Why You *Need* to Read Fireborne by Rosaria Munda

In early 2022 Penguin Teen shared the cover for Furysong, the third and final book in the Aurelian Cycle trilogy by Rosaria Munda. Oh my gosh, it is a beautiful work of art. Seeing the cover reminded me of how much I love this series and how eager I am for the third book to be out.

For some background, I first read Fireborne in October of 2019, right before the book actually released. Penguin Teen was kind enough to send me a hardcover copy of the book, which I treasure so much. The first book became an instant favorite for me.

Flash forward to Summer 2020. I was lucky enough to get an e-ARC for the sequel, and it ripped my heart into shreds in the best way. I remember finishing the book at the dining table and sitting there, mind scrambling and processing after I finished. (PS without exaggeration, this sequel made me scream and sob! I have a witness to this).

Later that year, I won an annotated copy of the first book (with the new cover!) from the author herself. It is easily my most prized bookish possession. Since then, I’ve also gone on to collect different copies of the book, including a physical ARC and sampler. I also got my partner to read Fireborne & Flamefall. So, to say the least, I really really love these books.

With the third book coming out later this year, on August 9th, I decided to round up the top seven reasons I love this trilogy, so that I can convince you to read it too. Now is the perfect time to start reading the first two books, right in time for the third!

7 Reasons You Have to Read the Aurelian Cycle

1. Teenage protagonists who experience growth and emotional maturity, while also being teenagers. Rosaria Munda has shared on social media about how she wanted her teenage characters to feel like teenagers, and it truly shows. The characters read as the age they are and are portrayed beautifully. The character development is *chef’s kiss* and this series contains an exploration of morals that will make ANY reader who likes gray characters excited.

2. Duck. AKA, one of my all time favorite characters absolutely ever. Duck, or formally known as Dorian, is a member of the dragonriding fleet featured in the novels. He is a precious being, who is a human cinnamon roll. When I first read Fireborne I cried over how sweet he is.

3. Dragons! One aspect that I adore about this series is how each dragon rider has their own dragon who emotionally connects to them. The fleet of dragons and their riders is a complicated found family sort-of vibe. Both books heavily features dragons, so this book would be perfect for any fantasy lover who appreciates a good dragon tale.

4. The sequel is already out, and the third book will be out this Summer. So, it’s the perfect time to get caught up on the series. There couldn’t be a better time to pick up this series than right now. You won’t have to wait to read the sequel, and the third book will be out in a handful of months.

5. Slow burn, angsty, keep you on your toes romance. I won’t say much about this here because this is something you have to experience for yourself (and also I don’t want to spoil it). But, this romance is incredible. It’s a slowwww burn with lots of angst and features two characters who are strong and independent.

6. The secret identity trope. You know, the one where a character isn’t being totally honest about who they are. I love the tension and intrigue this trope causes, and it is portrayed perfectly in this series.

7. Political Intrigue and morally gray characters in a world of shifting politics. Munda has a talent for writing complicated politics and creating characters with various morals. I cannot stress enough how incredible the writing and political world building this story contains. If you’re a reader who loves fantasy, you’re going to be blown away by this book.

If you can’t already tell, I have so much love for these books. Fireborne is one of my all time favorite books and I can hardly believe that the last book in the trilogy is almost out. I am both excited and terrified for Furysong. It’s that feeling of being so excited for another book in a world you love, but terrified all the characters are going to die.

But, anyways, this series is incredible and I can’t recommend it enough.

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Now is a great time to say a quick thank you to Penguin Teen for introducing me to this series that I love so much. I am so thankful for being provided with early copies of books one and two. Thank you so much!

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Have you read Fireborne or Flamefall? Are they on your TBR? Let’s chat! ❤️