🔥 Firebird by Juliette Cross is a spicy, action-packed romantasy that had me hooked from the start! Ancient Rome, dragons, rebellion, and forbidden love? Yeah, I was so here for it. 🐉❤️‍🔥

Okay, first up: Malina. This girl is a rebellious whirlwind with a gift passed down from her bunica. She’s fierce, untamed, and refuses to bow down—even when she ends up as a Roman slave. Honestly, I loved her fire. She’s not one to back down, even when questioning things could get her into serious trouble. 👀💥

And then there’s Julian... whew. The man’s got that broody, morally grey, dragon-shifter vibe down to an art. 🖤🐉 From the moment he saved Malina by shifting into his dragon form (instant book boyfriend status, btw), I was invested. But it’s not all smooth sailing—being the emperor’s nephew comes with major baggage, and lusting after his slave? Yeah, not a good look in Ancient Rome. The tension? IMMACULATE. 😏🔥

One thing I really loved was the found family vibe with Enid, Stefanos, Ivo, and Kara. Their bond added so much heart to the story and gave Malina a sense of belonging, even when her life had been turned upside down. 🫂💖

Of course, we’ve got some serious villains here too. Julian’s uncle is the worst kind of tyrant—power-hungry, cruel, and doing whatever (and whoever) he pleases. 🤢 Then there’s Ciprian, the ambitious snake who’s determined to use Malina as leverage against Julian. The stakes are high, and you know it’s all going to explode at some point. 💥🔥

Plot-wise, there’s a LOT happening—rebellion, forbidden love, political scheming, and dragon battles—but it all weaves together nicely. 🗡️🐉🔥 I did see the twist coming, but honestly? It didn’t ruin the book for me. If anything, it made me more hyped to read the sequel! 😏📚

✨ Favourite quote:
“Your defiant spirit coupled with your beauty. It is dangerous. So very dangerous.”
"For me? Or is it dangerous for you?”
“Both, sweet firebird. We might both burn for what’s to come.”

🔥🔥🔥 (Tell me that didn’t make your heart skip a beat!)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Overall: A solid 4-star read! If you’re into dark romantasy with fiery tension, found family vibes, and dragon shifters ruling Ancient Rome, Firebird needs to be on your TBR. 🐉❤️‍🔥

Omg I adore this book if I didn't have 3 boys I would have spent the full day and read it in One go so took me a day and half to read but I did not want to put it down . The romance in this book is beautiful ......or that might just be Julian lol . I didn't think I'd like a book set in ancient Rome but I was wrong everything about this book was amazing. dragons ✔️, spice ✔️, magic ✔️, romance ✔️, action ✔️ and a smart mouthed fmc ✔️ ugh now i just need a physical copy to treasure.....get it treasure ....never mind read the book you'll get it x

DNF

This was so bland. The only way I can describe this book and the cringey ‘dominance’ of the MMC is that if Tessa Bailey wrote a romantasy book, it would be Firebird.

I can see why the publishers chose to publish this book but it ultimately felt like an amalgamation of many other books cobbled together as a cash-grab.

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me this ARC!

This book starts with a glossary of the dragons bloodlines, which is helpful however I find it impossible to take in all of that information before I have immersed myself in the world. I don't mind glossaries if the information is brought up in passing again e.g. an amethyst dragon is 5th in line, to keep the information fresh in my head, but this didn't happen.

Mixing the Roman Empire and dragons was an interesting concept, and I enjoyed seeing the different power dynamics at play.

Unfortunately, I found the storyline to be slow in parts and sometimes slightly repetitive however, it picked up speed around halfway through.

I wish the romance side of things kicked in sooner as there was such an obvious pull between them, so the slow burn didn't work for me. Also, not a big fan of the word 'cunny'.

I could see myself reaching for the second book in the series to see how the story progresses, but only if reviews were higher than for this book. Overall this book is 3.5 stars.

I have tried to read this book a few times and what I have been able to read I've really enjoyed. I vibe well with Juliettes writing style and think the premise is really interesting

I love mythology and Roman is not something nice read a lot of so I'm excited for that.

Unfortunately the way this has been formatted has made it impossible for me to read properly at the moment. I enjoyed what I did read enough that I have preordered the book and will come and update this review when I've read a physical copy.

Juliette Cross delivers an engaging, fast-paced read with Firebird. The short chapters make it easy to tear through, and the story is addictive without feeling overly complicated.

The Roman-inspired setting adds a rich historical layer, grounding the fantasy elements in something familiar yet intriguing. The dragons are brutal, which fits the tone of the world well—there’s no softening of their nature, and that makes them all the more compelling. The tension, both in the action and the romance, keeps the pages turning.

For readers looking for a straightforward but immersive fantasy romance with a strong setting and unrelenting dragons, Firebird is worth picking up

I really wanted to love Firebird, but unfortunately, it just wasn't for me. The female main character was fantastic—well-developed, with a fiery attitude that I admired. She brought a lot of energy and complexity to the story. The male main character was morally grey, adding an interesting dimension that kept me intrigued about his actions and motivations.

