This is another one that I really wanted to like because of the synopsis but I found myself not being able to finish it. I stopped at 30% and part of it is the storytelling aspect that just couldn’t feel me in. Perhaps this book is for someone but it isn’t me.

DNF after 30%

Not sure if it was me, my mood, or the book, but I couldn’t remain interested enough in the story and the characters to bring myself to finish this.

This book was extremely slow at the beginning. i cam very close to DNFing the book because not much happened at the front half.

The world building was a little complicated. There were a lot of things to keep track of.

The Indian mythology was really cool! I enjoyed the political intrigue.

I quite enjoyed this first book in a series and the author is fantastic at marketing it, as it was marketed as having similar vibes to one of my favourite Bollywood films, On Shanti Om. The perspectives in the book were also quite enthralling and I enjoyed every moment.

Book Name: The Phoenix King
Author: Aparna Verma

ARC
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for an ARC of Aparna Verma's The Phoenix King

Stars: 1 (DNF)

- Slow Paced then Fast Paced then Slow Again
- Romance wasn’t Romancing
- World Building Felt …. LONG


I apologize for the lateness of this review. I honestly kept putting this down then trying again and putting it down AGAIN. I tried to HARD with this book. … it had EVERYTHING going for it but it was just boring. I am sorry I was bored. I needed the pacing to move faster and the chapters to be less repetitive. I tried to make sure this wasn't a good book bad time scenario but after 5 attempts over almost a year I'm going with this is just a bad book.

Due to the Negative Nature of this review, I will not be posting it to Goodreads or retail sites with respect to the publisher and author.

I forgot to leave a review for this, but I really enjoyed it! It's been out for ages, so I won't say much more than I need to for my star rating. <3

This was so good! I’ve been trying to find a story that just catches my attention and makes me forget reality and this was it!
Highly recommend if you like:
-slow burn
-politics
-royalty
-assassins
-fire bending
-complex characters
-character development
-“I go where you go”

There were a lot of cool elements that initially drew me to this read!

• Fire bending Princess
• Slow burn romance
• South Asian Inspired world
• Political Intrigue

The mythology surrounding the fire bending magic and creation of the kingdom was intriguing and I appreciated how the author kept us readers on our toes when it came to guessing characters' motivations. The climax had me on the edge of my seat and I did not see the plot twist at the end!

That said, it did take me longer than usual to finish this read. The pacing was very slow in some segments and at times the plot was over complicated and confusing. I found myself skimming through unnessesary or repetative dialouge to get to main plot points. For a debut work, it was good and the story showed promise.

It's a great debut by Aparna Verma. Strong, with an epic flavor. Great characters and sharp writing. The first in a series I'll absolutely be checking more of.

The Pheonix King is a beautifully written fantasy novel that uses assassins, political intrigue, and a complex magic system to create a fantastically detailed world. This review took a long time to write because the book left me so torn. The book itself is amazing, but I struggled with it because of its heavy emphasis on political intrigue. I love fantasy, but struggle when a majority of the story is trying to figure out the political system enough where I understood the importance of what was going on and what was driving the plot forward.

I know that politics can be a fascinating topic, fantastical or otherwise, but unfortunately, it just doesn’t capture my imagination.

Despite my disinterest in the political aspects of the story, I can say that the characters were brilliantly written. They were well rounded and while I may not have completely understood their motivations, it was clear that those motivations kept the plot moving. The evolving relationships and the growth that was able to flourish, despite the lies and secrets, was fascinating to watch and kept me interested in seeing where the relationships would take them.

⅘ stars for a brilliantly written political fantasy

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit Books for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

Aparna Verma's "The Phoenix King" is a mesmerizing tale that blends elements of myth, fantasy, and adventure into a captivating narrative. Set in a unique world filled with magic and mystery, this novel takes readers on an exhilarating journey that will remain with the reader for a long time. Verma's descriptive prose brings the fantastical realm to life, immersing readers in a world where mythical creatures roam, and ancient prophecies sway.

The protagonist's character arc is engaging and relatable, and I found myself rooting for him every step of the way. One of the novel's greatest strengths lies in its intricate world-building. Verma has crafted a rich, immersive setting with diverse cultures, fascinating lore, and complicated political machinations.

While "The Phoenix King" is undeniably a thrilling adventure, it also explores deeper themes of friendship, sacrifice, and the nature of power. This will be a hit for fans of epic fantasy. Aparna Verma has crafted a captivating tale filled with magic, intrigue, and heart, and I am excited to read the next book in this series!!

DNF 45% in

Unfortunately did not like this and could not care about anything happening. The writing felt juvenile. I also didn't care for the audiobook

Thank you Orbit Books and Hachette Audio for providing me with an eARC and complementary audiobook in exchange for my honest thoughts.

THE PHOENIX KING is an exciting start to what should shape up to be an amazing science-fantasy series! The world Verma builds is rich and her point-of-view characters are complex. I loved how all three POV characters had different motivations and struggles. By far, my favorite POV chapters were Elena’s. I liked reading about Elena’s journey to becoming a worthy queen of her people while struggling with the immense power she holds.

The audiobook features a full-cast narration and I am so glad the series is going in this direction! Multiple narrators adds a certain richness to a story that you just can’t get from a single-narrator book. All narrators, Soneela Nankani, Deepti Gupta, Vikas Adam, and Akshay Kumar all did amazing performances.

Can’t wait to see what Verma does with the rest of this series!

The Phoenix King is a captivating journey through a thoughtfully crafted world, blending intricate plotlines with richly developed characters. The author's storytelling kept me absolutely hooked from the first chapter to the last. This was just the right blend of fantasy, realism, and history to give an deeply immersive experience while reading. I couldn't put it down and I wish I hadn't waited so long to read it!

The Phoenix King is told from three points of views: Yassen, Elena, and Leo. Out of all the points of view, I enjoyed reading Leo’s. The story started out slow and the world building in my opinion was kind of confusing at first. I found the characters to be extremely likable, especially Elena.
Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for this arc.

3.5
The Phoenix King by Aparna Verma is a slow burn heavily geopolitical adult blend of science fiction and fantasy featuring a richly imagined world of prophecy and fire. This novel, inspired by Indian mythology, is told in three different points of view: a morally grey king who's at the end go his reign, a powerless princess, and an ex-assassin hiding a secret. My favorite of the three is the utterly complex King Leo whose descent was told through brilliant exposition on his character. I almost wish the entire novel was told through his eyes as Elena and Yassen felt a lot flat next to him.

I do feel like this book could've used a little work on the pacing as nothing was really happening in the first 2/3 of the book while at the same time, there would've been so much more impact if the book ended at the 85% mark. The last bit was quite a drag and the sequel should've opened there. Nonetheless, this was quite an intricate novel, although I don't think I'm interested enough to continue on with the series.

DNF'd at 30%
I like the idea behind this book a lot and I'm always trying to diversify my reading, especially with fantasy. The problem for me was that there were too many POVs that none of them besides Leo's felt really fleshed out. The worldbuilding was cool, especially with the idea that the ruler had to sacrifice the one they loved for the power of fire but I think this book also suffers from poor marketing.

This was an amazing debut filled with Indian inspired mythology, futuristic technology, and intricately written characters that I loved every second of.
Each character had so much growth and pain and regret and that’s why this was such a good story. The characters were very real to me.
The relationship growth in the book was also very interesting to read. It was well done, and the main love interest made me wonder at the end whether or not I was on his side still.
The world building was excellent as well. Thank you for the ARC!

I read The Phoenix King when it was independently published as The Boy with Fire back in 2021. I absolutely loved it then and I love it now as it's been traditionally published.

The Phoenix King is a desi-inspired fantasy from the POVs of Leo Ravence, the King of Ravence, Elena Ravence, the daughter and heir to the throne, and Yassen Knight, a former assassin trying to gain freedom.

TPK is a great sci-fi fantasy with political intrigue, rich history, religion, romance, and morally-grey characters. The twists and plot for the throne really kept me going. Also, I absolutely love Samson more in this book than I did back in '21 lol I'm excited to see more of him in the next book <3

Aparna has improved so much in her craft with this book and I can't wait to see how the story continues!!

What a great debut novel! It was well written but a bit slow paced. The world building was a little chaotic and hard to follow but I loved all of the characters within the world. Definley waiting for the second and hoping it clear up a bit of my confusion.