Malina, a Dacian dancer, has a magical gift that has branded her a witch among the Roman armies that have heard of her: she can make entire legions turn and run home. She's an empath, and she can bind and manipulate emotions. But there's no need for her to manipulate Julianus Dakkia, legendary dragon general, who once watched her dance with her sisters, and bestowed her a precious gift. Years later, he captures her in battle, and his inner dragon recognizes her as his. But Julius is the nephew of the Emperor of Rome, and he's caught up in a complicated web of politics that makes protecting a powerful captured slave girl an almost impossible task.

This was one of the more compelling romantasy books I've picked up recently (and weirdly my 5th book with ties to the Roman Republic/Roman Empire in 2025, and it's only March). Firebird is a book that you can really just pick up and binge: the fantasy elements are interesting but uncomplicated, and the worldbuilding is well-constructed for an easy read. Juliette Cross is clear that she's taken liberties (beyond using dragon shifters and magic) in her borrowed historical setting, which helped establish my expectations.

Julius and Malina are enemies, of course, because of their relative positions in the Roman Empire. That said, I found that the charm of the book was less about their status as enemies. It's implied early, and confirmed later, that they are fated mates, and while there is caution to the relationship because of Malina's status as a slave that Julius owns, the conflict is almost entirely external to the relationship. Malina sees Julius's character early enough in the book to shift to his side against the true evil: the emperor and his second favorite general. Cross does an excellent job balancing the importance of the romantic arc alongside the plot arc, which I often find rare in romantasy. Julius is the right level of possessive alpha dragon shifter for me, because while he's domineering, Cross tones him down on the battlefield. Likewise, Malina is a strong character herself, whose unique power is neatly woven into her character rather than sitting on top of her like a mantle.

I found myself shifting between audiobook and text as I read, because I found I couldn't pull away from reading it. It's presented in dual narration, and I found that Blair Dade and Kale Williams fit their roles well.

3.5 rating.

Intertwining dragon shifters with the Roman Empire was a compelling choice, and I believe the author crafted a decent plot around it.

The Characters:
I liked Malina and Julian, but I felt that Julian's character was not fully developed. Malina wasn't as annoying as many female characters in romantasy can be. She was snarky, but given how her life was upended, I think I would have been cursing people out too. On the other hand, Julian came across as somewhat incomplete. As a top, calculating general, he seemed distant and unsure at times, which felt inconsistent.

The Romance:
The romance was just okay for me. I didn't sense a genuine connection between Malina and Julian. Their first encounter sparked some intrigue, but when they met again, it was in a situation where Julian held power over Malina (a master/slave dynamic), making their romance feel inauthentic. I wish the author had approached this power dynamic with more nuance. I understand the context of Romans and slaves, the brutatlity of that era but Julian was his uncle's nephew. Couldn't he have used his words to stand up for Malina? It felt underrepresented, especially with the larger plot involving the coup against his uncle.

The Magic Element:
Honestly, the magic aspect was lackluster. We didn't see enough of Malina's magic on page. She was supposed to be powerful, but she barely knew how to use her magic, and when she did, it didn't meet my expectations. Julian's ability to shift into a dragon was the most interesting magical element in the story. I appreciated the background on the different dragon houses and their colors, but I wish we had more context about how the Romans could become dragon shifters in the first place.

I wasn't a fan of the ending of Firebird, as it felt rushed and incomplete. We are left with an unresolved coup, so I would like to see how the author addresses that in the next book. I don’t think there was a good balance between the couple's romance and the overarching plot.

In the end, this was an okay read. For future books, I would like to see more development of the main couple's romance and their relationship in general, as well as better use of the witches' magic on page.

A stand out romantasy in a world of at times repetitive plots.

I loved this book. Juliette Cross never fails to deliver a unique and thoughtful story. I loved how attentive to historical details she was in this while still providing all the fun romance tropes and swoony bits we know and love. I loved rooting for not just Malina and Julian but the people around them and the world they're trying to build. Can't wait for book 2!

Unique, vivid, and sweet Firebird is a favorite of the year for sure.

I read this in 1 day and was on the edge of my search to find out what would happen next! Loved this story it was Fantasy but had many mythology retelling types of elements. Romans have taken over many people groups and countries but this this time they are dragon shifters 😅 They did not stick the landing unfortunately. This was shapping up to be a 5 star read and was fully prepared to give it that rating by 3/4 of the way through. But the ending made no sense and felt like a different writter almost. But It gets a 4 star because it was mostly incredible and who knows? Maybe book 2 will make up for the fumble!

