Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!
Enjoyed Aila’s story, as she finds love amongst her magical zoo creatures!

This was one of the most delightful, charming books I've read this year. I'm not sure why it took me so long to get to it. A magical zoo?! What a delightful premise. It was cozy and funny, the animals were some of the best characters. I do feel like I figured out the mystery and who was involved (or at least suspected them) very quickly, but it did not diminish my enjoyment of the story or how it rolled out. The enemies to lovers romance was nice, I would not call this a romance perse as I was once element of the story and not the main story, but it was a cute element.
As with a lot of books I found the main character's insecurity to be just slightly too much. This could have been a 5 star read for me in terms of enjoyment if the the MC' had been just slightly less annoying. I understand authors' desire to create some inner conflict, but does it always have to be crippling self doubt?
Still this book was very cute and original and delight to read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for sending me a copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

Well this book was an absolute little delight! It was so cozy and heartwarming and I just felt warm and fuzzy inside every time I picked it up! From the magical animals to the lessons on hopes and dreams and self discovery, this book was like a warm hug! The romance was really cute and I loved the way it was a part of Aila's story and how she developed throughout her journey. Her journey definitely made me emotional as someone on the verge of their career dreams as well!

My only issue was the predictability of it. I generally can never guess endings, and I clocked this book from almost the start, which is telling. I wish I had been more surprised by the twists, but it was still highly enjoyable.

This was a super fun read that every cozy fantasy lover should get their hands on!

From the start I was already drawn in at the premise of a story set in a magical zoo...like what can be better than a zoo with phoenixes!! Once I actually started it I immediately fell in love with everything. It truly is the perfect mix of romance and fantasy with a touch of suspense.

***POSSIBLE SPOILERS***

A few tropes:
- Lesbian romance
- Rivals-to-lovers
- Magical creatures (dragons, phonixes, griffins, etc.)
- A heist
- Cozy vibes

Overall, I would defintiely recommend this book, especially if you're a fan of cozy fantasy! Amazing read!!!

A cozy, heartwarming fantasy set in a modern magical zoo, The Phoenix Keeper follows Aila, a timid but devoted phoenix keeper, as she strives to revive a defunct breeding program amidst threats of poaching and her own social anxiety. The real star is the relationship between Aila and her rival-turned-love-interest, Luciana-an enemies-to-lovers arc that unfolds at a gentle, satisfying pace.

I was a bit trepidatious as I don't love zoos but this sweet romance set in a world where magical creatures like the phoenix and griffin just exist and are sometimes in need of help to not go extinct, soon had me forget all that hesitation. Our phoenix keeper is very focused on her charge and everything she must do to help the phoenix thrive. The slow burn romance that bursts into flame one day is so sweet. The whole thing was delightful and I loved it. Even with poachers in the mix. Sigh.

I find some ‘cozy fantasy’ books to be a disappointing in terms of world building. Though I would have liked more exploration of this world, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book.

The cast of characters - animal and human alike -were engaging and that made it easy to root for them. Though Aila could be rather self centered and a bit whiny, I enjoyed the development she had within the book. Her growth in terms of relationships was also really lovely to see and I adored Tonya as a character.

I was also impressed with the writing of this book. I’ve been disappointed with many debuts I’ve read over the last two years, but this was well paced and I couldn’t wait to read each chapter.

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up

This was delightfully cozy and had way more plot and intrigue than I ever imagined could happen in the zoo. If you are all like me and prefer 60+% plot to 40% or less romance, this is the cozy romantasy for you. The slow burn was delightful, the animals were adorable, the stakes were real, it was just so fun. I think it hit particularly well for me because when I was younger I dreamed of being a tiger handler at the zoo, so it felt very almost nostalgic for me. I would highly HIGHLY recommend this one.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me a copy to read and review.

Nothing really happens. I love a cozy fantasy as much as the next person but I can’t find it in me to care enough to finish this book. I’m not pulled in. Two stars because I wish I worked at a zoo with magical birds.

This had so much potential, but it felt like it was trying to hard to be clever or unique--instead of just letting the characters be who they are and letting the plot unfold naturally. So many moments took me out of the story that it was quite difficult to keep the narrative arc whole in my head.

This is one of those "not bad, not good" books that I would tell everyone to "give it a try, but don't force it if it's not working for you."


***Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book to review.***

The Phoenix Keeper is a compelling blend of myth and adventure. The world-building is vivid, with a fresh take on magical and historical elements, and the characters are engaging. The pacing is strong, though some plot twists can feel a bit predictable.

Overall, a solid and immersive read. Great for fans of myth-inspired fantasy with a touch of mystery.

I really wanted to love this book, with the idea of a magical zoo and the people working in it trying to save an at risk species, but I couldn't. The setting and the problems going with a zoo and a breeding program to help species at risk was well researched and reflects a lot of the trials that real life zoos face, which was amazing to see applied to a fantasy book. The characters were well developed and the relationships reflected real life relationships. Unfortunately, I lost interest at the slow moving pace. I think this book would be perfect for anyone who wants a low stakes, cozy fantasy. The writing was well done and the story was heart felt; I just found the pace a little slow.

I was not able to finish this book. Overall I felt it was too slow paced and it could not capture my attention. I tried on several different occasions and by 10% each time I just found myself wanting to read something different. Nothing wrong with it, just not for me!

