The beginning of this book was hard to get through, largely due to the slave/master dynamic. The book very much had "he's not like other slave owners" and "she's not like other slaves" vibes. I felt obligated to finish the book because I got an ARC. I enjoyed the middle and ending, and I may or may not read the next book. I felt like the author tried to quickly resolve the slave/master dynamic, but the MMC never seemed truly repulsed by slavery like he was repulsed by some of his uncle's other actions. It very much seemed like he seemed to realize slavery was wrong because he realized his mate was a slave, not because slavery is wrong regardless of who it involves.

I really enjoyed this read. Side note: Read with caution, check triggers. A handful of scenes could be hard to read due to vulgar or brutal detail. The author’s writing flows beautifully and held my attention the entire book. The intrigue, the danger, the character dynamics are all well written. I loved the Roman aspect, the dragon shifter elements, and the good MMC vs the evil ruler. The romance of some side characters is on the dark side, and due to illustrating the brutality of the Roman conquerors, there are a handful of scenes that are heavy. The romance between the main characters is on the sweeter side of dark and is more instalovey. Although it is sort of a captive x captor relationship, the insta love vibe made it not feel dark or heavy. The brutal side of this war is described in great detail which could be upsetting for readers. It does illustrate the need for a rebellion in this world really well, and sparks all the emotions that would go along with this war and rebellion. This was an exciting read and held my interest the entire time. I feel like readers who loved the GOT or Vikings kind of world would enjoy this read.

This audio narration is perfection.

❤️‍🔥 Dragon Shifter
❤️‍🔥 Roman Conquers
❤️‍🔥 Witch FMC
❤️‍🔥 My Treasure
❤️‍🔥 My Dragon
❤️‍🔥 Conquerer x Captive
❤️‍🔥 Fated Mates
❤️‍🔥 Rebellion
❤️‍🔥 Brutal War

4.5 🌶️ (highly descriptive, open door spice, occurs enough to be a focus point in the plot)
Check triggers (brutal war, brutal ruler, vulgar SA discussed and hinted at, mistreatment of women)

This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year but I sadly needed to shelf it for now. I can see why the author wrote the way she wrote but there were times that I needed to close my book. It's definitely heavily themed in the slave aspect and it'll be something I'll try to continue reading later when I'm feeling a heavier read.

I fell in love with these characters. The idea that ancient Romans were dragons shifters just makes fantastical sense to me. The political unrest, world building, and character development were all spot on. The narrator's voices made the storytelling immersive and easy to follow.

I enjoyed this audiobook. The romance history fantasy element was great and the story kept me guessing. Definitely read the content warnings on the authors website.

As far as audiobooks go, I didn't mind the narrator. I thought it was pretty good to be honest. However, I have some issues with the book itself. I think the book needed to have more trigger warnings and give a better understanding of what the book is about instead of having us guess for ourselves. I love history and I do indeed know relationships like this one did exist. However, it doesn't make it any easier to digest. I just think there are some spots that could have been changed: age, consent (VERY AWARE), maybe not doing anything while a slave. That kind of thing. I think the author has a lot of potential and I hope to read more once the critiques have been met. Hope the best for the author in the future.

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.