Book Review of The Phoenix King by Aparna Verma
Name of Book: The Phoenix KingAuthor: Aparna Verma
ISBN: 9780316522779
Publisher: Orbit
Part of a Series: The Ravence Trilogy
Type of book: India, Rajasthan, politics, mix of fantasy and science fiction, rulers, assassins, charisma, religion, magic system, relationships, secrets, miscommunication
Year it was published: 2023
Summary:
In a kingdom where flames hold magic and the desert hides secrets, an ancient prophecy comes for an assassin, a princess, and a king. But none are ready to face destiny—and the choices they make could burn the world.
“If we carry the burdens of our fathers, we’ll never know what it means to be free.”
For Elena Aadya Ravence, fire is yearning. She longs to feel worthy of her Phoenix god, of her ancestors who transformed the barren dunes of Sayon into a thriving kingdom. But though she knows the ways and wiles of the desert better than she knows her own skin, the secrets of the Eternal Flame elude her. And without them, she’ll never be accepted as queen.
For Leo Malhari Ravence, fire is control. He is not ready to give up his crown—there’s still too much work to be done to ensure his legacy remains untarnished, his family protected. But power comes with a price, and he’ll wage war with the heavens themselves to keep from paying it.
For Yassen Knight, fire is redemption. He dreams of shedding his past as one of Sayon’s most deadly assassins, of laying to rest the ghosts of those he has lost. If joining the court of flame and serving the royal Ravence family—the very people he once swore to eliminate—will earn him that, he’ll do it no matter what they ask of him.
But the Phoenix watches over all and the fire has a will of its own. It will come for all three, will come for Sayon itself….and they must either find a way to withstand the blaze or burn to ash.
The first in an action–packed debut epic fantasy trilogy, The Phoenix King is "a captivating adventure from a gifted new voice” (Peter V. Brett).
Main characters include Yassen Knight, a turncoat of sorts who wants to do right. He is loyal, determined and will do what he can for those he cares about. He had a loving family but then became an orphan holding on to an important secret. Elena Ravence is another main character who struggles with having a relationship with her father but who also is more for people's rights no matter the cost. She is manipulating politics and at first I didn't understand why she was doing what she was doing. She is brave, fearless, talented and often overestimates herself, or so I believe. King Leo and Samson Kytuu are best described as secondary characters and boy are both far more compelling than the main ones. King Leo has a lot of secrets he refuses to impart to Elena and no matter what he is determined to hold on to peace for his daughter's sake rather than his own. He is savvy but not knowledgeable. Samson Kytuu is extremely charismatic, rags to riches story and also happens to be manipulative as well.
Theme:
How much one doesn't know can hurt them
Plot:
The story is in third person narrative from King Leo's, Elena's and Yassen Knight's points of view. I am definitely surprised that one of the characters didn't have a point of view considering how big their role will be in next two books, or so I surmise. It definitely goes in chronological order from giving the readers slight background information on Yassen Knight as well as how he ends up in a position he is in, to King Leo's fears and desires and Elena's relationship and attempting at manipulating politics. I definitely had trouble understanding the beginning to middle parts, but by the middle the story was very interesting and I really enjoyed the latter half.
Author Information:
(From goodreads)
Hi there. I'm Aparna Verma, author of The Phoenix King. Rather than giving a boring, highly produced publishing bio, I figured I'd personally write to you.
As an immigrant, I write fantasy stories about men and women lost between the edges of identities. You'll find themes of exploration, love, resilience, violence, and sacrifice. Maybe you'll love the characters, maybe you'll hate them. In the end, I just want to thank for picking up my books, and listening to the tales of a girl born in the desert.
Up until page 230, I definitely had trouble getting into the story because it seemed as if I was confused and didn't understand what was going on. I think I also expected the story to be a bit like Tasha Suri's The Burning Kingdoms' Trilogy. Instead, THE PHOENIX KING had use of fantasy and science fiction elements, which is something I wasn't expecting, and aside from King Leo as well as Yassen's friend, Samson Kytuu, the main characters of Yassen Knight and Elena Ravence really needed to be developed a lot more. Past page 230, the story picked up steam and became more exciting, and I definitely would like to read the second and third book when given a chance.
This was given for review
4 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)
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