is about men realizing how powerful they are and how they've abused that power.
Or, on the other spectrum of heroines, if the heroine is a spitfire, a woman full of spirt and defiance, then we're supposed to see him be shocked at it. He's supposed to want to tame and conquer her until he realizes he can't and sets her free, which is when she's supposed to stay freely.
This book didn't understand that.
The heroine is tame already. She has 'anger' and 'hatred', but not enough to be truly defiant. But she's also not submissive or terrified. She's a chuuto hanpa heroine.
The hero is not a bad man. Just misunderstood. Just caught in a bad situation. This isn't even a spoiler, we know this almost from the very beginning. There's no 'big reveal' that it was all an act, since he never even acts cruel. There's no growth needed there. He already treats her with respect and reverence and wishes for her to give herself freely to him. He's a chuuto hanpa hero.
They don't appeal to readers that don't like master/slave pairings.
They don't appeal to readers that do like them.
That's how you piss off both sides~
「 ✦ あくまで私の意見だ ✦ 」
So, this is my opinion. It's why I think the book is not doing so great, but everyone's experience is different and everyone will read and interpret the book in their own way. And I didn't even get to my issues with the world building and how it makes no sense for people to believe in 'other Gods' when there are literally God decedents walking among them?
Since I made it past the 50% mark, I'm shelving this as read~
Read
April 19, 2025dnf.
i can’t get over the slave/master dynamic, sorry! it’s just not something i feel comfortable reading about. it is listed in the content warning in the beginning of the book, but i just can’t get behind an mmc that’s giving ✨colonizer.✨ like maybe he’s actually against slavery but… he was so nonchalant about it multiple times and i don’t care to stick around and read long enough to find out. this may be someone’s cup of tea but it wasn’t mine
i can’t get over the slave/master dynamic, sorry! it’s just not something i feel comfortable reading about. it is listed in the content warning in the beginning of the book, but i just can’t get behind an mmc that’s giving ✨colonizer.✨ like maybe he’s actually against slavery but… he was so nonchalant about it multiple times and i don’t care to stick around and read long enough to find out. this may be someone’s cup of tea but it wasn’t mine
March 21, 2025
First of all, the narrators, Blair Dade and Kale Williams are new to me and both did a fantastic job. I would definetly pick other audiobooks either have narrated.
As for the book, I love dragon stories, so I admit I didn't read the blurb and just jumped in blind. So I'm just going to go ahead and mention what I didn't like. With any book, I have a hard time reading or listening to when women are forced into any kind of intimacy. I get why it was in the story, the big plot is good fighting evil, so I hated the characters you are meant to hate. They did things that were just disgusting and I was rooting hard for Julian to end them and end them fast.
Now onto the good. Julian is an honorable character forced to do things he despises until he's able to de-throne his uncle. This first book is the plot for this to happen. I loved that he saw Malina and the dragon immediately recognized her as his mate. Yes that means insta-love, but that seems appropriate for shifter stories. Due to this, you really see the struggle Julian goes through trying to protect his mate when having a relationship with her is forbidden. That is after she stops viewing him as the enemy. I think the author did a good job of showing his moral character in his actions.
I really liked Malina's character. She was strong, fierce, and loyal. She has powers that are still kind of unknown. I feel like we are going to learn more about them in the upcoming books in the series. This book ended too soon for us readers to see this couple work together to take down the evil and that is something I am looking forward to.
As for the book, I love dragon stories, so I admit I didn't read the blurb and just jumped in blind. So I'm just going to go ahead and mention what I didn't like. With any book, I have a hard time reading or listening to when women are forced into any kind of intimacy. I get why it was in the story, the big plot is good fighting evil, so I hated the characters you are meant to hate. They did things that were just disgusting and I was rooting hard for Julian to end them and end them fast.
Now onto the good. Julian is an honorable character forced to do things he despises until he's able to de-throne his uncle. This first book is the plot for this to happen. I loved that he saw Malina and the dragon immediately recognized her as his mate. Yes that means insta-love, but that seems appropriate for shifter stories. Due to this, you really see the struggle Julian goes through trying to protect his mate when having a relationship with her is forbidden. That is after she stops viewing him as the enemy. I think the author did a good job of showing his moral character in his actions.
I really liked Malina's character. She was strong, fierce, and loyal. She has powers that are still kind of unknown. I feel like we are going to learn more about them in the upcoming books in the series. This book ended too soon for us readers to see this couple work together to take down the evil and that is something I am looking forward to.
April 11, 2025
"What order was that?"
"The prisoners of war were to be left unspoiled."
"Why?"
"Because slaves are a profitable commodity. And damaged ones don't fetch much coin."
I hope this man chokes.
'Don't rape the women, buyers don't like damaged slaves.' DROP DEAD, SIR.
Oh, and this is the MMC of the book.
"The prisoners of war were to be left unspoiled."
"Why?"
"Because slaves are a profitable commodity. And damaged ones don't fetch much coin."
I hope this man chokes.
'Don't rape the women, buyers don't like damaged slaves.' DROP DEAD, SIR.
Oh, and this is the MMC of the book.
August 25, 2025
Oh. My. Gosh. Firebird absolutely blew me away! I could NOT stop reading. I devoured this book in basically one sitting because I just had to know what happened next.
The romance?? Perfection. Malina isn’t the typical “strong, untouchable” heroine you see everywhere right now, and I actually loved that about her. She’s brave in her own way, but she’s also vulnerable, and it made her feel so human. And Julian… SWOOOOOON. He is the ultimate protective, obsessed hero. The way he would literally go against the empire, risk his life, and burn the whole world down for her??? I’m still not over it. He was powerful, ruthless with everyone else, but completely undone by her. That’s my favorite kind of hero. 🥵🔥
The political intrigue and nonstop tension just added to the ride. Every chapter pulled me deeper in, and I lost so much sleep staying up to read this at night.
I know some people find the slave/master setup controversial, but to me, Julian never treated Malina like a slave at all. From the start, he protected her, valued her, and loved her. Their bond felt destined and so, so intense—it’s the kind of romance that leaves you reeling.
This book had everything I love in a dark romantasy: dragons, danger, forbidden love, and a hero who only has one weakness—the woman he’d do anything for. I’m officially obsessed and already counting down to whatever Juliette Cross gives us next.
The romance?? Perfection. Malina isn’t the typical “strong, untouchable” heroine you see everywhere right now, and I actually loved that about her. She’s brave in her own way, but she’s also vulnerable, and it made her feel so human. And Julian… SWOOOOOON. He is the ultimate protective, obsessed hero. The way he would literally go against the empire, risk his life, and burn the whole world down for her??? I’m still not over it. He was powerful, ruthless with everyone else, but completely undone by her. That’s my favorite kind of hero. 🥵🔥
The political intrigue and nonstop tension just added to the ride. Every chapter pulled me deeper in, and I lost so much sleep staying up to read this at night.
I know some people find the slave/master setup controversial, but to me, Julian never treated Malina like a slave at all. From the start, he protected her, valued her, and loved her. Their bond felt destined and so, so intense—it’s the kind of romance that leaves you reeling.
This book had everything I love in a dark romantasy: dragons, danger, forbidden love, and a hero who only has one weakness—the woman he’d do anything for. I’m officially obsessed and already counting down to whatever Juliette Cross gives us next.
March 21, 2025
Dragons, witches, magic, roman mythology (plus smut). This could have been amazing but instead was overall a decent but not great read. A huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was engaging, fast paced, and well-written from a grammatical/non-Wattpad sense. Imagine ancient Rome but replace wolf symbolism with dragons. Rome was created by dragons who evolved into dragon shifters, the gods/goddesses are dragon shifters, the ruling class and all nobility are dragon shifters. Very cool concept, if done correctly. 🏛️🐉❤️🪄🔮
This was not. It fell flat for me because of the insta-love romance, lack of depth, and messiness.
The basics: Roman nobleman and warrior/dragon shifter and heir to the (political) throne Julian meets Goddess-blessed witch turned slave from the Carpathian Mountains Malina. This is a dark romance in a light sense. I've read much darker romances than this, but there are some heavy aspects to it. Anyways, they first meet when she is 17 and then again when she is 21. I like this type of plot line in romances--guy meets girl, something about girl sticks with guy, then years later guy meets girl again and this time they get together. The second time they meet, Julian saves Malina and "kidnaps" her by taking her to his home/dragon den. This honestly did not strike me as a "slave/master" dynamic because it is clear from the get-go that he does not treat her as a slave, nor does he internally regard her as one. He kidnaps her to save her, not to make her his slave in the truest form of the word. Enter in Roman politics, Julian's uncle Julius CAESAR, references to Roman gods and goddesses, and political turmoil mixed with dragons, and you get this creative story.
My favorite parts of this book were not the romance or Julian but the political drama and references to Roman mythology. I enjoyed reading about Hades/Persephone as Pluto/Proserpine, Athena as Minerva, Hera as Juno, etc. There is such an oversaturation of the classical gods and goddesses using their Greek names and not nearly as many tales referencing their Roman counterparts. I also loved the interwoven reference to this author's spin on the myth of Medusa.
The Roman mythological aspects to this book connecting with fantasy versions of historical figures (as dragons) made for a fascinating read. However, it also created some issues for me, mainly:
- At times this was too much and seemed messy. Roman historical fantasy sounds awesome on its own, and in theory throwing dragon shifting into the mix should make it even better. But for some reason the fact that all these guys WERE dragons fell flat for me. Maybe if they simply HAD dragons it would have worked, but instead it felt messy and like these dragons were just thrown in to capitalize off of the current dragon obsession. Just underdeveloped.
