While I am one of those rare folks (I guess) who knows nothing about Game of Thrones, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The character development was excellent. I understood Annie's and Lee's motivations and agonized with them over the personal hurdles they had to address while competing to become First Rider. I loved the dragons and their relationships with their riders, and the world building was superb. The metals-based societal classes that were developed after the revolution were interesting and ironic (no pun intended), considering that the revolution was to free the oppressed. With Lee as the unrecognized survivor of a ruling family that was otherwise massacred, I found myself reminded of the Romanovs before both the czar and czarina and their children were assassinated in the Russian revolution. The politics of which side was "right" were complex, as they should be, and added to the story's appeal. I also appreciated that the book had a satisfying ending, in spite of the fact that there is a lot more story to tell. One has a choice whether to wait anxiously for the next one or not.

A book of character, of tough life changing choices between family, loyalty, logic, and beliefs. It was just so amazingly complex and wonderful.

There are two characters whose lives intertwine in many ways, yet come from extremely opposing backgrounds. Annie has every reason to hate Lee, but at the same time, she owes him so much. She's always been taught to bow to others' orders, but when given the choice, she must decide if she truly wants to win and rule.

Lee went from paradise to hell, but in the process, learned that his paradise was everyone else's hell. Now he has the chance to bring back his paradise, but at everyone else's cost. But the choice comes down to betraying his loyalty or his family. He must choose between right and wrong, but when right becomes wrong and wrong becomes right, and neither turn out to be as righteous as advertised, how can he betray either side?

This book reminded me of Animal Farm and of the aftermath of every revolutionary regime. After the Czar/emperor/previous rulers and their families are murdered in a bloody revolt, after equality & communist like laws are implemented, this is the life chosen by the people. The characters here are strong proponents of the equal system, but what happens when they face tough times and are ordered to become the very same rulers they just overthrew?

The choices Lee and Annie had to make were heartbreaking and complicated, and I was constantly surprised and awed and emotionally impressed by the twists and turns of their current and prior life choices. I don't think I've read a book this satisfying, this awe inspiring, since The Goblin Emperor. If you were a fan of that book, of good characters who make tough choices, then I strongly recommend this book. And if you're not a fan, I still strongly recommend it.

P.S. The dragons were nice, but in some ways, they were just as good as horses. There was a dragon-rider bond, but these are not intelligent creatures. They fit perfectly into this story, but don't come here looking for an Eragon like dragon-human bond. This book focuses on character & philosophy, with a dash of fantasy, romance, and politics.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

From the moment I read some of the taglines that compared this book to Red Rising and Game of Thrones, I knew this was a book I needed to get my hands on. Told in two POVs, the story centers on two characters who couldn't be more different, except that they are both dragon riders vying for the position of First Rider. There are political and ethical issues that really make you think about what you would do if you were in that situation. The main characters had good arcs, there was great world building, and the secondary characters each had a distinctive personality. The plot was well-paced and even though there weren't any major "ah ha" moments, I still was kept guessing which way the story would go. Overall, this was an excellent book! Oh, and I LOVE the cover!!!

Thanks to NetGalley and Edelweiss+ for the ARC!

Oh man, this book was gut wrenching. It was really good and I liked the fact that this book shows that not everything is black and white. There are many shades of gray with so many outcomes. It was a little on the slower side in the middle, but the dragons more than made up for it. So many dragons!! I was in dragon heaven. I am eagerly awaiting the second book, which is going to take forever to come out.

**Disclaimer: I was given an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

"pitched as Aegon Targaryen and Hermione Granger with dragons, set in the aftermath of a bloody revolution"

Not too sure what the above means, but I didn't feel it when reading the beginning of Fireborne. I love Game of Thrones, and recently finished Red Rising by Pierce Brown.

I'm not sure if my tastes are changing, but I don't think I can handle another series similar to Red Rising, and there are too many knock-off Game of Thrones books.

