DNF'd at 25%.

I got the ick from how women were portrayed in this...also got the ick between Malina and Julianus.

I know there are other books out there that are better than a "romance" between a racial minority enslaved woman and the man who is enslaving her.

If you loved the GLADIATOR movies you're going to love this book!

I rated this book a 4.5 stars!
It was a Roman Romantasy with witches a unique magic system and DRAGON shifters! You can quite literally ride one both ways in this book if you get what I mean...

Tropes you'll love:
*Fated Mates
*"Enemies to lovers"
* He falls first
*Who did this to you/Touch her and die
*political world building
*Greek Mythology (loosely)
but also...
This is a master to slave romance. So if that's something that you think will bother you then this book isn't for you. Again it is set in ancient roman times so you should keep those things in mind.

The MC's are Julius and Malina. The emperor is Cesar. Again I can't stress this enough that this book is very ancient Rome inspired (so you can guess what the plot will be). I've seen so many negative reviews and if you just listen to the authors note she does a fabulous job at explaining how she intended to write the story which I think was a great touch to add in! Overall I enjoyed this story so much! I am a big audio book person and I received the audio book version and the narrators def did the characters justice! The MMC voice as a DRAGON was chefs kiss!!

This is the first book of the series so it was def a lot of world building happening but also some battle scenes. As someone who will DNF a book as soon as I get the cringe or get easily bored, NO part of this book felt dull or lacking in my opinion. The spicy scenes were SPICY especially with a dragon shifter MMC.(and they can half shift...certain.. ok you get it! ...)

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for sending me this ARC!

Loved It!

This was a top new release for me so I was so excited to get the ALC of Firebird from Juliette Cross, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio.

We follow Melina, a Dacian dancer turned slave and Julianus, a Roman commander and heir to the throne. Did I mentions he’s also a dragon and Melina may have her own gods blessed gift?

The audiobook was easy to fall into. I became so captivated by the story that I didn’t want to press pause! I loved the dual narration. It really helps you, as the reader, switch gears during the story and I think adds a great depth.

The story itself is absolutely perfect! I loved that the author took Roman mythology and added a fantasy twist with dragons and gods given magic. This is definitely a darker fantasy and touches on some sensitive topics. It really helped fuel Melina’s rage and painted a picture of a tyrannical ruler that needs to be overthrown.

The chemistry and tension between Melina and Julianus is palpable from their very first interaction. I loved discovering each of their past but then how they evolve together as well.

Firebird is book 1 in an interconnected standalone series and I can tell you with certainty that I am hooked and can’t wait to read more!

don't have the willpower to finish this .i'm bored listening to this dnf at 52% i just cant be brother to finish it.

thank i got the audio arc

What I have learned from Firebird is that slave + slave owner romances are entirely not my jam. That being said, I'm sure someone out there will love this lol

I had no idea this was a master/slave romance going into this. I have been really excited for this book to come out so I was a bit disappointed that it was much different than I was expecting based off of the books blurb. It’s a shame because the deluxe limited edition has some of the best edges I have seen a publisher put out!

I did like the FMC and I thought her powers were really interesting. The MMC was a bit much for me especially in his dragon form… which really put off the romance aspect for me.

The audio book had great dual narration which I always love in a Romantasy. Easy to listen to and follow along with each POV.

When Malina's life gets flipped upside down and she loses everything she loves, she becomes the slave to a Roman General who happens to also be a dragon and the nephew to the emperor.

This is a story of deceit and love. Not necessarily mixed together. Malina and Julianus are a powerful couple with him being a dragon and her a witch. Like every fantasy romance, someone is in some sort of a conundrum and needs the other one to save them. This was no different. They save each other throughout the book.

I look forward to reading more of their story.

This was a very good book. I enjoyed the narration as the voice actors seemed to fit the characters very well.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy of the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

🐉 Dragon shifter MMC + ✨ Magical, fierce FMC = instant forbidden connection! When Julianus saves Malina from danger, he “protects” her… by keeping her as his slave 👀. But as tension (and sparks) fly, she realizes he’s not as cold as he seems.

💀 Fated mates
🔥 Touch her and die vibes
🏛 Ancient Rome-inspired world
⚔️ Political intrigue & scheming
⏩ Fast-paced & addictive
🚨 Cliffhanger alert! Need book 2 ASAP!

For dark romantasy lovers! 🐉✨

Full review will be up on Blog linked in bio.

🐉 Dragon shifter MMC + ✨ Magical, fierce FMC = instant forbidden connection! When Julianus saves Malina from danger, he “protects” her… by keeping her as his slave 👀. But as tension (and sparks) fly, she realizes he’s not as cold as he seems.

💀 Fated mates
🔥 Touch her and die vibes
🏛 Ancient Rome-inspired world
⚔️ Political intrigue & scheming
⏩ Fast-paced & addictive
🚨 Cliffhanger alert! Need book 2 ASAP!

For dark romantasy lovers! 🐉✨

HOT DANG
I am obsessed.

You would think this was going to have a whole slave master trope, and I really didn't think it did. However, there is a little bit of that but not as a main theme more underlying. That being said This is a dragon shifter twist on the Roman EMPIRE! Like WHAT!? It's a magical slow burn with fated mates, who both are trying to deal with their own trauma while tryin to make the world better. This is the book you can get your history obsessed man to listen to with you while getting him to listen to some spice. The spice is also beautifully done, as it doesn't feel forced and only enhances the story.

I did listen to the audiobook and didn't love the female narrator as much as I did the male but it was still amazing!

this book is going to pop off with the dark romantasy girlies!

i do really enjoy the characters, and the foundation of the story. with that said, i really felt like we are missing a huge chunk of story in here, and although it’s a series and i’m sure that will be filled in later on, i feel like i was just missing something for a lot of the story.

Absolutely love this storyline. It is unusual to find a story that builds upon Roman history/background, and I really like how this story incorporates that kind of theme. The development of the relationship between the FMC and MMC is fantastic as well, with delicious tension that builds within the story. Definitely worth a listen!

Thank you for the ALC of Firebird! This fantasy set in a fantasy Rome was certainly different, with dragons as rulers and the slavery and persecution of others. I had truly high hopes for this one, however I did have a few issues with the writing itself making this closer to 3.5/5 stars. The narrators really helped me enjoy the book, both doing an excellent job! I think I would recommend this one as an audiobook more than to be read physically. There were certain word usage that felt unnecessary (was quim and funny really needed when it also uses many other terms for it? 😬) and I am not entirely fond of fated mates myself.

Overall a solid start, different than many other dragon shifter romances that I have read. I enjoyed the fantasy elements and how it worked and hope we get to see more of the magic in the next book.

Thank you NetGalley and Juliette Cross for the opportunity to listen to this ALC!

First let me start by saying this book does not come with trigger warnings. If dark romance and topics aren’t your preference this book may not be for you as it has a master/slave dynamic. If you’re ok with all of that this book may be for you.

Firebird is a slow burn, fast paced, medium spice, dark romantasy. it’s set in Roman times that I found refreshing for this type of story. The FMC, Malian, is a feisty, witch with a kind of magic that’s based off Madusa. Minus the clueless, sometimes annoying, whine about everything personality we sometimes see in these types of books. Not hating on that, just nice to have a character like Malian. The MMC, Julianus Dakkia, is a Roman general dragon shifter. He has the whole possessive, touch her and die vibe going on and he falls first 🥵🫠
At first this felt like it was going to be enemies to lovers but, it was more of an insta love. I would have liked the relationship to have been more in depth with some angst or a fight to be more like equals. Especially with Malian being the bad ass, stand up for herself, fierce FMC she is. It’s also described as House Of The Dragon meets From Blood And Ash. It does have politics, war, violence against women and dragon shifters. But, other than just having those things in the story it’s totally different from those in my opinion. That being said, I still loved this book!
This ALC was narrated by Blair Dade and Kale Williams. They did an amazing job portraying these characters! Their voices complimented each other so well and suited the characters perfectly. I felt all the emotions from them and they kept me engaged the entire book.
The world this book takes place in, the plot twist I didn’t expect,, the uniqueness of it all, was really good. It has the potential to continue into something great with how it ended. So I’m hoping we learn more about the politics, Gods, and Madusa type magic in the next book. As well as more about the dragons and their history. I found all of those things very unique and interesting. The side characters played vital parts in this book and I’d love to learn more about them too. I think Malina and Julianus are going to be amazing together. I can’t wait for book two! This is the first book I’ve listened to by Juliette Cross. Looking forward to discovering more books
from her.

