Lady Firebird Angelo was born a wastling, an unwanted third child in the royal family of Netaia. On Netaia, heirs are limited. Firebird will never be allowed to inherit but must, when the time comes, seek an honorable death serving in the military.

I read the sequel, Fusion Fire, years before I ever read Firebird, and, to be honest, I did not really like it. Despite being, at best, uninterested in the characters and their struggles, I could not help but feel that my dislike of the book might be due to the fact that I had started in the middle of the series, so I got a copy of Firebird and found I was right. I could hardly put this book down and, when I did, I found I could not stop thinking about it- the Netaians and their customs raise interesting moral questions.

I would recommend this book- it is a gripping read and Firebird's rather painful journey of self- discovery is bound to endear her to anyone.