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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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:
Yes
This was such a cute feel good book that was well written and such a fun read!
Thank God that book is over! I felt like it went on forever. The upside is that it’s not smutty at all, so I can share it with my students, who I think would really enjoy the magical zoo aspect and the cozy, G-rated queer romance. And I mean rated G. Talk about a slow, slow, slow burn with just a single kiss! That was it!
The Phoenix Keeper follows Aila, an obnoxious, pretentious, shy late-twenties magical zookeeper trying to restart a breeding program for the Silimano Phoenix. This very anxiously portrayed girl (reminded every other paragraph) navigates her social anxiety, predictable pining for Luciana, a fellow griffin zookeeper, and the real-life dangers facing these magical creatures. Skies and seas!
The Phoenix Keeper follows Aila, an obnoxious, pretentious, shy late-twenties magical zookeeper trying to restart a breeding program for the Silimano Phoenix. This very anxiously portrayed girl (reminded every other paragraph) navigates her social anxiety, predictable pining for Luciana, a fellow griffin zookeeper, and the real-life dangers facing these magical creatures. Skies and seas!
Okay so my first true DNF! And I never DNF but I just could not for the life of me get the motivation to pick this up, especially after 170 pages when it’s over 400 pages long!
Unfortunately the main character Aila is just incredibly insufferable. She suffers from pretty bad social anxiety which I’m sure many people can relate to but shes head of her department (of two people mind) but she’s still HEAD! There is no way in hell she would have got that role if she can’t even string a sentence together in front of someone that isn’t her best mate.
She’s also incredibly immature and selfish, single minded to a point it’s insane how she functions.
The main plot from what I gathered is that she is in charge of a rare phoenix in a zoo with a lapsed breading program. All she cares about is the ‘conservation’ of this breed but has no idea about the politics involved in running a business and is in a weird high school like (even though it was college) grudge match with the perfect griffin keeper.
I unfortunately could not stand how the FMC was fixated on how perfect the griffin keeper is, almost like it’s magic and a fault - you’re 28 years old? Ever heard of a personal care routine? Hard work? It’s so infantile.
Her drive to do everything herself and be the ‘perfect keeper’ also screamed ‘you have issues’ and it’s not just the social anxiety and was not endearing but again annoying! (She’s already in therapy btw which is usually my go to recommendation).
Her closest friend and crutch is trans which is a nice touch and the FMC is actually bisexual too so there is a lot to like but personally the lack of anything remotely happening and that I couldn’t get on with it made me finally DNF something.
adventurous
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:
Yes
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
I thought the beginning was a little slow but overall I liked this book. I found the entire idea of the story fascinating.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I liked this and there were parts that made me cry but overall it was just too predictable and I wish there was more world building.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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
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
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced