Unfortunately this one just wasn't for me. I am a huge fantasy reader, but I found this to be a little slow and definitely not as high fantasy as I was expecting. I found it would be better for a younger audience! The concept is awesome and the writing was really good.

In full transparency i wasn’t totally convinced when I started this book. As a fan of Harry Potter, GoT, Fourth Wing, etc. novels with magical creatures have big shoes to follow. The audio version started with twinkling music (always a good sign) and quickly dove right into the magical zoo conservatory.

The writing was well done and the narration was easy to listen to. The story flowed smoothly and I enjoyed learning more about the familiar magical species followed. Add in a little love twist, espionage, and a character glow up and this book checked off all the good things!

My one quip with this was I felt the stage wasn’t fully set as far as the setting goes. From what I gathered the characters were just normal people who studied magical creatures but I felt that some groundwork could have been laid for time period/culture of the story. Overall a good read especially for those who aren’t fully into a fantasy genre.

Marketing this book as a romance is setting it up for failure, especially with that tagline.

Is there a romance subplot? Yes, 73% in, but it is a minor point in the book. Is this a fantasy? Yes, although again that's not the focus and is primarily limited to a few magical creatures. This is a cozy slice of life story about a woman's passion for work while living with anxiety.

Pros:
Bi Rep
Trans Rep (Tanya has my heart)
Anxiety Rep
Hyper-fixation Rep (oh how nice it is to be seen)

Cons:
Mislabeled genres
Main character is incredibly self-absorbed and immature. I would be far more forgiving if she had been aged down, but given she's in her late twenties her actions make her extremely unlikable. Her friends deserve so much better.

With a few tweaks, I definitely feel like I could have enjoyed this book a lot more. I really loved the magical creatures and I wish we got more time with them.

I did listen to the audiobook and the narrator, Stephanie Bentley, did an admirable job with the material. I truly enjoyed her work.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm gonna keep this short: I loved the world, the zookeeping aspect, the variety of fantastical animals, and the anxiety rep. I hated how YA this supposedly adult woman read (the audiobook narrator makes her sound even more immature than on the page) and I didn't like her as a person. If I can't connect to the main character or her struggles and the only thing I like about her is her job because of the fantastical animals and how cozy and well-done that aspect of the story is, this just isn't for me.

Oh my gosh this story was so cute! I had a delightful time in Aila's head. The prose and dialogue were so funny and I found myself very invested in Aila's journey. The low stakes of the story kept the focus on her character development and it was a delight to watch an anxious, introverted zookeeper pursue her dreams and find people that appreciated her for her as well. I loved the anxiety and LGBT representation and I very much enjoyed how neurodivergent-coded our main character is. I found her very relatable and therefore her story was very heartwarming to me. In terms of world-building I could have done with either more distinction between our world and the fictional world or less. As it was we had therapy and online stock trading as well as unicorns and it didn't quite mesh for me. The romance plotline was very adorable and I had a good time with it. I'm always looking for more sapphic stories so I was delighted that the author decided to pursue that avenue. As for the audiobook, I adored the narrator! Her energetic performance kept me engaged and the earnestness she gave to Aila really made me feel more connected to the main character. I wanted to listen to the audiobook primarily because I was having such a good time when listening to the narrator bringing Aila to life. If you're a fan of character-driven cozy fantasy I 100% recommend this book. This felt very similar in tone to The Spellshop so if that brand of cozy fantasy is for you then this book is for you.

