Reviews with content warning for Death - Fireborne

Reviews tagging 'Death'

openbookheartmind's review

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adventurous challenging dark inspiring sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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aseel_reads's review

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adventurous challenging dark reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book gives me such Russian Revolution with dragon vibes, but maybe that's just me. I can also understand how this is a better version of Fourth Wing. The bigger focus on actual dragon riding/fighting was really cool to see, the actual impact of the war and the horrors they have to commit was deeply gripping, and the struggle of our two main characters and whether they can accept and move on after what their families have experienced? Captivating. Definitely had some "hands to mouth" moments which is always fun and very excited to start the second book immediately. Will say that the beginning is a little hard to get through, but you'll be hooked after 15%.

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nebraskanwriter's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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onthesamepage's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I just love it when I finish a book and realize I wouldn't change a thing about it. This is definitely a different kind of YA fantasy. The characters are teens, but they come across as very mature. There's a complex political system, high stakes, and moral dilemmas facing our two main characters. I've always enjoyed political fantasy, and this was top notch.

There are plenty of books where the plot centers around a revolution, but this one is about what happens after that. An old regime gets toppled, its leaders killed, and now the revolutionary leader must come up with something that is better. The question this book asks is, is it really better? Does putting good people in charge mean the system is fair?

The old regime used dragons as a weapon to terrorize people and extort them for resources. Those who disobeyed were burnt by dragon fire, as a lesson to the rest. Only the nobles from specific families were allowed to ride dragons, even though dragons can bond with anyone. The post-revolutionary government sets out to make the system fair by allowing anyone from any class to try and bond with a dragon, and so become a dragon rider. This is what happened to our two main characters, Annie and Lee. And the new system does sound like it's fair. There are still classes in the population, named for metals, and the metal you test into decides what kind of job you get. But it also factors into what information you are given by the government, and how much of it is propaganda. After all, according to the new government, not everyone can be expected to understand nuance. And the further you get into the story, the more relevant the question of what makes a government good becomes. Is it really about implementing a better system, or is it about power? And what happens when this new regime is put under pressure?

If these kinds of questions make your brain sit up and pay attention, I highly recommend this book.

Aside from the fascinating political machinations, we also have two characters with very distinct arcs, both of which really appealed to me. Annie is lowborn, and this has affected her standing among the dragon riders. Even though they are supposed to compete for the title of Firstrider, some officials quickly make it known that they don't see her as suitable for the role. The way she handles this and builds her confidence was fantastic, and I really enjoyed following her journey.

Lee's challenge is very different. Firstrider should have been his birthright, but even though the revolutionaries executed his family, he firmly believes the new regime is better than the old. But when he finds out that there are survivors among his family who have been hiding away and biding their time, he is faced with a difficult choice: defend those of his blood, or the family he found? Regardless of the choice he makes, the process he goes through to get there is compelling to read about.

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katymat18's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

At the end in the author’s note Munda attributes the inspiration of this book to draw from Virgil’s Aeneid and Plato’s Republic. But I have to say the whole time I was reading I saw the Dragonlord’s as the Romanov’s, the last imperial family of Russia before the Russian Revolution, and Lee to me felt like the “lost” princess Anastasia if she survived her families massacre. Which, while keeping that in mind, made this story so incredibly intriguing to me. The politics, the ties that bind whether it be blood or a found family (think blood vs water, nature vs nurture), and the dragons! I mean who doesn’t love dragons! Fireborne is an incredible story - just what a ride - honestly I couldn’t put it down.

All in all, if you are looking for a new fantasy read that has complicated familial ties, and makes you really think which is the better side - or in my case just be as utterly torn as the characters in the story then this is the book for you! I can’t wait to dive into the sequel.

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moonlitreading_'s review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

“Together we’ll defy them, step by step through this fire, to the end.”

I will never be the same person I was before l read this. This book gave so much suspense (especially the last few chapters) that it got me hooked all throughout. I enjoyed the story a lot. I'm definitely a fan of the plot. The characters were so easy to get attached to, especially Annie my girl. The bond between dragons and their humans was heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. This is a story about friendship, love, and defying the odds.

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