I thoroughly enjoyed Fireborne, political manoeuvring, class wars, angst, dragons, concealed identities, found family, did I mention dragons? Annie is orphaned when her family is killed by the ruling dragon lords. Lee is orphaned when his family is killed during the revolution. Drawn together despite their differences, they become each others support system until they are forced to compete against each other to become the leader of the dragonriders.

I loved the depth Rosaria brought to Annie and Lee, and the way she made my heart ache for them both. I can’t wait to continue their story.

Thank you to NetGalley for gifting me this eARC. My review is wholly my own personal thoughts.

Fireborne kicks off with a solid premise-dragonriders, political upheaval, and class conflict. Told through multiple points of view, the story follows two orphans from opposite backgrounds navigating a post-revolution society where merit determines your place, not bloodline. It's an intriguing setup, and the ideas at play are strong.
Unfortunately, the pacing held the story back for me. It felt slow to get going, and while the action does ramp up in the final chapters, it takes too long to get there. I also found the POV transitions a bit clunky at times, and I think the action scenes could've used more punch. The world is interesting, but I would've liked a deeper dive into how the dragons and riders connect-especially since the title and cover promise a dragon-centric tale. It's not a bad start, but I was left wishing for a bit more substance throughout.

Unfortunately, this book was a DNF for me at around 21%.

I was drawn to the description, the concept and the cover from the outset but when it came down to it I've struggled to be drawn into the story.

While there are dual POV's, something which I'm a huge fan of, I found I couldn't connect to either character in their POV. There was a disconnect that meant while they had backstories I *should* have found intriguing and gripping, I was just forcing myself to get to the next chapter while being confused about everyone's motives and viewpoints.

In all, I can see the promise here and I know some readers will love this story, but for me I just can't get past my disconnect from the characters.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

I’m not typically drawn to YA fiction, but this book turned out to be a surprisingly enjoyable read. What stood out to me most was how it leaned into themes like politics, power dynamics, and leadership, all set against a backdrop of intricate world-building. The setting feels vivid and immersive, with enough detail to draw you in without overwhelming the plot.

The story is told through the alternating perspectives of Annie and Lee, both of whom are training to become dragon riders. Their relationship starts off tense - they have a complicated history and a clear dislike for one another - but over time, that animosity evolves into a reluctant respect, and eventually something deeper. The way their dynamic shifts feels believable and adds emotional depth to the narrative.

Although YA isn’t usually my genre of choice, I appreciated the way the book balanced action, character development, and world-building. It delivers on what it sets out to do, creating an engaging and well-paced story that kept me interested from beginning to end.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7477208516

So really this is a (much) less raunchy version of Fourth Wing. I enjoyed it a lot but maybe I've read too many of these dragon based romantasys lately as nothing about it felt particularly new or different (possibly slightly unfair as it was published quite a few years back and may have been ahead of the trend). I'd say that if you enjoyed Fourth Wing etc., it's fairly nailed on that you'll like this too.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

annie and lee grew up in the ashes of a revolution - one born to break the old ways and give even the lowborn a shot at power. she lost her family to dragonfire. his was slaughtered by the revolution. years later, they’ve trained side by side to become top dragonriders in this new world. but when the past starts clawing its way back, bringing survivors who want to restore the old regime, they’re both forced to question loyalty, love, and what it really means to lead

fireborne is a quiet kind of fantasy - more focused on politics, power, and the personal cost of leadership than action or romance. and while i really appreciated the themes it explored, i kept wishing i felt more connected. the setup is powerful: two childhood friends shaped by tragedy, trying to navigate the cracks in the new world they were raised to believe in. but the emotional tension that could’ve made this story soar just never fully landed for me

annie and lee’s dynamic has its moments - especially in the flashbacks, which gave glimpses of vulnerability i wish we saw more of in the present timeline. their bond is complicated, and i liked how the story never simplifies their choices. but at times, the pacing dragged and the narrative felt distant, like i was observing rather than feeling the stakes unfold

that said, i respect how thoughtful this debut is. it asks big questions about justice, memory, and who gets to shape history - and doesn’t offer easy answers. it’s not a book that roars; it simmers. and while i wanted more fire in the relationships, more urgency in the conflict, i can see the bones of something epic here. i’m curious to see where the rest of the trilogy goes

