Early Review: Firebird (The Fire That Binds #1)

Firebird, Book 1 in The Fire That Binds Series by Juliette Cross

Published By: Tor UK
Publication Date: April 8, 2025
Date Read: February 16, 2025
Genre: Adult – Fantasy / Romantasy
Source: ARC from Tor Publishing
Format: Paperback
Pages: 400

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House of the Dragon meets From Blood and Ash in Firebird by Juliette Cross, an 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 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.

“There are some who believe that it doesn’t matter whose gods your worship. There is an order to the world we cannot comprehend. To life and death. Pluto will grant passage into the underworld for those who deserve it, where her soul will find peace whether she believes or not.”

Juliette Cross is a relatively new author to me. I read her Wolf Gone Wild back in 2024, and really enjoyed it. As soon as I heard about Firebird, I couldn’t wait. The premise of this book has practically everything I could possibly want in a book. Epic setting? Check! Dragons? Check! Romance? Check! I was so excited to pick this book up, and I was very excited when I got an early copy to review. I couldn’t wait to dive in and I went in with very high expectations… and boy were they met. I honestly loved this book so much.

Firebird is set to the backdrop of an alternate Roman Empire. The Roman’s are vicious and cruel… and they also happen to be dragon shifters. Our main character is a Dakkian dancer, Malina,  who has a chance meeting with a roman dragon shifter. 4 years after this chance encounter, the dragon shifter Julian, sees her across the battlefield and saves her from enslavement by taking her away. Now she is seen as his ‘bodyslave’ and he is doing everything he can to protect her from the brutal goings on in Rome. But can their love survive this dark and dangerous environment?

I honestly loved this book! As I said previously, I have read a Juliette Cross book before and enjoyed it, but honest it has nothing on Firebird. I cannot believe just how different and superior this book is. I couldn’t put it down right from the very start. I will say I struggled a little with the whole slave / slave master elements at the beginning. You never worry for Malina’s safety or anything like that, but personally, I’m just not a bit lover of the power imbalance that comes with this kind of trope. So while I was a little bit like ‘ummm’ about it, I did persevere and I am so glad that I did. It was honestly fantastic and I ended up absolutely loving the dynamic and the relationship that develops between the two characters.

Firebird was honestly such a fantastic book. I loved the whole idea of the Roman Empire being imbued with magic and it made their danger and callousness all the more intense. I really adored this and think Juliette did a fantastic job of building up all of the magic and intrigue set in a familiar historical concept. I really enjoyed the incorporation of the gods and the story with Medusa and such. If you know, you know. It had so many fantastic elements and Juliette expertly weaved them all together. The characters were multi-dimensional and so much fun to read about, the world was dark and dangerous with just a touch of hope to keep you hanging on. I really enjoyed everything about this book. I really mean it when I say that this book is so much better than the previous ones I’ve read from her. If you’ve read the Wolf Gone Wild series and just thought it was okay, I really urge you to give this one a go as it is just superb.

Another thing I adored about this book is while it is first and foremost a Romantasy book, there is also such a strong plot. As a plot driven reader, I personally loved this aspect. I was honestly on the edge of my seat all the way through, dying to know what was going to happen next. I honestly would recommend it to any fantasy fan, as this plot really does stand on its own, away from the romance. It was such a fantastic read and I can’t wait to get my hands on the second book. It was such a fun read and it has definitely turned me into a Juliette Cross fan for life. I can’t stop thinking about this fantastic story and the characters. It’s been almost a week since I finished reading this one, and I can’t get into anything else. This has definitely left me in a book slump… but for the best reasons.

Firebird was truly fantastic. I did have some minor issues with it, such as the slave / slave master dynamic at the start, and I felt like the ending was a little bit rushed. I get the impression that the next book may follow different characters as the protagonists (as she has done in previous works as well) and that made me feel like there was a lot of rushing to get these points of view done so for that reason I have knocked half a star off the rating. But overall, this book was fantastic. I absolutely loved it and I cannot wait to get my hands on book 2. I’m so excited to see everyone else’s thoughts, when this book comes out in April. This is definitely one that everyone needs to pick up. You won’t be disappointed.

“To be my partner in this infernal world. To be my helpmate as we crush the Roman Empire and build a new one.”