Fireborne by Rosaria Munda is a gripping, intense story set in a world of dragons, revolution, and political intrigue. Right from the start, the book dives into the complex, sometimes harsh lives of its main characters, Lee and Annie, who have survived a revolution that overthrew a tyrannical regime. Now they’re dragonriders, fighting to protect the new order, but as old secrets and loyalties resurface, they’re forced to confront their pasts and question their future.

One of the best things about Fireborne is how real and flawed Lee and Annie are. They have complicated, conflicting loyalties and a bond that feels genuine, deep, and sometimes painful. Lee, the hidden heir to the old regime, grapples with his family’s dark history while striving to prove his loyalty to the new republic. Annie, on the other hand, comes from a background of poverty and trauma caused by the old rulers. Their friendship and rivalry, along with the tension of their shared past, make for a fascinating relationship that keeps you invested.

The world building is rich and detailed, bringing the dragon-riding world and political unrest to life. You can feel the weight of the revolution on the characters, especially as they enter a brutal tournament to decide who will lead the new dragon rider fleet. The dragon battles are thrilling, but the book is as much about strategy and ideals as it is about action. Munda does an amazing job balancing personal stakes with political drama, making you care deeply about what each character is fighting for.

While Fireborne can feel a bit slow in the first third as it sets up the world and relationships, it soon picks up with more intense action and character revelations. The stakes only get higher as the story unfolds, building to an exciting conclusion that leaves you eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.

Overall, Fireborne is a refreshing, thought-provoking fantasy that explores loyalty, identity, and justice in a way that feels both classic and new. Perfect for fans of epic fantasy who want a story with depth, strong characters, and, of course, dragons.

It was a bit lackluster for me personally. It wasn’t terrible but it didn’t live up to the hype. It was okay.

Well, the dragons are in the backseat if you will. This book seems to be more about politics and the way people are being treated. I didn't like some of it, a lot. I love old stories, I am familiar with what was used to craft this one, but I still struggled. After a while, I got interested. I do love dragons, and the MC's weren't too bad. I was very irritated with some of them for a while, but the more you read, the more this builds. I could read book two.

Thanks, Net Galley. This review is mine. A positive one isn't required.

Fantasy, rivalry, romance and dragons, this book is Game of Thrones meets Fourth Wing. Two orphans pitted against each other for the top position in the dragon riding fleet must decide whether their loyalty to the city or each other will win out.

Games of Thrones meets How to Train Your Dragon for a teen audience: I loved it. The intricate plotline was expertly woven among character drama and dragon riding. This trilogy starter holds lots of potential, and is a great read for those looking for gladiatorial battles, teen relationship drama, and the fate of a growing city. I recommend this all the time to fantasy readers, and the whole series is fantastic.

"Fireborne" was a hard book to get into for me and I don't think I ever really did. I wanted to like it more than I did but it just wasn't my cup of tea.

Fireborne takes fantasy and mixes it with political intrigue. It is similar to Game of Thrones yet because it's aimed at a younger audience is easier to read. This does not demean it. Rosaria Munda creates a complex story of identity, family, and nation.

I tried to pick this one up twice and each time I couldn't get passed 50 pages. Sadly I had to dnf it. I will xefinitelt check out the authors future works no from this world as I did like her writing style.

I will not be giving feedback on this book as I couldn’t really get into it but I think others may enjoy it.

I gave this a one out of five stars. I couldn’t get into this the writing was really dry for me. I thought this was something that I would really enjoy.

I really thought I'd love a book about dragons, but this one wasn't for me. I don't think it was what I was looking for.

DNF at 12% - there wasn't necessarily anything wrong with this one, but the pacing was way too slow for me. I liked the characters, enjoyed where the world building was going, but if I had to spend another chapter waiting for the rising action, it would be one chapter too many. I wanted to get to the point.

