Phoenix Rising (Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences #1)

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Phoenix Rising (Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences #1)

by Philippa Ballantine (Goodreads Author), Tee Morris (Goodreads Author)

3.75 of 5 stars 3.75 · rating details · 2,647 ratings · 506 reviews

Evil is most assuredly afoot—and Britain’s fate rests in the hands of an alluring renegade . . . and a librarian.

These are dark days indeed in Victoria’s England. Londoners are vanishing, then reappearing, washing up as corpses on the banks of the Thames, drained of blood and bone. Yet the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences—the Crown’s clandestine organization whose bailiwic...more

Mass Market Paperback, 402 pages

Published April 26th 2011 by Harper Voyager

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Oct 27, 2011 Stephen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, mystery, science-fiction, punked, audiobook, ebooks, sherlockian, crime

Okay, Steampunk, here's the deal...the freshness has worn off, the splash has dried up and you have become as ubiquitous as Starbucks in the world of science fiction and fantasy.

Remember when Starbucks & Steampunk were both the bright-eyed, hipster, upstart new kid on the block basking in their novelty and unique approach and nose-thumbing at the old guard of the status quo? Well, like Starbucks, Steampunk has grown fat and happy and become the status quo. Everywhere you turn, you can see i...more

94 likes · like · see review

May 23, 2011 Catherine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: series, steampunk, adventure, class-difference, crime-police-mystery-private-invest, england, fantasy-paranormal-sci-fi, historical, mystery, read-2011

It’s not often that I read a book with quite this dynamic. The heroine is the daring, dynamic one in the investigating duo. The hero is the adorably proper and nerdy Archivist who finds his combustible new partner a trial to him. Eliza and Wellington have both become rather set in their roles. When they find themselves partnered and forced to work together it’s a learning experience for them both.

All poor Wellington wants to do is work behind the scenes and rule his little domain in the Archives...more

19 likes · like · see review

Jan 02, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi, in-by-of-england, in-by-of-the-americas, reviewed, victorians-and-wannabes, books-about-books, 2012, the-knights-who-say-meh, lost-in-the-steampunk-supermarket

The archivist's name is Books! Get it? Get it?

I'm always worried when an author (or authors, in this case) can't avoid a cheap pun, and this one is very cheap. It doesn't usually bode well for the imagination of said authors. They have plenty of imagination though or, well, maybe they do. I'm struggling with this one because it should have been better than it was. It really does have a lot of great steampunky elements to it: bullet-proof corsets, a successful building of Babbage's analytical en ...more

36 likes · like · see review

Apr 09, 2012 Mike rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: needs-editing, too-dark-for-me

Out of perhaps misplaced loyalty to a fellow New Zealander, I try hard to like Philippa Ballantine's stuff. Chasing the Bard I enjoyed, but up until now I've never been able to finish anything else of hers, or Tee Morris's.

I read this one all the way to the end, though, and although I nearly gave up in the middle, I'm glad I stayed for the big boom.

Major publishing houses no longer seem to give decent editing to first novels, and Phoenix Rising is no exception. It's full of small errors of wor...more Out of perhaps misplaced loyalty to a fellow New Zealander, I try hard to like Philippa Ballantine's stuff. Chasing the Bard I enjoyed, but up until now I've never been able to finish anything else of hers, or Tee Morris's.

I read this one all the way to the end, though, and although I nearly gave up in the middle, I'm glad I stayed for the big boom.

Major publishing houses no longer seem to give decent editing to first novels, and Phoenix Rising is no exception. It's full of small errors of word usage, phrases with missing words in the middle, grammatical changes of direction in midstream, and errors of fact (I would have thought a librarian would know, or know where to look up, the difference between a rifle and a shotgun, and which one you use to shoot pheasants, but it seems I would have been wrong). Clearly, neither of the authors knows how to spell "tremor". And the pseudo-Victorian dialogue would be less tedious if it were more accomplished.

I asked Tee Morris about the editing in a comment on his blog, and he replied that they had missed a round of edits because of timing. This is telling me a few things:

1. Either the authors submitted the MS late, or the publishers were understaffed, or both.
2. The MS they submitted was full of these errors.
3. The publisher shoved it out the door anyway.

I'm finding it hard to avoid the conclusion that everyone involved was unprofessional, but especially the publishers.

Beyond these things which an editor should have fixed, but didn't, there are elements in the writing that feel forced - particularly the sexual tension between the partners. The villainy of the far-too-numerous villains is, to my mind, overdone to the point of melodrama. They might as well be tying girls to railway tracks while twirling their mustaches. And, while much is made of the New Zealand origin of the heroine, I didn't get any real sense of New Zealandness from her. There were a few references to Maori and women's suffrage, and an anachronistic mention of the national rugby team, but that was about it.