3/5
The Phoenix Keeper follows Aila, the head phoenix keeper at San Tamulco Zoo trying to reinvigorate the phoenix breeding program at her zoo.
First, let me say that there is an audience for this book, but it isn’t me. If you like cozy romantasy I’m sure that you will enjoy this book. My main issue with this novel was the main character. Our main character,
Aila is described as a 28 year old zookeeper, but this does not come across in the narrative and instead we end up with a character who acts like she is 16 years old. This discrepancy with the actions and behaviours of Aila in a very adult setting really disconnects the reader for the reading experience. It becomes difficult to visualize a very immature character in a very significant position at a zoo. I understand that the author was trying to represent anxiety, which I appreciate, however I think there are moments when her actions or behaviours come across as juvenile rather than as the result of anxiety.
The author tries very hard to generate a fantastical world, but unfortunately it falls short. It didn’t feel like there was significant world building. Instead, the author provides very rudimentary world building and this generally focuses on relative country locations with each other. I appreciated the attempt to include magical creatures, but the presentation is lacking. Oftentimes the magical creatures are presented in a list or plopped into scene just to state that they were there. As a reader, I would have appreciated a deeper dive into a couple of magical creatures rather than a generic shopping list of creatures. Moreover, one would expect the relationship between the phoenix keeper and phoenix to be strong, but this relationship gets overshadowed by her relationship with another aviary friend.
I was lucky enough to receive an audiobook of this,
so it would be remiss if I didn’t comment on it. The production for the audiobook was just okay. There were no elements that really made it stand out from other audiobooks. I will say I found the pacing to be a bit off overall; it ran a bit fast.

***Thank you to NetGalley, S.A. MacLean, and Hachette Audio for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. All thoughts are my own.***

Thank you so much Netgalley and the publisher for the EARC audiobook of this story.

Eh, Cozy Fantasy just isn't for me after all. IT always depends of course, but I just wasn't in the mood for a magical zoo I guess.

That isn't to say that the idea wasn't imaginiative or the writing wasn't good.

3.5 rounded up. A very enjoyable fantasy I would call cozy with a delightful lil romance too. Aila is the head Phoenix Keeper at a zoo full of magical creatures and phoenixes are VERY endangered. Another zoo recently had their female phoenix and her chicks stolen by poachers, which is devastating to Aila, who dreams of taking phoenixes out of endangerment. She then does everything she can to restart the breeding program at her zoo with the female phoenix she cares for.

I liked this book for what it is. It’s cute, cozy, and has a ton of heart. I think it could’ve been a little shorter and Aila’s self centeredness really began grating on me around the halfway mark. Thankfully she grows as a person shortly after and I began to root for her a lot more. The relationships are believable and endearing and the book’s love of animals was so sweet.

Extra points for representing stock bros as society’s greatest evil.

***Thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for providing the audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review.

This standalone fantasy follows a woman in her twenties who works in a zoo as the keeper of an endangered phoenix. I knew this purported to be a cozy fantasy with romance elements, and while many people will find it so, I did not. The characters read very young and the cozy element fell flat. Unfortunately, I found this one to be overly descriptive (and yet not of the magical creatures) and a bit boring.

The narrator, however, did a nice job bringing the characters to life. Her voice for the protagonist made her sound juvenile at times, but it was usually clear which character was speaking.

Book rating: 2 stars
Audiobook rating: 4 stars

I think I can officially say that cozy fantasy is not for me. I think the idea of a magical zoo could be a fun idea, but I was not feeling this book. I wish this hadn’t been urban fantasy and was kind of surprised when it was the modern world mixed with fantasy elements, I don’t know why I assumed it would be set in its own fantasy medieval type world.

I also wasn’t a fan of the main character and wasn’t a fan of the way she seemed very judgemental and at times rude to others. I also didn’t love the audiobook narrators' happy and peppy tone throughout. The main character is supposed to have anxiety and I felt the voice didn’t match for moments when she was struggling with her mental health.

