I’ve read many of the other works of Juliette Cross so I was familiar with her range as an author. This book however had fantastic world building and use of Roman gods/goddesses that feels very epic fantasy vs the more new age romantasy. I loved the character development and the book felt very well paced for all the information a new book in a fantasy series must convey. I love that there was no cliffhanger just for shock value that is getting overused in other books imo. She tied up this chapter of the story and left us wanting more with where it ends. Well done! Can’t wait for the next one! Narration was great and kept my attention and did not leave me having to replay entire segments to follow the story.

Unfortunately this one was just too over the top for me. I found it a bit icky, with the clear unbalanced power dynamic taking away from the romance. I also found the writing and descriptions just too corny and like i said - over the top. Not for me.

I'm still trying to process if I like this one or not. I thank you for the Arc audiobook, The narrators were great. I wasn't expecting the master/slave part and how often it was used through the book. Overall, I like that Julianus was different from others. I say if you like dark fantasy, dual pov's, dragon shifters, fated mates, touch her and you die troupes then read it for yourself.

Dnf

I just cannot get into this. I fear the slave/slaveowner romance is not for me. Idk it’s giving me the ick so bad. And why are we trying to make the mmc seem like an amazing person even though he still has slaves ✋

I was lucky enough to get an Advanced Listeners Copy to this book through NetGalley and I was captivated from the first sentence. I loved the book/story contents as well as the dual narration! Dual narration gets me every time and these narrators killed it. Narration can make or break a book and I loved these two together. I loved every single aspect of this book, and I need the second book because I gotta know what is gonna happen. Trust me… you’re gonna wanna bump this bad boy up your TBR once it releases on April 8th

Feral Rating: 5/5 🦝🦝🦝🦝🦝
Spice Rating: 3.5/5🌶️🌶️🌶️🫑
**Please trigger warnings as there are darker aspects to this book that may be sensitive to some readers.**

What you can find:
- Enemies to Lovers
- Fated Mates
- Forced Proximity
- Dragon Shifters
- Gods & Prophecies
- Magic & Witches
- Spitfire FMC
- Tortured MMC
- Roman Empire Vibes with a Twist

Muddled Summary:

All from one bold moment, one dance, one coin, they’ve been connected. The moment she danced front of the general in the emperors army fate had changed things. Years she held on to this gifted coin, years he was on her mind even after their parting, until one fateful day years later on the battlefield there she was.... aiding the enemy as their witch. Noticing her in danger instincts took over the general his inner dragon surged and its form took shape taking her away to somewhere safe. He knew in that moment, that everything that had been so carefully planned had changed. They both knew it, and fate did too.

**Thank you Netgalley for the eArc**

Okay the beginning of this was good. The world building wasn’t intense which I expect with romantasy. I enjoyed the fact that he was a dragon shifters. Malina was a great FMC.

I didn’t love the dynamic of their romance being captor/slave. There was an odd dynamic between the two characters.

Other than that, it was okay just not for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 🐉 Dragons + Rome + Spicy romantsy = WIN

Thank you @macmillanaudio for this ALC of Firebird by Juliet Cross. I don't even do Roman Empire settings normally, but this romantasy completely won me over!

The dual narrators brought this world to life with such distinct voices and emotion - they perfectly captured Malina and Julianus's journey together. Having different voices for their perspectives added so much depth to the storytelling.

The vibes we're tracking:
🔥 Meaningful slow burn that delivers
🐉 Dragons ruling Rome done RIGHT
💫 Character development that feels earned
⚔️ High stakes that kept me invested

What really elevated this book was how Malina and Julianus's relationship develops. Despite being a powerful Roman general, I particularly appreciated how Julianus gives Malina space to make her own choices and gradually get to know him. Their connection feels genuine rather than forced, building toward something that had me completely invested.

The worldbuilding strikes the perfect balance—rich enough to be believable but never overwhelming the characters. Cross has created an alternate Rome that feels both familiar and magical, with dragons and magic woven seamlessly into the narrative.

I'm already eager for book 2, as the ending left me with questions I'm desperate to have answered. This is truly a 6-star read that I'll be recommending widely. I've already downloaded The King of Wrath in both ebook and audio formats.

Add this to your Goodreads immediately and request it at your library. Even if Roman Empire settings aren't typically your preference, this romantasy might just change your mind as it did mine.

