Firebird

De: Juliette Cross

Narrado por: Blair Dade, Kale Williams

An instant New York Times bestseller!

House of the Dragon meets From Blood and Ash in this epic, scorching dark romantasy.

A conqueror captivated…
A witch prophesied to save them all…
An unforgiving world where dragons rule Rome.

Julian Dakkia, Roman general and nephew to the emperor, has played his role as conqueror well. Yet, the moment he laid eyes on Malina, he was enthralled by the Dacian dancer. Years later, the fierce beauty stands before him, a captive on a scarred battlefield, her life in danger. He instinctively shifts into his fierce dragon form to save her, an action that may mean his head on the imperial gate.

The rules of their world dictate that he is the conqueror and she is the captured. But he and his dragon know one thing: their bond has nothing to do with the laws of mighty Rome. She belongs to them. And they belong to her.

Fierce and powerful, twenty-one-year old Malina has survived the loss of her family and she is determined to fight until her dying breath. Still, she can’t believe that the centurion who had once bestowed a secret talisman on her is the Roman general of legendary brutality…and now holds her life in his hands. Nor can she deny how her soul has always seemed to answer his. Slowly she learns that Julian is caught in his mad uncle’s machinations for domination, and helps him plot the downfall of the empire itself.

As they navigate a world where flying deathriders conquer and burn, their love will ignite a firestorm that can only end in heartbreak or death. Or both.

Content Warning: Firebird is an adult romantasy novel that contains dark themes, including slavery in Ancient Rome, which may be uncomfortable for some listeners.

A Macmillan Audio production from Bramble Books.

A Bold Retelling Through a Dark Fantasy Lens

This is very much a dark fantasy, and I think that’s important to recognize before diving in. The book doesn’t shy away from difficult aspects of human history—nor should it. Fantasy, especially when it’s dark, often echoes the real world in sharp, sometimes uncomfortable ways. I found that to be a strength here, not a flaw.

While the prose occasionally stumbled, the emotional connection between the leads really landed for me. Their bond felt raw and real—messy, complicated, but meaningful. That kind of layered romance is something I’ll always be drawn to.

Some of the themes may not be for everyone, but I believe stories like this, which don’t sanitize the past, can offer real value. Remembering the darker parts of history—even through fiction—isn’t something to fear.

All in all, The Firebird gave me a story that burned deeply, both in feeling and in thought. I appreciated that.

Meh-Drags out for too long.

I love pretty much anything written by this author, but this story took entirely too long to get to the point along with several plot holes left. Normally I can listen almost straight through and this took several days even at a sped up speed. It got super boring and dragged. The ending was anticlimactic. It wasn’t enough after all the dragging to make it feel as if the end was worth the wait. I get there is probably going to be another book, but I’m uncertain if I’ll read it, or listen to it. I kinda get the feeling I’ve predicted what’s coming and I’m not willing to put effort into another long boring story. The premise I will say is good, but to me executed almost as if you’re sitting in a class you can’t stand. The teacher lectures in a monotone which puts you to sleep or has you daydreaming to escape the boring lecture. READ OR LISTEN AT YOUR OWN THRESHOLD OF HOW YOU CAN HANDLE DRAGGING BOREDOM. Heck if you’re tired but can’t sleep this book may do the trick whether listening or reading.

Entertaining and captivating

Captivating story and narration was phenomenal. I enjoyed the new different twist on the Roman dragons and I really like MFC power. Can’t wait for the next one.

Dragon shifter, fated mates, touch her and ☠️

This was so good! The narrators did a great job. This story was very unexpected and surprisingly spicy. I loved the story!

Dragon Shifters and Unique Magic

3.75/5 stars

I listened to this one on audio and I enjoyed it! This is a bit different than my normal read.

We have Malina, who is young and has powerful magic and finds herself enslaved to a Roman general. Rome is ruled by ruthless dragons (shifters). Julian, the Roman general that has enslaved her, has actually taken her to protect her which is a very precarious situation. Julian is working towards a better Rome. His uncle, Ceasar is currently ruling and he is absolutely ruthless.

Julian and Malina's relationship is forbidden, but they are fated. We have loads of political tension as well. There are also definitely some darker components to this story.

If you like a good story about ancient Rome, which dragon shifters, a forbidden romance, some strong magic, spice, and some action, I recommend you check this one out.