I have never read ANYTHING like firebird by @juliettecrossauthor . Huge thank you to @torbooksuk for this gifted arc. This was my very first dragon shifter book, and such a great book to beat!

IF YOU HAVE A DRAGON SHIFTER BOOK, LEAVE YOUR RECCOMENDATION!

I loved the different types of dragon shifters and how each color meant something different in the world. I am a big fan of Roman mythology and this is just the book that I wanted to read.

Malina is a beautiful dancer and has attracted the eye of a dragon, who just so happens to be one of the most powerful dragons in the world. In line for the Roman throne, but man enough to know when to walk away, Jules walks away, leaving her so he doesn't tie her to a life of pain. 4 years later they end up intercepting again in a much different way, Malina becoming his slave.

This book was full of love, backstabbing and dragon shifters, really what more could you want?!

A good alt history slow burn romantasy. I'll definitely be paying attention to when book 2 publishes. Timeline is linear but comes across a little disjointed which is one of the reasons I'm not giving a 5/5. It's worth a try, just keep in mind it's an incomplete series.

I didn’t feel the emotional connection with this one as I had hoped. I really liked the premise and the world of dragon shifters, witches, and political intrigue, but I wasn’t a fan of the slave owner dynamics.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing an advanced reader’s copy 🤎

I'm giving this four stars because I think with the right reader this would be a great book. Content warnings are absolutely needed and I hope are included in the final release.

That being said, this was a Dark Romantasy with a dragon shifter finding his mate in a witch. This was darker than I normally read, with more grotesque descriptions, but overall I enjoyed it. I loved the Roman setting and the way dragons have been incorporated. The side characters were a lot of fun and made me root for the underdogs! I would recommend this to darker and monster romances readers who want some extra fantasy!

**trigger warnings**
Slave/Master Dynamic

Does it fit the historical time period??? Yes. Does it tickle my fancy?? Not so much.

I’ll be honest I glazed over that and pretended like they were equals bc I’m not interested in them not being on a level playing field. Got a bit of the ick when he explained his Dad immediately freed his mom and married her…. But our MMC didn’t do the same….

I want more half skins! The dragon aspect was fun and a little savage.

When the next one comes out in the series I’m intrigued enough to read on!

Firebird is definitely going to blow up on BookTok, it has the aesthetic, the sprayed edges, and the dark romantasy vibes that draw people in.

But personally, this wasn’t my favorite. The slave/master romance felt weird and tactless, making it hard to get invested in the love story. While I thought the unique Ancient Rome inspired setting was interesting and thought both audiobook narrators did a fantastic job bringing the story to life, the romance itself leaned too heavily on possessive dragon mate bond tropes and overused “you are mine” dialogue.

The world-building also felt pretty surface level, and the last half of the book shifts almost entirely into explicit spice, and SA…which, given the context, was uncomfortable to read.

That said, I did finish the novel, even though a lot of the themes didn’t sit right with me. I also think it really needs clear trigger warnings, there are heavy themes of SA, rape, and violence against women that aren’t just in the background but central to the plot.

If you’re into dark, morally gray romantasy and don’t mind extreme power imbalances in your romance, this might work for you. But for me, it missed the mark.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sending this ALC for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Firebird was such a unique twist on dark romantasy for me. I haven’t read many romantasy books set in Roman times—let alone ones that include dragons—so this world immediately intrigued me. While the romance between Julianus and Malina is at the forefront, I also really enjoyed the high-stakes plot to dethrone Caesar. The blend of political intrigue, intense battle scenes, and fiery passion made this story stand out.

When I first started reading, I noticed some polarizing reviews, and honestly, I’m convinced the negative ones came from people who didn’t actually read the book. While Malina is technically a slave, the setting is historically inspired (think Gladiator), and at no point did I feel that her situation was handled in a way that felt exploitative or dark in a way some reviews suggested. If anything, the dynamic between Julianus and Malina gave me more of an ACOTAR Tamlin-and-Feyre vibe rather than something leaning into dark romance tropes.

I was lucky enough to receive an early audio copy, and as always, MacMillan Audio delivered. Blair Dade and Kale Williams did a fantastic job bringing these characters to life, nailing the different voices and accents. That said, I need a physical copy as well—have you seen that first edition? It’s absolutely stunning!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to see where the series goes next.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the free audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

2.5 ⭐️ (thank you for the opportunity to read this arc!) I feel like the way that this book has been advertised and spoken about really set the wrong expectations. I have seen people say that this is just a fun enemies to lovers fantasy with dragons and while it is that, I feel it is also important to note that this is a dark romantasy, the dynamic between the two love interests is a “slave/master” dynamic which will not be for everyone (I don’t think it’s for me) so the way the romance was written in this book a lot of times ended up taking away from the story for me because I just was not into it and not rooting for the characters to be together. It felt like we were trying to focus more on the plot and politics and world building then the romance ( which is fine and I love that a lot of times) however, it somehow at the same time felt like not much really happened through the course of this book? And then because the romance didn’t have much of a buildup or depth to the characters getting to know each other it just fell flat for me. I just wasn’t invested in the characters being together or even the plot by the end of the book which is sad because it started off so strong. I was loving the vibes of the world and the original introduction of the main characters. Ultimately I do think this is largely because I had a different expectation going into the book based off of what I had heard so just incase you are wanting to read this and have heard similar things, in my opinion this is a fantasy with a dark romance subplot!

Dragons, witches, magic, roman mythology (plus smut). This could have been amazing but instead was overall a decent but not great read. A huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was engaging, fast paced, and well-written from a grammatical/non-Wattpad sense. Imagine ancient Rome but replace wolf symbolism with dragons. Rome was created by dragons who evolved into dragon shifters, the gods/goddesses are dragon shifters, the ruling class and all nobility are dragon shifters. Very cool concept, if done correctly.

This fell flat for me because of the insta-love romance, lack of depth, and messiness.

The basics: Roman nobleman and warrior/dragon shifter and heir to the (political) throne Julian meets Goddess-blessed witch turned slave from the Carpathian Mountains Malina. This is a dark romance in a light sense. I've read much darker romances than this, but there are some heavy aspects to it. Anyways, they first meet when she is 17 and then again when she is 21. I like this type of plot line in romances--guy meets girl, something about girl sticks with guy, then years later guy meets girl again and this time they get together. The second time they meet, Julian saves Malina and "kidnaps" her by taking her to his home/dragon den. This honestly did not strike me as a "slave/master" dynamic because it is clear from the get-go that he does not treat her as a slave, nor does he internally regard her as one. He kidnaps her to save her, not to make her his slave in the truest form of the word. Enter in Roman politics, Julian's uncle Julius CAESAR, references to Roman gods and goddesses, and political turmoil mixed with dragons, and you get this creative story.

My favorite parts of this book were not the romance or Julian but the political drama and references to Roman mythology. I enjoyed reading about Hades/Persephone as Pluto/Proserpine, Athena as Minerva, Hera as Juno, etc. There is such an oversaturation of the classical gods and goddesses using their Greek names and not nearly as many tales referencing their Roman counterparts. I also loved the interwoven reference to this author's spin on the myth of Medusa.

The Roman mythological aspects to this book connecting with fantasy versions of historical figures (as dragons) made for a fascinating read. However, it also created some issues for me, mainly:

- At times this was too much and seemed messy. Roman historical fantasy sounds awesome on its own, and in theory throwing dragon shifting into the mix should make it even better. But for some reason the fact that all these guys WERE dragons fell flat for me. Maybe if they simply HAD dragons it would have worked, but instead it felt messy and like these dragons were just thrown in to capitalize off of the current dragon obsession. Just underdeveloped.
- The romance between Julian and Malina was insta-love. I know it is SUPPOSED to be more fated mates than insta-love, but they get together quickly and fall for each other even faster. His inner dragon wants her, there’s some sort of bond between her magic and his dragon, she is his dragons “treasure,” etc. She sees the good in his otherwise morally grey self, takes only 1/3 of the book before she’s into him. It’s a typical romantasy setup but not developed enough and therefore lacks emotional depth and elicits no real feelings.

All in all, even with the two issues I had with this, it is a solid 3 star read. If you can get over the lack of depth, this will hold your attention and has a unique plot.

DNF'd at 25%.

I got the ick from how women were portrayed in this...also got the ick between Malina and Julianus.

I know there are other books out there that are better than a "romance" between a racial minority enslaved woman and the man who is enslaving her.

If you loved the GLADIATOR movies you're going to love this book!

I rated this book a 4.5 stars!
It was a Roman Romantasy with witches a unique magic system and DRAGON shifters! You can quite literally ride one both ways in this book if you get what I mean...