Did not finish book. Stopped at 52%.
this book is pretty bad. writing style is very basic. mmc is a “good slave owner.” tension sucks. very boring. very straight.

Firebird is a romantic and dark Romanesque inspired dragon romantasy. Malina has unique magic that saved her from an untimely death throughout her past and the story. Julian, a dragon shifter, is Cesaer's highest general, making him and Malina true enemies. Their love feels a little insta-love but the world building is lush and captivating. I would've loved to have more depth to the story and their love story. Overall, I would recommend this book to my customers. I am excited for book 2!

Amazing! I was totally invested in this tale with its nods to Ancient Rome, DRAGONS, and a fierce heroine who loves deeply! I cannot wait to see what’s next!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bramble for the preview. All opinions are my own.

4.5 stars

Ok I absolutely loved this! It’s like the author was watching Gladiator one day and said, know what would make this even better? Dragon shifters! And she was RIGHT!

Seriously if you loved Gladiator with its politics, plotting, high stakes, evil emperor, and tension, this is absolutely for you. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, and could not put the book down. Not kidding I read this in a day.

The sloooooooooow burn romance was fantastic. I wasn’t sure how I felt about the slave/general combo, but it was handled well. It’s a very brutal world, and the book doesn’t shy away from showing the cruelty, the violence, and the indignities. But Malina is an incredible and strong FMC, and she’s a fantastic match for dragon general Julian.

I’m so eager for the next book. And because I enjoyed this so thoroughly, I need to go read some of Cross’ other books to tide me over. Highly recommend!

had really high hopes for this. This book is described as House of Dragons meets From Blood and Ash (2 of my favorites!) Unfortunately, I couldn't get into it. I was very intrigued during the prologue but 50% in and the world building and magic weren't explained. Secondly the romance just didn't hit for me. I feel like there is some sort of fated mates situation coming but i just didn't love the slave/owner dynamic. I love a possessive mmc and I don't normally get the ick from certain power dynamics but this was a first for me and some of the usual trope‐y language actually took me out of the story. I also had a hard time connecting to the characters- there was a lot of telling not showing. Unfortunately, this one is not for me.

I would also like to see some trigger warnings at the beginning because I didn't expect this to be as dark as it was.

Slave x owner
Dragons shifters
Roman empire setting
Touch her and die
He falls first
Possessive mmc

If you told me I’d be obsessed with a dragon-shifting Roman general and a Dacian dancer prophesied to save an empire, I’d believe you immediately. Because that is exactly my kind of book. Firebird delivers the kind of dark romantasy that burns slow but scorches when it finally ignites. Think House of the Dragon meets From Blood and Ash with a side of “this man would burn the world for her” energy.

Malina and Julius have that fated-yet-doomed connection that makes you want to scream at the page while simultaneously fanning yourself. Julius is all brute strength and hidden softness (a dragon general with a protective streak? Yes, please), while Malina brings grace, power, and a tragic prophecy that looms over them like a storm cloud.

The tension? Delicious. The stakes? Apocalyptically high. The romance? The kind that sets your soul on fire. If you’re looking for a book where flying death lizards conquer and burn while navigating an all-consuming, devastating love, this one’s for you.

I was so excited for this the second preorders went open and the gift you all gave me of this eARC is one I am going to treasure. This is easily a 4.5/5 stars for me. I adored this. I felt it was new and an interesting spin on Roman mythology. The characters were well done, the plot drove things forward as it needed to, and the yearning was *chef's kiss*. Forbidden love and fated mates are two of my favorite tropes, so to have them in characters like Julian and Malina was an absolute treat.

Malina is the perfect female main character in a series featuring dragons. To have a FMC who is human but not overpowering what is clearly a species much higher up on the food chain was refreshing in a romantasy/fantasy setting. Her having powers only played it's hand when it needed to and almost as a reminder that she was not helpless. She is intelligent, sneaky, and very resourceful.

Julian was also very refreshing. I think there's been such a turn in MMC in romance and fantasy that having some almost so humanly flawed was an icing on a buff, protective, and dominate cake. His softness with his "slaves" was an immediate thing of beauty due to his love not just being reserved for Malina. I loved the dance of his natural desire to protect and his dragons possessiveness.

