This was a solid follow up to Havenfall. I loved diving back into this world as I missed the characters. Like the first book, I wish there was more. I feel like there is so much potential with the worldbuilding that we dont get. It was almost a bit rushed? Something about the pacing was off. And while I missed the characters, I have to knock a star off for not resolving the love triangle in a satisfying way. I personally dont like the trope to begin with, so that threw me off.

I truly did not care for this book at all! There are just so many things lacking in this sequel to havenfall, I seriously liked the first book much more than this one.

The things that I didn't like in the book
1. I absolutely do not like the mc, she's way too selfish and that too in a wrong way. I am okay with selfish characters but Maddie was just something.
2. The love triangle-if it even counts as a triangle? I generally don't like love triangles but they are just fine for me if they are portrayed in a good way. In this book though-nada, I didn't like the way the mc treated her love interest-both of whom are characters that I like a lot.
3. The ending? like seriously? What was that ending?

I was very excited to return to a favorite book duology from last year with Phoenix Flame. Both books take place in my home state of Colorado and this time around more than just Sterling got a shout-out. Book two takes place shortly after the showdown with the Silver Prince at the conclusion of HAVENFALL.

I partially got my wish to explore the other realms that have doorways in Havenfall. I wholeheartedly wish that there was more of it but again there is an explanation as to why that isn’t more of an option. Maddie has grown a little bit from her experiences in the first book but she is still rather reckless to put it nicely. Having Brekken as a supporting character really made me wish for Taya back. Brekken was kind of flat in his personality – maybe it’s because we didn’t spend much time with him in the prior book and I built him up in my head too much? I did enjoy learning more about the Solarians, soul-silver, and Maddie’s family history.

I was not a big fan of the ending and even though I enjoyed the book it felt exceedingly choppy with the timeline. Slow and drawn out mixed in with days apparently passing with just a “three days later” type explanation. It isn’t really explained what happened to Maddie’s uncle or why exactly he was “less than human” now. I’ll be honest, Phoenix Flame, as much as I did enjoy it seemed rushed. I also believe that the Havenfall duology would benefit from being either longer books or a series – there were quite a few items that remained unresolved at the end of the book. Overall I would still recommend this duology to readers who enjoy young adult, low fantasy, mild LGBTQ elements, and duologies. I would like to thank Bloomsbury YA, Sara Holland, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the second book in the Havenfall duology – all opinions are my own. *Rounded from 3.5 stars*

This was a great follow-up and conclusion to Havenfall. I loved seeing even more of the worlds that the author built for Maddie. Holland expands on the plot threads she wove into book 1 and brings them all to a satisfying conclusion, with twists and turns along the way that captured my interest. I'm excited to see what she writes next!

I think my favorite thing about this book is the plot about stopping a magical form of trafficking. Powerful people have been kidnapping magic-bearers of a certain race and forcing pieces of their souls to bind with objects, creating soul-silver. The practice literally destroys a person. Maddie and her friends have vowed to take down the trade and bring the perpetrators to justice.

From there it gets a little complicated. A couple times, Maddie and her friends use soul-silver, justifying it as a necessary step in their plans. It felt… icky. To me. I don’t know. Like, continuing to abuse someone because the end justified the means. The person whose soul was trapped in the silver had no choice, and the piece of their soul is lost when the magic is used. Which could prevent the person from being rescued, because too many pieces of their soul are missing or used.

I thought the tug of war between Maddie and her feelings for Brekken and Taya added some tension and interest. I couldn’t decide which I wanted her to choose. Until a thing happens– basically Brekken takes responsibility for something while Maddie’s like, yeah, but can’t we just not take responsibility?? And I get that she worried about the consequences, but it felt like another selfish choice, and made me feel like she kinda doesn’t deserve Brekken.

I feel like I’ve listed a lot of the things I struggled with in this book. To be honest, I still read it really quickly and enjoyed a lot of things about it. I liked the politics between the different worlds and Maddie’s complicated relationship with her mom. I like that Maddie never gives up.

