A beautiful and stunning conclusion to my favorite fantasy series of all time.

Furysong broke my heart into a million pieces and put it back together again. I can't even count the number of times I cried while reading. Happy tears, sad tears. I felt every emotion possible while reading and could hardly put it down. Rosaria Munda did an incredible job creating a well developed story that was emotionally gripping. The world-building is incredibly well done, the writing is beautiful, and the plot flows in a way that makes the story impossible to stop thinking about. Even after I've finished this book, I know it is a story that will be in my mind for a long time to come.

I loved the addition of Delo's point-of-view in this book, alongside the other three main characters. I felt the four different perspectives really gave the story a fantastic opportunity to show different regions of the world and to make the story more well rounded!

Overall this book was fantastic and my heart is still aching from it. I cannot wait for others to get their hands of this so I have other people to discuss it with! I can't stress enough how much I loved this conclusion and how incredibly perfect it was for the series.

4.5 out of 5 stars (4.5 / 5) “When a government ceases to protect its people, it becomes necessary to overthrow it.”

Ah I’ve missed this world! A revolution is underway and roles are reversed. Many of the privileged have been driven down to servant positions and many servants now hold power. Everything has changed and chaos reigns.

“I am the recourse to violence. I am the last resort. At best, I am the lesser evil.”

Annie and Lee are planning the revolution and so many are involved. It was actually inspiring to see where loyalties were strong and who was willing to do what. Annie and Lee definitely chose the difficult path but because they knew it was best. I was cheering for them and Power who became a favorite because of his actions.

“I don’t need their love to do my job.” Annie

“And justice has always been found by way of my mercy. The only way forward is to look into the face of the one who deserves my hatred and do better.”

There was a small summary at the beginning but I found I needed more. I forgot a few characters and their backstories which would have helped in my understanding. It would’ve made more sense with succession and legitimacy for the crown but it didn’t taint the story. I’m planning a reread of the series at some point and I’m already excited. It was an incredible conclusion to a favorite series of mine!

Check out the aesthetic video I made for this book on TikTok @katherinebichler. Here is the link: 👇🏼

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRU2Y5gD/?k=1

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4/5 STARS

This is the conclusion to The Aurelian Cycle trilogy. If you can read the books all together, I would recommend that because there is not much of a recap of the first two books.

The finale did not disappoint! I found it to be my favorite book of the series. You got the romance aspect that was lacking in the first two books. I love the way that it is written with multiple POVs so you can get in the head of each character. The author does this seamlessly so that you never feel confused and that is not an easy accomplishment.

My favorite part was the depiction of the emotional connection to the dragons each rider had. Her description was so perfect and well done.

It is very action packed and fast paced. The ending wrapped up the loose ends and was satisfying for me. I hope to read more from this author!

Thank you Penguin Teen for an ARC of this book! 🐉🔥

unfortunately i did not enjoy furysong as much as the previous two books. i especially felt like the way annie acted throughout the book was a times out of character and i believe that if the griff and delo storyline had had a bigger part i would have enjoyed it more. the beginning and the ending were the best parts, in the middle the was a lull in the narration and i had to struggle to keep reading. the ending was fitting and i believe that most fans of the aurelian cycle will appreciate it.

FURYSONG was everything I could ask for and more in a conclusion to the saga that started out in FIREBORNE. From start to finish, this book was electrifying. I was cheering for all of my faves as they kicked butt and took names in the aftermath of the countercoup staged by Ixian. I was so glad to get more of Annie and Lee in particular. Their character arcs and romance was just so much fun and so satisfying to see. I adored Aela and Pallor and all of the dragons in this book. They were so precious and they must be protected at all costs, and there were certain moments that I won't spoil that got me deep in my emotions (How dare you, Rosaria Munda). I cheered Annie and Griff on the most because their stories were just so powerful and moving, a true testament to the spirit of revolution that is at the heart of this trilogy. Pacing wise, this book takes off in a sprint that keeps the action going, but not so fast the reader gets lost. It really is an exciting adventure. Once again, the world-building is so refined and one of the best I've seen in this genre. It's really amazing to see how consistently awesome each book in the Aurelian cycle is, and how Munda manages to weave together a beautiful and fiery story filled with heartache, love, revolution and dragons that will capture your heart!

