The Phoenix Keeper is a cozy and lovely fantasy about a young zoo keeper on a mission to save an endangered species, and finding love in unlikely places.

Aila has always known what she wanted to do when she grew up - save the Silimalo Phoenix, a critically endangered species of magical birds. She spends her time at the San Tamculo Zoo, where she is an avian zookeeper. When a poaching tragedy strikes the Silimalo Phoenix breeding program at a sister zoo, Aila seeks to move the breeding program to San Tamculo. The only problem is the zoo hasn't had a breeding program in decades, and fixing everything up so it is ready for the phoenix transfer means Aila will have to ask for help. Unfortunately, that means talking to people, something incredibly shy Aila is horrendous at. Of course that means talking to the gorgeous dragon trainer Connor, and Aila's haughty but beautiful arch-rival, the griffin trainer Luciana. When proximity leads to something more, will Aila find the courage to embrace her love life as much as the phoenix program?

This was a super cute and cozy story, and a wonderful standalone fantasy. Taking place in a modern world with mythological creatures, this book is full of whimsy and is both entertaining and magical. It was an quick read for me, and the writing was easy to get into. I really empathized with Aila's crippling anxiety and introversion, and felt this representation was well done. This is a character driven novel, and the plot is somewhat slow at first, mostly on day to day tasks at the zoo and getting things ready for the phoenix breeding program, while the focus is primarily on the character and relationship development. Things pick up at the end, and the conclusion was exciting and satisfying. It is a quirky, emotional, and heartwarming story. The rivals to lovers romance was super sweet and awkward so fun to read. I loved the animal characters as much as the human ones. The phoenix Rubra and of course the mischievous Archie. I really enjoyed it!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Orbit books for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

I can’t even begin to say how happy I am I got an ARC of this book. I am working on my Master in animal welfare and have always loved zoos so when I saw this book I knew I would love it and I was right!! Cozy fantasy is my favorite sub genre and this book fits into it perfectly. I love out main FMC and really loved her growth throughout this book. All the characters are super memorable, even the feathered ones, and had they’re own unique personalities. I love the animal convention in this book and showing how zoos have to be a business but how they also care about conservation. I did see where this story was going while reading it but that didn’t take anything away from it for me! Definitely getting this on release day!!

I thought for sure I was going to love this one - I mean, a magical zookeeper, queer romance, what could possibly make me not love this? Sadly, this just wasn't it for me. There was almost too much world building, or at least, too many descriptions of too many habitats over and over and over. Too much telling you the setting and not enough character development. I loved the anxiety representation here, but at a certain point, we need to see some growth as well to invest in the character and I found Aila very hard to connect with or care about, even as someone with significant anxiety myself! She really wasn't very nice and really took her best friend for granted. This was too long, and I found myself skimming large chunks because it felt so repetitive.

Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC!

To say that I loved this book would be a HUGE understatement. I read the whole thing in one sitting (3 hours and 15 minutes, to be exact). I connected with Aila on a spiritual level; her snarky commentary, her struggles with romance and dating (real), and her introvertedness (is that a word?) were so extremely relatable to me, which is something I really value in a book. The whole time, I was giggling at something, whether it’s Aila and Tanya’s friendly banter, Archie’s mischief, or Aila’s interactions with Luciana. Towards the end of the book, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. The suspense and tension was written perfectly; I was stressing for the characters so badly! Luciana’s flirting had me swooning, and the magical creature interactions were hilarious. I can’t think of a single thing I didn’t like about this book. You can bet I’ll be buying a copy when it comes out!!! Literally ALL the stars⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The phoenix keeper

The magical zoo keeper concept I love it. The zoological information is approximate but the author took the time to think it out and be detailed. The details don’t overwhelm the world building and the plot lines.

Characters are almost immediately endearing and worthy of your emotional investment. The writing was easy to follow and sink into. It was sweet almost cuddly but not.

I do have to say that there should have been more effort in the breeding program for the Phoenix to be in its natural home environment.