The smut was perfect. I liked the slight slow burn aspect of waiting to see the way the two of them gravitated together. They felt so unforced as a couple that the smut felt like that first big breath you get to take when you're swimming under water, if that makes sense? It wasn't too heavy, wasn't too rough, but wasn't too sweet. Their chemistry as characters read so well during these scenes.

I also want to appreciate the historical accuracy. Ms. Cross, the research you must have done. It made it feel so true the time period and helped lock the setting into place. It's bold to not give into the element of modernity in fantasy and this choice truly makes this novel feel like a movie in your mind. Thank you for going that extra mile!

Also, I see you with your little twisty turn you did. I cannot wait to see how that plays out!

The last thing I want to talk about is one I rarely mention because you should not judge a book by its cover. Unless it is this one. The cover art is stunning. That was what originally drew me in when I preordered before I read the summary. The story inside is exactly what I expected with that cover. This is one that is worth keeping as a shelf trophy and displaying so proudly. I cannot wait to see it in person.

Thank you again for this opportunity to eARC. This one was worth the nerves or applying for. I cannot wait to read the physical copy again.

I didn't enjoy this at all. I'm sure it will be a hit with the typical romantasy reader however it wasn't my cup of tea.

What a delightfully fun romantasy. Major trigger warning for ...slavery I guess? The plot and characters were incredibly predictable, but in a perfect way. I loved the ancient Roman setting with the addition of dragons.

I would absolutely read more in this series (immediately) and I look forward to it!!

This was honestly such a disappointment for me 😞 The cover completely blew me away when I first saw it, and I preordered it immediately on Amazon. So I was insanely excited when I got approved for this ARC, but it just missed the mark for me in so many aspects.

I feel like the storyline wasn't fleshed out enough and everything felt rushed and jumpy. The romance was basically instant and there wasn't any growth between the two main characters.

I may keep my preorder for this book just because of how much I love the cover and sprayed edges, but this may be my biggest let down of 2025 😭

I was so blown away with this book! A unique concept but with all my favourite elements; dragons, strong FMC and lots of great banter!

You are my strength.
~
This was a wild and fun ride! It was such a nice change to see Roman mythology as the basis for a Romantasy, and I love learning more about it, using prior knowledge, and connecting parallels throughout. Now, I fervently hope we get more of Julian’s dragon in the second book because his mind? The protectiveness? It was fantastic! This book hit all the right strides, reeling me in, making me hate characters, connecting me to the emotions of our main characters, loving the side characters (which if you know me you know is an important point for me!) and speaking of those side characters, I’m highly suspicious and hopeful of a certain duo coming back in the future timeline! But the ending? THE ENDING! The first thing I did was text Juliette and scream at her because now my mind is facing a mile minute trying to find hints in those last couple paragraphs AFTER I spent an undisclosed amount of time swiping my screen for more words. I cannot wait to see where this story goes next, and I implore you to pick this up in April when it releases!!

I wanted to love this book, but it just didn’t do it for me. The characters felt flat and their chemistry was weird. I didn’t love their master/space relationship either. It felt icky and inappropriate. The idea of Roman times with dragon shifters was appealing but I felt like not much was done with the premise. I will say the cover is stunning! Not my favorite book by this author.

The marketing for this book is perfection. The cover is great and the sprayed edge ALONE makes me want to buy this book. Incredible work. Whomever designed it needs to make more stat. I was very very excited to read a dragon shifter fantasy romance and the opening pages retelling Medusa’s tale were wonderful and promising. Unfortunately, regardless of all the given attributes that recommend this book, this was not for me. The writing is underdeveloped and reads more like a YA but with smut. The smut itself is done well enough but these two aspects put together is jarring. If it didn’t have smut, I’d say this was an extremely promising YA.

I was really intrigued by the premise of this work, but I was turned off from the story pretty early on. Starting with a fairly graphic rape scene is certainly a choice and not one that encouraged me to read this book or recommend it to others.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc.

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 as all of the themes/tropes popular nowadays so i don’t doubt that it will find its audience, but it’s certainly not me.

fortunately, this is an easy fl romantasy skip for me as well, although i’m sure their edition will be stunning