Setting and works building great but the plot and characters let me down, way to much deception and for no good reason.

Thank you negtgalley for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review. 2.75 stars.

So, i read the original, and now the republished version. The biggest change, gladly, is that it didn’t use a derogatory term for disabled people anymore. When I read the original it took me aback that it said that (more than once), so I’m glad that was changed and the treatment towards the disabled character wasn’t so 🥶. That being said, I feel like the author forgot he was disabled sometimes. The descriptions at times didn’t line up with someone who didn’t have use of one of his arms. I also tend to feel connected with disabled characters, but yassen is bland to me. He doesn’t interest me at all, whether by himself or within the ship.

I don’t feel like they had much chemistry. It grew throughout the story, but it didn’t feel strong.

Elena was a decent main character, but she’s lacking depth. I feel like most of what was explored of her was surface level. Leo I literally do not gaf about. His chapters are boring, to be straight up. I don’t care about him and I don’t care about his perspective, and nothing about it is interesting enough to make up for that.

So much of this story fell flat for me. While most fantasies grab your attention with a mystery or magical plot, my attention was not grabbed. It just wasn’t interesting enough. I liked the world and the magic system, but everything else was meh. The characters could use some work, the bonds, the storyline. I was just craving MORE. Overall, I’ve been following this author for a very long time, so I’m disappointed. I’m not sure if I’d be interested to read the next book. There was a description at the end of the arc describing it, and it sounded more interesting, but I’m not sure I like her writing enough to continue.

This debut novel by Aparna Verma absolutely did NOT disappoint!

This is a rockstar of a fantasy novel that is sure to leave fans of City of Brass and Jasmine Throne hungry for more!

A tale of revolution, love, enemies to lovers, betrayal, adventure, strong female characters, and plot twists, you name it this book has it.

Aparna has created a world that steps outside traditional Indian storytelling, but stays true to her culture- by weaving in futuristic technologies and lands, yet paying homage to the Hindu goddess of death and female warriors.

Aparna shows true dedication to the development of her characters- as each has their own personal struggle and challenges they face throughout the novel. Her excellent use of various POVs allows you to see more detail that would be left unchecked in a single POV novel.

I am thrilled for this novel to have been extended to a trilogy and I will absolutely be reading all of the books!

This was a great book about an assassin, a princess, and a king who must face their destiny after learning their prophecy. I love reading Indian fantasy novels as I feel connected to those stories and love seeing what the author has in store for their readers. Verma did not disappoint with this book as the brought the story that was promised. It was very well written with many conflicts and a complex world-building that I just wanted to learn more. I do have to say that the book is a bit slow in the beginning but towards the end, it’s a thrilling ride. This book is written in three povs.

Elena, Leo, and Yassen are the MCs of this book. I enjoyed Elena and Yassen’s story but Leo had more of a character development than Elena. I didn’t enjoy Leo’s pov as much as he was a much older character and it was hard reading his story. They were well-written characters but each of them had a flaw in the way they were written. There were many side characters in the book and I really enjoyed seeing their involvement in the book. The SCs are more just there ant not too involved where the focus of the book is lost. The romance was okay as it’s not the main focus of the story just it’s just a touch of it in the book. It’s between the MCs and I couldn’t feel the chemistry between them too much but it’s enemies to lovers and slow burn.

The ending was well done and I really enjoyed the epilogue in this book. I totally did not expect the ending to be the way it was. I really enjoyed this book but I do wish the characters were a but better or at least their character development and that there was more romance. I totally recommend checking this book out as many Indian fantasy readers will love it.

*this e-arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*

Told through three point of views, The Phoenix King is a blend of science fiction and fantasy, set in an India-inspired world. Yassen, an assassin turned bodyguard, Elena, heir and future queen, and Leo, the current king, all battle each other as they fight against a prophecy that might end their world as they know it.

The Phoenix King has a highly interesting premise and gorgeous cover.

I had such high expectations for this novel, and unfortunately it met none of them. Going in, I knew it would be a blend of sci-fi and fantasy (or science fantasy), something done rarely, but when done well it's incredible (see: Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao) - this was not done well. I felt so disconnected from the world from the first page, and as I kept reading I just kept feeling more and more confused and like every bit of science was shoehorned into the plot and just left half-wedged in there to "make it fit" since the book was trying to genre blend.

I found it very awkwardly written, from the character perspective changes, to the way the world felt almost like a parody of sci-fi in some moments (the strange new curses, the religious zealots with no purpose). The tone of the entire novel is set forth with a prologue that I absolutely didn't connect with, featuring a bizarre chase (he's a highly trained assassin, why does he suddenly suck at his job?) and throws the reader into a world that doesn't even attempt to ground itself before creating and introducing new ideas.

