Name: cat's review of The Phoenix King by Aparna Verma
Item: The Phoenix King
Rating: 3.5
Author: cat

Aparna Verma

In a kingdom where flames hold magic and the desert hides secrets, an ancient prophecy comes for an assassin, a princess, and a king. But none are ready to face destiny—and the choices they make could burn the world. “If we carry the burdens of our fathers, we’ll never know what it means to be free.” For Elena Aadya Ravence, fire is yearning. She longs to feel worthy of her Phoenix god, of her ancestors who transformed the barren dunes of Sayon into a thriving kingdom. But though she knows the ways and wiles of the desert better than she knows her own skin, the secrets of the Eternal Flame elude her. And without them, she’ll never be accepted as queen. For Leo Malhari Ravence, fire is control. He is not ready to give up his crown—there’s still too much work to be done to ensure his legacy remains untarnished, his family protected. But power comes with a price, and he’ll wage war with the heavens themselves to keep from paying it. For Yassen Knight, fire is redemption. He dreams of shedding his past as one of Sayon’s most deadly assassins, of laying to rest the ghosts of those he has lost. If joining the court of flame and serving the royal Ravence family—the very people he once swore to eliminate—will earn him that, he’ll do it no matter what they ask of him. But the Phoenix watches over all and the fire has a will of its own. It will come for all three, will come for Sayon itself….and they must either find a way to withstand the blaze or burn to ash. The first in an action–packed debut epic fantasy trilogy, The Phoenix King is "a captivating adventure from a gifted new voice” (Peter V. Brett).

The Phoenix King

ARPITA ♡

There is no hard line between the servant and the sinner. There is only a soft blur, a delicate edge in which a man can lose himself.

the character dynamics in this book….oh god

Elena blinked. The brightest light. That was Ferma’s smile, the one she gave now. It was her embrace, warm and strong, and in it, Elena knew she was safe. It was the hope in Ferma’s eyes as she watched her, and it washed over Elena, rooted her, as if Ferma’s belief alone rid her of her inadequacies. Reminded her that she was strong. That she was enough.

“He needed to see Elena. To hold his daughter in his arms and be reminded that she—she was his anchor now. The reason he spilled ash into the singing wind.” / “The tightness in his chest eased, just a bit, to see her like this. It would not last for long, he knew. Arish would call him soon to the hoverpod, and he would be thrust back into the world of urns filled with death and a daughter who may grow to despise him for the secrets he kept, but for now—for now, heavens above, let this moment stay.”

Alina

The world-building is kind of a flood and a bit overwhelming at first, but the story is fun and I want to know how everything ends up as the series continues :)

is it bad that I was kind of happy when Leo died?

also the betrayal trope is so scrumptious 

sophie <3

is it bad that I was kind of happy when Leo died?

also the betrayal trope is so scrumptious 

Alina &
The Phoenix King by Aparna Verma

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Alina &The Phoenix King by Aparna Verma

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Alina &
The Phoenix King by Aparna Verma