"Actually, I was certain I wasn’t okay, but there was no way I’d tell comic-book-loving, Bunsen-burner-master Wyatt that."

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Also, the quote I used may have changed or been altered in some way, but I am quoting from what I received.

I really liked the concept for this book, but I didn't love it as much as I thought I would. Ava, one of the three siblings, really started to get on my nerves. I can understand why she pushed people away in the beginning, but after the first quarter of the book her comments really bugged me. She kept saying she was better off alone, and the only person she could trust was herself. It was like listening to a broken record.

Her foster family was amazing, and they never gave her a reason to push them away. She was acting preemptively and without cause (because she thought it would be best to remain unattached), but she didn't give them a chance. She was guarded and defensive from the beginning, and it was like she couldn't accept that people genuinely cared about her.

I also thought it was weird that two teens died and no one mentions it or asks what happened. You would think Ava's foster parents, the school, or even her brothers would have discussed the deaths, but it was like it never happened.

Wyatt, Nick and Cade—I really wanted to like these three, and I did for the most part, but ugh. NO ONE TELLS ANYONE ANYTHING EVER. For some unknown reason, Wyatt and Nick get their memories back first, like two years before the others. What do they do during those two years? Who explains what is happening to them? Why does it take so long for everyone to get on the same page?

I felt like the story was moving forward without actually going anywhere, but I wanted to see how everything would play out. Phoenix Fire did manage to surprise me a few times, so bonus points there, but I wish the information had been presented a little differently. A few more details here, a little character development there, and less "Drat! I'm being sucked into a memory!" I know they needed the information from their past lives, but there had to be a better way for them to access those memories. Everyone kept fainting and falling down.

I don't know if I will read the next book in the series, but I am curious about the conclusion. 😐

Originally posted at Do You Dog-ear? on Monday, March 5, 2018.
http://www.doyoudog-ear.com/2018/03/phoenix-fire-phoenix-cycle-1-by-sd.html ( )

Before anything else, let me say that the best thing about Phoenix Fire is that S.D. Grimm has created something solidly original here. In an otherwise saturated teen fantasy market, Phoenix Fire was like a big breath of fresh air. I loved the premise of the book. Adored the idea of multiple lives spent, all pursuing the same goal. Plus, I can't deny that I fell heavily for the idea that love and friendship trascend all time. How wonderful is that?

It was the execution of this premise that felt a little shaky, quite honestly. Grimm chooses to throw the reader directly into the fray, and allow them to uncover what's going on through the eyes of the multiple narrators. Normally I'm completely fine with this method of writing. If I can find even a small foothold in what's happening, I'll hang on tight and power through. The problem here, at least in my opinion, was that it takes quite a few chapters to really figure out who Ava really is, and how she's connected to the other voices that we're introduced to. That made it hard for me to determine why I needed to care about all these characters, and left me feeling lost.

I think this same reason is also why it took me so long to feel like I actually liked Ava as a character. At the beginning she simply felt like a disconnected, petulant teen who didn't really want a family. Not until I slowly uncovered her past, and realized what she'd been through, did I finally understand why she was so separate. My opinion of her did a quick about turn and, I can honestly say, I liked the book a lot more after that. I can stand a character who makes bad decisions, because we're all human. What I can't stand is a character who I don't understand enough to know why they made those decisions.

However, once I did have a better grasp on the narrators and who they were as people, I actually really enjoyed myself. As I mentioned above, this is a wholly original premise to me. There was plenty of action, some great monsters, and the kind of teamwork that makes my heart sing. I also thrilled as Ava began to remember herself and really come into her own. Her character grew so much in the second half of the book, and watching her handle things made me smile. I'm glad I stuck things out, because by the end I was more than ready to continue on for many more pages.

So, I'll give Phoenix Fire a solid three stars without a second thought. This first installment could have used a little bit of work but, quite truthfully, there's so much goodness wrapped up in here that it's hard not to love this story. I know that there is more coming down the line, and I can't wait to see what happens next! ( )

**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own**

I have a thing with books that switch between characters. It's either a hit or miss and unfortunately, with this one, it was a miss. I was really looking forward to this books actually because it sounded really good. I just wasn't able to keep up with the changing of perspectives.
I also thought that the story seemed a little confusing. It seemed to go way to fast with tons of information just flying at you.
It really is a bummer that this story didn't work out for me. ( )

Grimm’s Phoenix Fire is first in the Phoenix Cycle. Ava Elderson lives with a foster family. She hopes to be adopted, but too many disappointments in life means she doesn't trust easy, and tends to push people away. One night, after an argument with her foster parents, she storms out of the house and heads down the street, only to witness her foster brother have a wreck. A classmate, Wyatt Wilcox, shields Ava from the flying debris. Later at home, Ava notices that the injuries she thinks Wyatt sustained are gone. Then her own injuries miraculously heal. Add to this the bizarre visions of different times and places that Ava keeps having, and she has a growing mystery on her hands. Who is she? What is she? And who is Wyatt, who shows up in these visions of the past? Is he truly friend, or foe in hiding?

I loved this book! It skips back and forth between several characters, as their threads grow tighter and tighter. They are all being drawn to one another, as they have countless times before. Alternating chapters are devoted to single characters, as each continues to grow and learn. Ava is a Phoenix, one of several, whose job is to protect humanity from the darker things out there. If they die, they resurrect and must grow to remember who and what they are. As the Elderson family is drawn back together, they face a singularly dangerous foe. And for one, the next death may be the final one.

I really enjoyed all of the major characters here. They each seem complex, with so much left for us to learn about them, as they learn about themselves. I really want to know more of Wyatt and Yuki. There are many different beasties that the Phoenixes hunt, and in this case I didn't mind that there were werewolves and vampires, because there were also shadow puppet creatures, and hybrid monsters that Gwen created herself, like some preternatural Dr Moreau. And beyond that are the most dangerous foes of all, the Dark Phoenixes, who forsook the oath to protect humanity, and instead do what they want, no matter who it harms.

The notion of living many lifetimes, and having to remember those past lives as you grow up was an interesting concept. How Ava handles it feels authentic. The proper reaction should indeed be 'What the hells?!’ I really enjoyed this book and look forward to the next in the series!

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. ( )