Unfortunately, I did not mess well with this book. I'm not going to rate it less than 3 stars because I did not finish it, and also, I don't think it is bad like a 2 star might imply. I liked how high-fantasy this was, but it was also a little too generic for my taste and a tad juvenile.

Never have I expected a young adult novel to be as well placed as this book.

The political intrigue is brilliantly written. The characters are different yet similiarities makes them human. The stories foundation isn't the strongest but the writing style gave way for such an entertaiing read. Also, dragons!

“They watch us kneel, they see the back of our heads, and they think we’ve given in. They don’t realize you can think from your knees just as well as from your feet.”

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

We all have those books that we read that we absolutely love, but seems to be under the radar in the wider bookish community. Books that capture our imagination, make us ache, but don’t get talked about all that much. Fireborne is one of those books for me! This was an absolute treat to read and, yet, I don’t see a lot of people talking about it. So allow me to throw my thoughts out there and hopefully get more people on the Fireborne train!

This story follows two main characters: Lee and Annie. Lee and Annie are both orphans for very different reasons. Annie’s family was burned to death by her former dragonlord, one of the leaders of the old regime that used to rule over the island of Callipolis. Lee is the son of the same dragonlord and watched his entire family die on the day that the people rebelled and overthrew them. Now, both Annie and Lee are the top two dragonriders that protect the new regime, competing for the title of Firstrider. They have grown up taking care of one another and both are passionate about becoming Firstrider, though for different reasons. Then, survivors of the old regime reveal themselves and their intention to take back the island. Loyalties and relationships are tested and nothing will be the same.

Y’ALLLLLL, THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD! It’s taken me forever to start this review because all I want to do is just shout “This is AMAZING!” and throw it at people. Throwing books at people makes them want to read them, right? I’m going to seem semi-articulate in this review, though.

First, let’s talk about the world-building of this novel, because it is absolutely top tier! Rosaria Munda has crafted a world that will captivate you from page one. There’s a lot of history here but at no point does it feel like the author is just dumping information on top of you. The history is brought up organically and is so fascinating that you want to learn more! I loved burrowing into Callipolis and I didn’t want to leave. I found the fact that this world was inspired by classics like Plato’s Republic interesting, as well. Hand-in-hand with the world-building, the plot was impeccably constructed, as well! I will say, there were a few moments that lagged just a tad for me, but, overall, it was compelling from beginning to end. AND THE ENDING! Ugh, that ending was perfect but also made me ANXIOUS. I guess I should be happy that the sequel is already out 😁

My personal favorite thing about this book, though, was the characters and their relationships. Annie and Lee are such well-developed and compelling protagonists that make you want to know everything about them. I quickly became attached to both of them and was entirely invested in their journey. And what a journey they both have! There’s so much emotional turmoil and growth for both Annie and Lee to tangle with and it’s told in a beautifully evocative way. I felt their pain and their struggles, which made me even more attached. The secondary characters, though more in the background of course, feel just as real, which made me love this book even more. Give me all the well-crafted characters arcs, pleeeeease!

Final thoughts: This was such a fun young adult fantasy with a lot of political intrigue and a lot of heart. The characters are all incredibly vivid, to the point that you find yourself connecting to them almost as soon as you meet them. You feel their pain and cheer their growth as they struggle through the trials Rosaria Munda has written for them. The world-building is immaculate and, though bits of the book can lag, it keeps you captivated from beginning to end. And I haven’t even mentioned the dragons! If you like fantasy that examines complicated political machinations and gives you wonderful character growth on top of high-flying action, I think you would love Fireborne!

Fireborne is the first book in the young adult fantasy series, called The Aurelian Cycle by author Rosaria Munda. I fell in love with this book. It started off ok, but soon I found myself completed enraptured by this world, their political problems and the plot. It felt like pure magic. To say I am impressed by Rosaria Munda's writing and storytelling ability and world building is the understatement of the century. If you are a fan of politically driven fantasy worlds, then the Aurelian Cycle is a must read series. It is one of my favorite fantasy series of all time. (I'm almost done with book 2 as I write this review and I am thoroughly hooked!) 

