This book is being marketed as a captor/captive romantasy, when in reality, it is about a colonizer and his body slave. That alone is bad enough, but what's even worse is that the "body slave" is a woman of color. Not to mention the fact that all of this is written by a white woman. This isn't a romantasy, it's romanticizing oppression. I couldn't care less that it's fiction when history isn't. This type of blatant racism is inexcusable in my opinion, and it shouldn't have ever been written nor published. Was there not any pushback from the editors? I cannot support an author who thought this was ok to put out into the world. I wish I had never requested it. Do better.

This definitely isn’t what I expected going into this book. I can see how the slave/master dynamic in this book can get taken the wrong way. I don’t feel that it deserves all the hate it is getting. It’s a FICTION book. I gave it 3 stars. I enjoyed the listen but still not sure how I feel about it as a whole.

2.5/5 stars

DNF :(
This could have been great but I felt that there were moments that were trying too hard to be tropey. Not sure if that makes sense. But I was hoping for a better outcome with this story and that's probably why I was so disappointed. Overall it wasn't terrible but it wasn't the best either. Not sure I'll continue with this story.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.

I received an ALC of this book from NetGalley and publisher, though I already had a feeling I was going to love it! This one did NOT disappoint! I was hooked from the prologue and jumped head first into this world of Roman mythology combined with dragon shifters. The pacing is smooth, characters well developed, and the spice is perfect!
👑Political intrigue
🖤Forbidden love
✨Fated mates
🪄Bestowed magic
⛓️Suppressed societies
🐉Dragon shifters
⚔️Roman warriors

3.5–3.75 stars!

I actually really enjoyed Firebird by Juliette Cross. This fantasy romance was immersive, action-packed, and surprisingly easy to read. The worldbuilding, set in a version of Rome where humans coexist with dragon shifters, was magical enough to pull me in right away. It reminded me of a lighter fantasy—engaging without being overly complex—and that made it a great escape read.

There’s definitely political intrigue, dragon shifters, fantasy romance, and yes… smut. I’d rate it around two chili peppers in terms of spice. As someone who reads dark romance, I can say these scenes weren’t particularly graphic or dark in comparison to others in the genre. That said, content warnings apply: this story includes captive/captor and slave/slaver tropes, which are not everyone’s cup of tea. Some reviews are harsh because they were surprised or uncomfortable with those elements—so please go in knowing what you’re picking up.

But despite the criticism, I found this book to be beautifully written and entertaining. The romance and fantasy blended nicely, and the audiobook was a great companion to the physical read. If you enjoy stories with a dash of darkness, magical politics, dragons, and romance, I definitely recommend giving this one a try.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC Audio Copy.

I honestly feel like I was deceived by this book. Not just the beautiful cover and sprayed edges but also the marketing and the description on the book. I am in no way interested in a master/slave relationship and I wish that the marketing for this book had told us what we were getting into instead of deceiving with such beautiful artwork and dragons. Aside from the relationship that completely turned me off of this book, it was not well written enough to even make me think twice about this review being too scathing, but since the writing was also sub-par at best, I feel justified in expressing my distain for every aspect of this story.

5 🌟
Spice: open door

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the alc in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this. I understand there is some discourse surrounding it, but it's my honest opinion you should read it before forming an opinion.
I only once had an icky feeling readong it, and it didn't involve our MCs. I liked Julian and his protective nature. Everyone in his home is there because he saved them. Malina is such an incredibly strong FMC. The aspect of the gods and magic were easy to follow. I never felt overwhelmed by world building or info dumps.
The audio was very well done. Both narrators did a great job. I hope to continue this series.

What if those running the Roman Empire were dragon shifters? That is the loose premise of Firebird the first book in of the new series, The Fire that Binds. Juliette Cross has built a new world on the bones of Roman history and their gods. It is a re-imagining where Minerva, goddess of wisdom, justice, law and victory, has bestowed three different sets of powers on women throughout the years since the time of Medusa. These powers will help them fight against the injustice evil men bring to the land.

Malina was once just a performer, a dancer that stole the heart of the Roman General Julianus Dakkia. He gave her a boon after seeing her dance that she has kept close to her heart for years. It has been prophesized that Malina and her sisters’ magic will save them all. She never knew what that really meant until she lost her family and everything she held dear to the Romans. Including her freedom, as she is stuck as a slave in Julianus Dakkia’s home. Should she fear him or should she seduce him?

Julianus Dakkia is the dragon general to the Emperor and his chosen successor. He hates the way his uncle rules and has been trying to subvert him for years. When he sees the witch, Malina, in danger after the Romans overtook yet another village his Dragon decides for them that he is done not having her close to guard and protect. He steals her to place her in his home as his body slave. This will mean a change to his plans for revolution; it is time to act and take down his uncle and his followers before they figure out what Malina really is to him.

I enjoyed this story overall. There are some disturbing scenes as the slaves are treated very poorly by some of the cruel masters in the elite circles. The Emperor is truly an abhorrent and evil character who gets pleasure from debasing and humiliating others. Julianus is an exception to this; he has slaves in his home but most he has saved from worse fates and treats more like family when he can. He is patient with Malina and tries to keep her safe while letting her become accustomed to him and the ways of the city. He wants to have her to fall in love with him because she is the mate to his dragon, but there is danger all around them and a real relationship is forbidden so they must be careful.

Firebird had me on the edge of my seat more then once as the reader can see the danger coming and is helpless to stop it. I needed to know how Julianus was going to keep Malina safe from his evil Uncle and other challengers. She was in a lot of danger and being seen as property by the empire, Julianus’s hands were tied in many areas. I liked the conclusion and my heart was racing near the end.

This is not going to be for everyone, especially if you have a hard time with the slavery aspect to the story. I never felt this was enemies to lovers story but more of a revolutionary tale against slavery and oppression. There is a power dynamic that needed to overcome between Julianus and Melina, but she proves she is just as powerful in her own ways. There are a few other small aspects that some may have issues with in regard to the accuracy of the history. I didn’t really get caught up on that as I took it as the foundation of the story was set loosely on Roman culture, but not exact to it. I think if those are things that are not going to bother you, this will be a great romantasy with a few hot and heavy scenes and some great tension built for the danger our couple is really in.

Narration:
Performance: ★★★★
Character Separation: ★★★★
Diction: ★★★★
Pacing/Flow: ★★★★★
Sound Effects: None

The performance was split as Blair Dade performed the Malina PoV chapters and Kale Williams narrated Julianus’s PoV. Kale has a long history of books he has narrated and his comfort with audio performances showed. He brought the emotion and personality of Julianus to life. His voice is rich and decadent, it was easy to see why his catalog of books was so long. Blair Dade is newer to audio narration, but held her own in this story. I liked the performance she gave to Malina, it captured the pain she had been through and her vulnerability and strength well.

Intriguing concept that mixes fantasy with historical events~

⭐️⭐️
(2 stars)

Thanks to NetGalley for the ALC.

I wanted to love this book. I feel like it had promise in the beginning. Unfortunately, the plot and interpersonal relationships felt rushed. The characters were two dimensional. I’m not sure that we saw many flaws or growth from the main characters.

I have a copy of the from Fairyloot that is GORGEOUS! I’ll definitely be keeping it for a book trophy. The narration of the audiobook was excellent.

I was approved for this book a while ago but waited to read it. I'm not sure why I did that but that was a very poor choice on my part. I sped through this book in a little over a day once I started it and then went back and reread my favorite parts. I LOVED the fantasy intertwined with ancient Rome. The plotting and pace were fantastic. I was real stressed at one point and I had to put the book down, take a breather and then come back to it. It definitely explored some darker themes and I can see why some readers would not be into that. I would check your triggers before starting this one. As far as the characters, there were moments when I wanted to reach through the book and throttle Malina. I understand her choices but I did not always like them. I think she's a good match for the dragon general overall. Her backstory was heartbreaking and it made me appreciate her more. I will definitely be watching for the next book in this series.

A different romactasy with dragons ,Ancients Rome, Ceasar, Political intrigue, secrets ,and forbidden romance.
Some good characters. and different story line.
The narrators were really good and worked well together.
Voluntarily reviewed.

DNF @36% Spoilers Ahead

Thank you Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Been hearing a lot about this book and how it misleads some people so I decided to listen to it. I honestly forgot I was granted the audiobook of this. Actually I forgot the e-arc of this thanks to Edelweiss way before I got the audiobook.

Of course what got me and everyone else is that damn cover. Also the fact Dragons in the Roman Empire sounds good enough for me which also got everyone wanting to read this.

I'm about to be short and sweet with this.

Who thought it was a good idea to have a Colonizer/Master and Slave romance after the whole "To Glaze Upon Wicked Gods" drama last year?

Dealing with Romans yet again as well.

Like who?

Say this with me

MASTER/ SLAVE IS NOT A TROPE!!

Of all the tropes you have at your disposal you decide to go for one that certainly shouldn't be one into one.

Why is the Master/Slave potential romance plot even needed?

You could do forced promixed with a touch of fake courting if you need a reason for your FMC and MMC to be together.

And the thing is with this book she didn't have to go that route and almost made it to a cop out by her being his slave that she is protected from everyone else.

Yes I understand historical context since it's Rome but Rome didn't have fucking dragons in it so it's already not historically correct. Like you can still have slaves in it but not have the Master/Slave romance.

Because if this book was set in the 1700's- 1860's United States.....
.
But just Master/Slave in general regardless of what country or time period it is.

What makes me so mad is the fact of the potential this book had.

The female protagonist has empathic powers where she can feel people's emotions and could change them and the male protagonist who can change into a dragon due to his roman heritage is trying to overthrow the Emperor who is his uncle.

Like come on!

The main reason why I decide to stop because it started to get boring with the lack of world building,character deveoplment and the unnecessary sexual violence going on.

Instead of having Master\Slave you could be building the dragon lore and the magical system.
Because having dragons and them having empathic powers sounds cool.

But I just don't understand for the life of me why this book does not have content warnings at all on the bulb or inside the book.

I have to get one thing straight tho that I have been seeing a lot reviews kind of skipping over

Yes the FMC was 17 almost 18 when MMC met her while she was a minor doing the prologue.

So yes people are getting that right.

When they meet again in the first chapter, it is four years after their first meeting which makes her 21 almost 22. That's when he makes her his " body" slave in his household which in his defence is to " save" her from everyone else.

I'm just seeing a lot of people making it seem like he took her as a slave at 17 which is not correct.

Still not right at all but I just don't like misinformation like that.

So yeah stay clear of this one.

📖 Name of the Book: Firebird
👤 Author: Juliette Cross
📖 Genre: Romantasy
⭐ Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
🌶 Spice Rating: 🌶🌶/5
💭 My Thoughts:
Firebird by Juliette Cross is a fun addition to the romantasy genre, blending dragons, forbidden love, and an Ancient Rome-inspired setting that I absolutely adored. While the book tackles some dark themes—so definitely check the trigger warnings first—the heroine stood out as strong and refreshingly trope-light, skipping the usual hidden identity cliché. That said, the romance kicked in earlier than I prefer, and the worldbuilding felt a bit thin. The MMC’s constant declarations of obsession were a little much, but overall it was an enjoyable, fast-paced read. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in the series!

🔊 Note on the audiobook:
Narrators Blair Dade and Kale Williams are fantastic! Their voices paired well together and were very easy to listen to. They narrate individual chapters, which means they have to voice other genders. These two did a better job than most, but it was a bit amusing at times. I'll keep an eye on these two in the future!

Thank you to Juliette Cross and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to listen to this ALC in exchange for an honest review!

I wanted to love this book, really I did. The cover is stunning and the premise sounded intriguing, I mean ancient Rome and dragon shifters? Sign me up. But unfortunately it lacked a lot for me starting with the romance. I'm a sucker for enemies to lovers (who's not?) but then the master/slave tropes was thrown (not the good kind either) and that's where it lost me. I can look past a lot of things while reading but not only did I hate this tropes the romance was also lackluster and super cringe.

The main characters seem bland to me and the plot wasn't plotting very well. The only redeeming quality of this whole book were some of the side characters, Stefanos to be more particular. He was a stand up character that shined for me I just wished to see him appear more.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrators did the best they could with the contents of the book, but listening to it made it even more cringe then if I'd just read it myself.

Firebird had all the makings of a knockout. The premise? Dark magic, powerful bloodlines, forbidden love, and a high-stakes plot with political intrigue and family secrets. Honestly, it should have set the pages on fire. But instead of a raging inferno, I got… a sparkler. Pretty in places, but mostly fizzling out too fast.

One of the biggest disappointments? The missed opportunity to give us a truly vengeful, powerful female lead. She had the potential to be a strategic weapon, both magically and politically—a woman who could charm secrets out of enemies, bend rooms to her will, and turn her pain into power. Instead, her abilities were mostly wasted on keeping the MMC calm or proving she wasn’t “too emotional.” Not just his emotions but almost every man in the book she had to subdue.

Let’s be clear: this girl had claws. But instead of letting her use them, the story clipped her wings. The MMC constantly sidelined her, insisting she was “rushing into danger headfirst,” but… where? When? Half the time, danger stumbled into her, and the other half she was being kept out of the action like a glass figurine in a war room. She wasn’t reckless—she was ready, and she was never given the chance to show just how sharp her teeth could be.

She could’ve been a spy. A seductress. A political weapon cloaked in silk and fire. Instead, she was protected into passivity. And in a world where women with power are rare and precious, watching her be repeatedly benched by a man who claims to love her? That burned more than any of the actual fire magic. Also—if they were going to go the slave route, then use it to her advantage. Let her be invisible. Let her infiltrate other palaces. Give her purpose beyond being cherished and caged.

And speaking of love… the romance lacked real bite. The chemistry between them simmered at best, but without emotional weight behind it, the “fated” connection felt hollow. I wanted to root for them, but I couldn’t help wondering what the story could’ve been if she had been allowed to thrive without being dimmed by “protection.”

That said, Juliette Cross can write. Her prose flows effortlessly, the pacing keeps you entertained, and the world she’s crafted holds so much promise. It’s not the writing I take issue with—it’s the execution. The idea was gold. The delivery, not quite there.

So yes—Firebird had the ingredients to be brilliant. It just didn’t trust its heroine—or its readers—enough to really let her shine.
She didn’t need saving. She needed space to burn

I've been seeing a lot of reviews and discourse about this book and I'm sorry I don't feel comfortable reading and reviewing. Thank you so much for the ALC

*read the trigger warnings first before starting this and keep in mind of the time period that it is set in. Violence and slave trade is very prevalent in this book*. Malina and Julianus meet by chance and are instantly drawn to each other. Malina is captured by Julianus and taken as his slave. However, they soon discover they have deep feeings for each other despite the fact that their relationship is banned by Julianus' uncle. Julianus' uncle is out of control with his behaviour and conquering and they must work together to try to stop him. I was drawn into this book very quickly. It is fast paced and exhilarating to read. I really enjoyed the details of the smaller characters in the book as well. I cannot wait for the next book to come out and find out what's next for Malina and Julianus!

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC of this book.

Thank you Netgalley for the audiobook ARC.

Unfortunately, after learning this is a POC underage FMC with a slave/slave master dynamic (written by a white woman), I’ve decided to DNF. I cannot in good conscience read this novel and I’m unsure why this is being promoted as a dark romantasy novel. Had I known the actual premise, I would not have requested.

Thank you for allowing me to receive an arc of this audiobook. The narrator was amazing and I would surely listen to another book she narrates. However, I was not a fan of the slave and master dynamic between the main couple and the fact that he met her when she was underage and was attracted to her. I feel like these elements of the story and dynamic between the main characters could have been easily replaced by a different dynamic. Throughout the whole story this fact about their relationship negatively affected my enjoyment of the story.

This book was a huge disappointment. The beginning features disturbing abuse toward a captured character and it made me uncomfortable immediately. It’s incredibly problematic and I had to DNF. Definitely not for me.