Review of A Phoenix Rises
Posted: 02 Jul 2021, 05:27
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Phoenix Rises" by Angela Yeh.]
A Phoenix Rises by Angela Yeh is a fast-pacing adventure fantasy novel that follows a fourteen-year-old protagonist named Maya. On her way to school, Maya makes an unfortunate detour into Harrow`s lands. This coincides with the Queen`s soldiers’ arrival on their small village of Golten. She narrowly escapes them and reveals this to her closest friend Alban, who is obsessed with adventure. When the Queen`s men unexpectedly come to the school to question who trespassed on Harrow`s land, Alban takes the blame hoping for an adventure. Soon Maya learns that her whole life has been a lie, and Alban has gone missing from the village. She learns that she is the true heir to the Voldarian throne and the truth about her parent`s death. She embarks on a journey to Paiwan to safely learn about her magic and to seek safety from the Queen`s soldiers. Esa, her grandmother, warns her about the darkness within her and the danger her magic might pose. She ensures that Maya is accompanied by Harrow whose past is as much a mystery to Maya as her Gram`s. Will Maya reach Paiwan safely? Will they give her sanctuary from the soldiers hunting Maya and Harrow? Will she learn about her magic and how to control it? Will the darkness within overwhelm Maya? All these questions are answered in this amazing book.
The book has many themes highlighted like family, love, secrecy, magic, deceit, grief, loss, trust, crime, treachery, responsibility, friendship, and governance. The author used these themes masterfully to craft a captivating plot that kept me reading non-stop. The themes that stood out the most to me were responsibility and governance. The protagonist spent the entire book evolving her definition of what a good leader should be. Maya also begins her journey throughout Voldaria as a responsibility to find Alban. The theme of magic was very significant to the protagonist and her characterization. Growing up with the notion that all magic is evil and later finding out you have magic made for a great progression on Maya`s character.
A critical part of the book to me was the characterization. Maya is a unique protagonist who lives a sheltered life in a small village. We get a unique chance to experience Voldaria through her eyes as well as learn about magic from a beginner`s eyes. Her unique characterization also gave way to the best worldbuilding that I have read in such a long time. Every sentence held a unique piece of the world and there was no information dump. The world of Voldaria unfolded perfectly from one chapter to the next and no map was necessary. Though other characters were not explored as broadly as Maya, I found entertainment in Harrow`s past. His relationship with Esa and Seth built an amazing dynamic for me.
The book had a lot of positive aspects that I appreciated like the worldbuilding, the characterization, and the fast-paced plot. The only thing that I disliked about this book was the errors I encountered. Despite them being sporadic, they did affect the rhythm of my reading and forced me to pause more than once. Due to this, I rated the book 3 out of 4 stars.
The book would be perfect for readers of adventure, action, thriller, and fantasy fiction. The book would not appeal to readers of non-fiction books. A big part of this book for me is that it is a standalone book. I felt a little disheartened to say goodbye to all the amazing characters, but I am looking forward to more books from this author.
******
A Phoenix Rises
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
A Phoenix Rises by Angela Yeh is a fast-pacing adventure fantasy novel that follows a fourteen-year-old protagonist named Maya. On her way to school, Maya makes an unfortunate detour into Harrow`s lands. This coincides with the Queen`s soldiers’ arrival on their small village of Golten. She narrowly escapes them and reveals this to her closest friend Alban, who is obsessed with adventure. When the Queen`s men unexpectedly come to the school to question who trespassed on Harrow`s land, Alban takes the blame hoping for an adventure. Soon Maya learns that her whole life has been a lie, and Alban has gone missing from the village. She learns that she is the true heir to the Voldarian throne and the truth about her parent`s death. She embarks on a journey to Paiwan to safely learn about her magic and to seek safety from the Queen`s soldiers. Esa, her grandmother, warns her about the darkness within her and the danger her magic might pose. She ensures that Maya is accompanied by Harrow whose past is as much a mystery to Maya as her Gram`s. Will Maya reach Paiwan safely? Will they give her sanctuary from the soldiers hunting Maya and Harrow? Will she learn about her magic and how to control it? Will the darkness within overwhelm Maya? All these questions are answered in this amazing book.
The book has many themes highlighted like family, love, secrecy, magic, deceit, grief, loss, trust, crime, treachery, responsibility, friendship, and governance. The author used these themes masterfully to craft a captivating plot that kept me reading non-stop. The themes that stood out the most to me were responsibility and governance. The protagonist spent the entire book evolving her definition of what a good leader should be. Maya also begins her journey throughout Voldaria as a responsibility to find Alban. The theme of magic was very significant to the protagonist and her characterization. Growing up with the notion that all magic is evil and later finding out you have magic made for a great progression on Maya`s character.
A critical part of the book to me was the characterization. Maya is a unique protagonist who lives a sheltered life in a small village. We get a unique chance to experience Voldaria through her eyes as well as learn about magic from a beginner`s eyes. Her unique characterization also gave way to the best worldbuilding that I have read in such a long time. Every sentence held a unique piece of the world and there was no information dump. The world of Voldaria unfolded perfectly from one chapter to the next and no map was necessary. Though other characters were not explored as broadly as Maya, I found entertainment in Harrow`s past. His relationship with Esa and Seth built an amazing dynamic for me.
The book had a lot of positive aspects that I appreciated like the worldbuilding, the characterization, and the fast-paced plot. The only thing that I disliked about this book was the errors I encountered. Despite them being sporadic, they did affect the rhythm of my reading and forced me to pause more than once. Due to this, I rated the book 3 out of 4 stars.
The book would be perfect for readers of adventure, action, thriller, and fantasy fiction. The book would not appeal to readers of non-fiction books. A big part of this book for me is that it is a standalone book. I felt a little disheartened to say goodbye to all the amazing characters, but I am looking forward to more books from this author.
******
A Phoenix Rises
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon