The Phoenix King: 1 (The Ravence Trilogy)

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The cloak felt like wings, lifting him up, borne aloft by the flames. He closed his eyes but nothing changed; still the flames filled his vision. A gentle breeze seemed to wash over him, its touch smoothing away skin and flesh and bone, reducing him to delicate ash; all without the slightest hint of discomfort. Imrik thought that he imagined it. The Phoenix King” by Aparna Verma. Image courtesy of Orbit Books. Book review: The Phoenix King by Aparna Verma

The Phoenix King offers a lot to readers. Verma builds an exciting fantasy world filled with great characters that readers will love escaping into. Sympathy for Yassen and Elena’s plights is well-balanced with thrilling battles and intense character interactions. This keeps the book from being stifled with sadness while offering more depth than a simple adrenaline rush.

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The world building is fantastic. I loved that it’s kind of entwined throughout the entire story. You don’t get an overwhelming amount of information all at once. Some of it comes from dialogue, some is just woven into the plot. I really liked that it wasn’t just thrown at us. Perhaps it was thanks to my surreal expectations with it being compared to my favourite fantasy series of all time: the Poppy War, or perhaps it was because I read it in a few sittings and skimmed through it... whatever it was, I hardly remember anything and 50% in was resisting the temptation of a DNF. I don’t know how to put into words how much I loved this book. It was amazing. It’s my new favorite book. If I could give it more starts I would. It has everything that I love in it. The plot is so interesting, and I love the characters.

When Katara and Suki are looking for Aang, they see actress Aang circled by people, but actor Toph is not there. He then appears out of nowhere. In a kingdom where flames hold magic and the desert hides secrets, an ancient prophecy comes for an assassin, a princess, and a king. But none are ready to face destiny—and the choices they make could burn the world. Coming from Croatia, we don't have as big a selection of books, especially when it comes to Fantasy books. Most are with Western European folklore, and the few I've read set in India, seamed like they were written by westerners, for westerners. This book perfectly describes the charms of Ancient India. Reading it, I could feel the heat of the desert sun, smell the spices and jasmine, hear the music of the dhol drums and feel the silk of the sari as if I were wearing it. For Yassen Knight, fire is redemption. He dreams of shedding his past as one of Sayon’s most deadly assassins, of laying to rest the ghosts of those he has lost. If joining the court of flame and serving the royal Ravence family—the very people he once swore to eliminate—will earn him that, he’ll do it no matter what they ask of him. It is slowly paced and lays the groundwork for future books. The world-building is richly detailed, from the futuristic sci-fi elements to court intrigue to the religious landscape.After Ozai tells Azula that she will be remaining in the Fire Nation, Ozai is seen from behind, and the gold trimmings on his robes are missing. There is no hard line between the servant and the sinner. There is only a soft blur, a delicate edge in which a man can lose himself." The book hurt me in so many ways, but it is so worth it in the end. The twist and turned and surprises are so good. It keeps you guessing the entire time. And the ending is just… I can’t even explain. It’s just amazing. I can’t wait for book two!

Samson is a big part of his plan. He has built himself quite the army over the years and harbors a deep personal hatred for the Jantari, the Ravini’s greatest enemy. In exchange for the princess’ hand, Ravence gains control of Samson’s army, hopefully squashing thoughts of war between the two countries. But part of having Samson and his army is having Yassen.But the Phoenix watches over all and the fire has a will of its own. It will come for all three, will come for Sayon itself….and they must either find a way to withstand the blaze or burn to ash. If there was one thing he could claim, it was this: that even in the darkness of death, he would know her.” I can excuse slow pace if I see very carefully constructed characterization, intricate politics, or even thoughtful worldbuilding. TBWF laid the groundwork for all of these things, but many of them ended up falling flat. This was an incredible debut rich with Indian-inspired mythology, next-generation technology and intricately-written characters, and I loved every moment.