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mtaltos's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
sfinn's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
zorasorel's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
relizabeth's review
2.0
One of the worst feelings one can feel while reading a book is apathy, especially when it is apparent the author is attempting to evoke feelings of suspense or sympathy. Unfortunately, I felt this way towards Phoenix Flame.
Phoenix Flame isn’t what I would consider a “bad” book. It gets the job done, and wasn’t terribly rushed as many series conclusions are, in spite of its short length. The problem with this book’s storyline, however, was that it was too straightforward, coming with the expense of the omission of previously important plot points and addition of convenient new ones (namely, the titular Phoenix Flame, the inclusion of which was out of place).
For instance, one of the biggest things Havenfall leaves hanging is Marcus’s condition. He’s been healed through Graylin’s magic, but he’s not quite the same, even to the point of him not being “fully human”. Marcus receives minimal page time in Phoenix Flame, and his condition is mentioned once in passing. There is not a lot of closure in general, save for the imminent conflicts at hand.
The plot itself is lackluster; we get a glimpse of Fjordenkill, but not even that lends a spark to the book. This could be because I wasn’t exactly a fan of the first book, but the story felt simple and failed to hold my attention. The developments we witness provide a small sense of resolution, but it isn’t much.
Character personalities were ultimately lacking. Maddie feels like a blank slate, despite pages upon pages focused upon her internal dialogue and thoughts. The villain—The Silver Prince—had as much motivation as he had page time (which is, to say, very little) and was altogether unconvincing. At least in Havenfall he could be seen playing both sides, and while obviously hiding some ulterior motive, appeared as though he might have had more depth. This was simply not the case. Taya, Marcus, Brekken...all cardboard cutouts, at least in this installment.
Duologies are tricky things. Occasionally a story is just right for just two books, especially if they are longer books with more subject matter to build off of. Suffice to say, this series does not fall under this category. I believe Havenfall could have worked well as a standalone, if only a few things were tweaked. Phoenix Flame was not exactly worth it, if only for an obligatory and rudimentary closure.
Havenfall : ⭐⭐⭐
Phoenix Flame: ⭐⭐
Phoenix Flame isn’t what I would consider a “bad” book. It gets the job done, and wasn’t terribly rushed as many series conclusions are, in spite of its short length. The problem with this book’s storyline, however, was that it was too straightforward, coming with the expense of the omission of previously important plot points and addition of convenient new ones (namely, the titular Phoenix Flame, the inclusion of which was out of place).
For instance, one of the biggest things Havenfall leaves hanging is Marcus’s condition. He’s been healed through Graylin’s magic, but he’s not quite the same, even to the point of him not being “fully human”. Marcus receives minimal page time in Phoenix Flame, and his condition is mentioned once in passing.
Spoiler
The outcome of Brekken’s trial is also left unresolved, and whether Maddie has made peace with him. Nothing else was said about the man Maddie’s mom had a past with either.The plot itself is lackluster; we get a glimpse of Fjordenkill, but not even that lends a spark to the book. This could be because I wasn’t exactly a fan of the first book, but the story felt simple and failed to hold my attention. The developments we witness provide a small sense of resolution, but it isn’t much.
Character personalities were ultimately lacking. Maddie feels like a blank slate, despite pages upon pages focused upon her internal dialogue and thoughts. The villain—The Silver Prince—had as much motivation as he had page time (which is, to say, very little) and was altogether unconvincing. At least in Havenfall he could be seen playing both sides, and while obviously hiding some ulterior motive, appeared as though he might have had more depth. This was simply not the case. Taya, Marcus, Brekken...all cardboard cutouts, at least in this installment.
Duologies are tricky things. Occasionally a story is just right for just two books, especially if they are longer books with more subject matter to build off of. Suffice to say, this series does not fall under this category. I believe Havenfall could have worked well as a standalone, if only a few things were tweaked. Phoenix Flame was not exactly worth it, if only for an obligatory and rudimentary closure.
Havenfall : ⭐⭐⭐
Phoenix Flame: ⭐⭐
juju8j's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
rainbowbookthief's review
2.0
This could have been really great if it took its time—260ish pages didn’t cut it. It went by in a flash and a lot of stuff happened, but none of it was satisfying. The love triangle is unresolved, as well as a few other key points of conflict. But I think the biggest issue I had with this book is that I didn’t have enough time to truly get to know the characters enough, so I wasn’t that invested in the outcome of the story. Maddie, the only character who we get a more complete picture of, is just…really dumb. She continually makes nonsensical choices in the name of pushing the plot forward to the point that it got a bit infuriating. There’s lots of conflict but the stakes could not have been lower.
I think that maybe this duology could have worked if the two books became one book and there was another 100 pages of content added into the mix. The story needed more room to breathe.
I think that maybe this duology could have worked if the two books became one book and there was another 100 pages of content added into the mix. The story needed more room to breathe.
chelsea_webster's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
thebiasedbibliophile's review
3.0
This book, like the first in the duology, was enjoyable, yet forgettable. I would recommend it if you are looking for an easy read, but not necessarily if you're looking for a new favorite.
wearyreader's review
3.0
Love the world and characters but still disappointed.
The book is primarily built upon reveal to reveal to reveal without using any pacing to build tension. In between that is a bunch of characters constantly interrupting Maddie talking to someone else to talk to her but ultimately gets cut off to talk to someone else.
We are so much in Maddie’s thoughts being told everything instead of being shown anything. There’s also the supporting characters being oddly inconsistent. They won’t know something in one chapter and then in a few pages later, they say something that shows complete knowledge. And also the opposite where a character knows something the ENTIRE book and suddenly in the last chapter or so they forget and it becomes a reveal?…
All in all, the book is too short. Maddie has none of the actual confidence or lessons learned from the first. It almost feels like this book was written first. And each reveal or twist just comes off as if I’ve been lied to constantly.
Even with that all said, I’d be more than happy to read anything else in this universe.
The book is primarily built upon reveal to reveal to reveal without using any pacing to build tension. In between that is a bunch of characters constantly interrupting Maddie talking to someone else to talk to her but ultimately gets cut off to talk to someone else.
We are so much in Maddie’s thoughts being told everything instead of being shown anything. There’s also the supporting characters being oddly inconsistent. They won’t know something in one chapter and then in a few pages later, they say something that shows complete knowledge. And also the opposite where a character knows something the ENTIRE book and suddenly in the last chapter or so they forget and it becomes a reveal?…
All in all, the book is too short. Maddie has none of the actual confidence or lessons learned from the first. It almost feels like this book was written first. And each reveal or twist just comes off as if I’ve been lied to constantly.
Even with that all said, I’d be more than happy to read anything else in this universe.