If you enjoyed HAVENFALL, it’s worth reading PHOENIX FLAME to see how things resolve. The series is under contract for development with Amazon Studios, so it’s possible you’ll get to see it come to life on screen, too.

Just like the first book, Havenfall, I read Phoenix Flame in one sitting and could NOT put it down! This brings yet another fast paced and action packed read never leaving you bored or uninterested. Great twists, wonderful expansion on the world building and incredibly relatable characters.

This book expanded so well on the first one. We got to see even more of all of the different worlds, which Im sure many readers were hoping for. We see so much character growth and so many fun twists in this book. This is a great duology that I will absolutely be recommending to friends and customers at the book store.

I wasn't a big fan of this book. I just think this book was a bit too fast pasted. That casued for things to also feel a bit too easy at times and left all the stakes out. Therefore I also just wasn't really invested in this story. I didn't like our main character. She just makes so many irrational decisions even though literally everyone around her explains in depth why what she's doing is irrational and what is the better desicion. However, the story still goes with her ideas and because there are 0 stakes of course it all ends up alright. I also just didn't have the same intrigue with the world as I did in the first book. I also feel like the ending is a bit too open and I wish more things were wrapped up. Just to add in a positive in here, this book was a very quick read which I needed because I'm in a massive reading slump.

After finishing Havenfall and knowing that there was a sequel, I wasn't sure how this book series was going to continue. The ending for Havenfall had some loose strings, especially regarding the Silver Prince and Taya, but where to start? Well, for one, Marcus is back! I really wanted to have more time with him in the first book and I'm glad I finally get the chance. He seems like such a genuine person and I loved seeing him and Maddie interact.

Maddie seemed to also change a lot from the few weeks that have passed. It's clear that the revelation of who her brother was is not only a game changer, but a big motivator for her to end the black market trading going on in Havenfall and around the universes. 

One thing about this book though, and don't hate me for saying this, is that it's just not as good as Havenfall. For one, the plot moved really fast and also seemed to completely skip over large plot points. There were so many moments where I was reading and just thinking to myself that we completely skipped over a large piece of information or things were left totally unresolved, but everyone acted like it was over. I won't go into any spoilers, but the plot just felt totally unresolved!

We are left with a lot of unknowns with certain characters and even though one problem was solved, the entirety of the situation was not. And it was so weird to have everyone in the book acting like their job was over but the problem still exists. Plus, information in the book seemed to contradict itself. Again, no spoilers, but there was a scene where one person said this was the puzzle piece completing it, but then in an after scene remarked that there was actually another piece missing. Plus, the extra scene provided also made this book feel like it's not over. 

It just feels like there's supposed to be another book, but I don't see another book listed on Goodreads. And I haven't seen any announcements from Goodreads or the publisher either. This feels like a middle book to me, even though it's supposed to be the ending? But now, I'm not really so sure what it is anymore. 

There was just a lot that was unresolved and it made it really difficult to rate this book any higher than 3 stars, even though I still liked it! I loved the fact that Brekken was back and was able to explain himself. We see Maddie interacting with Brekken again after his betrayal-that-wasn't-really-a-betrayal and they get to establish their relationship a little more. We got to learn more about Maddie's brother Nate and her mom, Sylvia, as well as the story behind Nate's death. But, because this book feels unfinished, with no signs of another book, I have to rate this lower. I want to know what happens next because clearly something is coming! 

Overall, I liked the sequel even with its issues, but it has a lot of problems. Things felt rushed and then were left unfinished. Meanwhile, we have a lot of unresolved relationships and plot points that I need Sara to discuss because clearly there needs to be another book! And if there's not, then I'm upset.

I loved the first book ans the second carried that same spirit. It was whimsical and the story is so compelling. If you enjoyed the first book, you're sure to love this one!

