The book has a really interesting concept for a romantic see. It set in an alternate Roman empire type of situation with dragons. There is content warnings for how the relationship empire power dynamic is actually in the beginning between the MMC and the FMC. The world building is interesting And the story as for well.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bramble and Ms. Cross for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

This book had me at its (gorgeous) cover, but then I was sold when I read Ancient Rome but with dragon shifters. Gah. I did note the TWs at the bottom of the blurb but I read very widely, including very dark romance, and I am familiar with the history of Ancient Rome (along with many other ancient civilizations, including Greeks, Egyptians, Ethiopians, Sumerians, Celts, etc). The dynamic many readers find problematic (understandably, in modern times) was unfortunately a very commonplace one in ancient times. Malina is a fascinating character, although I would have liked little more backstory or time with her family. Fast-forwarding her story to her reunion with Julian just sort of made her entire story about their relationship. Small quibble though, as it's definitely a dynamic relationship, and Julian is a great character. I LOVED all the different dragon types and the hierarchy.

I would agree that there's a distinct House of Dragons vibe crossed with Rome (the old TV show) mixed with a little Gladiator, all of which I'm a fan of, so this worked for me. YMMV of course. Be aware that it definitely IS on the dark side and the elements mentioned in the TWs are definitely part of the story and cannot be avoided. Personally I liked the story a lot and will keep my eye out for a sequel. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I really enjoyed this read. I was sucked into the story right from the start, and I really enjoyed the way this book was a lot grittier than I was expecting. While the romance was a little bit insta-lovey for me, I still did really enjoy it--it wasn't too bad. I honestly thought that the tropes were well done and I enjoyed watching the love interests interact. I really enjoyed the world and plot, and the set up in this story lends itself really well to the next book so I'm very intrigued in more in this world and more from this author!

I always find Juliette's books so hooky right from the get-go. She has a way of getting me sucked in quickly and getting me to feel connected to her characters right away that makes for such a fun and immersibe reading experience.

This dark fantasy romance hit on all the things I like about this sub genre. A unique take on Roman history that is indeed just as brutal as you think it will be, an interesting take on dragons and dragon shifters, and a heroine with what appears to be immense power but she hasn't fully realized it yet.

And of course, the one thing that always keeps me coming back to Juliette's books is how deeply and madly the hero falls for the heroine. This man is the definition of touch her and die and only soft for her, and I truly never get tired of that!

The romance between Julianus and Malina did have fated mates vibes to it, which lends it an insta love feel, but I didn't mind that one bit.

I enjoyed the setup for this book and world and can't wait to see our story really take off in book two!

CW: master/slave dynamic in the romance, attempted sexual assault (not between the mc's), dubious consent

I received an ARC for review

The Deluxe Edition of Firebird has beautiful stenciled edges and I LOVE the cover as well. I started reading this knowing that I’d probably buy it, regardless of whether I liked it or not. I hate to judge a book by its cover, but it’s that pretty.

Readers should pay attention to the summary and triggers on this romantasy, it was darker than I was expecting. It’s a dual first-person POV set in an alternate Ancient Rome during the height of its power, but the rulers and gods are all dragon shape-shifters. Julian is a powerful dragon shape-shifter in the Roman army; Malina is a “witch” with an Empath gift and a member of one of the many clans the Romans rule over with an iron fist. The first time they meet briefly, despite being enemies, there‘s an instant connection between them. It isn’t until years later when they meet again as the victorious conquerer and the conquered, that we find out how deep their fated connection runs. Julian shifts into his dragon form and claims Malina for himself, making her his body slave. At first, Malina hates her new Master, but there’s much more to Julian under that cold mask of the brutal Roman conquerer.

Obviously the Master/Slave relationship isn’t for everyone. Julian sees her as his “Treasure” and he’s all about the Touch-her-and-die, but he’s respectful enough to keep his hands off of her. She makes the first move and it’s a slow-ish burn. The current Caesar (Julian’s despicable uncle) is cruel and revolting; there are orgies, violent beheadings and he uses public SA as a form of punishment. I felt like the SA scene was explicit in a way that was unnecessary.

The pacing and the writing weren’t perfect, but I enjoyed it. Overall I liked the unique setting of this book and the idea of the dragon shape-shifters. Also the Art team deserves an award for making this edition so pretty! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

Dark fantasy romance
Dragon shifters
Master/slave
Enemies to lovers
Corrupt kingdom
Fated mates
Forbidden love
Possessive MMC
Powerful FMC

Loved this book! I felt as if I was in Ancient Rome! Cross did a phenomenal job on the world building! Swoony romance and great side characters! I am so excited for the next book!

This book is definitely a dark fantasy romance, with very heavy topics and rough situations. It did not shy away from the darkness and grittiness of this ancient Roman world.