I know this was the author's debut, and I feel like you can TELL it was their debut, because the writing is so choppy and, on a technical level, seems to be unable to handle the massive task of building an entire world, religion, and plot in 400 pages. I, also, can't help but be a little annoyed that this was published prior in 2021, and this is the updated edition of the book, with apparently edits, more content, and extras. I'm a little shocked that this version of the book is the one that's gone through more editing because I still feel like it's lacking clarity in far too many areas.

I wish I had enjoyed this as much as I hoped I would, but it completely and utterly missed the mark for me.

Content warnings: Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gun violence, Racism, Violence, Sexual content, Slavery, Xenophobia

The Phoenix King is an adult science fiction-fantasy novel set in an India-inspired world. Following three characters: Yassen the Assassin turned personal guard for the princess; Elena the Heir who must learn to yield the Eternal Flame in order to become Queen; and Leo the King who is unwilling to give up his crown or his power. Accompanied by a prophecy stating that the Phoenix’s prophet will come and burn everything to ash.

When I read the synopsis of this book I was wholly expecting to dive into a fantasy novel. Instead, I was surprised by the inclusion of futuristic technology. Starting the story I was definitely getting Star Wars vibes. I unfortunately did not finish this book as I prefer my fantasy without said technology as I find it can detract from my immersion in a story. That being said, if a mix of fantasy and sci-fi is your cup of tea, this book is a great fit!

The prologue was super dramatic and intriguing and definitely hyped me up for the rest of the book, but it just wasn’t enough to keep me reading through a book that contains things that aren’t my taste.

Of the portion that I read, the world building was well laid out. Explanations of kingdoms, politics, and character rolls were seamlessly written into the story. I liked the variation of ages in the main characters—this is the first story I have read that two of the POVs were from a child and a parents, so that was super unique. I did find it odd that there was use of made-up or ‘replacement’ curses but then also the use of f**k? This too distracted me from the fantasy of the story.

Overall, for a reader who loves sci-fi and fantasy, and enjoys those two mixed together, this book would be perfect. There is action, there is intrigue, and there is romance!

*Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

I loved this book! The world building is absolutely beautiful! I can picture myself among the dunes, desert, and palace with everyone.
I love all the different characters and different personalities! This book definitely isn’t like one I’ve read before. I find the religious aspect to be so interesting as well as the politics. I’m so excited for the next book!

I am very conflicted about this book. It is the epitome of “great idea, poor execution.” This book was so slow. While I usually don’t mind slower paced books if they set up the story well and there are interesting characters, this book failed to do that. All 3 POV characters were 1 dimensional and I felt like I didn’t get to know any of them. Additionally, Yassen’s and Elena’s romance was not believable. We kept being told about their deep connection, but we didn’t really witness any buildup to that comsidering they barely interacted within the first 70% of the book. Nothing interesting happens in this book until then. One other gripe I had was the reveal of a certain POV characters secret motivations 60% into the book. I didn’t see the need to hide this information from the audience for so long. I think it would’ve been more interesting to know this information from the start.

I also hated the world building. The author tried to incorporate modern/sci-fi elements (news reporters, holopods, hover crafts, pulse guns) into the world along with more ancient elements we typically see in epic fantasy. These sci-fi elements felt shoehorned into the world and aside from those few things, we don’t see much evidence of a technologically advanced society.

Overall, I thought this was a boring, repetitive read with some interesting elements mixed in.

A princess who can't control the fire she needs to be accepted as queen, a king who uses fire to remain in control, an assassin who wants to leave his past behind but can't seem to escape it, and a prophecy that involves them all.

5⭐
I absolutely loved The Phoenix King by Aparna Verma! It was my best read in a long time and, yes, I bought a copy. One of my favorite aspects of this book was definitely the characters. This book has without question some of the best morally gray characters I've ever seen - the characters have so much complexity. They're flawed and they make countless mistakes and questionable decisions, but they love deeply and strive to protect those they care about (this has love between friends and family, not just romance!). I also loved the presence and importance of so many female characters. The romance was far from being the focus and was believable to me, how it built up slowly and didn't move too quickly - this was such a relief, especially given that lately romance has been rubbing me the wrong way (although that has more to do with me than the actual book).

These aren't negatives, but just a few minor things that I noticed (they didn't affect my rating). Initially I was lost because of all the location names but my confusion lessened as I continued reading, and the published version will include a map so that shouldn't be an issue. The last few chapters also felt long and drawn out to me, with some details that I personally think might not have been needed but I do see why the author included them.
Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for the arc!

3.5 stars

Thank you Net Galley for the arc in axchange for an honest review!

This book was a fun debut! For the tropes we have:
• enemies to lovers
• slowburn
• morally grey

Elena is a princess and will be ascending the throne soon, there's just one problem. She cannot wield fire, the thing that defines her family.