A socially anxious zookeeper working in phoenix conservation gets the chance of a lifetime to breed phoenixes and falls in love with her rival/frenemy from the griffin show in the process. Sounds nice, right?

Books like this one almost frustrate me more than the real stinkers that deserve one or two stars. It's ALMOST there for me. The premise=great. The themes=great. A convergence of genres that I love, plus magical animals and nerds=great. But none of it came together the way I wanted it to, and the writing itself seemed to get in the way more often than not.

I also had no feelings whatsoever for any of the human characters, again because of the writing style, which read as really immature to me, in the way that a new writer or a writer who just doesn't have IT (whatever it is) can't make the leap from words on the page to bringing the story to life in your mind. My edition came with a forward from the author about how much of herself she put into this book, and I honestly think that might also be part of the problem. She was too close to it, and couldn't get far enough away to make it work for other people. I mean, obviously this is just my opinion and the book seems to be working for other people, but I am just so disappointed by it. Absolutely mediocre book for me, and I almost DNFed it about three times, but kept going bc cute animals.

The book is also very, very bloated. A cozy fantasy romance about a zookeeper has no business being longer than 400 pages, and this book hits a whopping 470. There was SO MUCH of this book that could have been cut out, plotlines and scenes alike. And that would have actually made room for more development of the stuff I did want to see, like the romance between the two main characters, and interactions with the cute animals.

Anyway, this was basically a miss for me in how mid it was. Not sure if I will read more from this author. We'll see!

I loved the setting- magical creatures galore! Zookeepers dedicated to preserving the species they adore through careful breeding programs and devoted care. A sweet love story.. what's not to like?
Then there's the MC, Aila. Introverted, but also whiny, rude and immature... and so annoying to read. Sigh. Read a lot more like YA than adult, which it is marketed as.
Just not the vibe I was looking for.


Thank you NetGalley & Orbit for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was fun at times, but it didn't feel like a fully-formed story.

It took a long time for much to happen. In fact, just before the climax happened, I was starting to wonder if the story was going to just end without one.

I was also surprised when I learned that the protagonist is in her late twenties. Most of the book reads like it's middle grade due to the level of maturity and drama the main character exhibits. She was incredibly selfish and believed that everyone should be there to help her, pouted whenever that didn't happen, and literally ran screaming when someone suggested putting makeup on her. Forgivable or funny for a middle grade, a bit over-the-top for an adult story, in my opinion.

Others may enjoy this book, but it wasn't really my cup of tea.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the ARC.

Entertaining and whimsical. Just a cozy fantasy about Aila who works with endangered mystical creatures birds mostly. Didn’t hold my attention like I’d hoped more of a YA fiction.

I did not end up finishing this book, but I've read enough to get a decent opinion of it. I liked the premise, and the main character was fun to read from the perspective of, but I just did not enjoy the writing style. I hope to get back to this book again at some point to try again though, as I was very interested in the description!

Amazon and Barnes & Noble reviews submitted, pending system approvals
Imgur link goes to Instagram graphic scheduled for March 18th
- A physical copy was purchased so I'll likely be featuring it again at least once in the next month
Blog post goes up April 18th
Will be featured in Friday Reads for 3/21


**TL;DR**: This is warm, feathered hug in a book and I adore it.
**Source**: Netgalley! Thank you so much to the publisher

**Plot**: An overly anxious zookeeper has to try to get her life and her phoenix charge in order to save a species.
**Characters**: Oh my gosh - I started out not liking our main character, but I ended up loving everyone.
**Setting**: A zoo! A ZOO! What a fun and amazing place for a book!
**Fantasy**: This is a very low, cozy fantasy about a world with magical creatures. It’s not here to give you details, it’s here to give you a hug and a phoenix to cheer for. ****

**Thoughts**:

Cozy books can sometimes feel a bit like the same thing over and over if authors aren’t careful with how they approach the genre. The coffee shop, bookshop is done a lot, small town, etc. But a Zoo? This was a first and a delight. I can also confidently say though, if you’re not an animal nerd or a big lover of zoos you may not be into this.

The Phoenix Keeper is a warm, cozy book about a zookeeper in a magical world who tends to the endangered Phoenix exhibit. She wants more than anything to help the population breed so she can care for these struggling animals. Alia is a hot mess of anxiety and almost debilitating shyness (at least for a zookeeper). In all honesty, I didn’t like her at first. I’m not a fan of ‘disaster’ type characters and she read initially as that. But the slow development of her character was clear and lovely, her story paced well and I absolutely loved everyone in this by the end.

The threat of the book, illegal black market animal parts dealers, felt real enough while also just distant enough that book kept a good balance between cozy and tension. I adored the romance, I was cheering for these two from the second interaction though I had no idea how it was going to work and the icing on this cake? The animals. I would read more 500 page books about different zookeepers and different animals if S.A. MacLean decided to write more. 5/5, this was a book for me.

The Phoenix Keeper is a cozy fantasy filled with magical creatures and a heartwarming queer romance. Set in a zoo of mythical beasts, it follows Alia, an introverted woman who works to save the endangered Silimalo Phoenix. Alia's struggles with anxiety and self-doubt make her a relatable, deeply human character. The book’s magic isn’t just in its creatures but in the emotional growth of its characters. If you love cozy, character-driven fantasies with a touch of romance, this is a charming read, perfect for fans of The House in the Cerulean Sea and Legends and Lattes.