Once Fireborne releases, I'm hoping to give it another shot, but what I read during NetGalley's 24-hour period did not get me hooked.

Rosaria Munda’s debut novel Fireborne hooked me from the very beginning, and I enjoyed it until the very last page. With dragons, tournaments and complex relationships, what’s not to love? This book is exactly the kind of book I normally read and love, so it was enjoyable and somewhat familiar. The way in which the story progresses is really well done. Key details are revealed at just the right moments, keeping me interested and wanting to know what will happen next. I also liked that this book didn’t end in a cliffhanger. The plot of this story concludes, but still left me wanting to know what will happen in the next book. I can’t wait to read this author’s next book.
***I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***
This review will also be posted on Goodreads.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for providing me with an ARC to early read and review. All opinions are my own and are not influenced by this opportunity.

Fireborne was one of my most anticipated reads for Fall of 2019 but unfortunately it just didn't work for me as well as I had hoped. I was immediately drawn in to the gorgeous cover and the premise of Game of Thrones meets Red Rising! It's like a mashup of space and dragons what's not to love! Turns out a fair bit for me 🙈

Now don't get me wrong, Fireborne is still a good book! It has a very good story line and has some good concepts, it just didn't work for me. I wanted.. more from this book. I was left underwhelmed throughout the entire book actually. 250 pages in and basically nothing had happened which made the remaining 200 pages feel a lifetime away. I never had that itch to pick the book up and it started to feel like a chore toward the end, so for me at least I wish the book had been a little shorter. Speaking of shorter OH MY GOD the chapters in this book are hella long. If you're like me and only like stopping at a chapter be prepared to keep reading for a while because these chapters are 50+ pages each. It felt SOOO drawn out at times, I would flip forward to see how far away the end of the chapter was and be surprised I still had SO far to go.

There were a lot of flashbacks and remembering the main characters younger days, but not a lot of action or plot to actually move the story forward in the present day. The flashbacks did help me connect more to the main characters which was a nice touch. I also didn't really see how this is dubbed as Game of Thrones meets Red Rising.. I could see how it could be compared to Game of Thrones because of the obvious Dragons but also because of the political upheaval throughout the story, but Red Rising I'm not so sure on? If you know how this is at all similar to Red Rising please learn me because I don't see it 😂

Oddly enough I did enjoy the political side of the story, a kingdom burned to ruin and survivors starting a revolt against the new regime? Sign me up. That was about the extent of what I liked about the actual story though. I didn't care for the romance and I could take or leave all of the characters. I did like the dragons though, there were some really cool features about them I haven't seen in other stories.

I guess overall, I didn't love or hate this book. Which may or may not be helpful to you. I tried to be honest in my review, and it basically comes down to I thought the book was fairly boring. It never grabbed my attention and made me WANT to read it, I just felt I had to because I have an ARC.

Wow! This is the best fantasy I have read. This is an epic that traces several lives through a period following the revolution of the masses against the feudal landowners that controlled their lives with dragons. The main characters are part of a group called Guardians, which is a diverse makeup of people from every part of society. The story and the characters draw the reader into an intense emotional experience. Personal battles, small triumphs, individual growth and incidents of growing love combine to create an outstanding reading experience.. The interaction between the dragons and those they chose to bond with is captured perfectly as the dragon riders compete for rank in the Guardian force. The two principle characters are thrown together as youngsters when they are both orphaned during the days of the revolution. Their ongoing relationship is one of the major themes in the story. Many human qualities are put to the test as the society is challenged by the remnants of the former ruling class who have gathered on another island, developed their own dragon riders, and seek to overturn the revolution.

For disclosure, I received this ebook as a review galleys copy, to check out and find errors and to review.

This book is the coming of age tale of two teens in a land of fantasy, but it is far more. It is the tale of the results of a revolution, the tale of two people becoming themselves, the tale of a war beginning, and the tale of the rise of a female leader towards power, not by domination but by right and acclaim. There are two main characters, one male, one female, and each are equally represented here. Their hearts and souls are bared to us in a naked manner that is fresh, and breathtaking.

