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everybody's review
3.0
The first book in this series was entertaining, with a similar vibe to the John Wick movies.
This is a dark but not particularly deep action movie in book form.
The author never lets an opportunity go by to point out, in a somewhat passive-aggressive manner, that the protagonist doesn't make clichéed decisions for plot purposes or otherwise.
This often takes the form of, "Of course, I don't do clichéd thing X, but instead..." However, this becomes frustrating because the author starts to use these same clichés as plot devices, especially in the sequels.
In the finale of the third book, this became so abysmally bad that I dropped it, even though I was only a couple of hours away from the end of the series.
In the sequels, the fight scenes are often reminiscent of classic action movie choreography.
For fights against grunts, it feels like playing one of those retro 2D brawlers where everyone just waits for you to whup their asses. For "boss battles", the scenes frequently feel like those stupid action movie fights that are essentially round-based.
The magic is soft as a baby bunny. While there are stories that can work well with vague magic, this is not one of them. It never seems like there is any internal logic behind the magic that the reader just doesn't know about. It's arbitrary at best and is often used as a plot device to adjust situations to the author's needs.
All that being said, it sounds really bad, but I actually had fun reading the series, especially the first book, and the second one was fine as well. However, the flaws kept piling up over time, making it worse and worse, and by the third book, it just became too much for me.
To be fair, I want to mention that some aspects of story-telling, that I frequently find horrendously butchered by other authors, are really well done in this series.
This is a dark but not particularly deep action movie in book form.
The author never lets an opportunity go by to point out, in a somewhat passive-aggressive manner, that the protagonist doesn't make clichéed decisions for plot purposes or otherwise.
This often takes the form of, "Of course, I don't do clichéd thing X, but instead..." However, this becomes frustrating because the author starts to use these same clichés as plot devices, especially in the sequels.
In the finale of the third book, this became so abysmally bad that I dropped it, even though I was only a couple of hours away from the end of the series.
In the sequels, the fight scenes are often reminiscent of classic action movie choreography.
For fights against grunts, it feels like playing one of those retro 2D brawlers where everyone just waits for you to whup their asses. For "boss battles", the scenes frequently feel like those stupid action movie fights that are essentially round-based.
The magic is soft as a baby bunny. While there are stories that can work well with vague magic, this is not one of them. It never seems like there is any internal logic behind the magic that the reader just doesn't know about. It's arbitrary at best and is often used as a plot device to adjust situations to the author's needs.
All that being said, it sounds really bad, but I actually had fun reading the series, especially the first book, and the second one was fine as well. However, the flaws kept piling up over time, making it worse and worse, and by the third book, it just became too much for me.
To be fair, I want to mention that some aspects of story-telling, that I frequently find horrendously butchered by other authors, are really well done in this series.
caeralee's review
5.0
I’m so glad Shannon finally branched away from Rylee...the darkness and depth of this new series is quite engaging!
You start with the debilitating loss of Nix’s son, not as a past incident, but as a raw up close and personal experience we feel right alongside her. We are present the moment she decides to fall back on her past life and wreck havoc to whomever stands in her way of revenge.
World building is slow and steady, you start in a normal world and as Nix breaks more paranormal aspects come out. It’s an ingenious way to introduce readers to a new world, so much better than dumping it all in the first chapter and sprinkling reminders throughout the book. Characters are even better built than the world, you spend the entire book wondering who can and cannot be trusted. The wonder keeps you begging for more and unable to put the book down. Some of the best parts of Shannon’s writing is that her characters are not perfect. Every reader can relate on some level to the heroine which enables them to feel along with the character and not view from the outside. The absolute best way to be immersed in a book.
You start with the debilitating loss of Nix’s son, not as a past incident, but as a raw up close and personal experience we feel right alongside her. We are present the moment she decides to fall back on her past life and wreck havoc to whomever stands in her way of revenge.
World building is slow and steady, you start in a normal world and as Nix breaks more paranormal aspects come out. It’s an ingenious way to introduce readers to a new world, so much better than dumping it all in the first chapter and sprinkling reminders throughout the book. Characters are even better built than the world, you spend the entire book wondering who can and cannot be trusted. The wonder keeps you begging for more and unable to put the book down. Some of the best parts of Shannon’s writing is that her characters are not perfect. Every reader can relate on some level to the heroine which enables them to feel along with the character and not view from the outside. The absolute best way to be immersed in a book.
thebookishbesties's review
5.0
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect walking into this book, but I’m leaving completely blown away and mystified as to why I haven’t heard more about it.