The finale book brought it home. The trilogy is complete and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out! Each book in the trilogy was a 5 star read from me and this series easily became one of my favorites.

If you're looking for a series with excellently executed plot, characters, and romance--look no further. Each book had surprises and introduced new plot points while tying up others. I found myself laughing, crying, smiling, and sobbing while I read this book. I raged. I questioned how a happy ending could ever be found. The emotions I felt while on this roller coaster ride of an adventure really added to my experience. I truly cared about these characters and what happened to them. I don't think I've ever cared more about fictional characters in my entire life.

If you're looking for an engaging fantasy series with political intrigue and war, look no further. With the added bonus of dragons--this is the series for you. There was the perfect amount of romance and it didn't take away from the overall plot and only made it better. In fantasy books especially, I find it hard to fully believe any romance story since the characters are fighting for their lives or trying to save the world and should romance REALLY be what's on your mind right now? This series did it perfectly.

It's my favorite now. That is all.

Just like the other two in this series, I absolutely ADORED the third and last book in the series. I was so nervous about the ending falling out, but this was perfectly ended and I’m so excited to read more by this author!!

Rating: All-Time Favorite
Series Rating: All-Time Favorite

I have put off writing my review of Furysong for an entire day at this point because I honestly haven't figured out a great way to talk about it without spoilers because it was SUCH a RIDE! I read this book in 24 hours, and I have to say that a lot of those hours were spent weeping because Rosaria Munda does NOT pull punches. This is a series with STAKES. But as a conclusion, I'd say it is one of the strongest that I have read, definitely in YA, but in all of fantasy as well. 

Okay, so Fireborne was one of the first books I read in 2020. I immediately thought upon reading it that it was something special, and after just one book, her debut, I put Rosaria Munda on my list of absolute favorite authors. She has shown that she absolutely deserves it with Furysong because while Flamefall was even better than Fireborne, Furysong blew them both out of the water and really stuck the landing. 

Obviously there are going to be spoilers for Fireborne and Flamefall in this, but I will be keeping this spoiler free until after Furysong's release (at which point I will go back and add in my animal friend spoilers and favorite quotes). I tried to break this into sections so that it's not *quite* such a rambly gush-fest.

Plot, Pacing, & Themes: 
So, Furysong picks up immediately after the explosive ending of Flamefall, and we hit the ground running with both the events taking place on Norcia and in Callipolis. I think that this could have wound up being an exhausting book to read because SO MUCH has to happen in it, but I thought that Rosaria Munda handled the pacing extremely well. Even though we start out at breakneck speed, it naturally slows down and picks up speed throughout, and I was never once bored. There is a decent chunk of time that is covered in this book but it never felt choppy or disjointed. 

Furysong continues the exploration of questions that were asked at the beginning of the series: what happens when the new regime repeats the mistakes of the old regime, how quickly to the oppressed become oppressors themselves, what makes someone a good leader, what makes a government a "good" government, how do you know what or who deserves your loyalty, and what is your personal line in the sand? We continue to build on the themes of different kinds of grief, and different effects trauma can have on people. Lots of other themes as well, but these stuck out to me. The political maneuvering was incredibly well handled and nuanced as always. There were some things that really reminded me of our political climate, so it was really interesting to see those pieces crop up.

Characters:
Annie and Lee's relationship continues to be messy and tangled, but we ultimately get resolution. There is not quite so much yearning as in the first two books, but something that I loved was that this changes in proportion to the level of threat. We get to see enormous growth and stretching of both characters. Same with Griff, who has grown so much in just one book. We get a fourth POV, which I won't spoil, but I appreciated the addition! I will say that this POV felt a little less distinct than the other three, but it was really well executed. 

I think that relationships between characters is one of Rosaria Munda's strengths as an author. She really captures the complexity of different relationships and interactions so well, and they feel so real. I love that all of the characters have different mindsets, temperaments, and their own past baggage that influence these relationships. Just really, really well done. 

I think that the addition of Freyda and her Goliath dragon was really interesting and added another layer of different forms of female oppression and difficulties facing the women in this society, even though she is a princess. Crissa continues to be one of my favorite side characters. She is just so supportive and lovely, even to complete strangers. I love to see women supporting women, and this story is full of them. 