This is the second book to Havenfall, which I enjoyed, so I was really looking forward to the finale. I enjoyed the plot of this book and I thought what they were doing fit their characters very well and was interesting. But when I hit about 80%, I realized the main conflict and ending were going to be too rushed - I wanted a little more action from that main clash, and then the ending wrapped up quicker than I preferred. And while everything wrapped up pretty much nicely, I had a few unanswered questions, so it could have used another chapter for me! But enjoyable story overall!

{3.5 stars}

Havenfall was a 5 star read for me, I really loved the balance of the contemporary real world and fantasy realms that intersect in an unusual way with a select few folks guarding the doors. Maddie is a plucky, opinionated, passionate teen at the center of it all. She copes with balancing the world on her fingertips and her angsty teenage feelings quite well.

At the end of Havenfall, we had a nice resolution of the threat to the balance of the worlds and it wrapped up without a heavy YA cliffhanger. That helped contribute to my high rating, I love a story that wraps up its tale but leaves more potential to play in that world. Phoenix Flame comes back with Maddie and her friends/family looking to focus their energies on solving how to stop the abuses of Solarian magic they uncovered in the last story. This story has us seeing more of the other realms and getting some more backstories on characters beyond Maddie.

I enjoyed the action of the plot but was sometimes annoyed with long sections of Maddie overthinking every little thought and interaction in her head. This felt much more prominent in this story than in the previous novel. I get that she's a teenager but her overanalyzation gave me anxiety, I wanted her to just talk to her friends / love interests rather than making assumptions about their motives and pondering for pages and pages. That said, I wanted about 100 more pages in the end to wrap up the story knowing that there is not another book planned for this story.

I still think this was a fun fantasy ride with unique magic and fascinating realms to explore but it didn't quite meet the mark Havenfall set for me.

**Contains spoilers**

This story is definitely all plot-driven.

Maddie is still absolutely dumb as rocks, and she just stumbles into problems, goes against the agreed-upon plan and then needs saving by others.

The worst about her is her lack of a moral compass. Although she's supposed to eventually be responsible for the Inn, which is a neutral place for delegates from other worlds to gather, she admits her own selfish desires will always come first, before the greater good. At one point, she finds out that her (idiotic) actions led to the destruction of a castle in another world, and many innocent people died, and her attitude was all: they deserve it because they knew the guy who invited them there was of ill repute. Even though her mother had been in love with/tricked by him in the past! So, good luck to all once she's made Innkeeper.

This moral bankruptcy is also evident in her romance, where she's super hot-and-heavy over Brekken, but then, once Taya is back in the pic, just doesn't think about him for days? And when he goes off, possibly to his death, she doesn't even think twice, and doesn't even know when he actually leaves.

Huge plot points were glossed over. The wonder of finding a way to travel across worlds just happened, and then they just moved on. Like, there's no unpacking of anything.

Ends with huge issues unresolved. What of the plight of the people who live in Oasis? We find out the Silver Prince is really motivated by trying to find a place for his people to survive, but he's still cast as a monster, but what happened to him? What about Brekken's trial? And what about the soul trade and the Solarians?

The concept of these worlds was so interesting, it's just too bad the story was ruined by lack of depth and lack of closure.

I enjoyed Havenfall a little bit more than this one, but it was still a solid sequel. We pick up right where we left off, and since I just finished the first one, it was great to just jump right back into the story.
I enjoyed the characters a little more, Maddie really felt like she grew from the first book. I liked the development of some of the other characters too (but I won't name them because spoilers). The character I didn't love this time around was Brekken. I liked him in the first one, but it really seemed like he was a different person in this one. I really enjoyed the family aspect in this book, but I won't go into any more detail than that.
The plot was kind of all over the place. It felt like there was enough to continue into a third book, but it all got crunched into this one. I wish some of the major things that happened were drawn out more, but every single one felt rushed. We find out about the selling of the soul-silver in the first book and that is really just so unique to me, I loved reading about how passionate Maddie was about fixing it and how it really connected everything in the book. There were some things that weren't resolved at the end, there is one character who goes off to do something important and then we never find out what happened for example.
In the first book, I loved the setting of Havenfall. That was a high point of the book for me. In this book, while we get to explore some of the other worlds, we don't get to explore them a lot. The scenes in those other worlds are rushed. I would have loved to explore them more.
There is an extra chapter at the end told from a different character's POV which I actually loved. If there happens to be another book in this series, or a spin off, I would want it to be exactly like that chapter, following that plot line. It did answer one of the questions to the unresolved plot points in the actual book, but it really only answered the what and not the how, so we are still left guessing about what exactly happened with this person.

