#BlogTour ‘The Phoenix King’ by Aparna Verma

About the book…

From a stunning new voice in fantasy comes an Indian-inspired, action-packed debut of fire magic and ancient prophecy, in which the fate of a kingdom rests in the hands of a princess desperate for power and an assassin with a dark secret.

“A CAPTIVATING ADVENTURE.” —Peter V. Brett

The Ravani kingdom was born of a prophecy, carved from unforgiving desert sands and ruled by the Ravence bloodline: those with the power to command the Eternal Fire.

Elena Aadya is the heir to the throne—and the only Ravence who cannot wield her family’s legendary magic. As her coronation approaches, she will do whatever it takes to prove herself a worthy successor to her revered father. But she doesn’t anticipate the arrival of Yassen Knight, the notorious assassin who now claims fealty to the throne. Elena’s father might trust Yassen to be a member of her royal guard, but she is certain he is hiding something.

As the threat of war looms like a storm on the horizon, the two begin a dangerous dance of intrigue and betrayal. And the choices they make could burn down the world.

Publsihed by Orbit on August 31st, I am so excited to be a part of ‘The Phoenix King’ , arranged by Tracy Fenton at Compulsive Readers

” There is nothing special about fire. It burned and raged. Demanded sacrifice, worship.It had no need of a Prophet.’

I am mindful, when reading this fantasy debut, that fire requires 3 elements in order to continue to exist-oxygen, fuel and heat.

Oxygen is in short supply on occasion where you are holding your breath, the fuel is the simmering tension between the Jantari and the Raveni, the heat is the blossoming feelings between Yassen Knight, an assassin and perhaps more, and Elena, the daughter of Leo, the king who maintains the cult/religion of the Phoenix who led their ancestors to the desert, where they built their kingdom.

It’s really quite something, a series opener that juggles the balance of world building whilst also establishing characters and moving them forward through the plot.

You have this constant sense of simmering unrest, versus the unwavering tropes of tradition, whether religious or cultural. You have the weight of expectation , coming from tradition, versus just being unable to fulfil a prophecy which results in creating tension.

This combines in a lushly imagined world that arrives with its own histories and religions, it’s a fantasy however, many of the real world issues such as belonging, racism, separatism and exploitation are all reflected. If this sounds as though it will be a heavy and expositional read, this could not be further from the truth, it’s one of those books which is reflective and thoughtful rather than hammering the conscience of the reader.

It pulls the reader into a situation of intensity and tested loyalties as Yassen Knight commences that ever worrying trope, ‘the one last job’. Yet, as he is an assassin for hire, what is the person who hired him got over on him to make him act against his will?

As he scales the walls of a castle on his way to kill a king, his motives are suspect as his battle skills are smoothly applied.

Action themed from the start, his loyalties and motivation appear to be available at a price. So when the Raveni versus the Jantari rivalries begin to swirl, seeing the world from another perspective , protagonist Elena’s perspective, gives the reader the impression of a world deep in tradition, myth and prophecy.

Elena is the daughter of Leo, and certain family traits are expected of her, such as handling fire, which she cannot do. Her ascension is supposed to herald a new era but without being emblematic of her family’s magic, how can she lead the populace? When the myth of a Prophet’s arrival appears to point in a different direction from what has been foretold, Elena and Yassen are thrust into positions and actions which neither had anticipated.

The necessary world building needed to establish a world that readers can relate to, and believe in, means the pace of the novel is subsequently affected. And yet whilst we pick up the history and traditions of these fantastical lands via the epistolary entries that introduce each chapter, the characters drive the plot forward with a sense of urgency that keeps you saying ‘just one more chapter…’ and repeat until the sun comes up.

More please!

About the author…

”Hi there. I’m Aparna Verma, author of The Phoenix King. Rather than giving a boring, highly produced publishing bio, I figured I’d personally write to you.

As an immigrant, I write fantasy stories about men and women lost between the edges of identities. You’ll find themes of exploration, love, resilience, violence, and sacrifice. Maybe you’ll love the characters, maybe you’ll hate them. In the end, I just want to thank for picking up my books, and listening to the tales of a girl born in the desert.”

Links-https://theaparnaverma.com/

Twitter @spirited_gal @orbitbooks @Tr4cyF3nt0n