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alilbitofmonica 's review for:
The Phoenix Keeper
by S.A. MacLean
This is a cozy fantasy set in a magical zoo and it is just as charming as it sounds.
I went back and forth between 3 and 4 stars, and ultimately land at a 3.5 rating. This book was very fun and had moments of serious adrenaline and action that had me on the edge of my seat (in a totally relaxed and comforting way lol). Truly, the vibes were great.
10/10 vibes
5/10 romance
This features a sloooooow burn queer romance (and I do love a slow burn), but their relationship was so messy and frustrating for the majority of the book. Aila has some very serious social and general anxiety that prevents her from comfortably communicating with people in most environments. BUT the main conflict between the two love interests revolves around a seemingly minor interaction from college several years earlier that she has literally held a grudge over to the point where she treats Luciana like GARBAGE for so long - miscommunication on steroids. It honestly just went way overboard and I found myself pushing to get through the awkward and uncomfortable "fighting". All of that also meant there was very little chemistry to build on until it all just hit at once.
I will say that the way the story pans out is fun and exciting - with heists and escaping danger and a mission to save the phoenixes at any cost. We have a (super predictable) villain and a satisfying ending. And learning about the zoo and especially the aviary through Aila's incredible passion was inspiring and sweet.
The audiobook was done very well, clear diction and a lot of passion in the delivery of lines. And different characters were easily discernable.
I went back and forth between 3 and 4 stars, and ultimately land at a 3.5 rating. This book was very fun and had moments of serious adrenaline and action that had me on the edge of my seat (in a totally relaxed and comforting way lol). Truly, the vibes were great.
10/10 vibes
5/10 romance
This features a sloooooow burn queer romance (and I do love a slow burn), but their relationship was so messy and frustrating for the majority of the book. Aila has some very serious social and general anxiety that prevents her from comfortably communicating with people in most environments. BUT the main conflict between the two love interests revolves around a seemingly minor interaction from college several years earlier that she has literally held a grudge over to the point where she treats Luciana like GARBAGE for so long - miscommunication on steroids. It honestly just went way overboard and I found myself pushing to get through the awkward and uncomfortable "fighting". All of that also meant there was very little chemistry to build on until it all just hit at once.
I will say that the way the story pans out is fun and exciting - with heists and escaping danger and a mission to save the phoenixes at any cost. We have a (super predictable) villain and a satisfying ending. And learning about the zoo and especially the aviary through Aila's incredible passion was inspiring and sweet.
The audiobook was done very well, clear diction and a lot of passion in the delivery of lines. And different characters were easily discernable.