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.

What a debut! I cannot wait to see how this series turns out. I’m so glad that it was an epic fantasy. Instead of young adult, this was such a great layered story.

I LOVED THIS SO MUCH. The characters, the plot, the world, the writing were all amazing. I loved how the author blended fantasy and sci fi elements together, coupled with Indian mythology, to create an explosively compelling world. I need to read the sequel right now. Also, the slow burn romance was everything I hoped it would be.

What’s a cross between Avatar: the Last Airbender, Priory of the Orange Tree (but like 500 pages less), Iron Widow, Dune, okay I could keep listing but good aspects from those..!

It's The Phoenix King! Which of course is a lot more than just those little reminiscences.

This is an ARC I kept putting off reading because I was looking forward to it a lot and I wasn't disappointed. We have an Indian-inspired universe with a to-be queen, assassins, fire magic, political intrigue, cool lore and mythology, and the first in a trilogy? Let's go.

I did this book the disservice of putting it down for like three months as I got overwhelmed by other things, but it wasn't hard to pick back up again and even though it was a hefty boy at 500+ pages a lot was integral to the worldbuilding and understanding, even if the last few chapters and epilogue were a sort of, "this is going to lead directly into the next book" and not a proper end... which is unfortunately more common these days with series books.

I'm going to keep up with the series and want to see where it's headed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the eARC in exchange for review.

A stunning debut from Aparna Verma, I was quickly drawn into heir to the throne Elena Aadya's story. Like the start of a flame, the story begins slowly but builds up, engulfing your imagination with Elena's journey to the throne and to the ability to hold flames. A unique magic and characters you love, The Phoenix King was a fun ride from beginning to finish. My only frustration is that I have to wait for the next installment!

The Phoenix King is the first book in an Indian inspired sci-fantasy. It follows a princess about to ascend to the throne, her father the king, and an assassin.

I struggled through the first 10-20% of this book. I haven’t read many sci-fantasy books, and the constant mention of technology was pulling me out of the story. This book feels like a fantasy. We have kingdoms, royalty, magic, and prophecy, which are all common fantasy tropes. We also have guns, hoverpods, holopods, pulse weapons, and slingswords. My brain had trouble mashing these two things together. However, I did start to enjoy the story after I got used to the genre mashup.

There is a romance in this book, but it doesn’t take over the plot. The main storyline is about Elena, heir to the throne, preparing to ascend the throne and learn to wield her family’s magic.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

I really, really tried with this one, and there are a lot of fantastic ideas here, but the bland characters and weak prose just couldn’t salvage it for me.

(3/5 stars) I have genuinely tried to get into this book multiple times (both ebook and audiobook) and I am coming to terms with the fact that this book is not for me (with the caveat that if I came back to this when my mood was different or my mental capacity was broader I would probably love it). It has everything I typically love (high fantasy, political intrigue, the slowest of slow burns, intriguing characters, lush setting, etc.) so honestly I'm blaming the inability to finish on myself and not on the book.

Oh my god! When does book two come out??

Phoenix King is very much a political fantasy with many people having their own motivations and goals for the kingdom of Ravence. We have three main perspectives - Yassen, the former assassin who only wants to be free, Leo, the current king of Ravence doing what he thinks is best for the kingdom even as his actions bring devastation, and Elena, the heir who wants to make a better kingdom than her father’s. There are also incredible side characters in Ferma, Elena’s bodyguard and friend, and Samson, Yassen’s friend from his early assassin days and Elena’s betrothed. This is also very much a story where goodness is relative and because of the nuanced motivations, it’s hard to consider any of the characters wholly good.

I really loved the magic and mythology and the weaving through of ancient texts to clarify motivations and how Ravence came to this point. I was so sure I knew who the Prophet was even as there was no concrete evidence. The ending has me absolutely screaming because I need to know what happens next.

If you’re a fan of political fantasy and characters who do terrible things in the name of their goals and wishing for a better world, you absolutely should pick this book up!

Loved the world building, the characters and the unique science fantasy. I was little confused about the science-y aspect of it combined with the fantasy elements, but after a few hours of listening, it started to grow on me. Such a unique take on the genre!

Looking forward to book 2!

Thank you, NetGalley and Orbit books!
Unfortunately, this book ended up not being for me. I found it hard to get into the store with the writing style and repetitive moments. I loved the premise of this story, but the execution struggled. The mix of fantasy magic world with random unexplained tech never meshed well and felt out of place throughout the story. It pulled me out of the story every time, as it felt very random that there were guns and holopods.
The prose was also pretty repetitive. There were multiple examples of paragraphs being almost exact. The amount of times someone was hungry but couldn't possibly eat despite the lavish and vast amount of food was high. There was also a fair amount of modern slang and phrases scattered throughout the book that felt very out of place.
Elena and Leo as a character I didn't mind but almost all the other characters felt very flat, especially Yessan. He constantly flip-flopped with what he was doing or thinking, and a lot of his motivations didn't make sense. The romance didn't work at all for me, and felt forced for the plot. There was no chemistry, and I think it would have been better if there was no romance.
There definitely where parts I got more engrossed and wanted to know what happened, but I was ultimately taken out of the story every time. I really wanted to love this story but I just had too many issues.

A man desperate for freedom... a father trying to protect his legacy... a daughter trying to master fire and a man out for revenge... All of them together make for an explosive coronation...

Elena is on weeks away from being crowned queen which would be great if not for her inability to control fire like her ancestors before her. She thinks her father won’t teach her because he doesn’t want to give up his power as king but the truth is little more complicated. Fire demands sacrifice and the cost is too high something Leo knows from experience. Due to a variety of threats against Elena he ends up hiring an infamous assassin to protect her while simultaneously hunting down members of his former terrorist organization. Being a guard isn’t exactly easy for Yassen, especially when his princess has her own secrets and plans going on. But his friend offered him this job as a way to escape his former life and finally grab the freedom he’s been so desperate for. Samson is a man who has completely changed his own life but wants revenge against those that oppressed his people. Aligning himself with Leo and Elena makes the most sense to him so does becoming her king.
The lead up to coronation day is rather disasterous with chaos and bloodshed. What’s worse is that the day does not go as planned leaving Elena and Yassen on the run. Now armed with her fire and secrets from her family’s past Elena is determined to protect her people from their enemies and burn anyone who gets in her way...

I really liked this book and I NEED to know what happens next. Some things Elena did were a bit naive but her heart was always in the right place. Yassen make you want to like him even when maybe you know you shouldn’t. The things Leo did... completely insane and so unnecessary and Samson is definitely an interesting person I want to know more about. I also really loved Ferma. Can’t wait till the next book comes out!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for access to the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A King, an heir, a disgraced assassin - all are prophesied to burn.

The Phoenix King is an epic high fantasy inspired by indian myth, and is a story of redemption as much as it is a story of power.

Elena Aadya Ravence is due to inherit the crown, but she cannot wield the eternal flame and cannot rule without it. Her father Leo, the King, is not ready to step down, and power hungry as he is, will do everything in his power to secure his rule. Threatening his plans is Yassan Knight, a disgraced assassin who bears the pains and burns of his past, who wants nothing else to return to a home that no longer welcomes him.

The way I am obsessed with this book and would kill for the sequel already

I loved everything about this book. As an epic fantasy, the world building is slow but deliberate, and the author takes great care in creating her kingdom and the cultures represented within. The history, lore and people of this kingdom felt so real to me, which is a credit to the author and a real talent. My issue with epic fantasy is that the plot can sometimes feel a bit dragged, but this did not suffer from that. Not once. Every plot point, character interaction and scene felt intentional and by the end it all cumulates to a very satisfying ending that fits the story's progression. So often fantasy falls apart once you undo it’s stitching, but not this. This was masterfully, expertly written, and I praise Aparna Verma for her work here.

A great story with fantasy and romance! This is the year for diversity in books! It's a thick book, but worth the read!

📚 Enemies to Lovers
📚 Badass FMC
📚 Slowburn Romance
📚 Multi POV
📚 Fantasy