Firebird blends dragon shifters, Roman mythology, and witchy magic into a fast-paced romantasy that’s entertaining and full of promise. The world-building is creative, especially the way it reimagines Roman gods and political intrigue through a fantasy lens. I especially loved the mythological nods and the strong start.

Malina is a great lead—resilient, smart, and easy to root for. Julian’s character falls into the morally grey category, but I appreciated that his decision to “take” Malina as a slave was framed more as an act of protection than dominance. Their dynamic never felt exploitative, even if the romance did lean into insta-love/fated mates territory a bit too fast for my taste.

While the story had a lot going for it, it lacked the emotional depth and development to fully land. But it’s an engaging read and sets up some really exciting possibilities for book two. Looking forward to seeing where the series goes next!

This is a Dark fantasy with some dark themes. including elements of master/slave relationship, attempted sexual assault (not between MCS) and dubious consent (not between MCS)
Our FMC is a witch with the ability to read and manipulate emotions. After some event, she is under the ownership of our MMC,who is the nephew of the emperor and has the reputation of a ruthless general. When Malina finds herself in his possession, she will slowly discover that she is a slave only in title and that Julian is not what he shows to the world. We will get a first taste of the beginning of the revolution against the emperor, political games but also the bond between the characters.
This was engaging,fast paced and very plot intrigued but it felt a little bit flat. The insta love trope wasn't to my liking and somehow from Julian's side I could justify it, from Malina's side I expected more building and it felt rushed.
I would like to learn more about the dragon hierarchies and I hope this happens in the rest of the books. As for those afraid reading this one because of the captor /captive trope ,i a gonna say that ,we mainly see it developing in the secondary characters, such as how the emperor behaves, etc. (he gets an award for best villain performance), as Julian doesn't treat Malina as a slave , he almost kisses the ground she walks 😅
we see the beginning of the revolution and some political games that seemed very interesting but they were underdeveloped,the same goes for the stories behind some secondary characters that played crucial part to the plot . Overall has great base for something amazing but because of the lack of depth , insta love and sloppy development of the stories of some characters and of Roman mythology ,it wasn't. It was just ok!

I really enjoyed this, the story is full of magic and adventure, as well as a sweet and steamy romance. The world-building is wonderful and it’s a highly addictive story.

I'm devastated that I struggled with Firebird, because it was a highly anticipated ARC for me, and I expected it would be a highlight book for the year. I am a big fan of previous books by Juliet Cross, and so was excited to read Firebird, especially as it had the unusual setting of the Roman Empire which has been a particular interest recently.

The first couple of chapters did kind of engage me when we were learning about Melina's family and seeing her dancing, though I was a little confused about who was who, I expected this to be clarified as time went on. However, I found nothing likeable or engaging about either main character – Melina or Julian, and what I thought would be an interesting political romantasy plot had very little substance. I also struggled with the pacing, finding it very slow, and therefore hard to remain engaged – it took me several weeks to read this book when normally it would take me a couple of days, and I only finished it because it was an ARC. Towards the very end, things did pick up a little, but I'm not sure it was worth the amount of time invested in the book.

The most interesting thing I read was the teaser for the next book which actually sounded far more interesting than this one.

One of the things which I struggled with most in the book was the power dynamic. I have no issue with books that play with power dynamics as part of the storyline, where there is some kind of parity at some point. They are a huge amount of fun and a joy to read. However, this book had an actual slave and master dynamic where Julian kept her as his slave, collar and all, to keep her 'safe' and close, because she was his fated mate.

I have some serious issues with this, not least because there is no part of that power dynamic, despite her magic, that is anywhere near equal. In reality, he would've known that she would be much safer away from him, even for a few short weeks or months. And he could've waited until she was no longer a slave before things got physical, so that there wasn't such an imbalance between them. But for all his fine words, he is nothing more than your standard monster who growls mine when somebody else is near his toy.

