This is a story of political intrigue, assassination, inheritance, power, impending war, and betrayal, betrayal and more betrayals.

Taking place primarily in the kingdom of Ravence, we meet four characters:
-Yassen Knight: Assassin and one PoV, who is trying to leave the secretive assassins guild, which he grew up in, after his last failed assassination contract.
-Leo Ravence: Near the end of his reign as King, and full of fear and doubt about old prophecies and an impending war with a neighbouring kingdom, and another PoV. Leo can also control and manipulate fire.
-Elena Ravence: She is Leo's daughter, and has trained in all the ways she can, except she cannot manipulate fire, and grows increasingly worried about ruling her people without a demonstrated ability to control the element. She's also working to undermine one group of violent men whom her father has used to whip up support for his rule. She's the final PoV.
-Samson Kytuu: A childhood friend of Yassen, he managed to escape the assassins' guild, and has built up over years an impressive martial force. He comes to Ravence to form an alliance, with the expectation that his and Ravence's forces can take on Ravence's increasingly warlike neighbour.

Aparna Verma has created a world on the edge:
-of war
-of the reveal of a prophecy
-of generational conflict
-of nationalism and bigotry,
-of the building of alliances and
-of faith and duty, and
-of a new, fragile romance.

There is much happening, and I found the pacing was slow. Through the three PoV, we learn of the world's complicated past, of the violent faiths at the heart of the prophecy and the conflict between Leo and its priests, his desperate efforts to shore up power and the heinous things he's willing to do to secure it. Elena embodies both a hope for a different path for Ravence, and an education in the cost of wielding power. Her interactions with Leo, Samson and Yassen are full of mistrust and frustration. The characters are complicated, and none of them are particularly right in their stances, and their actions all seem to actually lead them closer to war than ever.

We spend the most time with Yassen and Leo, and get to understand their struggles, while Elena really begins to come into her own after a series of violent events leading up to the coronation, past the three quarter mark. I anticipate we'll see her develop more and become stronger, focused and more determined in the following book.

The book ends in multiple disasters, with the characters scattered or dead, and the power to wield fire a huge factor every step of the way. I liked many aspects of this story, but did find that it was long. I dearly hope the pacing is a little tighter in the next book.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Orbit Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.

The Comps were quite deceiving because this was mostly an ambitious world that didn’t live up to what we expected. The prose was nice digestible but the world building was a little too bizarre at times for me (that merge of modern tech with the aesthetic of an epic fantasy world really didn’t work because it felt a little non sensical at times).
Also the pace in that first 40% was very slow and made me start and stop this many many times and became a chore to finish. The characters were a little flat. Elena is your typical cool YA-type girly but I wish we got way more emotional depth. That flat archetype does not translate well in adult.

To also be fully transparent, I read a huge chunk of the indie version before waiting for the republished version. And reading this - nothing much changed? It felt a little deceiving. It was almost identical.
I don’t think I’ll be reading on.

Aparna Verma brings thunder and lightning with her phenomenal book The Phoenix King.
Assassins, Deceit and Betrayal this book is filled to brim with page turning, can't get enough of moments.
This is one book you won't want to put down.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book to the fullest.

🙏🏽 for VERMA 💜

#❤️APARNAVERMA

#ORBITBOOKS

#NetGalleyGotOrbitBooks

Definitely and interesting debut however it felt a bit swamped down by the world building. I do think future installments will be more interesting to read as this book laid a solid foundation for future installments to really get into the action. Overall just a middle of the run fantasy for me but interested to see where it goes!

This book had every promise be great for me: the literal fusion of scifi-fantasy had me clapping with glee, and I couldn't wait to read about a woman destined to be the great. The setting was rich, the world felt so vivid, and the political backdrop and religious philosophies blended so well within the confines of this world that I have to applaud it. But all of this seemed to lose all luster because the characters finally came into the picture and I just...didn't care. The character POVs were either flat, petulant, or downright longwinded and boring that I found myself constantly skim-reading or outright skipping chapters at a time.

Don't get me wrong, the writing was excellent, and there were a few quotes and statements I highlighted because they felt profound and deep. It just fell off the wayside for me personally.

I think the best way to describe this book is that is a crawling boulder before an avalanche of flames.

THE PHOENIX KING is a science fantasy that reminds me of Black Panther in that it feels both ancient and mythological but also advanced and futuristic. It was interesting reading this at the same time as The Poppy War because of the parallels in the Phoenix mythos, though the direction of its position as a revered god takes a slightly different turn.

There are themes of freedom and duty, religion and faith, identity and its multiplicities, nationality, belonging and unbelonging through intricate world building and the tensions created through its politics and court intrigue and the struggle for power. There is a game of push and pull between allies and enemies—carefully crafted lies and held truths.

At its emotional core, the book is about upbringing, loss, what one has been taught versus what one must do, about desire and need and the dissonance that comes with the discovery of the truth. It is about two lost people trying to find meaning and somehow finding that in each other

I voluntarily read an advanced copy of The Phoenix King by Aparna Verma. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for this ARC.

The Phoenix King was a fun read with a unique magical system. Combine with two interesting characters with questionable end games, and it was an interesting first book in a series. I liked Elena and Yassen a lot, and while I did wish that some of the politicking was a little more complicated, I enjoyed the story on the whole. I give this book a solid 4/5 stars.

I received an arc via Netgalley, and am leaving an honest review about the book. I’m thankful to the publisher and the author for giving me this wonderful opportunity!

My mind is BLOWN. I’d sworn Yassen was the Prophet, but then it turned out to be Samson, and damn that ending. But also, fuck Samson at the end 🧍🏻‍♀️Yassen better be alive and he and Elena better get married and live happily ever after.

On another note, I adored this book. I loved the twists and the beautiful South Asian culture mixed into the book. Some things were a bit obvious, but not the kind that exasperated you, but the kind that made you go, “Ah!! I knew it!!” I’m so excited for the second book. I need it NOW.

That is all.

Thank you to the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Elena is the future queen of Ravence who has a secret - she can't yield fire like her ancestors. Her father, Leo, is desperately trying to hold the realm together when it is on the brink of war. Yassen has been given a chance at freedom, but really, he is an assassin sent to cause chaos.

This book was wonderful. It was marketed to me on tiktok as an enemies to lovers romance with firebending, but I found this to be a bit inaccurate. At its core, this is a blend of science fiction and political high fantasy with epic worldbuilding and family connection exploration. It slowly built up to an epic conclusion with a cliff hanger that was so intense I NEED the next book immediately. I will definitely be continuing this series as it evolves. For a debut, this was pretty incredible.

My only gripe is that not every POV was interesting, and it dragged at times. Eventually it became much more fast paced.

I tried so hard to get into this book but couldn’t. The futuristic technology in the setting didn’t jive for me. Overall I wasn’t drawn into the plot.

**THIS REVIEW WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS**

I am giving this book a solid 3 stars. I felt llike the plot was there and was interesting, but the excess of wordiness made it difficult to enjoy. I love a good and long fantasy novel but it felt like much of the descriptors were repeatative and not ading to the story. Also the action didn't pick up until about 70% into the book and with that it wasn't until 85% when the pacing felt like a good speed.

I wanted more on politics and monarchy of Ravance, but it felt like the relegion was overpowering the book without clear reason why. I needed a lot of clarity on people and backgrounds and less descritions of sands and storms as it dragged this book out when really i want to get into the characters. Also the descriptors of the other lands were sparse so i couldn't tell if the war was geo-political, or a land grab? Which way is this story line going with the invasion. What is the motivator?

Elena was an interesting characers but i felt like she was a child despite her being older in this book. In part tht's due to her father keeping her in the dark, But i wish i could feel the emotions happening to her on the page irl.
Samson endng was a anticlimactic plot twist. I do hope to read more about him in the next book. But in this one he felt flat. Yassen i belive was the most fleshed out character in this book having to openly deal with so many hardships and troubling past. There was light romance, which i felt like eas neither here nor there. I didn't feel the chemistry between Yassen & Elena.

