It’s been a very long time since the last prophet rose. That prophet almost destroyed the world. King Leo Malhari of Ravence is certain that if a new prophet rises, they too will be a vengeful prophet that will devastate the world. His time of power is passing but he’s determined to pass on a safe and, more importantly, secure kingdom to his daughter before it does. For me, TBWF’s greatest strength was the focus on religion. I very much had to squint to see the references to Hindu mythology, but the religion woven into the narrative was uniquely done. The inclusion of prophecies in fantasy is very much a hit or miss for me; but The Boy With Fire very much managed to include prophecy in a way that still allowed for the characters their free will and their own roles in the plot. That’s unusual for a fantasy, and I did enjoy it. The book also includes a fascinating twist on the Chosen One trope, and I’m excited to see how that plays out. While I'm intrigued and want to know more about what happens in Book 2, I really hope we see more connections with and between characters. Aside from that, I really enjoyed the book! The twists were well-done, the action kept me on the edge of my seat, and the court intrigue made me think about the morall-grey decisions our characters had to make. I cannot believe this is a debut novel for Aparna Verma! This high fantasy, inspired by Indian myth, is a thrilling story of redemption. One of my favourite aspects is when each chapter has a quote at the beginning. These quotes happen to be some of the best I've read so far. I want to share some that I noted while reading. 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.

Elena Aadya is the heir to the throne—and the only Ravence who cannot wield her family’s legendary magic. As her coronation approaches, she will do whatever it takes to prove herself a worthy successor to her revered father. But she doesn’t anticipate the arrival of Yassen Knight, the notorious assassin who now claims fealty to the throne. Elena’s father might trust Yassen to be a member of her royal guard, but she is certain he is hiding something. Perhaps I'm being a bit too harsh so let me start off with what I appreciated: The world-building at first seemed a little stagnant, with your typical rival nations, social class difference in each and traditions, however it soon burned brightly (pun not intended) thanks to the prophecies and mythology interwoven into the plot such that the religious aspect played a big part. The phoenix, vengeful gods, raring fire were such a force to be dealt with and truly played a huge role in heightening the tension. And the ending? It broke me. I sort of saw what was coming, but still it was painful and it essentially pulled out my heart and ripped it into two. However, the last quarter was when things really took off, and now I’m intrigued to see where the rest of the trilogy goes. Yassen Knight was the Arohassin’s most notorious assassin until a horrible accident. Now, he’s on the run from both the authorities and his former employer. But when Yassen seeks refuge with an old friend, he’s offered an irresistible deal: defend the heir of Ravence from the Arohassin, and earn his freedom.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. Aparna Verma was born in India and immigrated with her family to the United States when she was two years old. She graduated from Stanford University with Honors in the Arts and a B.A. in English. The Phoenix King is her first novel. When she is not writing, Aparna likes to ride horses, dance to Bollywood music, and find old cafes in which to read myths about forgotten worlds. This is something I had the most problem with- it is being heavily marketed as a romance. It is not romance. Romance is a subplot. The slow burn was kinda meh. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed their moments together. But if there was supposed to be pining, I didn't see it from Elena's side. I didn't see any vulnerability from her. Considering Samson's involvement, things could have been interesting but they were not. When Elena and Yassen finally kiss which is right towards the end, it does feel like a good moment but only for Yassen. Elena needs some emotions to her, desperately. A slow burn world building, with great twists and turns that makes you want to read more. There is also enemies to lovers characters in which I enjoy the most in books. I am surprised it is a Fantasy Debut and Aparna Verna has done a great job with this book!

the power of myth. Give the people something to believe in. Make it strong enough, fearsome enough, and they would all bow." All 3 characters (Elena, Yassen, and Leo) were interesting and engaging. I enjoyed when they would interact, but I also think the author wrote their moments in solitude very well. I loved having villains as protagonists, people who made terrible decisions and had to face their consequences.

The Phoenix King PDF

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. Yassen is the perfect morally-grey, conflicted main character that you never really know if you can trust. His motivations are rarely clear, but I loved getting inside his head along the way.

