I was unaware this was a slave/dark romance. It wasn’t marketed that way which is a bit misleading. I also think some trigger warnings are necessary.

This was a fascinating fantasy world, with a basis in ancient Rome, but where the patricians are DRAGONS!

Malina is a dancer, along with her sisters and others, in a traveling troupe. One night, 3 Romans show up to their performance, and Malina is both scared by, and attracted to, their leader. They have an immediate connection, though Malina is reluctant to acknowledge it. She thinks she'll never see him again.

4 years later, Julian is now a general, and one of the most powerful dragons in Rome. He unexpectedly sees Malina again, in the aftermath of a battle he's just won. She's in danger, and he immediately reacts. He had an inkling of what she was to him the first time they met, but now, he knows for sure. He can't let her go.

The only way to keep Malina, and to keep her safe in Rome, is to bring her into his household as a slave. He is the emperor's nephew, and he cannot be seen to be breaking any laws. Malina wants to hate him, but the connection she feels to him can't be denied, and the magic inside her won't let her ignore their tether.

Their chemistry was off the charts, even when they tried to fight it. They cared for each other so much, and at times that was painful for both of them. As the reader, I suffered right along with them. And when they finally did connect, it was FIRE!

This story definitely dealt with darker themes, and power dynamics. The worldbuilding was obviously heavy, as book 1 in a series, but it all felt vital. Many of the side characters were wonderful, and the villains were truly heinous. It definitely made me feel all my feelings! I really enjoyed myself while reading, and I'm definitely looking forward to the next book already! Based on some things in this book, I'm really hoping I know who the heroine of book 2 will be...

I was super excited to read Firebird because of my love for ancient Rome historical fiction. I liked the fantasy element of dragons a lot, but I was disappointed they weren't specific characters from history. The complete turnoff for me was the master/slave to lovers situation. I'm all for spicy romance scenes, but their sexual relationship happened so quickly before Julian's complicated past was revealed, it gave me the icks which didn't go away.

I am a library associate and received an advance copy from #NetGalley.

Wow wow wow! This is a fantastic read. Romantasy done right. If you’re a fan of dragon shifters, who touched you, “mine” and much more possessiveness in your mmc, you’ll love this novel. I really enjoyed the loose inspiration from Roman mythology as well.

Thank you Bramble for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

This book is a mashup of two of my favorite things, dragons & Ancient Rome! The hierarchy of dragons based on their colors and lineage was really interesting. The history of Medusa & her sisters being given powers by Minerva to destroy men which were then passed down to other women through time was a great way to start the story. The plot and politics were my favorite part of this book, and I am excited to see how the story continues in the next book. The world-building was confusing at times and I wish it had been fleshed out a little more.

This may have been the weight of expectation as this was one of my most anticipated reads this year, but the romance fell flat for me. Malina & Julian’s relationship seemed to lack depth and I didn’t buy the insta-love. The fated mates concept might explain the reason for their quick burn, but I didn’t feel it while I was reading. The way the spicy scenes were written and some of the language used was cringey to me. The fact that he finds her with her new master but has to immediately sleep with her versus saving her is giving Tamlin a& Feyre under the mountain vibes.

Thank you to Bramble & Macmillan Audio for providing me with a copy of this book and audiobook. This review is voluntary, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Unfortunately this really didn't do it for me. Some positives first? The setting had a lot of really cool potential! I haven't read any romantasy or really any book set in Ancient Rome, and I was really intrigued by that. Also this cover? Gorg. But then, the mish mash of period and modern dialogue (which I don't think was on purpose), plus characters that didn't really stand out, and kind of cringy language ["My treasure, Rawr XD" (Not a direct quote) and "Cunny" (???)] made me feel really disconnected and not at all invested in the relationship or the story as a whole. :( Rounding up to 2 stars.

This is a difficult book to review. On one hand, it’s simply following a tried-and-true romantasy equation, almost point by point at times. On the other hand, within the greater context of the story, I think many of these tropes rubbed the wrong way for me. However, given how standard much of the language and tropes used in this book are to the genre, I fully expect my opinion of this one to be an outlier. Ah well. By this point, I’m well used to being on the wrong side of these dragon romance books. (But wait! I did like “Dragon Unleashed” by Grace Draven, so it’s not all bad all the time automatically or anything!)

As always, I do want to start with a few positives. For the most part, I did enjoy the setting of this book, being based on ancient Rome. I feel like this is a bit of a trend recently, and as I enjoy Roman history, it’s been fun seeing it pop up within the fantasy genre (largely because the history is so long and full of different highs and lows and focal points that you can end up with quite a lot of variety even with this focus).