Overall this was a solid read. I think maybe this might not have been the best book for me, but other fantasy readers might enjoy this.

Thank you Net Galley for this arc in exchange for a review of The Phoenix King by Aparna Verma. #NetGalley

I’ve read The Phoenix King 3 times. I am drawn back to this book again, and again. Set in a world that is both magical and technologically advanced, Princess Elena Adaya Ravence longs to connect to the Phoenix god that blessed her ancestors with magic and the ability to transform their desert kingdom into paradise.

Elena’s father, Leo, clings to his throne, power, and legacy with his fire magic. The T E N S I O N between Elena, a rising political power in her own right, and her father, who refuses to cede an iota of control to his heir is amazing.

Then, there’s the assassin. I cannot say anything coherent about Yassen, because I will just spoil every single part of this book. I can’t hold back.

I have so much more to say about this book - it’s rich with beautiful description and references to both classical Indian history and culture. It’s a book that will satisfy readers hungry for a futuristic world adjacent to Dune, a high fantasy, or a sweeping royalcore plot thick with intrigue.

Aparna Verma’s début novel is a breath of fresh air in a fantasy market that is too Eurocentric and focused on magic as only existing in the “dark ages.” Verma reminds the reader that a golden age, bright with technology and splendor, casts the darkest shadows where anything can happen.

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for gifting me with an eARC and physical ARC copy. This is my honest opinion.

This is an interesting blend of science fiction and fantasy and Indian mythology. It took me a little bit to get into the book and I was thrown off by the modernistic weaponry and technology because you don't normally see that in fantasy books. But the characters grew on me and I am intrigued by their stories and what is going to happen going forward. I do like knowing that this is the first in a trilogy because there was world and character building but it wasn't overwhelming. The multiple points of view gave insight into what the characters were thinking and a little about what was missing from the narratives.

There is very little in terms of romance and the little that is there grows naturally and doesn't seemed forced between the characters.

The characters are beautifully flawed and the world is crazy. If you like The City of Brass, A Darker Shade of Magic, An Ember in the Ashes, then I recommend this book.

4 out of 5 stars. No spice.

[4.25/5] THE PHOENIX KING is a harmonious blend of fantasy and science fiction that draws inspiration from India. Set in a world with king killers, neighboring aggressors, and power-hungry political influencers, the people want a change. Elena sees this and seeks to change her family's rule of Ravani. But what no one anticipates is the looming rise of the Prophet, the one chosen to enact justice ordered by the Phoenix. As the date of Elena's coronation comes closer, events begin to kindle and ignite into a reckoning.

Before I started to read this I didn't realize it has both fantasy and science fiction elements. Neither aspect is heavily done, though there exists a religious system with fire magic as well as hoverpods and ships for local transportation. Some may wish for more of one or the other or both. But I was content with the blend since it allowed me to focus more on the characters and story.

The author does a fantastic job realistically introducing and characterizing the leads: Leo, King of Ravani; Elena, heir of Ravani; and Yassen, orphan turned assassin to survive. Some readers may feel that THE PHOENIX KING has a slow start. But I feel that this is a justifiable pace that allows the reader to become familiar with this trio of characters and their conflicted histories. There is plenty of plotting and planning to otherwise entertain the reader until the plot sparks at about the 50% mark, flaring up from there on out. I also appreciated learning about the traumatic histories of the characters and how that shaped them into the complex and resolute people they are now. Though not infallible to bouts of emotion when seemingly unflappable figurative armor disappears, they each feel strongly about their convictions.