I found it a delight. I was thrown at first by the switching of points of view between the two main characters, but despite this, I found I soon was caught up in it too much to care. These two people embodied heroism, and also being a teenager and an adult, in any world, in any time.

Definitely worth picking up and reading.

Rosaria Munda's Fireborne is an upcoming fall 2019 release that I hadn't heard much about. Having spent much of my time wedding planning over the past 8 months, the following is what I knew: it's fantasy, said to be a mix of Rachel Hartman's Seraphina and Pierce Brown's Red Rising, and Munda was inspired by the Aeneid and the Republic. I'm always down for fantasy; I haven't read Seraphina, but I did read Red Rising and felt iffy about it; and I could barely get through the Aeneid and the Republic in college. I didn't have high hopes of enjoying Fireborne, but I kept my mind open and unassuming.

And, man, I'm glad I went in suspending hopes of any kind. Fireborne hit every need of mine when it comes to a fantasy story:

-Suspense that had me wondering what was going to happen, because I knew way more than all the characters, and the possible reveals had me on edge. Seriously, I think I was sweating a few times when the stakes were life-and-death serious. And what made it more intense was how the characters' different motivations played into what was known. I was practically skimming the pages through a couple chapters because I needed to know what happened to resolve a certain situation or two.

-Tension between characters that continuously changes and morphs as new developments emerge--especially when the tension is between the two main perspectives and there is a love and fondness between the two, but the stakes are high and they each have polarizing motivations. Not to mention, the constant romantic tension is further complicated by attractions to other people once in a while. From the very start the romantic tension had me rooting for one pair to end up together, then another, and then it got all mixed to the point I gave up and sat back to instead enjoy watching it unfold.

-Characters that crawl into your heart and feel real enough to exist. You can see the flaws of the society they inhabit, and you can see the flaws of the former regime that their current society came from, so you see where everyone stands in the grand scheme of ideologies. But--and this is a heavy 'but,' somber and realizing--it all comes down to I, the reader, understands where they all come from. It isn't black and white as to who is right and just. Their world is very gray, because every character has their reasons and those reasons make sense even as they are in opposition to one another. Not to mention, the side characters were full of life as well and I also loved them. Actually, I loved some of them right away. Overall, Munda is amazing with fleshing out all levels of characters and bringing them to life.

-The world-building, including the tensions between nations, was fantastic. I see exactly what Munda means when she says the Aeneid and the Republic inspired her. The same level of political and social exploration happens, but definitely in a manner that was more engaging for myself. And the exploration of the political and social aspects created an extra depth of reflection for myself that I feel I don't get with some other books (fantasy or not, just books in general). I'm not saying that other books don't set out with a purpose intended for the real world at large. I am, however, saying that this book had me contemplating the grayness of my own world. The world isn't black and white, and far too often people (myself included) try to filter the world into that dichotomy. This book is an enjoyable, albeit sobering, reminder that people need to look beyond themselves and from another person's perspective. (Brief digression: that might be a takeaway all my own from how the perspectives and sides of conflict are in the book, so this might not be something the author intended nor something other readers may feel the same about. I tend to analyze deeply, so this is something I saw and it resonates within me.) (Second brief digression: I just learned that Munda studied political theory and, I swear, it shows--but in an amazing way, because only someone educated in political theory could pull off the complex politics of this story and nail it like Munda does.)

-And, of course, the writing was phenomenal. Aside from the reason listed above, I would say half of the reason that I adore this book is the writing itself. It's refreshing. There is always something actively occurring, even if it is a flashback to better inform the characters' present situations. You aren't left waiting for what's next because Munda is always giving you something new right away. But she does balance it with internal reflections that accentuate and enhance, because those moments allow us to be closer to the characters and better understand their drives. She also does harken back to the Aeneid and Republic in some ways, glorifying their ancient poetry and texts that are oh so similar to the Aeneid and the Republic."

