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The Aurelian Cycle #2
Flamefall
Revolutionary flames ignite around Annie, Lee, and a brand new POV character in the second book of the Fireborne trilogy.
After fleeing the revolution and settling into the craggy cliffs of New Pythos, the Dragonlords are eager to punish their usurpers--and reclaim their city. Their first order of business was destroying the Callipolan food supply. Now they're coming for the Dragonriders.
Annie is Callipolis's new Firstrider, and while her goal has always been to protect the people, being the government's enforcer has turned her into public enemy number one.
Lee struggles to find his place after killing kin to prove himself to a leader who betrayed him. He can support Annie and the other Guardians . . . or join the radicals who look to topple the new regime.
Griff, a lowborn dragonrider who serves New Pythos, knows he has no future. And now that Julia, the Firstrider who had protected him, is dead, he is called on to sacrifice everything for the lords that oppress his people--or to forge a new path with the Callipolan Firstrider seeking his help.
With famine tearing Callipolis apart and the Pythians determined to take back what they lost, it will be up to Annie, Lee, and Griff to decide what to fight for--and who to love.
After fleeing the revolution and settling into the craggy cliffs of New Pythos, the Dragonlords are eager to punish their usurpers--and reclaim their city. Their first order of business was destroying the Callipolan food supply. Now they're coming for the Dragonriders.
Annie is Callipolis's new Firstrider, and while her goal has always been to protect the people, being the government's enforcer has turned her into public enemy number one.
Lee struggles to find his place after killing kin to prove himself to a leader who betrayed him. He can support Annie and the other Guardians . . . or join the radicals who look to topple the new regime.
Griff, a lowborn dragonrider who serves New Pythos, knows he has no future. And now that Julia, the Firstrider who had protected him, is dead, he is called on to sacrifice everything for the lords that oppress his people--or to forge a new path with the Callipolan Firstrider seeking his help.
With famine tearing Callipolis apart and the Pythians determined to take back what they lost, it will be up to Annie, Lee, and Griff to decide what to fight for--and who to love.
496 pages, Hardcover
First published March 23, 2021
966 people are currently reading
33216 people want to read
About the author
Rosaria Munda
9 books1,555 followersRosaria Munda grew up in rural North Carolina, studied political theory at Princeton, and lives with her family in Florida. She is the internationally bestselling author of The Aurelian Cycle (Fireborne, Flamefall, and Furysong) and the forthcoming Confessions of a Junior Spy (Feiwel & Friends, 2025).
For book recs and updates, follow her on instagram: @rosariamunda
For book recs and updates, follow her on instagram: @rosariamunda
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,290 reviews
November 20, 2025
“Logs on fire. Fires to burn the world down. A lifetime in the ashes of such a fire has taught me that it doesn't end there. Anyone can start a fire. The problem is what happens after.”
TW: animal cruelty, animal death, blood, bullying, classism, child death, death, death of a loved one, emotional abuse, fire/fire injury, genocide, grief, injury/injury detail, physical abuse, sexism, sexual assault/coercion, slavery, torture, violence, vomit, war.
Update: 11/19/25
Fifth read and I've somehow managed to become even more defensive of every single character. (Except for Megara. I still haven't found anything other than immense irritation at her idiocy.)
I'm also even more amazed by the intricacy of this book. I mentioned this last year, but it holds even truer upon this read that I kept getting caught off guard by just how many parallels there are. How many scenes get repeated completely different as the characters understanding of the world shifts, as their perception of each other shifts.
There's something so immensely human about these books. The anger and miscommunication and pain and love and fear is all so believable, which is something I usually struggle with while reading. I truly believe the characters would be feeling those emotions, rather than the author trying to force the reader into believing so.
On a lighter note, this was my first time listening to the audiobooks at all (it was only a few chapters) and I've learned that I've been pronouncing Delo's name wrong this whole time. So that was fun lol.
(I also learned that I'm not the biggest fan of the audiobook. The narrators did nothing wrong, but their inflections just really didn't match the scenes and kept pulling me out of a story I know/love.)
Overall, I love this book and this series so much. Lee is childish and rash in this book, but he also did nothing wrong and I stand by that 🫶
Now... time to weep and by that I mean it's time to read Furysong.
------------------------------------------------
Update: 12/12/24
I swear I just get more defensive of these characters (Lee, specifically) and in awe of Rosaria Munda's writing ability with every single reread.
This was my fourth time reading Flamefall and something that doesn't change is the amount of pain I have whenever I reach certain scenes in this book, or how deeply her words continue to affect me. I could write entire books just on how much this series means to me.
Also, Power's an ass but I always forget how much he cracks me up in this installment.
Once again, I'm not ready to face Furysong or the absolute wreck I become whilst reading it.
------------------------------------------------
Update: 11/21/23
As with each book in this series, my awe and love for this book only grew upon rereading it. The foreshadowing, the parallels, the characters, the discussions of grief.... There are so many lines in Flamefall that are so beautiful, so poignant that I always take time to reread them again and again before moving on.
I'm once again not prepared for Furysong or for the emotional desolation I feel whilst reading it :)
------------------------------------------------
Update: 8/10/22
This book left me speechless the first time I read it and a little over a year later, I find myself speechless again. The only thing I can say is that - beginning to end - this book is a work of art. From the way it handles grief and trauma, to the way it makes you feel so damn much.
My opinions haven't changed much in my reread, except that I felt a bit more compassion for Lee this time around. I was still irritated at how irrational and sullen he was being, but I understood it more this time. (Yes, he's an idiot; yes, I'll defend him to the death.)
I hate Megara just as much as the first time around though :)
I'm also a complete mess about Delo and Griff rn and I'm terrified for Furysong. Keep them FAR away from urns, Rosaria Munda, I beg you. Please. They deserve happiness and peace and all we have right now is pain. So. Much. Pain.
As for that ending, I shall repeat my review from last year... "Excuse me WHAT"
I could talk about this book forever and I wouldn't begin to touch the surface of how much it means to me, or how amazed I was by every chapter and Rosaria Munda's absolute gift with words. I noticed so many parallels this time around and I left even more awed than the first time around.
Now... onto Furysong....
------------------------------------------------
Original Read: 3/7/21
Excuse me WHAT
TW: animal cruelty, animal death, blood, bullying, classism, child death, death, death of a loved one, emotional abuse, fire/fire injury, genocide, grief, injury/injury detail, physical abuse, sexism, sexual assault/coercion, slavery, torture, violence, vomit, war.
Update: 11/19/25
Fifth read and I've somehow managed to become even more defensive of every single character. (Except for Megara. I still haven't found anything other than immense irritation at her idiocy.)
I'm also even more amazed by the intricacy of this book. I mentioned this last year, but it holds even truer upon this read that I kept getting caught off guard by just how many parallels there are. How many scenes get repeated completely different as the characters understanding of the world shifts, as their perception of each other shifts.
There's something so immensely human about these books. The anger and miscommunication and pain and love and fear is all so believable, which is something I usually struggle with while reading. I truly believe the characters would be feeling those emotions, rather than the author trying to force the reader into believing so.
On a lighter note, this was my first time listening to the audiobooks at all (it was only a few chapters) and I've learned that I've been pronouncing Delo's name wrong this whole time. So that was fun lol.
(I also learned that I'm not the biggest fan of the audiobook. The narrators did nothing wrong, but their inflections just really didn't match the scenes and kept pulling me out of a story I know/love.)
Overall, I love this book and this series so much. Lee is childish and rash in this book, but he also did nothing wrong and I stand by that 🫶
Now... time to weep and by that I mean it's time to read Furysong.
------------------------------------------------
Update: 12/12/24
I swear I just get more defensive of these characters (Lee, specifically) and in awe of Rosaria Munda's writing ability with every single reread.
This was my fourth time reading Flamefall and something that doesn't change is the amount of pain I have whenever I reach certain scenes in this book, or how deeply her words continue to affect me. I could write entire books just on how much this series means to me.
Also, Power's an ass but I always forget how much he cracks me up in this installment.
Once again, I'm not ready to face Furysong or the absolute wreck I become whilst reading it.
------------------------------------------------
Update: 11/21/23
As with each book in this series, my awe and love for this book only grew upon rereading it. The foreshadowing, the parallels, the characters, the discussions of grief.... There are so many lines in Flamefall that are so beautiful, so poignant that I always take time to reread them again and again before moving on.
I'm once again not prepared for Furysong or for the emotional desolation I feel whilst reading it :)
------------------------------------------------
Update: 8/10/22
This book left me speechless the first time I read it and a little over a year later, I find myself speechless again. The only thing I can say is that - beginning to end - this book is a work of art. From the way it handles grief and trauma, to the way it makes you feel so damn much.
My opinions haven't changed much in my reread, except that I felt a bit more compassion for Lee this time around. I was still irritated at how irrational and sullen he was being, but I understood it more this time. (Yes, he's an idiot; yes, I'll defend him to the death.)
I hate Megara just as much as the first time around though :)
I'm also a complete mess about Delo and Griff rn and I'm terrified for Furysong. Keep them FAR away from urns, Rosaria Munda, I beg you. Please. They deserve happiness and peace and all we have right now is pain. So. Much. Pain.
As for that ending, I shall repeat my review from last year... "Excuse me WHAT"
I could talk about this book forever and I wouldn't begin to touch the surface of how much it means to me, or how amazed I was by every chapter and Rosaria Munda's absolute gift with words. I noticed so many parallels this time around and I left even more awed than the first time around.
Now... onto Furysong....
------------------------------------------------
Original Read: 3/7/21
Excuse me WHAT
August 9, 2021
I feel like I should love this book. There is just something that is keeping me disconnected. I don't have any love or hatred for the characters. I don't want to call them one-dimensional, but I just have no attachment to them.
I'm not quite sure why the author chose the names she did. Some of them are really elegant and roman-esque (Antigone, Atreus, Leon) and then there's names that are strange (Power, Duck, Sparker). Personally, some of the names really took me out of the story, like the author put a lot of effort into the more centralized characters and then got lazy with the rest. I'm sure that is just simply my interpretation, but it definitely affected how much I enjoyed the book.
I like the world-building and the lore of this book. The dragons are interesting. The wars and history of are interesting. But... the plot... was just not it for me. It had a few exciting moments that make like 10% of the book while the other 90% was super boring. It seemed to be picking up and then it just abruptly ends. This book definitely suffers from second-book syndrome and was definitely more transitional than it was exciting.
It's also extremely annoying to me when much of the plot of a book is driven solely by miscommunication or lack thereof. I feel like most of this book is driven by the characters broody moods and their in-ability to communicate. If half your plot can be undone by a conversation between your characters, it's not a very strong one in my opinion.
