5 star read straight off the bat. The lore that is woven in and the descriptions make me feel likr I am in this fantasy world.

I am a hard care romantasy girlie but this epic fantasy has swept me away. I am so sooo impressed that this is a debut!

This book was an engaging and heartfelt read that drew me in from the first chapter. The characters felt authentic, and their journeys were both moving and relatable. The pacing was steady, keeping me invested throughout without ever feeling rushed. Thank you to the writer, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to review this book.

Dawn of the Firebird is an epic fantasy with a unique magic system, warring clans and courtly intrigue, all shown through the eyes of a young woman, Khamilla, as her life is constantly affected by the fallout.

I definitely enjoyed this book, but it wasn’t a particularly easy read. I feel that it would have been better split into two books so that more time could be spent introducing the magic system and the differing beliefs and practices of the three main peoples Khamilla lives with. Sometimes I felt like I wasn’t completely sure I knew what was happening as I didn’t immediately grasp the nuances.

That being said, there are many positives about this book. Khamilla is a rage-filled flawed hero (to the point of being really quite unlikable at times), and her struggles with her identity and her purpose are done very well. There are a lot of supporting characters, all with their own baggage and motivations that add to Khamilla’s conflict.

The world-building is brilliant, although again I would have liked a little more time for the new cultures to be introduced and explored – I would have loved to see more of the Great Library, it sounded amazing. The descriptions of the places Khamilla visits are beautiful; I could picture them easily.

The themes of helplessness, manipulation, trust and the futility of war weave seamlessly through the book. The greed of the warring empires and the struggles of those trapped in the middle are shown in brutal clarity. This was an incredibly thought-provoking book with some surprising twists I didn’t see coming.

I’m looking forward to the next one in the series, and hoping that Khamilla might finally find some semblance of peace.

Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

Firstly, a huge thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing, Sarah and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this eARC of Dawn of the Firebird.

Dawn of the Firebird is hands down one of the best epic fantasies I’ve read in a long time. Sarah’s vivid storytelling and beautiful prose captures you from the start and from just a few pages in, you know this is a story that’s going to capture your heart and never let go.

The world building is intricate, rich with Islamic culture and lore, with Sarah’s own injection of magic, on a continent with emperors battling for power, the tribes caught up within the struggles, and our FMC Khamilla, who is from a nomadic tribe based in Tezmi’a, within the Azadniabad empire. It’s such a fresh and unique world which I haven’t seen before in an epic fantasy I’ve read. The Eajīz with their heavenly affinity magic was such an awesome concept and I absolutely loved the links to the heavenly birds and how these relate to the different empires and tribes.

Khamilla had my whole heart. She is such an incredibly complex FMC, who at her centre just wants to find her place in the world. In some ways, she is so naive and yet in others, she is so exhaustingly worldly, on account of the suffering, both emotional and physical, that she has endured in her short life. Make no mistake though, Khamilla is one of the strongest female leads I’ve ever read. She possesses such sheer will and determination, driving herself forwards through absolutely everything she faces. Parts of her story made me sob uncontrollably and others made me laugh with joy for her, but more often than not I found myself raging with her at the injustice and abuse she faces throughout her story.

The storyline itself is incredible and the pacing is perfect, split into 3 parts following different stages of Khamilla’s life. I found myself googling some of the lore and culture as I wanted to know more and isn’t that such an incredible part of reading?! The cast of characters are wonderful, there’s a big found family element to a lot of the book and I adored many of the side characters we encounter, notably Eliyas, Yabghu and the pazktab children.

Honestly, Dawn of the Firebird is going to live in my heart and head rent free for a long time. Sarah’s debut into adult fantasy is absolutely explosive, with a vivid world, rich characters and a female lead at its centre whose story wraps around your soul and won’t let go.

I was a little nervous to pick this up given the mixed reviews, but I was very pleasantly surprised.

Dawn of the Firebird is a sweeping epic fantasy, with very rich and layered world-building and a complex magic system, I understand why people have DNF’ed this one early because it did also take me a little while to settle into, but by the end I was completely immersed and captivated.

Although this book won’t be for everyone, I thought it was an extremely ambitious fantasy novel with a lot of depth and a whole lot of heart, if you’ve been 50/50 about reading this one I’d say, just give it a try!

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for sharing an eARC with me.

Lyrical, powerful and steeped in myth, Dawn of the Firebird is a striking debut that blends fantasy with cultural heritage and emotional depth. Drawing from South Asian folklore, the story follows a young woman caught between worlds, tasked with uncovering truths that have long been buried and embracing a legacy she never expected.

