Fireborne

The moral ambiguities of revolution are intricately woven throughout Munda’s Fireborne. While revolutions might be born of noble ideals, they can just as easily become compromised or lead to ethical dilemmas or unforeseen consequences. Fireborne portrays a society that has overthrown a tyrannical regime of dragonlords only to grapple with the reality that the new government may be following in their footsteps. The young protagonists Annie and Lee experience coming-of-age character arcs in this series, and part of their growth includes the empathetic awareness that revolution, war, and political conflict always have two sides and moral complexities beneath the surface.

While the class systems were first seen as a way to offer the former lower classes opportunities for advancement, it soon becomes clear that it primarily continues to reward the higher-class individuals. Their backgrounds in education and their access to resources due to wealth place them in prime positions to test well and remain high class. When Callipolis is faced with famine, the new regime falls into the same oppressive patterns as the previous regime, with hostile collections and unfair rationing of food based on class level.

Moral ambiguity is also highlighted in the internal conflict Lee grapples with. On one hand, he is able to recognize and support the goals the Revolution claims to value.