THE FIREBORNE BLADE by Charlotte Bond is a good example of a novella that does not work for me. While there is a good amount of action that is both interesting and suspenseful, the story lacks the depth that would put the action into context. There is little world-building and no character development. We know nothing about Maddileh’s past, even though she thinks about her parents and about going home to them. We don’t know what made Maddileh pursue a life as a knight, nor do we really get a full explanation for why the Fireborne Blade is so important to her. We don’t even know why it is so special other than the fact that it is in a dragon’s lair. As for the dragons, we get glimpses that not all of the dragon slaying stories Maddileh knows are true, but nothing comes of that knowledge. To me, THE FIREBORNE BLADE would be better as a much longer novel, one that would afford Ms. Bond the room to develop her world and her characters. As it stands, it needs a detailed backstory, complete with a better picture of the world Maddileh inhabits, to make it complete. Right now, THE FIREBORNE BLADE is all action with the rest of the story and the necessary context missing.