1 star

It took me way too long to read this, so I'm gonna keep it short because this book made me furious.
1. How deceiving is the blurb that it doesn't mention this is an slave/owner book (because I'm not calling it a "romance"... gross) also there isn't a trigger warning page or even a link to it and I get arc readers get "unfinished books" but we deserve (for our mental health and considering it isn't mention in the blurb) to know if the content of the book might be triggering for us especially because within the first 10% of the book we get a gang-r🍇 scene. I do hope the final product gets a TW list.
2. The hero has zero redeemable qualities. Can't root for a slave owner. And did I mention he also has child s/Aves? I had the best time reading that *eye twitches*
And 3. This is a romantasy and (even if we brushed away the fact that she's his slave) I didn't buy their romance? It felt forced, and there was no real chemistry(?) Also, the spice... their power imbalance made it not enjoyable.
Again, I had many issues with this book, but I know a lot of people will love it, so I'm going to say this just wasn't for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fantastic book to read. I have never read anything like this before and it was brilliant. Romans, dragons, magic, spice, what more could you want. Nice to read something different. Great, likable characters.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan | Tor Bramble for providing me this book in exchange of an honest review*


This was the first book of Cross I've read, and I liked it. I can't say my mind was blown but it was an enjoyable read. I hate insta-love (although I love insta-attraction) and the romance in Firebird was an insta-love but it was...interesting. Some of the smut should be eliminated, in my opinion but I other than that it was...ok.

Wow what can I say about this book? I think it's going to be the next big romantasy on tik tok. I honestly couldn't put it down. Please read this book you will not be disappointed.

This was my first Juliet Cross book and I absolutely loved it. I was super excited to read about the setting of this romantasy with the combination of dragon lore and Roman soldiers. I really loved the intricate world building that this book brought. The action with the gladiator pits and the spice was also impeccably done not being overwhelming.

Overall, I loved the characters. I love Julianus who on the outside as the conqueror comes across as “the villain” at first due to his status in the Roman army but we quickly learn just how much of a gentleman he is and how protective he is of our FMC, Malina. I loved Malina’s spitfire personality compared to her status. This book also had great side characters. I really loved Stefanos and Trajan.

The only thing I didn’t care for was the ending. There was so much action built into the last 10%. I just wish there had been more closure as far as the first book and those characters. I felt that we missed some of the things that have gone on. Hopefully this will be cleared up in Book #2.

The sneak peak for the next book was probably the biggest shock I had..I can’t wait to read it. Overall, if you love a good solid Romantasy this book is a win.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and PanMacmillan for the eARC of this book. I look forward to more of Juliette’s books.

I love Juliette Cross books so I was so excited for this Romantasy, set in a Roman inspired backdrop. I really enjoyed Firebird and it did not disappoint!
I love a dual narrative and it was nice getting to know both Malina and Julian. The dragon lore was interesting, particularly the 'half-skin' aspect and I've not seen it in a Roman setting before, which I enjoyed!
I did struggle a bit with the slave/master dynamic between the two of them and a bit of the instalove but do find that makes sense when it comes to fated mates.
This was an enjoyable Romantasy and I'm looking forward to more in the series, especially after the sneak peek - I need to see the next couple's story now!

I really enjoyed this book, I read the whole book in 24 hours I couldn’t put it down, it was captivating from the start.

The setting and plot of the book were really interesting and unique.

It was really easy to fall into this world with the world building and magic system, it wasn’t over complicated and I liked the whole mates aspect as it was more of a refreshing new take on ‘fated mates’

I have just ordered the special edition of this book from Waterstones

This is a Dark Romantasy that does have a a slave/master power imbalance and the spice is definitely a lot darker than some popular Romantasies, but if you’re good with that kind of story then this could definitely be for you!

This isn’t exactly a masterpiece but it was a fun read and I had a good time all the way through. It’s what I’ve come to expect from romantasy books and it didn’t disappoint.

The characters are well rounded and I loved the idea of a dragon shifter and all that entailed.

The world building flows nicely as you read, and being in an ancient roman setting was a nice twist from other romantasies.

Overall I can understand that it won’t be for everyone, and be prepared for some dark themes, but it was a decent read for me and I enjoyed it.

