A review by cakt1991
Phoenix Chosen by Ekaterine Xia

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I discovered Ekaterine Xia through Twitter and one of the Love All Year anthologies, and I had her on the list of authors I wanted to read more from when I had the chance. Phoenix Chosen particularly stood out to me, because of the dynastic China-esque setting, but with a magical twist. 

The writing quickly immerses the reader into the world and the story, transporting the reader along with the protagonist, Estryia, to this new world. I really liked the explicit influences in the setting, and it feels really unique compared to a lot of the fantasy romances I’ve read thus far, taking influence from the wuxia genre and having a similar feel to a Chinese court drama series. 

Estriya is a great heroine to follow, as like the reader, she’s learning about everything and taking it all in for the first time. I appreciate how she attempts to draw on what she’s learned in the past to navigate her environment, and over time, becomes more capable, especially as more complex challenges are thrown at her. 

I also enjoyed her bonds with both Seth and Aedrian, as well as the one they have with each other. Seth tends to be very calm and collected, but he can be reckless when either of the other two is in trouble. Meanwhile, Aedrian is more aggressive and hot-headed, with  somewhat…complex…feelings toward Seth, which are shaped by their shared history. 

I did feel like the pacing was a bit uneven at first, with it feeling very episodic initially until somewhere in the middle when the main action picked up. However, while that did result in my engagement flagging a bit, I can appreciate it on a craft level, especially as it helps provide the necessary setup and context. 

I enjoyed this book, and am excited to read more from this series. If you’re looking for a non-Eurocentric take on fantasy romance, I recommend trying this one.