DNF @ 44% on audio

Unfortunately this was a miss for me personally. 🥲 If you’re a fan of low stakes cosy fantasies, you may want to pick this up. Or if you think you’d get an A+ in a Hogwarts class, Care of Magical Creatures. This book may be for you. 😆🦄🧚🏻‍♀️🐦‍🔥

I think this could’ve been a really fun novel! But I thought there’s was just too much description of the magical creatures and our MFC social anxiety than there was of the plot. Personally, I wanted more of a balance. Halfway and absolutely nothing happening plot wise? Ehhhh not my cup of tea. This was also marketed as a romance? But yet again, halfway through and the two love interests had barely even had more than three short conversations.

I love the premise and world building, who wouldn’t love a zoo full of magical creatures? but just thought the book could’ve had more adventure to it. More growth with our MFC a little sooner seeing as it’s a stand alone novel.

Aila is living out her childhood dream of working with endangered magical animals. She is the head phoenix keeper, often more happy being around her animals than other people. Aila is working towards restoring the zoo's breeding facility to help the zoo grow and protect the phoenix population. She must work with her former school rival, Luciana to secure a spot in the zoo for the last male phoenix.

So many cozy fantasy books have been letting me down recently. This one knocked it out of the park. It has the perfect mix of being cozy but also having real stakes for our characters. I found Aila to be such a great and relatable main character. She is so smart and dedicated to her work. I loved learning about all of the animals. The world building around the zoo was fantastic. The rivals to lovers romance also hit just right. I'm not sure if this will be a series but I would love for it to be. If not I will be looking forward to whatever SA MacLean does next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

FMC Aila has landed her childhood dream job working at her local zoo taking care of the endangered Phoenix's. This book focuses on her journey with trying to get the Phoneix breeding program running successfully again all while trying to keep them safe from poachers. All while she works on growing her own personal relationships with boys and old college classmates now coworkers.

I enjoyed the book but I felt it was just very slow and almost to easy to guess the villain of the story. I did think it was a sweet and cute read but wish it had a little more speed to some areas of the plot lines.

Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the early ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to Orbit, S.A. MacLean, and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of The Phoenix Keeper in exchange for my honest review.

The Phoenix Keeper is a story that follows Aila, a head phoenix keeper who has dreamed of conserving these endangered species since she was eight. Aila's only issue is that despite working at a world-renowned zoo for magical creatures, the zoo's breeding program has not been operational in a decade. When there is a tragic robbery at a neighboring zoo, Aila makes it her mission to get the zoo's breeding program back up and running. However, to do that, she first needs to muster up the courage to ask for help.

Aila is intelligent and extraordinarily passionate about what she does. She struggles greatly with anxiety, largely social anxiety. This makes interacting with others, something she is going to have to do if she wants to get the breeding program transfer approved, challenging for her. Not only that, but she is forced to ask her academic rival Luciana for help if she wants to accomplish her goals, and Aila is not one to put her pride aside easily; or at all. What I loved about The Phoenix Keeper is that readers get a close look at who Aila is as a person, and get to experience her push herself outside her comfort zone and grow as a person. This kind of character development is my favorite, and while at times the plot may feel slow because of it, I loved getting to really see Aila grow and gain confidence in herself and in her abilities.

The Phoenix Keeper is the epitome of a cozy fantasy done well. I enjoyed every minute of reading it. I have been an avid fantasy reader for awhile now, and getting to read a fantasy novel that was not this epic fantasy was refreshing. I loved getting to learn about a new world, and read about all these different magical creatures. This story took place largely at a zoo, and as readers you really got to know the zoo and what it was like there. You got to see the zoo grow as the breeding program grew as well. I truly cannot recommend this book enough. It was refreshing to read such an uplifting book and get to see the simple joys that can come from truly going after your dreams. Aila's story and journey is honestly motivational.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbir Books for this ARC




I was really excited to read this when I read about the magical creatures in the description. It is also a cozy fantasy which is something I've never read before. The book followers a zoo keeper named Aila who works tirelessly towards her goal of breeding an endangered species of phoenix.