I felt like Elena and Yassen were rather one dimensional. I love a good slow burn but this was almost so slow that I missed the chemistry between them. Leo was a fully fleshed out character and his motivations were clear throughout the entire story.
This is marketed as an adult book but at times the writing felt more young adult even though the themes in the book are darker. I had issues with pacing and kept checking out for about the first half of the book because I felt that it was so slow. I enjoyed reading Leo's perspective but everything else took me some time to get into.

I thought the world building was solid and easy to understand which was a nice surprise because I feel like that can be challenging in a debut novel. The religion and politics bring the story to life and the fire element just made it so fun and unique. I'm excited to see where book two goes and hope the pacing and character development for everyone is improved.

So I actually discovered this book because of a Tiktok comparing it to Avatar the Last Airbender, which was one of my favorite shows growing up. While I can see where the comparison comes from, I actually felt it more closely related to Dune: warring nations, plotting royals, and religious fanatics waiting for “the prophet” to come save them.

The introduction was slow and a lot of info dump to slog through. I made it nine chapters in and was still bored out of my mind from the complicated world building. Also the blending of fantasy magic and science fiction laser weapons and hoverpods kept putting me off. Not to mention the alien woman who could form needles out of her hair to kill people.

The plot is extremely slow to advance as well. I made it over two thirds of the way through the book before it even picked up enough to interest me. And this was after putting it down for months and forcing myself to pick it up again.

I felt that Leo was the most interesting POV character even though I think the story would’ve been better without him. Elena came off as whiney and childish even though she is supposed to be in her mid-twenties (throwing tantrums every time her father shoots her down. Are you gonna be Queen or not girl?!). Yassen was interesting at first but I felt ultimately that his chapters became more of a way to introduce Samson and to advance the warring states plotline.

My biggest complaint was the lack of chemistry between the leads. Yes they do start out enemies to lovers but Elena never really connected with either Yassen or Samson. I felt she was closest and most tender to her bodyguard Ferma, with whom she had the best chemistry.

Ultimately I think the book had a lot of potential but the majority of it read as an intro to a larger series rather than a stand alone.

Thank you to NetGalley, Orbit Publishing, and Aparna Verma letting me read this ARC.

The imagery in this book was beautiful. I could picture the dunes, and desert, and palace in my head. I think the thought behind this book was brilliant.

I liked all of the characters in their own ways and their backstories. I normally don't like multiple povs but this book needed it. Seeing into everyone's minds really helped with the story progression.

There were unexpected twists and turns and the epilogue left me speechless. This book sets up the series nicely and I can not wait to see what happens next!

Thank you NetGalley for an e-arc of this book, in return of my honest review of this book.

Multi POVs (check)
Court Politics (check)
World Building (check)

I am very impressed with this debut book, it has three POV's and I found all of them engaging. The well written prose and world building was very well written. The first portion of the story was a bit slow and rest assured the last 3rd of the book was very fast.

Elena is set to inherit the kingdom, but must learn to control the flame, and her father Leo is not ready to give up his power as king. Leo's POV was excellent and very well done in my opinion.

Yassen is our assassin and is the "love" interest for Elena, their POVs were a bit lacking but hopefully the author has plans to go into more depth in future installments for this series.

This book definitely reads more YA then Adult, and I get the multiple references to Dune meets Poppy Wars, but to be honest, I don't think it does this book any favors in making that marketing reference.

It was a very good / solid story and I will be continuing with the series as I'm very intrigue to where the author will take this story.

The Phoenix King is an ambitious, adventurous, and action-packed debut with complex world-building and character development.

This science fantasy epic is dark and twisty (and perhaps not for the faint of heart).

The story is set in a futuristic desert kingdom born of a prophecy and ruled by those with the power to control fire. There is unrest in the land and the fate of the kingdom rests in the hands of a princess desperate for power and an assassin with a dark secret. As the threat of war looms, the choices these two make could burn down the world.

Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley and for providing me with an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Very good read that I really enjoyed. It half my attention and I really wanted more. This was a new author for me and the story didn’t disappoint

The Phoenix King is the first instalment of a new sci-fi fantasy trilogy loosely inspired by Indian mythology.

Elena Aadya Ravence will soon inherit the crown, but she first needs to learn how to control the Eternal Flame. Her father, Leo Ravence is not ready to step down; there are still things he needs to do to protect his daughter and maintain stability for the kingdom. And he will do whatever he deems necessary to achieve it, no matter how heinous. And then there’s Yassen Knight who wants to shed his assassin past.

This book was originally independently published but has since been picked up by Orbit.

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.

While the world-building was great, the character development was a bit lacking. Leo was the most complex; his motivations, no matter how horrible, were clear. Elena and Yassen were slightly one-dimensional, their budding romance flat. And although this is targeted at adult readers for its dark and brutal content, the writing style felt YA at times.