In Fireborne, we join a post-revolution fantasy world, where the old regime has been over thrown and a new merit-based regime has taken its' place. The old regime was referred to as a triarchy, where three royal families ruled together and passed down leadership through their bloodlines. The royal families, or dragonlords, were the riders of dragons, which served as the kingdom's aerial defense. Under the new regime, royal titles are thrown out and a merit based class system has taken it's place. Here anyone, no matter their birth right, can test into a higher class and a better lifestyle. Children all go to school and all take a merit test early on which will determine their job sector and their lifestyle. Our story joins Annie and Lee several years into this new regime- meritocracy. Annie and Lee have both tested as a gold member- the highest class, which afforded them the right to attend the gold university and will give them opportunities at the highest ranking government jobs. 

Annie and Lee were both orphans at the same orphanage and have been lifelong friends, but Lee has a secret- he is the son of a dragon lord and his life was sparred in the palace day massacre. He has assumed a different identity and has been thriving under this new regime. Annie, Lee and some of their friends are also in a competition to see who will become the government's firstrider, who leads the aerial fleet of dragonriders. Under the new regime anyone can test into being a dragonrider, and we get to watch the final 8 riders compete to be first rider. The basic set up of the world and the story does paint an adequate picture. Rosaria Munda does such a fantastic job weaving in so many intricate details into the political system and nothing in this book is back and white. I loved all of the shades of grey, because with politics hardly anything is black and white, even with concepts of good and bad. Watching the characters delve into the nuances of the old regime vs. the new regime was so fascinating. Not to mention the conflicts that each of the characters face. Their pasts colliding with their presents was a riveting journey. Fireborne is pure magic. I loved watching Lee and Annie interact. Their friendship is so so complicated because of a million different things, and watching them sort it all out in their heads was incredibly compelling. 

I really love Lee as a character. Watching him grow up in the new regime and thinking about everything he has to secretly and internally struggle with was heavy and though provoking and really satisfying to see his character growth as he became a commendable young man. I liked Annie as well, but there were certainly times I was disappointed in her. She has her own set of internal struggles and difficulties paid out before her, but sometimes I just wish she made different choices. Overall, I was really happy with her progress as a character but Lee carved out a special place in my heart in a way that Annie has not managed to do yet. 

Fireborne is a brilliant story. Rosaria Munda has created a fascinatingly complex world with really layered and nuanced politics. This novel was so thought provoking and such a compelling read that the more I read of it, the less I was able to put it down. She transported me directly into the minds of these characters. I felt every struggle right alongside them, and I loved every second of this journey. If you have not yet read this book, you need to! It is a masterpiece of young adult fantasy. One of the best books I have read this year.

I was drawn to this book because I love dragons. I found the competition and the relationship between the two POV characters quite interesting. The third POV was kind of confusing at time just because it took a while to realize how it connected to the other two. I would love to learn more about the dragons as well but overall it was a quick read and I look forward to reading the sequel.

I received an eARC via Netgalley; all opinions are my own.

Fireborne is a pretty good fantasy debut and I definitely enjoyed the whole premise Munda has created! I am a bit of a sucker for the childhood friends to maybe more trope and the relationship between Leo and Annie was sweet, hopeful and pure.

There were a few rocky parts in this that I want to point out. For one, the world building early on felt vague and a bit shaky. I understand that there was an uprising and some of the causes for it, but there’s still some grey areas as far as the classes go and the war currently at hand.

Perhaps I missed some of these things ... if I did I think that lies with the pacing during the first half of this book almost being <b>too</b> fast. We are constantly jumping from action scene to action scene, sometimes with days, weeks, months passing between and it was jarring at times to keep up with the pace of the story. Sometimes we need to slow down a little and let scenes breathe and I feel the first half of this book felt like a bunch of one-shots smashed together.

That said, the second half of this book is much stronger. The pacing is better and I felt like I had a stronger grasp on the characters and factions at play.