The author seamlessly blends the ancient kingdom and its customs along with futuristic technology such as cameras, holopods, pulseguns, hovercars and trains etc. Even such, it doesn't feel different from any other fantasy set in an imagined kingdom. When I started this book, I thought, “hey, not so bad.” Two days later, I’m lying in my bed, figuring out what to do next because this book broke me. It has badass women. Morally grey characters. It’s a fantasy world with sci-fi elements. It’s got political plotting and enemies to lovers and slow burn romance. The magic system in this book is also so interesting. It’s also inspired by Indian Mythology which is so cool, and this world is so interesting. They say The Poppy War meets Dune, well I haven't read those books. So I'd say Star Wars meets Aladdin kinda vibes, could just be me. Except without a lamp but fire instead. Everything about this book lured me into the story from chapter one. I was so enamored by the indian inspired world building, the characters, the uniqueness of the story itself. The characters are so so well written and complex. Each of them fighting an internal battle while trying to keep up with everything that is going on around them. I predicted who the prophet is because my mind is always in evil places so that's a me thing but it is no way predictable. There was one plot twist that I didnt expect AT ALL and I couldn't comprehend because it hurt my heart. I didnt want it to be real. The slow burn romance between my two favs is... slowwwww burn but when I say it SO worth it, I mean it. Quote me on it. Yelena for life, I will physically fight you. Their romance although brief in the book because there are more important things happening (apparently 🙄) it was SO SO PRECIOUS AND PURE 🥺 ugh, they have my heart (although totally bashed up and bruised and burnt) Perhaps it was thanks to my surreal expectations with it being compared to my favourite fantasy series of all time: the Poppy War, or perhaps it was because I read it in a few sittings and skimmed through it... whatever it was, I hardly remember anything and 50% in was resisting the temptation of a DNF.

The Phoenix King Summary

At the same time, The Phoenix Kingis a very different sort of book. It’s one part political intrigue, one part complicated romance, and filled to the gills with morally gray characters who hurt those around them even as they try to do what they feel they must. Each of them stands out in their own way, chafing against or compliment each other depending on the circumstances. Onto my favourite part - the characters. It's exceptionally difficult to write characters who are both imperfect and likeable at the same time, but Verma has done just that. Each of her characters are flawed in their own way, but I didn't find myself angry at them The Boy With Fire follows Elena, a young ruler ready to ascend to the throne, Yassen, an assassin on the run after an accident, as well as Leo, the current emperor of Ravence. I would honestly say that Leo had the strongest characterization out of the POV characters. His goals were clearly fleshed out, and the onset of his madness, though sudden, was believable. The reasons behind what he was doing made logical sense, though the actions themselves were morally reprehensible. One aspect in this book that really stood out was the prose, and the world-building. Both aspects were gorgeously done, and the prose was absolutely stunning in sections, emphasised by the life-like characters and brilliant magic system/world. The Indian-inspired world with royalty, magic and advanced technology that supersedes anything from our current world was a really interesting combination, and one that I was surprised to find worked really well. I look forward to seeing what else the author comes up with in the future!

The Phoenix King offers a lot to readers. Verma builds an exciting fantasy world filled with great characters that readers will love escaping into. Sympathy for Yassen and Elena’s plights is well-balanced with thrilling battles and intense character interactions. This keeps the book from being stifled with sadness while offering more depth than a simple adrenaline rush. The Phoenix King is only the first of a promised trilogy so readers should be prepared for a cliffhanger at the end but the story is so captivating enough that it’s worth having to wait for the next installment. This is Aparna Verma’s first novel, but if it’s any indication of her future work, readers should be excited to discover what she has to offer. Yassen is my favorite. He has such a compelling ARC, and his journey went in directions I never expected. His story was what pulled me in, as his opening scene is so tense and dangerous. Elena, a princess preparing to ascend to the throne, feels bound by duty but refuses to be a pawn in other people’s games. She’s fierce, and I’m excited to see where her journey takes her. And Leo! I was so fascinated by his chapters. Leo is Elena’s father and the king. Determined to protect his daughter and wanting the nest for her, Leo does some terrible, unforgivable things, and yet you can understand his thought process as he reveals the lengths he goes to for love. Even the secondary characters are layered and multi-dimensional, as are their relationships and obstacles. The Phoenix King is the first instalment of a new sci-fi fantasy trilogy loosely inspired by Indian mythology.Leo Ravence is not ready to give up the crown. There’s still too much work to be done, too many battles to be won. But when an ancient prophecy threatens to undo his lifetime of work, Leo wages war on the heavens themselves to protect his legacy. Samson is a big part of his plan. He has built himself quite the army over the years and harbors a deep personal hatred for the Jantari, the Ravini’s greatest enemy. In exchange for the princess’ hand, Ravence gains control of Samson’s army, hopefully squashing thoughts of war between the two countries. But part of having Samson and his army is having Yassen. I wanted my POC characters to be ruthless and angry and vindictive. I wanted them to be selfish and loving and kind. I wanted them, simply, to be human and let the reader judge their actions.”