3.5 Stars

It’s been a year since I read Havenfall, and I have to admit, I didn’t remember much about it except its fantastic cover. Looking back at my review, I found that I thought it didn’t quite live up to its potential. Phoenix Flame is its follow up and seems to have cast off some of its predecessor’s insular feel.

Holland builds upon her already sound promise, but kicks it up a notch, moving some of the action to a different realm. That’s where her world-building abilities really shine.

The emphasis continues to be on Maddie, who has grown a little but is still impulsive. She seems to cause as many problems as she creates. She has a good heart, though, and is compelling.

What’s frustrating is the lack of development when it comes to secondary characters. They sometimes feel more like props, helping the story move forward rather than actually moving the story forward.

I enjoyed Phoenix Flame more than Havenfall. Its pacing is tighter and there’s room to breathe. Given the number of issues left unresolved, I’m assuming another book is in the works. So far, it’s not my favorite series, but there’s enough meat to it that I’d like to reread the books when the next one comes out.

Phoenix Flame is the second installment in author Sara Holland's Havenfall duology. Phoenix Flame picks up just days after where Havenfall ended for readers. Maddie Morrow may have saved the Inn at Havenfall, (a sanctuary between magical worlds deep in the mountains of Colorado), from the treachery of the Silver Prince, but it was only the beginning of a longer game with deadlier consequences. The good news is that her uncle Marcus, the Innkeeper, is finally awake, and his regained control over the Inn.

The bad news is that her new friend Taya was pushed through the now closed door to Solaria with no way of retrieving her. Maddie knows that there's more work to be done to protect the place her family has run for centuries. The peace accords between Fiordenkill, Byrn, and Haven seem to being going well, but one mistake could be costly. Maddie focuses her attention on the Solarians who were kidnapped like her own adopted brother Nate. Maddie uncovers family secrets that could change everything. Maddie believes that her mother’s past my hold the key to stopping the soul trading that has plagued the realms.

After visiting with her mother in prison, it becomes clear that Maddie needs find a man named Cadius. In order to do so, she must travel to Fiordenkill where Humans can't survive for long. With a little help from her friends, Graylin and Brekken, Maddie arrives in Fiordenkill in disguise. Maddie hopes to further disrupt the black-market trade of soul-bound silver as well as finding something called the Phoenix Flame which legend says it can be used to travel between realms. Soon thereafter, she runs into someone who she thought was dead. (Spoiler: Her brother Nahteran).

Once again Maddie is meant to make some hard choices, and yet, those around her have to pay the price. What's worse is that the Silver Prince isn't finished yet, and makes a move that nobody could see coming. What's baffling for me is that Maddie found out that she had magic but barely uses it except for one particular scene. What's the point of having magic and not using it? The plot is interesting, with a few twists and turns and decent character development. But the world-building and description continues to leave something to be desired except for the beginning of the book.

I know that Phoenix Flame is meant to be the end of this duology, but there is still so much that feels unfinished. I’m conflicted about the ending as well as the epilogue that features Taya and Nahteran aka Maddie's brother. For those who are wondering about the labels for this book, it's because Maddie is bisexual. She lives her life and just happens to be bisexual. The book is not super romance heavy, but when she talks about her crushes one is a guy and one is a girl.