I was really eager to read this book when I initially read the synopsis. I was hoping for a new start to a great fantasy series. The world building was really well done, and I enjoyed the unique parts that this brought to the novel. The plot line did keep me intrigued throughout the book and I kept reading until the very end to find out 'what happened'. Unfortunately I was not invested in the characters. I felt like a lot of their story was rushed, and even the ending felt like it was over quickly. While I enjoyed the book, I'm not sure that I'll be continuing the series.

I don't know how to describe FIREBORNE as anything more than... average. Entertaining, would pick up the sequel, but average. It delivered on what the synopsis suggested, looming war and conflicted romance and dragons, But I wanted more of the main story and world, and a bit less of the ridiculously slow burn romance between Lee and Annie.

Don't get me wrong, I liked these characters well enough. They fit into their respective categories of the morally right male lead and strong female lead, so I pretty much knew what to expect from them... which also has its drawbacks. As for the plot, I was really hoping for more action, the conflict readily on the page. Instead, the book moved so slowly and trended toward more of the day to day interactions over the bigger picture which is where it felt like it needed to be (at least more than it was).

It's really the pacing that killed this one for me more than anything. But I liked the characters enough that I'd give the sequel a try to see if maybe this one was slower to set things up for future installments. At least, that's my hope.

My actual rating is 4.25.
Fireborne is a solid YA fantasy.

Munda wove political intrigue quite well into the world-building of and lives of Annie and Lee. Two orphans from opposite ends of the politico-economic spectrum. Revolutions involving the aristocratic elite, and dragons. I really enjoyed reading the growth both Annie and Lee go through while training and competing to become First Rider, and Protector, of their city, respectively. Annie and Lee have a fierce friendship that started at the orphanage they grew up in, which continued when they entered training to become Dragonriders. Munda deals with the horrific tragedies of their past gently, and realistically. Coming to terms that though you may love your family, they may not be who you thought they were. And that finding your own family means you will protect them at all costs when it comes to war.

There is some romantic tension built into the storyline, as there usually is with YA fiction. But, I love that Munda did so tastefully. It wasn't the main plot point. nor was it used as a plot point to gain advantages to either character. It's nice to see a slow burn, a friends-to-lovers trope that isn't the cause of a city to go down in flames.

Oh, and I did mention dragons, right?

I will be continuing the trilogy.

I'm currently clearing out all of the books that were published in 2019-20 from my title feedback view!

Loved it!!! Young adult fantasy dystopian society has Annie and Lee/Leo orphaned but one was born a serf and the other the son of a dragon lord. Annie has seen her family murdered she was a designated witness and Leo has seen the same. Annie as youth has relied heavily on Lee's protection in the orphanage and has tried to distance himself from Annie all to no avail, she is in his blood. Leo is living undercover under the name of Lee. Both have tested in the program to train and ride dragons which was only available to those born into a dragon lord family. They now swear allegiance to protect and serve but who are they really protecting they soon learn what was supposed to be different may not be different at all. This book was so engaging and exciting to read from start to finish in this fantasy world. Love the relationships between Annie and Duck/Dorian; Lee, Cor and Carissa. Poor Duck and Carissa who are trying to figure out what is the true relationship and connection between Annie and Lee. Do Annie and Lee know and do they cross that invisible line from friend to more. Can't wait to read the final book #2.

This book was fantastic. I love character driven stories and this one had a lot of great characters. I also absolutely love dragons and there are just not enough of them in YA. Definitely looking forward to reading more!

I liked enough of this that I will be purchasing a physical copy to read and review on my own time. Dragons in fantasy are some of my favorites, so I want to own it for my shelves!

** I was provided an electronic ARC by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

I really, really, *really* wanted to love this book more than I ended up liking it. I think it will do very well with the groups who love dystopian and dragons, both apart and together, as it is a really good way of melding the two literary pieces into one. It had a lot of potential, but I found certain bits of it really predictable which brought me down a bit while reading.