Be sure to keep tissues nearby as you venture into Fireborne. Surprisingly, there are quite a few emotional moments as you follow the characters' hardships and see how their worlds fell apart and came back together.

"Inspired by Plato’s Republic and told from a dual point of view, the story is pitched as Aegon Targaryen and Hermione Granger with dragons."

Great start to a new adventure! I am looking forward to more dragon born!

Highly enjoyed. Was addictive to keep me focused to finish within in a day. World building was just enough. I really was taken in by the tragic characters though. I so wanted to know what happened with their lives.

Fireborne follows Lee and Annie, two orphans who become dragon riders, as they compete with their classmates to become a Firstrider, the person who leads the dragons into war.
I unfortunately did not finish this book 46% into it. Almost halfway into the story, and I felt like nothing significant and interesting had happened, the characters were just not fully-developed, and the writing wasn’t eye-catching. It felt like How to Train Your Dragon, but if nothing interesting happened and the reader was constantly overloaded with unnecessary politics and information.
There was also the unnecessary addition of multiple point-of-views throughout the story. Often, when the perspective changed, I was confused and by the time I realized what was happening, the perspective would change again. Overall, this book was confusing and boring and just not worth the effort.
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was received as an ARC from PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group - G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

Fans of Game of Thrones, Red Rising and even fans of Divergent and Red Queen will appreciate this book. The plot was so fascinating to the point that you develop a love and passion for Annie and Lee and wonder how their lives will shape and with being in the top of the dragonriding fleet, they are forced to make tough decisions that leads to the ultimate sacrifice for Lee forced to kill Annie, the only family he has or loose everything he earned through the dragon riders. Such action, drama, complex verses and fascinating themes that will leave you glued to the page and never want to stop reading. Our young adult readers are sure to love this book and will go crazy for it come its release date.

We will consider adding this title to our YFantasy collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Fireborn by Rosaria Munda was bittersweet. It wasn't a story that immediately grabbed my attention but I decided to stick around despite the urges to put the book down. I am SO glad that I kept going! It was original and so vivid, I fell in love. This is the kind of book to read when you're craving adventure from the comfort of your own bed.

Fireborne was a super fun Fantasy read that I would hand to any YA Fantasy reader. Great characters, a fast-paced plot, and lots of action. Who doesn't love secrets, dragons, and a brewing war, with a dash of romance thrown in?!? Two thumbs up and I hope there's a sequel in the works.

https://pawsandpaperbacks.com/2019/06/13/review-fireborne-rosaria-munda-arc/There are not enough words to describe my feelings about this book. Finishing this book left me feeling utterly speechless. I’m awestruck that this is Rosaria Munda’s debut, because it was nothing short of amazing. Fireborne is a thrilling, thought-provoking, powerful, gripping story that I can confidently say is easily my favorite book of the year, hands down.

Fireborn had been pitched as “Inspired by Plato’s Republic…Aegon Targaryen and Hermione Granger with dragons, set in the aftermath of a bloody revolution.” This is literally the most accurate book description I’ve read in my life. The story is told from the dual POVs of Lee and Annie. Lee is the only remaining survivor of the previous aristocracy who were massacred during the revolution. Annie is a orphan whose family suffered at the hands of that former aristocracy, and thanks to the new regime is offered an opportunity that would have been previously been unheard of. I found both Lee and Annie’s characters to be extremely compelling and well-written, and the complexity of their relationship was one of the highlights of the story. Both characters also had tremendous character growth by the end of the book and I was totally invested in them.

As for the book’s best feature: the political intrigue and turmoil. I’ve never said this before in a review – because in my opinion it’s in a league of its own – but if you enjoy the political intricacies and the grayness of which side is right/wrong, you will absolutely love this. This is a book in which the “good” guys do bad things, and the “bad” guys can be sympathized with. And books that have that aspect are my favorite, because in the real world there are no absolutes. Rosaria Munda does an excellent job developing those intricacies in her world and bringing adding an emotional depth to them.