Actual Rating: 3.5

Phoenix Flame is the conclusion in this quick fantasy duology by Sara Holland picking back up where the first book was left on.

I most definitely enjoy Phoenix Flame much more then Havenfall. While the world is completely unique and original, in my opinion, the whole story seems just a bit rushed for my tastes. Now if you’re looking for a quick and fun fantasy duology, this most definitely would be for you. However, I’m a person that enjoys a bit more detail and while I love shorter stories, this just felt too short for me.

Like I said, I did enjoy this one way more then the first book. This one had a bit more action and just overall more going on from the very start then Havenfall had, which made it easy to just dive right back into the story.

I still didn’t feel much of a connection with the characters this time around, although Maddie (the MC) did get a bit on my nerves this book and felt very indecisive to me. Also, there’s a love triangle that never gets resolved and I’m just like?????

Phoenix Flame also had a few plot twists that had me grinning but this story was left open ended and I’m the type that likes a neat little bow at the end lol

Ultimately, this received three stars from me for its originality, the world over all, Maddies family ( I love them) and it being a bit more action filled! I believe someone looking for a quick fantasy duology or even someone looking to read their first fantasy without being too overwhelmed would really enjoy this story!

3.5 out of 5 stars (3.5 / 5) Last year, Havenfall was my very first physical ARC I received from a publisher. I was beyond ecstatic! The story felt new and exciting and I was happy to be a part of it’s release.

Book 2 built on the incredible world and expanded it beyond Havenfall’s borders into Fiordankill. I loved this expansion and hope that book 3 includes other realms. The world building is definitely my favorite part of this series. Havenfall is the center of multiple realms where they can verge and mingle and build treaties and public relations. Maddie is next in line to take over her uncle’s place as Innkeeper. Maddie’s family (her mother, her uncle and herself) each have had or do have a love for Fiordiankill’s men. One of those relationship’s has ended badly and they’re all paying the price.

Maddie is a unique character. While she’s not my favorite, I have to say they did well with her bisexual representation. It was natural and done well. However, I did not love the love triangle it presented. If you’ve followed me at all, you know that is not something I care for. The triangles become too dramatic for me. But her love interests were some of my favorite characters.

I second guessed each character’s motives all throughout the book. It made for some terrible guessing and fun adventure. The end was a bit convenient for me but was still a fun ride.

Content Summary: All aspects of this book are low on the severity scale. The only content that some might be opposed to is that the main character is bisexual. It doesn’t refer to it as that but she has a relationship with a guy and has feelings for a young woman. Both relationships are done well and she is never confused about it, and doesn’t fight either feelings. Her uncle is in a gay marriage also. The book doesn’t dwell on the gay aspect but it does play a moderate part in the story. Book one seemed to down play the bisexual aspect (from what I remember) while book two didn’t shy away.

2.5 STARS

Phoenix Flame picks up where Havenfall left off, in the wake of the Silver Prince's destructive violence against Havenfall and everyone in it.

Still reeling from the enormous discoveries that came to light, Maddie is trying to find hope in the way forward. Her uncle and a few other residents of Havenfall are diving into the soul-silver trade in the hopes of freeing Solarians from magical captivity, but Maddie's heart is set on finding her brother. She doesn't even know if he's alive, but she has to try, for him and every other Solarian who has suffered at the hands of greedy magic users.

It's not so simple, though. Stopping the soul-silver trade may put more than Havenfall at risk. Maddie must face danger to everything and everyone she loves if she's going to set things right, and ultimately, she must decide if the cost is worth it.


Unless Phoenix Flame is secretly part of a trilogy, it falls far short of expectations.

At the outset, I held onto this big burst of excitement. Finally, after all this talk about other worlds, it was starting to look like we'd actually go visit them! We would get to see Maddie grow into her role as the Future Innkeeper, one with a rare amount of first-hand experience in other Realms, and we would dive deep into the nasty corners of the soul-silver trade!

