Fireborne (Rosaria Munda)

Fireborne
The Aurelian Cycle series, Book 1
Rosaria Munda
G. P. Putnam's Sons Books
Fiction, YA Fantasy
***+ (Okay/Good)

DESCRIPTION: For centuries, Callipolis was ruled by the Triarchy of the dragonborn: aristocratic families who bonded with dragons, making free use of dragonfire to enforce their laws or whims. When the Revolution breached the palace walls, every member of the three royal families was put to death... or so the rebels believed. In the bloody aftermath, First Protector Atreus strove to rebuild society, creating a realm where one's birth did not dictate one's destiny: all are given access to books (at least, those books deemed unlikely to plant dangerous ideas), and are tested into one of the four new classes, from the unskilled labor of Iron to the elite scholars of Gold (though many old patrician families seem peculiarly prone to end up with Gold bands). And, for the first time since the animals were tamed, children of any birth rank and any gender may be tested for bonding with dragons, giving the fledgling new nation an aerial fleet unlike any other in the civilized world. But, at only ten years old, this nation is still struggling to live up to its ideals, and their dragons have yet to mature enough to spark true flames. It is a dangerous and delicate time, one that could see Callipolis rise to unprecedented heights or be reduced to ash and ruin... and that fate will be determined by the choices of two unlikely dragonriders.
Antigone, or Annie, was a serf's daughter orphaned by the cruel Lord Stormscourge long before the Revolution. She grew up fearing and hating the dragons and their keepers - until she bonded with a dragon. Annie quickly becomes one of the best riders in the new corps, a serious contender for the spot of Firstrider. Many people still whisper that those born to serfdom can never rise to power themselves, that they're ultimately happiest when they have a lord to kneel to, but Annie is determined to prove to herself and the nation that she's worth far more than mere servitude... which makes her friendship with Lee all the more ironic, even tragic.
Lee tells everyone that he's another Revolution orphan from the Cheapside district, but in truth he was once Leon Stormscourge, sole surviving son of the noble Stormscourge line. As a boy, he dreamed of running away from Callipolis to the island of New Pythia, where other exiled royals fled - and where it is said they still seethe and plot to retake their lands and throw down the lowborn usurpers. But then he got to know fellow orphan Annie, and learned just what Triarchy rule had been like outside the palaces and estates he'd known as a child. Now few are as committed to Atreus's dream as Lee, and as a dragonrider he can protect that dream and see it thrive... unless anyone finds out that one of the top riders in the fleet is a hated dragonborn. Just when he thought his secret would remain safe, he is contacted by exiled relatives, beseeching him to join them in reclaiming their city and royal birthright in a coming attack.
Annie and Lee grew up friends despite their differences in birth and background, and through their dragons have only grown closer... but never have they, or their city, been tested as they will be in the days to come.

REVIEW: As one might suspect from the names, there's a distinct classical influence to the world and themes of Fireborne. The story sometimes gets lost in those influences and themes, wending through histories and political philosophies and in-world literary references, also leaning a bit hard into the brooding and the angst and the love interests - which, here, can be extended beyond the expected yearnings between teenaged characters (who have sworn vows never to marry or have children as part of their enrollment in the aerial corps, lest a new line of dragonborn rulers rise) to include an almost romantic patriotic passion for Callipolis... at least, the Callipolis as they envision it to be, the one espoused by Atreus and the new government (particularly the propaganda wing). The reality falls somewhat short of that vision, already starting to resemble the old regime in a few too many ways, causing more angst and conflict - particularly in Lee, whose choice to embrace the new Callipolis despite his heritage faces fresh challenges as he is forced to see just what he is ultimately defending. As the daughter of serfs, Annie already knew how rotten the world could be, but also let herself be lulled and blinded by the Revolution and the charismatic First Protector... and, admittedly, the new order does have some notable improvements, particularly for the lower classes, for all that its loftiest promises are often more illusion than truth. It's also because of the Revolution that she was able to find her purpose and strength in her dragon, and the impetus to push past the ingrained habits of generations of servitude to stand up and reach for a better future. Her relationship with Lee was always a complex one, even before she figured out his true origins, and it's tested further as new feelings develop between them... and new problems, as both vie for the Firstrider post and Lee is contacted by exiled family members who expect him to turn traitor. Meanwhile, other relationships, friendships and rivalries within the corps and the government that uses their young dragonriders as political tools/props, develop throughout the story.
This is, despite some action bits here and there and a few dragon sparring matches, ultimately more a story of relationships and talking and political (and personal) maneuvering than sweeping battles and dragon fighting. Sometimes it could be interesting, and sometimes it just felt like it was wallowing or preening or otherwise drawing attention to itself while not actually progressing anything. The dragons themselves, what I saw of them, are good for what they are, and decently utilized, though I wished they'd actually been on the page more; sometimes they felt conspicuously absent, especially given the deep empathetic nature of the dragon bond and the implied back-and-forth influence. (There's also one moment that I thought, given some throwaway lines earlier, should've elicited more of a response or had more plot relevance, but was brushed aside as a non-event and never mentioned again.) Things do eventually build toward a climax that was decently cathartic and more or less satisfying, despite a few elements that felt like they undercut some character growth and agency. Ultimately, I was just unsatisfied enough (and got just tired enough of the somewhat overdone emotional angst and wrangling) to trim a half-star from the rating, though there is a fair bit in this story that I did enjoy and thought worked decently.

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