mrose21's review against another edition
4.0
This was surprising.
I didn't go into this with an expectation. I thought ah if its good that's going to make it easier but if its bad at least I tried it and this was pretty good.
It has to evolve and expand on what this first book brought to the table. I'm crossing my fingers it lives up to my expectations...
I didn't go into this with an expectation. I thought ah if its good that's going to make it easier but if its bad at least I tried it and this was pretty good.
It has to evolve and expand on what this first book brought to the table. I'm crossing my fingers it lives up to my expectations...
navigatingfiction's review against another edition
5.0
Born of Embers was a great introduction to the new rh series, Phoenix Rising.
Growing up continuously abused by her father and various foster families, Nix is no stranger to pain and even dying. Having lost count of how many deaths and rebirths she has experienced, Nix just wants to escape her father and start a new life as far away from her Florida home as she can. When she leaves the south for college in Anchorage, Alaska Nix doesn't expect to meet six guys who'll change her world forever.
These guys introduce Nix to a whole new world full of supernatural shifters. Killian, the mischievous Puca; Hiro, the kind and kinky kitsune; Theo, the protective Kraken; Ryland, the sex-obsessed and intelligent Cerapter (Unicorn); and Damien the Gargoyle who loves to cook; are all especially special... they are mythological shifters. With their help Nix discovers what she is and begins to heal from her dark past. She grows to not only tolerate their touch but to crave it and their relationships begin to develop beautifully.
I loved this book! The characters were all so unique and the plot kept me hooked til the end! I cannot wait to see where the next book in the series will bring for Nix and her guys.
Growing up continuously abused by her father and various foster families, Nix is no stranger to pain and even dying. Having lost count of how many deaths and rebirths she has experienced, Nix just wants to escape her father and start a new life as far away from her Florida home as she can. When she leaves the south for college in Anchorage, Alaska Nix doesn't expect to meet six guys who'll change her world forever.
These guys introduce Nix to a whole new world full of supernatural shifters. Killian, the mischievous Puca; Hiro, the kind and kinky kitsune; Theo, the protective Kraken; Ryland, the sex-obsessed and intelligent Cerapter (Unicorn); and Damien the Gargoyle who loves to cook; are all especially special... they are mythological shifters. With their help Nix discovers what she is and begins to heal from her dark past. She grows to not only tolerate their touch but to crave it and their relationships begin to develop beautifully.
I loved this book! The characters were all so unique and the plot kept me hooked til the end! I cannot wait to see where the next book in the series will bring for Nix and her guys.
kayleereads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
be_'s review against another edition
4.0
I absolutely loved this book. I loved all of the characters - Nix, Ryker, Damien, Killian, Hiro, Theo and the secondary’s!
The storyline flowed and flowed. It was paced well and was awesome ! One of my fav reads for the year.
Can’t wait for book 2
The storyline flowed and flowed. It was paced well and was awesome ! One of my fav reads for the year.
Can’t wait for book 2
sillysprout's review against another edition
3.0
Idk I just didn't like / connect with the characters.
forsakenfates's review
5.0
I loved this. The boys are so good to Nix. The writing is pretty simple and each character's voice isn't super well defined when the POV switches but I still devoured this book and immediately started book 2.
carryontae's review against another edition
2.0
I made it to 75% and just. Couldn't get any further. I dunno if it was me or the book but I was bored a lot while reading this. And I really didn't want to be bored because the shifters here are so unique and cool and I wanted to know more so badly (kraken???? a unicorn that's not actually a unicorn??) but I was so bored I couldn't do it. IMO a lot of that had to do with how info-dump-y the book was.
I get it, y'know. First book in the series, the info needs to be revealed but how much do you reveal without coming off as /too/ mysterious but making sure the basics are out there. It's a fine line and unfortunately, this book kind of leaped way over it. A few random blocks of info would've been fine. Pages and pages of info blocks, repeating every other chapter was ... not for me.
I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters. I couldn't get a feel for any of the guys despite having scenes from their POV (maybe because of all the info dumps, everyone just blurred together rip T__T) And Nix. God I feel ghastly for not caring about Nix considering apparently the opening chapters barely scratched the surface of how much trauma she endured but I just couldn't connect with her or care about her at all. I can't speak to how she was after arriving in Alaska because there's no right way/wrong way to behave post-trauma but something about the way she was written made it feel like the abuse was someone else's story. There were a couple of other books I've read recently (with similar past abuse storylines) and my heart ACHED for the MC because you could feel what she felt. I had to take breaks during the scenes where they described what happened because it felt too raw. Here, though, it read more like descriptions rather than emotion (telling not showing I guess) and I couldn't connect with Nix at all.
