A cosy book I wanted to throw myself into. Who could resist spending a day at the San Tamculo Zoo?

Where to begin? Has to be the animals.
I really enjoyed the variety of species we were introduced to in a way that felt natural and avoided info-dumping. The fantasy creatures were familiar enough to not be overwhelming, but just that bit more, which perfectly suited the zoological setting.
Speaking of which, I adored the setting. I have aphantasia (I don’t have a mental image) but the way the exhibits were described meant I could still vividly imagine them - the smell and feel of a humid tropical jungle, delightful!

I adored the cast of characters. Aila’s anxiety rep felt very relatable to me, and I loved how you could see her growing in strategies and support throughout the book.
Did I see the villain coming a mile off? Yes. Do I mind? No; it’s a cosy fantasy and I always think if I can work something out ahead of time it’s just well signposted and makes sense in the story.

Overall, I absolutely adored The Phoenix Keeper and can’t wait to see what S. A. MacLean will write next!

This one was super cute! It follows Aila, a walking bundle of nerves, as she lives her dream as head zookeeper for endangered phoenixes at the (fictional) San Tamculo Zoo. Aila is bad with people, but amazing at handling animals. This leads her to several instances of misunderstandings as she tries to relate to her coworkers, navigate an almost non-existent dating life (she is bi so she should have a lot of options... right? Sadly, dating means actually talking to people), and avoid her nemesis, beautiful and confident Luciana (aka the antithesis of Aila). When poachers steal phoenix chicks at a neighbouring zoo, the focus shifts to Aila and her phoenix. She must revive the breeding program at San Tamculo for the survival of the species. But, unfortunately for Aila, this feat will include working with people, including her nemesis.

I'm not sure that I would label this one a romantasy, more a cozy contemporary set in a fantasy world with some magical creatures. It’s character-driven and contains some mental health rep.
The main character can be kind of frustrating and self-absorbed, but it’s a good lesson for all of us with anxiety. Sometimes we get “so caught up the anxiety haze” that we miss the things that are going on around us. We don’t see people’s true intentions because we’re sure they’re judging us and we get defensive, or we miss points of conversation because we’re stuck spiraling inside our own heads. I appreciated that Aila realized that she had some issues and was in therapy for them.

This one has a generally slower pace for most of the book, and it's not short. It does pick up significantly near the end, however, so I recommend sticking with it and just enjoying the story. I would say that people who enjoy slower paced cozier novels like Jane Austen and Travis Baldree would like this book a lot.

hank you NetGalley for the AudioARC! The audiobook was very well done! I appreciated the intonation of the narrator, and I was able to listen to it sped up with almost no distortion.

I am always eager to read a new queer cozy fantasy and the fact that this one is set in a magical zoo (and not a bookstore or coffee shop) had me very excited to read it!

Because this is a review for the audiobook I will start there. I thought Stephanie Bentley did a fantastic job with the narration and lended emotion and good voice to all of the characters.

This book is the story of Aila who works at a magical zoo, but in a contemporary setting - i.e. they have security cameras and cell phones. Totally my bad for not realizing this before I read the book but in all honesty that didn’t really affect my enjoyment. I think because the world was so unique and well built that I didn’t mind a modern world setting. And truly, the world building actually was my favorite part of the entire book. The attention to detail was fantastic and totally had me believing this magical zoo actually exists in the real world.

The story itself was fairly entertaining, like all cozy fantasy the stakes are on the lower side, though slightly higher than just opening a successful coffee shop. Again, all felt believable and you can tell the author either did a ton of research or had experience working in real world zoos/animal parks.

The thing that I liked the least about this book were the characters themselves. Aila has a pretty negative view of herself and the other people she works with. In a cozy fantasy the characters are always my favorite part (hence why a slow, low stakes plot line works well) but I just never really found myself rooting for the MC. She uses a lot of ableist language (internal and external) and that really became a bummer after a while. I loved Tanya (Aila’s best friend) but she was basically there as a side kick to Aila and to knock some sense into her.

I also hate reading books where the MC dates someone else before the main LI because you just know things aren’t going to work out and it feels so pointless. Plus I guessed about Connor right away. Luciana did grow on me despite Aila constantly trash talking her, and I did root for them to end up together by the end of the book. Just took like 5/6 of the book to do it.