I want to read the last book because this series to me has so much potential to be exciting and pulse-pounding and in some brief moments it is! It could be that I want more from this series then they are willing to give and that's cool. This book is good at being what it is, but I am just not sure if I'm the reader who would enjoy it. I find myself, as I get older, turning more and more away from YA. I don't judge or dislike those who read YA, and I'm not closing myself off to it, I just find that YA often just plays it too safe for my evolving tastes. This book played it so safe that for me it is not very memorable.
I want to say that Rosaria Munda is a talented author! She did a great job at creating her story, I just don't think it's for me! But, with that being said, I will finish the series (as I said) and hope for some chaos and violence in this series' finale. But I won't hold my breath.
I'm not quite sure why the author chose the names she did. Some of them are really elegant and roman-esque (Antigone, Atreus, Leon) and then there's names that are strange (Power, Duck, Sparker). Personally, some of the names really took me out of the story, like the author put a lot of effort into the more centralized characters and then got lazy with the rest. I'm sure that is just simply my interpretation, but it definitely affected how much I enjoyed the book.
I like the world-building and the lore of this book. The dragons are interesting. The wars and history of are interesting. But... the plot... was just not it for me. It had a few exciting moments that make like 10% of the book while the other 90% was super boring. It seemed to be picking up and then it just abruptly ends. This book definitely suffers from second-book syndrome and was definitely more transitional than it was exciting.
It's also extremely annoying to me when much of the plot of a book is driven solely by miscommunication or lack thereof. I feel like most of this book is driven by the characters broody moods and their in-ability to communicate. If half your plot can be undone by a conversation between your characters, it's not a very strong one in my opinion.
I want to read the last book because this series to me has so much potential to be exciting and pulse-pounding and in some brief moments it is! It could be that I want more from this series then they are willing to give and that's cool. This book is good at being what it is, but I am just not sure if I'm the reader who would enjoy it. I find myself, as I get older, turning more and more away from YA. I don't judge or dislike those who read YA, and I'm not closing myself off to it, I just find that YA often just plays it too safe for my evolving tastes. This book played it so safe that for me it is not very memorable.
I want to say that Rosaria Munda is a talented author! She did a great job at creating her story, I just don't think it's for me! But, with that being said, I will finish the series (as I said) and hope for some chaos and violence in this series' finale. But I won't hold my breath.
May 21, 2021
This was just as good as book 1, if not better. And that cliffhanger ending! Seriously though, Rosaria Munda is incredibly talented at writing strong characters with clear motivations, and then plotting books with twists that naturally come out of those character motivations. Because different characters want different things and are willing to do different things to get them.
This is a brutal world of clashing political factions, dragon riders, and star crossed lovers. It's book 2 so I'm not going to get into detail, but I thought this was fantastic and we get a new perspective character who adds a lot to the story and opens up the world. This deals a lot with issues of class and gender, as well as questions of what a good or moral political system looks like. Or whether it's even possible to have one... I really look forward to reading more from this author because I think she is one of the best YA writers out there in terms of tense plotting and well developed characters, not to mention brilliant use of political theory. I'm definitely a fan. I received a copy of this book for review from Penguin Teen. All opinions are my own.
This is a brutal world of clashing political factions, dragon riders, and star crossed lovers. It's book 2 so I'm not going to get into detail, but I thought this was fantastic and we get a new perspective character who adds a lot to the story and opens up the world. This deals a lot with issues of class and gender, as well as questions of what a good or moral political system looks like. Or whether it's even possible to have one... I really look forward to reading more from this author because I think she is one of the best YA writers out there in terms of tense plotting and well developed characters, not to mention brilliant use of political theory. I'm definitely a fan. I received a copy of this book for review from Penguin Teen. All opinions are my own.
July 28, 2022
This book was AMAZING! It's the kind of story that reminds me why I love to read. Since this is a sequel, I can't really say anything about the plot. What I can say is that I haven't been this deeply invested in a group of characters in a long time. The choices they have to make are extremely difficult and there are no easy answers. I also think the relationships between all the characters are very nuanced, complex, and believable.
Flamefall continues to examine what a "just" government looks like, or if it's even possible for one to exist. It's very thought provoking and one of the things I love most about this series. I wish every sequel could be as perfect as this one. If you like nuanced characters, political intrigue, thought provoking reads, and dragons, I implore you to give this series a try. It's brilliant and deserves so much more hype than it gets.
Flamefall continues to examine what a "just" government looks like, or if it's even possible for one to exist. It's very thought provoking and one of the things I love most about this series. I wish every sequel could be as perfect as this one. If you like nuanced characters, political intrigue, thought provoking reads, and dragons, I implore you to give this series a try. It's brilliant and deserves so much more hype than it gets.
April 12, 2021
*I read this for a sponsored vlog, but that in no way impacts my rating or review!
July 29, 2023
god this book is so. fuck. i have no words (this is a lie i have many many words but they are mostly incoherent and extremely spoilery so i save them for my DMs with my aurelian cycle friends <3)
i think this one is probably my favourite in the series though because it's just so incredibly insanity inducing and there are so many layers and there's delo and griff and there's some absolutely wild character arcs and there's just so many brilliant little details and. literally i cannot say anything without spoilers but oh my goddddddd
second read, August 12, 2022: GONNA. JUST GO FUCKING SCREAM NOW THIS BOOK IS SO AHHHHH
first read, July 15th 2021
hi so what the fuck
this was amazing
that is all
i think this one is probably my favourite in the series though because it's just so incredibly insanity inducing and there are so many layers and there's delo and griff and there's some absolutely wild character arcs and there's just so many brilliant little details and. literally i cannot say anything without spoilers but oh my goddddddd
second read, August 12, 2022: GONNA. JUST GO FUCKING SCREAM NOW THIS BOOK IS SO AHHHHH
first read, July 15th 2021
hi so what the fuck
this was amazing
that is all
March 24, 2023
I'm honestly not sure how Munda made a book better then the first one but she did.
This series handles so many hard hitting important topics and discussions better then most books I've read. Trauma, propaganda, corruption of power, abuse (physically, mentally, sexually), grief and so much more is handled with so much care but feels so raw and real. I felt like I was going through all the emotions with these characters.
There is a scene in this book that felt so distant because of shock and then two chapters later left me balling my eyes out when the shock wore off. Munda gets you invested.
All of the characters in this story feel like real ppl I could walk outside and have a conversations with them and know all of their answers.
I rooted for them, cried for them, yelled at them, loved them, hated them. Everything.
We even have a new pov in this one. Which at first I was so angry cause I didn't want time taken away from Annie and Lee. But within two chapters I loved Griff just as much. He ended up having some of my favourite chapters.
My only complaint isn't even a real complaint. There is so much frustrating miscommunication within this series. BUT it feels so real, it makes sense for the characters to avoid telling eachother. But it can be so frustrating.
Anyways this is up there for my favourite series. I need more ppl to pick it up.
The dragons in it are fab! And the political and military moments are also chefs kiss.
PLEASE READ 💛💛💛
This series handles so many hard hitting important topics and discussions better then most books I've read. Trauma, propaganda, corruption of power, abuse (physically, mentally, sexually), grief and so much more is handled with so much care but feels so raw and real. I felt like I was going through all the emotions with these characters.
There is a scene in this book that felt so distant because of shock and then two chapters later left me balling my eyes out when the shock wore off. Munda gets you invested.
All of the characters in this story feel like real ppl I could walk outside and have a conversations with them and know all of their answers.
I rooted for them, cried for them, yelled at them, loved them, hated them. Everything.
We even have a new pov in this one. Which at first I was so angry cause I didn't want time taken away from Annie and Lee. But within two chapters I loved Griff just as much. He ended up having some of my favourite chapters.
My only complaint isn't even a real complaint. There is so much frustrating miscommunication within this series. BUT it feels so real, it makes sense for the characters to avoid telling eachother. But it can be so frustrating.
Anyways this is up there for my favourite series. I need more ppl to pick it up.
The dragons in it are fab! And the political and military moments are also chefs kiss.
PLEASE READ 💛💛💛
January 18, 2025
”Anyone can start a fire. The problem is what happens after.”
4.5 ⭐️
wow okay. i have A LOT of thoughts about this book. it was definitely a lot better than book 1 but i still have some complaints so let’s get to it, shall we?
THINGS I LIKED
the story picks up right where it left off in Fireborne after introducing a brand new character, Griff. he was my new favourite character in this trilogy because he pretty much carried the story while annie & lee spent were mostly bickering with each other. his chapters also became emotionally charged the more i read them. he had clear goals from the beginning and it was refreshing reading his POV. not to mention, his slow-burn romance with another male character added something more for me to look forward to in his chapters. i wasn’t expecting there to be any queer rep in this trilogy but it was a welcomed surprise; one which i was just a little obsessed with hehe. overall, his chapters were a breath of fresh air that provided vivid imagery of highborn exiles in the aftermath of the revolution and how poorly they treat their subjects.
Flamefall was definitely more plot focused & fast paced than it’s predecessor because the story’s foundation had already been set in book 1’s ending so i was glued to it from start to finish.
some of the issues that i had with the writing style in book 1 were resolved and the prose has improved significantly. the awkward scene changes were kept to a minimal and the story flowed smoothly. the action was more engaging and detailed too in this one. we also see more dragons and a better explanation of the connection they share with their human riders.
the author amped up on the politics, much to my delight. we are shown depictions of unrest among the lowborn, thanks to the discriminatory rationing system. on the other hand, griff’s chapters gave us insight into the iron-fist rule of the dragonborn in New Pythos, whereas in callipolis, there was an entirely different conflict brewing; a revolution within a revolution which blurred the lines of what’s right and wrong because both sides made arguably valid points for their own cause. it left me in a pickle because i had a hard time deciding which side i was on.
annie and lee’s dynamic felt rather strained in this book. there was a lot of angst and tension between them following the aftermath of what happened in Fireborne. it was interesting to see how their differences affected their friendship. as their distrust mingled with envy grew, they still gravitated towards one another at the end of the day.
THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE
annie kinda lost me a little in this book and her moral compass felt a bit skewed at times. she was indecisive when it came to where her loyalties should lie: with the boy she’s known since childhood? or with the man who tried to kill him? she did everything by the book without giving much thought to the consequences of her actions. sure, she felt guilt but that didn’t stop her from making those same choices over & over again. there was also some back and forth between the two to the point where her decision-making became solely based on her own ambitions. in other words, she became selfish with lesser regard for lee’s feelings. granted, they didn’t have much middle ground to begin with, considering their very different upbringing & social status, but since they’re best friends i was expecting them to communicate their grievances more openly and come to a mutual understanding.
lee was sure about which path he wanted to take and doubted his actions way lesser than annie did. i disliked his lack of communication with her and they both unnecessarily kept secrets from each other which created so much misunderstanding and tension.
besides, i don’t know what’s more ironic. the fact that annie - an orphan who was raised in poverty - called her own people “radicals” for rejecting the rationing system because they were dying of hunger? or lee - a highborn orphan who comes from a bloodline of oppressors - supporting said radicals and trying to convince annie of their cause on their behalf? he cared about them more than she did, when in truth, the roles should’ve been reversed. it was incredibly paradoxical and a little jarring to see the girl who was once oppressed now mimicking the footsteps of her oppressors, but i think that was intentional so i enjoyed it nonetheless.
overall, Flamefall was action packed, fast paced, and political with
P.S. that whirlwind ending left me slack jawed because no way i could’ve seen THAT coming! holy shit
August 30, 2024
i still feel like w lee and annie we’re being told they have this amazing romantic connection but are the foundations for a romance in the room with us right now? i thought so
also the whole “childhood friends who grow apart because of the paths they take in revolution” is so much more compelling on its own without throwing in a half baked romance
the addition of griff was 10/10 and he needs to choose violence in book 3
also the whole “childhood friends who grow apart because of the paths they take in revolution” is so much more compelling on its own without throwing in a half baked romance
the addition of griff was 10/10 and he needs to choose violence in book 3
August 8, 2021
*4.5
this was spectacular! i dropped everything i planned for the day to read and finish this and it was so worth it. rosaria munda knows exactly what kind of story she wants to tell and how she wants to tell it.
she criticized the ideas that built the new system and handled the political and moral aspects of revolution really well. it's thought-provoking and well-executed. the tension between the relationships and the promise of war were DELIVERED. the new character brought a fresh perspective to the narrative and i really enjoyed his story. the stakes are even higher this time around and i had to stand and walk around as i was reading to relieve the anxiety. it was so addictive!
what i love about this book is that the characters constantly have to make hard choices and reevaluate their principles. it's not black and white and they have to make hard calls. the conflict between relationships, the character developments, the power dynamics were all so compelling and heart-achingly (hair-tearingly) amazing. i'd do anything for antigone sur aela, lee sur pallor, and griff sur sparker (say his name with the drakonym or eLSE). my mind is still spinning from that ending. that was criminal. almost unforgiveable honestly..
anyway, THIS is how you write a sequel. themes are on point. characters are well-written and well-developed. romance is as angsty as i expected. i could tell that the author enjoyed writing this book and that she clearly knew what she was doing to me when she wrote certain lines. my expectations for the sequel are even higher now lmao i don't expect any less from rosaria munda.
this was spectacular! i dropped everything i planned for the day to read and finish this and it was so worth it. rosaria munda knows exactly what kind of story she wants to tell and how she wants to tell it.
she criticized the ideas that built the new system and handled the political and moral aspects of revolution really well. it's thought-provoking and well-executed. the tension between the relationships and the promise of war were DELIVERED. the new character brought a fresh perspective to the narrative and i really enjoyed his story. the stakes are even higher this time around and i had to stand and walk around as i was reading to relieve the anxiety. it was so addictive!
what i love about this book is that the characters constantly have to make hard choices and reevaluate their principles. it's not black and white and they have to make hard calls. the conflict between relationships, the character developments, the power dynamics were all so compelling and heart-achingly (hair-tearingly) amazing. i'd do anything for antigone sur aela, lee sur pallor, and griff sur sparker (say his name with the drakonym or eLSE). my mind is still spinning from that ending. that was criminal. almost unforgiveable honestly..
anyway, THIS is how you write a sequel. themes are on point. characters are well-written and well-developed. romance is as angsty as i expected. i could tell that the author enjoyed writing this book and that she clearly knew what she was doing to me when she wrote certain lines. my expectations for the sequel are even higher now lmao i don't expect any less from rosaria munda.
June 25, 2021
Phenomenal. This was a RIDE. The stakes are HIGH and things are so much more elevated than they were in the first book; these characters are under a lot of pressure, and it makes every action of theirs even more enjoyable to watch because we as readers know that the ramifications of anything they do are going to be HUGE.
Lee and Annie had to make some HARD choices. So often, I would think “I wonder how they’re gonna get themselves out of this one.” But they are smart, and Rosaria Munda is smart, so the most precarious situations were gone through in the most complex and interesting and MIND BOGGLING ways.
The ANGST. There were genuinely moments where I had to just… put the book down and take a breath. And drink a glass of water. And go for a walk around my house. Because ANNIE AND LEE AHGHH THERE’S SO MUCH TENSION THEY MAKE ME SCREAMMMM.
Nothing comes easy for these characters; they have to work for EVERYTHING. And it’s difficult and it’s taxing and they have to make sacrifices and they have to really THINK about what they’re doing and what they believe in.
The stakes are so, SO much higher than in the first book. It’s like their conflicts and issues are all taken and then elevated, multiplied, and made harsher. The characters have an incredible amount to contend with, and as a reader it is constantly on your mind: While the characters were dealing with one problem I would be thinking: “But what about this??”
Rosaria Munda is a magician, because I’d be focusing on one thing and then realize something else was going on in the background the entire time. What I learned from this book: Everything is an illusion, the problem is always much MUCH bigger than it seems.
It reminded me a lot of Mistborn Well of Ascension, the politics and the way that our heroes are faced with obstacles from every direction.
POWER!! Okay I’m actually really not okay with how things kind of “ended” for him and Annie. I don’t ship them exactly, but I do think that they both bring out certain parts of each other that were interesting and they helped each other in so many ways throughout this book.
I’m conflicted because,
LEE ANNOYED THE SHITTTT OUT OF ME. Don’t get me wrong, I love the guy, but… dude. How many missteps and errors and thoughtless decisions can one person MAKE??
We KNOW he cares for Annie. It’s basically gospel, just a fact of the story and there’s no disputing it. But as much as boy loves her, he sure does let her get put through the ringer.
However… however. There was so much RAGE in this book. And I LOVED it. I feel like Lee was always grabbing someone by the neck. Annie was always pissed at Lee, Lee was getting kind of fed up with Annie, ALL their conversations were supercharged, either with sexual tension or with fury, and it was SO MUCH FUN to read. It was literally a whirlwind, things moved so fast.
I FLEW threw the last 150 or so pages. The action was nonstop, it’s like the fatigue of the riders was seeping through the pages. These characters are GOING THROUGH IT, they have so much shit going on, and they’re tired, and not very well fed, and all their friends are fighting, and they’re stressed, and scared, and they don’t know what to do, and as a reader you can FEEEEEL it.
Fantastic brilliant show stopping blew me away. I have no idea what I am going to do with my time while I wait in eager anticipation for the next one. I never want this series to end I love these characters I love this story I love this high-stakes world that Munda has created and I am TERRIFIED for The Aurelian Cycle Book 3.
Lee and Annie had to make some HARD choices. So often, I would think “I wonder how they’re gonna get themselves out of this one.” But they are smart, and Rosaria Munda is smart, so the most precarious situations were gone through in the most complex and interesting and MIND BOGGLING ways.
The ANGST. There were genuinely moments where I had to just… put the book down and take a breath. And drink a glass of water. And go for a walk around my house. Because ANNIE AND LEE AHGHH THERE’S SO MUCH TENSION THEY MAKE ME SCREAMMMM.
Nothing comes easy for these characters; they have to work for EVERYTHING. And it’s difficult and it’s taxing and they have to make sacrifices and they have to really THINK about what they’re doing and what they believe in.
The stakes are so, SO much higher than in the first book. It’s like their conflicts and issues are all taken and then elevated, multiplied, and made harsher. The characters have an incredible amount to contend with, and as a reader it is constantly on your mind: While the characters were dealing with one problem I would be thinking: “But what about this??”
Rosaria Munda is a magician, because I’d be focusing on one thing and then realize something else was going on in the background the entire time. What I learned from this book: Everything is an illusion, the problem is always much MUCH bigger than it seems.
It reminded me a lot of Mistborn Well of Ascension, the politics and the way that our heroes are faced with obstacles from every direction.
POWER!! Okay I’m actually really not okay with how things kind of “ended” for him and Annie. I don’t ship them exactly, but I do think that they both bring out certain parts of each other that were interesting and they helped each other in so many ways throughout this book.
I’m conflicted because,
LEE ANNOYED THE SHITTTT OUT OF ME. Don’t get me wrong, I love the guy, but… dude. How many missteps and errors and thoughtless decisions can one person MAKE??
We KNOW he cares for Annie. It’s basically gospel, just a fact of the story and there’s no disputing it. But as much as boy loves her, he sure does let her get put through the ringer.
However… however. There was so much RAGE in this book. And I LOVED it. I feel like Lee was always grabbing someone by the neck. Annie was always pissed at Lee, Lee was getting kind of fed up with Annie, ALL their conversations were supercharged, either with sexual tension or with fury, and it was SO MUCH FUN to read. It was literally a whirlwind, things moved so fast.
I FLEW threw the last 150 or so pages. The action was nonstop, it’s like the fatigue of the riders was seeping through the pages. These characters are GOING THROUGH IT, they have so much shit going on, and they’re tired, and not very well fed, and all their friends are fighting, and they’re stressed, and scared, and they don’t know what to do, and as a reader you can FEEEEEL it.
Fantastic brilliant show stopping blew me away. I have no idea what I am going to do with my time while I wait in eager anticipation for the next one. I never want this series to end I love these characters I love this story I love this high-stakes world that Munda has created and I am TERRIFIED for The Aurelian Cycle Book 3.
August 20, 2022
“Stop doing what it takes. Start asking yourself what’s needed.”
4.5☆ — an invigoratingly brilliant follow-up to fireborne, with how rosaria munda expands on the world and brings in higher stakes to these beloved characters. they are truly put through the wringer even more, from grief to being at odds with one another on morals, ideals and doing what needs to be done in their positions. a new perspective from the side of new pythos was unexpected but much needed, i quickly grew attached to griff, his strength and resilience dealing with the dragonborn along with delo being the only dragonborn not classist and cruel, and can see how kind he is and genuine care in his heart. on the callipolis side there was many new dynamics, especially with annie's new position conflicting with her morals, her intriguing dynamic with power and lee's wavering loyalties, the political rifts amongst and war dangers for our guardians that i definitely want to get into another time. putting off furysong til later this month hopefully since i don't want this story to end so soon as furysong had just come out. but with this sequel, munda strikes again with causing pain upon my fragile heart and those last few pages had me reeling in shock.
full in depth rtc after reread.
“It feels brilliant and blinding and free, the clarity that comes with this realization. We’ll set our sights on the stars together. But they’re different stars, and we’ll stand back to back.”
