Gripping and tense, Fireborne had me on the edge of my seat! Although slightly slow in the beginning, it picked up quickly. I enjoyed the strong character development as well as the themes of leadership and morality that it explores.
Fireborne alternates between the perspectives of Annie and Lee, and both of them are compelling, complicated characters. Annie is a low-born orphan who feels out of place and must find the confidence to step up to be a leader. Lee carries the heavy secret of being an heir from the old regime while striving to be a better person than his father. The relationship between Lee and Annie is also complex, as they care for each other deeply but their histories place them on opposite sides. Munda captures their individual emotions so well that I was nerve-wracked throughout the story. The intermittent background stories of how the new regime came to power and Annie and Lee's childhood in the orphanage were powerful.
Aside from Lee and Annie, I loved Crissa and found Power and Atreus to be especially intriguing. There are some other characters that I would've liked to see fleshed out more, like Hane and Cor. Of course, I loved the dragons and their bonds with their riders. Although there is a lot of romantic tension, there are few romantic moments in the story and I didn't mind. (Instead of star-crossed lovers, I prefer a complicated but unwavering friendship.)
This was such an action-packed read and I can't wait to see what happens in the next book!
Fireborne alternates between the perspectives of Annie and Lee, and both of them are compelling, complicated characters. Annie is a low-born orphan who feels out of place and must find the confidence to step up to be a leader. Lee carries the heavy secret of being an heir from the old regime while striving to be a better person than his father. The relationship between Lee and Annie is also complex, as they care for each other deeply but their histories place them on opposite sides. Munda captures their individual emotions so well that I was nerve-wracked throughout the story. The intermittent background stories of how the new regime came to power and Annie and Lee's childhood in the orphanage were powerful.
Aside from Lee and Annie, I loved Crissa and found Power and Atreus to be especially intriguing. There are some other characters that I would've liked to see fleshed out more, like Hane and Cor. Of course, I loved the dragons and their bonds with their riders. Although there is a lot of romantic tension, there are few romantic moments in the story and I didn't mind. (Instead of star-crossed lovers, I prefer a complicated but unwavering friendship.)
This was such an action-packed read and I can't wait to see what happens in the next book!