It DOES have:
- dragons
- master/slave dynamic (but he does not force her into anything sexual using this dynamic at all)
- spice
- fated mates

There is some dubious consent (not between the main characters) and mentions of SA.

I really liked the plot and the story and their relationship. The dragons and the ancient Roman world

But please be know this IS dark fantasy. It’s uncomfortable at times with the themes so if you don’t want to read that then this isn’t the book for you.

I really liked the goddess involvement and it left me
Wanting the next book which I can’t say because it would spoil it!

Firebird is a dark romance/dark romantasy featuring a master/slave dynamic between the main characters, who are already in a relationship when the story begins. I found the story really interesting, and I’ll probably pick up the next book because I’m curious to see how the series develops.

While I enjoyed it, I do think the plot could have been a little more focused instead of leaning so heavily into the smut. That said, it’s still a solid story overall. I think the author did a good job balancing the master/slave relationship without making it feel exploitative. Malina, the female main character, came across as a strong woman, and I never felt like she was being taken advantage of, which is really important in a dynamic like this.

One thing I loved is that the main character is a dragon shifter and Malina is a witch — it added a really fun fantasy element to the romance.

I was lucky enough to receive both an eARC and an ALC (audiobook) so I could read along while listening. I absolutely loved the dual narration! Blair Dade and Kale Williams did a fantastic job bringing the characters' voices and emotions to life. I definitely recommend picking up the audiobook if you can!

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, and Bramble for the eARC and ALC.

I did not finish this book. Between the master/slave relationship (mentioned in content warnings) and the FMC being 17 at the start of the book, it was hitting too many of my ick so me to even get through the first chapter.

DNF at 90% I tried to push through but just can’t anymore.

I honestly do not recommend this book unless you like Dark Romance/Dark Romantasy. Also, if you’re okay with a slave/master dynamic.

Dragons in Rome seemed like a great book, but unfortunately this book isn’t for me.

I didn’t like all of the violence (including sexual violence). Please look up trigger warnings before reading.

Firebird by Juliette Cross is excellently narrated by Blair Dade and Kale Williams. I had both the e-arc and ALC for Firebird. I loved the dual narration and that is the only good thing I can identify about this book. The content warning are completely false. A slave cannot give consent that is inherent in the nature of a master/slave relationship. The SA by Cesear in a room full of people despite her 'wanting it' is still a SA. Again, the power disparity is what makes all of this wrong. This book is marketed incorrectly as well. The smut is cringeworthy. If I could give this 1/2 a star I would. I finished it so I could tell you the consent is not given in this book because it cannot be given. Thank you to Net Galley, MacMillan Audio and TOR Publishing for my advance copy.

A different take on the romantasy genre that is all the rage. Malina and Julian meet for the first time when things are relatively mellow in the Roman Empire and their connection is instant. When they find one another again, it is on a battlefield and Julian must save Malina from the warriors under his command. The thing about these warriors of Rome though, is they are dragons - Julian included. In the years since they have seen one another, Julian’s uncle, Igniculus, has turned the Roman Empire into something ugly and insidious.

Malina and Julian have a clear chemistry and the spicy scenes in the book are great. It took a bit to get into the story, but once I did I was hooked. Looking forward to this series continuing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a digital ARC of this title!

This book has a lot of popular tropes and I think fans of dark romantasy are going to have a blast. Be forewarned, this is a romance between a master and a slave so there's definitely some power dynamics at play here. It's also a very gritty Game of Thrones-esque world so checking trigger warnings would be a good idea before diving in. I personally felt like the author did a great job of balancing the power dynamic so that I didn't feel like Malina was being taken advantage of. I enjoyed the politics and the dragon shifter lore. I did want more emotional development though. The instalove is strong in this book and part of that is because our MMC is a dragon shifter but even so I needed more to fully believe in the romance. Lovers of alpha heroes and fated mates will eat this book up. I'm finding that fated mates only works for me if we get to see them develop a relationship as well. A mystical bond isn't enough for me to root for a relationship. I know there is a whole camp of people who go feral for this type of story though so I'm very happy this exists for them.

Cool concept, questionable execution. There were elements that I really, really loved--the overall premise, for example--that fell abysmally flat especially in the romance department. On the positive side, I did did find that the prose was good and easy to read and quite accessible. While the master-slave romance is something that will definitely ruffle feathers, I didn't so much as mind this as the lack of characterization and build-up that would've led for an interesting romance. It felt a lot like insta-love at times, which I'm not fond of. Additionally, the sex scenes were very poorly written.

Thank you for the ARC!

2025 is the year for Roman romance, apparently! This one is a darker romantasy where Roman patricians are dragon shifters who use their fearsome fighting powers and fire-breathing abilities to expand their empire.