So, overall, I didn't love it! But I did love the idea and I really wanted to like it more than I did. Which means I will probably read the second book, especially because it did sound, from the teaser I've read so far, more interesting than this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC. This is my honest opinion.

If this had stayed closer to what the blurb promised, it could’ve easily been a five-star read for me. The slave/master dynamic really caught me off guard and made parts of it uncomfortable. That said, the worldbuilding was cool, the pacing kept me hooked, and I genuinely enjoyed Juliette Cross’s writing. I’d read more from her for sure.

DNS

Trigger warnings were added, which is a very good thing and makes readers be able to make an informed choice. However, at the moment it also makes it a book that I won’t pick up.

Please read your trigger warnings.

This is a dark romance with a slave/master dynamic set in ancient rome.

I like the FMC and she isn't just a rinse copy repeat of popular FMCs, she has some sass yes, but a normal amount given her circumstances. I also think the ancient rome setting was something fresh and we don't see a lot of aso it was a nice touch, which was a nice blend of fantasy and history and made for a powerful setting mirroring the main characters.

The romance is a dark romance and you need to know this going in. There was a power imbalance throughout and this needs broached with care. I feel that there where a lot of popular tropes and themes here and it is a very powerful romance. And of course to make it an effectice romance you know there will be redemption at some point. There were definitely some lines thrown in for the 'booktok; crowd to be quotable and didnt feel very realistic or natural within the perimeters of the conversation.

I feel the book needed a tasd more depth on the plot but this is a common theme with romantasy whereby it can be difficult to make a strong fantasy plot with a strong romance. It was enjoyable but i feel it could have been stronger, and ended very abruptly, but I'm hopefuly book 2 may be able to go in more depth if there is an established fanbase,

If this were just a story as pitched in the blurb, this would have totally been a 5 star read. However the slave/master dynamic came out of nowhere and was very uncomfortable to read at times. I have to say though that this is my first Juliette Cross book and I loved her writing style, so I would like to read more from her.

This book was marketed poorly.
This is a book with a slave/master relationship. This is a very uncomfortable dynamic.
I didn't realise this was a part of the story when I started reading.
This also has insta-love which is a trope I dislike and the MMC may have 'mated' with the FMC when she was underage.

(Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!)

Okay, so this book was not what I was expecting when I saw it was about Romans and Celts — and honestly, I’m kind of obsessed with how chaotic and creative it got. I mean... Dragons and Witches in ancient Rome? Yes please.

In this world, dragons rule (literally), and everyone else? Basically enslaved. So right off the bat, you know this isn't your average historical fantasy.

We meet Malina, a Dacian witch and absolute badass, doing what she does best: dancing like a queen and catching the attention of Roman general Julianus Dakkia — who also just so happens to be a red dragon. There’s a little flirting, a spicy talisman moment, and then boom — time jump.

When they meet again, the vibes are very different, but Julian’s dragon? Oh, he’s decided. Malina is his. Cue the fated mates tension.

One of my favorite parts was that the dragon inside Julian actually had his own voice — it added such a cool layer to his character. I also loved the connections Malina formed with the other “slaves” — there’s a strong found family thread that gives the story some heart.

There’s a little enemies to lovers, a lot of political scheming, battles, magic, spice, and of course, dragon drama. It’s a wild mix, but it works. A strong start to what feels like it’s going to be a very dramatic and high-stakes series.

Will I be reading book two? Absolutely.

Thank you to NetGalley, Pan MacMillan and Juliette Cross for allowing me to read this arc.

Firebird is my first book by Juliette Cross. The world within this book is beautifully portrayed, taking place in Ancient Rome, and follows Julianus Dakkia, a powerful dragon shifting general in the Roman Army as well as nephew of the emperor, and Malina, a Dacian dancer gifted with god-like powers from the Goddess Minerva.

I loved the aspect of dragons throughout this book and the concept was unique but, I feel like this book lacked some depth which could and can easily be rectified in the next novel.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the master/slave dynamic and was surprised it was there as the blurb gave no inclination it was included when I requested this ARC. I would recommend to those who like dark romance as well as fantasy.