Diving into this book, I didn't expect it to be so focused on Aila. However I honestly didn't mind that at all because I've never related so deeply to a character. Like Aila, I am also an animal lover, extremely introverted, and terrified of public speech and social interactions. The anxiety representation wasn't just sprinkles on the surface- it affected every aspect of her life.

I also loved the LGBTQ+ representation- sapphic character, bisexual characters, trans characters.

I don't think the book was marketed as rivals to lovers as the 'romance' aspect wasn't mentioned too much but the second I learned about Luciana and Aila's rivalry, I was already rooting for them. When they got together, I was smiling over how cute they were together! I wish I could have seen more of them rather than having the romance bring more than 50% into the book, but seeing how the overall relationship was built up over misunderstandings + rivalry, which is something I like, i didn't mind it too much.

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

This was really cute. This stars a phoenix zoo keeper (obviously) attempting to follow her dream to save the endangered phoenix species she is in love with. I really enjoyed Alia’s character (she reminded me a lot of myself). She’s self centered and very focused on her goal, but socially awkward and scared of human interaction.

This seems to be put in the romantasy category, and I personally wouldn’t put it there? It’s more of a rom-com with romantic elements. The only magical part of the story is the animals, and while there is a romance, I’d say the main plot is Alia learning how to make friends and be a good friend. I will say I did see the plot twist coming, but it didn’t necessarily take away from the story, I just wasn’t shocked.

It’s never stated exactly how she identifies, but she is attracted to both a man and a woman in this, and her best friend is openly trans. There is a very short mention of a character using they/them pronouns.

Im not usually a romantic-com person, but I was attached to Aila, even when she did stupid shit. I would recommend this if you want a cozy fantasy with medium stakes and cute fantasy creatures! This low-key reminded me of an adult version of the Animal Ark series, which was a children’s series about a vets daughter that finds animals and has to solve a mystery about where they came from or how they got there.

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read an early Arc copy!

I ended up greatly enjoying this story, so much so I put it on "Read Aloud" while I was grocery shopping because I could not put it down! The Phoenix Keeper is a wonderful, mostly cozy, fantasy that takes place in a magical zoo. The fantastic biology and zookeeping was absolutely a highlight; I loved getting to see behind the scenes of the zoo. Even though these are fictional creatures, it was obvious MacLean has deep real-world knowledge of zookeeping, particularly with avians. I also loved that this book decided to focus on conservation efforts in-world, and the breeding program and effort put into it were really well realized.

I will say, the first 50% of this book did not feel very cozy. The main character, Aila, struggles with severe social anxiety - something I also struggle with. I found most of the setup of this story triggered my own anxiety and made it fairly difficult to sit and read through because I just ended up feeling myself grow more and more anxious. However, when the plot and Aila turn the corner to start conquering that anxiety and advancing the plot, it was worth it. I loved seeing Aila's growing confidence, the way her support system bolstered her, and the way she overcame her own biases about events and individual people.

As with some other cozy fantasies, the twists of this novel were perhaps a bit obvious from the outset, but the execution was incredible. The climax was intense and hooking - I was awkwardly standing in aisles at the store because I'd get so reeled in to a moment. I absolutely adored both the romance and the community-building of this book. If I hadn't been in such an anxiety-downer state for the first half, this could easily be five stars. Although I must say that's a testament to the realism of anxiety portrayal here. An excellent addition to the growing cannon of cozy fantasy novels.

Ahhh I loved this cozy fantasy so much! I did struggle a bit at the very beginning but once it picked up, I was hooked. Highly recommend this if you’re into the cozier side of things!

