2.47k reviews for:

The Phoenix Keeper

S.A. MacLean

3.95 AVERAGE

mrsc24's review against another edition

4.0

funny hopeful lighthearted 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: Complicated

matchamaker's review against another edition

2.5

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

metatronix's review against another edition

4.0

hopeful informative inspiring slow-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

reinagwendolyn's review against another edition

4.25

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

carinam_01's review against another edition

4.5

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

cassandrat's review against another edition

4.0

emotional lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I loved this wonderful, cute, cozy book.  Aila's anxiety is debilitating, and the book goes into it ad nauseum, but if you get past that aspect it's a great book. The romance is very sweet, and the zookeeping is delightful.

My biggest disappointment is that

the kelpies do not pay off. I started rolling my eyes whenever Aila said she would rather be in the kelpie exhibit lr maybe she hit her head in the kelpie exhibit (kraken was in there too, I admit). After mentioning kelpies every few pages, the plot finally sets up a bad guy to get eaten by a kelpie, but Aila saves the guy! Sure, that's probably what a real person would do, but come on I was so excited.

The anxiety of Aila is way overdone. As a whole, she is an interesting though starkly imperfect character. Her lack of self-awareness and fear of others even ends up with her being a bit mean sometimes. It's not completely unbelievable; it just gets overemphasized compared to the more likable aspects of her character. Her friends do help her overcome many of these issues. She isn't completely "cured" by the end, but she is making progress! So, that's character development.

I don't think character flaws need or should be explained by a traumatic backstory, and I don't like when that happens all the time. Nevertheless, the extent of this anxiety maybe could have been matched with some more earlier examples with which the reader could sympathize or empathize. We also needed more examples of why Tanya is her friend.

Funny enough, the character often worries about alienating others and readers can get alienated. It is quite meta.

The romance is very cute and sweet.

Luciana is a great person and their past has a nice little misunderstanding to get over that isn't out of believability. I squeed when Aila and Luciana finally kissed. The narration for Luciana was quite sensual.

As for the poacher subplot,

the author really laid the clues about Connor on thick. I wasn't too impatient wit the others for not getting it sooner. Only at the end after immolation was I screaming at Aila to call the police.

What is the beef between

Luciana and Connor?

hannahlou93's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 5%

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I just couldn’t get into the story, it was boring. I wasn’t eager to pick it back up. 

fantem's review against another edition

3.5

lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This book did not need to be this long. That being said, I actually enjoyed it overall. Aila was giving autistic coded which I can relate to and I found all of the characters endearing. 
Although the first half the book felt like drawn out set up for the climax, I really enjoyed the pay off and think the author used foreshadowing well. 

cglassman's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous reflective 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

maradf's review against another edition

3.5

emotional funny lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes