The Firebrand employs similar themes to Bradley's other works,Roberts, p. 113. including the reversal of gender roles where "women are the true heroes" while the "proud, arrogant" men who lead Troy to doom "fail to invoke the reader's sympathy". The novel's title refers to Paris and the destruction he brings to Troy.Bradley, p. 483. The Firebrand has been perceived as belonging to the revisionist history genre,Crosby, p. 17. as it fits into a "reinvent[ion of] stories that are either historical or derived from myth/legend but often taken to be historical," and then told with a different narrative. The novel has also been seen as an example of feminist literature.Crosby, p. 43. Despite Bradley's refusal to label herself as a feminist,Paxson, p. 113. her works often dealt with themes of gender, religion, and power, particularly in historically patriarchal societies.Paxson, pp. 113–14.Fry, pp. 71–72, 78. In The Firebrand, Bradley introduces feminist ideals by equating the patriarchal culture with oppressive tendencies; perceived to have been scorned by the male god Apollo, Kassandra is not believed by Trojan citizens because of her gender.Dorschel, p. 172.
