4⭐️
Book 2 of Aurelian Cycle Trilogy

More world building, more political intrigue, new characters and more dragons, what more can you ask for.

Flamefall continues the action packed YA fantasy and picks up where Fireborne left off. I loved the growth of the characters from Fireborne and enjoyed the introduction of new character Griff.

Bring on Book 3.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.

So far, I think this is a really great trilogy. Despite, I think, being classified as YA, this series is more sophisticated in its plot and character development than many adult books I’ve read in the fantasy romance or romantasy genre (although this is a series that is more fantasy than romance forward).

I really liked getting a new POV (Griff), and his perspective was one of my favourite aspects of this book, partly due to his character and partly because we got to see what life is like in New Pythos (spoiler - not great for most people!). I also enjoyed seeing his relationship with Delo develop and I’m excited to see that we might be getting Delo’s POV in the final book.

Another thing I love about this book is the nuance - there’s no clear good vs bad, either in terms of the war or the actions of our main characters. Both Lee and Annie are trying to do what they think is right based on the information they have at that point in time, yet their beliefs are constantly challenged when faced with the reality of the environment created by the current regime (as well as by the actions of the revolutionary group).

The miscommunication between Lee and Annie was frustrating at times but they are, after all, only teenagers. Yet, beneath it all and no matter how many challenges they face, you get the feeling that, ultimately, they have a deep rooted faith in one another, which is really touching to see.

Also, if you’re a dragon fan, this is a series for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC of this book.

Flamefall is an absolutely fantastic follow-up to Fireborne. The book picks up right where Fireborne left off, but introduces us to a new character, Griff – a lowborn dragonrider from New Pythos, where the holdouts from the regime plot their return. Griff’s experience in New Pythos offers an interesting comparison to Annie’s in Callipolis: Annie as the peasant, able to rise up as a Guardian (dragon rider) in a new ‘equal’ regime, and Griff the lowborn servant who’s given the ability to ride but not necessarily the freedom you’d expect this to offer. The more ‘traditional’ class structure of New Pythos society similarly offers an intriguing comparison to the ‘metals’ system of Callipolis and I found the interactions between those in power and those who weren’t a really interesting dynamic across both locations.

Through the intertwined perspectives of Annie, Griff and Lee, Rosaria Munda does a masterful job of giving us action, tension, politics, rebellion. I was so impressed by how well-rounded a view Munda offered through these characters – particularly in Callipolis, it’s really hard to come down on the view of one ‘side’ being better than the other and I loved how this struggled showed through the relationship between Annie and Lee in particular. I’m really intrigued to see what’s next for the pair given how the book ended. The closer I got to the end, the more I found myself putting it down because it was so tense and I didn’t feel I could continue, but then immediately picking it up because I needed to know what happened next.

I cannot wait for book three to continue this incredible series.

With massive thanks to DK and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Flamefall is another epic instalment in the Aurelian Cycle Trilogy. War is central to the plot, with tragedy and chaos on both sides. The action is high stakes and pacing intense. This is the kind of dragon book that I love, they are full of character and interact with the characters seamlessly. You feel yourself in the air battling with them. The human characters are just as interesting to read about, with complexities, differing loyalties and abilities. The plot weaves throughout and I loved the different viewpoints. If you like rebellion and political intrigue this book delivers that in spades. The themes are hard-hitting, there is a famine, trauma, death and destruction. It’s emotional and more than just a book about dragons! Definitely looking forward to Furysong, especially after the cliffhanger ending. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

An absolutely brilliant follow up to Fireborne! Loved every bit of this second installment in this brilliant dragonrider trilogy. It's pure court politics with dragons and any fan of Fourth Wing or Game of Thrones will love this. We switch the focus to New Pythos and meet Griff Gareson a peasant in the rigid hierarchy there who rides a dragon with a muzzle - a symbol of everything wrong about that society. As the war between Callipolis and New Pythos amps up we see shifting feelings and loyalties in both sides of the war = villains become heroes, enemies become lovers, allies and friends are unreliable. It keeps you guessing all the way through and completely hooked. I can't wait for Furyfall - publishers please please send me an ARC!

This was a great follow up to Fireborne. Lots of tense moments, political intrigue, rebellions and wars. Friends turning against each other and then coming back together.Annie and Lee spent a lot of the book not communicating enough, which was really frustrating, but once they started again oh boy things really kicked up a notch! Rosaria Munda really knows how to get you into her characters heads, and wrestle with their problems and emotions yourself. It was left on a major cliffhanger, Annie and Lee are going to have to work together to try and save Callipolis now. Can't wait for the next installment in September!

Thanks to @dkbooks and @Netgalley for the eARC.

This is how you do a sequel!

Having already read this trilogy when it was originally published, I did go into FlameFall already knowing what to expect, but was delighted to pick up on things and foreshadowing that I'd missed or didnt notice the first time round, especially as I know now how this story progresses.

Rosaria Munda honestly knows how to write a sequel that is every bit as engaging as Book 1 and doesn't let the pace slip for just a second. The stakes are still just as high, and I am still so invested in Annie and Lee's story. Controversially, I've never been a fan of their romantic connection but it absolutely does not distract me from how much I thoroughly enjoy this series.

The addition of Griff was my favourite addition on my original read and was just so excited to re-meet him a second time round. His chapters are some of my absolute favourite and he brings a really different view point to the story.

This part of the story covers some heavy themes of trauma, grief, abuse of power and feels so incredibly raw whilst being written with so much care and attention.

The dragons - THE DRAGONS. they are INCREDIBLE. The political movements, the military sequences, everything about this is just superb. Still YA but some scenes certainly edge into the NA space but still very suitable for the YA tag.

A lot of our loathed friend "miscommunication" appears in this story, but for me personally, it works really well. Miscommunication and unreliable narrators work so well when written well and in my opinion, RM does this spectacularly well.

This does end on a cliffhanger, and even though I know what's about to come, it packs such a meaty punch.

Thank you so much DK for letting me read the UK publishing copies early and re-falling in love with this series all over again <3

This book gave me goosebumps so many times, and I will be recommending the series to everyone.

With a dramatic and emotional start leading on from the end of Fireborne, we continue the deep dive into dragon politics and a life of dragon warfare.

The introduction of new characters and the additional point of view of Griff is refreshing and brings a new perspective of the war. With them, comes a new level of brutality, traitorism, and complexity paralleled in real life. The character development has given me chills on numerous occasions, and I am always wanting for more and rewarded with such. I adore every character's POV and I am so invested in them that I often have goosebumps.

The constant battle and realistic questioning of what/who is "good" and who is "evil" has been done excellently, causing you to doubt who is right. It really highlights how difficult it is to have a "right" or "wrong", and how choosing loyalty is more complicated than people assume.

And excuse me, that ending? I'm gonna need book 3 now please.

A must-read series for me at this point, I will be recommending it to everyone.

So much happens that gripped me to find out the outcome. I love the new Characters introduced and can't believe how they are treated and the idiots gave them dragons 😅 Griff deserves happiness!

Annie and Lee need each other 💕 I love them together 💕

Can't wait to read the next book in the series. That ending! I audibly gasped 😲

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The second book in Rosaria Munda’s The Aurelian Cycle picks up right after the end of the first. This time around, there are higher stakes and critical decisions to make. Lee is feeling rightfully betrayed by those in charge and ends up joining a rebellious group determined to reveal the flaws in their political system. Annie is now in charge of the dragonriders and feels compelled to protect the people of Callipolis from a position of power. This places our two main characters on separate paths and the choices they both made—while sometimes frustrating—were true to their personalities and made sense with knowledge of their experiences. Even though they were conflicting and you could see both sides, there were no obvious right or wrong decisions.

I was expecting to be annoyed by the introduction of a third POV character, but Griff’s story is so compelling and reading his perspective adds a whole new layer to the world’s events, providing more of an insight into the dragonlords. The way the point of view switches is seamless here, showing multiple characters’ perspectives without losing momentum, and I found all three equally engaging.

Flamefall’s themes of trauma, the corrupting nature of power, wartime propaganda, and different experiences of grief are all explored skilfully. Power’s character development was implemented really well, making what could have easily been a one-dimensional, unlikable bully something much deeper and more interesting. I was not expecting the ending (in a good way) and it made me keen to read the final instalment. There were no signs of middle book syndrome here; Flamefall is every bit as impressive as Fireborne.

