Book Review: Fireborn by Rosaria Munda

Fireborn is filled with action, suspense, rivalry, romance, and dragons! It is a story about teenagers who come of age after a revolution that was supposed to help prevent prejudices. In their new regime, it doesn’t matter if you are born into a rich family or a poor family. Each person is assigned an armband and social class depending upon how well they perform on a test. Teens with top test scores earn the opportunity to train as dragonriders only if they are chosen by a dragon during a choosing ceremony. The privileged few, who prove their ability to ride and fight, will be given the coveted responsibility to defend their community as Guardians and take vows to serve Capllipois.

The two main characters Lee and Annie grow up together in an orphanage and form a friendship. The families they were born into came from very different backgrounds. Lee descends from an aristocratic family of dragonriders while Annie came from a poor family. Lee and Annie both excel on their test and perform exceptionally well on their dragons. The two friends end up competing as rivals for the top position of First Protector. It is interesting to watch the interactions between Lee and Annie as their friendship continues to grow. They look out for each other and their personalities develop. Lee becomes less entitled and more compassionate for the circumstances of others while Annie grows in both confidence and leadership skills. Annie is given a note reminding her of the public nature of the position and suggesting that she throw the match.

The teens face a variety of social/moral dilemmas. What kind of government is best? How should people in the different classes treat each other? How should food rations be collected and distributed? Should those assigned iron bands have a choice concerning their profession? Is the new social system actually preventing prejudices or reinforcing them? Should certain types of literature and art be banned? Should my loyalties be with my family members or my community?

I enjoyed the story and the special relationship that existed between Lee and Annie. I appreciated that Lee was determined to get a test redo in order to give Annie a fair chance at the top position of First Protector. I enjoyed seeing the way the characters managed the moral and social dilemmas they faced. The story kept my attention and interest however it did leave me wanting. What I wanted was for the dragons to be fully developed as characters. I felt like I was never given the opportunity to learn details about the dragon’s individual personalities.

I recommend this book if you are looking for a good young adult fantasy novel with some adventure, suspense, and romance. On a 1 to 5 scale, I rate this book 4 stars. It is definitely better than my average read!