Dragons & Animal Friends:
Something I appreciated about Furysong is that it feels as though we got to spend a lot more time with the dragons. I feel like Aela and Pallor have always felt a little bit just like horses. We have some characterization, but they really felt a lot more like characters in this one. We saw more interactions with their riders and with each other, which was so lovely. 

Also seeing these dragons in the context of a full out war was really fascinating too. It really felt like a commentary on the way that we as humans can twist animals and they really get the raw end of the deal. These dragons bond with such young humans, and they have no real recourse if their rider turns out to be a terrible human, and they just trust and love them even when they hurt them. 

Overall Takeaways:
So this book was really tough to read at parts because our characters are at war. They are dealing with real danger, and they are at the mercy of some really awful people at different points. There are stakes. There are losses. There is torture. There is just a lot to deal with. It never felt too over top, and I felt like it all made sense, but it really was difficult to read at times. 

Overall, this was an incredible end to an incredible series, and has cemented it as one of my two all-time favorite series. I will read anything that Rosaria Munda writes next, and I will be pushing this series on everyone. 

Thank you so, so much to James Akinaka at Penguin Teen for giving me access to an eARC of Furysong in exchange for an honest review. This book will be released on August 9, 2022.

**Review will be published August 4th, 2022 on my blog and social sites**

EPIC.

This series is TOTALLY UNDERRATED AND EVERYONE SHOULD GO READ IT PLEASE.

Now with that business out of the way let me give a non-spoiler review.

I LOVED this story. It is slow for YA, but as someone who loves fantasy across the board I was into it. Packed with a punch from the get-go the action did not cease for awhile. I loved the drift it took into slower territory, where building of armies, tension, and romance was able to happen. I was absolutely smitten with both romances. Lee and Annie are too precious for this world. This incredible bond formed when they were orphaned children that grew into something unquantifiable. It was passionate and TEARS WERE SHED at some specific, not to be named scenes.

I also adored the romance between Griff and Delo. It had a whole different vibe to it with a changing of position and having to be let the festering anger burst before bonds could reform. I love the hope that came from between them even when things were at there bleakest.

Can we also discuss the side characters??! Holy cow they brought it too. Power has got to be one of my new favorites. He was everything I love about morally gray dynamics. Caught wanting to better his life, falling into unrequited love and more that I wish I could say. His scenes were next level.

And the plot is full of DRAGONS, politicking, action and more. I think this plot flowed really well and I truly didn’t know how things were going to end up working out in the end. I did nick 1/2 star because I wanted a little more *oopmh* in the ending (though I do promise it ends perfectly well and you will not throw your book). Besides that hard to nail down thought with the ending, I NEED Y’ALL TO PLEASE READ THIS SERIES.

Overall audience notes:

YA Fantasy + Romance
Language: some
Romance: closed-door
Violence: high
Trigger/Content Warnings: battle themes, loss of life, loss of loved ones, grief & depression depiction, near death experiences, torture, animal cruelty, fires, indentured servitude, harassment

🐉 𝐑 𝐄 𝐕 𝐈 𝐄 𝗪 🐉⁣
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𝘍𝘶𝘳𝘺𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘨 by 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐌𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚⁣
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆⁣
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My heart was not ready for this trilogy to come to an end. ⁣
⁣
It’s easy to forget just how much you love a book series when there are long stretches of time between reading each individual book. A few weeks ago, I could tell you I really freaking loved 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘊𝘺𝘤𝘭𝘦 by 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐌𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚, but I wouldn’t have felt it in my soul quite like I do now.⁣
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This final installment to the trilogy is honestly perfect in every way, and I can’t wait for the rest of the world to experience its greatness when it publishes in a few months.⁣
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It had me on the edge of my seat, it had me heaving tears, it had me smiling some of the biggest smiles of my life. This series has kindled such a joy in me, I don’t even know how to describe it. It’s honestly one of the best series I’ve ever read, and I’ve read lots of them. 😅⁣
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𝐌𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚 wraps things up so well, and while I found some choices utterly devastating, they are all so carefully calculated and serve such deep and meaningful purpose. It’s truly beautiful. I honestly don’t know how else to describe it.⁣
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If you haven’t checked out this series yet, please, please, please give it a chance. There are dragons and politics and love stories and tragedies and action-packed fights and just so much wonderful-ness all around.⁣
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Thank you so much to @penguinteen for my ARC in exchange for an honest review. 𝘍𝘶𝘳𝘺𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘨 publishes 8/9 (plenty of time until then to read books 1&2 😉).