3.5 ⭐️ The Phoenix Keeper takes place in a modern-day zoo that happens to house mythical creatures. Mental health plays a big role in this story as we read about the main character’s experience with social anxiety. To me, Aila very much read as autistic based on the way the author described her special interests, stimming, social differences and anxiety. What I found challenging was that Aila was also portrayed as juvenile. The dialogue and relational conflicts were closer to that of a teenager than a 30-year-old woman. I believe there are ways that authors can write “quirky” characters without infantilizing them, and this year I’ve had a hard time finding stories that do this successfully! Other things to note that other reviewers have already mentioned: parts of the book can feel slow and overly descriptive, and the sapphic romance doesn’t happen until the last third of the book. Overall I think that some folks will really enjoy this story, and I’d recommend giving The Phoenix Keeper a try if you love cozy stories, mythical creatures, and queer representation!

- Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review! -

Unfortunately this book wasn't for me. The writing style is compelling and I'm sure many might enjoy this, it just wasn't my style. Anyway, thank you Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

This book had some of the most vivid and beautiful descriptions I have ever read. For a book about magical creatures, that really made everything come to life! I’ve also never read a book where the main character had so much anxiety, but I think that people will be able to relate really well to her.

This book had a very slow building plot. I found myself getting a little frustrated with how slow it was moving and almost felt a little bored. But then the last quarter of the book was jam packed with energy and excitement.

Overall, pretty good read!

The Phoenix Keeper was a good debut novel with an intriguing plot! When I started the book, it was marketed more as a romantasy, so I was expecting romance to play a larger part in the plot. The plot itself mainly revolved around Aila and her quest to breed phoenixes as well as the issues encountered along the way. The promised romance didn’t happen until the book was practically over since she spent most of the story pining after someone else which felt a little disappointing when I was expecting something else. I also got frustrated with the whole petty rivalry between Aila and Luc since it all stemmed from an understanding that happened years ago! It was frustrating to see Aila refuse to get over it. But, the descriptions of the zoo and Aila’s relationship with Tanya were some of my favorite parts! Definitely a good debut with a few things that just left me wanting more.

There was a lot to like about the summary for this one. The concept alone sounded intriguing and unlike anything I had read before. Add in a dash of romance and some fantasy creatures, and my interest was thoroughly piqued! I’m also on the never-ending quest to hone in exactly what makes certain cozy fantasies work for me while other don’t. This one may have clarified one factor for me!

Unfortunately, that clarification fell on the more negative side. But let’s start with some positives! Overall, I very much enjoyed the concept of this book. The ins-and-outs of that fantastical zoo were all interesting and exciting to explore. For a book that is light on plot, the author took great advantage of all the unique aspects of her setting and the magical creatures that populated it.

I also enjoyed the main character, Aila for the most part. I thought the depiction of her introversion and social anxiety were done well, neatly exploring both concepts without reducing Aila to nothing but these traits. There wasn’t necessarily a lot of new depth to these topics, however as they are both, especially social anxiety, topics that have been well-covered recently. This is, of course, a decided improvement on the past where characters like this were never seen on the page. However, it does present a challenge to authors going forward to distinguish their own characters and stories from a more dense market. This one wasn’t bad, by any means, but it also did not stand out from the crowd.

The romance was also perfectly serviceable. It hit all of the predictable points that one expects from an “enemies to lovers” romance, and the two characters had good chemistry. That said, while I think romance stories like this often follow distinct patterns, this one was a bit too predictable. That, combined with the lighter plot, did make the entire reading experience feel a bit thin.

And, finally, for my revelation about cozy fantasies (and perhaps cozy-any genre): I think it’s the day-to-day aspect that I personally struggle with. I can think of several authors who write cozy fantasies that I very much enjoy. But when I think about the stories themselves, they all are still heavy on plot while deploying an overall “cozy” style to the writing and world-building. On the other hand, cozy fantasies like this, which are light on plot and tell a very day-to-day story are more of a struggle for me. Of course, this is a very subjective take, and there are readers out there who enjoy this sort of book. But while I like the vibes of cozy fiction, I do still need an actual story attached. And this, like others in the same subgenre, had very little of that to speak of. What action we did see was confined to the last quarter of the book and very predictable. The rest of the book was devoted to the minutia of Aila’s life and, frankly, often bored me.

