Happy Book Birthday to Grace Draven! The first book in her new Fallen Empire trilogy comes out today.
Gordon and I both loved the book. It has both beauty and savagery, wild magic, and insane odds. We are friends with Grace and her husband, Patrick, so we are understandably biased, but still we recommend this one. If you like fantasy romance with an edge, Phoenix Unbound delivers.
As always your mileage will vary, so try a sample first.
Synopsis
A woman with power over fire and illusion and an enslaved son of a chieftain battle a corrupt empire in this powerful and deeply emotional romantic fantasy from the USA Today bestselling author of RADIANCE
Every year, each village is required to send a young woman to the Empire’s capital–her fate to be burned alive for the entertainment of the masses. For the last five years, one small village’s tithe has been the same woman. Gilene’s sacrifice protects all the other young women of her village, and her secret to staying alive lies with the magic only she possesses.
But this year is different.
Azarion, the Empire’s most famous gladiator, has somehow seen through her illusion–and is set on blackmailing Gilene into using her abilities to help him escape his life of slavery. Unknown to Gilene, he also wants to reclaim the birthright of his clan.
To protect her family and village, she will abandon everything to return to the Empire–and burn once more.
Buy links: Amazon | Barnes And Noble | Books-a-Million | Kobo
Grace’s website: https://gracedraven.com/home
Quick reminder: we will be in Houston this Friday to celebrate the release of Phoenix Unbound with Grace at Murder by the Book. Details here.
I absolutely love her writing!! I will be reading tonight once the kids are in bed.
Omg I’m in Houston for a conference… Now the decision is whether to go to book signing or conference party this is difficult!!
Looking forward to reading it when I get home tonight! Lots of great reviews on Amazon so far. Happy Book Birthday to Grace.
Enjoy the book signing tonight 🙂
Added her to my follow list since you first mentioned her. Book is in my queue to read.
Grace Draven’s writing is excellent. I absolutely love her novel Radiance.
Downloaded and ready for my vacation read. Also been holding on to my Kate Daniels book. Going to be a fun, relaxing week with two of my favorite storytellers.
I adore Grace Draven. I preordered this book and it’s sitting on my Kindle right now.
I already read it – woke up early, and read it in between (sometimes during) classes and lunch. So worth it! Might reread in the next couple of days.
Thanks for the recommendation. I downloaded the book and read 3 chapters before work this morning. The first Grace Draven book I’ve read and it drew me in from page 1.
The gift that keeps on giving! Thanks to your original rec way back when, Grace Draven got added to my list of auto-buy writers — she’s amazing and I’m so happy whenever you introduce new-to-me writers 🙂
I am usually NOT OK with blackmail between H&H in romance books, but this seems reasonable and I am intrigued.
I read it. I loved it. I bought it for my library.
It’s a fabulous read and I REALLY loved the characters.
Ilona and Gordon you got me hooked on Grace Draven’s books when you recommended one of her books a long while back. I pre-ordered Phoenix Unbound when I could get the link for my Nook.
Have fun at the book signing. Happy book birthday Grace! ???
I devour Grace’s books quite obsessively. I find her incredibly talented, her characters always compelling and honest.
She deserves all the success she has
Been reading for over 50 years. Grace Draven’s Radiance was one of the best books ever. On my list of top ten books ever. I will be sure to pick this up. Thanks for the recommendation. You are a good friend.
Ooo just curious, what else is on this list of top ten? (Other than Ilona Andrew books)
Gone with the wind
Forever amber
The stand
Replay
Radiance
The flame and the flower
Calico palace
Mackenzie’s mountain
The prehistoric trilogy by Joan wolf
Rascal (a story about a young boy and his pet raccoon)
Different stories for different times in my life but I still remember them and turn to them when I’m bored. If you decide to read any, I hope you enjoy
Oh yes, Mackenzie’s Mountain – wonderful!
Agreed. Still have the original paperback on my shelf.
I do too as well as the other MacKenzie books.
Haven’t read or heard of some of these. Thanks for the recommendations!
Wooooot!!! I remember reading her books when you first introduced her a few years ago and loving the recommendations. Can’t wait to read it…
What are they putting in the water in Houston that turns up such excellent writers! I love Grace almost as much as I love you
As someone who is fire phobic in the extreme, I don’t think so. Oh, well?
Ilona recommended “Tsumiko And The Enslaved Fox” by Forthright, a few weeks ago. I just finished reading it and I loved it. Waiting for the sequel at the end of October, “Kimiko And The Accidental Proposal” featuring Tsumiko’s little brother. Tsumiko was not the page-turning romp that we have come to adore
from our ALs, though their books have cost me many hours of sleep, as well as finding me cooking supper with the book clipped open on my kitchen counter.
Then I want to cry when it’s finished, and have do make due with a reread of another of their series until the next book comes out. No, Tsumiko was a lovely book that I could read in small bits while on the treadmill, or before bed, which is also nice during a busy week.
So now that I know that our reading tastes are similar, I have ordered this new Grace Daven book too.
Someone here also recommended S.K. Dunstall’s “Stars Uncharted”, which I just started, but I’m afraid to pick it up just before bed, for fear it will stick to my fingers and I won’t be able to set it down to turn out the light.
Our ALs are very generous to recommend other writer’s books and encourage us to do so as well. Of course, it keeps us from constantly nagging them to stop doing frivolous things like eating and sleeping so they can write non-stop.❣️?
Heh. You got a shout out in the acknowledgments, too.
Hi,
Pre-ordered this when I saw it was posted with an IA book. Phoenix Unbound was great! Would definitely recommend.
Tempted to put in some details, but don’t want to spoil it.
Thank you as always for your generous recommendations! I’ve found several great new (to me) authors thanks to you. Had never read Grace Draven, but now I’ve finished this one and am on the hunt to add more to my Nook… Really, really enjoyed this one!
It was very scrumticiously good. 🙂 But then, I love all things she writes. She’s just sooo so good. The sad part is waiting so long between books and stories…sigh. Undying King was my very fave..
I’ve read everything Grace Draven has written, so it’s not a surprise I pre-ordered this one some time ago. Just finished it this morning. It was excellent. I loved the rawness of the characters and setting, the lyrics of the words, and the richness of the story.
Me too!
I finished it yesterday and then went back and reread parts of the book again. Loved this book!
I just finished reading it. Loved It!!! Thank you for recommending this book. It took me so long because, though I found and purchased it right away, amazon had another author listed with it (Hailey Edwards) and I bought and read the first three books of her Gemini series before moving on to Phoenix Unbound.
So good! Now I have to go buy all the Grave Draven books! Thanks!