Fireborne is a YA fantasy novel with great world-building and a cast of interesting characters set against a backdrop of social and political turmoil following a revolution which seems to have been more of a blood-filled coup.
Main characters Lee and Annie met whilst they lived in an orphanage. Following the testing process, they are each paired with a dragon and join other teenagers who are training to be Dragonriders who are guardians of the city. Rivalry between the riders intensifies as selection for the coveted position of Firstrider begins but some of the families who survived the revolution are determined to regain control and it seems that the looming threat of war is more important than who is the best rider.
This is a story of courage, loyalty and making the decision to stand up for what you believe is right. I liked that there isn’t really much of a romance thread in the story; the emphasis is on politics and working out if the new regime is any better than the old. The ending sets us up for the next book in this trilogy.

Fireborne is a book I've had on my TBR since it was first announced, so when it popped up on my NG (thank you UK publisher), I couldn't resist requesting... And I got so much more than I bargained for.

The story is told from the POV's of Annie & Lee. Pre-revolution, these two characters were at opposite ends of the pecking order: Lee the son of a Dragonlord, wanted for nothing and has his life planned out for him. Annie, the daughter of a farmer whose land was ruled over by Lee's father. But now, post-revolution, they're both orphans, both seen as lesser, until the time comes to test them and they become Dragon riders, a position once feared and revered in equal measure. Annie and Lee are both determined to be different than the riders that came before them, but this need to effect change is what both pulls them apart and pushes them together.

They're wondrously complicated, in fact all of Munda's characters are, but it's in Lee and Annie that she shows the real struggle to effect change, to become better than the people before you. Lee struggles with a need for revenge against those who slaughtered his family, against realising that his family tortured and killed those they deemed as lesser. He spends a good portion of the book torn between these two beliefs, and there are certainly times when his morality wavers a little and he does start to wonder what form his revenge may take. Then we have Annie, someone who knew what it felt like to be under the boot of the old regime, and while she knows the new government aren't perfect, they have to be better than what came before, or else what is she fighting for. Munda has a knack for making you empathise with these characters, even when you don't necessarily agree with them, and it's these that really make this book what it is.

And it's not just the characters that are complex. Munda's world building is tight knit, but this means what we do get is brilliantly developed, but what I loved the most was how the 'after' of the rebellion was portrayed. It's been almost 10 years between the rebellion at the start of this book, and Munda shows perfectly that change doesn't occur overnight, that even people with the best of intentions can fail in so many ways. So many times through this book we get asked the question of 'what is the right thing to do.' So many times we see characters warring with decisions they have to make, actions they have to take part in, and bit by bit we start to see the true underbelly of the current government, how despite their hatred for the old ruling class, they are more than happy to use their techniques when the time suits. It's just a brilliant display of politics in general, showing that there's really no such thing as 'good guys', just people who will do whatever it takes to survive, stay in power.

Now for the Dragons - because who doesn't love Dragon's in a book. Munda's Dragons may play a smaller part, but when they made an appearance I just couldn't put the book down. It's not the most action packed of stories, but Munda breaks up the politics and scheming with some beautifully described bits of training, competition and even a couple of battles. These scenes were so well described, they almost played like a movie in my head, and I got so excited every time we got to spend time with our characters and their Dragons. And these parts were needed because Fireborne is a slow burner in so many ways. I never once felt bored, or wanted to put the book down, but you can just tell it's building to something, and let me tell you that ending was 100% worth it all.

