Furysong
Ratings16
Average rating4.4
15
Ratings16
Average rating4.4
"One of fantasy’s best series." —Booklist, starred review In this explosive conclusion to the epic trilogy that began with Fireborne, Annie and Lee are fighting for their lives—and for each other—as invading dragonfire threatens to burn their home to the ground. A new revolution is underway, and nobody will emerge unscathed. In New Pythos, Griff is facing an execution by the dragonborn, who are furious at his betrayal. He has allies on both sides seeking to defy his fate, but the price of his freedom might come at a dear cost. And Delo will have to make a choice: follow his family, or finally surrender to his conscience. Meanwhile, Annie must race home to hatch a plan to save her Guardians and their dragons. With Callipolis on the brink of collapse and the triarchy set to be reinstated, she may be the one person who can save the city—if she can overcome her own doubts about her future. Lee is a revolutionary at heart, but now he’ll have to find a way to fight with diplomacy. Going up against the dragonborn court and a foreign princess, he faces a test of loyalty that sets his head against his heart. As the fate of Callipolis darkens, Annie and Lee must determine what they are willing to sacrifice in order to save each other, defeat their enemies, and reclaim their home.
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3 primary booksThe Aurelian Cycle is a 3-book series with 3 primary works first released in 2019 with contributions by Rosaria Munda.
Reviews with the most likes.
Ugh I will read literally anything Rosaria Munda writes.
This was a fabulous, emotional, touching ending to a series that has set the bar to what YA fantasy can and should be. I only regret that it's over.
Fireborne: 4/5
Flamefall: 3.5/5 (4/5 on a good day)
Furysong 3.5/5
I started Fireborne morning of December 16th, and finished Furysong by noon of December 17th. I came into the series without reading any of the synopsis or reviews - I only knew that it had dragons in it. I think it was the best decision I've ever made. The Aurelian Cycle is such an impressive debut series by Rosaria Munda, and while I don't exactly love it quite yet, I think I will with time. The highlights of the story included the prose and character development. I cried so many times reading the series - certainly, not a comfort read by any means. I came to love the characters that I wasn't fond of in the beginning: Power, in particular - I'll always have a soft spot for him. Lee I've loved from the beginning. I still have mixed feelings for Antigone, but she certainly makes a compelling MC.
There were a few gripes: a lot of lore terms that sort of muddled within the story; other countries, which I wish had been incorporated more seamlessly starting in book 1; Lee and Annie's relationship. In truth, I think it would have been a beautiful friendship. Lovers, however, I'm still not entirely convinced by. I think Power was done dirty, and that Annie and Power together would have been incredibly compelling. I loved the way he lifted her up, made her independent in all the ways Lee couldn't. Similarly, I wish there was more depth in Delos & Griff's relationship, and the exploration of the shift of servitude and power. Pacing also became a significant issue in books 2 and 3. Furysong felt slow, but the ending felt rushed.
In my opinion, I think the fantastical aspect of the story fell flat as well. It felt as if you could replace dragons with any other object or magic system, and it wouldn't change much at all. For me, this series was less fantasy, and more political intrigue. Don't get me wrong, I love political intrigue and The Aurelian Cycle does it splendidly; however, I wish it tapped more into the fantasy as well.
What I found most disappointing: I wish that Ixion posed as a more compelling villain. The questions posed within Fireborne: in the face of two evils, how do you choose the lesser? With the power to choose which regime rises and falls, how do you cope with the choice? How do we break this senseless cycle of violence? All this sort of dissolved as the series went on when the balance clearly tilts to one side where Ixion clearly becomes the extreme.
I did not finish this book so much political intrigue and not enough action for me.