Due to the master/slave trope what was not mentioned, more like hidden in the marketing campaigns, I DNFed the book.

*Firebird* by Juliette Cross is a fun and exciting read. The story is full of magic, adventure, and romance. The characters are interesting and easy to connect with, and the love story is both sweet and steamy.

The world-building is well done, and the plot keeps you turning the pages. If you enjoy fantasy with a strong romance and a bit of action, this book is a great choice. I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it!

This is the first Ancient Romanian fantasy I have read and I fear that I didn’t connect with the atmosphere. The language used within the book was not the my taste, which has nothing to do with the writing itself and more my taste. I loved the aspect of dragons throughout the book, however the dynamic between slave and captor did not sit right with me.

I didn't realise when requesting this book that it contained a multitude of scenes of sexual violence as well as a master slave dynamic between main characters so will not be reading or providing a review as these are themes i dont feel comfortable reading or reviewing on my page - but i thank the publisher and netgalley for approving me for an arc and giving me the opportunity to make this decision!

I 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. Slave/slave master.

Thank you Pan Macmillan for a copy of this book. Thoughts are my own.

I liked this book. It has dragons, rebellion, forbidden love, and an Ancient Rome-inspired world where danger lurks around every corner.

The overall premise really worked for me, and the world-building was solid. The political intrigue was probably my favourite part. There were plenty of tension and high stakes that kept the pages turning.

The romance leans heavily into the forbidden, fated mates dynamic between captor and slave, with a strong FMC (a witch and enslaved war prize) and a possessive MMC (a dragon shifter and Roman general) who’s secretly working to bring down his uncle, the tyrannical king.

That said, there were definitely plot holes and moments where things didn’t quite add up. Some parts felt rushed or conveniently wrapped up, which took me out of the story a few times. Still, I devoured it. The tension, the pacing, and that twist (plus the teaser at the end) have me hyped for book 2.

The book ends with a HEA for Malina and Julian, but the revolution is far from over. I’m excited to see where the series goes next.

Headlines:
Power dynamics
Servitude
Dragons

This romantasy was extremely easy to read and get into. The idea of a Roman army led by humans who can transform into dragons changed some elements of what I previously knew of that time in history and gave it an interesting twist. I liked how the themes of this story and context really explored the misogyny and cruelty of that regime.

The MMC Julian, was a fierce general with a kindness inside. He was in quiet opposition to the current regime, a champion for women, servants and anyone unfairly prejudiced against. There was much to explore about his character, his past and what he planned for the future of Rome and beyond.

The FMC Malina was really interesting from her early adulthood to her devastation over her family and where she found herself with the Celts and then captured. This story carried a complex power dynamic with Malina as Julian's slave but there was so much more to this than first glance and an initial ick about that power dynamic. I think the author navigated that aspect well as I was quick to understand appearances against reality.

Malina's magical gifts were interesting which made her reckless and over confident with a slice of bravery. The connection between these MCs was believable although I didn't vibe with the intimacy elements that well.

The story raced to the end rather quickly, so that I was surprised with the wrap up. I am unsure if this series will continue with a side character in the fore or with Julian and Malina; I would be happy reading either.

Thank you to PanMacmillan/Tor Bramble for the review copy.

I didn't realise how dark this was going to be, so maybe the marketing on this needs to be slightly more targeted to that audience, as I was going in thinking it was a full romantasy but oh was it more than that.
But I did enjoy this book and thank you for the opportunity for an early read

Firebird is the epitome of supporting women’s rights, and women’s wrongs, but also of women who have been wronged by greedy, lustful men and who seek to redress that balance. With such a damning world view, it’s hard to see how our lovely Malina could open her heart to anyone, but open it she does, to a striking, fierce, handsome dragon shifter who she cannot resist, no matter how much she would wish it, and who would k!ll for her without hesitation. If Gladiator x House of the Dragon x King Arthur (2004) vibes is your thing, this is the one for you.