PHOENIXHEART: BORN OF ASHES by Arthur Quill was an ARC book I had the pleasure of reading recently. Quill is a brand new author on the self-published scene and is doing a smashing job. Most debut novels (including my own, THE EARTHSPARK, when it originally published in 2021) are generally still very rough. Great stories at heart, but rough.

I attribute this to the pressures of self-publishing and feeling like you have to put the book out the moment you’ve finished your final read-through. At least that’s how I felt with mine.

PHOENIXHEART is not this way. It was extremely clean in the grammar area. The story was well-thought out and the characters had excellent motivations. I can’t wait to share this one with you all and I hope you’ll join me in supporting this new indie author.

Before we dive in, here is a reminder of how I rate my books (these will be on a scale of 1-10, 1 being low, 10 being high):

• Plot Structure: How well the story was put together.
• Character Development: Level of growth a character achieves and how well the author makes them feel “real.”
• Language: Level of swearing, innuendos, verbal abuse, and other triggers.
• Violence: Level of fight scenes and gore.
• Sexual Content: Level of physical intimacy.

Also, we can’t forget the disclaimers.

Disclaimer 1: The more I write, the more I critique books harder on plot structure and how the various elements work together. Thus my reviews reflect this. However, if you see a book appear on the blog, it’s because I enjoyed reading and thought you, as a fellow bookie, would enjoy it as well. As always, reading is subjective and what resonates with me may not resonate with you. And that’s OK! We’re in this to discover new books that are family appropriate and worth taking the time to read.

Disclaimer 2: This post contains affiliate links. There is no added cost to you, but if you choose to buy this book using the attached link below, I will earn a small commission for recommending it to you.

Let’s see how this book shakes out on my scorecard!

Book Description:

A captivating tale of resilience, sacrifice, and the unyielding power of choice.

The kingdom of Rulara is at peace… for now. Held together by innovation and belief, and led by the broken magic of an old religion, the humans celebrate their golden age even as the land dies around them. Only savage outlanders resist their rule, like the barbaric raiders and pagan-worshiping shai-el.

Out in the rural swamplands, one young shai-el wants only to protect her people. With her village’s sacred stone, Pepper finally has her chance. But when saving the life of an enemy means sacrificing the safety of her people, she must travel deeper into human territory to uncover secrets long buried.

Deep in the center of Rulara, an outspoken skeptic craves those secrets. Faced with his own looming mortality, Jack’s only hope for answers or survival is the church. Caught between arrogance and lies, Jack must choose whether to pursue his own pride, or the truth.

In a world where the line between enemies and allies blurs, the fate of an entire nation hangs on these two outcasts. Destiny comes at the cost of their dreams.

Phoenixheart is a gripping tale of self-discovery, sacrifice, and the relentless power of choice, where two souls from vastly different worlds find their fates forever intertwined.

The Review:

PHOENIXHEART is the tale of two very different people working toward the same goal. One is human, and the other is shai-el, or the turtle people. Both want to find a purpose to their lives and make up for past mistakes. Pepper’s journey takes her from a lowly shai-el who doesn’t fit in, and helps her define who she is and what her unique gifts are.

Despite being set on dying, the priests revived Jack, the human, and made him one of them. His struggle to find out why he’s there and to what end leads this very entertaining and sarcastic character on a road of self-discovery. He learns where his true power lies, along with a healthy dose of humility.

The story is told from the dual perspectives of Pepper and Jack. The sarcasm of Jack and his colorful view of the world makes for an excellent contrast to Pepper’s lack of confidence and mental frailty.

Another thing to note is the use of religion in this story. There is a dominant Christian theme and how God is in the fabric of our lives, even when we think we’ve been abandoned. Sometimes things that feel like punishment are actually guide posts that point us to where and who we need to be.

I also appreciated the contrasting view of the darker side of state religion, where the church rules the kingdom. Here, many of the priests are only looking out for themselves and staying comfy in their protected temple. However, Jack pushes against them and those philosophies through using the love of God and the light we are each given to better the world.

There are also many great aspects to the worldbuilding. Some things feel traditional in the fantasy realm, while others are unique to this story; such as an Arthurian-like kingdom with motor coaches similar to cars.

Perhaps the thing I loved most about this novel was the concept of discovering truth for yourself and being OK with questions that arise in your life. We don’t need all the answers right now to take steps on our path forward.

So if you like fantasy with unique cultures, modern mingled with middle-ages, and strong Christian themes, I encourage you to check this one out.

How I rate this book:

• Plot Structure: 7/10; The story took a while to set up and felt slow in the beginning, mostly from Pepper’s POV. It aided in her character development, but if it weren’t for Jack, the beginning would have been too slow for me.
• Character Development: 8/10; Both Jack and Pepper grew in positive ways that made it engaging to read. Jack gets a does of humble pie while Pepper finds out that she’s stronger than she believed. Both were well done.
• Language: 2/10; A few in-world swear words, but only from Jack’s POV. (Our equivalent of “shoot” or “dang.”)
• Violence: 4/10; Very little in the way of graphic violence. Death and destruction do happen, but it’s distanced enough that we don’t have to get the full picture to know what’s going one.
• Sexual Content: 2/10; At the end of the book, there is a woman who sits on Jack’s lap as they talk with their friends at the end of the novel. There is also a couple who are not married who share a bedroom. We only get Pepper’s POV on that and never go inside the room with the couple.

This was a really fun read and one I would recommend if you love a bit of a horror vibe along with a love triangle, and characters not always being who they seem.

If you’re interested in checking out this book, you can find it .