Phoenix was raised to be a killer and her father’s bodyguard/assassin of sorts. Somewhere along the way she quit trying to gain her father’s love and attention, and cut herself off from her family. (Good riddance, truly the family was the worst.) But she didn’t leave without taking something.
10 years later and her past comes calling. The most important things were stolen from her, thus, the fury of a Phoenix was ignited.
This book brings it all: normals and abnormals, magical and non magical, and the fury of a mother scorned. It is action packed, fast paced, with quick wit from our characters.
I’m in love.
Phoenix was raised to be a killer and her father’s bodyguard/assassin of sorts. Somewhere along the way she quit trying to gain her father’s love and attention, and cut herself off from her family. (Good riddance, truly the family was the worst.) But she didn’t leave without taking something.
10 years later and her past comes calling. The most important things were stolen from her, thus, the fury of a Phoenix was ignited.
This book brings it all: normals and abnormals, magical and non magical, and the fury of a mother scorned. It is action packed, fast paced, with quick wit from our characters.
I’m in love.
atagarev's review
2.0
Great idea for a series in theory. In practice, the writing is not good enough to pull off the promise- the action scenes are a bit rushed and not visceral enough to feel like much of anything, the details are lacking to convince me our protagonist is an extremely competent killed, the bad guys are bad in a campy over-the-top way that makes them more funny than threatening.
cbsears104's review
3.0
3.5 stars - pretty entertaining but not edge of my seat can’t stop reading kind of book for me.
krisbethea's review
2.0
Darkness like you've never known
Shannon is a brilliant author. Her writings always take you away to another world.
We all have our light and dark sides.
This book is her dark side.
It’s beautiful in it’s darkness, yet I still must dislike it because of the pain and suffering.
As a mother, this is a difficult series to read.
If you can get past that darkness. If you can believe that good prevails, you might enjoy this series.
But know, the darkness never completely goes away.
If you finish the first book, you MUST finish the series. Do not leave yourself hanging.
Bring the dark to the light. That is your power as a reader. As a fan of Shannon’s stories and writings.
I have yet to have read all her books. I hope this is the darkest of all. I will continue to read all her works and everything new she releases, but this one will be the only one, I hope, that will receive a low score from me.
The low score is only because of the child. This is the only book I ever finished that had death so soon… so much pain and horror and darkness. This will most likely be the the only book as such that I will ever finish.
I will not score this a 1 but it’s more of a 2-3
I will go with 2 but only because of the child.
The story is fantastic and as all stories and as all characters, it needed told.
I hope Shannon was able to successfully release her own darkness with this book as the horror and pain is something that must be experienced in other to write it so well.
Read at your own risk.
You’ll love it and hate it
But, again, if you finish this book, you must finish the series.
No spoilers. Do not read any reviews. Just read the next 2 books.
Shannon is a brilliant author. Her writings always take you away to another world.
We all have our light and dark sides.
This book is her dark side.
It’s beautiful in it’s darkness, yet I still must dislike it because of the pain and suffering.
As a mother, this is a difficult series to read.
If you can get past that darkness. If you can believe that good prevails, you might enjoy this series.
But know, the darkness never completely goes away.
If you finish the first book, you MUST finish the series. Do not leave yourself hanging.
Bring the dark to the light. That is your power as a reader. As a fan of Shannon’s stories and writings.
I have yet to have read all her books. I hope this is the darkest of all. I will continue to read all her works and everything new she releases, but this one will be the only one, I hope, that will receive a low score from me.
The low score is only because of the child. This is the only book I ever finished that had death so soon… so much pain and horror and darkness. This will most likely be the the only book as such that I will ever finish.
I will not score this a 1 but it’s more of a 2-3
I will go with 2 but only because of the child.
The story is fantastic and as all stories and as all characters, it needed told.
I hope Shannon was able to successfully release her own darkness with this book as the horror and pain is something that must be experienced in other to write it so well.
Read at your own risk.
You’ll love it and hate it
But, again, if you finish this book, you must finish the series.
No spoilers. Do not read any reviews. Just read the next 2 books.
thelauren_lauren's review
5.0
Nix
I wasn't sure what to expect with this story - Nix is so full of loss and pain and grief. It is beautifully written and the characters are very well developed, especially for a first book in a series. I look forward to the remaining books.
I wasn't sure what to expect with this story - Nix is so full of loss and pain and grief. It is beautifully written and the characters are very well developed, especially for a first book in a series. I look forward to the remaining books.