"Firebird" by Juliette Cross presents an intriguing blend of dragon shifters, witches, and the political landscape of an alternate Roman Empire. The story follows Malina, a witch with the extraordinary ability to read and manipulate emotions, who finds herself captured by Julian, a powerful Roman commander and dragon shifter. Their initial connection, formed years before, ignites the flames of a fast-paced, forbidden romance that is both captivating and complex.
From the start, Cross immerses readers in a vivid world where dragons are deeply entwined with Roman mythology, and the stakes are high. Malina’s unique magic and Julian’s dual nature as a leader and dragon create a compelling dynamic that had me eagerly turning the pages. The themes of possession and obsession are woven throughout the story, delivering some undeniably steamy moments that fans of passionate romances will appreciate.
However, while the chemistry between Malina and Julian is palpable, the romance often feels rushed, leaning heavily into the realm of insta-love rather than gradual development. This left me wanting more depth in their connection. Despite the promise of a slave/master dynamic, the relationship lacks the tension such a theme could bring, as Julian treats Malina with respect and care from the outset.
What truly fascinated me were the elements of Roman political intrigue interspersed throughout the narrative. Cross creatively weaves in references to Roman gods and goddesses, offering a fresh perspective on well-known myths. The use of Roman names, such as Minerva for Athena and Proserpine for Persephone, adds a unique layer to the story that I greatly enjoyed. However, at times, this rich tapestry felt a bit messy, as if the multitude of elements didn’t always coalesce into a cohesive narrative.
Overall, "Firebird" is an engaging read, particularly for those who enjoy a mix of fantasy and historical elements. While I appreciated the rapid pacing and the world Cross built, the romance felt superficial at times. I’m excited to see how the ongoing political drama evolves in Book Two and hope to see even more depth in both the characters and their relationships. If you're intrigued by the blend of dragons, witches, and Roman mythology, this book may just ignite your imagination!

Thank you for the arc. Unfortunately this book didn’t hit the way I thought it would. When I requested it and started it, I was unaware of the master/slave dynamic. After I had already started reading I saw that the author made a post on instagram stating that it is master and slave, not just captor and captive.

While I get that they were attracted to each other before the FMC was enslaved, it still felt icky. Why keep her enslaved?

The overall premise for the book is great, dragons and Ancient Rome. But the heavy discussion surrounding slavery was just a lot. The narrators sounded great in their roles.

3⭐️ 3🌶️

📖Dragon Shifter
📖Forced Proximity
📖Touch her and 💀
📖Magic
📖Fated Mates

**please check trigger warnings before reading**

Major Spoilers….You Have Been Warned:



I enjoyed this more than I originally thought I would. The couple in this story are master/slave and I struggled at first BUT I kept going and was completely fine with it. The MMC, Julian, does not touch FMC, Malina, while she is a “slave”. I say slave lightly because she isn’t treated as a slave…in fact none of his “slaves” are mistreated. Julian and Malina slowly make their connection and accept their chemistry. Before they do anything, they discuss that she is not his slave in any way. But because of the world they live in, she needs to keep the slave appearance to survive.

The ruler, Ceaser, is a piece of 💩 and of course is Julian’s uncle. He plans to overthrow him but it’s taking more time to gather allies.

I enjoyed Malina and Julian’s relationship. I think their chemistry was spot on and I even enjoyed the mate bond!

What I didn’t like: there’s a lot of male dominance that I just hate. I get it’s crucial for the storyline and for the world the author built, but I find it hard to read sometimes. Please check your trigger warnings on this!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Firebird is my first book by Juliette Cross but it won’t be my last. I was hooked from the very beginning.

This book follows Julianus Dakkia and Malina. Julian is a powerful dragon-shifting general in the Roman army and the nephew of the emperor. Malina, on the other hand, is a Dacian dancer who has special powers of her own. While the romance was a little insta-love for me I did really enjoy it.
The book takes place in Ancient Rome and it has master/slave dynamics. I was very interested in the world building. And I enjoyed the writing. I am very excited for the sequel.

Both narrators did an excellent job.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ALC

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ARC of the audiobook of Firebird. I'm torn on what to rate this book but I'm thinking 3.5 stars. I didn't fall in love with the characters immediately (or even half way through the book) like I do with my 5 star romantasy reads. Others have complained about the master/slave trope but that never really stood out to me because of the setting of the book "it fit". I also didn't enjoy the language used during spicy scenes. I did enjoy the plot of the story and it did keep me intrigued...just didn't fall in love with it like I was hoping.

Thank you so much to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for providing me with this ALC experience. This book was really enjoyable and a great experience. I don’t usually find myself gravitating to audiobooks, but I am so glad I was able to listen to this one! The narration, especially that of the gentleman who voiced the MMC, was great and really allowed me to find myself within the atmosphere of the book.

