DNF after a couple chapters. I really wanted to read this book but I just couldn’t get into it sadly. Perhaps another time I’ll be able to get into it!

Aila is the head Silimalo phoenix keeper at the San Tamculo Zoo, dedicated to magical creatures. Her goal and ultimate dream is to save the species which is close to extinction. She has to go through obstacles to get the program running after a decade of decline, which will test her limits!

The human characters are where this fell a bit flat for me. I did not really connect with anyone in this book! The main character, Aila was very annoying and selfish! She seems very self involved & not a good friend. Tanya and Luciana were great!! The romance in the story was ok but disjointed and it really didn’t move me at all!

I feel the book was strongest when it focused on the various zoo exhibits and the connection with the animals. It really felt like the author both had a lot of fun and cared about creating the environments and the personality of the mythical creatures in the story.

The story wasn’t bad but not great. I feel people who like fantasy zoo stories with low expectations will enjoy this,

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

So you want to be a phoenix trainer... okay, not exactly that kind of book, but the premise is similar. This story centers around a normal zoo that just so happens to have magical creatures. You get the kids banging on the windows with sticky hands from cotton candy, but instead of seeing a dolphin or a peacock they're seeing a kelpie or a dragon - same difference really. Aila grew up with a childhood dream of becoming a phoenix keeper at the zoo and she's found success. The story centers around growing out the breeding program as phoenixes are very rare, but of course there are some issues to work through like her immense dislike for Luciana, her crush on Connor (the handsome dragon keeper), and her anxiety about being public facing at all. While it's obvious that this book is about the zoo and the trials and tribulations there, it would have been nice to get a little more outside of the zoo time. I figured out the twist pretty early on so it wasn't really surprising as time went on. I liked this book, but didn't love it. I really liked Tanya and Luciana, but didn't resonate with Aila (even though I definitely resonate with some of her anxieties). This may not be on the top of my recommendations list, but it was cute.

I received a copy of this through Netgalley for my unbiased review.

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

(3.5 stars) The Phoenix Keeper was a cute and exciting tale about a very anxious zookeeper and the lengths she will go to in order to protect the Silimalo phoenixes in her care. The book took place almost exclusively in a zoo setting, which I loved, and the author did a fantastic job presenting proper anxiety rep.

While I did enjoy reading the story, it took me far too long to finish. I felt slightly assaulted by the sheer number of details about the world and magical creatures in the beginning of the book. I appreciate the dedication to detail, but a lot of the information seemed unnecessary. I was also pretty surprised to discover that the first half of the book contained almost no romance (which was shocking since the book’s tagline is “falling in love never burned so bright”) and focused mainly on our main character and the zoo’s magical creatures. We received more of the promised sapphic romance in the second half, but I was expecting more than a romance subplot based on how the book was marketed.

Lastly, there was a pretty big “twist” towards of the end of the story, but I could honestly see it coming from miles away. However, I didn’t really let that take away from my reading experience since this is a cozy fantasy story and not a mystery. Overall, I would recommend The Phoenix Keeper to anyone who loves animals and accepts that this book is less about a romance and more about a young zookeeper coming out of her shell.

Unfortunately, this just wasn’t for me. A cozy queer fantasy sounded right up my alley, but Alia was not my cup of tea. Typically, I can appreciate grumpiness, social anxiety, and being one’s own worst enemy, but Alia’s character took these traits above and beyond to the point where I dreaded each new chapter. I couldn’t even appreciate the magical majestic birds, her fight for Rubra, the breeding program, or all the Silimalo Phoenixes. Tanya and Luciana were the only saving graces for me in this one. The reviews are great, and the synopsis intrigued me, so maybe it’s just a me issue. Still, I want to give a huge thanks to NetGalley and Orbit books for an arc of The Phoenix Keeper.

Started slow but by the end this became one of my favorite books of the year so far! Five out of five for me. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I didn't realize I needed a queer, neurodiverse magical zookeeper story in my life, but the Phoenix Keeper gave it to me and I do not regret it. After reading S. A. MacLean's introduction, you can tell this is a story written to her younger self which just adds a wonderful layer of joy to reading it. Admittedly, the story was relatively predictable and any conflict was mild by fantasy standards, but that's what cozy fantasy is for.

I loved that the setting felt like our world, but better because it has magical creatures. It allowed for a really enjoying whimsey to the story while maintaining a high degree of relatability. Personally, I could relate to Aila as someone who is neurodiverse, so I am always excited to see representation like this in a story.

