One of the things I love most about the current fantasy landscape is simply how diverse it is. Once upon a time, almost every fantasy novel published by a major trade publisher was some variant of a northern or western European milieu, whether explicitly or implicitly. Now, however, we’re seeing a plethora of fantasy voices from cultures from all of the globe, from China (Shelley Parker-Chan’s She Who Became the Sun and its sequel, He Who Drowned the World), Tomi Adeyemi’s Legacy of Orisha series, and R.F. Kuang’s The Poppy War and its sequels). This year sees the publication of another great fantasy, this one inspired by the history and myths of India: Aparna Verma’s The Phoenix King

The novel is an intriguing blend of epic fantasy, science fiction, and political drama. At the center of the story are three characters: Elena, the heir to the throne; her father, Leo, a powerful king who has had to make a number of sacrifices to retain his power; and Yassen, an assassin with a lot of secrets. This is the kind of story in which you can literally lose yourself for hours, as you watch these three characters as they try to survive in a world that grows increasingly destabilized and uncertain.

For, you see, Elena might be the heir, but she has yet to be able to command fire, a prerequisite to anyone who would sit on the throne. This causes her no small amount of anxiety, as she tries to figure out just why it is that she can’t wield fire in the way that is expected of her. She is similarly haunted by the death of her mother several years earlier, as well as by the madness that seemed to overtake the other woman in the later years of her life. Like so many other fantasy characters, she has to reckon with what it means to come to terms with one’s past and one’s future. She also has to learn to balance her own political beliefs against the necessity of the moment.

Yassen, likewise, has his own ghosts to contend with, and even his body bears the scars of his previous adventures. He is a bundle of contradictions, and he has competing loyalties that make it difficult for him to see a path forward in his life. It’s only once he becomes the bodyguard to Elena that he starts to see a purpose, though he also finds that he has only a limited amount of power to affect the course of events. Ultimately he, along with Elena, is swept up by powers and forces neither of them can fully control.

It’s not all politics and prophecies and unrest, however. There’s real human warmth at the heart of this story, and it’s clear from the beginning that there’s a powerful bond between Elena and Yassen. Both of them know what it is to feel the pressure of expectations, and they both endure quite a lot of loss as the story unfolds. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that this is an enemies to lovers type story, but there is nevertheless something sweet about watching these two broken people slowly find a sense of wholeness with one another.

While much of the novel focuses on Elena and Yassen and their various loyalties, the first half also gives a great deal of attention to Leo. From the beginning it’s clear that his relationship with his daughter is strained at best, for while he is very much a pragmatic ruler–the type of person who will make use of an armed group of thugs to see to it that his throne remains secure–Elena is much more progressive and empathetic to the plight of the common people. It would have been very easy for Verma to make Leo into nothing more than a stereotypical autocrat, but she chooses instead to make him a fully-fledged individual in his own right. Heavy lies the head that wears the crown, and only he knows just how much must be given up.

I’ve heard the novel described as Dune meets The Poppy War, and I think that there’s a lot of accuracy in that description. Religion plays a major part in the story, particularly since both Elena and Leo are religious as well as governmental figures. The faith they follow can at times be an unforgiving one and, as Elena slowly discovers, there are some dark and sinister secrets hidden in their history. Verma knows how to keep the big revelations lurking in the background, just waiting for their opportunity to drop down on the protagonists like a ton of bricks. As in Dune, the desert is a stern and punishing landscape, but it is also one which has forged a people with an extraordinary strength, one which Elena wields to great effect.

There is, likewise, an expert blending of fantasy and science fiction elements here. Though he is only seen in a couple of brief moments, there’s a monarch of a neighboring country who has used a special kind of metal to forge a half-metal body for himself and for his armies. There are handheld electronic devices and airships of various kinds. Verma has a keen eye for how to keep these two elements in a precise balance and, given how tricky this can be seen, she deserves especial praise for it.

Overall, I found The Phoenix King to be an enjoyable read. It has some rich and textured worldbuilding, but it doesn’t ignore character development. By the time we get to the climax we feel as if we know these people, their motivations, their strengths and their shortcomings. We may not always find ourselves liking them or approving of their actions, but we understand them. This is also the kind of fantasy that isn’t afraid to engage with weighty political and philosophical questions, which adds a further layer of complexity and pleasure. I know one thing for sure. I can’t wait to see what the Verma has in store for us next!

DNF at 11%.

The Phoenix King is a dual POV following an heir to the throne named Elena and an assassin named Yassen. I only read the first 11% of this, so I will not be giving it a rating. I've had such a long story with this book for having never read it until March! I'd gotten an ARC when I was new to Netgalley of when it was originally called The Boy with Fire. Unfortunately, the book got archived before I was able to download it! I felt so guilty I went on Amazon and purchased a copy immediately. Years later, it made one of my TBR lists, only for me to realize it was getting republished! The cover and title were even more appealing than before, so I got an ARC of this one and was sure to download it immediately this time.

I was expecting from the marketing a high fantasy set in a desert kingdom inspired by India, so I was thrilled. Once during one of these marketing campaigns, I saw a comp to Dune, but hadn't read that so had no idea. This book felt more like Star Wars on Dantooine than any royal/assasssin fantasy I was expecting. Instead of swords, there were blasters and some sort of holopad communication and submarines. 😂 I am not the target audience for this, but I think I could have been less disappointed had I not gone in thinking it was something completely different.

Did drag a bit and the pacing was somewhat off. Not so much romantasy as it is adult scifi. I was missing that strong first person POV in this as I felt the character development suffered a bit as a result of the structure of the book but overall it was mostly interesting and a decent read. Thank you to the publisher and the author for the ARC and I will still probably read the sequel to see what happens next!

2.5 Stars

I’m a little conflicted about how to rate this one. On the one hand, I felt it pretty seamlessly blended multiple genres (sci-fi and fantasy, politics, and romance-although slow burn). On the other, I struggled with it feeling a little long and reading more like YA even though it is attended for adults. I did enjoy all three POVs.

I’d definitely recommend for fans of fantasy romance that’s slightly darker and diverse.

A great story and love story, a magical world that was well developed as well as having very interesting characters! The Phoenix King delivered everything that was promised and more! I can't wait to see what other extraordinary things Aparna Verma has to publish and grace us romanatsy fans with!

Thank you to NetGalleyfor this ARC.The Phoenix King is a standout fantasy debut that blends political drama, mythology, and character-driven storytelling in a totally fresh way. Aparna Verma has created something truly special, combining elements of both fantasy and science fiction.

I started reading without many expectations and couldn’t put the book down! Verma’s writing pulls you in, and the character POVs are well-developed, and offering some surprises. What makes the book unique is how every character, at first glance, is not what they seem and this lead to some really interesting twists.

I really enjoyed the world-building—its rich, detailed setting made the story feel immersive. By the end of the book, I felt like we had just scratched the surface, and I’m eager to see what happens next in the chaos where book one ended.

The Phoenix King feels like the beginning of something much bigger, and that makes it an exciting read. If you're looking for a fantasy book that feels expansive, this is definitely worth picking up. I’m already looking forward to what comes next in the series!

Much appreciation and gratitude to NetGalley for providing this free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

What I can say about this book is that it is an ambitious debut in adult sci-fi. Unfortunately, the world-building was muddy, and the characters were not as fleshed out as I would have liked. The ending was intriguing enough for me to continue for the next book.

I was very excited for this book and it started out very good, but as I continued I found the story to be dragging. The pacing seemed to fluctuate in a weird way. Leo’s POV could have been more sparse, I really did not care for his part other than the parts where he was actually committing crimes or doing something because those actual gave substance. I wasn’t totally sold on Yassen and Elena’s romance but I liked them both that it went with it. I don’t think making the setting also futuristic with hovercars and hovertrains was the best combination. I kept imagining it was pre-automobile times because of the magic, priesthood, and monarchy. Yassen and Elena were strong characters and both their struggles is what kept me halfway invested in the story.

This book was fine. The pacing was inconsistent but I loved the audiobook narrators. Not sure if I’ll continue the series but I’d be interested in further books by the author.

Love love love, will never stop recommending this book! A fantastic debut and fantasy book! I will definitely be reading the next one!

This are an interesting plotline. I found that the author was able to enter, leave a lot of lore and magical past systems into the story. I enjoyed how the main male character and the main female character, were our ends for a bit of the story, and also how they develop evolved thro. The way that the author created all of the conflict between characters in magical systems keep me entertained as I read this book.

I loved this book. It’s an Indian inspired fantasy which is right up my ally. This a dual pov about a Princess and an assassin. The assassin is hired to be the Princesses bodyguard which is how their romance kicks off. It’s almost friends to lovers but in a good way, since I don’t normally like that trope. It’s an incredible and immersive fantasy!

three stars for the portion of the book that I read. Currently putting this down, hoping to come back to it later

This was a bit underwhelming. I have a lot of trouble with books that are adult books but read like young adult lit, or the other way around. I feel like the book is not clear what audience it caters to. The pacing and world read like that in adult fantasy, but the dialogue is very "young", if that makes sense. It is well-written, but this style is not for me, unfortunately.

3.75

I had this on my TBR when it was self-published as The Boy with Fire so I was excited when I saw it got picked up for traditional publishing by Orbit. Overall, I thought it was a really solid debut!

The Phoenix King is a tense political fantasy that follows 3 character POVs as they try to navigate a world on the brink of war. In the author's review, Aparna Verma says that she was inspired by the geopolitical tensions in India and the rise of nationalistic leaders in both America and India and it absolutely shows. Each of these characters make choices that show how hard it is to rule and the consequences of making decisions "for the greater good". On top of that, there is an interesting magic system that involves dance, prophecy and commentary on religious zeal, fantasy technology, and so much more.

I found the pacing dragged a little in the middle, but for the most part I was consistently compelled to keep reading and I never found myself hating being in any of the character perspectives. The romantic subplot did cumulate into a minor spicy scene at the end that to me, kind of came out of nowhere. But maybe that's because I didn't really care nor buy into the romantic subplot especially compared to the political machinations.

All that to say, I had a pretty good time with this and I would be very interested in continuing this series with [book:The Burning Queen|218022666]!

I found this book quite challenging to get through. Despite its intriguing premise, I struggled to engage with the story. Even after multiple attempts, I couldn't connect with the world-building and characters. The more I read, the more confused I felt. Additionally, the slow pacing made it hard to stay interested, leaving me feeling bored. It seems this book just wasn't a good fit for me at this time. Maybe I'll give it another try in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit Books for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This debut blends sci-fi and high fantasy with fire-bending, political intrigue, and a slow-burn romance. Set in a desert kingdom ruled by the Ravence, the story follows Princess Elena, who grapples with the arrival of her new royal guard, Yassen, amidst looming war.

While the writing is engaging and the book keeps you turning pages, the world-building is confusing with too many names and groups. Elena is a compelling warrior but lacks emotional depth, making her character feel one-dimensional. Yassen, however, is well-developed with an intriguing backstory.

The romance, marketed heavily, is more of a subplot and feels underwhelming. Despite these issues, the ending is promising and leaves me eager for the next book. Overall, a solid debut with potential but not mind-blowing.

I really enjoyed this book! I thought it was a pretty strong series opener, and I'm excited to see where the author goes with this story :)

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.

Okay, I’m going to be real: this one took me a while to get into. It had a really slow start but that could’ve been due to it being the first in a brand new world on top of the slump I’d seemed to be sliding toward when I first picked the book up. I am glad I gave it some time before picking it back up to try again rather than simply not finishing the book from the get-go as there were some interesting aspects in the middle of the book. Unfortunately, just not enough to keep me reading through the end.

Things I did enjoy:
The world did have a super unique setup. Kind of advanced futuristic fantasy, in a way. It felt like a mix of science fiction with the ray guns and holo pods mixed with the fantasy elements of a kingdom setting and the royal’s fire magic. So like literal Science Fiction Fantasy genre. Like the more I thought about it, the more I was getting almost Star Wars vibes (and I do love me some Star Wars).

I also enjoyed how the antagonist was given a POV in the story. His perspective added a lot to the story and I actually found it to be the most fascinating. Seeing how his brain worked in justifying his actions was as horrifying as it was intriguing. The other two perspectives were also interesting but I found following the antagonist’s more enjoyable.

The world building is super unique and I wanted to be into reading the story since I was so excited for it, but it was difficult to work through chapters. I had to pause my reading for a few months because my head was just not into connecting with the story. I think this one just suffered from the expectations I’d built in my head from the hype prior to release versus how it was actually delivered.

Thank you to the author and publisher for giving me the chance to read an early copy.