Sarah Mughal Rana’s prose is rich and evocative, with a rhythm that feels almost poetic. The world building is immersive, filled with vibrant imagery and a sense of history that gives the narrative weight. The characters are complex and compelling, each shaped by their own struggles and desires, and the central journey is one of identity, courage and transformation.

Themes of family, belonging and self discovery are woven throughout, making this more than just a fantasy adventure. It is a story that speaks to the power of reclaiming one’s voice and the strength found in embracing both light and shadow.

I wanted to love this. But sadly it just didn't work for me.
While there was potential. I felt this had too much going on. But in a way I found it hard to understand why things were happening.
I didn't understand the magic system or the whole firebird part.

This is for The Poppy War fans.

If you take rage, unrelenting determination, hidden treachery, and someone who will do anything to win: you will get this book.

<b>Tyrants may not have chains around our necks, but they control something worse: our ideology.</b>

The emperor’s black sheep barbarian daughter, a child of the Usur tribe, returns to the palace after thwarting invaders. She must prove herself and stay alive through harsh training and family willing to poison each other.
She is determined to infiltrate the ranks of their enemies who are formidable warriors and wield nūr - heavenly magic. Unbeknownst to most at court, our heroine is also able to wield these heavenly bonds.

That is all I’m going to say because so much happens and I don’t know what would be a spoiler or not.
It started off reminding me of The Birth of a Dynasty and then flips and turned into The Poppy War.

Our heroine begins unnamed, caught between two worlds and desperate to earn the loyalty of her father, the untouchable emperor. Everything is tinged with <b>violent bonds of love</b> which our heroine has normalised and even seeks.

<b>And of course, children are children through their dreams. Children only become monsters when all the dreams fade away.
</b>
Where we started and where we ended up was crazily different. It astounded me how the main character and her convictions changed (but also didn’t).

The ending did feel too rushed - over-powered characters, a whiplash of a climax, and a resolution which left me unsatisfied.

However, I liked how unapologetic this book is in the anger and the unlikable underdog you can’t help but root for.

I can understand the mixed reviews, my own thoughts are all over the place.

Physical arc gifted by Bloomsbury Publishing.

If you are a fan of intrigate world building, flawed by likeable characters and deep story telling then this is the book for you!
I really enjoyed falling into this worlds and having my opinions on characters change all the time! I need the next one NOW

I am so sorry, but i have to DNF this arc. I really thought I was going to love it, The Daevabad trilogy is my favorite series ever and the Will of the Many is one of my favorite books, so i thought this was going to be the perfect fit for me! But I can't seem to get into the story, and i don't particularly enjoy it. I've had this book for nearly four months and i haven't finished it yet! i tried multiple times to continue reading it, so this is why I'm DNFing it. I might give the audiobook a try, but as of now, I won't be finishing it.

Dawn of the Firebird is an immersive, mystery adventure that I thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC.

3.7 stars, full review up soon.

There is so much I want to tell, some parts I loved and some parts little iffy. But I really wish the worldbuilding and magic system were more clearer to the reader, especially since some sections in the middle of the book flew over my head. More coherent thoughts to come.

I really wanted to love Dawn of the Firebird, but unfortunately it just didn’t click for me. Khamilla Zahr-zad is a strong, vengeful protagonist with a fascinating magical ability called nur, and the world Sarah Mughal Rana builds is detailed and full of potential. There’s jinn, mystic monks, political intrigue, and plenty of action—but despite all that, I found it hard to get invested in the story or the characters.

The pacing felt off at times, with sections that dragged and left me struggling to stay engaged. While the magic system and world-building are interesting, the emotional impact just didn’t land for me. I also found myself confused by certain plot points and less connected to Khamilla’s journey than I expected.

Overall, it wasn’t a total miss—I can see the appeal for others who love rich, revenge-driven fantasy—but it just didn’t hit the mark for me.

Hmm I don’t think I’m the target audience for this book, which confuses me because I LOVE The City of Brass and The Poppy War, which I’ve seen this author comp it to. There were info dumps and I never really got ‘in’ with any of the plots or characters, unfortunately. I think the writing style was at a disadvantage here, as it wasn’t immersive enough so I kept getting pulled out of the book (which resulted in me DNFing) before I had the chance to get reeled in.
To end on a positive note: I’m sure this will find its readers and I do think any fans of Asian mythologies and military academies could give it a chance.

