Good start. The writing is very, very descriptive which I think is to it's detriment as it is just so long. The story was good. The characters were all solid and fleshed out but I just didn't really care too much about them. Not even Khamilla. I love her name though. Interesting and original magic systems. I got quite bored with all the training and learning and fighting over and over. Really liked the ending though.

This was a DNF for me unfortunately, it has a really good premise and potential. The author is so imaginative and it's a unique world. I just wish we had more backstory to make me care about who our MC is, her relationships to the characters and to pull us into the authors world! I just got so lost in who's who, what was happening and i dont feel it was clear why i needed to care about these people/events.

I think the story has such potential to be very cool, but i don't think that world fully came to life for me- which is such a massive shame as this book sounded like something I would absolutely adore.

Thank you to Sarah Mughal Rana, Bloomsbury, and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

The world building and storytelling was stunning. It had me hooked from the beginning, the middle however I did feel I had to trudge through, but really picked up toward the end.

I adore a book with religious views, political conflicts, a fab magic system, this was a sweeping epic fantasy and I’m excited to read more in future books!
Definitely can see why they recommend it for fans of the Poppy War!

Dawn of the Firebird is an astonishing debut that swept me away from the very first page. The worldbuilding is intricate, atmospheric, and unlike anything I’ve read before—rooted in Central Asian and Middle Eastern folklore, filled with celestial birds, jinn, and a political landscape that feels both vast and deeply personal.

Khamilla is a fierce, complex heroine whose journey through grief, vengeance, and divided loyalties was gripping and emotionally charged. I especially loved her time at the enemy’s military academy, where friendships, rivalries, and moral dilemmas gave the story so much depth. Every twist and turn kept me guessing, and the stakes only grew higher as the book went on.

The prose is vivid and immersive, balancing action-packed battles with poignant moments of reflection. The themes—identity, survival, and the cost of power—linger long after the final page. It reminded me in the best way of The Poppy War and The Priory of the Orange Tree, but with its own distinctive voice and mythology.

This is epic fantasy at its finest: bold, brutal, and utterly breathtaking. I can’t wait for book two!

I can’t wait for this to be out and on shelves! This book was amazing, the world building was beautiful and unique, the world felt fresh and new and I was absorbed immediately and the character arc for our main fmc was intense and dark, I was hooked! I’m ready for book two!

Dawn of the Firebird completely pulled me in, I ended up reading way past bedtime with this one. The world-building is super vivid and packed with action, and once it clicked, I couldn’t put it down.

I will say, the beginning throws a lot at you (names, info, all at once), so it took me a minute to get into the flow. But once I did, I was hooked. The twists kept me guessing, and I loved the fresh spin on classic fantasy elements.

Fast-paced, addictive, and definitely worth picking up if you like action-heavy fantasy reads.

This was unfortunately a DNF at around the 30% mark. The story was very slow and I found it quite confusing and hard to follow which meant I just wasn't enjoying it unfortunately.

I don't believe the format of the kindle epub helped either which meant it was quite difficult to read on Kindle unfortunately, but appreciate this can sometimes happen with advanced copies.

Thank you for the opportunity to review, this one just wasn't for me.

Thank you so much to Bloomsbury Publishing and Netgalley for giving me this to read as an ARC.

Let me start by saying that I’ve honestly never read anything like this before. From the intricate world building to in depth cultural structures and political system, each page had me completely hooked.

While the length might be daunting to some people, if you can get past it, there’s something really special here. It did take me a couple of times to really get into the book but I was so glad I did. If you’ve read The Poppy War you will definitely love this.

Dawn of the Firebird is definitely an epic fantasy you won’t want to miss. I think it’s certainly one to watch.

I can’t wait for the next instalment.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book. I've had to DNF this book as the formating of the kindle file is awful and ruining the reading experience. I'm unable to leave a honest and fair review for this book. I won't be sharing this review anywhere else.

I've tried contacting support and Bloomsbury but been ignored so giving up until this book is published. I might have a better review for it in Decemeber.

Dawn of the Firebird is a rich and ambitious debut with stunning world building inspired by Central Asian and Middle Eastern folklore.

The political intrigue, magic, and mythology are deeply immersive, though the heavy exposition sometimes slows the pace.

Khamilla is a strong, complex heroine, and her time in the enemy military academy adds emotional depth and tension. While I didn’t fully connect with her at times, the plot twists and battle scenes kept me hooked.

A solid start to a promising series and recommend for fans of The Priory of the Orange Tree and The Poppy War.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bloomsbury and the author for the ARC.

This was a hard DNF at 32%. It was slow, and unfortunetley, boring. I couldn’t get into it no matter how hard i tried. I wish the author success with her debut and hopefully the rumours around hate to reviewers is fake.

I have very mixed feelings about this book. The world building was beautiful and intricate and I really enjoyed it, but at times it did feel like it got in the way of the actual plot. Around the middle things started to lag, but I felt they did pick up again towards the end, and hopefully that improved pacing will continue in the sequel. Not my favourite book, but I enjoyed it enough that I think I will go back for the next one in the series.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

So I finished this E-ARC in almost record time and it has left me so shook I can feel a reading slump coming - yes it’s THAT AMAZING😍🥳

The worldbuilding?Intricate✍🏻
The characters? Problematic favs all round👀
The magic? Unique, stunning and so visual✨

I truly cannot begin to express how much I loved this - each character was flawed but it made them feel so alive! Our FMC is SO complex and she really resonated from the page!! This revenge fantasy book explores war, divided loyalties, morals and humanity as we follow our FMC on a journey full of brutal twists, turns and emotions that had me tearing up😭

I can’t wait for its release in December and I’ll be on the edge of my metaphorical seat for the next instalment!!

