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nelljustice's review
5.0
Lisa Shearin does it again. Am I surprised? No. Not at all. She makes it look easy to sit down and put story to paper or computer or whatever. SPI files is one of my all time favorite series and once a book is released I do my best to get a copy tracked down and in my library as soon as possible.
This story is a puzzle of who and why are buildings disappearing all over the world. Oh, not many buildings, just 8 - 10 or maybe 15. Isn't a big deal, right? Well, kind of is when one of them is Rake's house from Regor, the capitol on the goblin home plane, and it's on fire. And there is a dead guy inside. Duh Duh Daaaahhhh! (That's all we can afford here at One Book Two for special effects.)
That dead guy and Rake's burning house transported from the goblin capitol is enough to get SPI's attention. The story evolves from there to include goblin nazis and crystals that have a lot of power. The case isn't difficult once it's boiled down, but to get to the boiled down version it took a lot of luck and less investigation. Rake didn't hide anything like the super spy he is and Mac and Rake's relationship grew. I gotta say I enjoy that part, a lot. I mean really? What girl wouldn't like to have her significant other be romantic, thoughtful and protective (on occasion)? I felt like Mac felt like the third wheel during this investigation. It felt like Ian and Rake were partners instead of Ian and Mac. That part I was a little sad about. I really like Mac and she shined toward the end, but it felt like she was somewhat dissed in regard to her experience and knowledge. I mean she doesn't know it all, but she should get a little more credit. She was frustrated about Ian and Rake's behavior. I feel like she felt all that was missing was Rake patting her on the head and telling her to go make dinner and let the men handle it. But maybe that's the way goblins roll?
Like other installments of the SPI Files, there is no sex, no foul language and no graphic gore. There is wizards (mages, sorry!), goblins, elves, vampires, werewolves and dragons (Oh, my!) The book didn't take long from start to finish and it was hard to put down. I'm looking forward to the next one already.
This story is a puzzle of who and why are buildings disappearing all over the world. Oh, not many buildings, just 8 - 10 or maybe 15. Isn't a big deal, right? Well, kind of is when one of them is Rake's house from Regor, the capitol on the goblin home plane, and it's on fire. And there is a dead guy inside. Duh Duh Daaaahhhh! (That's all we can afford here at One Book Two for special effects.)
That dead guy and Rake's burning house transported from the goblin capitol is enough to get SPI's attention. The story evolves from there to include goblin nazis and crystals that have a lot of power. The case isn't difficult once it's boiled down, but to get to the boiled down version it took a lot of luck and less investigation. Rake didn't hide anything like the super spy he is and Mac and Rake's relationship grew. I gotta say I enjoy that part, a lot. I mean really? What girl wouldn't like to have her significant other be romantic, thoughtful and protective (on occasion)? I felt like Mac felt like the third wheel during this investigation. It felt like Ian and Rake were partners instead of Ian and Mac. That part I was a little sad about. I really like Mac and she shined toward the end, but it felt like she was somewhat dissed in regard to her experience and knowledge. I mean she doesn't know it all, but she should get a little more credit. She was frustrated about Ian and Rake's behavior. I feel like she felt all that was missing was Rake patting her on the head and telling her to go make dinner and let the men handle it. But maybe that's the way goblins roll?
Like other installments of the SPI Files, there is no sex, no foul language and no graphic gore. There is wizards (mages, sorry!), goblins, elves, vampires, werewolves and dragons (Oh, my!) The book didn't take long from start to finish and it was hard to put down. I'm looking forward to the next one already.
kendra's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
chllybrd's review
3.0
I'm a fan of the SPI Files series, but THE PHOENIX ILLUSION didn't blow me away.
What I liked: I enjoy watching Makenna and Rake's relationship grow. The overall story was interesting. I truly enjoy all the characters in this series.
What I didn't like: There was a LOT of explaining of past events and re-introductions of already known characters.
I honestly don't know 100% why I didn't totally love THE PHOENIX ILLUSION. It didn't grab me like the previous books in the series and had a different feel to it. Hopefully book 7 will draw me back in.
* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
What I liked: I enjoy watching Makenna and Rake's relationship grow. The overall story was interesting. I truly enjoy all the characters in this series.
What I didn't like: There was a LOT of explaining of past events and re-introductions of already known characters.
I honestly don't know 100% why I didn't totally love THE PHOENIX ILLUSION. It didn't grab me like the previous books in the series and had a different feel to it. Hopefully book 7 will draw me back in.
* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
laureljeanreads's review
informative
medium-paced
2.0
While this had the writing style u love from the series there was no real plot to wow me in this one. The MC really had nothing to add to the story except for at the very end, but it mostly felt like she was just along for the ride because she is the narrator. There was al ot of telling but not enough showing
tinasbooknook's review
4.0
SPOILER ALERT!
So much fun! I adore the worlds Lisa Shearin has created and the fact that Tam makes a guest appearance is just the icing on the cake.
Great characters, a neatly twisted plot, and enough magic to move houses, The Phoenix Illusion is another great addition to the SPI Files. I can't wait to discover what happens next, either in Raine or in Makenna's world:).
So much fun! I adore the worlds Lisa Shearin has created and the fact that Tam makes a guest appearance is just the icing on the cake.
Great characters, a neatly twisted plot, and enough magic to move houses, The Phoenix Illusion is another great addition to the SPI Files. I can't wait to discover what happens next, either in Raine or in Makenna's world:).
kmpuzzled's review
4.0
"The Phoenix Illusion" has everything great about this urban fantasy series - humor, action, interesting characters, a well thought-out plot, and is a very fun read. I recommend reading the whole series to get the most out of it since there are lots of references to earlier adventures, but since Lisa Shearin writes consistently good books that's a plus too. I can't wait for the next one.
audiobookmel's review against another edition
4.0
My review and an extended sample of the audiobook are posted at Hotlistens.com.
I continue to enjoy stories with Mac and the gang of SPI (Supernatural Protection & Investigation). This story starts off at a birthday party which is interrupted by a house appearing in a vacant lot. The house and the vacant lot are both own by Rake Danescu, very rich goblin and boyfriend of our leading lady, Makenna Fraser. Since SPI’s main goal is to keep control of the supernaturals on Earth and keep magic from unknowing humans, you can imagine having an elaborate house appear in a vacant lot isn’t the best of things. Then the house burns down.
In this story, we get a lot of time with Rake, much more than we’ve had in the past. We continue to learn more about his race and his home planet (it seems that goblins come from another planet instead of another realm). We also meet Rake’s cousin, Tam.
This story had a lot of the things I love about this series, action, humor, characters that I love. I wish we had more time with some of the SPI characters, as Rake and Tam take over a lot of the page time, so we didn’t see as much of Mac’s partners, Ian (human) and Yasha (werewolf).
There is a scene towards the end of the story that is really frustrating. I know that the characters had their hearts in the right place, but it was not the right thing to do. I know that is very vague, but I don’t want to give spoilers.
Anyway, overall, I did really enjoy this story. I enjoy my time with these characters. They always make me laugh. I can’t wait to see where we go from here in this series. I’m hoping that we might get to meet Mac’s family and maybe even Rake’s. That should be interesting.
Narration
Johanna Parker continues to do an amazing job with this series. She really brings out the humor of Mac and the gang. I love all the voices she’s chosen for these characters. She does a great job with men and women (which is really good because there are way more men in this series than women). If you haven’t tried Johanna Parker, I highly recommend her. She has several great paranormal series out there that I’ve listened to and enjoyed.
**I like to thank the publisher for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
I continue to enjoy stories with Mac and the gang of SPI (Supernatural Protection & Investigation). This story starts off at a birthday party which is interrupted by a house appearing in a vacant lot. The house and the vacant lot are both own by Rake Danescu, very rich goblin and boyfriend of our leading lady, Makenna Fraser. Since SPI’s main goal is to keep control of the supernaturals on Earth and keep magic from unknowing humans, you can imagine having an elaborate house appear in a vacant lot isn’t the best of things. Then the house burns down.
In this story, we get a lot of time with Rake, much more than we’ve had in the past. We continue to learn more about his race and his home planet (it seems that goblins come from another planet instead of another realm). We also meet Rake’s cousin, Tam.
This story had a lot of the things I love about this series, action, humor, characters that I love. I wish we had more time with some of the SPI characters, as Rake and Tam take over a lot of the page time, so we didn’t see as much of Mac’s partners, Ian (human) and Yasha (werewolf).
There is a scene towards the end of the story that is really frustrating. I know that the characters had their hearts in the right place, but it was not the right thing to do. I know that is very vague, but I don’t want to give spoilers.
Anyway, overall, I did really enjoy this story. I enjoy my time with these characters. They always make me laugh. I can’t wait to see where we go from here in this series. I’m hoping that we might get to meet Mac’s family and maybe even Rake’s. That should be interesting.
Narration
Johanna Parker continues to do an amazing job with this series. She really brings out the humor of Mac and the gang. I love all the voices she’s chosen for these characters. She does a great job with men and women (which is really good because there are way more men in this series than women). If you haven’t tried Johanna Parker, I highly recommend her. She has several great paranormal series out there that I’ve listened to and enjoyed.
**I like to thank the publisher for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.