I do wish that more had happened in this book by the end, though. As much as I enjoy competitions, each round was basically a repetition of the same thing. That, paired with the dragonriders school aspect was too reminiscent of a fictional sport that starts with Q and a magical school that starts with H in a series that shall not be named.

All of that said, I definitely came to love Annie and Leo’s characters. I especially enjoyed their childhood connection and sympathize with both of them over what they’ve lost. I was especially taken with Leo’s character, which is probably no surprise, but I’m mostly curious to see where the series takes his journey.

Again, a solid fantasy debut with a few minor issues, but overall enjoyable!

The comps for this story pulled me in - Red Rising and Game of Thrones! - but the story kept me turning the pages. I love when fantasy can take a classic trope like caste systems and revolution and make it into something fresh and new. Munda does this with Annie and Lee's story. They were opposite in so many ways but also equals. Love it. The worldbuilding was stellar and I felt like I was living there from the first chapter. I didn't envy the characters the choices they had to make but Munda evolves the story in such a way that their decisions are believable and supported. I hope there are more stories in this world!

I was pleasantly surprised by this book and how much I enjoyed it. I read the blurb and new I had to try it (because it sounded amazing) - but would it deliver on its promise and interesting premise? Have no fear - it absolutely does. Anyone who likes Rachel Hartman, or dystopian fantasies, needs to try this book!

Fireborne
4 stars


Ms. Mundi brought to life in Annie and Lee.
She does a great job of world building and character building. This book really focuses on friendship integrity and loyalty. If you are looking for a fantasy YA novel that doesn’t have a strong romantic aspect you would
Really enjoy this one. I’m excited to
See future books from this author.

There was a LOT of story building and I had high hopes for this one- but there were many aspects that while set up well, fell flat. The most notable was the ability to emotionally connect with ones dragon. It was set up as such a special communication, but I don't think it was executed well enough for it to be a major strength for the riders. There was not enough character development for me either, while the plot was pretty fast paced and the reading easy, the characters and their explanations and motivations were little vague and not very well explained, except for our MC. Most of the plot was predictable and easy to see what was coming. There was no thrill factor that I expect from most YA Fantasy these days. There was not much to set this series apart from other fantasy series, even those including dragons.

It was a little below the reading level of what I am looking for when adding things to my library however I do know that several students who are interested in fantasy would find it interesting, but I'd be more apt to start them on something like Pern instead of this. However if you've got kids who are already into the dragonriders of Pern this might be a good follow up, if a bit underwhelming in succession.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. After a fierce war, the ruling class has been defeated and orphans Lee and Annie are chosen to train as dragon riders. When a shocking secret is revealed, one becomes leader and the other is under suspicion as a traitor. How will their friendship be affected by the events that happened when they were just children and how will they move forward under the new regime? I adored this book. It is told from three perspectives: Lee’s, Annie’s, and the narrator’s. Giving us all three views helps us see the story in full, which I fully appreciate. The characters are well thought out and the storyline is exciting. It is left on a bit of a cliffhanger and I am anxious for the next part of the series.

There have been relatively few dragon books for teens in recent years, and I think this will capitalize on the group who are aging out of Wings of Fire but still want something action-packed and dragon-filled.

Decent debut fantasy set in a Greek-inspired world with dragon riders in an empire that underwent a revolution when the MCs were young. Largely predictable but with some intriguing potential. Audiobook very well done.

I love dragons. I love dragon riders. I requested this book just based on those criteria. Other than that, I didn't really know what to expect. It was filled with action and political intrigue and reminded me a bit of His Majesty's Dragon and Eragon mixed together to make a unique story. I loved this so much!

This book has been sitting in my Netgalley queue for a long time and I question why I didn’t pick it up sooner. Set in a time after a major revolution with two teenagers as the main characters that are growing into the power granted to them as Dragon Riders, we follow their journey and see that change might not always be for the better. There is a lot of romantic tension which was slightly annoying, but other characters balanced it out a bit (Power might be the character we all want to “win”). What I enjoyed is the growth of the characters and the politicking that occurs. Who is going to win “the game?” I’m excited to see where this series goes and would recommend anyone who likes fantasy mixed with politics and doesn’t mind a dash (ok, its pretty heavy-handed) of romance alongside.

This was entertaining, transportive, politically complex and it has dragons. It’s the best kind of fantasy. I loved everything about it from the intrigue., the angst, the characters to the character dynamics. What more could you want. Absolutely phenomenal!

Look Y'all, I'm going through books I need to review and I could've sworn I reviewed this one. Especially because I really enjoyed it and would recommend it.

I couldn't put this one "down", it was so intriguing and well written. I enjoyed that there wasn't strong romance in it because when every book is built on that it can become mundane. The world-building was amazing and there are well-developed characters. This is a story about survival, friendship, family, and love. And, what all of those mean when your beliefs are questioned.

I enjoyed the flashbacks as they added depth and backstory to the two main characters. This is definitely a book I would purchase to re-read and continue as another installment is released.

“With that greatness came arrogance, and with that arrogance corruption, and with that corruption downfall.”

Alright, where are my dragon fanatics at??? Let me hear you ROAR because oh my first protector, was Fireborne an insane ride!!!

I don’t even know where to start…

Okay. I do. I want to start with how REAL Annie and Lee are written. This isn’t about morally grey or compelling characters. I could feel the journey they both were on. Every decision they made, how they felt afterwards, the progression from naive exuberance and optimism to a battered, tarnished, weary adult realism. It all was so incredibly well done. And not just Annie and Lee. All the characters. I could pluck any of them from the pages and put them in real life and they would plausibly function in our reality.

Which leads me to my next favorite thing. I had absolutely no idea where I wanted the story to go. What decisions did I want Lee or Annie to make? I have no idea! I seriously could not wish for one outcome over the other because I FELT THEM ALL IN THE DEPTHS OF MY HEART!!! Oh Rosaria Munda, you enchantress you. I had to completely submit any freewill, any expectations, any preconceived notions, and all of my fictional desires. She was completely in control and I had no choice but to submit to her will.

That’s what makes this book pure fucking magic.

“It’s strange how you can fight your way to a door, even through it, without thinking about what lies on the other side.”

Fireborne is described as Red Rising meets Game Of Thrones and oh boy, was this as intense as that ride sounds. Like both series, Fireborne is wrapped in the grey subtlety that political intrigue generally resides in. This isn’t a good versus bad, right versus wrong, but more a scale of ideals, weighed and measured and bitterly fought over. The psychology behind rebellions and regimes is woven into the plot so intricately, it’s difficult to unwind and unravel the black and white morality of either side.

That’s not to say there isn’t a right or a wrong, just that Munda presents each argument from the perspective of humanity, forcing the reader to see and understand that good for some is bad for others, and vice versa. This is a realistic complexity I love in a book. I want to think. I want to feel. I want to sink into the depths of characters and muse over the triumphs and tragedies of both sides. I want to immerse myself in a completely human experience and Fireborne does all of that.

“It leaves me wondering, at this ability I seem to have, of convincing others of things I can no longer convince myself.”

If you want to be swept away, immersed in a world that is recognizable but far away, grab this book. Also, there are dragons! Did I talk about the dragons?! I know. I loved so much about this book that dragons somehow made it to the bottom of the fucking list. Like, who am I right now?! Anyway. Just read this book. It’s fucking amazing.

Thank you Bookish First and Penguin Teen for including this book in their weekly raffle!

I’m glad that of all things in this book I experienced, romance was not the central focus of this book. Books about the after effects of revolution and characters affected who survive the perils of such a world have to have a delicate balance to attract readers and with the plus of dragons, I feel this book did it for me. I know romance can be important, but it isn’t always necessary to have it. I want to say I feel like, just for a moment while reading this book, I was transported back to the concepts brought in the Dragon Riders of Pern, just a little, and I love that series. I look forward to the next book and how this world and the people within it grow, for better or for worse.