One relatively brief trip to Fiordenkill and nowhere else later, I remain bitterly disappointed. In spite of so much promise, some of which is tied into legends from other Realms, we spend most of our time on Earth, wading through the mundane to leap between pieces of the Realms and the danger tied to them. The door remains firmly closed in a way that feels frustrating, teasing, and I can't help but be let down by all the promise squandered here.

Not only that, though, but Phoenix Flame also fails to offer meaningful resolution. It feels like the end of a duology and like the second book in a trilogy. The result is a sense of confusion and shallowness with the ending. Pair that with the bonus chapter from another POV that lies at the end of the book, and the failure to resolve the (admittedly weird) love triangle, and that baffling sense of incompleteness overshadows anything enjoyable about this book.


"A world without family isn't much of a world at all."

Perhaps I'm not giving it enough credit, though. I did appreciate that Phoenix Flame dealt first and foremost with the soul-silver trade, and the evils that come with it. Sure, it could have used a great deal more depth, but that was an important reveal in Havenfall, one worthy of further exploration this time around.

And equally important was the family-first focus. Confronting the soul-silver trade is personal, given that Maddie's brother, Nate, is one of its victims. She doesn't even know if he's alive, and digging deeper into this mystery will help so many Solarians even as it offers her answers to the questions that have burned through her all her life. At the same time, she's also forced to reckon with what she's willing to sacrifice for the friends and family who are still in her life, still close to her. It's difficult to weigh personal feelings against doing the right thing. And of course, it's even harder when you can't have both.

It's one of the things about Phoenix Flame that stands out in a more positive light. How can I ever say no to stories that feature the dedication of siblings so close to their centers?


At the end of the day, I'm not sure what my hopes are.

Do I want Phoenix Flame to get a sequel, so we get a more satisfying resolution? Do I want it to end the series here, so I can move on with my life? Admittedly, I think I prefer the latter. It's easier to live with a bad ending than it is to get my hopes up for a good one (and then be disappointed again).

Still, if you're invested in the Havenfall series, you don't have to wait. Phoenix Flame is on shelves today, March 2nd! I hope it brings you an ending you can enjoy more than I did, or that it surprises you in the best ways. And if it doesn't, hey! We can always chat about it, don't you think?


CW: loss of a loved one, underage drinking, smoking, human trafficking, violence

[This review will go live on Hail & Well Read at 10am EST on 3/2/21.]

I really liked Havenfall when it came out, and it ended on such a cliffhanger that it left me anxious for the sequel. As far as completing the story, Phoenix Flame delivered. However, I was actually a bit disappointed by the story.

Let's talk about the things that I really liked first. I was excited to get to travel to one of the other worlds in this book. Fiordenkill is a world that is filled with ice and frost, and just so happens to be the home planet of Brekken, our main character's crush. Getting to see one of the worlds that was so heavily referred to in the first novel was fun. We also got to learn more about the magic system, which got a bit more flushed out in this book.

The love triangle was done in an interesting way in this book. Maddie, the main character, likes two people - Brekken and Taya. As Taya was absent for a fairly long portion of the book, the love triangle was a bit lopsided. This was an intriguing way to handle it though, and made it different than your typical YA love triangle scenario.

As far as things that didn't really do it for me, there are a few.  To try to spare you spoilers, I will be a bit vague. There is someone from Maddie's past that pops back up in the book, and it should make a big impact on the story and the reader. I didn't really feel that impact. I was not a big fan of this character, and  I didn't really feel like they really should have caused all of the trouble that they did. (Again, I know this is vague, but I don't want to give any big spoilers!!)
I was also just a little underwhelmed by the storyline in general in this book. It seems like a lot happens, but it feels like it doesn't at the same time. It was just a bit lackluster for me.

Overall, this was a decent fantasy. It definitely wraps up the storyline from the first book satisfactorily. I would recommend that anyone who read the first book and really wanted to know what happens next pick this one up.

I gave this book 3 Stars.