SPORTOCHICK’S MUSINGS: I was very pleased to finish the audio book wanting the next book.

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Firebird
The Fire That Binds Book 1
by Juliette Cross
Narrated by Blair Dade; Kale Williams

Pub Date Apr 08 2025
Macmillan Audio

DESCRIPTION

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…
A world where dragons rule Rome.

From the moment Roman general and nephew to the emperor Julianus Dakkia laid eyes on Malina, he was enthralled by the Dacian dancer. Years later, the fierce beauty stands before him 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. But he and his dragon know one thing: she belongs to them.

Malina can’t believe that the centurion who had once bestowed a secret talisman on her is the Roman general of legendary brutality. His warrior prowess cannot be denied, yet they don’t reveal the secret he hides. All Malina knows is his protection and gentle touch. And she cannot deny how her soul has always seemed to answer his.

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.

A Macmillan Audio production from Bramble Books.

REVIEW

Narrators: Blair Dade; Kale Williams did a great job in their dual narration. They flowed easily between male and female voices for both of them with very few instances that distracted me.

The Book

The cover is brilliant and drew my eye instantly.

To start the story Julian, the nephew to the emperor, sees Malina, a Dacian dancer, when he sees her dancing and he instantly falls for her. Their characters are multifaced and unique causing this reader to become fully immersed in their lives.

So, this story really picks up momentum years later at a gruesome battle. Having some knowledge of the Roman times I was aware that this book would have slave master relationships and a lot of death. But I never felt overwhelmed by it. Author Juliette Cross did a fabulous job of balancing the violence with acts of charity and intrigue.

I did wonder how she would be able to write this storyline and keep me reading till the end and I was very pleased to finish the audio book wanting the next book.

The only thing I would change about this book is to have it include a list of characters and how to spell their names.

I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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