This book gives such The Poppy War vibes and if you love complex storytelling then you absolutely MUST pick up this book!!

I’m now on the hunt for a physical UK ARC👀

As a debut novel this has a lot of positives. Detailed, intricate world- building that references Asian culture and folklore; vast scope in content and ambition; political and military intrigue; and a strong, complex fmc.
However I found the level of detail overwhelming to the detriment of the narrative and overall pacing, and despite desperately wanting to engage with the main character I struggled to truly empathise with her and her struggles. I did a lot of skim reading to get to the end as I DID want to found out how it all panned out. Not sure I will rush to pick up the sequel

A brilliant addition to the world of epic fantasy.
The lore and magic system in this book are phenomenal. There is a lot of detail that requires your attention, so if you love to be completely immersed this is for you.
My jaw was on the floor at the end of part one and it was such an incredible set-up for the story. Part two reminded me a little of The Poppy War with the transformative/training elements in the academic setting (but a lot more positive).
The one on one combat scenes were extremely detailed and the stakes were so high I was on edge at every moment. The elements or strategy and battle planning were so thorough I feel like I’ve also read a military handbook. It was very well written.
Some huge plot twists later in the story caught me off guard and o was stunned by the direction it started to take.
A fantastic story which I think will suit fans of Priory of the Orange Tree and Game of Thrones.

Dawn of the Firebird is an ambitious and richly imagined debut that blends myth, politics, and identity into an epic fantasy inspired by Central Asian and Middle Eastern traditions. Sarah Mughal Rana’s worldbuilding is dense and vivid, filled with jinn, celestial birds, and powerful cultural detail that creates an immersive, poetic atmosphere.

Khamilla, a princess-turned-warrior, is a compelling heroine shaped by grief and vengeance, and her time in the enemy military academy offers some of the most emotionally grounded moments. While the pacing and heavy exposition can occasionally make the story feel overwhelming, the depth of the setting and themes—loyalty, legacy, and survival—make it a rewarding read for fans of complex heroines and intricate fantasy worlds.

An exciting and thoughtful debut that sets the stage for a powerful series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for an e-arc in exchange for a review!

Dawn of the Firebird is an ambitious debut steeped in mythology, war, and identity, with a setting and cultural framework that felt truly refreshing. Inspired by Middle Eastern and Central Asian traditions, the book follows Khamilla, a discarded princess-turned-warrior whose path to vengeance winds through courts, armies, and ancient magic. From the very beginning, it’s clear that Rana has poured immense care into the worldbuilding: the politics, religion, and history of this universe feel layered and intentional.

What stood out most to me was the atmosphere: the food, the language, the imagery of jinn, cranes, and celestial birds. It’s vivid and poetic at times, and I appreciated how unafraid the story was to be steeped in its own mythology, even if that meant the reader had to work a bit harder to keep up.

Khamilla’s arc is brutal but compelling. She’s a protagonist shaped by grief, vengeance, and a deep yearning for belonging. Her time in the enemy’s military academy was probably the most engaging section for me; the friendships, rivalries, and ethical grey areas she encountered there made her journey feel more emotionally grounded. That said, I sometimes struggled to fully connect with her as a character. There were time jumps and fast developments that made some emotional beats feel a little rushed, especially in the early and late sections. I also felt the prose occasionally leaned a bit too far into telling rather than showing, which made it harder to feel the weight of certain relationships or turning points.

Still, this is a bold, intelligent fantasy that isn’t afraid to ask big questions about loyalty, legacy, and the cost of violence. If you enjoy morally complex heroines navigating collapsing empires, it’s well worth a try. I’ll be curious to see how Khamilla’s story develops in the next book.

An incredible epic fantasy - with immense world building and hats off to Sarah for this debut fantasy novel!

If you're a fan of rich history and INTENSE world building this one is for you! While I enjoy rich story-telling - this was unfortunately a bit too much for me as it took quite a while for me to get into the plot. While this might partly be because we follow Khamilla's journey from her nomadic lifestyle to then training her magic and watching her grow as a character - it did feel like a bit too much of info overload at times. But these things can also be seen on the flip side of being able to provide vibrant and vivid descriptions to allow the reader to truly experience the story unfold!

I will add however that I really enjoyed the thought that has been put into building out the Central Asian cultural elements along with the politics - and the ending has me excited for what's to come!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for an e-arc in exchange for a review! :)

I was so grateful to have the opportunity to advanced read this book and as a fantasy lover I loved it. The world building was amazing, I loved the characters and the story was good. I would recommend it to any fantasy reader

3 - 3.5 ⭐️

Thank you netgalley and Bloomsbury publishing for this arc.

If you like a high fantasy novel, then this will be a one for you!

It took me a minute to get my head around some of the world building and language used but after a few chapters I finally got into the flow of the story. I loved the vivid description of the surroundings throughout the book and this really helped paint a picture throughout the story.

Our MFC shows determination, strength and a drive for seeking revenge, however I felt I could have had a deeper connection to her which I didn’t quite get within this book. However this may come with series development.

A unique fantasy/ magic system for sure which makes for an interesting story with the door open for a sequel!