"when a government ceases to protect its people, it becomes necessary to overthrow it."

aaaaand Rosaria Munda sticks the landing! i don't know where to start writing this review, as i say goodbye to probably the best YA fantasy trilogy i've ever read. i will miss the world Rosaria Munda has created and the characters that she has so lovingly written (to drive me absolutely insane).

okay let us start with the characters then— i have adored them since Fireborne and they have grown and developed so much since then. (i'm so sooo proud of how far they've come and every time i think about them i get tears in my eyes which is insane because they're fictional and all, but i'm literally best friends with Antigone sur Aela and Griff sur Sparker, ok.) every book of this trilogy there is something new with the characters i discover, something unique to them alone. they're all very well-written, no matter how late they were introduced into the story. they're all just about my age but already so clear-eyed and clever. yet their age still shows, and we are reminded how young they are at various points of the story. they have moments of pettiness and idiocy, and i love them more for their flaws. i am very satisfied with all their character arcs and also the narrative arc. i couldn't have thought of a better way for my favorite YA series to end.

speaking of, i had no doubts with Rosaria Munda's ability to deliver this story. knowing that the author draws from classics like Antigone, The Odyssey, and The Iliad to name a few, i was so confident that she could write this story well— and she did. i love when the plot is pretty simple and straightforward but it's executed so competently that i don't leave unsatisfied with an itch unscratched. even though the YA genre is oversaturated with revolutionary stories with similar themes such as this, i find this story one of its kind because of its well-roundedness, perfect execution, and the simple writing.

indeed! the writing is simple, yet i find the word choices deliberate. every word that follows the other to make the whole of the sentence is intentional, so every sentence packs a punch, yet it's so uncomplicated and easy to digest. the author's ability to write so clearly makes her sentences— and by extension, her storytelling— all the more impactful. the importance of the story is maintained steadily while never losing its humor. i found every line so delightful and enjoyable; the story pulled every reaction out of me and i can't help but laugh, cry, gasp, mourn, and rejoice with them. Rosaria Munda is undoubtedly a very competent writer, and i am beyond excited to see her grow as a writer and an author.

so what else is there to say? i have over 500 notes and highlights in this book alone and pretty sure had 11 heart attacks in the span of 9 hours. i'm satisfied with the ending and Rosaria Munda definitely deserves recognition for writing such a well-rounded, nuanced story with such lovable and charming (and at times idiotic) characters. it's very solid thematically and narratively— and what little flaws it may have, i can easily overlook because of my very strong attachment to the characters. it will be a long time again before i find another series that will make me want to tear my hair out while laughing maniacally at 9am. like, nobody gets it! my body was quivering, i was sweating all over, and i could barely sit still while reading, feeling the high of seeing every single scene unfolding in my brain like a movie. i've been through SO MUCH it feels so surreal to write down my thoughts on it now because i still can't let go. do you see what Rosaria Munda has put me through? but anyway the point is that i'd be hard-pressed to find another story like this, so thank you to Rosaria Munda! (and sorry if i bothered you with my reactions to every Furysong tease you post on Instagram stories.) my brainrot starts here and i will be forwarding all my therapy bills (including imminent mental hospital confinement fees) to Rosaria Munda's residence.

If you’ve followed me on anywhere within the past 2.5 years, you probably know how much I adore this series. So of course, when I received an ARC of the last book, I dropped everything to read it and somehow finished it in one day amidst a reading slump. And just, wow, what a book! I hope I can capture what I loved about it without going into too much detail. A bold and explosive finale, Furysong handles the outcomes of two revolutions.

This review contains spoilers for books one and two.