This was a solid 4 for me for really cool world building and a fairly interesting plot. Characters kinda let me down.

I enjoyed The Phoenix Keeper. The story was cute, and I liked hearing about the magical creatures. I was more invested in the journey for the Phoenix transfer and whether or not they would mate.

S.A. MacLean did a good job showing an anxiety disorder and someone being stuck in their head. Sometimes, I thought, "Is this what I sound like?" Aila came off a little young, but I realized it's because she doesn't know how to interact with people. The love between Aila and Luciana felt rushed after they apologized and cleared the air. Tanya was my favorite character.

I would definitely read something else from MacLean.

what a read guys! thank you so much to netgalley and hachette audio for providing me an audiobook!

audiobook:
i think the narrator did a stunning job at keeping you hooked throughout and i really loved listening to them and it was easily to follow which character was speaking!

the book itself:
this was such a cosy fantasy read and i loved every moment of it. usually i'm not the biggest fan of cosy fantasy but S.A. MacLean might have turned me! i loved getting immersed into this world and follow Aila throughout (also as someone who used to have stage fright when i was younger and still lowkey do at times, i relate to her so much). Aila is such a great MC and i couldn't help but root for her throughout! i loved the phoenixes too and you could really feel Aila's love for them which was really beautiful. also the romance was 10/10 with the cute enemies to lovers vibes!
i think S.A. MacLean's writing style is so wonderful and cosy and easy to get immersed into. i already miss this book!!

I really enjoyed this one!! The storyline and characters were refreshing and unique. I desperately want to visit a magical zoo!

The narrator kept my attention very well. I felt that the emotions of the FMC were well captured. The narrator was immersive and I felt she did a great job with all of the different voices.

Aila is a zookeeper in charge of phoenixes at a magical creatures zoo. When she's tasked with bringing the species back from the verge of extinction, she'll need all the help she can get. That includes Luciana, Aila's arch-nemesis, but the mistress of publicity at the zoo. Can these two work together to save this beautiful species?

So I read another cozy fantasy book this year, and I thought maybe cozy fantasy just wasn't for me. This book managed to prove me wrong. I loved this story and couldn't help but root for Aila and her phoenixes. This is an adorable enemy-to-lovers, LGBT extravaganza! Aila is such a relatable character.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this book. Stephanie Bentley was a great narrator and she really brought Aila and her story to life. I cannot recommend this book enough!

If you are a fan of Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, this is the book for you. It has the same vibes but in a zoo setting and with mystical creatures instead of fae.
This was a perfect little cozy urban fantasy and I enjoyed every page!
This is more of a 4.5-star book for me than a 4-star because I loved it so much
the characters were great and they felt real. I loved how we can fully understand their dynamics and their backstories with each other in a well-timed manner in the story just enough not to reveal any plot twist.
If I'm being honest I cried two times during this book so if it's not enough to show you how much I cared about these characters I don't know what will.
I really loved the romance aspect in this, I didn't know it had an LGBTQ+ romance subplot (because I like to not know everything before reading to have the feeling of surprise) and I can say I was actually rooting for them.
As for the setting of this book, I really liked it. I liked the zoo ambiance and how every animal and creature was described, it really made the world setting feel even more real.

As for the narrator, I felt like she did a great job at voicing Aila and I could easily differentiate all of the other female characters. And when reading the male characters part she didn't do the usually cringy lower voice that a lot of narrator does in fantasy romance and for that I'm so grateful.

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author to have allowed me to listen to the arc audiobook.

Thank you to NetGalley, S.A. MacLean, Orbit Books, and Hachette Audio for providing me with a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a cozy fantasy with a background of creative magical creatures (that reminded me of Avatar the Last Airbender), focusing on a queer female lead. The Phoenix Keeper was an okay read for me. The twists were predicable (at least to me) from the start of the story. I also found myself getting frustrated with the main character. I love a dislikable female lead, but Aila came off as downright mean in certain parts of the book.

Overall, I think it's a good story and would recommend for cozy fantasy readers.