I definitely had a great time reading this book! I love both dragons and Ancient Rome inspired books and i loved how the author wove these two elements together! It was definitely a fun spin on Roman’s history and aristocracy system. As an italian, it’s always nice to find some latin words (some of which we still use today or know anyway) in fantasy books and i also appreciated Malina’s cultural background, even if i wish we’d seen something more of Dacia.

Julianus was also a solid mmc, i liked his moral integrity and his solid choices, how he already had his solid set of values and didn’t need the heroine’s intervention to see the truth of other’s sufferings. His duplicity with his uncle was pretty cool, i love characters who can play a role while keeping a straight face and hiding their true thoughts/intentions! I also enjoyed some secondary characters, especially little Stefanos as well as the mention of the gods and how dragons originated from them!

What I didn’t enjoy was how little Malina and Julianus’ relationship had developed before they got together, i wish we’d seen more of a buildup in their relationship.

But if you love romantasy books, then this is a perfect read for you!

Thank you to netgalley and Bramble for an early arc, all opinions are my own!

Great book with interesting storyline however I found the some of smut scenes took away from the experience due to the frequency of them

Let me start by saying, I think lots of folk are going to love this. It’s a quick, easy read that hits all the usual notes for a beloved romantasy.

Unfortunately, it simply didn’t hit those notes for me personally. I just couldn’t vibe with the master and slave dynamics. I love me some dark romance and I often love a morally black/enemy love interest but I just can’t get down with a romance where the power is so slanted right from the off. I probably wouldn’t have picked this one up had I known this prior.

That said, if you don’t have any issues with a master/slave dynamic, you might well live this one. Dragons, enemies to lovers, a bolshy FMC and a touch her and die MMC.. Like I said, it has all the right notes to be loved.

Thank you to NetGalley, Pan Macmillan/Tor Bramble and Juliette Cross for this eARC. My review is my own honest opinion.

A book that i have to agree with everyone that when this will be out, it will be your next romantasy obsession

It is quite engaging, fast paced, i absolutely love the blending of roma empire history and dragon lore, you don’t see something like this everyday.
I enjoy the way the romance/ relationship between the main characters started, it transported me in a roman empire inspired tv series.
I found the the mix between romanian language while talking about a province in the roman empire ( because there’s no written dacian language) was nice but i wished for more than a word and more like whole sentences.
Overall it was a nice experience i loved the little sneak peek for what to come and im so excited for it

This book is out on 8th of April, be sure to pick this up
I have a feeling it will be everywhere
Thank you to the author for the arc

A conqueror captivated....
A witch prophesied to save them all....
A world where dragons rule Rome...

Yes!!,......I needed this book, the first time I read the synopsis I knew I was going to love it and it instantly became one of my most anticipated books of the year, and as I sit here with a huge smile on my face after finishing I can absolutely say this story surpassed all my expectations!

Ms Cross this book is "chef's kiss" it makes my little bookish heart happy!!

"One day, your gift will turn the tide of war. It will help vanquish the enemy. It will strike fear into the hearts of fierce, dangerous men."

Firebird is dark and steamy, it's every romantasy lovers dream, but if your not used to reading dark romance and are expecting lovey dovey, unicorns and rainbows please go in carefully this is an historically set timeline with a master/slave dynamic.

I loved this book, the story kept me hooked the whole way through, the writing is good but can we please stop with the word "cunny" i just........NO 🥴, the storyline is strong and the characters are amazing and can I just give a round of applause for Malina 👏👏👏👏 we have a FML that has a back bone and a sassy mouth!!!.......love her!

All in all I really enjoyed Firebird and after that ending ( yes I'm looking at you Juliette Cross) I can't wait for Bloodsinger

" you are wise as you are beautiful, little firebird"

Thank you to Pan Macmillan & Tor for this eARC. Set in Ancient Rome this was a new take on dragon Romantasy and had so much potential. I did enjoy it at the start and loved the Dacian culture, it really painted such a dynamic world with the sisters and their dancing.

I wasn’t a fan of the master/slave dynamic in this though and the romance and relationship felt like it happened very quickly and didn’t feel like it had a lot of depth. We all know what things were like in Ancient Rome for women but I felt that the MMC could have handled things a lot differently - I felt he showed little backbone and despite the reasons given why and the larger plan, that’s just not what I want from a MMC in a Romantasy book.

I did like Malina and her feistiness. I also have to say that the language in the romance scenes was really not for me, it felt jarring and ruined it a bit.

I enjoyed the premise of dragons & gods magic in Ancient Rome but overall this book fell a little flat for me personally

I was SO excited to get this ARC. I wanted to love Firebird but unfortunately the whole book fell a bit flat for me.

I'm sad to say the plot was predictable, I wasn't invested in the romance, there wasn't much depth to the characters and it felt like very little actually happened.

Firebird is an easy to read romantasy that's a little bit dark (it had the potential to be much darker) and has dragon shifter centurions. If that's all you're looking for in your next book then happy reading 📖🐉🗡️

I'd rate it 2.5/5 ⭐️ Rounding up to 3 ⭐️ purely because it kept my attention enough to read it in a day even through the disappointment.

Unfortunately this one was not for me.
What I liked. The pacing and writing style were great. I couldn't stop reading once I started.
But unfortunately the rest didn't sit well with me. The romance between the main characters gave me the ick. The way she got over her predicament so fast and started to fall for him almost instantly felt very unrealistic. At the end of the day she was still his slave and he made her act like his slave, so the power imbalance was very uncomfortable. I also felt like the dialogue between them got very childish after the 60% mark.
One more thing I would add is that I feel like it needed a bit more research. At least on Malina's background. There is a list on the internet of words in dacian language that are still present in the romanian language. None of the romanian words that were randomly used in the beginning are on that list. Also the cultural descriptions are a bit off.
I am sad that I didn't end up liking this book because it had a lot of potential.

A tense and romantic story. This is another book about dragons and I can never have too many. It was full of interesting nods to ancient history and I was gripped right from the beginning. I loved the dynamic between Julian and Malina and the politics behind the dragons in Rome. I thought it was a very clever way to combine the two. I am definitely excited to read the next book especially after the sneak peak chapter at the end!!

“The man who’d given me..hope and dreams of a better future, was now my new nightmare, my new master.”

Set within the Roman Empire our FMC Malina is a witch who can read & manipulate emotions. During a raid she is captured by the MMC Julian who is a Roman commander & dragon shifter 🐉

Firebird is filled with possession, obsession & the burn is oh so hot 🥵 but don’t expect a slow burn, Julian & his dragon fall fast and hard for Malina .
“My treasure” 💎 “My entire soul is on fire for you” 🔥 Now keep in mind this is a slave/master forbidden romance which I understand isn’t for everyone.

This book is for you if you love:
>Dragon shifters & witches
>Roman gods
>Touch her & die
>Forbidden love
>I’d burn the world for you
>Fated mates

The ending has me excited for book two! I’m hoping the political intrigue is ramped up & the different Roman gods are expanded upon 🙌🏼

“When death lives in your home, you never let your guard down.”

Please double check the trigger warning page before you dive in!

Waterstones and B&N currently have stunning special editions of this book for pre-order. It has also been hinted that FairyLoot will be including this book as their March Romantasy book pick!

Thank you NetGalley & Pan Macmillan for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I fell head over heels in love with the exquisite cover! It is absolutely stunning, and that made me click the request button at the speed of light.
Furthermore, I loved the idea of Rome mixed with magic and dragons, and the backstory of this world was intriguing.
Sadly, that is all the nice things I can say in my review because I had plenty of problems with this book.
Let me start with the rebellion plot—it seemed like every reasonable thought and cautious fled out of the window and felt like they did the absolute minimum to hide their scheming, meeting, etc.
And it was strange that seasoned war leader like Julian acted with such simple methods and plans.
The romance part felt awkward because it was insta love, and that's not a bad thing since it was a delightful idea that the dragon chose her too, but it didn't get the backbone of them knowing each other more to make it a meaningful connection. That led to my next issue that their relationship seemed to be only lust and nothing more….and the combination of her being his slave and his commanding kind of intimacy with her made me feel uncomfortable. Hence, why throughout the whole book, I couldn't shake off the feeling that she was just a lust and a property for him that he was possessive over, not love. It wasn't a moment like a switch that her status shifted from slave to something more in my eyes….she just remained a slave.
Furthermore, the intimate scenes were in the most awkward moments and places—for instance him instantly taking her in the temple.....she was supposed to be his eyes and ears in the enemy home and since he was worried, he should've checked first if she was alright or if she was harmed. Instead, as I said above, it was all about lust and the fact it was in the temple and after her ritual gave me the ick.
The ending was so anticlimactic that I couldn't believe it was over. No resolve or anything .....they just fled and called it a day. And the fact that the next book won't be from their POV's was the last nail in the coffin. If the story continued with them, there was a chance of getting some answers and resolve of their story.

Juliette Cross is a relatively new author to me. I read her Wolf Gone Wild back in 2024, and really enjoyed it. As soon as I heard about Firebird, I couldn’t wait. The premise of this book has practically everything I could possibly want in a book. Epic setting? Check! Dragons? Check! Romance? Check! I was so excited to pick this book up, and I was very excited when I got an early copy to review. I couldn’t wait to dive in and I went in with very high expectations… and boy were they met. I honestly loved this book so much.

Firebird is set to the backdrop of an alternate Roman Empire. The Roman’s are vicious and cruel… and they also happen to be dragon shifters. Our main character is a Dakkian dancer, Malina, who has a chance meeting with a roman dragon shifter. 4 years after this chance encounter, the dragon shifter Julian, sees her across the battlefield and saves her from enslavement by taking her away. Now she is seen as his ‘bodyslave’ and he is doing everything he can to protect her from the brutal goings on in Rome. But can their love survive this dark and dangerous environment?

I honestly loved this book! As I said previously, I have read a Juliette Cross book before and enjoyed it, but honest it has nothing on Firebird. I cannot believe just how different and superior this book is. I couldn’t put it down right from the very start. I will say I struggled a little with the whole slave / slave master elements at the beginning. You never worry for Malina’s safety or anything like that, but personally, I’m just not a bit lover of the power imbalance that comes with this kind of trope. So while I was a little bit like ‘ummm’ about it, I did persevere and I am so glad that I did. It was honestly fantastic and I ended up absolutely loving the dynamic and the relationship that develops between the two characters.

Firebird was honestly such a fantastic book. I loved the whole idea of the Roman Empire being imbued with magic and it made their danger and callousness all the more intense. I really adored this and think Juliette did a fantastic job of building up all of the magic and intrigue set in a familiar historical concept. I really enjoyed the incorporation of the gods and the story with Medusa and such. If you know, you know. It had so many fantastic elements and Juliette expertly weaved them all together. The characters were multi-dimensional and so much fun to read about, the world was dark and dangerous with just a touch of hope to keep you hanging on. I really enjoyed everything about this book. I really mean it when I say that this book is so much better than the previous ones I’ve read from her. If you’ve read the Wolf Gone Wild series and just thought it was okay, I really urge you to give this one a go as it is just superb.

Another thing I adored about this book is while it is first and foremost a Romantasy book, there is also such a strong plot. As a plot driven reader, I personally loved this aspect. I was honestly on the edge of my seat all the way through, dying to know what was going to happen next. I honestly would recommend it to any fantasy fan, as this plot really does stand on its own, away from the romance. It was such a fantastic read and I can’t wait to get my hands on the second book. It was such a fun read and it has definitely turned me into a Juliette Cross fan for life. I can’t stop thinking about this fantastic story and the characters. It’s been almost a week since I finished reading this one, and I can’t get into anything else. This has definitely left me in a book slump… but for the best reasons.

Firebird was truly fantastic. I did have some minor issues with it, such as the slave / slave master dynamic at the start, and I felt like the ending was a little bit rushed. I get the impression that the next book may follow different characters as the protagonists (as she has done in previous works as well) and that made me feel like there was a lot of rushing to get these points of view done so for that reason I have knocked half a star off the rating. But overall, this book was fantastic. I absolutely loved it and I cannot wait to get my hands on book 2. I’m so excited to see everyone else’s thoughts, when this book comes out in April. This is definitely one that everyone needs to pick up. You won’t be disappointed.