The story wasn't the only thing that was on a slow burner, the romance in this was torturous. Our two characters clearly love one another, but there are so many things in the way of their happy ending. Lee's father murdering Annie's family just one. They fight their feelings, as well as with each other for a good portion of the book, and they each get their own separate love interests for a while, but I just knew (hoped) where it was heading, and a certain scene towards the end made all of the angst and tension pay off. Munda doesn't make it an easy road, and it shouldn't be with all the things that separate them, but they are almost the perfect mirrors to one another, the perfect pairing, and I can't wait to see where there story goes in the second book.

I'm absolutely annoyed at myself for not picking this up sooner. It ended up becoming a new favorite, and my first 5* review of the year. If you like your fantasy's complicated & political, with dragons and complex characters, slow burn romance and a plot that draws you in from the first page I can't recommend this enough, and I can't wait to carry on with the series.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book, at its core it is a book about overthrowing a regime and questioning whether the new regime is any better, rebellion, family, trauma, revolution and change. Oh. And Dragons!

I enjoyed the opposing views of the two MC and their trauma bond relationship, which at the beginning reads to be awkward and strained. I would suggest they are not even friends, just within the same group. As the story progresses you understand why they are the way they are around each other, and understand they have a bond but why they also kind of dislike each other, or what each other represents etc (trying not to give away spoilers). I really enjoyed understanding and peeling back the layers to them both and the journey they go on. This I believe is very well written.

There is a lot of lore and world building in the first 10% of the book which can be a struggle, however once you get past this, the story is beautifully written.

Sadly I did not enjoy the romance aspect and the decisions made by the MMC, which has reflected in my review.

This started off strong. I wanted to learn the world and characters. The history that put them where they are.
But as the story progressed I lost a bit of interest.
However by the end I was enjoying myself still.
I'm unsure if I would continue the series as I'm not left wanting more from the characters or world.

I have issues with this book that I can't get past to be able to enjoy it.

The MCs are 16/17 but the roles they are expected to play and the emotional intelligence expected of them would be better suited and more believable if they were in their twenties. I'm to believe that a group of adults who have lived through rebellion, famine etc are to listen to advice and commands of a 16 and 17 year old?

I am not a fan of the writing style. It felt like a stiff presentation of bullet pointed slides, providing a brief overview of the plot and surface level feelings for each chapter/POV.

Many of the characters have deep rooted emotional trauma. It is mentioned a lot throughout the book but I still don't feel like it's properly discussed.

I've still given it 2 stars because I like the plot idea and that there's no clear good vs evil and instead morally grey vs morally grey. The character that I find most interesting and want to know more about is not the either MC or the two presented baddies but one of the side characters 😅

I do enjoy keeping my horizons open by reading T&YA books and this was a book I definitely enjoyed.

An interesting tale of misuse and abuse of people and politics which could so easily have been applied to an adult book. I am not damning with faint praise as I found the whole book compelling and, as the pages turned, the tale seemed to move more towards an adult tale than T&YA.

Thoroughly enjoyable read and I am pleased to discover that book 2 will appear in the Summer.

YA fantasy novel, engaging and worthwhile.

I don’t know if this qualifies as a romantasy but there is a romance element to this interesting novel. The author claims inspiration from the Aeneid but there’s also some comparison with the outcome of the French and/or Russian Revolutions. Lee and Annie, orphan friends, are dragonriders and this tale deals with their lives as teenagers in their city-state, contending with prejudice, wrangling and friendships as well as their developing skills. There are a dozen or so other characters, all well-developed, that play an important part in the story. It’s a well-told story which is entertaining with some original ideas. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Books that include dragons are always a win for me and this one was definitely a good one, especially for being a debut book.

My favorite parts were the dragons and their training and the tournaments to find the First Rider who was going to lead the dragons against the enemies that would show up eventually. The political parts were okay at times but it also frustrated me that the revolutionaries overthrew the old regime because of the atrocities of the dragon lords but by the end it seemed like they were sliding that way themselves, only with them in charge instead of the dragon lords. I sure hope Annie and Lee and the other dragon riders can stop it seeing as they are believers of a better way that does not stamp down on the lower class.

This was a very vivid world that the author created and it was easy to lose myself in this book and I am so looking forward to finishing this series to see if a better world can be created, with dragons still playing a big part. And it is wonderful that this is being published in the UK now so even more people can get lost in this book!

Most authors tend to shy away from the real consequences of political turmoil and upheaval I. Fantasy books - choosing to make a few references here and there whilst focusing on their developing storyline. However, the author certainly did not do this! There was a real portrayal of the consequences for those involved - ensuring that these experiences were incorporated into their motives and decisions.

I thoroughly enjoyed the darker nature to the portrayal, and was hooked from the first chapter. It was a complex storyline with excellent character development. .

Fireborne is high-stakes, tense and political. The world-building is done brilliantly, as we switch seamlessly through the timelines diving at opportune moments into the past before returning to the now.
The characterisation is amazing, I loved the development and connections. If you like a found family then look no further. The contrasting FMC and MMC are brought to us through a dual POV approach that sings! We really get into both of their heads, exploring their thoughts, feelings and morals. How important themes are portrayed in such depth for a YA is a joy to read. Trauma and grief in particular are well presented and felt true to life.
I haven’t even mentioned the dragons yet, I would love for more of them and how they bond, communicate and interact with the humans. We mainly see them through training and conflict scenes, all of which are nail-biting. I was so enthralled with the plot and rest of the cast that the dragons not being centre stage is really not that big of a deal.
This is just the start to what I know is going to be one of my favourite YA series. Highly recommend!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

Fireborne is book one in The Aurelian Cycle by Rosaria Munda and has made them a go-to author in the fantasy genre because this book was absolutely incredible and had me hooked from the first page due to incredible world-building that has you drawn in, along with the social dynamics of characters both those in the forefront of the story along with secondary ones.

Set in the years after a revolution that had the aristocracy brought to their knees , our protagonists Annie and Lee have grown from orphans and allies in the bid to survive among the many struggling children, to competitors in the bid to be a dragonrider and add their name to those of legend. Their journey to this point is written with thought and careful moments that provide insight into how far the two have come and offer the reader the opportunity to walk alongside them and show us how similar and yet, vastly different the two are.  Giving us insight into their worst moments, of the tragedies the two have experienced ensures that we see how these tragedies have shaped the two into becoming the fierce young adults they have become at this point.

What I really liked is how Munda doesn’t shy away from what a revolution can look like for those involved whether indirectly or directly as the case maybe. To bring about change, things can and often will be bloody, and decisions are often made in haste that leave situations unresolved. She shows how no matter who is in power, there are always victims and sacrifices to be made and also how sometimes, in the years after bringing down one power - for the majority nothing has really changed and this is really shown in FIreborne.

The original dragonriders may well be gone, but discontent is brewing and it’s not so quiet and growing fast.

Lee and Annie’s stories have moments where they cross over, or clash at times and when truths come out? You see the two forced to see what life is like without the other there and how trust can be as fragile and the lack of it is as fractured ice on a fast paced river - dangerous at best, deadly at worst. Munda has woven together their story in a wonderful manner, giving us a more insular insight on what is happening around them, and whilst succeeding as Dragonriders may well provide them with the opportunity to succeed and fight back against those in power?

Survival might well be more important, and not just in the contests they’re about to face.

This is a wonderful beginning to a series of three books, filled with political machinations made by the most slippery of people - Munda writes a perfect set of characters who are true villains because so many of them, given the opportunity, would tell you with a straight face that they’re anything but bad.. Our heroes are many, and they are far from infallible, forced to make decisions that go against their own values because they’re facing a rock and a very hard place. Plus… dragons who are wonderful and add just a little magic to the chaos Annie, Lee and their friends and foes are in.

I loved book one, and then swiftly devoured the other two and was left with a book hangover and wanting more from this wonderfully insightful, talented author.

UPDATED FINAL REVIEW:
*I provided an initial review (see below) - now updated on finishing the book*

📚 Book Review: Fireborne by Rosaría Munda
✨ Genre: Sci Fi & Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)

📖 Page Count: 464

📅 Date Finished: 19 April

📝 Synopsis (No Spoilers!)

"Fireborne" begins immediately after a revolution which overthrows a tyrannical aristocracy in the island nation of Callipolis. The story follows Annie and Lee, childhood friends from starkly different backgrounds—Annie is the daughter of murdered serfs, while Lee is secretly the son of the deposed ruling family. Both have risen through the ranks to become elite dragonriders in the new regime's guardian force. As political tensions grow around the question of succession and a threat from overseas, their friendship comes under pressure as they grapple with the consequences of their very different early childhoods.

💭 First Impressions

See below for my initial impressions review - this was an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) from NetGalley ahead of re-publication of the series.

👥 Characters

So many of the characters stood out. Annie was a favourite - her tough upbringing as a serf under the old regime has left her with imposter syndrome and (despite the new regime seemingly being about greater equality between people), she is still ever-conscious of the class dynamics that still exist in the new republic. But overall, the building of lots of characters - including minor characters - is really excellent. Notable mentions: Duck, Power, Julia. The depth of their backstories and how different it makes each character is v special. To create Lee, Munda intersperses flashbacks among the current day to slowly build a picture of Lee and how he changed so vastly over time. To the reader, each character is compelling, but flawed. I do however think Julia could’ve been developed a little more in this book, which would increase the tension of the final section of the book even more.

🌍 World-Building / Setting

To me, the best bit about the world-building wasn’t the geography, but the politics. It’s such an interesting juxtaposition of a tyrannical aristocracy with a supposedly egalitarian republic, but you are shown how each system has flaws. The metal-based class system after the revolution is reminiscent of “The Wind Singer” by William Nicholson, with a key difference that individuals - rather than families - are categorised. And this can lead to families being separated. The dragons, of course, are great - with a relatively simple system of three different types of dragon.

✍️ Writing Style

The author’s voice is pacey. Every word serves a purpose. And this builds a sense of momentum moving through the story. It is very easy to read lots in one go.

🔥 Favourite Moments / Quotes

Lee and Julia’s last meeting in this book.

📚 Overall Thoughts

Overall, I’d 100% recommend this book. For fans of “Shatter Me” and “The Hunger Games”, readers will find this book posing similar questions about political systems and the morality of the characters acting within them. Otherwise, fans of dragons, competitions/trials, friends-to-lovers (ish) will enjoy this book.

⭐ Rating: 5/5 stars

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INITIAL FEEDBACK
I’ve decided to give a quick reaction as soon as I started reading the book. This means I can give initial reflections on the opening before I’m too deep in the story. I will come back and update this once I have read more.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS: Reading the prologue for Fireborne is what gave me the idea to do an initial impression review - essentially because it was so good. The first page puts you right into the middle of the action, but not in a confusing or artificial way. The writing is sharp - every word serves a purpose - and this means there is forward momentum towards the next page. I think this comes from a strong Editor and great writer/Editor relationship - so kudos to the Editor as well! Lastly - I’m getting a little bit of background to learn about the world (there are dragons, there is a rebellion) but not so much that I feel bogged down in it and confused.

DOES THE BEGINNING DRAW YOU IN? 100% (see above) and most importantly, the prologue ends with a bit of a mystery so I’m instantly thinking, “What happened with that?”

WHAT KIND OF READER MIGHT LIKE THIS? Given the dragons, I think it’ll appeal to fans on “Fourth Wing” and “When the Moon Hatched”. But it seems like there also might be some politics and an exploration about how rebellions against unjust rulers are often also flawed - those are themes I felt strongly in Kristen Cicarrelli’s “The Crimson Moth” and of course, “The Hunger Games”. But let’s see where it goes next.

AM I EXCITED TO READ MORE? Yes absolutely.

A wonderfully rich story of political upheaval and struggling to survive. That makes the book sound heavy and dry but nothing could be further from the truth. An exciting first episode with dragons, more please ........

I really enjoyed this book. The writing was really good and I enjoyed the plot and felt the story flowed together nicely. Would definitely recommend.