(Also I'm aware that I'm being petty but Nix apparently had enough access to TV and pop culture that she could make random references and jokes to the guys about shows she'd seen, some of which included GOT and My Little Pony and anime, and she kinda knew what a kitsune was, but in all her life, considering how many times she'd died and come back to life, it never once occurred to her that the animal she might be looking for was a phoenix????? Okay sure she didn't know shifters existed but once she did, and once she knew mythological creatures were fair game, she still had no idea? She suspected DRAGON before PHOENIX???? The guys didn't know she'd come back to life so many times so whatever, but what was Nix's reasoning here? She knew about Jon Snow and watched Charmed and Supernatural but didn't get to ...... phoenix?? I wanted to rip my hair out at how long it was taking and when it finally happened, I couldn't even be happy because it was just so drawn out and dumb)
(Another thing that was dumb. Why on EARTH did she take her scumbag dad's word at face value about that bracelet or whatever? Sure at first, she might've held out hope, but after she got to the point where she was calling him by name because of how garbage he was, why wouldn't she suspect that this thing that he wanted her to wear was probably something she should've thrown away immediately?)(If this is something that's clarified later in the book, then nvm)
Anyway. Wasn't for me.
I get it, y'know. First book in the series, the info needs to be revealed but how much do you reveal without coming off as /too/ mysterious but making sure the basics are out there. It's a fine line and unfortunately, this book kind of leaped way over it. A few random blocks of info would've been fine. Pages and pages of info blocks, repeating every other chapter was ... not for me.
I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters. I couldn't get a feel for any of the guys despite having scenes from their POV (maybe because of all the info dumps, everyone just blurred together rip T__T) And Nix. God I feel ghastly for not caring about Nix considering apparently the opening chapters barely scratched the surface of how much trauma she endured but I just couldn't connect with her or care about her at all. I can't speak to how she was after arriving in Alaska because there's no right way/wrong way to behave post-trauma but something about the way she was written made it feel like the abuse was someone else's story. There were a couple of other books I've read recently (with similar past abuse storylines) and my heart ACHED for the MC because you could feel what she felt. I had to take breaks during the scenes where they described what happened because it felt too raw. Here, though, it read more like descriptions rather than emotion (telling not showing I guess) and I couldn't connect with Nix at all.
(Also I'm aware that I'm being petty but Nix apparently had enough access to TV and pop culture that she could make random references and jokes to the guys about shows she'd seen, some of which included GOT and My Little Pony and anime, and she kinda knew what a kitsune was, but in all her life, considering how many times she'd died and come back to life, it never once occurred to her that the animal she might be looking for was a phoenix????? Okay sure she didn't know shifters existed but once she did, and once she knew mythological creatures were fair game, she still had no idea? She suspected DRAGON before PHOENIX???? The guys didn't know she'd come back to life so many times so whatever, but what was Nix's reasoning here? She knew about Jon Snow and watched Charmed and Supernatural but didn't get to ...... phoenix?? I wanted to rip my hair out at how long it was taking and when it finally happened, I couldn't even be happy because it was just so drawn out and dumb)
(Another thing that was dumb. Why on EARTH did she take her scumbag dad's word at face value about that bracelet or whatever? Sure at first, she might've held out hope, but after she got to the point where she was calling him by name because of how garbage he was, why wouldn't she suspect that this thing that he wanted her to wear was probably something she should've thrown away immediately?)(If this is something that's clarified later in the book, then nvm)
Anyway. Wasn't for me.
mackemau's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Sexual assault
tracilovelot's review against another edition
5.0
OMG I was in love with this book, right up until the end... or rather, the non-ending. This book actually ends smack dab in the middle of the climactic battle. But despite that, I still find myself daydreaming about this book days, maybe even a WEEK, later? The second book cannot come soon enough. I loved all the guys in this reverse harem book, which is rare! If you love RH, do check it out, just be prepared to jump on book 2 the second it's available.
srharris's review against another edition
3.0
This was a solid 3.5 for me.
While I liked it enough to keep going with the series, and it is better some of the RH's I have read, it was still something missing...I don't know it was like the authors was trying hard for the plot to come across as mysterious when to me it was all really predictable.
I liked Nix well enough, however, for all that she went through you would think she would have been a little more smarter. I thought a lot of the book was obvious, but it was still interesting enough to keep me intrigued.
I didn't like the end at all, I wanted Nix to get a little more back bone now that she was connected with her Phoenix.
I am hoping book 2 is a better.
While I liked it enough to keep going with the series, and it is better some of the RH's I have read, it was still something missing...I don't know it was like the authors was trying hard for the plot to come across as mysterious when to me it was all really predictable.
I liked Nix well enough, however, for all that she went through you would think she would have been a little more smarter. I thought a lot of the book was obvious, but it was still interesting enough to keep me intrigued.
I didn't like the end at all, I wanted Nix to get a little more back bone now that she was connected with her Phoenix.
I am hoping book 2 is a better.