This exciting second installment picks up straight where the last book ended and dives back into the well constructed world that Rosaria Munda has created. This book includes a new character Griff, this time from the other side of the battle lines on New Pythos. Within a few short chapters he's as integral to the story as the familiar characters of Lee and Annie.

Switching between POV the story continues on with Lee dealing with the aftermath of his decision to prove his loyalty and questioning his choices. Whilst Annie forges down a path she thought she knew to get things done but at what cost and being called to question what she needs to be doing.

The world building continues to draw the reader in, immersing them in the tumultuous building second revolution of Callipolis and the subjugated world of the peasants of New Pythos. The characters are fallible and endearing as they struggle with their ideals in the face of a changing world around them.

The swirling storm of politics of both islands and beyond permeates the book and gives intrigue with twists and turns. The moment you realise at the end of the book that you have no idea what is going on is when you realise just how good the author truly is!

Thanks to DK and Netgalley for the e-ARC. All opinions are my own.

If you enjoy dragons, political intrigue, found family and fantastic world building then The Aurelian Cycle trilogy is for you.

With the world building and political landscape set up in Fireborne, Flamefall dives straight into the story from where it left off and peels back more layers of the setting that is Callipolis. Though a YA book, Flamefall really does dive into some deep themes and questions, probing you to consider these moral complexities that the young characters of Annie and Lee are faced with.

Annie really grew on me in this book, with her tenacity, humanity and desire to serve those around her. She really developed as a character overall in Flamefall. Lee’s character is well written, showing his deep rooted trauma and warring elements of his inner workings. Though I must say that Annie and Lee's reluctance to communicate properly with each other made me want to throw my kindle out of sheer frustration.

The plot, as before, was well thought out and written. There were so many elements woven together and plot twists, some I saw coming and some I did not. I initially was unsure about the introduction of a new POV, but quickly grew to love Griff’s character.

This book truly made my heart ache and had me thoroughly invested emotionally. I absolutely cannot wait to read Furysong after that ending!

What a great sequel, this book was a great read. It was fast paced and filled with action. I loved the multiple povs, it gives the story so much more depth. Also the dragons! I always love reading about them and seeing their personalities.

I loved the new characters and learning about their motivations. My heart was in my throat at times with all the twists and turns and waiting to see how things unfold.

I would definitely recommend this book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ebook.

I can honestly say this is becoming an all time favourite series of mine. It's so rare to get YA series that are this complex, this detailed and political, but Munda really gives us everything and I am utterly obsessed with both the characters and the world they inhabit.

Leo annoyed the hell out of me in this book, but in a way that only a really well written character can. You understand his choices, even if you don't agree with them and I just think Munda does a fantastic job of writing him as this confused young adult both wanting to be so different from what came before, but also not agreeing with what's happening now. Did I want to jump in the book and wallop him over the head? Multiple times, especially relating so some of his scenes with Annie. But it's a complicated story, filled with characters who really showcase that in so many ways, so even if you don't agree with their actions and decisions you can still understand their thought process.

Annie on the other hand, Annie can do no wrong and I felt so frustrated for her in parts. How the people she classed as friends constantly overlooked her, assumed the worst, when in reality she was trying her best to end the war before it started. She's the realist to Lee's optimist, she knows the reality of war, knows that sometimes it's better the devil you know and, while I could absolutely see both sides, Lee frustrated me to no end with his willingness to think the worst of Annie in parts, to not stand up for the person who has always been there for him, risked her life for him.

And our final POV and a new addition was Griff, a lowborn dragonrider serving the Pythian lords. His relationship with the Pythian's is a mixed one with New Pythos looking down on riders like him, seeing them as lesser than those who fled from the revolution. His character really added to the emotional aspect of the story, but it also allowed us an insight into the political workings of New Pyhthos, both before and after Lee killed his cousin, their firstrider. Annie and Griff were the stars of this book in my opinion, willing to do what was needed to end the war before it truly began, knowing that hard decisions sometimes need to be made to ensure that everyone makes it out unscathed.

