I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Wings of Fire by Stephanie Mirro Narrator: Joanna Roddy
Series: The Last Phoenix #1
Published by Tannhauser Press on 2020-09
Length: 6 hrs and 25 mins
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 252
Format: Audiobook
Source: Provided for review through Audiobook Blast/Boom
Goodreads
I wasn't always the bad guy...Once upon a time, I was simply Veronica Neill: daughter, sister, phoenix. But now I'm all alone, and life as the Falcon - an avian shifter and acquirer of fantastical things - is dangerously sexy and fun. Some might even call me a thief, just never to my face. But when my latest acquisition is stolen before I arrive and a gruesome murder is blamed on me, I've got a choice to make. I can get taken in by the hotter-than-hell agent sent by the Death Enforcement Agency and let them charge me with a crime I didn't commit, or wait for my bloodsucking client to realize I've failed at the job for which he hired me. I don't like either door, so I'll take the window instead. Time to track down the real killer and clear my name. If I don't solve this murder, and fast, then I might just be facing a lifetime in a grim prison. Or worse, a lifetime of servitude to the man who hired me, a man who's turning out to be more dangerous than I realized. And my kind lives for a very long time.
If you loved Nalini Singh's Guild Hunters, Ilona Andrews's Hidden Legacy, or Seanan McGuire's InCryptid series then you will devour The Last Phoenix series.WINGS OF FIRE is the 1st book of 7 in The Last Phoenix series, a kickass urban fantasy containing fast-paced action, snarky humor, sexy grim reapers, horrific vampires, a hearty dose of swearing, and a healthy splash of slow-burn romance.
Julie’s Review:
I was given a free review copy of the audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
This is my favorite genre of books – Urban Fantasy with a kickass heroine and a bit of romance. That’s how this series is even described – it’s even awkwardly in the title. Wings of Fire, being the first in the series, gives us a glimpse into the world with a bit of backstory, but I do feel like there’s so much more to learn. More to learn about the girl who is Veronica, a procurer of magical artifacts for hire. More to learn about her family, the reasons why she is the last of her kind.
I liked Veronica, but we don’t get too much depth of character here. She’s brave, strong, fights, and has some internal struggles from her brother’s death and her trying to keep her Phoenix identity a secret. I would expect this character to grow over the course of the series, as with my favorite more-than-just-a-reaper series, but just from book one, we end up with a more superficial view of our heroine.
There was quite a bit of fast plot, which you know by now I’m a fan of. Much happened in this short read/listen, some surprising, some not. There was betrayal, lies, kidnapping, and servitude, and of course some murder. We have a creepy Master Vampire, some reapers that we don’t know if we can trust throughout the story, a mastermind with an evil plan to capture and own the rarest species for obviously selfish and sexist reasons, and then there’s being framed for a murder and being hunted by the Death Enforcement Agency. There are shifters obviously, and angels, and I already mentioned reapers, and vampires, so your mixed bag of awesome paranormal creatures. You know, a typical urban fantasy romp. But, being a very short book, it all happened fast, and sometimes conveniently, and sometimes it felt like something was missing in the details.
The bit of romance was definitely lacking in this one. It’s described as a slow burn, and I wonder how many books it burns through before getting anywhere. We did start with a “no way never would I ever with his one he’s not even alive”, and end with “well I’m curious about him somewhat and surprisingly attracted to him so we’ll see” so I suppose there’s more build up in their relationship in future installations of the series.
Now let’s move on to the audio narration since I listened. I very much enjoyed the audiobook narrator. Great voice, pacing, tone. I very much enjoyed the performance and will be looking for other books narrated by Joanna Roddy.
I enjoyed that the book ended with the story nicely tied up, with some questions left unanswered to be further explored in the future books of the series. I’d be interested in reading or listening to the next one.