The story is set in an alternative Rome, which initially piqued my interest. However, I found that without a solid understanding of the original Rome, it was easy to get lost in the details. The unique setting had potential, but it often felt confusing and required more background knowledge than I possessed.

While the romance had all the typical elements one would expect, including tension and chemistry, the connection between the characters just didn't resonate with me. Despite the author's efforts, I couldn't fully invest in their relationship. It felt like the emotional depth and genuine connection were missing, which left me feeling detached.

On the positive side, I did appreciate the unique concept of the storyline. It was refreshing to see something different in this genre. However, there were some clichéd elements that felt overdone, which dampened my overall enthusiasm. The predictability of certain plot points made it difficult to stay fully engaged.

Additionally, despite the abundance of action throughout the book, I found the plot developed incredibly slowly. It felt like I was constantly waiting for the story to pick up pace and move forward, but it never quite reached the level of momentum I hoped for.

I had such high hopes for Firebird, and I was really looking forward to an immersive and thrilling read. Unfortunately, my expectations weren't met. While there were aspects of the book that I enjoyed, they weren't enough to outweigh the elements that didn't work for me.

A draconic romantasy spin on ancient Roman history, Firebird tells a forbidden love story on the background of an alternative history.

As a darker tale than those I’ve read from Juliette Cross before, I was intrigued to see what would come of this. It hits a lot of elements that we know and love in romantasy, building tension through political problems and forbidden desires that seem destined by fate. It was easy to get into with these familiar territories.

With so many stories relying on political tensions to fuel a story, this book had such potential to be a complex story fuelled by an internal war of logic vs heart - but it sadly missed that push for me a tad. It was very straightforward in its structure, and I had hoped with elements of Ancient Rome and DRAGONS to play with, it might’ve hit a bit harder with certain elements.

That being said, for anyone wanting a darker-tones dragon based romantasy that’s easy to get into and ticks all the tropes related to forbidden desires, this could very well be a love for you!

*NOTE: this book includes a master x slave dynamic. I know some can’t abide the power imbalance there, so heads up!

This was alright. I think I may just not be the target audience for this book, but I'm sure others would love it! It definitely feels like it could be a Booktok Hit!

If you like:
-Fated mates
-Dragon shifters
-Ancient Rome setting
-Steamy Romance🔥

Thank you Tor Bramble for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review


Prophecies
Romantsy
Dragon Shifters
Touch her and die
Fated mates


First of all, make sure you pay attention to the first few pages for information on the dragons. I looked forward to reading this book after hearing it being compared to House of the Dragon x From Blood and Ash.
I don’t agree with this overview at all. However I did love this book.
It started out a bit dubious and I do wish there had been more of a build up with the attraction, in the end though I did enjoy the story and I ended up reading it in one sittings Please make sure to check the trigger warning, specifically as this is a master/ slave romance. If you don’t mind that and you’re a fan of easy to read Romantsy books I think this will definitely be an amazing pick for you.

I will definitely be continuing with this series and will recommend to others.

I really enjoyed the grand scale of this Romantasy and the dragon magic was interesting and heightened the stakes.

For me, although I appreciate a more introverted FMC, I really wanted less passiveness. I was frustrated that the majority of the story saw her go with whatever she had to. I completely understand that the threat of death was high but I just wanted her to push back more. I thoroughly enjoyed the moment when she did.

I was unsure of the romantic dynamic which made it hard for me to root for them as a couple. It felt very imbalanced.

Overall an exciting read with an interesting blend of history and fantasy.

Having prior knowledge of what to expect when it came to this book really helped with the kind of enjoyment I had while reading, it is set within Ancient Rome times and I can really see where the Game of Thrones likeness came from for the way it portrays the violence shown towards women, there are some rather tough moments to read so please be aware of this.

I loved the vividness of the world building and descriptions was clear and easy to understand and the writing was just so easy to get lost in that I found myself reading it rather quickly. The slow build behind a romance is one of my favourite things to read as I love the tension and the angst that develops slowly between the characters and while at some moments this might of felt a little insta lust/love I loved that the MMC protected the FMC no matter the cost. While this is technically a standalone the storyline isn't resolved as the ending kind of sets up for what is to come in the next book which I am looking forward to.

I haven't read very many shifter romances so this made a nice change for me personally to read about dragon Shifters, the pacing was also done really well. I really loved how the author infused the fantasy setting around Ancient Rome and though at times it was a little hard to read I did really enjoy it.

*Please do check the trigger warnings as this book does hold some very heavy and dark themes and graphic scenes that can be triggering.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this before publication.

romantasy is hit or miss for me, and this is one of the very few that hiiiittttt.

the romance felt a little too insta love for me. it’s also a slave x master dynamic, which i know might put a lot of people off (i thought i was going to hate i too, but i found the mmc to be such a ray of sunshine and loveable person). a few nicknames rubbed me the wrong way, but they weren’t frequent enough to put me off. besides all that, the romance was really enjoyable. i loved both malina and julianus. their scenes were heavy in chemistry and sexual tension.

juliette cross has written such a lush and descriptive world. the setting is so vivid, i could easily picture it in my head. i really loved the rich world building. the magic was also really fun — firebird features a mmc (among other characters) who have the ability to turn into dragons. i don’t read shifter romances so i’m unsure if this is a unique thing, but it felt it to me.

the pacing was absolutely perfect. not once was i bored of felt a lull in the storytelling. i was hooked from beginning to end (so much so, that i sat and finished this in one sitting).

/content warning/
firebird does include a couple scenes with sexual violence, as well as death and gore. firebird uses wartime 🍇 was a part of the story, so please be mindful when you go into this book!

The story is set in Ancient Rome and follows Malina, our FMC, who is blessed with empathic magic; she can feel and control others emotions. When she is 17 years old she crosses path with a Roman centurion who is a dragon shifter, Julian, our MMC, and they meet again a few years later.

Let me start by saying that I liked the fact that it was set in Ancient Rome and that there was dragon shifters.

The rest not so much.

This book sadly lacks nuance in so many areas. The characters are very black and white and clichés.Some are good and some are bad and voilà.

Not a surprise here but I also didn’t enjoy at all the relationship between the two main protagonists. It’s a slave x slave master romance so it’s good to know that before hand. They start to be intimate with each other while she is his ‘body slave’ and the whole progression of their romantic relationship just wasn’t it.

It’s also very insta-love; he sees her for the first time when she is dancing at 17 years old and couldn’t stop thinking about her ever since and that also gave me the biggest ick.

Sadly there’s no interesting world building or complex political machination. It’s all very bland and the ending is so anticlimactic.

Oh and the word ‘cunny’ is used so much 🫠

There’s a lot, and I don’t exaggerate, a LOT of gratuitous violence toward women through the whole book. It doesn’t serve the plot or story it’s just to show who the really bad guys are. Because our MMC had slaves BUT he is a ‘cool slave master’.

Thank you to NetGalley, Pan Macmillan and the author for an earc copy of this book!

Oh wow I absolutely loved this first instalment in what is sure to be one of the next big Romantasy series!

The Roman inspired setting really made this stand out from other books I’ve read in the genre lately. The bloody and violent nature of the empire with the dragon shifter twist was a combination I never knew I needed. The author built the world so well, I could picture every scene and I really appreciated all the small details she added throughout.

Often fantasy books can be a little info dumpy at the start and you have to get your head around a new world but I didn’t have that issue here. From page one I was completely immersed and felt like I could immediately enjoy the story without needing to work too hard for it. The pacing was excellent and I flew through it in a few hours.

The romance is of course the main focus and I thought it was really well done with a lot of the tropes you’d expect to find in this genre. I absolutely loved the side characters and I was just as invested in their stories as I was the main romance so I really hope we get to see more of them in book two.

Thanks so much for letting me read this early copy! Off to order the stunning sprayed edge edition now 😍

I lost sleep over this book! I didn’t answer my phone over this book! I cancelled plans to finish this book!

It’s 👏🏾 So 👏🏾 Good!! 👏🏾

Dragons 🐉
Ancient Rome 🏛️
Magic ✨
MMC 🫦🫦🫦

The author created a vivid, well-paced book set in Rome that features a FMC with powers that are waiting to be developed and a MMC I would love to have in my corner. Or house 👀

She brought Ancient Rome to life in all of its brutal glory and I wil’ emphasise that this is a dark romantasy that doesn’t shy away from the realities of ancient warfare and brutality. Absolutely worth the read and now I must suffer waiting for the next one 😭 Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for providing an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

I sadly dnf'd this book at 43% as the writing style didn't appeal to me but thats just my personal opinion. Also didn't like the slave x master dynamic.

This book is excellent! The romance, the world, the dragons! I was completely hooked from the first page and could not put it down. JC has woven a brilliant romantasy set in an adapted ancient world that is both illustrious and barbaric at times, with two MCs that you can't help but fall in love with. And that ending! Bring on book two

The romantasy loving and dragon enthusiast booktok girlies are going to love this one. It’s me, I am girlies.

dragon shifters
touch her and die
fated mates
he falls first
forced proximity

This was SO good. Absolutely exquisite world-building in the setting of Ancient Rome, it was fast paced and had some really great elements of political intrigue.

I already have the special edition of this book on pre-order so I was elated to get to read this early. An endless thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this book.

I read this book so fast as it was so addictive! The FMC is so strong and powerful! I loved her and the MMC. I can't wait to read book 2. I need to know what happens next! I need revenge!!!!!

The author is amazing at world building and I could imagine scenes on my head because of it. The book has an easy flow and I good pace. I highly recommend this if you love Romantasty.