Review of Fireborne by Rosaria Munda

Read for: Requested Review/Netgalley

Synopsis: "Game of Thrones 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."

My Review:  This book sounded so intriguing, I don't think we get enough books that take place after a revolution, that difficult time with changing views and power struggles. This was a bit of a slow story to read, even for being a fantasy book with dragons and a decent amount of action. It did get a bit confusing with the flash backs and different points of view. With that said once I was able to really settle in and fully immerse myself in the story, I really enjoyed it. I loved the way Munda brought in blood family versus found family and the differences of class both before the revolution and after. The conclusion is satisfying and could be read as a standalone but I want to know more because you know there is more coming.

My Rating: I really struggled to get into this book, it was slow moving with a lot of jumps in point of view and flash backs.  It didn't quite deliver on what it was compared to but it is still a solid debut fantasy.  I wish it hadn't been so focused on the romance element that wasn't even really a romance. With that said it was still a good book once I was able to find the time to really immerse myself in the world and story.  I give it a rating of Two Paws and a Stump Wag.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. The above is my honest review and opinion.

You can find out more about Rosaria Munda and her Aurelian Series on her Goodreads Page or Website.

Fireborne was released in October 2019 and you can now obtain your own copy in print or digital format from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.