The story is a fantastic darker fantasy romance that takes the myths of the Greek gods and says “but what if they were dragon shifters?” It’s an original and fun combination of dragons, mythology, and magic and the chemistry between the MC’s is fantastic. I will say that be sure to check for content warnings and do go in knowing that it is darker in nature and leans into some darker subject matter. The villain is definitely a villain and does not shy away from brutality. There is also a slave/master relationship and darker themes relating to treatment of others.

All in all though, it was such a gripping tale and I really enjoyed it! I cannot wait for the second book and need it to be released now!

This book was fantastic!! I was hooked from the very beginning. This book does contain dark elements such as slavery. This book also contains dragon shifters, witches, Roman mythology and more. I loved the world building. This book is described as from blood and ash meets house of the dragon and I definitely believe that is a great comparison. I typically have read more books about Greek gods so reading about Roman gods was a nice change. Firebird follows Malina who was a dancer in her families troupe. Roman dragons kill her entire family. She then goes to stay with the Celtics. Malina is different because she has a magical gift. The Celtics Malina is with are defeated by Roman dragons as well. This is when Julian saves her. He then takes her back to his home where he unfortunately has to make her his slave but it’s not as it seems. I love the chemistry between the two. I can’t wait for the next book! Also the narrators were fantastic
Thank you NetGalley for an audiobook arc.

Firebird by Juliette Cross – ALC Review 🎧
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Spice:🌶🌶

Tropes:
Dragon Shifters Ancient Rome
Witches & Magic
Forbidden love
Master/Slave Dynamic

⚠️ Warning: This is a dark romantasy, if your not comfortable reading a slave/master relationship I would not recommend this.

I was super excited to receive this ALC, especially since I had already pre-ordered Firebird months ago, just based on the cover and those sprayed edges. And yes, that’s all it takes for me to buy a book and it helps that I ended up really enjoying it!

Malina is a witch with empathic powers who has become all too familiar with loss. After being saved by Julianus, a powerful Roman general and dragon shifter, she loses her freedom, forcing her into a life of servitude. But as the war continues, Malina starts to see Julianus in a different light, not just as her captor, but as a potential ally, and the one fate has bound her to.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan audio! When I saw the description of this book I immediately wanted to read it. Overall I enjoyed it. I really liked the concept of being able to shift into full dragon and also half skin. I thought that was unique and different from other dragon books. The romance was so good. I love a good fated mates trope and this definitely delivered. *SPOILERS* The only thing I didn’t like was Julianus having to give up his mate to be a slave for someone else. I didn’t mind her being a slave for Julianus since he never treated her like a slave, but giving her up to be a slave to his enemy who he knew wanted to assault her gave me the ick…. Maybe if she was kidnapped or something else that wasn’t him just giving her away it would have worked for me. This book would be 5 stars but that one part just bugged me. With that being said I still loved it and I will definitely be reading the next one.

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the ARC of this book! The narration Kale Williams & Blair Dade was phenomenal, it was a very immersive reading experience with the dual narration.
Before deciding whether you’d like to read this book, I would highly suggest checking trigger warnings as this is a slave/master dynamic and contains some brutal scenes. I prepared myself beforehand but was still taken aback during some parts of this book. Although it does say “dark romantasy”, I don’t think it has been properly advertised as such and many readers may pick it up and think it is a standard romantasy.
Knowing this about the book, I was still able to really enjoy the story! It had some very intriguing elements: dragon shifting, psychic abilities/witches, and the Ancient Rome setting. The main characters relationship does fall into the “insta lust” category but I was able to look past my usual dislike for this trope because of its reasonings for the plot. The political scheming was super engaging as the stakes are very high for the main characters and the antagonist of the story was actually horrible and terrifying! I was on the edge while listening to the story the whole time!
Overall, this isn’t a book I would recommend to everyone because of the trigger list, however if you are able to stomach a DARK Ancient Rome inspired dragon fantasy, then it’s a fun read and good first novel to this series.

🎧⭐⭐⭐⭐.5🎧

I received an ALC (Advanced Listener Copy) of this audiobook from NetGalley & Macmillan Audio.
What a great first book. I always approach these books with an open mind, knowing that there will be a lot of worldbuilding at the beginning. And yes, that does happen, but it was effortless to follow along.

Roman, the nephew of Emperor Julianus (who is a very bad man), has fallen for someone whom the law says he can’t be with. But it only took one look, and he was captivated. He knew who she was the moment he met eyes with her. When her life is in danger, he intervenes and takes ownership of her. It’s to protect her, but it’s also for himself; he is about to make things very messy.

Malina is fierce, yet she still has so much trust. Her gifts really are a blessing. She is just as intrigued by Roman. The way they gravitate towards each other, you know their story is going to be an epic one, and I am here for it.
I felt like the book ended at the perfect spot, making me want book 2 like RIGHT NOW!
The narrators, Blair Dade and Kale Williams, really brought this story to life; it was never dull, and they performed exceptionally well.

Based on the synopsis of the book I really wanted to love it but Bramble really did her dirty not doing content warnings and Setting up the fact it was master/slave dynamic. The narrators did a wonderful job setting the scenes and being captivating… but so many cringy scenarios that were ill prepared for due to there not being content warnings.

The concept was there but the story kind of fell flat once the FMC and MMC insta love kicked in. I’m hoping the next book brings the whole story together as it did leave off in a cliff hanger setting up for the possibility of a more action packed story vs the cringy set up.

I really enjoyed this book. The author had a really compelling writing style that made me just binge this book. Great characters and building of this world. My biggest complaint is that the romance seemed too easy to me. However, I would recommend this book who don't mind a slave/master relationship.

Personally, even though she is the slave and he is the master, he wasn't awful to her at all. Nothing close to what you hear from other dark romance books. It's just what they happen to be because of circumstances. I feel like the world in which our 2 main characters live in is the darkest part of the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of the ebook and audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

A dark romantasy set during the Roman Empire, this is a master/slave story so definitely check the content warnings before diving in. The prologue definitely drew me in!
The story follows Malina who is a witch and Julian who is a Roman commander and dragon shifter. While their relationship might bring up mixed feelings I think the book shows how much Julian genuinely cares for Malina and how they’d both do anything to protect each other. I will admit, some of the sexy talk from Julian was a bit over the top for me.
Even though it’s supposed to be a fated mates romance it did feel a bit rushed and leaned more toward insta love. The narrators Blair Dade and Kale Williams did an amazing job bringing Julian and Malina to life. Their tones and inflections were spot on and really elevated the story for me. This book is perfect for lovers of Dragon shifters, witches, Roman gods, touch her & die, and fated mates.

* Thank you to McMillan Audio, Brambl Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this audiobook*

I'm going to start by saying that I don't know how to review/rate this book. 3.5 stars rounded up

If I knew that this was a slave/master romance I might not have picked this up or at least would've been aware of what I was getting into. The power dynamics and the violence that sometimes come with it is really not for everyone so please be aware if you want to pick up this book. Some parts of that relationship is cliché but that didn't hinder my enjoyment. I do have to admit that I kind of skimmed over the spicy scenes as they were sort of too dramatic for me (but if you like that hey you do you).

However, if we put that dynamic aside and only think of everything else, I know that the romantasy girlies are going to eat this up. Ancient Rome, with dragons and magic? Sign me up. I appreciate the author's note regarding the liberties she took with mythology, history and our FMC's origins (she is Dacian, but their language is extinct so she uses the Romanian language in the book instead).

I will pick the next installment because I do want to see bad guys ripped in half by dragons

I appreciate NetGally giving me the opportunity to review this book.

In my opinion, this is book that sensationalized slavery, fetishized non-white characters, and adults having relationships with minors.

I do not think this book should have been published.

Firebird is a gripping ancient roman romantasy that will have you hooked and on the edge of your seat from the very beginning. The book was very fast paced but not at any point of the book was I confused or didn't know what was going on, which I really appreciated. The world building and plot were incredible. The narrators had great voices and rally fit the book, they made the reading experience even better. I truly enjoyed this book so much that I preordered the special edition so that I can display it on my book shelf. This was my introduction to Juliette Cross and best believe I will be reading more of her work. 10/10 will be recommending to all of my book besties

Malina is a Dacian dancer who once met Julian when they were younger. He is a Roman General and dragon shifter who finds her in a situation where he can save her from harm. The only way for him to do it though is to make her his slave and bring her into his household. So there’s that. She’s a sort of witch with empathic senses and he has a grand political plan. By 50% they are on the same team.

This book has a bunch of cool elements like dragon shifters in the Roman Empire, witches, talismans, and dancing, but it still feels like something is missing. Or at least that we haven’t yet scratched the surface of this world. I think if you like political intrigue mixed with dragon shifters then you might like this. The narrators Blair Dade and Kale Williams did a very good job bringing the characters to life. They added to the story for sure.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for sharing this book with me in exchange for my honest review.

Intriguing storyline and impeccable characters that made me desperate for more! I can’t wait for the second book!

I was so excited about this book; the premise sounded excellent. A dark romantasy set in ancient Rome with dragons? Incredible premise!!

HOWEVER

This was so bad for so many reasons. Typically, I don't like to yuck anyone's yums, but:
𖥔 There is an EXTERMELY unbalanced and uncomfortable master/slave relationship and the enslaved FMC is of a minority race
𖥔 He falls into insta-lust when she's a minor and he's a full adult man in a powerful position
𖥔 During one sex scene she comments how "she couldn't stop him even if she wanted to." ... because she's his slave!!!
𖥔 As a minor she is described as so tiny and petite but also that she looks older than her age because she's so curvy and petite

Things I took issue with that are more-so my opinions:
𖥔 The smut scenes were cringey at best, uncomfortable and consentless at worst
𖥔 The plot was boring and predictable!!
𖥔 Her power was the power of ... dance
𖥔 I found their relationship wildly unbelievable. Chemistry where. Common interest where.