So, I think readers’ enjoyment of this book will very much come down to their personal feelings on day-to-day type stories. If you like them, this is the book for you (though I still think there are better options to be had, even in this sub-sub-genre)! If you don’t, not so much.

Rating 7: The book accomplishes what it sets out to do: tell a day-t0-day cozy fantasy/romance. However, it fails to bring anything new to the subgenre or the themes its attempting to cover.

Link will go live on Sept. 7 on The Library Ladies blog.

The Phoenix Keeper, is a book by S.A. MacLean that is a charming standalone book that combines fantasy and romance in a world where mythical creatures are part of everyday life.

This story follows Aila, the head phoenix keeper at a well known zoo. She’s finally close to achieving her lifelong dream of saving endangered firebirds, but there’s a big problem…. her zoo’s breeding program hasn’t worked in years.

When a phoenix heist throws a neighboring zoo’s efforts into chaos, Aila has to prove that her outdated facilities can step up.
While she’s great with magical creatures, dealing with people…. especially Luciana…. her college rival and the zoo’s star griffin keeper is another story. Luciana thinks Aila’s phoenix should be a showstopper, not just part of a conservation exhibit, adding even more tension to their already complicated relationship.

As hunters close in and everyone watches, Aila finds herself responsible for the survival of an entire species. This story is a heartwarming tale that combines the thrill of fantasy with the familiar emotions of love and rivalry. It's a perfect read for anyone who enjoys a cozy, feel good story with a sprinkle of magic and romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the eARC.

Highlights
~the zoo I’ve been waiting all my life for
~a giftshop where I want to buy everything
~sort-of-rivals to lovers
~don’t neglect your bestie
~PHOENIXES!

Some books make you fizz and glitter and wiggle your toes and SQUEE, and The Phoenix Keeper is one of them!

That’s my biggest take-away from this book: how much JOY it made me feel, how much delight! I want to hug it to my chest and read it another hundred times and put a copy in the hands of everyone I know, because it is SO wonderful and SO perfect and I want to share it with THE WHOLE ENTIRE WORLD!

You know how sometimes, it’s so clear that the author really loved getting to write the book in your hands? Phoenix Keeper is like that: delight emanates from the pages, catching in your throat and your chest, making everything sparkle and effervesce. This book was written because MacLean loved it, so that you and I could fall in love with it; and how could we not, when every aspect of it is enchanting, geared to gladden? What’s not to love about a big, bright zoo where everyone adores the animals they take such great care of? How are you supposed to resist the charms of literally magical creatures, in all their science-defying glory? Who doesn’t cheer to see an endangered species flourish just a little bit more? And all of it filtered through a sweetheart of a main character, who is unintentionally funny and so very passionate and terrible at public speaking?

YES PLEASE!

The plot is pretty much as described in the blurb, so I won’t go over that too much. But I really have to emphasise that MacLean makes you feel. I was stunned by how intensely I felt everything MacLean wanted me to, from sharing Aila’s anxiety, to utter outrage, to being on the literal edge of my seat as called for. And even though this is clearly a happy book, one where nothing will go really horrifically wrong – where the worst baddest thing definitely won’t happen – fellow readers, I was absolutely terrified when The Thing went down! It didn’t matter how much I told myself that no way, it wouldn’t happen, MacLean wouldn’t: I cared so much about the characters, about the phoenixes, about the zoo, that my reason abandoned me and my stomach was in knots and I was almost in tears from the tension. I would have defenestrated anyone who interrupted my reading just then! THIS IS NOT THE NORM FOR ME! In the ten months of this year, I’ve had this intense a reaction to just one other book!!!

But there’s just no way to not care, to keep any kind of emotional distance between you and the story; it doesn’t pull you in, it wraps around you like warm wings and you don’t even notice until next thing you know, there’s a phoenix-fire where your heart should be and whoops, you live here now.