- The romance between Julian and Malina was insta-love. I know it is SUPPOSED to be more fated mates than insta-love, but they get together quickly and fall for each other even faster. His inner dragon wants her, there’s some sort of bond between her magic and his dragon, she is his dragons “treasure,” etc. She sees the good in his otherwise morally grey self, takes only 1/3 of the book before she’s into him. It’s a typical romantasy setup but not developed enough and therefore lacks emotional depth and elicits no real feelings.
All in all, even with the two issues I had with this, it is a solid 3 star read. If you can get over the lack of depth, this will hold your attention and has a unique plot.
This was engaging, fast paced, and well-written from a grammatical/non-Wattpad sense. Imagine ancient Rome but replace wolf symbolism with dragons. Rome was created by dragons who evolved into dragon shifters, the gods/goddesses are dragon shifters, the ruling class and all nobility are dragon shifters. Very cool concept, if done correctly. 🏛️🐉❤️🪄🔮
This was not. It fell flat for me because of the insta-love romance, lack of depth, and messiness.
The basics: Roman nobleman and warrior/dragon shifter and heir to the (political) throne Julian meets Goddess-blessed witch turned slave from the Carpathian Mountains Malina. This is a dark romance in a light sense. I've read much darker romances than this, but there are some heavy aspects to it. Anyways, they first meet when she is 17 and then again when she is 21. I like this type of plot line in romances--guy meets girl, something about girl sticks with guy, then years later guy meets girl again and this time they get together. The second time they meet, Julian saves Malina and "kidnaps" her by taking her to his home/dragon den. This honestly did not strike me as a "slave/master" dynamic because it is clear from the get-go that he does not treat her as a slave, nor does he internally regard her as one. He kidnaps her to save her, not to make her his slave in the truest form of the word. Enter in Roman politics, Julian's uncle Julius CAESAR, references to Roman gods and goddesses, and political turmoil mixed with dragons, and you get this creative story.
My favorite parts of this book were not the romance or Julian but the political drama and references to Roman mythology. I enjoyed reading about Hades/Persephone as Pluto/Proserpine, Athena as Minerva, Hera as Juno, etc. There is such an oversaturation of the classical gods and goddesses using their Greek names and not nearly as many tales referencing their Roman counterparts. I also loved the interwoven reference to this author's spin on the myth of Medusa.
The Roman mythological aspects to this book connecting with fantasy versions of historical figures (as dragons) made for a fascinating read. However, it also created some issues for me, mainly:
- At times this was too much and seemed messy. Roman historical fantasy sounds awesome on its own, and in theory throwing dragon shifting into the mix should make it even better. But for some reason the fact that all these guys WERE dragons fell flat for me. Maybe if they simply HAD dragons it would have worked, but instead it felt messy and like these dragons were just thrown in to capitalize off of the current dragon obsession. Just underdeveloped.
- The romance between Julian and Malina was insta-love. I know it is SUPPOSED to be more fated mates than insta-love, but they get together quickly and fall for each other even faster. His inner dragon wants her, there’s some sort of bond between her magic and his dragon, she is his dragons “treasure,” etc. She sees the good in his otherwise morally grey self, takes only 1/3 of the book before she’s into him. It’s a typical romantasy setup but not developed enough and therefore lacks emotional depth and elicits no real feelings.
All in all, even with the two issues I had with this, it is a solid 3 star read. If you can get over the lack of depth, this will hold your attention and has a unique plot.
March 13, 2025
firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc.
updated to also thank the publisher for an alc!
ehh, i had a feeling i’d either love or hate this book, and unfortunately, i did not love it. the writing/world-building was not the best; i think the most interesting aspect of the world-building was in the prologue.
of course, this book has all of the themes/tropes popular nowadays so i don’t doubt that it will find its audience, but it’s certainly not me.
as for the audio, i enjoyed the narration, and think i prefer this book as an audio experience rather than a reading experience.
fortunately, this is an easy fl romantasy skip for me as well, although i’m sure their edition will be stunning
updated to also thank the publisher for an alc!
ehh, i had a feeling i’d either love or hate this book, and unfortunately, i did not love it. the writing/world-building was not the best; i think the most interesting aspect of the world-building was in the prologue.
of course, this book has all of the themes/tropes popular nowadays so i don’t doubt that it will find its audience, but it’s certainly not me.
as for the audio, i enjoyed the narration, and think i prefer this book as an audio experience rather than a reading experience.
fortunately, this is an easy fl romantasy skip for me as well, although i’m sure their edition will be stunning
April 20, 2025
At first, the story took a little while to hold my attention, but gradually I found myself completely captivated by both the story and the feelings between the characters. I'd still advise you to read the trigger warnings carefully, as there are some pretty harsh subjects (violence, slavery, etc.). I'll definitely be reading the 2nd book when it's published!
August 21, 2025
I kinda liked this. How do I cancel myself?
(Don't bother with shaming me. That's my kink.)
(Don't bother with shaming me. That's my kink.)
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