The characters feel real and you share their hopes. Great cozy read.

3.5/5 stars

This was a unique cozy read with some fantasy elements that felt a little contemporary. The story follows our main character Aila as she learns to deal with stage fright and saves an endangered species. Aila is our introverted, stubborn, rash and a tad unreasonable but has a big heart and passion for animals. I did find her annoying at times, but she really did grow on me and I loved seeing her character growth.

The fantasy elements were mostly magical creatures that exist in this world and their magical byproduct. I thought the creatures were a nice spin on a story about a zoo but I did have a hard time picturing some animals that I didn’t already know of. The authors reading style was easy to read but there wasn’t too much in depth world building as this is your typical seaside town. The author did include a few interludes that gave us the perspectives of other characters that I enjoyed.

I enjoyed the story line but did feel like it was a little predictable. I enjoyed the relationship the main character had in the story and found it to be heartwarming. This is perfect for those who enjoy more contemporary books but are looking to read about creatures or fantasy based animals.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Gollancz for providing me with a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I definitely didn't love this book. It was fine, albeit boring. I think that other readers will enjoy it, but it wasn't my vibe.

My biggest gripe is that the book description is a major spoiler. It's marketed as a queer romance, but the main character spends the first 75% of the book drooling over a guy. That makes it pretty obvious that it won't last and she'll end up with the girl she "hates". The book overall was incredibly predictable. I could have told you how it would end within a few chapters, and I wasn't wrong. There were no surprises or twists, just lots of fluff to accompany a story you knew would play out the way it did. I *think* the ending was supposed to be a surprise, but you'd have to be pretty dense not to see it coming. It could have been at least 100 pages shorter.

I also hated the personality and banter of the main character, Aila. They are all supposed to be 28 years old I believe, but they act like 16. Aila is a horrible friend. She is super selfish and pretty mean/rude, but it's sold as "oh it's just her anxiety". It was honestly a pretty cringey representation of anxiety/being an introvert and used as an excuse to act like a shitty person. I appreciate that it's supposed to be a representation of how to deal with anxiety at work and in relationships, but it felt very gross to me and not properly presented.

I did really like the characters Tanya and Luciana. I think their characters should have gotten more of the spotlight, but I wouldn't be surprised if there will be future books featuring them.

I don't mean to completely drag this book, because it isn't <i> bad <i>. It was fine, just not my cup of tea. I hope others will enjoy it more than I did.

2.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Orbit Books and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book for review purposes.

The Phoenix Keeper is a Cozy Fantasy following a zookeeper trying to secure a mate for her rare, endangered phoenix, alongside a slow-burn rivals to lovers, and the threat of poachers coming to steal her beloved bird.

The positives: as a big Zoo-enjoyer myself, I loved all the aspects of setting up this zoo for magical creatures, and the inventiveness that went into what their care would be like. All of those elements really sell the story and the world, making it immersive and fun. I also loved the more “action”-focused side plot of the poachers as a good undercurrent thread throughout the book.

The negatives: The MC might be one of the most insufferable characters I’ve ever had to follow, and I say this as a fellow queer woman with anxiety and zero talking skills. I was getting secondhand embarrassment from most of her interactions from how negative and hostile she is.
Her rivals to lovers romance is so infuriating, that I could not believe it in the slightest. It could’ve easily been saved with having them work together earlier on, or have more enjoyable banter over the cold cruelty that’s between them for the first half of the book.

This is a cozy, fantasy novel (bordering more on magical realism) about a Phoenix zookeeper named Aila who is quite dedicated to her animals. Now, I love cozy fantasy, and I love phoenixes so this was a no brainer for me to read. I really enjoyed the world building and learning about the different kinds of animals. What I didn’t really love was Aila herself. She is written as a very social awkward and anxious 28 year old but she comes off as a selfish child who never grew up from being a teenager. She is very self involved, only thinks about herself, and holds petty grudges from college. She did grow by the end of the book but ugh, come on girl. Get your head out of your ass. Anyway, I liked the book but wish Aila was more likable. I loved the animals!