However, the last quarter was when things really took off, and now I’m intrigued to see where the rest of the trilogy goes.

3.5 rounded down.

Thank you to Orbit for the digital and physical arc copies.

https://booksandwheels.com

Thank you so much Orbit Books Publishing for sending me an eARC of "The Phoenix King" by Aparna Verma to read and give an honest review for.

"She was the Burning Queen. The heir of a land of blood and prophecy. May they all bow to her fury."

*This book was originally published as "The Boy with Fire"*

*1.5 stars*

Honestly, I have VERY mixed feelings about this book. I absolutely loved the worldbuilding (especially the politics), but I hated the pacing, and the characters were inconsistent. Overall though, I was deeply disappointed, especially considering this was one of my top releases for the year.

The good stuff: the worldbuilding was AMAZING. The differences in the cultures of the world, the food, the clothing, the religion(s), and even the discrimination towards Yassen's race made this world very real to me. Also, the complex politics between the countries/rulers were a sophisticated touch. I was completely immersed. The other things I liked were the two major twists that happen very near the end of the book.

That being said, the biggest issue I had with this book sucked the life out of this book. The pacing was absolutely terrible, as the first 70% of the book was all build-up for the final 30%. I mean, absolutely NOTHING of consequence really happened. I probably could've skipped the whole first 70% and completely understood what happened at the end (I was already skimming by the time I hit 50%, to be perfectly honest). I also didn't really like Leo's (Elena's father) POV. I mean, this book felt SO long, it literally took me over a month to read it. I basically had to force myself to read (and I only continued because I was promised action at 70% and the fact that this was an eARC).

The other big issue I had was with the characters. I honestly didn't like any of them, and they often acted out of character (if that makes any sense). For example, Elena would be so tough and serious and then she'd start teasing someone. The most on-point character out of all of them was King Leo, who was believable in his goals and his actions. Also, the romance between Yassen and Elena didn't make any sense to me. As another reviewer said (I was trying to figure out a way to write it), their romance was so slow burn that it felt nonexistent.

Overall, an overly drawn-out, disappointing read.

I’ve had the pleasure of reading this book as both the Boy With Fire and now as the Phoenix King. The part of this book that truly stands out is the gorgeous world-building. The descriptions are rich, but not overly done that it takes away from the rest of the story. I truly enjoyed reading about and learning about the mythology and culture that inspires the world, the magic system, and the characters. There are certain scenes and themes that are so beautifully written yet are also informative on the Indian culture it’s pulling from. It’s the perfect set up for a series of books, and I’m incredibly excited to see where it goes next. On my second read through I did notice that the later part of the book slows down quite a bit, and while the ending reveal is done wonderfully, the lead up is a bit hard to get through. The first portion of the book is so fast-paced and exciting that this sudden change is more noticeable. But otherwise, this book is wonderfully done. I’m fully invested in the characters, their stories, and their motivations. As this series progresses I will absolutely be picking up the next books. Thanks so much to Orbit books for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review. At their request, this review won’t be posted to other platforms until two weeks before the publication date.

The Phoenix King is a futuristic desert fantasy about Elena, a princess ready to become queen, and Yassen an assassin who is convinced to join her guard and protect her.
I found this book to be quite enjoyable. I enjoyed the romance storylines for Elena and her suitor. I enjoyed the political intrigues in the book because it wasn’t the standard parent who is the king/queen trying to retain their throne and keep their child from ascending.
The futuristic elements of the story were handled well and were not outlandish for the rest of the story. I’m a big fan of desert fantasy books so this was very enjoyable for me and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit books for the opportunity to read and review this book. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book.

I really wanted to love this book but unfortunately 40% in, I am giving up.

We follow three POVs and only one of them did I find interesting and that’s king Leo. The story starts off great, each character has an entertaining introduction that reels you in but theme things begin to fall flat.

King Leo is the only character that seems to be thought out and given dimension. His character’s goals, actions, and motivations are clear and his story line actually moves along. We know he is willing to do whatever it takes to protect his throne. Unfortunately the other tow POVs are quite boring after we first meet them.

Princess Elena is presented as strong, smart, can handle herself in a fight but most of her chapters just feel very much the same. Her father doesn’t want to teach her, she complains, she doesn’t trust. It’s just different vatiations of the same internal dialogue and interactions,

Out assassin Yassen seemed interesting at first but once again after his initial introduction he POVs start to feel all the same. He wants to be free, his home will never welcome him, he’s in pain. That’s just gist.

Overall the pacing is off. There are things happening but it all feel so dragged out and slow.

The world building is nice. I enjoy the sci- fi and fantasy blend of it. When the action happens I was here for it. The writing itself is well done, unfortunately it just isn’t for me,

Maybe at some point I will pick it up again but as of right now I’m bored and can’t continue to push through.

Thank you Netgalley for the change to read the ARC.