4.5☆ — an invigoratingly brilliant follow-up to fireborne, with how rosaria munda expands on the world and brings in higher stakes to these beloved characters. they are truly put through the wringer even more, from grief to being at odds with one another on morals, ideals and doing what needs to be done in their positions. a new perspective from the side of new pythos was unexpected but much needed, i quickly grew attached to griff, his strength and resilience dealing with the dragonborn along with delo being the only dragonborn not classist and cruel, and can see how kind he is and genuine care in his heart. on the callipolis side there was many new dynamics, especially with annie's new position conflicting with her morals, her intriguing dynamic with power and lee's wavering loyalties, the political rifts amongst and war dangers for our guardians that i definitely want to get into another time. putting off furysong til later this month hopefully since i don't want this story to end so soon as furysong had just come out. but with this sequel, munda strikes again with causing pain upon my fragile heart and those last few pages had me reeling in shock.
full in depth rtc after reread.
“It feels brilliant and blinding and free, the clarity that comes with this realization. We’ll set our sights on the stars together. But they’re different stars, and we’ll stand back to back.”
January 24, 2024
--9 November 2023
the review below is still accurate about my emotions for this book but i am absolutely not at all speechless, am full of coherent thoughts, and in fact have thousands of words about it. i have so much analysis. someday i'll put some of it here.
--6 April 2021
i don't have any coherent thoughts. i have not FELT this much reading a book in ages. flamefall is dark and intense and the confusion of politics and morality gets even more complicated as characters are forced to make increasingly difficult choices and the consequences of their actions get more and more devastating. i was worried that i was hyping this book up too much in my head because of my love for fireborne but i should not have doubted because oh my god. i am speechless and all of my thoughts are inarticulate screams.
the review below is still accurate about my emotions for this book but i am absolutely not at all speechless, am full of coherent thoughts, and in fact have thousands of words about it. i have so much analysis. someday i'll put some of it here.
--6 April 2021
i don't have any coherent thoughts. i have not FELT this much reading a book in ages. flamefall is dark and intense and the confusion of politics and morality gets even more complicated as characters are forced to make increasingly difficult choices and the consequences of their actions get more and more devastating. i was worried that i was hyping this book up too much in my head because of my love for fireborne but i should not have doubted because oh my god. i am speechless and all of my thoughts are inarticulate screams.
January 7, 2024
"They are hurting. This city is hurting. Hurt people hurt people. We must hold our heads above it."
I am absolutely amazed that there is not a single character in this series I don't like. There are some I feel indifferent towards, some that are too obvious a villain to dislike, and others who tug on my heart strings in every way so not to sloop in to my poor esteem. To write a story full of such complex characters is incredible, and I commend Rosaria Munda so much for it.
This book is a rollercoaster of emotions that starts from the very first chapter. Betrayal, grief, pain, loss, and unimaginable fury all merged into one broken boy. Lee has no idea who he is anymore, what he should stand for. When everything you have based your life on comes crumbling down, what is left but the broken parts of yourself you have to find a way to string into something better than you were before?
To put yourself in his place. To see all you never wanted to face. To have an impossible choice between what you know, what you had, and what you want... to see everything you want and not be able to choose it. Annie and Lee are forcing those same questions, but one is much less conflicted on where those choices will take them. They both do what they believe is best, but what is best when the world is so broken?
Hurt people hurt people, and that doesn't stop just because you're young. You can make all the right decisions and have the one wrong one haunt you for the rest of your days. They both know that so well. Through more loss and grief, they have to make mistakes to grow and I love how that was focused on so thoroughly in this book. I love the voice of reason that never lets anybody forget that. I love that conversations are consistent, even when information is being held back.
I love that the "bad friend" is really the one that stuck by Annie's side the entire time. I love the symmetry of the good friend making a terrible decision that affects the future so desperately. I love that grief shows in so many different ways and never leaves, because that's real, and honest. I love that they're fighting for a better world by fighting for the children.
Every page of this book felt like a revelation inside its revolution, and I can't wait to see how it all comes to a close.
I am absolutely amazed that there is not a single character in this series I don't like. There are some I feel indifferent towards, some that are too obvious a villain to dislike, and others who tug on my heart strings in every way so not to sloop in to my poor esteem. To write a story full of such complex characters is incredible, and I commend Rosaria Munda so much for it.
This book is a rollercoaster of emotions that starts from the very first chapter. Betrayal, grief, pain, loss, and unimaginable fury all merged into one broken boy. Lee has no idea who he is anymore, what he should stand for. When everything you have based your life on comes crumbling down, what is left but the broken parts of yourself you have to find a way to string into something better than you were before?
To put yourself in his place. To see all you never wanted to face. To have an impossible choice between what you know, what you had, and what you want... to see everything you want and not be able to choose it. Annie and Lee are forcing those same questions, but one is much less conflicted on where those choices will take them. They both do what they believe is best, but what is best when the world is so broken?
Hurt people hurt people, and that doesn't stop just because you're young. You can make all the right decisions and have the one wrong one haunt you for the rest of your days. They both know that so well. Through more loss and grief, they have to make mistakes to grow and I love how that was focused on so thoroughly in this book. I love the voice of reason that never lets anybody forget that. I love that conversations are consistent, even when information is being held back.
I love that the "bad friend" is really the one that stuck by Annie's side the entire time. I love the symmetry of the good friend making a terrible decision that affects the future so desperately. I love that grief shows in so many different ways and never leaves, because that's real, and honest. I love that they're fighting for a better world by fighting for the children.
Every page of this book felt like a revelation inside its revolution, and I can't wait to see how it all comes to a close.
April 15, 2023
I feel like I should love this book. There is just something that is keeping me disconnected. I don't have any love or hatred for the characters. It's also extremely annoying to me when much of the plot of a book is driven solely by miscommunication or lack thereof. I feel like most of this book is driven by the characters broody moods and their in-ability to communicate.
I wouldn’t exactly describe Flamefall as having twists, because like the stories of classical antiquity that it draws on, there’s a certain stony inevitability to everything that happens. Of course Atreus and his allies overthrew the dragonlords; of course Lee misses the family he loved; of course the starving and oppressed people of Callipolis rebel;
And just as inevitably, a human cost attends any one of the raft of available bad choices. Still, Lee and Annie (and Griff, now) keep striving to find justice in a world hobbled by the systems put in place by the last bunch of omelet-makers, idealists and pragmatists and tyrants alike.
It feels funny to use the word reassuring about a series that deals with issues as dark as those discussed in the Aurelian series. Still, I did find it reassuring. It reassured me in the sense that there really aren’t easy answers to the question “How can we fix the world?” There are always compromises. There are always failures. People always get hurt. You have to know that, and you have to pick a side anyway.
anyways, despite just me being the problem and some real problem I found in the book, I want to read the last book because this series to me has so much potential to be exciting and pulse-pounding and in some brief moments it is! It could be that I want more from this series then they are willing to give and that's cool. This book is good at being what it is
I wouldn’t exactly describe Flamefall as having twists, because like the stories of classical antiquity that it draws on, there’s a certain stony inevitability to everything that happens. Of course Atreus and his allies overthrew the dragonlords; of course Lee misses the family he loved; of course the starving and oppressed people of Callipolis rebel;
And just as inevitably, a human cost attends any one of the raft of available bad choices. Still, Lee and Annie (and Griff, now) keep striving to find justice in a world hobbled by the systems put in place by the last bunch of omelet-makers, idealists and pragmatists and tyrants alike.
It feels funny to use the word reassuring about a series that deals with issues as dark as those discussed in the Aurelian series. Still, I did find it reassuring. It reassured me in the sense that there really aren’t easy answers to the question “How can we fix the world?” There are always compromises. There are always failures. People always get hurt. You have to know that, and you have to pick a side anyway.
anyways, despite just me being the problem and some real problem I found in the book, I want to read the last book because this series to me has so much potential to be exciting and pulse-pounding and in some brief moments it is! It could be that I want more from this series then they are willing to give and that's cool. This book is good at being what it is
Read
July 24, 2023the way i immediately put a hold on the next book… ooh Rosaria Munda you’ve got me BAD. AAAAAAHHHHH
rating tbd after i finish the series <3
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the last time i picked up a sequel right after reading the first book was 3 years ago so. congrats Rosaria Munda youve fixed my completely shattered attention span
rating tbd after i finish the series <3
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the last time i picked up a sequel right after reading the first book was 3 years ago so. congrats Rosaria Munda youve fixed my completely shattered attention span
November 29, 2025
i am shook. i need the next one asap
October 13, 2024
Much better than the first! The writing, pacing, and battles definitely improved and blew me away (including the dragons playing a more meaningful role throughout the storyline and the bonds with their riders). The political intrigue was done really well as it builds on from the previous book with more lore. I’m so attached to the characters and how realistically they were written😭 Lee and Annie continue to have a complex relationship through their shifting loyalties and I’ll admit that they were a bit frustrating at first. But I understand why they made their decisions and I still love them both with all my heart. Their character development was satisfying and Power’s development ALSO pleasantly surprised me. Love him so much but I’m scared how this series is going to end.
I appreciated how this series shows how tragically war affects everyone, especially the poor. Resistance to a corrupt empire is ALWAYS necessary, especially one that uses propaganda to intentionally shift the narrative away from the truth. It was an interesting touch to also include the new POV from the New Pythos side this time and seeing how their version of the lore differs from Calipolans. Griff became a new favorite for me, my God, this boy is so precious and deserves the world. My heart really hurt for him.
Ms. Rosaria Munda better not sabotage him and Delo because they were everything in this! The book started off as 4 stars and then the second half really bumped to 5. That ending gagged me, wow, I need to get my hands on the last book now.
I appreciated how this series shows how tragically war affects everyone, especially the poor. Resistance to a corrupt empire is ALWAYS necessary, especially one that uses propaganda to intentionally shift the narrative away from the truth. It was an interesting touch to also include the new POV from the New Pythos side this time and seeing how their version of the lore differs from Calipolans. Griff became a new favorite for me, my God, this boy is so precious and deserves the world. My heart really hurt for him.
Ms. Rosaria Munda better not sabotage him and Delo because they were everything in this! The book started off as 4 stars and then the second half really bumped to 5. That ending gagged me, wow, I need to get my hands on the last book now.
April 26, 2025
[2.5⭐️]
This review will most probably be a chaotic rant because this book took out the last bit of patience I had towards anything. The amount of rhetoric brilliancy and cohesion you’ll find here is still more significant than the number of well thought, smart decisions made throughout the story.
Okay so let’s go- ANNIE. Dear god, I wasn’t this frustrated with a mc since Tessa (from TID) AND LET ME TELL YOU IT WAS P E R S O N A L BETWEEN ME AND THAT GIRL. Like on sight. Like I was ready to yank her out of those pages to slap some sense into her with a baobab. Anyway, the flames of my feud with Tessa have long simmered down (I still don’t forgive and forget. Even if she was cool in TLH) but I guess that having serious, scorching beef with literal ink on paper is like caffeine to me and I drink nearly seven coffees a day baby, it’s a drug I won’t quit.
