If you like dragons, great characters, and an intriguing world... Fireborne by Rosaria Munda (Review) @The_FFBC

Fireborne
(The Aurelian Cycle #1)
By Rosaria Munda
YA Fantasy, Dragons
Paperback & ebook, ? Pages
October 15th 2019 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young

Summary

Seraphina meets Red Rising in a debut young adult fantasy that's full of rivalry, romance... and dragons.

Annie and Lee were just children when a brutal revolution changed their world, giving everyone—even the lowborn—a chance to test into the governing class of dragonriders.

Now they are both rising stars in the new regime, despite backgrounds that couldn’t be more different. Annie’s lowborn family was executed by dragonfire, while Lee’s aristocratic family was murdered by revolutionaries. Growing up in the same orphanage forged their friendship, and seven years of training have made them rivals for the top position in the dragonriding fleet.

But everything changes when survivors from the old regime surface, bent on reclaiming the city.

With war on the horizon and his relationship with Annie changing fast, Lee must choose to kill the only family he has left or to betray everything he’s come to believe in. And Annie must decide whether to protect the boy she loves . . . or step up to be the champion her city needs.

From debut author Rosaria Munda comes a gripping adventure that calls into question which matters most: the family you were born into, or the one you’ve chosen.

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My Review

FIREBOURNE is one of those books that pulls readers in from the first page and doesn’t let go until the very end. Full of a vivid fantasy world where soldiers ride dragons and a country is still recovering from a revolution, readers will fall in love with the two star-crossed main characters and hope for an ending where they’ll find happiness. Highly recommended!

I love it when I go into a book with high expectations and those expectations are met! This story did not disappoint. I loved the characters! I loved the history between Lee and Annie from the time they met in the orphanage. I loved how their pasts were so intertwined, even in their deep grief, and how much that enhanced the story. I loved the constant push and pull of the old ways and the new society after the revolution. It's realistic and blunt. How people can do things that have been done to them, but they don't see it as being bad or racist or cruel. How those who were to change, reverted back to what they fought against. And then those who see the truth and try to rise above it and do what they feel is right.

There were so many feels in this book! I've mentioned the relationship between Lee and Annie. It's so strong and complicated. There was so much going on with this story. Lee and Annie come from very different pasts but are forged together. Then they faced some challenges that were heart-wrenching on so many levels. There were lots of different friendships in this book, including those with the dragons. I loved them all! I also appreciated that the author didn't let anyone be completely clueless, not the leaders and the guy who led the revolution nor the dragonriders. They fit the pieces together, sometimes slowly, and they realized that there were more than one threat.

My only complaint were the swear words. There were very few and they weren't really needed. It just means I can't pass this one to my daughter, which is such a bummer because it's a fantastic story with more to come.

In the end, was it what I wished for? This was a page-turner, yes, but also so much more with this complex political and social world. The dragons were amazing, but even more so were the deep friendships and lovable characters. Definitely one to add to your reading list if you enjoy fantasy, especially fantasy with plenty of intrigue.

Content: Some heavy making out, two or three s-words, some non-descriptive violence.
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through the Fantastic Flying Book Club, which did not require a positive review nor affect it in any way.

Is this on your tbr? Do you like books with dragons? Make sure you go check out the dragon tips from the author and enter the tour giveaway here.

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