Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Firebird by Juliette Cross Narrator: Blair Dade, Kale Williams
Series: The Fire That Binds #1
Published by MacMillan Audio on April 8, 2025
Genres: Fantasy Romance
Length: 11 hours, 45 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: NetGalley
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm
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.
What if those running the Roman Empire were dragon shifters? That is the loose premise of Firebird the first book in of the new series, The Fire that Binds. Juliette Cross has built a new world on the bones of Roman history and their gods. It is a re-imagining where Minerva, goddess of wisdom, justice, law and victory, has bestowed three different sets of powers on women throughout the years since the time of Medusa. These powers will help them fight against the injustice evil men bring to the land.
Malina was once just a performer, a dancer that stole the heart of the Roman General Julianus Dakkia. He gave her a boon after seeing her dance that she has kept close to her heart for years. It has been prophesized that Malina and her sisters’ magic will save them all. She never knew what that really meant until she lost her family and everything she held dear to the Romans. Including her freedom, as she is stuck as a slave in Julianus Dakkia’s home. Should she fear him or should she seduce him?
Julianus Dakkia is the dragon general to the Emperor and his chosen successor. He hates the way his uncle rules and has been trying to subvert him for years. When he sees the witch, Malina, in danger after the Romans overtook yet another village his Dragon decides for them that he is done not having her close to guard and protect. He steals her to place her in his home as his body slave. This will mean a change to his plans for revolution; it is time to act and take down his uncle and his followers before they figure out what Malina really is to him.
I enjoyed this story overall. There are some disturbing scenes as the slaves are treated very poorly by some of the cruel masters in the elite circles. The Emperor is truly an abhorrent and evil character who gets pleasure from debasing and humiliating others. Julianus is an exception to this; he has slaves in his home but most he has saved from worse fates and treats more like family when he can. He is patient with Malina and tries to keep her safe while letting her become accustomed to him and the ways of the city. He wants to have her to fall in love with him because she is the mate to his dragon, but there is danger all around them and a real relationship is forbidden so they must be careful.
Firebird had me on the edge of my seat more then once as the reader can see the danger coming and is helpless to stop it. I needed to know how Julianus was going to keep Malina safe from his evil Uncle and other challengers. She was in a lot of danger and being seen as property by the empire, Julianus’s hands were tied in many areas. I liked the conclusion and my heart was racing near the end.
This is not going to be for everyone, especially if you have a hard time with the slavery aspect to the story. I never felt this was enemies to lovers story but more of a revolutionary tale against slavery and oppression. There is a power dynamic that needed to overcome between Julianus and Melina, but she proves she is just as powerful in her own ways. There are a few other small aspects that some may have issues with in regard to the accuracy of the history. I didn’t really get caught up on that as I took it as the foundation of the story was set loosely on Roman culture, but not exact to it. I think if those are things that are not going to bother you, this will be a great romantasy with a few hot and heavy scenes and some great tension built for the danger our couple is really in.
Narration:
Performance: ★★★★
Character Separation: ★★★★
Diction: ★★★★
Pacing/Flow: ★★★★★
Sound Effects: None
The performance was split as Blair Dade performed the Malina PoV chapters and Kale Williams narrated Julianus’s PoV. Kale has a long history of books he has narrated and his comfort with audio performances showed. He brought the emotion and personality of Julianus to life. His voice is rich and decadent, it was easy to see why his catalog of books was so long. Blair Dade is newer to audio narration, but held her own in this story. I liked the performance she gave to Malina, it captured the pain she had been through and her vulnerability and strength well.
Listen to a clip: HERE
About Juliette Cross
Juliette lives in lush, moss-laden Louisiana where she lives with her husband, four kids, and black lab, Kona.
Multi-published author of paranormal and urban fantasy romance, she loves reading and writing brooding characters, mysterious settings, persevering heroines, and dark, sexy heroes.
From the moment she read JANE EYRE as a teenager, she fell in love with the Gothic romance. Even then, she not only longed to read more novels set in Gothic worlds, she wanted to create her own.
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That’s a cool re-imaging of Roman history. And a very unique one, too.
I thought so. Dragon shifters are one of my favorites
You have me intrigued.
I definitely liked it. I know it is getting a little bad press because of the master/slave dynamic but there were fated mates and Julianus never really treated her like a slave.