I don't quite know how I feel about this book. I really wanted to love it but I feel like if fell a bit short of my expectations. The slave/master aspect was not my thing and it just seemed meh for most of the store. However I am curious about what may happen in the second book.

I was not expecting the master/slave aspect to this book but I enjoyed the listen otherwise. If you like dark fantasy, dragon shifters, fated mates, touch her and you die troupes then you will like this book!

I really liked the narrator and her proper pronunciation and the emotion she was able to convey throughout the book.

I absolutely loved this audiobook! I have already preordered the special edition and passed along the praises to my book club. I thought the narration was so good and the story itself..I can’t wait to see how it ends up! Thank you for allowing me to review!

What do you get when you have Roman mythology mixed in with a dragon-shifter romance? You get this book, of course, it would be weird if I started going on about a different book. This book has two POVs, our first is the titular Firebird, a Dacian dancer who was given a gift of perception or intuition. Not only can she sense the emotions but she can influence them as well. She is bought by a Roman General after being captured and the Roman General is our second POV, Julianus. All Roman Generals are Dragons and Julianus is the nephew of the emperor, the current Caesar. Malina and Julianus have met before and they always had a connection but of course, this book is all fated mates and insta-love, though it does take a while to get there. Amidst all of the romancing, the heart of the book is overthrowing the government and secret plots. As well as learning about the gods, myths, and world that the author is creating. Not only are there dragon shifters, but the Roman gods are also dragon shifters. There is a hierarchy and dragons are on top and the plebs (normal people) are on bottom. Anyone who is a traitor is killed and their head is placed on a pike.
I thought the story was really interesting, the cast system, the mythos, the way the dragons worked in human/halfskin/dragon. This was a pretty good start to what appears to be an epic series, plus that epilogue, I had a feeling but was still surprised. The narrators did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life. I always love a dual narration. Dragon Romantasy is quite popular right now and if you're looking for a different type of dragon fantasy filled with familiar mythology and a bit of spice then this is a fun one to dive into.

I feel as the story progresses there will be more to it and more life-changing events will take please. This is a first book so it is a lot of world building mixed in with some romance and character development. The spicy scenes were well done then the fighting scenes were action packed very descriptive I loved it. Looking forward to the next book and seeing what she does with this world. I really enjoyed the Roman influence throughout the book. I also had the privilege of listening to the audio narration of this book and then audio narrators to the fantastic job. They brought the characters to life put lots of dramatization into their voices and the things that were happening. I really enjoyed it.

Overall I really enjoyed the narration of this book and could not stop listening to it. I thought that Blair and Kale did a good job with displaying the emotions the characters were expressing. I also thought Kale did a really good job of somehow changing his voice to an unlikable voice for characters that I ended up not liking. Both Blair and Kale fit as the FMC and MMC voices and I did not once doubt the connection between the characters.

As for the story itself, it enjoyed the fictional and fantasy aspects that were brought to the Roman Empire. I would not have thought about dragons and Rome being a good pairing but it really worked in this story. The magic system was unique and that is sometimes hard to find within fantasy/romantasy.

All-in-all I enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to the next book in this series.

Thank you so much Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the free audiobook.