Fireborne

By Author / Illustrator

Rosaria Munda

Genre

Fantasy

Age range(s)

14+

Publisher

Dorling Kindersley

ISBN

9780241771259

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

08-05-2025

Synopsis

Game of Thrones meets Fourth Wing in this fantasy YA from viral BookTok author Rosaria Munda that's full of rivalry, romance and dragons - now available in the UK.

When the revolution came, everything changed. The old rulers were overthrown and the city's traditions were shattered. Annie and Lee grew up in the aftermath, their lives shaped by the chaos. Brought together in the same orphanage and despite their differences, they became each other's closest ally. But years of training have turned their friendship into rivalry as they now compete to lead the city's legendary dragonriders.

Just as they're finding their footing, a new threat arises: survivors of the old regime are back, determined to take revenge. As dragons soar into battle and the city's future hangs in the balance, Annie and Lee must decide what truly matters: the bonds of family, the loyalty of friendship, or the destiny they've been fighting for all along.

This action-packed adventure of courage, betrayal, and the choices that shape us, written by internationally bestselling author Rosaria Munda, is a powerful story about discovering where you belong - and who you are willing to fight for. Look out for fantasy, adventure - and romance!

Reviews

Jacqueline

Lee and Annie have been friends since they met at the orphanage. Now they are both dragonriders and their pasts come back to haunt them. Will those pasts tear them apart or will the bonds forged learning to ride dragons over come what has happened? Set in a land with a recent revolutionary past, Lee and Annie come from entirely opposite backgrounds, and both are given the chance to have new lives in this new society.

YA book Fireborne is part of a new branching out for publisher DK, from solely non-fiction to fiction. It is an enjoyable fantasy and by the end I was gripped. The two characters each tell the story from their own points of view with intermissions from the past which illuminate the present.

It is definitely a YA book due to the level of violence - it even starts with a massacre. The characters are all interesting, even the ones with not-so-nice traits, and this is the strength of the book. It also brought up some interesting dilemmas about managing a revolution and how far would you go in order to keep order. Kishan Rajani has created a striking cover and having seen the cover of book two, that is just as eye-catching.

If you like dragons and sweeping fantasy epics, as I do, you will enjoy this book, the first of a trilogy.

464 pages / Reviewed by Jacqueline Harris