A little something for everyone! Aila is a phoenix keeper at a zoo for mythical animals, but when things go awry for a neighboring zoo's phoenix breeding program, Aila finds herself close to living her dream of having a breeding program at her zoo. All Aila has ever wanted her whole life was to help save the phoenixes from extinction, but doing so will mean a lot of work and even worse- people. As her zoo friends pull together to help her accomplish her goals. Aila finds that maybe people aren't so bad afterall- that is until betrayal and a daring heist force her to examine her newfound friends. Filled with Fantasy, romance, and action, the Phoenix Keeper has a little something for every reader. I found the fantasy aspects easy to understand, the world building solid, and the romance really sweet. By the end of the book, Aila, Tanya, and Luciana feel like your best friends.

I adored this book!! It had a little bit of everything - some magic, some romance, some action, some self discovery and growth, some friendship trials and tribulations - all wrapped up in this cozy little magical creature zoo setting. I loved Aila’s dynamic characterization, especially the social anxiety representation and how she overcomes her fears and learns to be a better friend and part of a team. The side characters are great, and I really appreciate the diversity representation. The twist was a little predictable, but I liked it because I didn’t expect/want to have my mind totally blown (it would have thrown off the vibe of the whole story, to be honest). I love how every little plot point comes full circle in the end. I even got a little misty eyed during the epilogue — that’s how you know it’s good. I also appreciated that the romance wasn’t driving the plot; instead we have a very plot-forward, character-driven story with this little side of warm fuzzies with the romance. The audiobook narration was top-tier, as well. I would definitely classify this as a cozy fantasy, and highly recommend.

1 Star
Wow, I'm so happy to have finally finished this book lol I think I actually hated this book... Aila is the most annoying MC ever, I just cannot stand how blatantly ignorant and self absorbed she is - she's the worst friend, she thinks everything is literally about her, her anxiety is so bad she can barely function (but she won't go to regular therapy or take meds for it or even try anything to help it), and she barely takes any accountability for her mistakes and she just fully sucks (she has no redeeming qualities and only had any character growth in the last chapter). I saw the "bad guy" from the start, it was stupidly obvious and if Aila wasn't so obsessed with herself she would've seen it too and I honestly would love to never hear "skies and seas" again.

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio/Orbit for the ARC!

I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook! I loved the cozy vibes that this story gave. I loved the description of all the magical creatures. I relate to the MC’s issues with being shy and social awkward so much! The narrator did an amazing job with the story and definitely helped with creating a vibe that fits the story so well.

I feel like this book was written specifically for my animal obsessed, zoo keeper wannabe, inner child. This is essentially the book about animals I feel like I've been chasing my entire adult life, after a childhood spent between the pages of Lucy Daniels' 'Animal Ark' series.

The Phoenix Keepers was delightfully cosy with a gentle, slow burn enemies to lovers romance, a fantastic message about conservation and a charismatic cast of characters (both human and avian alike).

Overall, this was gentle, fun and subtly magical story with a loveable, diverse cast of characters and a zoo/world I would love to return to in the future. This was a true delight.

The Phoenix Keeper is a wonderful addition to the cozy fantasy space. The book takes place in a modern fantasy world- with technology similar to what we currently have, but in a world that also contains a wide range of magical creatures like Kelpies, multiple species of Griffons and Phoenixes.
Following a main character, Ayla, in her last 20s who is queer and reads as neurodiverse as they work to bring a breeding programme back to life at the zoo she works at for a phoenix species she is passionate about, learning to adapt to changes and dealing with communication issues.
At times the book does read more YA but I think that has more to do with the main character and the way they interact with people, like I said, this character does read as being on the spectrum but by the end of the book the MC has developed some better coping strategies as well as having more people they can just be themselves around without having to mask.
I loved the plot of this book, like a lot of cozy fantasy it has a slower pace but this book does have some stakes that feel very real and poignant- dealing with topics like animal poaching and conservation.

Ayla was a character I fell in love with and there are parts of this story where the joy felt so genuine that I got emotional. A wonderful read.

DNF @ 44% on audio

Unfortunately this was a miss for me personally. 🥲 If you’re a fan of low stakes cosy fantasies, you may want to pick this up. Or if you think you’d get an A+ in a Hogwarts class, Care of Magical Creatures. This book may be for you. 😆🦄🧚🏻‍♀️🐦‍🔥

I think this could’ve been a really fun novel! But I thought there’s was just too much description of the magical creatures and our MFC social anxiety than there was of the plot. Personally, I wanted more of a balance. Halfway and absolutely nothing happening plot wise? Ehhhh not my cup of tea. This was also marketed as a romance? But yet again, halfway through and the two love interests had barely even had more than three short conversations.