That said, I don’t think this particular iteration did much with this concept. For example, this book was hyped as a combination of ancient Rome meets George R.R. Martin. Do you know what those two things have in common? A strong focus on political machinations! Do you know what this book had practically zero of? That’s right, political machinations. Anything you do see is so superficial as to be practically worthless. Instead, the comparison to Martin would more accurately come down to the book’s focus on the horrendous treatment of women in this civilization. Obviously, there is historical accuracy behind much of this. But that alone doesn’t justify a heavy focus on the subject unless it’s going to be addressed thoroughly. And, like Martin, there were times where this book seemed to be reveling in the horror of it all, rather than including them for any truly important reason. Pay attention to the trigger warnings on this one, for sure.

My real problem came down to the romance, however. In so many ways, this romance exemplified the many ways that romantasy tropes can go wrong if sprinkled into any old plot line without much care. For some background, an important feature of this book is the fact that the MMC (morally grey with tons of secrets, obvs) participated in the razing of the MFC’s people. Which, again, this sort of thing is a staple of the genre, and the obligatory reveals of his ulterior motivations can be expected. But, necessarily, that explanation has to be incredibly good to counterbalance the actual gruesome harm he participated in, something that cannot be simply erased. Some authors are capable of turning this corner with their MMC. Others…are not.

Beyond this, the entire set up of the book and the romance is based around the fact that the MMC captures the FMC and keeps her as a “body slave.” So, that’s a pretty heavy topic to manage in a romance, that sort of dynamic, where the power imbalance is so extreme. Again, this can be navigated, but it takes a careful hand on the wheel to do so. Unfortunately, we didn’t see that here. Instead, the romance starts up quickly and hits hard, without ever really dealing with the facts of this power imbalance. And for me, this left an inescapable sheen of ickiness over the entire affair.

Further, the inclusion of dragons into this story lead to a strong focus on mating bonds. Beyond the laziness factor of this trope (which allows authors to just handwave away any actual character growth or natural progression of romantic interest/feelings and instead justify instalove/lust), the language that accompanied this choice rubbed up incredibly awkwardly (to put it mildly) against the slave/master nature of the relationship. “You’re mine.” “Say you’re mine.” etc. etc., are all very common phrases in romance/romantasy, especially when you’re dealing with any sort of mating bond situation. However, when paired with the set up of this story and the dynamics between Juliannus and Malina, this all began to feel rather gross. And, again, this isn’t to say that mating bond books can’t be done well! I think “Bride” by Ali Hazelwood is an excellent example of how to navigate this trope, avoiding the instalove pitfall as well as the questions regarding consent. This book, however, did not do any of that.

So yeah, I really disliked this book. I think it’s a perfect example of the “plug and play” style of writing that is all too prevalent in the rising star that is the romantasy genre. Everyone wants to cash in and the results are books that feel as if the author/publisher simply drew popular tropes out of a hat and mashed them together, with no concern for how well they would work together. Mating bonds and the possessive language that often accompany it? Sometimes good! Pair that with a slave/master dynamic and fastburn intimacy? Absolutely not.

I don’t recommend this book. I think there are much better examples of all the tropes included to be found elsewhere, and I think the author’s inability to properly explore the power imbalance of her central romance ruins any attempt to enjoy it.

Rating 4: Tropes gone bad and a rather gross slave/master romance at its heart really ruined this one for me.

Link will go live on April 18 on The Library Ladies.

The cover art for this book looks beautiful. The story, however, was not great at all.
The premise had potential, the cover art drew me in, but wow this book was not for me on any level. I was surprised at what got attention throughout this book, it felt like some times it was focusing on making sure the reader knew how depraved some of the citizens and people were of this timeframe, but it was lacking in letting you connect to the main characters and the storyline. I did not feel a draw or a pull to any of the main characters and even half-way through I didn't really know what the story was heading towards. There was no clear direction of the story or what all was going on. The dragons and the shifting seemed ok, however, it lacked the pull of the fantasy realm and it didn't make sense. I felt like the book tried to pull the Roman Empire in and make it a fantasy world, but didn't actually do any world building throughout which made it frustrating and hard to picture. For me, the writing was lacking in depth, there was very little character building, and it all just felt thrown together. It has great cover art, but the story was not for me.
Please note, I don't like leaving bad review to just be out there and I want to support authors, but these are my opinions and thoughts, others will have different views and I applaud that.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Ideal for readers who crave intense, slow-burn romances set in richly reimagined historical worlds, blending dragon lore, fated bonds, and the tension of forbidden love.

Thank you to TOR PUBLISHING GROUP, NETGALLEY, and Juliette Cross for this ARC.