Another thing I absolutely loved was the dragons! Many times, there are so-called “dragon” books, but the actual dragons are barely featured within the pages. That is definitely not the case in Fireborne. The dragons are heavily present in the story, and there are plenty of action-filled scenes with them! I also liked that the action scenes were descriptive enough to follow along and picture the scene, but not overdone to the degree where they become tedious or confusing. There are plenty of heart-pounding, page-turning scenes to love in this book!

I could go on and on about this book. I honestly had to force myself to put it down. My entire drive home from clinicals and work I fantasized about getting to read more chapters. I thought about the characters and the plot while I was in class. Fireborne is a politically-savvy, emotional, intoxicating story, and if it’s not already on your TBR, it needs to be.

This reminds me so much of Seraphina by Rachel Hartman, in that, it has epic world building and characters that have immense depth, too. However, I found I couldn't connect with the characters and when I say this it isn't because the writing was lacking, because it wasn't, I just couldn't find myself connecting with it.

I give it 3.5 savvy crowns because I'm thinking this is a "me" thing and not the writer because as stated above the world is there, the characters are there, everything is there!

Wow. I loved this book. It’s everything I could want in a fantasy. Relatable characters, an intriguing plot, and action scenes that made my heart race. Not once did I feel like this book dragged on, I was glued to every page that I read. This is extremely rare in fantasy, especially in the beginning when the world is being built, but the worldbuilding in this novel was flawlessly integrated into the story. I never felt like I was being sat down and told things to understand the story. Munda does a wonderful job with the worldbuilding in this novel.

Another thing I really enjoyed about this book was the complexity of all the characters. I found myself becoming extremely invested in the backstories and personalities of the main as well as the side characters. The characters felt real, while some may have excelled in certain aspects they still had flaws in other areas. This made the characters in the novel feel much more real and relatable. I can see a character arc coming for not just one, but two of the characters in the story and I am so excited to see how it develops. I love some good character development, and I can see it brewing within this series.

The only problem I had with this book was that there was sometimes an absence of dialogue. We are told the connection Annie and Lee have but we never really see any dialogue between the two to establish it, instead we see passing glances, and the retelling of their backstory together. While this works in some ways, real dialogue between the two characters is never really seen until about 3/4 of the way through the book, so I found it hard to establish the huge connection that the two had. That being said, I did really enjoy these characters and their relationship together, I just think it could have been done better.

Overall though, this book was expertly crafted. The worldbuilding was superb, the characters were relatable, and the plot had me reading well into the night. I can see this series becoming very popular upon release date, and I cannot wait for the next book in the series.

I would recommend this to: Anyone looking for a great fantasy novel and loves a good dragon plotline.

There is a lot to like about this book. It has a great cast of characters, a really interesting plot, and it was well written in my opinion.

The thing that I perhaps like best about this book is that they treat each other with a great deal of respect and as equals. Even though, or in spite of, everybody treating Annie as if she inadequate because of her being low-born. Annie also knows who Lee is from the start, and there is no big revolution for her to contend with which I felt was a nice change from how a lot of books take things.

Lee is an interesting character. He has basically been raised by the people who killed his family, but he doesn't seem to have a grudge against them for it. And that has a lot to do with growing up with Annie and learning what his family did to hears and how unjust it was. And learning from the other kids in his classes what the Dragonborn did to their families. He sees what happened was wrong, but he still wants to be a dragon rider. He wants to eventually be their leader so he can make sure that things never can return to how it was.

There is a romantic sub-subplot, but it's not between Annie and Lee. Which was kind of odd, because the synopsis kind of implies that there is a romance between them. It really doesn't need to be there.

This book had a lot of elements to it, that worked well together. The impending war from the survivors of the former regime, discovering what power can do to a good cause, learning what you are willing to sacrifice to keep yourself but also protect what you have built.

I am really looking forward to what the rest of the series will bring.