Firebird

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of gender discrimination, sexual violence and harassment, rape, mental illness, child abuse, death by suicide, graphic violence, sexual content, cursing, illness and death, physical abuse, and emotional abuse.

Malina, the protagonist and first-person narrator for much of Firebird, is a 20-year-old Dacian woman whose journey from trauma to empowerment lies at the novel’s heart. Described as strikingly beautiful, with long, wavy black hair and “jade-green eyes,” Malina’s external allure belies the internal strength forged by tragedy. Her life is shattered when Roman soldiers, overcome by “dragon madness,” destroy her village and kill her entire family. This traumatic loss instills in her a deep resentment of Rome and fuels her determination to survive on her own terms.

Malina inherits Medusa’s gift, an empathic ability to tether to others and manipulate their emotions. She wields this power subtly yet effectively, causing Roman soldiers to flee the battlefield in fear. While she cannot physically overpower her oppressors, Malina’s power becomes a quiet but potent form of resistance, developing the theme of Resisting Conquest Through Quiet Rebellion. Her control over emotion positions her as a spiritual descendant of Medusa: a woman harmed by male violence but granted divine power to reclaim agency.