I'd like to preface this review by reminding everyone that when I get an ARC/ALC of a book, I do my best to avoid reading other reviews before I finish the book myself. I try to go into the book as unbiased as possible.

In this instance, I wish I had read fellow reviews. Reading the plot summary, there is no indication whatsoever on the biggest trigger of this book, and the basis of the romance - that it is a master/slave dynamic. I can't even call it a captor/captive dynamic, since they use the terms master and slave continuously throughout the book, the FMC has a collar and is bartered in a trade at one point. The only indication of this being a dark romantasy is that it states "dark romantasy" at the summary's beginning. It doesn't speak to whether it is dark by tone or dark by topic. In this case, it is dark by topic. The summary in fact says that the FMC is saved by the MMC, and a few mentions other belonging to him. This is all standard verbiage in romantasy and in no way indicates the type of master/slave dynamic at the focus of the book.

After about 50% of the book when I just came to terms with it and continued on, I did my best to look at the book objectively. Had I known what to expect, would I have thoroughly enjoyed it? Maybe a bit more, but not by much. I wasn't a fan of how much intimate scenes happened under that dynamic, and not when they were equals. I did feel like the relationship and the world building as a whole reflected the historical time frame (to the best of my knowledge, anyway). I quite enjoyed it being set in Roman times, as this isn't an overly popular time frame for historical romance, especially historical romantasy. I also had a bit of an issue with the pacing. I felt that the first 75% was pretty evenly paced, and then the last 25% felt like someone said "okay wrap it up, we need to get this done". Everything was happening all at once and big bang boom the book was done.

Overall, I would recommend this book to folks who are looking for this type of dynamic and in this type of historical setting. Going into this book fully informed is critical and I do not believe the marketing was done appropriately. Having listened to the audiobook, I can vouch for the fact that there were no trigger warnings at the outset, but I cannot speak towards if they are provided at the beginning of the written formats.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

So going into this I was very intrigued. Roman Empire meets dragon shifters?! Of course I was hyped. And while I don't love the master x slave trope I didn’t hate it in this story. I did enjoy it and thought the premise was extremely interesting.

4 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A really fast paced enjoyable Dragon shifter romantasy set in Ancient Rome, the comps to GoT are accurate but also this story was just fun to read.

I listened to the audiobook which I think enhanced my enjoyment but I would've love the story in any form as it is was exciting, action packed and romantic.

Malina and Julian were perfectly portrayed and the slave/master aspect was explored with the uprising of slavery in the time of Julius Caesar. I'm really rooting for Tradeus and Lila which is what I think the addition of her as a new character POV at the end of the book is going to add. I'm looking forward to the plot of the uprising continuing further and can't wait for the sequel!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narration: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Duration: 11 hrs 18 mins
Narrated by Blair Dade; Kale Williams
Publication Date: 04.08.25

"My firebird was my end and beginning.
No joy could surpass this belonging, this bond winding us into each other."

Dark Romantasy
Dragon Shifter
Dual POV
Touch Her & Die
Hidden Magic
Roman Mythology
Fated Mates
Forbidden Love
Slave x Master
Forced Proximity

Book Overview
A conqueror captivated…
A witch prophesied to save them all…
A world where dragons rule Rome.
From the moment Roman general and nephew to the emperor Julianus Dakkia laid eyes on Malina, he was enthralled by the Dacian dancer. Years later, the fierce beauty stands before him on a scarred battlefield, her life in danger. He instinctively shifts into his fierce dragon form to save her, an action that may mean his head on the imperial gate. But he and his dragon know one thing: she belongs to them.
Malina can’t believe that the centurion who had once bestowed a secret talisman on her is the Roman general of legendary brutality. His warrior prowess cannot be denied, yet they don’t reveal the secret he hides. All Malina knows is his protection and gentle touch. And she cannot deny how her soul has always seemed to answer his.
As they navigate a world where flying deathriders conquer and burn, their love will ignite a firestorm that can only end in heartbreak or death. Or both.

“Firebird” by Juliette Cross was a phenomenal ALC. I was completed immersed into this world/ story. The character development was great and truly helped you find the right emotions for each one that the author was hoping you’d feel. Like the FMC, Malina, was brave, strong, stubborn, magical, and so much more. But it’s so ease to love and relate to her.

The world building was imaginative with vivid imagery. I loved the creative retelling of Medusa. Ancient Roman, magic, dark theme, slave/ master romance, war, death, survival, and dragon shifting, ummm, yes! The spice was also tastefully written and didn’t feel forced.

The audiobook was great. The narrators made it easy to be able to follow along with the story. Definitely would listen to other audiobooks they narrate.

Overall, this was a great novel and I can’t wait for the rest of the books in the series. I highly recommend it. Please remember that this is a dark romantasy and there are some trigger/ content warnings.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan for this ALC.

A Dark Fantasy Romance set in Roman times!
Gladiators with Dragon shifters!! I think yes!!!

Let me start with saying that this book has some dark and sensitive themes such as slavery, slave/master relationships, and sexual assault to name a few of the big hitters.

I loved the melding of the historical with the fantasy in this one… it really gave you a look into how it was for people in those times while giving you the entertainment of the fantasy elements!
I also loved the new take on the Dragon Shifters! How they shifted wasn’t something I’ve read before and I liked that a lot!
I also really liked how Malina’s magic worked! Her empathetic magic was very unique in how she could alter those around her!!

There were a few things that I didn’t care for in the story… like the instalove between our main characters… I’m not a fan of instalove at all so it left me wanting in the romance department.

I also didn’t like that it switched between 1st and 3rd person a good bit… it kept taking me out of the story to be like wait what now?!! lol

That’s about all that I didn’t love!!!
This book was very entertaining and I can’t wait to read book two!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC!!!

🌶️🌶️🌶️
Dragon shifters
Fated mates
Touch her and die
Forbidden magic

Check you trigger warnings

I truly believe this book will blowup when it comes out! It has all the components for a great dark romantasy.
This is set in ancient Rome where dragon shifters are in power. Julian a Roman General and Rome are living under the horrific control of his Uncle the Emperor.
After Julian attacks Melina’s town he sees her and remembers her from an encounter years before, he shifts to dragon form to save her and takes her as his slave. We follow along as they learn of their fated bond, her magical ability and work together along with other dragons to over throw the Emperor.

This was definitely a 5 star read, maybe even a 6 because i just know the second book is going to be even better. This book has everything I love, a kick ass FMC, a lovestruck MMC, really intense political intrigue and scheming, despicable villains, the perfect amount of spice that wasn't overdone, and some really well written side characters. Seriously this book checked all my boxes and I cannot wait for book two.

An excellent twist on an historical Rome novel. A great mixture of romance, intrigue, and dragon spiciness. I was instantly connected with the main protagonists and the sparks between them. Some parts got a little dark, which isn't to my tastes, but it was well written and not over done. The end felt slightly rushed, but it was still a well rounded book and I'm looking forward to more reading opportunities.
The narration was good, the voices and cadence matched well and flew nicely. They didn't just say the words on the page either, parts were acted out. My only critique, is some of the voices didn't have much of a difference. But it was very clear and enjoyable listen.

Thank you to NetGalley, Juliette Cross, and Macmillan Audio for allowing me access to the e-arc.

The audiobook: 5 stars
Blair Dade and Kale Williams's audiobook brought to life was well done. I enjoyed the way the audiobook was done. It was entertaining, and I could truly feel how the characters were feeling. I will pick up another audiobook by these narrators.

The book: 4.5 stars

I would like to start by saying that if you haven’t read any dragon shifter books, this one could be shocking at times. I would not recommend it as a beginner dragon shifter Romance. I knew this book was going to be dark, considering the setting, but it still shocked me a bit. Just keep in mind that the women are property or a prize.

But with all things considered, I fell in love with this book because of Malina and Julian. Malina is a strong FMC who is so sick of the tyrannical rule. She has been blessed with “witch” powers. I adored the story beyond women getting these incredible gifts. I do hope that comes into play even more in the next book. Julian was not what I expected he would be. It is known pretty early on that he wants things to be different than the way his uncle is ruling. If he was just as gross as the other males then I would have given this book a lower rating but thankfully that is not the case.

Please check TW

Thank you to NetGalley and to MacMillan Audio for the ARC of Firebird by Juliette Cross. I had previously only read Juliette Cross' Stay A Spell books, and it was cool to see her move into a darker side of the fantasy/paranormal genre. You can tell her specialty is romance, so this story does have about a 50/50 split between romance and fantasy, but she's created something that feels different from other romantasy currently on the market, and I'm here for it.

This is a dually-narrate audiobook by Blair Dade and Kale Williams, and they both did an excellent job. The story is very easy to listen to and they both encompass the single narration of their character.

The ancient Roman setting / comparisons to House of the Dragon mean that there is a level of brutality - much of it related to sexual violence. The main character, Malina, is saved from being assaulted multiple times /other women characters are assaulted throughout the novel, so there should probably be a TW on this somewhere. Past that, Malina is taken as a slave by Julian in order to save her, but it does mean that there is a major power imbalance slave/master relationship between Malina and Julian through the majority of the novel, even if he does treat her well / is anti-slavery and keeps her in this role to protect her.

For the story itself, I found the setting/plot to be really interesting. Cross uses ancient Rome and crosses it with dragons, where the leaders of the Roman citizenry have the ability to shift into dragons and thus maintain control over their expanding empire. There is also a level of magical system outside of the dragon abilities, where the gods (potentially just the Roman gods but it may be others as well?) have blessed people with certain gifts, like Malina being blessed with the abilities of an empath and the power to use emotions against/for people. The opening of the novel references how Medusa and her sisters received their gifts to fight the evil men of the world and we learn Malina has received one of these gifts - in future novels I believe we will see who has the other gifts and how those can be used in the larger story, which is going to be really interesting and will hopefully expand more on how the magic systems work in this universe.

This story is all about setting the stage for the larger series, and the audiobook is only a little over 11 hours long, so it is relatively short. We learn about the motivations of Julian and the other leaders in Rome, as well as the rising unhappiness of the enslaved populations and those who want to fight back. We see a love begin to blossom between Malina and Julian, but I did find some of their sex scenes/insta love to be a bit over the top. I also wish they had collaborated more fully on what their gifts could do together, but I recognize this is the start of the series and they still have a long way to go in accomplishing their goals/moving the story forward. This was just an opening salvo solidifying their relationship and the battle they are about to begin.

I tried to find more information about the sequel, but was unable to do so. I would actually be really excited if the narration shifted to a different set of characters to expand upon the story and then join with the original characters - I'm not sure if that will happen, but my fingers are crossed. For those who are apprehensive about starting unfinished series, this one ends in a really solid place where you want the next book, but you don't feel like you are on the precipice of a cliffhanger, which I really appreciated.

The narrators of this audiobook did a great job. I loved that there was a male and a female narrator for the two main characters. The setting of this fantasy book being set in ancient Rome was so unique. I am a sucker for anything with dragons in the book. I have not read a romantasy book like this lately. The spice was well written but did not over power or take away from the plot. The ending had a great twist and I cannot wait for book two of the series. I highly recommend giving this one a read if you enjoy reading or listening to romantasy.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillian Audio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review,

I requested this because it was compared to House of the Dragon and also takes place in a fantasy world based off Ancient Rome. I love that! I also love that rather than riding dragons there is a shapeshifting element. That's a creative twist! The Romantasy elements were not my fave, though. I just found out that I don't enjoy slave and owner type of romance situations. Just doesn't bring me joy. And I don't know how I totally feel about beasty dragon sex either. I thought it was funny that the dragon goes full Smaug and see her as his treasure though. The narrators are great though! I liked that there was multiple for the shifting POVs

INFINITY STARS!

The chemistry is off the CHARTS in this new, spicy romantasy featuring DRAGONS! Julianus Dakkia, the nephew to the emperor or Rome and general of his uncle's army, and Malina, a witch-dancer from a conquered people, are from different worlds; indeed, they are entirely different species. Still, they can't help but be drawn together. But in a world of dangerous dragons where Caesar controls all, will these star-crossed lovers conquer all with their love? Can this slave and general even be together, or will they be destroyed? Find out in this sizzling new adult fantasy. You will indeed enjoy this ride, just like Malina... *wink* Also, he can shift into a dragon...and eats anyone who merely looks at her wrong.

Though compared to House of Dragons and From Blood and Ash, I actually think it is more like Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent, but where dragon shifters rule Rome, so maybe like Spartacus?

Regardless, with the special edition sprayed edges featured in the first printing, you will want to preorder this one today and quickly.

The dual narration audio is absolutely splendid!