Initially I was drawn into this book and found it very interesting. But over the first half of the book, I gradually found that it was becoming hard to read and I began to lose interest in it. It felt like it was 'going on and on' and I got bored of the protracted scene descriptions.

I also got fed up of the main character's habit of vomiting. Every time something bad happened, oops there she goes again vomiting, vomiting, vomiting. Tedious and boring!

Really I only wanted to finish it to find out what happens, some of it predictable, some quite surprisingly, not. Will I read a follow-up book if one is published? I'm not sure, maybe if enough time has passed for me to forget how this one dragged on.

I don't feel that I can recommend this book, but feel bad about saying that, as the underlying story was interesting.

I see a lot of mixed reviews on this book but honestly, I loved it. Thanks to NetGalley for my arc in exchange for a review. This book is high fantasy with a complicated magic system which I did get lost in some of the time. Ultimately though, it’s a hard-hitting drama of a story with mythology at its heart. Quite a twist at the end too so hopefully there is more to come.

I have very mixed feelings about this book so feel a 3 stars fits it well. The world building was beautiful and descriptive but often at times felt too detailed and would then take away from the plot itself. While world building is important I feel like if too much information is thrown at a reader it feels more like homework than a fun read.

My thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) and NetGalley for a free DRC of "Dawn of the Firebird" by Sarah Mughal Rana.
An Epic Fantasy debut that is packed with magic and court intrigue.
The first part, my favorite, reminded me a bit with falling in love with reading, thanks to "1001 Arabian Nights'. I was sad when that part ended.
The next part, the palace intrigue was too much for me in the sense it had too many things going on. I felt like I lost the connection with the main heroine.
While I had to stop reading, I am glad I gave this debut I try and I'll keep an eye on this author's future works.

The sajamistan clan has taken everything from a young woman with no name. She is forced to flee temzia the home she grew up with in rough conditions, and live with the emperor, who happens to be her father. With the power of nur, her affinity forced her father, who has paid no interest in her to not ignore the power she holds. Whilst learning political intrigue and having luxuries she’s never experienced before the villainous clan, faces hidden with raven masks, destroys her second home.
Consumed with rage and vengeance, this warrior, infiltrates the eajiz academy where she will learn the secrets of the sajamistan and destroy the. However, is the history she is taught and believes in really what it appears to be, or is there more than meets the eye.
And is the world ready to endure her wrath…

This has to be one of my favourite reads ever, taking inspiration from many different Islamic folklore, and culture I truly felt like I was transported into the world and I felt so deeply connected with each and every character. I adored the fact that the FMC is completely morally complex and has villainous tendencies and the overall plot of the story was so Interesting and kept me hooked the entire way.

Sarah Mughal Rana writing style truly allowed me to feel like I was inside the mind of the characters she was writing. I think writing in first person is incredibly difficult to pull of well (I usually don’t read books in this perspective due to this) however, I think this writer has made it work beautifully. The amazing descriptive syntax she used to provoke image she was trying to create was beautiful and the magic system has to be one of the most unique things I have ever read. It took me a moment to wrap my head around it but as soon as I did I was hooked. Betrayals, plot twists, political intrigue and unrest battle scenes are at every corner and I was constantly on the edge of my seat. Each character was well thought out and I was very emotionally invested throughout the entire course.

This is a book every fantasy lover must read and Sarah Mughal Rana is a force to be reckoned with, for this to her debut into fantasy is an amazing triumph and I cannot wait to read more of her work. I am a massive fan!!! Thank you for this amazing world

✨ Review: Dawn of the Firebird by Sarah Mughal Rana (4⭐)

What a ride this book was! 🔥 From the very first chapters, I could tell this wasn’t going to be your average fantasy story. The world is huge, full of history, political tension, religion, and magic, and it immediately pulled me in.

I’ll be honest, at first I felt a bit overwhelmed 😅. The world building is so detailed and layered that it took me some time to find my footing. But once I got into the rhythm of the storytelling, I was completely hooked. The writing is rich and immersive, and the descriptions make the whole setting come alive. The main character was definitely a highlight ✨complex, flawed, but also strong and relatable. I loved following her journey and watching her choices shape the story. I do wish we’d gotten a little more depth in her relationships with some of the other characters, just to connect more with the people around her.

Overall: a beautifully written fantasy with rich worldbuilding, vivid storytelling, and a heroine worth rooting for. Can’t wait for the sequel! 📖✨

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Sarah Mughal Rana for the chance to read this ARC. 🩵