3.5 stars rounded to 4

Thank you so much NetGalley and Orbit for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tonya grows so much in this book, her arc is epic. I was impressed overall and cannot wait to see more from this author. The characters grow, I saw other reviews stating they were immature, that’s part of their journey!!! I loved it. Great story.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. As someone who's in the science field, I appreciated the details that went into this book such as regarding husbandry and animal behavior as they really brought the book more to life and felt like an actual zoo. I think my main gripe is that I found Aila to be annoying at times. I understand and love the anxiety rep, but I think it was a bit overdone to the point that it seemed to be her main personality trait and nothing else. It was frustrating having to read the same thing over and over and she didn't make much progress until the end of the book.

I think if you go into this book expecting a cozy low-fantasy read with mythical creatures with not much going on besides Aila trying to revive the phoenix breeding program, then you'll enjoy this book as well.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for the arc!
That was a thoroughly enjoyable and fantastical adventure! In a world of magical creatures from dragons to kelpies to invisible ducks, Aila's dream has always been to work with phoenixes and to help re-populate these critically endangered animals. After a group of baby phoenixes are stolen from a neighboring zoo, Aila fears she might have missed her chance. She puts everything into fixing her zoo's breeding program with the help of her best friend Tonya and her stunning arch nemesis Luciana. With no shortage of issues getting the program back and running, will Aila be able to protect the magical animals from poachers while navigating her rival zookeeper?
This story was phenomenally done! The magical creatures are so fun and creative, with some of them being majestic creatures and some being silly or cute. I really enjoyed the disappearing ducks and the magic tower-making parrot. Aila is an exceptional character; she is extremely introverted and awkward with people. Throughout the story, we really get to see her come out of her shell and feel confident in herself and her abilities as a zookeeper. She stays a loveable, introverted dork; she just starts getting more confident in herself and is able to express herself more.
The romance in this is really cute, although there was a little bit more romance than I expected. The rivals to friends to lovers are done very well. I was unsure when first introduced to the romantic interest but the author did a great job of making the characters go from bitchy rivials to friends and lovers.
This is the perfect summer read! I read most of this book while lounging by my pool and it was not the best time!

Firstly, thank you so much to NetGalley and Orbit for giving me my very first ARC!

How much you are going to like this book comes down to the amount of tolerance you have for extremely immature and selfish protagonists who, eventually, grow into actual adults over the course of the story. I feel like a horrible person for saying this, but I think this book would do better if it was marketed as YA because the characters' maturity levels match that audience better than adults. At no point in this story did I believe that any character was over the age of 16, and these people are supposed to be 26-29. I am also surprised this is getting sold as a "cozy fantasy" when its story line is about animal extinction and combating poachers/the illegal exotic animal trade. There is a long and harrowing sequence at the end of the book that I think would turn off readers looking for a feel-good light and breezy time.

As someone with an anxiety disorder, I deeply understand that our actions can read as arrogant or self-centered to those outside of our panicked brains. The problem is that Aila IS arrogant and self-centered for half of her screen time. She is a horrible employee and a bad friend for so long that by the time her character development kicked in, I had 0 investment in her or the story anymore. She only has her first glimmer of self-awareness at the 43% mark, and it takes until halfway for her to start to realize not everything is about her and other people have emotions and goals. It also takes that long for her to finally start paying attention to her sapphic love interest in this sapphic romance. I forced myself to read 2/3rds of this book because I felt too guilty to DNF my very first ARC.

As for her immaturity, Aila breaks zoo protocol for purely selfish reasons and mentions having been written up by HR before. There is a moment where she literally lays on the floor of her office and her best friend has to physically pull her to get to her to leave at the end of the work day. She is involved in setting up a work party and has to be repeatedly chided - and even smacked - to stop her from pigging out on the food before her other colleges arrive. At another point, past where she has started to become an actual adult, a character gathers items to use to spruce up her appearance before an important event and when she sees hairbrushes and mascara, she literally screams and runs away. Her best friend Tanya has to pick her up as she screams and kicks to stop her from leaving. This happens at work by the way. I have babysat kids who are more mature than this career woman. I think these antics might come off as cute or funny if they were happening in a cartoon, but in the medium of a novel? I found it to be unbearable.

She's not the only hilariously immature character. I have no idea why Tanya cares about her at all, not that she's a saint - her ideas for overcoming Aila's anxiety range from laughable to harmful. I held out hope that things would get better when the love interest Luciana appeared, only for her to start calling Aila a dork and nerd over the work radio (and for Aila to privately and repeatedly call her a bitch).