Honestly, I know I keep saying this but the thing I love most about this series is the complex nature of, well... everything. The plot, the politics, the characters, the relationships. Nothing is black and white, there is no easy route, no person you can claim truly good, though there are plenty I could say are truly bad. But it's these complexities, these complicated plot points that really drag you into the story. I found myself going though a roundhouse of emotions, being frustrated one second to crying the next and then irrationally angry, and it's so rare that I find books that deliver on these emotional aspects without loosing anything regarding the plot or characters. But Munda is a master storyteller, there is no denying it.

She really knows how to make her readers completely give themselves over to the story, to her characters. These characters, this world is dealing with so much trauma and grief and Munda manages to make you feel every single second of it. No matter the character, their politics, you feel their anger, their grief, their trauma as if it was your own, and that's something special that I don't get to see very often. Helped along by her emotive writing and use of plot twists (the one towards the end destroyed me) really help propel this story along, especially when you consider how politics heavy it is, and I finished this in a matter of hours, unwilling and unable to put the story down.

I'm honestly just blown away by this series so far. I am absolutely desperate to get my hands on the final book, even though I don't think I'm anywhere near emotionally stable enough to read it. Munda has created a group of characters and a world that feels all encompassing when you're reading, and for a long while after. I'm so glad this series has finally found a UK publisher and I can't wait to get my hands on the final installment.

Fireborne is my favourite read so far this year so I was a little nervous Flamefall wouldn’t live up to expectations, I needn’t have worried! I loved everything about it, the characters, the plot, the writing style; perfection. The characters are so rounded and well written. I really enjoyed the introduction of Griff’s character too and seeing through his eyes. I cannot wait to see how the trilogy ends!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

The stakes are higher and choices so much more difficult in this second book of the Aurelian cycle! Annie and Lee's viewpoints are now joined by Griff, one of the squires (with an awesome dragon of his own!) for the dragon lords in New Pythos. I do like how we can see how the other land is and let me tell you, it is definitely in as much turmoil as Callipolis! The rich are staying safe and the poor pay the price, in food, and being the first to die. Life is tough for Lee, who found out that Atreus, never actually meant for him to live after the revolution, is drawn to the less fortunate and the rebels looking now to overthrow the new government for equality for all. While Annie looks to protect the whole land from the dragon lords of New Pythos who want to conquer all. Talk about being between a rock and a hard place! I really enjoyed Griff's point of view too, he is a good person also with conflicting choices to make for his family and dragon (that muzzle makes me so mad!) but also looking for a better future, much like Annie and Lee.

The second book is full of dragon fights, revolution, tragedy, and I am intrigued by the land of the God King and his daughter with the giant dragon. I really hope we can get that story more complete in the third book. Plus the cliffhanger that this book ends on is a real humdinger and I have all my fingers and toes crossed that Annie, Lee, and Griff can figure out a way through and bring peace to both lands! Or at least a little happiness after all the dark doings that have happened so far!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to join Annie, Lee, and Griff on this revolution for a better world!

I found it hard to get into this follow-up to Fireborne and it starts very slowly with more and more world-building. The new character, Griff, adds another dimension but not enough to make the story more engrossing. At times I found it quite a slog but despite this the over-riding political themes are interesting with Annie and Lee at logger-heads on how to achieve the best for the people. It's not a book to read without having the next in the series in hand as it ends on a cliff-hanger and there's a lot of information to be retained before the final resolution.

This book absolutely destroyed me in the best possible way! Rosaria Munda has crafted a world that is simply impossible to leave, and DK have packaged this piece of fiction perfectly.

Tense and fast paced; I cried, I screamed at the twist and I'm ready for book 3 immediately.

Thank you to DK Books and Netgalley for this gifted eBook version - I can't wait to purchase the physical trophy for my shelf!

The second in the Aurelian Cycle trilogy does not disappoint, it also has a handy scene at the beginning that reminds you of the important points in the last book, which is always useful. This does not suffer from second book syndrome, the plot does not dip, it is still fast paced and action packed, we meet new characters, and I think it manages to be more twisty than book one, I cannot wait for the conclusion to this series it is magnificent.