Book Review: The Phoenix King by 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.

GENRE: Indian-Inspired Epic Science Fantasy

PURCHASE LINKS: Amazon

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Aparna Verma was born in India and immigrated 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 to read myths about forgotten worlds. You can connect with Aparna on Twitter and Instagram at @spirited_gal.

Review

My September's off to a very strong start! The Phoenix King has been such a wonderful read and it's definitely one of my favorites now.

I was sucked into the world from the first few chapters. The prose is engaging and easy to understand, which just kept me turning page after page. I don't know why, but this book really reminded me of the Star Wars Expanded Universe novels which I devoured growing up. Maybe it's the ease by which the more "science" elements were embedded into the fantasy, plus all the political intrigue and religious themes. In any case, I knew without a doubt from then that I was going to enjoy the rest of the book, and I wasn't disappointed.

I love the characters. Plus I love a good slowburn romance and it didn't disappoint too. And while I don't know enough of Indian folklore and culture, I can feel just how much it's inspired this book and the world. Appreciate the glossary at the end for those of us who want to know more!

And then that twist. You know, the epilogue. I didn't suspect it until about two chapters before, which... I should've seen it coming but didn't. Well done.

What's also amazing (and inspiring!) is that this book was previously self-published. (Really, if you're still an indie nonbeliever, you might be missing out on great books.)

Looking forward to the rest of the trilogy!

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️️⭐️️

Bonus: look at this lovely art of Elena.

You can view more character art and find out more on Aparna's website.