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A review by laicsouza
Fireborne by Rosaria Munda
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book is so, so good. So well written. It is one of those books that make you want to write but simultaneously make you doubt your ability to do something remotely as good as this.
Annie and Lee were both children when a violent revolution overthrew the triarchy regime - when three dragonborn families tyrannically dominated a serf-based society. They meet in an orphanage and, together, survive a brutal childhood, go through the new meritocratic regime's educational system and are able to enter the new military branch - the Guardians - dragonriders training to protect the Island of Calliopolis.
Even though they share this similar seven-year journey, Annie and Lee have diametral distinct origins: Annie was part of the serf class, the lowest cast of the former regime, and witnessed her family's execution by Dragonfire. Lee was born Leo, and he was the youngest son - and single survivor - of a family from one of the three aristocratic lineages that ruled Calliopolis before the revolution.
I don't want to talk more about the story cause I want to avoid spoilers.
Rosaria Munda is so amazing. She mixes these very mundane coming-of-age issues with the heaviness of former traumas. You see how the world is different for people depending on the privileges they have from birth and how change is not a light switch. It is like trying to remove oil from a surface without any soap to help. It is messy and basically impossible. It demands so much elbow grease and leaves all these dirty rags behind.
The last thing I want to mention is how effectively Munda uses flashbacks to tell the story. I could see the scenes like a movie. Memory focused on the heat that branded your memories years prior or the scent of blood - the emotion of the moment defining what you will carry with you throughout your life.
OH, for the spicy lovers: not spicy, but the way our girl describes longing... You can feel it.
Annie and Lee were both children when a violent revolution overthrew the triarchy regime - when three dragonborn families tyrannically dominated a serf-based society. They meet in an orphanage and, together, survive a brutal childhood, go through the new meritocratic regime's educational system and are able to enter the new military branch - the Guardians - dragonriders training to protect the Island of Calliopolis.
Even though they share this similar seven-year journey, Annie and Lee have diametral distinct origins: Annie was part of the serf class, the lowest cast of the former regime, and witnessed her family's execution by Dragonfire. Lee was born Leo, and he was the youngest son - and single survivor - of a family from one of the three aristocratic lineages that ruled Calliopolis before the revolution.
I don't want to talk more about the story cause I want to avoid spoilers.
Rosaria Munda is so amazing. She mixes these very mundane coming-of-age issues with the heaviness of former traumas. You see how the world is different for people depending on the privileges they have from birth and how change is not a light switch. It is like trying to remove oil from a surface without any soap to help. It is messy and basically impossible. It demands so much elbow grease and leaves all these dirty rags behind.
The last thing I want to mention is how effectively Munda uses flashbacks to tell the story. I could see the scenes like a movie. Memory focused on the heat that branded your memories years prior or the scent of blood - the emotion of the moment defining what you will carry with you throughout your life.
OH, for the spicy lovers: not spicy, but the way our girl describes longing... You can feel it.