King Leo, who lost his wife to the fire, spent his entire life making sure Ravani was ready for rule by Elena. However, he must now face the possibility that his method was more self serving than intended. Elena loves her father dearly. But now as an adult can see that there is more to leadership than building an army of unthinking followers. Because of this, Elena's and Leo's relationship is strained. Leo won't trust Elena with the truth nor will he approach Elena's concerns with an open mind. Yassen has the opportunity to free himself of his assassin background, but is he strong enough to resist his fear of their influence? And finally there is Samson, Elena's betrothed and former assassin whose agenda is both noble and vengeful: free the Sesharians.

The thematic elements in THE PHOENIX KING don't jump out at me as clearly as in some other books. But I also have a great feeling about the rest of the series and feel there's a lot of growth in store for the characters. However, one apparent theme is that of fate or destiny. The characters grapple with whether one must stay on their path or veer onto another one. The right path isn't necessarily the easiest. At some point they face a choice of putting themselves or others first.

Overall I really enjoyed THE PHOENIX KING and I can't wait for the next installment. It's a great read for those who appreciate careful layering of characterization in addition to political unrest and maneuvering and a fight to protect a nation.

[My review will go live on 9/11 at https://aliteraryescape.com/2023/09/11/the-phoenix-king-by-aparna-verma/]

Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit for the eARC!

I wanted to love this story, the premise sounded so cool. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me. I couldn't get into the story line and none of the characters really stuck out for me.

I can't say exactly why none of it landed for me but it didn't and I had to DNF.

However, this book will be a hit for a lot of other people! It just wasn't for me.

Wow - okay that was kind of a roller coaster. I need to organize my thoughts on this.

The Phoenix King takes place in highly political and intricately woven futuristic dessert setting. It is inspired by Indian mythology, and creates a really atmospheric and complex world. The story follows several POVs, Elena, the Ravani princess soon to inherit the crown, as well as her father King Leo, Yassen (a reluctant assassin on the run) and Samson ( former assassin turned ambitious army general and soon to be Queen consort). Some notable things about the book:

- The story is slow paced for a good portion of the book (maybe 50-70%) and is heavy on the world building and political intrigue - if that is not something you're into, you've been warned
- Futuristic settings can be hit or miss for me in fantasy, sometimes it drags me right out of the story. I have neutral feelings about it in this book. This is really just personal preference and what I'm used to.
- Complex character relationships - emphasis on the tether between power and madness
- Betrayal, hidden identities, loss, more betrayal - prepare to be devastated
- Fire magic, ancient prophecies, a mysterious unidentified prophet who is said to rise and burn the world to ash
- FMC who will do whatever it takes for her kingdom
- subtle romance subplot that was sort of convincing

Overall, I did really enjoy this story, and I was shocked by the twists and turns that happened in the last 10% of the book. I have so many questions + really not that many answers and I NEED to know what happens next so I will be keeping an eye out for the second book in the trilogy.

The CHEMESTRY, the feels, the environment. The switching POVS to even the king was very introspective. The unwavering loyalty is something I respect.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
4.5/5 STARS

Genre: Epic Fantasy

This is book 1 in a fantasy series based on Indian mythology. I love ancient worlds and mythology so this book was great for me! The world building was very well done, the author had an amazing way of showing you what Elena’s journey was rather than telling you. The magic system was interesting and fit perfectly. There is some romance, but it is more of a subplot and sprinkled in. It is more action/adventure than romance. It is long, but you keep reading because there are multiple POVs leaving off at cliffhangers to keep you turning the pages. I can’t wait to see where book 2 takes Elena!
Thank you Orbit Books for the ARC! 🔥

Assassins, magic, court intrigue. What's not to love about all of these? Engaging and engrossing page turner. Perfect for any fantasy fan.

The glossary will help keep the names, places, events, etc. straight – it can be a bit overwhelming – as with any new world. The world building is complex and detailed adding a lot to the story. There is never a chance to let your mind wander out of boredom and the last part of the book ratchets up the tension until you’re ready to lose your stuff. Like the main characters, the story revolves around fire – reflecting the journey of the trio.

From slow burn, enemies to lovers, unscrupulous characters, to my favorite, multiple points of view – this book has it all.