DELUXE EDITION—featuring beautiful original illustrated stenciled edges with a foil case stamp, and designed endpapers!
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.
Firebird is a fantasy with some dark themes, including elements of master/slave relationship, attempted sexual assault (not between MCs), and dubious consent (not between MCs). Readers who may be sensitive to these elements, please take note.
This ended up being a strong four star read for me. It was the kind of book that made it easy to sink back into the story after putting it down, which I always appreciate. The pacing stayed steady, and I never felt confused about what was happening, even when I had to step away and come back later.
On the spice scale, I would place this around a 3.5. While it was not the central focus of the story, there were moments where it felt a bit heavy. For the most part, though, it worked with the plot instead of overpowering it. The story itself remained the main draw, which made the romantic elements feel more balanced overall.
One thing I really enjoyed was how the political aspects were handled. They were present enough to add depth but kept simple and easy to follow. Nothing felt overly complicated or dragged down by unnecessary details, which made the broader conflict more engaging rather than frustrating.
The romance was done well, in my opinion. I know some readers had issues with the power dynamics, but within the context of this story, it made sense. This was not a case of forced attachment. The fated mates element played an important role in how the relationship developed, and it felt intentional rather than problematic.
While this was not quite a five star read for me, it was still very enjoyable. I finished the book feeling satisfied, even if it did not leave me wanting to immediately start over from the beginning. I am looking forward to continuing the series and checking out more from this author in the future.
FTC Guidelines: Many books are provided for free in exchange for an honest review. Sponsored posts will be clearly labeled.
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Hateful and Unrelated Comments Will Be Deleted. Anonymous comments are invalid to enter into giveaways.