There are no words to convey how much she annoyed me for basically 90% of the book and how much I was itching to throw my laptop against the wall simply because I couldn’t throw her off of very tall somethings (cue “is it over now?” Because that’s actually what I was asking myself at every page turn).
She is supposed to be top of her class, the bright light of this generation and head of an army basically, girl I wouldn’t trust you with keeping your skin wet in the ocean LET ALONE with leading people into war.
She’s described as being incredibly intelligent and competent, but when she finds out that *SHOCKING* the ministry of propaganda actually does what a ministry of propaganda is supposed to do (aka spread misleading information and cover up tragedies) she’s there like “omg no, it can’t be, it’s impossible!! (Source: trust me bro) … can it be???” And is so flabbergasted that you’d believe she’s just spotted The Rock cooking pancakes on a mf dragon, ready to save the day.
Again, isn’t this supposed to be common knowledge? That if you have an ACTIVE ministry of propaganda in the first place it means there’s something fishy going on and that “freedom of speech” is not a free as you think??
There are also a lot of scenes that exist solely for the purpose of making her look “”badass””, like when someone is shouting insults at her and she responds with “yeah, I know”. If I had a penny for every single time I had to shout “YOU’RE NOT COOL, YOU JUST LACK BASIC HUMAN DECENCY AND PEOPLE SKILLS” at a mc, boy would I be swimming in gold right now. And listen, I love tough lady. You can bet I’ll be rooting for the baddest, cruelest, coldest, most unhinged and criminally chargeable woman in town with a happy smile on my face and my hands ready to clap BUT THEY’VE GOT TO HAVE A MOTIVE SOMEHOW.
What possibly annoyed me the most about Annie was the fact that she didn’t even believe in her own cause. She straight up didn’t have one. She was hammering my head with that “I do what it takes” simply because she had to prove herself to a leader she didn’t trust, for a motive so absent that I might as well started playing “where’s waldo?” with it considering how hard it was to find.
That and the fact that her loyalty to Lee was MIA for 90% of the book. I don’t care a lot about Lee, but if I had to choose between the boy I grew up with, my best friend/love of my life(??), who’s trying to overthrow a crusty dusty dictator and said dictator (who also tried to kill him. Twice.) YOU BEST BELIEVE I’m choosing my boy’s hot, perfect, funny, blonde girl friend and former fling- I’m kidding, I AM KIDDING, okay. I would side with Lee. Even if a spinning top has a clearer direction in mind than him. It’s just a matter of loyalty, but Annie’s to busy complaining about her shitty job (that she absolutely did not choose and clearly cannot leave because of… reasons(?) that escape me at the moment but rest assured! they’re there!! Alive and breathing pals.) and crying herself to sleep (for actions she was forced to commit!!! :(( oh, by whom you ask? Well… herself.)
She talked so much about “Lee and I are in this TOGETHER. We’ll do this TOGETHER!” that I was half (fully) expecting her to throw a basketball ball at him, pull out two wigs and a microphone and just cosplay Troy and Gabriela from high school musical. Sadly, I was wrong. Because as soon as Lee would (understandably) showcase signs of trauma, her only response was “well, too bad. I don’t need winy babies in my army”. That’s Antigone sur Aela to you, firstrider of empathy and commander of comfort.
Also, for someone who literally said “my job is to think”… babe, how is the employment center? No but really, the line of technically* unemployed people here is so long they should start doing roll-calls (* I say “technically” because they are *technically* told to resign… but they continue doing their job so-).
At this point you may be thinking “why do you keep referring to the 90% mark? You’ve insulted her enough to make it very clear that your hate for her is definite”
Well. I don’t know what to tell you except that something/someone (unfortunately not me with the aforementioned baobab) must have hit her on the head so hard that it altered not only her brain but the course of history, hence making her less annoying. Annoying Annie is no more, I present to you… Atonement Annie? Absolution Annie? Anointed Annie? Pick what floats your boat!
Apparently seeing other people fire on HER civilians (to fire on) unlocked something in her (critical thinking? Maybe? Empathy?). It was very much giving that one A message in PLL when another A tries to interfere with the game so the original A writes “no one plays with my dolls -A(nnie)”.
So yeah, in the last 10% go Annie WAIT HOLD ON I ALMOST FORGOT- this girl wants to kill dragons. KILL. DRAGONS. Because that’s her response to the stupidity of men. Nevermind ann*e, fuck off.
Now, moving on, Lee. He’s not as stupid as Annie while simultaneously being so much worse. They’re both dumb, just in different fonts. I think it would be so interesting to watch him live in a generation of conmen and professional internet trolls, because let me tell you that man is getting scammed, robbed AND beaten at the first step he takes out of the house. Screw that, he’s probably getting tricked inside the house too, walls don’t act as insect sprays for foolishness.
There’s a scene in which it is revealed that two of his friends are together and it was so obvious, a dead plant would have figured it out, BUT NOT LEE no no. He stands there like “wow, really?? I would have never imagined!”. To add to his stupidity, he wants to talk to Annie in order to apologize (at least one of them knows how to) but when he doesn’t find her Power (Annie’s new found emotional support ragdoll “””friend””” and “”former””, but actually present time, bully) assures him that he’ll let her know he stopped by.
*deep, heavy, stressed breaths*
In case you’re as thick as Lee is (which I hope you’re not) Power clearly hates and resents him, and is also in love with Annie (more on that later). But Lee, who is partially aware of this (for the first part, al least) doesn’t think twice about trusting his words.
Also, he is perfectly aware of the fact that Megara HAATEEESSSSS Annie’s guts and that she’s written malicious things about her in the past, but it never occurs to him that maybe, just maybe, he should read the articles Megara writes before printing them. He is at loss for words every time he sees that Annie’s upset about the paper and acts all pitiful, as if he couldn’t have guessed it??? And he never even talks about it with Megara or tries to stop her, he simply tells Annie (after they’ve reconciled) that he will “correct that part of the article” referring to the disgusting slut shaming his new ally perpetuated on Annie’s expense. Thanks king, really incinerating those double standards with your dragonfire. Atreus might have written the revolution’s manifesto, but Lee is truly out there dubbing Mary Wollstonecraft, writing the FEMINIST manifesto.
Talking of feminism- Megara.
She is one of the leaders of the second revolution, the one that’s supposed to be overthrowing a classist system, except that apparently coherence and feminism don’t go well with her new vision (like black and blue) so she doesn’t really feel above writing articles that solidify an already popular (sexist and classist) rumor. But, I mean, it’s about Annie, she’s her enemy, so it must be okay, right?? Well, no, not really.
I’ve not been kind to Annie in this review (and I do have to admit that she condoned classism at certain points, so part of that article was truthful) but I will NOT accept sexism and slut shaming, especially when Megara knows that what she wrote is a complete lie and that would hurt her “”friend”” too by reflex. Reporting Annie’s wrongs is one thing, calling her Lee’s “rightful slave and whore” (I don’t remember the exact words but it was something like this. Awful.) is another. And when people try to confront her about it she’s there like “well, she deserved it. I was just trying to do the right thing”. ???
Ma’am, your “”trying”” is not enough, crawl back to Sexismville alone and think about your poor life choices.
Also, considering that a girl cannot have too many side hustles, she occasionally plays home wrecker between Annie and Lee EXCEPT THAT THERE IS NO HOME TO WRECK HERE BECAUSE ANNIE AND LEE’S RELATIONSHIP IS MORE AKIN TO A SHACK BURNED DOWN TO RUINS.
Bob the builder is not enough for these two, they need a full-blown miracle from above.
Her relationship with Cor was as predictable as it is nonsense but whatever.
The topic of unphatomable couples brings me to our next classist: Power.
(And before you ask it, no, I don’t know why some characters are given names like “Antigone” and “Leo” when others are named “Power” or “Duck”. It’s not even about their social background, because Antigone comes from a poorer family while Power is part of an aristocratic one.)
Power is straight up a dick. There’s no other way to put it. He’s the type of guy who thinks that telling a woman to “go back into the kitchen” is peak comedy and if you dare not laugh he says that you’re just “too sensible” and “can’t take a joke” and ultimately calls you an “annoying, feminist bitch”. He’s a bully, but he’s adopted, and apparently those two things cancel each other out so we’re supposed to root for him? He acts like an eight grader who’s just discovered my chemical romance and the ability to lock his bedroom’s door, so no, I won’t feel sorry for him.
His “””character development””” is erratic at best: he keeps treating everyone as if they were below him, but he also starts helping Annie (only because he has feelings for her) and by “helping” I mean that he’s officially hired as her emotional punching bag (leaving the unemployed line, I see). And if you’re thinking “well, this dynamic cannot work, it’s unhealthy” you’d be correct… that’s it. There’s no upside to that.
Annie wants someone who will comfort her and tell her “you’re not a terrible person, but you sure are on the right way to become one!!” Ugh, I wish someone had told her exactly that but no, she just wants someone she can treat poorly without feeling like an asshole.
Power likes to punch and get punched, so they work.
That is until Annie finally realizes that *surprise surprise* Power is in love with her, and seemingly this is a step too far. Also, her childhood best friend/ estranged lover/ lowkey rival/ og emotional punching bag/ pillow/ human-sized pacifier (Lee) is willing to give their relationship? Friendship? Weirdest situationship in Aurelian history(???) a second chance, so you already know our girl is running, sprinting, mounting on her dragon to go back to him. Power notices this and turns into an incel (…who would have thought. Not me.) because being a dreadful cretin is his only mastered form of socializing and coping mechanism all in one. Buy 1 get 3 type of deal.
Rip Power, you would have loved womenlovebadboys/reddit and male podcasts.
There’s also Duck, he’s essentially useless so I don’t have much to say about him, except for the ending where we find out that he’s been useless, yes, but only to one side of this conflict.
FINALLY, my favorites, Crissa and Delo. My precious, sweet, beautiful, adorable darlings.
Crissa is everything Annie WISHES she was, but one thousand times better. Apparently she’s the only one the gods have bestowed the wonderful gift of critical thinking upon and, luckily for me, she uses it. She’s a friend, a therapist, a scolding mother and the one who single-handedly carried the communication in this group like cellphones do in our world, she’s the whole package basically. When she sat those little rascals down and said “Let me explain a few things to the three of you.” I KNEW my queen was standing on business!!
She’s also the first one to stand up against what was written about Annie (just so we’re clear: I don’t really like Annie, but if what happened to her with the whole papers situation happened TO ME, oh boy, I would have taken my dragon for a little roast-n-toast tour around the city. Nero would have paled in comparison. I have to give her that, I don’t know what zen-relax-Tibet-monastery-8h rain sounds-love frequency style meditation she did in those ten pages, but like… sharing is caring girl, tell me your secrets because I would have, physically and metaphorically, raised hell.) and she damn right slaps Lee and tells him “you’re dumb” —> 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙥𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙.
"𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙤𝙩. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙋𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧? 𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣'𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚!"
𝘼𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣, 𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙞𝙩, 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙤𝙗𝙫𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨.
𝘾𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙖 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙖 𝙣𝙤𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙭𝙖𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. "𝙂𝙚𝙩 𝙪𝙥," 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙢𝙚, "𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙣. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙩𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙣 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝.” (This is in Lee’s pov btw)
YAAAASSS QUEEN, BACKHAND THAT ANASTASIA WANNABE!!!
I just had to put this out there because this moment alone made me glad I didn’t dnf the book. Pure satisfaction. I’m not kidding, the world would have ended without Crissa. Period.
Delo was just- dreamy. Nothing bad to say about him, he’s an absolute sweetheart. I hope we’ll get to see his more combative side in the next volume. If he and Griff don’t get a well deserved happy ending I’m gonna scream, sue and declare war.
Last two points:
1. The dragons got together before their riders did??? At first I thought “nooo, it can’t be, I’m just having ptsd from fourth wing” (Iykyk) but then… I mean, Pallor and Aela are a little too comfortable with each other. It was lowkey weird, I can’t lie, in the same way watching my friend’s two cats embrace is weird. Like I’m interrupting something. But then I realized that they’re probably the healthiest and most reasonable couple in the series. And baby dragons would be adorable. Congrats to Lee and Annie for possibly becoming grandparents before even getting officially together!! Invite me to the wedding and send over those little fire breathing scaled cats.
2. How many people can be resurrected in two pages?
I’m sure there must be a three-max limit.
This review will most probably be a chaotic rant because this book took out the last bit of patience I had towards anything. The amount of rhetoric brilliancy and cohesion you’ll find here is still more significant than the number of well thought, smart decisions made throughout the story.
Okay so let’s go- ANNIE. Dear god, I wasn’t this frustrated with a mc since Tessa (from TID) AND LET ME TELL YOU IT WAS P E R S O N A L BETWEEN ME AND THAT GIRL. Like on sight. Like I was ready to yank her out of those pages to slap some sense into her with a baobab. Anyway, the flames of my feud with Tessa have long simmered down (I still don’t forgive and forget. Even if she was cool in TLH) but I guess that having serious, scorching beef with literal ink on paper is like caffeine to me and I drink nearly seven coffees a day baby, it’s a drug I won’t quit.
There are no words to convey how much she annoyed me for basically 90% of the book and how much I was itching to throw my laptop against the wall simply because I couldn’t throw her off of very tall somethings (cue “is it over now?” Because that’s actually what I was asking myself at every page turn).
She is supposed to be top of her class, the bright light of this generation and head of an army basically, girl I wouldn’t trust you with keeping your skin wet in the ocean LET ALONE with leading people into war.
She’s described as being incredibly intelligent and competent, but when she finds out that *SHOCKING* the ministry of propaganda actually does what a ministry of propaganda is supposed to do (aka spread misleading information and cover up tragedies) she’s there like “omg no, it can’t be, it’s impossible!! (Source: trust me bro) … can it be???” And is so flabbergasted that you’d believe she’s just spotted The Rock cooking pancakes on a mf dragon, ready to save the day.
Again, isn’t this supposed to be common knowledge? That if you have an ACTIVE ministry of propaganda in the first place it means there’s something fishy going on and that “freedom of speech” is not a free as you think??
There are also a lot of scenes that exist solely for the purpose of making her look “”badass””, like when someone is shouting insults at her and she responds with “yeah, I know”. If I had a penny for every single time I had to shout “YOU’RE NOT COOL, YOU JUST LACK BASIC HUMAN DECENCY AND PEOPLE SKILLS” at a mc, boy would I be swimming in gold right now. And listen, I love tough lady. You can bet I’ll be rooting for the baddest, cruelest, coldest, most unhinged and criminally chargeable woman in town with a happy smile on my face and my hands ready to clap BUT THEY’VE GOT TO HAVE A MOTIVE SOMEHOW.
What possibly annoyed me the most about Annie was the fact that she didn’t even believe in her own cause. She straight up didn’t have one. She was hammering my head with that “I do what it takes” simply because she had to prove herself to a leader she didn’t trust, for a motive so absent that I might as well started playing “where’s waldo?” with it considering how hard it was to find.
That and the fact that her loyalty to Lee was MIA for 90% of the book. I don’t care a lot about Lee, but if I had to choose between the boy I grew up with, my best friend/love of my life(??), who’s trying to overthrow a crusty dusty dictator and said dictator (who also tried to kill him. Twice.) YOU BEST BELIEVE I’m choosing my boy’s hot, perfect, funny, blonde girl friend and former fling- I’m kidding, I AM KIDDING, okay. I would side with Lee. Even if a spinning top has a clearer direction in mind than him. It’s just a matter of loyalty, but Annie’s to busy complaining about her shitty job (that she absolutely did not choose and clearly cannot leave because of… reasons(?) that escape me at the moment but rest assured! they’re there!! Alive and breathing pals.) and crying herself to sleep (for actions she was forced to commit!!! :(( oh, by whom you ask? Well… herself.)
She talked so much about “Lee and I are in this TOGETHER. We’ll do this TOGETHER!” that I was half (fully) expecting her to throw a basketball ball at him, pull out two wigs and a microphone and just cosplay Troy and Gabriela from high school musical. Sadly, I was wrong. Because as soon as Lee would (understandably) showcase signs of trauma, her only response was “well, too bad. I don’t need winy babies in my army”. That’s Antigone sur Aela to you, firstrider of empathy and commander of comfort.
Also, for someone who literally said “my job is to think”… babe, how is the employment center? No but really, the line of technically* unemployed people here is so long they should start doing roll-calls (* I say “technically” because they are *technically* told to resign… but they continue doing their job so-).
At this point you may be thinking “why do you keep referring to the 90% mark? You’ve insulted her enough to make it very clear that your hate for her is definite”
Well. I don’t know what to tell you except that something/someone (unfortunately not me with the aforementioned baobab) must have hit her on the head so hard that it altered not only her brain but the course of history, hence making her less annoying. Annoying Annie is no more, I present to you… Atonement Annie? Absolution Annie? Anointed Annie? Pick what floats your boat!
Apparently seeing other people fire on HER civilians (to fire on) unlocked something in her (critical thinking? Maybe? Empathy?). It was very much giving that one A message in PLL when another A tries to interfere with the game so the original A writes “no one plays with my dolls -A(nnie)”.
So yeah, in the last 10% go Annie WAIT HOLD ON I ALMOST FORGOT- this girl wants to kill dragons. KILL. DRAGONS. Because that’s her response to the stupidity of men. Nevermind ann*e, fuck off.
Now, moving on, Lee. He’s not as stupid as Annie while simultaneously being so much worse. They’re both dumb, just in different fonts. I think it would be so interesting to watch him live in a generation of conmen and professional internet trolls, because let me tell you that man is getting scammed, robbed AND beaten at the first step he takes out of the house. Screw that, he’s probably getting tricked inside the house too, walls don’t act as insect sprays for foolishness.
There’s a scene in which it is revealed that two of his friends are together and it was so obvious, a dead plant would have figured it out, BUT NOT LEE no no. He stands there like “wow, really?? I would have never imagined!”. To add to his stupidity, he wants to talk to Annie in order to apologize (at least one of them knows how to) but when he doesn’t find her Power (Annie’s new found emotional support ragdoll “””friend””” and “”former””, but actually present time, bully) assures him that he’ll let her know he stopped by.
*deep, heavy, stressed breaths*
In case you’re as thick as Lee is (which I hope you’re not) Power clearly hates and resents him, and is also in love with Annie (more on that later). But Lee, who is partially aware of this (for the first part, al least) doesn’t think twice about trusting his words.
Also, he is perfectly aware of the fact that Megara HAATEEESSSSS Annie’s guts and that she’s written malicious things about her in the past, but it never occurs to him that maybe, just maybe, he should read the articles Megara writes before printing them. He is at loss for words every time he sees that Annie’s upset about the paper and acts all pitiful, as if he couldn’t have guessed it??? And he never even talks about it with Megara or tries to stop her, he simply tells Annie (after they’ve reconciled) that he will “correct that part of the article” referring to the disgusting slut shaming his new ally perpetuated on Annie’s expense. Thanks king, really incinerating those double standards with your dragonfire. Atreus might have written the revolution’s manifesto, but Lee is truly out there dubbing Mary Wollstonecraft, writing the FEMINIST manifesto.
Talking of feminism- Megara.
She is one of the leaders of the second revolution, the one that’s supposed to be overthrowing a classist system, except that apparently coherence and feminism don’t go well with her new vision (like black and blue) so she doesn’t really feel above writing articles that solidify an already popular (sexist and classist) rumor. But, I mean, it’s about Annie, she’s her enemy, so it must be okay, right?? Well, no, not really.
I’ve not been kind to Annie in this review (and I do have to admit that she condoned classism at certain points, so part of that article was truthful) but I will NOT accept sexism and slut shaming, especially when Megara knows that what she wrote is a complete lie and that would hurt her “”friend”” too by reflex. Reporting Annie’s wrongs is one thing, calling her Lee’s “rightful slave and whore” (I don’t remember the exact words but it was something like this. Awful.) is another. And when people try to confront her about it she’s there like “well, she deserved it. I was just trying to do the right thing”. ???
Ma’am, your “”trying”” is not enough, crawl back to Sexismville alone and think about your poor life choices.
Also, considering that a girl cannot have too many side hustles, she occasionally plays home wrecker between Annie and Lee EXCEPT THAT THERE IS NO HOME TO WRECK HERE BECAUSE ANNIE AND LEE’S RELATIONSHIP IS MORE AKIN TO A SHACK BURNED DOWN TO RUINS.
Bob the builder is not enough for these two, they need a full-blown miracle from above.
Her relationship with Cor was as predictable as it is nonsense but whatever.
The topic of unphatomable couples brings me to our next classist: Power.
(And before you ask it, no, I don’t know why some characters are given names like “Antigone” and “Leo” when others are named “Power” or “Duck”. It’s not even about their social background, because Antigone comes from a poorer family while Power is part of an aristocratic one.)
Power is straight up a dick. There’s no other way to put it. He’s the type of guy who thinks that telling a woman to “go back into the kitchen” is peak comedy and if you dare not laugh he says that you’re just “too sensible” and “can’t take a joke” and ultimately calls you an “annoying, feminist bitch”. He’s a bully, but he’s adopted, and apparently those two things cancel each other out so we’re supposed to root for him? He acts like an eight grader who’s just discovered my chemical romance and the ability to lock his bedroom’s door, so no, I won’t feel sorry for him.
His “””character development””” is erratic at best: he keeps treating everyone as if they were below him, but he also starts helping Annie (only because he has feelings for her) and by “helping” I mean that he’s officially hired as her emotional punching bag (leaving the unemployed line, I see). And if you’re thinking “well, this dynamic cannot work, it’s unhealthy” you’d be correct… that’s it. There’s no upside to that.
Annie wants someone who will comfort her and tell her “you’re not a terrible person, but you sure are on the right way to become one!!” Ugh, I wish someone had told her exactly that but no, she just wants someone she can treat poorly without feeling like an asshole.
Power likes to punch and get punched, so they work.
That is until Annie finally realizes that *surprise surprise* Power is in love with her, and seemingly this is a step too far. Also, her childhood best friend/ estranged lover/ lowkey rival/ og emotional punching bag/ pillow/ human-sized pacifier (Lee) is willing to give their relationship? Friendship? Weirdest situationship in Aurelian history(???) a second chance, so you already know our girl is running, sprinting, mounting on her dragon to go back to him. Power notices this and turns into an incel (…who would have thought. Not me.) because being a dreadful cretin is his only mastered form of socializing and coping mechanism all in one. Buy 1 get 3 type of deal.
Rip Power, you would have loved womenlovebadboys/reddit and male podcasts.
There’s also Duck, he’s essentially useless so I don’t have much to say about him, except for the ending where we find out that he’s been useless, yes, but only to one side of this conflict.
FINALLY, my favorites, Crissa and Delo. My precious, sweet, beautiful, adorable darlings.
Crissa is everything Annie WISHES she was, but one thousand times better. Apparently she’s the only one the gods have bestowed the wonderful gift of critical thinking upon and, luckily for me, she uses it. She’s a friend, a therapist, a scolding mother and the one who single-handedly carried the communication in this group like cellphones do in our world, she’s the whole package basically. When she sat those little rascals down and said “Let me explain a few things to the three of you.” I KNEW my queen was standing on business!!
She’s also the first one to stand up against what was written about Annie (just so we’re clear: I don’t really like Annie, but if what happened to her with the whole papers situation happened TO ME, oh boy, I would have taken my dragon for a little roast-n-toast tour around the city. Nero would have paled in comparison. I have to give her that, I don’t know what zen-relax-Tibet-monastery-8h rain sounds-love frequency style meditation she did in those ten pages, but like… sharing is caring girl, tell me your secrets because I would have, physically and metaphorically, raised hell.) and she damn right slaps Lee and tells him “you’re dumb” —> 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙥𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙.
"𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙤𝙩. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙋𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧? 𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣'𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚!"
𝘼𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣, 𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙞𝙩, 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙤𝙗𝙫𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨.
𝘾𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙖 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙖 𝙣𝙤𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙭𝙖𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. "𝙂𝙚𝙩 𝙪𝙥," 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙢𝙚, "𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙣. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙩𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙣 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝.” (This is in Lee’s pov btw)
YAAAASSS QUEEN, BACKHAND THAT ANASTASIA WANNABE!!!
I just had to put this out there because this moment alone made me glad I didn’t dnf the book. Pure satisfaction. I’m not kidding, the world would have ended without Crissa. Period.
Delo was just- dreamy. Nothing bad to say about him, he’s an absolute sweetheart. I hope we’ll get to see his more combative side in the next volume. If he and Griff don’t get a well deserved happy ending I’m gonna scream, sue and declare war.
Last two points:
1. The dragons got together before their riders did??? At first I thought “nooo, it can’t be, I’m just having ptsd from fourth wing” (Iykyk) but then… I mean, Pallor and Aela are a little too comfortable with each other. It was lowkey weird, I can’t lie, in the same way watching my friend’s two cats embrace is weird. Like I’m interrupting something. But then I realized that they’re probably the healthiest and most reasonable couple in the series. And baby dragons would be adorable. Congrats to Lee and Annie for possibly becoming grandparents before even getting officially together!! Invite me to the wedding and send over those little fire breathing scaled cats.
2. How many people can be resurrected in two pages?
I’m sure there must be a three-max limit.
February 19, 2020
I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek of this book, and I'm still thinking about it weeks later. Don't crack this one if you have something else to do with your day...or night. Once you open it, you won't be able to put it down. Full of big emotions, dragon fire, and COMPLICATED choices, (and So.Much.Hot.Chemistry) this one will grab you and never let go. Go ahead. Open the book. You've been warned...
June 6, 2023
★ true rating: 4.5 stars ★
This series got a chokehold on me! 😩
I read this in literally 2 days because the angst was at 💯 the entire time! The new POV Griff really helped expand the story, and I enjoyed learning about the dragonlords from New Pythos and the oppressed native Norcian population. Annie and Lee's relationship is at an all time mess, and wooooeeee was it hard to get through. The main trope used was "miscommunication" which is MY LEAST fav trope... HOWEVER, the author did execute it in a way that totally made sense, so I couldn't even be mad. Like if I was these characters I wouldn't be talking to my friends either lollllllll. It was hard at times because this isolated my baby Annie from her friends when she was doing the best she could!! This situation did lead to MY fav development in this story, which was surprisingly Power - he was such a douche in the first book, but they really expanded his story here. The worst part was the new baddie introduced; Ixion - this man, oh he need to die in the next book, he is too much lol.
on my way to read book 3 because that ending? wooooo I nearly died.
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Fireborne, #1 ★★★★★
Flamefall, #2 ★★★★★
Furysong, #3 ★★★★★
This series got a chokehold on me! 😩
I read this in literally 2 days because the angst was at 💯 the entire time! The new POV Griff really helped expand the story, and I enjoyed learning about the dragonlords from New Pythos and the oppressed native Norcian population. Annie and Lee's relationship is at an all time mess, and wooooeeee was it hard to get through. The main trope used was "miscommunication" which is MY LEAST fav trope... HOWEVER, the author did execute it in a way that totally made sense, so I couldn't even be mad. Like if I was these characters I wouldn't be talking to my friends either lollllllll. It was hard at times because this isolated my baby Annie from her friends when she was doing the best she could!! This situation did lead to MY fav development in this story, which was surprisingly Power - he was such a douche in the first book, but they really expanded his story here. The worst part was the new baddie introduced; Ixion - this man, oh he need to die in the next book, he is too much lol.
on my way to read book 3 because that ending? wooooo I nearly died.
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Fireborne, #1 ★★★★★
Flamefall, #2 ★★★★★
Furysong, #3 ★★★★★
April 4, 2021
Books like this are why I love reading. Most books are middling or forgettable but occasionally, you read one that sinks it’s claws in deep. The Aurelian Cycle is one of those. You cry, you’re outraged, you’re in pain. Hours pass and you barely realize it because you’ve been so consumed by this story. You close the book breathless, heart pounding, as if you were there, side-by-side with characters who have become friends. Flamefall is vibrant, pulsing, and raw in a way few novels are. The characters tow the line between good and bad so efficiently that you support any decision they make, even if it’s one that causes other people suffering.
I haven’t felt like this in ages—exhilarated, inspired, impassioned. Sometimes I think I read because it is a hobby, because it passes the time, but books like this remind me that there is a power in storytelling that is rarely found elsewhere. What a book!
I haven’t felt like this in ages—exhilarated, inspired, impassioned. Sometimes I think I read because it is a hobby, because it passes the time, but books like this remind me that there is a power in storytelling that is rarely found elsewhere. What a book!
August 4, 2022
My most anticipated book of 2021
Rating: 4/5
"We do this together"
And then they didn't
SPOILERS!!!
Story: 4/5
I loved Fireborne. I thought it was a fantastic fantasy that showed what YA should be and that is why I was so disappointed with a few plot lines of this novel... but first, the good.
The political drama in this book was incredible. It was tense. It was thrilling. It was everything I wanted from a fantasy war of politics with intense fight scenes in between.
The revolution amidst a revolution was really really cool and it was amazing to see how both ideas were not flawless. Someone is always going to get hurt and leaders of revolutions are often selfish.
The inner conflict Antigone deals with in this novel was also really beautiful to watch unfold and I found myself agreeing with all her actions.
Griff being introduced was strange for the first portion but then I grew to love him, I truly hope he doesn't die after that ending.
Also the male/male romance between him and Delo was really sweet.
Now what I don't like.
Lee was a fucking dumbass throughout this entire book. And yes, he was dumb in the first book too, but we were bashed over the head with the idea that he knew Annie far too well to EVER be dumb when it came to her.
The majority of the conflict in this book revolves around Lee deciding he's not going to talk to Antigone because he's too angry about a rational decision she made and he's going to go jump on board with a radical revolutionist named Megara and abandon his girlfriend.
Megara shreds Annie's reputation repeatedly and Lee just goes "yeah that's okay, Annie will get over it" so many times it drove me mad. Antigone reached her neck out so many times for him and he was too dense to see that she was actually trying to make their crisis better.
Lee also forgot about the war for like 90% of the book because he wanted to be a hero.
It was just really annoying and I didn't like how the plot line was set up.
If you have to dumb down your characters (especially on things they're supposed to know so much about- y'know- like the love of their life-) then the plot line probably isn't very good.
Still, I found most of the story very good, I just hated the back and forth with Lee.
Characters: 4.5/5
As I said above. Lee is a dumb bitch baby in this book and I hated him for 90% of the plot. He had his good moments but most of it was him being stupid.
The fact that Crissa said it wasn't his fault Duck died pisses me off too, if he wasn't sitting on his ass brooding, Duck would be alive. He literally didn't do his job during a war because his girlfriend chose to save lives rather rather play revolution with him.
Anyways onto the characters I fucking adored.
Antigone. Gods I love Annie. She is one of my favorite protagonists because you KNOW she has a dark side when it comes to doing what she thinks is right.
She makes tough calls in this book and is raked over the coals for them. It's rare that we see a protagonist so strong be dragged into the mud so deep by the people around them. Usually YA protagonists are widely loved not despised by the public.
She's called bitch, whore, slut, liar, murderer, by all the people she's fighting to defend and she doesn't stop to reconsider more than once.
She is a silent badass who rules with an iron fist and a golden heart.
I love her.
Griff was also really amazing. He was gentle, caring, and willing to do whatever it took to save his people even if it meant losing the man he loves.
Delo and Griff's relationships was one of my favorite aspects of the novel. The political controversy of them being together lead to some really interesting side plots and sneaking around. It was just sweet to watch it develop.
Megara and Cor. I hated them both. Megara was annoying and conniving, she doesn't seem like a leader, just a spoiled brat who won the role. She repeatedly targeted Annie rather than Atreus for gods knows what reason and just was a total bitch.
I have no clue why Lee was just like "wow this woman is going to lead us to victory"
Cor was also an idiot.
Writing: 5/5
Yeah the writing was incredible.
