Fireborne by Rosaria Munda – a Review

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Description:
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.

Review:

Fireborne by Rosaria Munda is the first book in her new The Aurelian Cycle series. When I decided to read this new YA fantasy novel, I wasn’t sure what to expect as it was a new author for me.  I am happy to say I loved Fireborne and cannot wait to read more from Rosaria Munda.

The POV’s are from Lee, our hero, and Annie, our heroine.   We do get flash backs to the earlier days, when both were orphans, with Lee looking out for Annie.  Both lost their family to the revolution that changed the world; each having the perspective from a different side, such as Lee, secretly coming from royalty and Annie being lowborn.  They left the orphanage together to train with the new regime as dragon riders and 8 years later they both become elite riders. Yes there are Dragons, and I loved how Munda made them emotionally bonded to their assigned rider, with some telepathic between them.  Great part of story.

The story begins with a competition to become a Firstrider, the person who will lead the Dragon army reporting to the leader of Callipolis, with both Lee and Annie rivaling each other, as well as other elite dragonriders.  We learn more secrets about Lee, who is the lone survivor of the Stormscourge, all slaughtered in the revolution; only Annie knows the truth about who Lee really is. Annie is also a lone survivor, as her family was executed for not following the Lord’s orders. Their friendship was a major part of this story, with both of them knowing the past that brought them together, but neither acknowledging their past different lives.  In today’s world they are together, but things are changing that could destroy their friendship and their lives.

As the Firstrider competition continues; Lee is contacted by a survivor of the past, who are determined to bring back the old regime with a new revolution.   Lee has to fight his feelings about the truth about the things his father did as the Lord, and decide which side he belongs with.   Annie is loyal to the current regime, and begins to worry that Lee might betray Callipolis.  War is coming.  Will Lee turn on Annie and their friends?  Will Annie, despite her love for Lee, alert the leader of Lee’s possible betrayal?

I will not tell too much more, as there are many political elements from the past and present, which you need to read from start to finish to follow this story.  I loved Lee and Annie, and the group of friends that we got to know, as well as the emotional bond between them.  Munda did a fantastic job creating these wonderful characters, and giving us an amazing new world.

Fireborne was an exciting, emotional, intense, political, and at times a dark story that held our attention from the start.  The friendship between the dragon rider group was wonderful. I loved the Dragons, and their bond to their riders; it was a sensational element to the story.  The climax was fantastic, with so many twists and turns the kept me on the edge of my seat. I cannot wait for the next book in this series.   Rosaria Munda is now a new author I will need to keep reading.  I suggest you read this start of a fun exciting new series.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher