Phoenix Fire

Written by: S.D Grimm

Publication Date: March 5, 2018, by Entangled: Teen

Date Read: March 6, 2018

Would Recommend To: mythology and/or reincarnation fans, readers who love original fantasy ideas set in the modern world

Rating: 2.5/5 stars

Ok, for this book, we've got a few glows and a few grows, if you know what I mean.

So Phoenix Fire by S.D. Grimm starts out with our main female protagonist, Ava, featuring the "hot nerd" Wyatt (which, just a side note, is every bookworm's dream, am I right?). Wyatt saves her when a car crash occurs right in front of her on her nightly jog. They kinda hit it off, and Ava realizes she might have a slight crush, but not before some strange things begin to happen around the house. First, the few wounds Ava acquired when Wyatt saved her heal up in a matter of minutes. Then, her dog goes crazy and she sees two men leaving her yard. Not to mention she's been having flashbacks of memories... that aren't hers. Or are they? All Ava knows is that Wyatt knows what's going on, and she's determined to get information.

And that's all for now with the synopsis, folks, because everything else builds up to the end of the novel.
Now, for the hard stuff.

So you know how when someone asks you, "Good news, or bad news?" you kinda get this ball of dread in your stomach because you have to choose? Well, you're in luck because I'm choosing for you - bad news first.

World-Building:

This world and the idea of Light and Dark Phoenixes is so unique and has so much potential. However, one of my only problems with the first half of the book was the world-building. This may have been Grimm's intention, but the world was constructed using mainly flashbacks through the characters' memories returning. This was a good idea that could have turned out really effective, except that the plot and the world felt almost thrown together while Grimm was writing. Granted, the structure did allow room for a lot of mystery and foreboding, especially in the first half of the book, but as the story went on, the bumps in the road got harder to ignore.

As far as the actual world-building goes after the first half, it's easier to understand what's going on, and you don't have to puzzle through, so that aspect becomes a lot more enjoyable as you go along. I would like to know a little more about how the Phoenixes came to be and history like that in the second novel of the series, but pertaining to the first, that aspect doesn't hinder the reading experience at all.

Romance:

I'm just gonna come out and say it: the romance in the first 3/4 was great! I love Wyatt (remember, the hot nerd!) and how sweet and dorky he is, but not overwhelmingly so, and he is a good match for Ava. I also really love the other relationships that are building. BUT (you knew that was coming) the last 1/2 - 1/4 of the book, the romance seems so forced, not on the characters' parts but just the way it is portrayed over and over again. Wyatt and Ava kiss twice throughout the entire novel, and both times the descriptions of the kiss explode and elaborate way more than the description and internal dialogue of the rest of the book.

Secondly, Wyatt and Ava's relationship went from super cute, sweet, and natural to hectic and, dare I say it, unequal. All Ava talks about is how she's the light to Wyatt's darkness and she will always be there when he needs saving, which is a sweet gesture, but she mentions it so many times it borders on possessive and self-absorbed (which is hard for me to say because I really liked Ava's character in the beginning). I loved how slow they took it in the beginning, given the circumstances, but in my opinion, they should have kept going like that. It was so cute!

Themes:

I really liked the themes Grimm implemented into the plot towards the beginning of the novel, but as the characters develop, the need for such a powerful message is lessened while the focus on the characters' development should grow. One of the main messages in this book is that one shouldn't push anyone away out of fear of rejection. At first, I really loved how Grimm dove into Ava's character and concentrated on how she is so afraid of loving and being loved because she believes it can only end in pain. However, instead of developing her character, Ava continues to have this problem throughout the story, and the theme becomes too overwhelming. As a matter of fact, I'm not sure many of the characters had much of a character arc. But there's always room for Book 2 ;) .

Voice:

Although the idea has originality, the voice sounds a lot like other YA novels out there. There were a few cliche sentences that made me inwardly cringe, and I would have loved to see some varying structure and voice to give the story some more spice.

Yay! Now it's time for the good news!
And guess what? You've already heard a lot of it... I mentioned them in the previous constructive criticisms, so guess what happens now? Scavenger hunt!

Nah, I'm just kidding.
But I did already mention most of them, so I'll just recap the positives.

I really loved Ava's character, especially at first, because she definitely has a good head on her shoulders and knows when something's up. She knows that when she sees her knee magically heal, it's not just a miracle or a hallucination. She knows something bigger than her is happening, so she's willing to do whatever it takes to figure it out.

I liked the themes at first, as well, and they had a lot of potential for better development.

The whole idea of the Phoenixes is so original, very creative! Although I would love to have some more history, the whole concept is very interesting, and I'm excited to see where it goes.

I love love love the relationships that are starting to form, even sibling and family relationships, though some are fine they way they were before.

So, to conclude, there are pros and cons to this book, so it all comes down to what you're looking for in your next read. I will say that I'm excited to see where the stories go and to learn more about the Phoenixes, so the second book will most likely be in my future ;) .

Blog Book Tour: S.D. Grimm

About the Author:

S. D. Grimm’s first love in writing is young adult fantasy and science fiction, which is to be expected from someone who looks up to heroes like Captain America and Wonder Woman, has been sorted into Gryffindor, and identifies as rebel scum. Her patronus is a red Voltron lion, her spirit animal is Toothless, and her favorite meal is second breakfast. Her office is anywhere she can curl up with her laptop and at least one large-sized dog.You can learn more about her upcoming novels at www.sdgrimm.com.

Excerpt:

He shrugged. “I should have expected Danny to warn you about me.”

“It’s not like you made a habit out of beating people up, right?” I offered a smile.

The way his gaze locked onto mine, suddenly easier to read though the moonlight was blocked by branches here, made me think he might be staring deep into a memory, too.

"Wyatt?”

He sucked in a breath. “Right. I don’t go around hurting people.”

“No. You let them pick on you.” I released his hands.

His small laugh seemed to drip bitterness. “Well, I can’t exactly fight back—I’d be in so much trouble if I were to have another…incident—and they know it.”

That ignited a fireball in my stomach. That’s why they picked on him? “How can people be so cruel?” I pointed my flashlight on the path ahead. “Can I show you something?”

“Of course.”

Within a few minutes, we’d arrived to my favorite place on the run. I stepped through the thinning dune grass and out onto a sandy cliff of the top of a dune. From here we could see over Lake Michigan. But the sun had already set, leaving nothing but darkness in front of us. Here, at night, the best view was looking up.

I sat down and motioned to the stars. “I looked up Andromeda after you came over.”

“Yeah?” His voice carried the hint of awe and surprise mingled together.

“But I don’t know which constellation it is.”

He sat beside me and leaned close enough that his shoulder brushed against mine. “There.” His fingers traced an outline of stars. “It’s been said that she’s a beautiful princess.”

“I read that, too.” I chuckled. “But like all princesses, she got into trouble.”

He laughed. “Yes. She got herself captured.”

I made my voice mock-dreamy. “But her handsome prince—what was his name? Perseus!—saved her. I can only imagine they lived happily ever after.”

He didn’t respond, so I tore my eyes away from the night sky and found Wyatt already looking at me.

“Thank you,” he said, turning his attention back to the sky as a breeze off the lake muffled his quiet words. “For not making me feel like a monster for what I did.”

I wanted to touch him again, but I refrained. “You’re hardly a monster, Wyatt.”

Something in his soft smile made my heart beat faster.

Thanks for reading, and au revoir, my fellow bookworms!

I received a digital copy on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks Entangled Publishing, and thank you, S.D. Grimm, for including me in your blog book tour!