I REGRET NOTHING.

I admit I was predisposed to love Phoenix Keeper – I’ve been pining for an Adult zoo or vet story about magical creatures for years now, so yes, I lit up like a phoenix when I heard about this one! Still, I’m notoriously picky; it would absolutely be possible to write this kind of story and for it to just not work for me. Whereas this did, for so many reasons. MacLean expertly wields the tone and prose (is this really her debut?!) so that Phoenix Keeper feels light and glittery even while scary things are happening, or sad ones, or when Aila’s anxiety is spiking. The writing dances, bright and quick, making for a wonderfully relaxing, easy reading experience; this is not a book that leaves you exhausted with the effort of reading it, but nor is it shallow. Phoenix Keeper manages to examine friendship and grief and passion, what it’s like to have found the thing you want to devote your life to, what it’s like to devote yourself to a goal so much bigger than you are; even what (romantic) love should and shouldn’t be, all while telling a heart-warming, incredibly joy-full story.

It probably goes without saying that this book is a celebration of conservation and animal-lovers everywhere! But it’s not nearly technical or science-y enough to be elitist about it: even if you’re not especially passionate about animals, you’ll have plenty to enjoy and appreciate in Phoenix Keeper – although it’s hard to imagine that any reader won’t be enchanted by MacLean’s obvious love for beasts, birds, and everything in-between. And if you have, EVER, been that kid who read nonfiction about tigers, or watched documentaries about whales, or went starry-eyed at the zoo – then this is the book that will bring that wonder back, reignite it, even if you thought you’d lost it somewhere along the way.

This might go without saying too, but somehow I wasn’t expecting it: the zoo isn’t just a cute setting, or an excuse to show off all the magical animals. Phoenix Keeper is lovingly pro-zoo: maybe more importantly, it also perfectly verbalises why zoos, and things like animal-shows – as in, when animals perform for audiences at zoos – and live-streams of nesting birds are so necessary. If you’d asked me before I read the book, I would have said that the shows and live-streams was unnecessary, and a bit silly, and I would have understood (albeit not agreed) the argument that things like that are demeaning to the animals. Animals aren’t toys.

And no. They’re not.

>“But other people,” Luciana said, the softest yet. “Most people are somewhere in between. Not destructive on purpose, but they don’t have a reason to care yet. They don’t realize why they should care. And no one cares about anything they can’t connect to. That’s our job, Aila. Connecting people to these animals, giving them a reason to care. Whether it’s an exhibit or a show, it’s all the same goal in the end.”<

The galaxy-brain moment I had after that passage, my gods.

Speaking of animals: MacLean made a choice that surprised me in not stocking the San Tamculo Zoo with mythological creatures; while there are indeed dragons and unicorns present, most of MacLean’s beasties come from her own imagination, from the water phoenix and disappearing ducks (they teleport) to the adorable carbuncle pups and three-faced marmosets. But after about .2 seconds of being taken aback, I was convinced that making up her own animals was a much better option than scouring through The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures: this way, the zoo’s inhabitants are new to every reader, which means we all get that thrill of encountering something new and beautiful, which wouldn’t be guaranteed if she pulled her beasties from established myth. And as a bonus, there’s no possibility of upsetting or offending anyone with her depiction of a mythological creature they might be quite attached to.

The same rationale might be why this book has a secondary-world setting: it’s functionally urban fantasy, since Aila’s world has the same level of technology as ours, but you won’t recognise any of the place names (even if several are clearly inspired by real countries or regions, like Aila’s ancestral not-Ireland). Again, I think this was a good call, since it neatly avoids any potential cultural appropriation and dodges the need to worry about how real-world international politics might affect the story (since things like zoo breeding programs tend to be international projects) – or the question of whether to set the story pre- or post-Covid or pretend it never happened.

MacLean could have gotten away with just that, but as a worldbuilding aficionado (read: freak!) I massively appreciated that she gave us more. There are so many delightful little details tucked here and there about what how magical creatures fit into Aila’s world: powdered dragon scales, for instance, are a strengthening agent used in modern construction, and griffins make such excellent pest control that farmers build nesting platforms to encourage them to live near their crops! Did we NEED to know that??? I mean, I did, but I accept that most readers don’t. And yet! Does it not add even more joy to this masterpiece? YES IT DOES, PLEASE AND THANK YOU!

All of which increases the book’s escapism factor – we don’t have to worry about ANY real-world nonsense here! Once you open the pages of Phoenix Keeper, you can leave our world entirely behind, with no need to think about it and nothing to remind you of it. MacLean whirls us away to the San Tamculo Zoo and immerses us in the wonderful, passionate realm of Aila and her fellow zookeepers, where the only concerns are the incredible and instantly lovable creatures they care for, and the unfairly appetising beastie-themed snacks in the gift shop (if you don’t want a phoenix-shaped cake pop, you’re lying). You’ll never want to leave!

>“Luciana will be here soon. Right?”

Tanya clicked her tongue. “I don’t have a GPS tracker on that woman.”

“You’re right.” Aila squinted, calculating. “That would make things much easier.”

Tanya swatted her. “We aren’t putting a tracker on a fellow zoo employee.”<

It is PAST time I talked about the characters, SO: Aila! Aila Aila Aila. I love her. She is, frankly, inspiring, both in her dedication/passion, and in how she does not let her anxiety get in the way when it comes to what’s best for her beasties. Anxiety sucks, clinical anxiety sucks more, and speaking from experience, MacLean’s depiction of it is spot-on. Which is one reason it was so wonderful to see Aila succeeding: as you might expect, anxiety makes you think you’ll never succeed at anything, so even fictional examples of people with anxiety accomplishing their dreams are extremely welcome! And also because Aila works for it: Phoenix Keeper is, as I keep saying, a sparkly, fizzy, joy-full book, but that doesn’t mean things are hand-waved or fixed with magic wands. Aila works for what she wants, to make those things happen, and so do her fellow zoo-keepers, and damn it, I want to take this woman on a date! I adore her. I’ve always thought that characters who have quirks or interests or things they’re passionate about are so much more magnetic (the same holds true for real people too!), and Aila’s love, not just for her phoenixes but for all the birds in her care, shines from the entire book.

But she’s also far from perfect, and I love that. Sometimes she fucks up! She makes mistakes! And then…she takes responsibility and fixes it. *chef’s kiss* Too rare a quality, superlative to see!

>a heart attack was the last thing she needed. Who would take care of the phoenixes?<

Then we have Tanya – Aila’s bestie and simply magnificent – and Luciana, Aila’s sort-of rival. I am very tired of obvious villains with no depth to them, and the way our expectations were subverted when it came to Luciana was fantastic; I liked the gradual reveal that she wasn’t who, or what, we thought she was, and how MacLean did that with other characters too – never heavy-handedly, always believably.

The romance? Yes. Just. Yes. I approve so much. I ship it. I squeed. If I could draw, I would draw so much fanart. I knew the endgame, and I still cheered when they got together. MUCH YES!

Look, I’m terrible at talking about romance and it shows; all I can say is that the romance here made me ridiculously happy, and if this is Romantasy, then I am officially ready to declare myself a Romantasy fan.

I love everything about this book. It made me FEEL things. It made me HAPPY. Gloriously, glitteringly happy. I am not joyful; I am overjoyed by this book. By Phoenix Keeper. There’s not one single thing I’d change about it; there is not one single caveat I want to give. It’s flawless. I have Illumicrate’s special edition coming and it will be enshrined on my bookcase in a place of honour. Hands down one of the best books of the year, and it has soared, firework-like, to perch with the rest of my all-time favourites.

Make like a phoenix and fly to your retailer of choice to order your own copy!