If you like cozy fantasies you might enjoy this more than I did, but I don’t think I can recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an audio arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The cozy fantasy I have been dying for! I have read a few cozy fantasies after many years of epic fantasy, dark fantasy, romantasy and never thought I would love cozy fantasy. This book has me sold!
Alia is living her childhood dream as a Phoenix specialist at a magical zoo that is in desperate need of some tender loving care. Alia and the her pals at the zoo put forth the effort in the wake of their zoo being evaluated to bring in a male phoenix the breed with the resident female, which is a high honor. In the wake of another zoo having their Phoenix eggs stolen for the black market, the co-workers work so hard to get everything up to sniff.
The characters were so relatable! I love the introvert representation! And the plot, while some parts were predictable (isn’t that part of cozy fantasy?), was fantastic. I want to live in this world and be a zoo keeper, too!
the narrator did an awesome job. Her voice was perfect for this story. her pacing and intonation was great.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this ARC!

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was such a cute and absolutely cozy queer fantasy! I had a great time reading/listening to this book. The audiobook was fantastic and if you are in audiobook listener, I highly recommend.

The main character, Aila, was very relatable to me because she was a neurodivergent individual with a lot of anxiety. There were so many times when I was like, "oh, I've done that" or "oh, I definitely had have done the same thing in that situation."

Aila's relationships with her best friend Tanya and other zookeepers, like Luciana, were all fun to read and each one unique. I liked how Aila came to learn that there is always a possibility that there's more going on around her that she might have missed and that her friends would take the time to explain certain situations when they noticed her panicking.

The author did a fantastic job making this book queernormative. There was a lot of rep throughout the book from both the main and side characters which we love to see!

Overall, this was a great book that I'm so happy to have read. If you like cozy, slice of life, fantasy with low to middle stakes, very awkward FMCs, magical creatures like phoenixes, kelpies, and dragons, then check out The Phoenix Keeper when it comes out on Aug 13th!

4.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Audio, and Orbit Books for this advanced copy. You can pick up The Phoenix Keeper on August 13, 2024.

This was such a cute and cozy queer fantasy! I love how immersive S.A. MacLean made this world, and how all of the magical creatures leapt off the page. I felt so invested in the wellbeing of the phoenixes, griffins, dragons, and more, and of course, I loved the journey our main character went on.

Aila is so deeply relatable, not only to those with anxiety, but to those who have ever felt immense pressure while pursuing a dream. I wanted to laugh and cry and cringe with her throughout all her interactions, and it was so heartwarming to see her grow in confidence and friends by the end of the book. Her relationships with Tanya, Luciana, and the other zookeepers were absolutely delightful , and the ending had my heart racing with adrenaline and happiness.

Overall, if you like an immersive fantasy with low to middling stakes, awkward FMCs, and tons of beautiful magical creatures, this is the book for you!

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for a copy to review!

First of all, the narrator was soooo good! I listened to this book on my commutes and could easily follow it even between breaks!

I enjoyed this cosy fantasy! At first I was sceptical about a fantastical zoo, but the author made the everyday so entraping, I sometimes forgot that the animals were made-up! The characters are flawed, but interesting and it was a joy to follow their journey. Its important to note, that the romance is a subplot (which I actually enjoyed!), so do not expect a lot of romantic scenes!

4.5 stars

The Phoenix Keeper is a cozy fantasy novel that, while not typically my genre, offered an intriguing setting and captivating animal characters. The detailed world-building and the enchanting creatures were the highlights, making the fantasy elements truly come alive.

However, the romance subplot fell flat for me and felt unnecessary. The book also felt overly long, and the ending was predictable, which diminished some of the excitement. Despite these drawbacks, the main character was relatable and added depth to the story.

Overall, The Phoenix Keeper has its charm, especially for fans of cozy fantasy, but it didn't quite hit the mark for me.

DNF @ 38%

Aila, the head phoenix keeper at a zoo for magical creatures, has one goal: revitalize the zoo's phoenix breeding program to keep the the majestic firebirds from going extinct. When a heist sabotages the flagship breeding program from a neighboring zoo, Aila must prove that she has what it takes to rekindle the zoo's conservations efforts.

I'm going to be honest, this book just is not for me...