Tropes you'll love:
*Fated Mates
*"Enemies to lovers"
* He falls first
*Who did this to you/Touch her and die
*political world building
*Greek Mythology (loosely)
but also...
This is a master to slave romance. So if that's something that you think will bother you then this book isn't for you. Again it is set in ancient roman times so you should keep those things in mind.

The MC's are Julius and Malina. The emperor is Cesar. Again I can't stress this enough that this book is very ancient Rome inspired (so you can guess what the plot will be). I've seen so many negative reviews and if you just listen to the authors note she does a fabulous job at explaining how she intended to write the story which I think was a great touch to add in! Overall I enjoyed this story so much! I am a big audio book person and I received the audio book version and the narrators def did the characters justice! The MMC voice as a DRAGON was chefs kiss!!

This is the first book of the series so it was def a lot of world building happening but also some battle scenes. As someone who will DNF a book as soon as I get the cringe or get easily bored, NO part of this book felt dull or lacking in my opinion. The spicy scenes were SPICY especially with a dragon shifter MMC.(and they can half shift...certain.. ok you get it! ...)

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for sending me this ARC!

Loved It!

This was a top new release for me so I was so excited to get the ALC of Firebird from Juliette Cross, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio.

We follow Melina, a Dacian dancer turned slave and Julianus, a Roman commander and heir to the throne. Did I mentions he’s also a dragon and Melina may have her own gods blessed gift?

The audiobook was easy to fall into. I became so captivated by the story that I didn’t want to press pause! I loved the dual narration. It really helps you, as the reader, switch gears during the story and I think adds a great depth.

The story itself is absolutely perfect! I loved that the author took Roman mythology and added a fantasy twist with dragons and gods given magic. This is definitely a darker fantasy and touches on some sensitive topics. It really helped fuel Melina’s rage and painted a picture of a tyrannical ruler that needs to be overthrown.

The chemistry and tension between Melina and Julianus is palpable from their very first interaction. I loved discovering each of their past but then how they evolve together as well.

Firebird is book 1 in an interconnected standalone series and I can tell you with certainty that I am hooked and can’t wait to read more!

don't have the willpower to finish this .i'm bored listening to this dnf at 52% i just cant be brother to finish it.

thank i got the audio arc

What I have learned from Firebird is that slave + slave owner romances are entirely not my jam. That being said, I'm sure someone out there will love this lol

I had no idea this was a master/slave romance going into this. I have been really excited for this book to come out so I was a bit disappointed that it was much different than I was expecting based off of the books blurb. It’s a shame because the deluxe limited edition has some of the best edges I have seen a publisher put out!

I did like the FMC and I thought her powers were really interesting. The MMC was a bit much for me especially in his dragon form… which really put off the romance aspect for me.

The audio book had great dual narration which I always love in a Romantasy. Easy to listen to and follow along with each POV.

When Malina's life gets flipped upside down and she loses everything she loves, she becomes the slave to a Roman General who happens to also be a dragon and the nephew to the emperor.

This is a story of deceit and love. Not necessarily mixed together. Malina and Julianus are a powerful couple with him being a dragon and her a witch. Like every fantasy romance, someone is in some sort of a conundrum and needs the other one to save them. This was no different. They save each other throughout the book.

I look forward to reading more of their story.

This was a very good book. I enjoyed the narration as the voice actors seemed to fit the characters very well.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy of the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

🐉 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.

🐉 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! 🐉✨

HOT DANG
I am obsessed.

You would think this was going to have a whole slave master trope, and I really didn't think it did. However, there is a little bit of that but not as a main theme more underlying. That being said This is a dragon shifter twist on the Roman EMPIRE! Like WHAT!? It's a magical slow burn with fated mates, who both are trying to deal with their own trauma while tryin to make the world better. This is the book you can get your history obsessed man to listen to with you while getting him to listen to some spice. The spice is also beautifully done, as it doesn't feel forced and only enhances the story.

I did listen to the audiobook and didn't love the female narrator as much as I did the male but it was still amazing!

this book is going to pop off with the dark romantasy girlies!

i do really enjoy the characters, and the foundation of the story. with that said, i really felt like we are missing a huge chunk of story in here, and although it’s a series and i’m sure that will be filled in later on, i feel like i was just missing something for a lot of the story.