I love Munda's stories. YA is often grossly saturated romance stories with weak plots and terrible dialogue *cough cough* Cassandra Clare. But Munda builds deeply beautiful worlds and political intrigue that makes YA worth reading.
I hope more people follow in her footsteps.
Rating: 4/5
"We do this together"
And then they didn't
SPOILERS!!!
Story: 4/5
I loved Fireborne. I thought it was a fantastic fantasy that showed what YA should be and that is why I was so disappointed with a few plot lines of this novel... but first, the good.
The political drama in this book was incredible. It was tense. It was thrilling. It was everything I wanted from a fantasy war of politics with intense fight scenes in between.
The revolution amidst a revolution was really really cool and it was amazing to see how both ideas were not flawless. Someone is always going to get hurt and leaders of revolutions are often selfish.
The inner conflict Antigone deals with in this novel was also really beautiful to watch unfold and I found myself agreeing with all her actions.
Griff being introduced was strange for the first portion but then I grew to love him, I truly hope he doesn't die after that ending.
Also the male/male romance between him and Delo was really sweet.
Now what I don't like.
Lee was a fucking dumbass throughout this entire book. And yes, he was dumb in the first book too, but we were bashed over the head with the idea that he knew Annie far too well to EVER be dumb when it came to her.
The majority of the conflict in this book revolves around Lee deciding he's not going to talk to Antigone because he's too angry about a rational decision she made and he's going to go jump on board with a radical revolutionist named Megara and abandon his girlfriend.
Megara shreds Annie's reputation repeatedly and Lee just goes "yeah that's okay, Annie will get over it" so many times it drove me mad. Antigone reached her neck out so many times for him and he was too dense to see that she was actually trying to make their crisis better.
Lee also forgot about the war for like 90% of the book because he wanted to be a hero.
It was just really annoying and I didn't like how the plot line was set up.
If you have to dumb down your characters (especially on things they're supposed to know so much about- y'know- like the love of their life-) then the plot line probably isn't very good.
Still, I found most of the story very good, I just hated the back and forth with Lee.
Characters: 4.5/5
As I said above. Lee is a dumb bitch baby in this book and I hated him for 90% of the plot. He had his good moments but most of it was him being stupid.
The fact that Crissa said it wasn't his fault Duck died pisses me off too, if he wasn't sitting on his ass brooding, Duck would be alive. He literally didn't do his job during a war because his girlfriend chose to save lives rather rather play revolution with him.
Anyways onto the characters I fucking adored.
Antigone. Gods I love Annie. She is one of my favorite protagonists because you KNOW she has a dark side when it comes to doing what she thinks is right.
She makes tough calls in this book and is raked over the coals for them. It's rare that we see a protagonist so strong be dragged into the mud so deep by the people around them. Usually YA protagonists are widely loved not despised by the public.
She's called bitch, whore, slut, liar, murderer, by all the people she's fighting to defend and she doesn't stop to reconsider more than once.
She is a silent badass who rules with an iron fist and a golden heart.
I love her.
Griff was also really amazing. He was gentle, caring, and willing to do whatever it took to save his people even if it meant losing the man he loves.
Delo and Griff's relationships was one of my favorite aspects of the novel. The political controversy of them being together lead to some really interesting side plots and sneaking around. It was just sweet to watch it develop.
Megara and Cor. I hated them both. Megara was annoying and conniving, she doesn't seem like a leader, just a spoiled brat who won the role. She repeatedly targeted Annie rather than Atreus for gods knows what reason and just was a total bitch.
I have no clue why Lee was just like "wow this woman is going to lead us to victory"
Cor was also an idiot.
Writing: 5/5
Yeah the writing was incredible.
I love Munda's stories. YA is often grossly saturated romance stories with weak plots and terrible dialogue *cough cough* Cassandra Clare. But Munda builds deeply beautiful worlds and political intrigue that makes YA worth reading.
I hope more people follow in her footsteps.
March 26, 2021
After Fireborne, I couldn’t wait to read Flamefall by Rosaria Munda. I loved Fireborne and I got everything I loved about it in Flamefall plus a lot more. First off, the addition of Griff, a lowborn from New Pythos and a voice that added such depth to the story. Annie and Lee are two other POV that perfectly round out this story.
There are a few things about Flamefall that really just sucked me in and made this series an all-time favorite: I loved that there is a same-sex romance that crosses the social caste system set in place. I loved being able to see the character growth compared to the first book. The character arcs and sense of consciousness between the narrators worked so well in Flamefall and I loved the insight it gave me on both sides of the political issues plaguing this world. And then, there’s the real terror and penalties of war, especially when there may be a personal stake or involvement in both sides.
The Aurelian Cycle series is one of the best political fantasies that I’ve read and this is because it has what I call the triple threat: 1) Great world-structuring 2) Emotive Characters that are easy to become emotionally invested in & 3) A well developed plot that makes me want to know more.
Flamefall is a 5-star read for me and I cannot wait to see where Ms. Munda takes the third book in this series. Thank you @PenguinTeen for #Gifting me a copy of #Flamefall
There are a few things about Flamefall that really just sucked me in and made this series an all-time favorite: I loved that there is a same-sex romance that crosses the social caste system set in place. I loved being able to see the character growth compared to the first book. The character arcs and sense of consciousness between the narrators worked so well in Flamefall and I loved the insight it gave me on both sides of the political issues plaguing this world. And then, there’s the real terror and penalties of war, especially when there may be a personal stake or involvement in both sides.
The Aurelian Cycle series is one of the best political fantasies that I’ve read and this is because it has what I call the triple threat: 1) Great world-structuring 2) Emotive Characters that are easy to become emotionally invested in & 3) A well developed plot that makes me want to know more.
Flamefall is a 5-star read for me and I cannot wait to see where Ms. Munda takes the third book in this series. Thank you @PenguinTeen for #Gifting me a copy of #Flamefall
April 19, 2024
“I’d know Antigone sur Aela by their silhouette alone, even in a world bleached of color”
I cried …. so much in this book. and it’s not even funny cause WHAT. The codependency portrayed between Annie and Lee because of their shared past + Trauma and then to show them standing on their own two feet and fighting for what they both believe is right no matter the drift it causes between them WAS INSANE. I don’t think i’ve recovered still.
Also hate Rosaria Munda for making me like Power !!! what !! do you know how disgusted i am with my self cause i was giggling and kicking my feet everytime he spilled over it was VILE.
The addition of Griff and Dilo was surprisingly interesting. When they were first introduced i was annoyed but i quickly got used to them and found their stories so interesting- can’t wait to see how it plays out!
I cried …. so much in this book. and it’s not even funny cause WHAT. The codependency portrayed between Annie and Lee because of their shared past + Trauma and then to show them standing on their own two feet and fighting for what they both believe is right no matter the drift it causes between them WAS INSANE. I don’t think i’ve recovered still.
Also hate Rosaria Munda for making me like Power !!! what !! do you know how disgusted i am with my self cause i was giggling and kicking my feet everytime he spilled over it was VILE.
The addition of Griff and Dilo was surprisingly interesting. When they were first introduced i was annoyed but i quickly got used to them and found their stories so interesting- can’t wait to see how it plays out!
September 2, 2022
4.75
Can't wait to pick up the next book with that ending.
Really loved the bonds of friendships. Love Lee. All that misunderstanding due to lack of communication just got on my nevers. Dint like Annie for a bit there, but loved how she changed. Wish this was an adult book, as people aged 17 and 18 having to deal with what seems to me as such real topics just doesn't seem ok. Holding my breath to see what happens next.
Highlights:
• No shadow is so great that it doesn’t shrink when viewed from the air.
Can't wait to pick up the next book with that ending.
Really loved the bonds of friendships. Love Lee. All that misunderstanding due to lack of communication just got on my nevers. Dint like Annie for a bit there, but loved how she changed. Wish this was an adult book, as people aged 17 and 18 having to deal with what seems to me as such real topics just doesn't seem ok. Holding my breath to see what happens next.
Highlights:
• No shadow is so great that it doesn’t shrink when viewed from the air.
May 7, 2024
“But keeping power is so much more difficult than gaining it. You have to make sacrifices. You keep sacrificing until you realize the thing you've sacrificed is yourself.”
This is what I'm talking about! All the misgivings I had about the first book were fixed in this one. I was so completely attached to these characters. I felt like the stakes were higher and politics more complex. There were a few times I was sobbing while reading (which is a sign of a 5-star read in my opinion.)
Characters were so imperfect and morally gray. I was even questioning myself about whether their decisions were right or wrong. Everyone thought they were doing what was best, but I could not decide the best solution. I had to sit and contemplate certain scenes and actions.
I also loved the new POV with Griff. It shed light on how awful the Dragonborn were before the revolution, which we only had glimpses of in the previous book. I enjoyed his side of the story and love him as a character. Also, I think Power had a bit of a redemption arc in this. I hope he finds happiness in the next book.
Overall, I can't wait to continue with the series. (that cliffhanger 😱)
This is what I'm talking about! All the misgivings I had about the first book were fixed in this one. I was so completely attached to these characters. I felt like the stakes were higher and politics more complex. There were a few times I was sobbing while reading (which is a sign of a 5-star read in my opinion.)
Characters were so imperfect and morally gray. I was even questioning myself about whether their decisions were right or wrong. Everyone thought they were doing what was best, but I could not decide the best solution. I had to sit and contemplate certain scenes and actions.
I also loved the new POV with Griff. It shed light on how awful the Dragonborn were before the revolution, which we only had glimpses of in the previous book. I enjoyed his side of the story and love him as a character. Also, I think Power had a bit of a redemption arc in this. I hope he finds happiness in the next book.
Overall, I can't wait to continue with the series. (that cliffhanger 😱)
June 27, 2024
I am unwell
December 13, 2025
A great follow-up to Fireborne! Griff’s POV was a fantastic new addition to the story that helped expand the world and bring in a new perspective. I got really invested in his storyline, and there were moments when I was almost more interested in what was going on with him and his side of the conflict.
I was still also rooting for Annie & Lee the whole time. The war is escalating quickly, and they were struggling a lot with their respective roles. There was a bit of back and forth with some characters and I wasn‘t sure whether I felt more frustrated or understanding, definitely annoyed. The shifting loyalties were kinda emotionally draining, but I’m glad things got sorted towards the end (hopefully).
Oh, and what an ending it was! After that cliffhanger, I had to jump into Furysong immediately!
I was still also rooting for Annie & Lee the whole time. The war is escalating quickly, and they were struggling a lot with their respective roles. There was a bit of back and forth with some characters and I wasn‘t sure whether I felt more frustrated or understanding, definitely annoyed. The shifting loyalties were kinda emotionally draining, but I’m glad things got sorted towards the end (hopefully).
Oh, and what an ending it was! After that cliffhanger, I had to jump into Furysong immediately!
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