I genuinely think this would be a good book to put in high school libraries. Teen me would have been wowed by the wonderful animal descriptions and fantasized about working at a zoo. A lot of care was put into the designs of the animals and descriptions of the habitats, and I lingered over these passages as I was reading. It just sucks that the protagonist and I were oil and water and I couldn't stand her.

I enjoyed this decently, but sadly it didn't quite hit as hard as I hoped it would.

The premise of this seemed absolutely perfect for me--a fantasy with a romance subplot focused on a zookeeper of a magical zoo?! Sign me up. And honestly, the magical zoo aspect of this book is what kept me reading, so for that, it was great. The world was beautiful and so vivid. I'm a sucker for animals in any story, and that was no different here. Archie was my favorite 💜 The humor, especially in relation to the animals, was done really well too in my opinion, and I always love when a book can make me laugh! The illustrations were a great little addition too.

The human characters are where this fell a bit flat for me. I did not really connect with anyone in this book. The FMC didn't feel like a real person if that makes any sense. Her character traits were so larger than life that it didn't quite feel believable or rooted in reality. For example, I loved the addition of an FMC with social anxiety--I always love to see anxiety represented in books. However, it was taken so far at points that it didn't feel like real social anxiety.

The romance in here was okay, but I was not particularly attached to it either. It definitely was not the aspect of the book that kept me reading but more of a fun little subplot.

I would recommend this, but honestly only to very specific readers. I think this book is PERFECT for cozy fantasy readers who love animals. If you love animals period, you're going to get a decent amount of enjoyment out of this; it is abundantly clear that the author put a lot of time and care into developing the animals to be central to the plot and make them and their magic feel real. And if you just want a cozy, chill good time with a little romance, I think this is great for you as well!

Thank you so much to Orbit Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 stars. I loved this book. It was a unique zoo with magical creatures! The main character struggled with anxiety and I could totally relate to her feelings. I liked watching her grow throughout the story. I will say that it is a bit predictable and also had a few slower spots here and there, but for me it was a great comfort read.

This was a cute and cozy fantasy book. The story follows a Phoenix Keeper as she works in a zoo full of magical creatures. She has to work with her (hot) enemy from college in order to save a endangered species of phoenix. This was such a nice blend of fantasy and romance. I absolutely loved this and cant want to read more from the author!

Adorable and fun cozy zoo. Freaking adored the characters, animals and relationships in this book. I need it injected in my veins

Thank you so much to Orbit and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book and let me just say, Orbit has been killing it with their books recently and this is no exception.

We follow Aila, the phoenix keeper at a zoo that has not produced a clutch of critically endangered phoenix eggs in over 10 years. So when a clutch of eggs goes missing from their sister zoo, Aila jumps at the opportunity to get her phoenix program up and running again.

This story is so character driven does a wonderful job of showcasing anxiety and how debilitating it can be. It’s a wonderful mix of real life struggles and relatable problems mixed with a fun fantastical setting in a very queernormative world.

That leads to my next point which is the fact that there is so much wonderful representation in this book in a way that is subtle and makes it feel very normal. Our main character is bisexual and it’s a major focus of the story which is always amazing to see. We have trans and lesbian (I’m assuming Lucianna is a lesbian? Please correct me if I’m wrong) representation as well.

Also I know this story is marketed as a cozy fantasy and don’t get me wrong it is! It’s very character driven which I feel like already gives any book a cozier feel but it definitely has its moments of suspense and action. It also has its moments of romance though I would definitely consider this book more of a slow burn.

Overall, a truly wonderful book about overcoming anxiety and understanding others as well as standing up for yourself. A lovely fantasy backdrop and a magical zoo later and it’s a wonderfully heartwarming story that keeps you invested from the first page.

(The only thing I will say is that the plot was kind of predictable, but it didn’t ruin the book for me at all)

Sometimes I request an arc I'm not positive I'll love, but it ends up being one of my favorite reads of the year.

The Phoenix Keeper is one of those times. I read this in one sitting, and loved each page. The characters are perfect. Aila is flawed in realistic ways. Anxious, awkward, and unintentionally selfish because she's so focused on her passion. Did I cry at the friendship in this? YEAH, I DID.

The slow burn kept me coming back. Normally I don't love when miscommunication is the reason for strife, but this was different. Aila's flaws are felt through the book, shaping how she sees the world, and this book is just so incredibly real.

thanks so much, orbitbooks for the arc approval in exchange for an honest and free review!