Thank you so much to New Degree Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review! I don’t know how to put into words how much I loved this book. It was amazing. It’s my new favorite book. If I could give it more starts I would. It has everything that I love in it. The plot is so interesting, and I love the characters. Leo Ravence is not ready to give up the crown. There’s still too much work to be done, too many battles to be won. But when an ancient prophecy threatens to undo his lifetime of work, Leo wages war on the heavens themselves to protect his legacy. The Phoenix King” by Aparna Verma. Image courtesy of Orbit Books. Book review: The Phoenix King by Aparna Verma

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. However, the last quarter was when things really took off, and now I’m intrigued to see where the rest of the trilogy goes. I had a good time with this book and it's no doubt a debut well done. There is A LOT of potential in the series. BUT I am conflicted about a few things. Phoenix King was the Western title given to the ruler of the Kingdom of Great Joseon, the last royal dynasty of Korea. Traditionally, Korean kings and emperors saw the majesty and power of the phoenix as divine, and often favored this mythical animal as a symbol of their supreme right to rule. The title is similar in thought and concept to the Dragon Emperor of China.Before bedtime: Many people find that reading before bedtime helps them unwind and relax, which can promote better sleep.

There are also little excerpts at the top of each chapter from different documents and books that exists in the world. That's something I loved so much while reading. Some of my favorite quotes are from those little excerpts. I would love to have actual full length copies of this historical texts. I think it would be so cool. 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. Perhaps I'm being a bit too harsh so let me start off with what I appreciated: The world-building at first seemed a little stagnant, with your typical rival nations, social class difference in each and traditions, however it soon burned brightly (pun not intended) thanks to the prophecies and mythology interwoven into the plot such that the religious aspect played a big part. The phoenix, vengeful gods, raring fire were such a force to be dealt with and truly played a huge role in heightening the tension. The phoenix, or benu, is a mythical sacred firebird which originated in many ancient mythologies, including Egyptian, Phoenician, Greek, Indian, Persian, Roman, and Chinese, among others. It is a radiant bird with a tail of gold and red plumage, or purple and blue, by some sources, and has a 500 to 1,000 year life cycle, near the end of which it builds itself a nest of myrrh twigs that it eventually ignites. Both nest and bird burn and are reduced to ashes, from which a new, young phoenix or phoenix egg arises, reborn anew to live again.

Summary

When Sokka tells Zuko that Aang is not ready to face the Fire Lord, Aang's eyes are blue. His eyes are supposed to be a dark gray color, and when Sokka is yelling at him for refusing to take out the Melon Lord, his eyes are brown. His eyes change color multiple times throughout the episode. The kind of book you sit down with to read one chapter and end up spending the whole day on. Come for the science fantasy worldbuilding and stay for the characters you just can’t get out of your head’ This episode is the first part of the two hour movie, "Sozin's Comet", which pulled in an average of 5.6 million total viewers and achieved the highest Avatar rating ever with kids 6-11 and teens. In Avatar Extras, it said that Zuko was the first person to find the Avatar after he went missing for a hundred years, though this is not true as Katara and Sokka were the first to find Aang.

Since this is my book, I'm a bit biased towards the 5-star review, but I wanted to take this chance to talk more about THE BOY WITH FIRE. When Katara and Suki are looking for Aang, they see actress Aang circled by people, but actor Toph is not there. He then appears out of nowhere. The best time to read a book depends on your personal schedule and preferences. Here are some suggestions:The kind of book you sit down with to read one chapter and end up spending the whole day on. Come for the science fantasy worldbuilding and stay for the characters you just can't get out of your head' Right before Aang wakes up on the "island", the scar on his foot from Azula's lightning is in the center of his right foot when it should be on the ball of his left foot.

Perhaps it was thanks to my surreal expectations with it being compared to my favourite fantasy series of all time: the Poppy War, or perhaps it was because I read it in a few sittings and skimmed through it... whatever it was, I hardly remember anything and 50% in was resisting the temptation of a DNF. The Boy with Fire follows three separate characters: Yassen Knight, the Arohassin’s most notorious assassin now on the run from the authorities and his former employer after suffering a horrible accident; Elena Ravence, heir to the Ravence throne; and Leo Ravence; the current king and Elena’s father. Their stories intertwine and connect as Elena and Leo’s kingdom teeters on the edge of war and prophecy. Production notes [ ] Transcript [ ] Main article: Transcript:Sozin's Comet, Part 1: The Phoenix King Main article: Transcript:Sozin's Comet, Part 1: The Phoenix King (commentary) Avatar Extras [ ] Main article: Avatar Extras for Book Three: Fire Series continuity [ ] For Elena AadyaRavence, 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. The initial pitch of The Boy With Fire was "Dune meets The Poppy War". This has been pushed heavily by the publishers, to the point of it being the first line in the Goodreads summary. Additional marketing points: Adult SFF, morally grey characters, and political intrigue. Unfortunately, though I think the book had its positives, it did not deliver on what it had promised.

After Ozai tells Azula that she will be remaining in the Fire Nation, Ozai is seen from behind, and the gold trimmings on his robes are missing. 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. A kingdom set in the desert and born out of a prophecy is ruled by the Ravence who command the eternal fire. Elena is the heir to the throne and wants to prove herself, not only to her kingdom but her father too. But she doesn't approve of the arrival of Yassen, an assassin who is to be her royal guard. War looms on the horizon and it all depends on the choices they make. i love prophecies and mythology inspired books so that aspect was definitely interesting to read about. the writing is beautifully worded to draw you into Ravence and the worldbuilding is intricately planned. particularly loved the setting of the desert b Not being a warrior, Caradryel appointed a number of skillful generals to battle the Dark Elves. Because of his foresight, the Druchii were held at bay in the northern provinces for much of his reign. Despite numerous attempts by Malekith's assassins to kill him, Caradryel survived and was remembered as a wise and noble king. After a rule of over 700 years, Caradryel the Peacemaker became the first Phoenix King to die peacefully in his sleep.