Set closer to the fall of the Empire, Caesar oversees strict laws prohibiting miscegenation and encourages violence, rapine, and slavery (even more so than his predecessors). Julian is a Roman legatus and Caesar's nephew who is working from within to end the regime. Malina is a Dacian "witch" who his dragon recognizes as their fated mate. When she's taken prisoner and enslaved as spoils of war, Julian saves her from the slave market but puts her to work in his household.

Cross walks a fine line with her world building, making Julian a "good" Roman revolutionary. He still owns slaves and outwardly supports his uncle's regime, including attending orgies at Caesar's palace and serving as general in the Roman army, conquering "barbarian tribes." Malina is appropriately wary of her new "owner," but since she's an empath and can sense his true feelings AND they're fated mates, it's understandable to see why she falls for him.

I quite liked this book, with its fast-paced revolutionary plot marrying well with the enemies to lovers/fated mates romance. Do note the darker themes of this one, including threatened sexual assault (not between leads), plenty of bloody violence, and references to incest, slavery, and more. I'm usually pretty sensitive to these themes, and while this definitely walked up to the edge for me, I ended up devouring the book.

I'm looking forward to the next entries in the series! This one has a HEA for the main couple and good resolution with one of the main antagonists, but the revolution will continue for the full series, so don't expect a conclusion to every plot point.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

Thank you Tor for the eARC but unfortunately this book is not for me. After reading it a bit and realized it was a master and slave love situation, the book is simply not for me. It also needs some trigger warnings.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Bramble for an eArc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own*

This was an incredibly fast read with an interesting world set in a reimagined Rome. The nobles in this world are dragon shifters. This is a very tough read, you have to be comfortable with a romance/relationship between a master and their slave. This is not slow burn at all, the enemies to lovers, hate to love is over very quickly and the spice happens within 100 pages. This is not a story for me, it was at times very hard to read. Please be aware of violence against slaves, SA detailed on page, extreme misogyny. I don't like the relationship that is being explored here. I know this can work for some but I just can't buy that you fall in love with someone who burned down your entire village, and killed thousands of innocents including your family. Even if he's plotting against the more vile emperor. Just not for me. Also, the writing is incredibly cringey, how many times can I read the word cunny...

I received an advance reader copy an exchange for an honest review.

NO SPOILERS!

A Roman dragon shifter and a powerful witch? Sign me up!

Even After reading Fourth Wing, Delicously Dark Fairy Tales, and the Kit Davenport series I’m still loving dragon and dragon shifter stories. I never tire of them so keep them coming.

Firebird is a dark Romantasy set in a Roman inspired world with powerful dragon shifter houses led by the cruel and corrupt Caesar.

My main critique would be there’s so much world building, info dumping and character soup at the start of this book. I found it hard to care at first, but eventually it found its groove.

Julian and Malina have an Insta love, fated mates relationship that I wish had been more fleshed out. Sadly, the fated mates trope can lead to a lack of relationship building.

Also some of the dialogue can be a bit cringy, especially during spicy scenes.

Firebird has a master/slave dynamic that might rub people the wrong way even though he doesn’t treat her like a slave and she doesn’t act like one. It didn’t bother me because I’ve read so many books with that trope. But keep it in mind if it’s not your thing.

I did enjoy the political intrigue so I’m excited to see where the story goes from here and I will be picking up the next book in the series.

Okay so this premise had me and I needed to know more about this book! I loved the concept, the idea of it, and the characters in their own spaces. This is a book that teeters on romantasy and a little bit of dark romance. You've got the dragons, the magic, and at the same time there's a pretty heavy master/slave dynamic, that you really have to take in stride in this book.

This is a book space that I didn't necessarily think I'd expect to see master/slave dynamics, but I was intrigued. I didn't love it, but I found it curious & I'm excited to see where book two takes us in this storyline! Mind the triggers in the beginning & buckle in for the ride!

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC!

Firebird has a lot of great elements that I loved. However, I need to start by mentioning that this book has some dark and triggering elements that readers need to be aware of before starting, so make sure to check trigger warnings. When I started reading, they weren’t as readily available as now, so that did affect my enjoyment to some degree as I wasn’t in the headspace I would’ve been had I known. The darker themes make sense in the context of the story. Many of the themes are uncomfortable, but they’re supposed to be that way. This also features a fated mates scenario, but it was a little too insta lust for me. I also struggled with it based on the master/slave dynamic between the two MCs. I did find the dragon shifter aspect to be interesting. I also really enjoyed the magical lore and world building as well as the political intrigue. I had both the ebook and audiobook for this. The audiobook was narrated by Blair Dade and Kale Williams. I thought they both did really well with the narration and bringing both the characters and world to life. Their narration also helped keep me focused on the story. I do plan to continue the series to see how the story develops in book two.

Overall rating: 3.5⭐️