This book picks up where Flamefall left off: Lee must put aside thoughts of rebellion in favor of diplomacy when Ixion arrives on his shores with Freyda, a Bassilean princess with a dragon that is impossible to fight against. Meanwhile, Annie has no knowledge of what’s going on at home because she’s in New Pythos, trying to incite a rebellion there. Griff is about to be dropped for his crimes but has always had a penchant for getting out of sticky places. Amidst this, Delo must decide what’s more important: his family or his conscience. All of them must work together to overcome Ixion and Freyda in order to reclaim their respective homes.

I want to start this review with something that wasn’t necessarily bad but is really the main thing that I didn’t entirely love about this book: the fact that it’s more plot- than character-based. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that! I just found it interesting after the first two books managed to balance both, although there had to have been more plot to get through here. Obviously, this didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book while reading. After finishing, I started thinking about how there was less of the yearning intertwined within this book as in the previous two.

In my review of the second book, I described the tension in Fireborne as “dancing along the edge of a cliff” and Flamefall as “walking closer and closer to the edge while not quite knowing just how close it is.” To continue this metaphor, Furysong makes a decisive choice to jump over the edge, feet-first and ready to handle any consequences along the way. There’s more surety in this book that the characters can handle anything that’s thrown at them.

There’s less focus on the characters’ personal journeys because they’ve all (minus Delo, I’ll get to him later) had so much growth and development over the course of the past two books. The events of the previous two books have slowly progressed to where Furysong begins, and now we’re dealing with the explosive outcome of Fireborne and Flamefall. It’s still a bit of a slow-burn in that retrospect, I guess, in that it takes time to develop plans to overthrow Ixion, who has won over the people, initially with the bread and grain Freyda provides and then with force and dragon-fire.

This isn’t to say there wasn’t any character development. We get Delo’s point-of-view, and he struggles with how much he loves his family and his conscience, with his feelings for Griff contradicting the former and reaffirming the latter. Griff is able to gain independence for Norcia but has to live with the cost. In Callipolis, Lee is forced into Ixion’s plot because he doesn’t see a way out that doesn’t end in death. Years of reform are stripped away within weeks, and it’s shocking how easy it is to slip back into the dragonborn ways, even in his own head. Meanwhile, Annie grapples with returning to save a country that has turned against her and constantly vilified her, no matter her best effort and intentions.

There’s more I could say about the plot, but I’m struggling to put anything into words that wouldn’t be spoiler-y. I guess I can say that Power continues to be a complex character; he’s looking out for himself, but there’s always more to his intentions. Freyda also proves to be intriguing. As Ixion’s ally and possibly betrothed, she seems heartless yet there’s more to her than an enemy.

I loved both romances! Lee and Annie continue to look out for each other, but now they’re doing so with full knowledge that the other person is too. Some of their scenes during the last third, that obviously I cannot provide context for, can only be described as heartwrenching, both in a positive and devastating way. I’ve loved seeing their relationship progress over the course of this trilogy, from tentative to intense.

I also loved seeing more of Griff and Delo, especially on a more even playing field. Again, I can’t say much without spoiling stuff that happens in the first quarter, but basically they’re two idiots in love. I couldn’t stop yelling during their scenes, both in a frustrated way and in a “finally!!” way.

The writing was also amazing as usual. I loved the prose in this book, especially how it can cut you in such few words. I was reading with my hands over my mouth in shock because the hits just kept coming. The writing was also so compelling; I managed to finish this book in one day, which is rare for me lately, because I just couldn’t put it down. The emotional consequences of it all…I’m very excited to see what Rosaria Munda does in the future, honestly, because I want more of her writing.

This book doesn’t pull any punches. It portrays the very gruesome reality of a totalitarian regime. There’s a difference between the crimes of the dragonborn being described and actually seeing some occur on page, so I just wanted to forewarn in my review. There are also many deaths, ones that you don’t see coming or do but are still gutted when they occur.

Fast-paced and furious, Furysong was an epic conclusion to a brilliant series. As much as I hate to see this series go, I enjoyed the ending and where the story ends. I’ll miss these characters, but this series is cemented as one that I’ll revisit over and over again. Fans of this series will find Furysong thrilling, and if you haven’t read the Aurelian Cycle yet, I can’t emphasize enough how much I recommend you pick it up as soon as you can.