The Pheonix King is a beautifully written fantasy novel that uses assassins, political intrigue, and a complex magic system to create a fantastically detailed world. This review took a long time to write because the book left me so torn. The book itself is amazing, but I struggled with it because of its heavy emphasis on political intrigue. I love fantasy, but struggle when a majority of the story is trying to figure out the political system enough where I understood the importance of what was going on and what was driving the plot forward.
I know that politics can be a fascinating topic, fantastical or otherwise, but unfortunately, it just doesn’t capture my imagination.
Despite my disinterest in the political aspects of the story, I can say that the characters were brilliantly written. They were well rounded and while I may not have completely understood their motivations, it was clear that those motivations kept the plot moving. The evolving relationships and the growth that was able to flourish, despite the lies and secrets, was fascinating to watch and kept me interested in seeing where the relationships would take them.
⅘ stars for a brilliantly written political fantasy
Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit Books for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinions.
The Novel Llama 