Rounding up to a 3⭐️
I had a really hard time getting through this one. I’m not a quitter, so I don’t like to DNF, but I really thought about it a time a two. I was really excited about a dragon shifter sitch, but I think I got the ick too quick to really enjoy it.
The half skin dong is giving me the ick. I felt like Malina was obsessed with it.
Speaking of obsessed, there was NO tension. She fell so quick, and knowing this was only book one of a series, I would have loved to see more of an enemies to lovers sitch here.
No-No Words. I just can’t.
Cunny WHYYYYY
Clitoris
Coupling WHYYYYY


That’s all.

Firebird by Juliette Cross has some interesting ideas going for it. As a fan of fantasy and romantasy, I appreciated the creative blend of dragon shifters and a Roman-inspired world. It’s not something you see every day, and the writing style is smooth and easy to get into. The setting has a lot of potential, and there were definitely moments where I found myself drawn into the world.

That said, the romance felt like it came on way too fast for me. Insta-love isn’t usually my thing, and this one leaned into that pretty hard. Also, the master-slave dynamic made me uncomfortable, and I wish it had been handled with more nuance. It definitely took me out of the story at times.

Overall, Firebird has its moments, and I think readers who enjoy dragon shifters and romance-heavy fantasy will find a lot to like here. For me, it didn’t quite hit the mark, but I can see why it would appeal to others.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting read - a bit on the dark side with a slave/owner theme however I didn’t think it was as dark as it could have been because Julian didn’t really treat her as a slave in most situations.

I thought Cross approached this in a sensitive enough way that it wasn’t portrayed in a way that was offensive.

Definitely will be looking for the next when it comes out

Thanks for the chance to read this one early

Absolutely love the range and ideas Juliette Cross delivers on in her fantasy books. Was a fan of her Stay a Spell series but was absolutely obsessed with The Wraith King and so was excited to see her writing more in that realm with heavier world building and politics. I am ALWAYS down for any book with dragons and the Roman Empire, and this book definitely delivered with that niche combination.
The parts I wasn't as much of a fan of--and this is 100% a preference thing-- is the "mine" or "mate" aspect of the love story. It isn't for me and often I get taken out of the story when that is used, but I know a TON of people who are feral for it, so if that is you, you will love this book.

🔥🖤 Firebird ARC Review 🖤🔥

Thank you so much to Juliette Cross and Tor Publishing group for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Firebird is a fantasy romance novel and book 1 on The Fire That Binds series. Malina is a witch and an empath…seen as dangerous in the world and needs to keep her identity hidden. But when she sees Julian in the crowd during her show, she knows he’s dangerous but she’s unable to resist showing off a little. Can she handle the ramifications of provoking the dragon??

This book was such a fun read! Malina was such a fantastic character! I adored her determination and strength in this book. Julian was such a great character and such a good match for Malina. I enjoyed the influence of Ancient Roman history in this book. It was a really fun interpretation of mythical lore and I really enjoyed the world building

Overall this was a five star read! I loved these characters and this world! I can’t wait for more in this series!! This book does have some potential triggers, so please check if you’re sensitive. This book was a bit of a slow burn, but did have some great tension throughout and smutty scenes later in the book, so overall three flames for spice

If you’re a fan of enemies to lovers, interesting characters, and Roman lore, then absolutely pick this one up!

Dark, fantasy romance set in Ancient Rome with dragon shifters, magic tied to emotions and forbidden romance between Master/slave. This has been one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it did not disappoint!

Where are my fantasy readers that are still in their dragon/ shifter era? Also, do you want ties of ancient Rome?

I give you Firebird!

I enjoyed this one! It was different than other ancient Rome books I've read with dragon shifters but still gave that feeling of living during that brutal time.

I've been a fan of Juliette Cross for a while, and I've read a lot of her backlog, and this was so different.

I can't wait to own the physical copy of this one!

Overall ☆☆☆☆☆/5
Spice ★★★/5

Juliette Cross does it again. The queen of fantasy is back. This book did not disappoint, you need to pick it up!

🐉 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.

DNF @6%

One mention of SA, (no CWs btw) and I was out. Also, reading reviews and seeing this is a slave x master “romance” when that isn’t in the synopsis WHATSOEVER?! Do better.

Malina is a Dacian dancer in her family's travelling troupe. She is blessed with the magical ability to control emotions in others. While preforming, her dance ensnares the attention of Julianus Dakkia, a Roman general dragon shifter.

Fast forward some years and Julianus is on the battlefield and his men have a girl in their clutches about to do ungodly things to her. He spots his treasure, Malina, and takes her away to be his body slave at his house. We slowly unravel a political plot that could change everything. All while seeing the relationship between Julianus and Malina bloom.

I am just going to throw it out there, but Firebird is a dark romantasy that will not be for everyone. It is slow paced and has plenty of trigger warnings you should look into before you read this. I had some issues with it and while I am glad I tried, it just was not for me. If you are a fan of dark romances and enjoy dragons and Rome, you might enjoy this book.