As much as I like the idea of this book, in practice it just feels very mundane. I was looking for more of an adventure - like a Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay vibe - but instead, this book goes hard into the actual profession of being a zoo keeper. This might be interesting to some people, but just bored me to tears. I also didn't really feel any chemistry between the main character and the supposed love interest.

Ultimately, this book was not for me, and I found myself procrastinating reading it.

I don't even know how to completely put together my thoughts on this story. I loved this so much. Every part of my fantasy loving heart obsessed with the idea of a zoo full of magical creatures. Put together that with the message of animal conservation and the daunting possibility of extinction. I really liked Aila's character and loved the fact that she was so introverted. Her over thinking and anxiety ridden personality was so relatable. Her passion and dedication to her phoenix's was a huge catalyst to her growth as a character and it was great to see her slowly put herself out there for the sake of her birds and also her heart. I loved the friendship between her and Tanya. The kind of wholehearted love and total acceptance between friends that everyone should have in their life. Character wise it was fun to have a couple wild cards and I did find myself surprised more than once. Archie was definitely my favorite character, what a delightful little mischief maker. This is definitely hard on the cozy side for the majority of the book which I really enjoyed, but when it does take off oh my hold on! Although the romance is not the main focus in the story it does have an important roll in the drive of the plot and in Aila's character growth. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a cozy magical story with a flare of adventure and a lot of great animals.

Thank you to Orbit and Netgalley for this ARC!

I was really excited to read this as the concept seemed up my alley. Full disclosure: I am not the biggest fan of cozy fantasy but the magical creatures and anxiety rep drew me in. Unfortunately the book failed to deliver.

While I appreciated that the book showed anxiety in Alia (as I myself have anxiety), Alia became a very difficult character to read because her anxiety is nearly her only personality trait. Also it caused her to be very judgmental of other individuals despite the fact that she barely knew them. It didn’t help that Alia was the only POV. Alia also came off as extremely immature for someone described as being mid-20s. Her friend had to come to Alia’s rescue many times.

I enjoyed the magical creatures but they were a relatively minor part of the plot, despite the fact that Alia’s goal was to start breeding a specific species.

Finally, IMO it’s a misnomer to call this a romance. The romance doesn’t come in until nearly 70% and was a minor subplot. The lgbtqia+ rep felt like an afterthought.

Thank you Hachette Audio and Netgalley for the advance listening copy. This is an action packed fantasy novel about Aila, a zoo keeper of endangered firebirds at a conservation zoo for mythical creatures. I loved following Aila's journey of self discovery and confidence in this novel. I disliked Luciana, Aila's arch-rival from college, but slowly as the novel progressed her character began to grow on me. This novel included a good mix of suspense, action and self discovery.

Somewhere between 3 & 4 stars, so I'm rounding up to 4.

I liked this book a lot but there were some things that I found frustrating mostly having to do with Aila's love life, I wish less time had been spent on that overall. The best parts for me were all of the mundane things about working with animals and all the worldbuilding about how the magical creatures affect everyday life. I want to live in this world!

Aila is a main character that could easily frustrate readers, she has a lot of times where her anxiety overwhelms her and she’ll start catastrophizing. and she also doesn’t seem that great at a lot of aspects of her job, she is book smart but not real world smart. She takes things too personally and holds grudges easily. But all of these things were done in a way that felt very real and believable to me. She felt human and I loved seeing her passion for the phoenixes. I had a lot of fun following her work within the zoo and watching her try to work on her people skills.

I also really loved the relationship between Aila and her best friend, Tanya was always willing to call Aila out on her bullshit. The romance was the weakest part of the book for me because we don’t spend nearly enough time with the love interest but exploring Tanya & Aila’s friendship made up for that. Honestly, I feel like Connor (another zoo keeper that Aila has a crush on) could've been cut from the story completely and that would give more time to spend with the animals and with Luciana & Tanya.

The best part of this book by far is the animals, I love love loved all of the animals.