Reviews

The Phoenix King by Aparna Verma

pikgupta's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

lauren_alkire_kaus's review against another edition

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I want to come back to this book hut when I have a physical copy.

saneyah's review against another edition

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4.0

Thank you to NetGalley and New Degree Press for the eARC!

The Boy With Fire was a great start to the Ravence Trilogy. The worldbuilding was stunning — a blend of the fantastical and the futuristic, set to the backdrop of the desert dunes and winds — and helped immerse the readers within the story easily. The characters were another plus; each of the main POV characters (as well as significant side characters) were developed with their own wants, needs, and moral compasses that, while not always pointing in the best direction, gave their actions depth.

I wish the pacing of this story had been a little better, as it started and ended strong, but dragged a lot in the middle. The characters helped keep the plot moving, but a bit too slowly for my tastes. Additionally, the romance that we all saw coming felt cliche and crammed in at the wrong time, and it distracted from the fiery stakes that the characters faced.

Finally, the plot twists absolutely ruined my week in the best way. I don't suppose I can ask for a book 2 before the first even releases, can I?

Final Rating: 4/5
+ Pros:
— diverse world and culture
— strong characters
— great worldbuilding
— plot twists !


+ Cons
— slow pace
— iffy main romance

hrithvika26's review

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

5.0

etak_c's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

mekrasts's review

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adventurous dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

neimillis's review

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

nmithani's review

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adventurous emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

camilliant's review

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mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

luchikreads's review

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adventurous mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25