I love the premise and world building, who wouldn’t love a zoo full of magical creatures? but just thought the book could’ve had more adventure to it. More growth with our MFC a little sooner seeing as it’s a stand alone novel.

I thought the narrator was wonderful though! Really brought the character to life for me!

Unicorns, dragons, kelpies, and of course phoenixes! This was a cozy fantasy that gave me Harry Potter magical creatures mixed with the upbeat vibes of Hayao Miyazaki movies. A sweet read with some romance mixed in.

I enjoyed this audiobook. This was a cozy fantasy that was uplifting and fun to listen to. I loved the mythical world and all of the descriptions of the magical creatures. I will say that the narrator used a similar intonation for most of the emotions of the characters. It sometimes felt flat. Other than that, it was a good audiobook and well done. Thank you Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the ARC.

Actual Rating: 4.5 stars

Isn’t this the coziest and cutest book this 2024? The whole time I was reading The Phoenix Keeper, I felt like I got transported into the world of cozy games (i.e. Stardew Valley, Potion Permit, Animal Crossing) wherein I have to grind my ass planting and harvesting plants, and taking care of my livestock every single waking day and I did not mind all the work because everything’s just so enjoyable. The only difference is that The Phoenix Keeper deals with magical creatures, from dragons to phoenixes to unicorns to griffins to kelpies etc., being raised in a magical zoo to ensure the continuity of their existence. I never thought that following the daily life of an introverted and highly anxious magical zoo keeper would keep me entertained for almost fourteen hours.

Though Aila’s, our introverted heroine, life at the zoo seemed mundane as she spends most of her days overthinking, working hard to take care of the magical animals assigned to her, and interacting with her only friend, Tanya, I never felt that the story was dragging because the atmosphere and how MacLean designed the interactions and scenarios between the characters just gives off a sense of comfort and peace that you just want to listen to the story all day long while curled up in your bed.

And before I forget, I just want to tell you, however, that regardless of what the cover says about love, The Phoenix Keeper is more than just finding romance in the least unexpected places or person but it’s more of mustering courage and opening one’s self to the whole world. It’s about not giving up and doing what you can to get where you want to be no matter how long it takes. It’s about being your own person and loving yourself first before you can expect others to appreciate you the way you deserved to be treated. Really, it’s the overarching theme of playing to your strengths and coming out of your shell that made me stuck with The Phoenix Keeper all the way to the end because the plot, while executed properly, was kind of simplistic and the twist at the end was predictable.

And though this book feels like it’s YA (maybe because the audiobook narrator’s voice sounded very young) despite the characters being in their late twenties already, I don’t mind it that much because the coziness and the gush-inducing, slow-simmering romance were just too overwhelming to really nitpick about such details.

To sum it all up, I’ve just become a new fan of S.A. MacLean for writing such a poignant story about what it takes to get to the destination you’re aiming for. The cutie magical beasts and their antics are just bonuses. This is a must try for the cozy gamers out there, too.

The Phoenix Keeper, is an enchanting tale that masterfully blends magical realism with a tender sapphic romance.

Following the protagonist as she navigates a world of endangered mystical creatures, the novel offers a compelling narrative that is both heartwarming and thrilling.
With a captivating storyline reminiscent of <i>Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them</i>, the book’s vivid descriptions and well-developed characters make it a delightful read for fans of fantasy.

MacLean’s writing is engaging, keeping readers hooked from start to finish, making this a must-read for lovers of magical adventures.


AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR:
Stephanie Bentley absolutely shines in her narration of ‘The Phoenix Keeper’! Her vibrant energy and expressive voice bring every character to life, making the story even more enchanting.
Bentley’s performance is pure magic 🫶



Huge thank you to publisher Hackett Audio - Orbit, and author S. A. Maclean for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This audio was really good. I read at 1.3x speed because I can never get through a book on regular speed, the book starts out with a regular zookeeper for a magical zoo for mythical creatures and we get a good look into the back end of taking care of the creatures inside. Then it evolves into a sort of pseudo romance between her and another keeper who from the BEGINNING gave me weird bad vibes. Then it’s CHANGES AGAIN. This book is so so twisty and so good. I adored the way that it evolved into a sapphic, and the ending. One of my top reads this year