The book wasn't a total loss, though. The action sequences, while at an action-movie level, were well enough written - I just wish there had been more of them, and less stilted dialogue and unerotic sexual teasing.

Overall, I'm not impressed with this, but I think I could be by the sequel. Ballantine and Morris, you have one more chance to win me over.(less)

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May 12, 2013 Carol rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: action, fantasy, female-lead, steampunk

Steampunk is an odd mesh of history, fantasy and technology that frequently suffers from inconsistent blending. Perhaps I will have to agree with Kerry's review and declare "genre incompatibility." Like the loud drunk guy at a party, it is at times mildly funny, then unintelligibly serious, but always focused on getting some action and ultimately annoying. Undoubtedly, if you stand by him too long, there will be beer spilled on your shoes.

Phoenix made a pass and missed me. First, there is the t...more Steampunk is an odd mesh of history, fantasy and technology that frequently suffers from inconsistent blending. Perhaps I will have to agree with Kerry's review and declare "genre incompatibility." Like the loud drunk guy at a party, it is at times mildly funny, then unintelligibly serious, but always focused on getting some action and ultimately annoying. Undoubtedly, if you stand by him too long, there will be beer spilled on your shoes.

Phoenix made a pass and missed me. First, there is the tongue-in-cheek naming: an action-oriented lead named "Braun," a librarian--excuse me--Archivist named "Books," an Australian named "Bruce," a home for the insane called "Bedlam." Then there's the random Victorian idioms: "So because some gammy tart pulled a flam on you, you're thinking yourself the Ministry's glock?" (If this seems incomprehensible in context of my review, it's only fair, as it lacked more than cursory contextual explanation as I read). Throw in the awkwardly worded sentence such as "His grip was fleeting as the hand wrenched back to where the coach whip wrapped around his neck and then went taut. The black rider's arms flail wildly as he plummeted from his saddle" and you have writing that doesn't hold up to thoughtful reading.

While I thought the beginning was fun, the plot started wandering three quarters through. The mystery is rather spurious with a meeting leading to a locket leading to a clue (and why would the villains pay for a table for a year in advance?) which leads to attempts on their lives. Sprinkled throughout are hints and innuendos that will lead to later series developments, I'm sure. Two scenes in which a mysterious evil gentleman forces intelligence officer to act as inside double agent lacked congruity.

**********We interrupt this review to bring you a public service announcement********
Personal liberation from sexual stereotypes does not mean overuse of sexuality to accomplish goals by manipulative means. It does not mean you have to display your assets among sexually repressed people to prove you are different or autonomous. Hopefully, you will learn this sooner rather than later: freedom is not simply opposition.
**********We now return you to your regularly scheduled review*****

The characters aren't anything unique and Braun annoyed me with her "I'm a feminist but I wear a corset so I can use my ta-tas to distract men" tone. I don't know that I needed the titillation of a forced orgy scene to be convinced that the bad guys were bad. It was roughly at this point that I started to lose interest in the book and start skimming. It's the kind of thing that moves it from young adult level to adults-only, especially since it strongly hints that our heroine chooses to partake (Ooh, how rebellious! She is control of her own sexuality when she chooses to have sex to fit in!) To each her own, after all, but I found the cumulative references to her "liberation" monotonous.

Rating: three stars the first half, two stars once we hit the mansion scenes, for a wavering two and a half stars.

Cross posted at http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2013/0...(less)

22 likes · like · see review

May 09, 2012 ☆Jessie☆ (Ageless Pages Reviews) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk, owned-copy, nook-books, series-ongoing, 2012-reviews, 2012-reads, reviewed, lol-worthy, mystery

Read This Review & More Like It On My Blog!

4.5 out of 5

This was just great fun for me to read once it hit its stride - Phoenix Rising has nice mix of the best elements: a finely tuned use of steampunk and its gadgets, two vastly different but strangely compatible, rounded main characters, amusing banter, and a plethora of smart antagonists against which to pit their brains and Braun. The first hundred pages are used quite effectively to establish each of the individual characters and the wor...more

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Mar 10, 2011 Marcus rated it 5 of 5 stars

After the first pages of Pip Ballantine’s and Tee Morris’ Phoenix Rising: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel I was under the impression of heading into a hilarious and almost slapsticky Steampunk adventure. Eliza Brown and Wellington Books, the central protagonists, were simply too much of a missmatch and their initial “conversations” too comical. I had several good laughs.
Gradually, the lightheartedness leaves the novel, though. Keeping pace with the developments, the comical nature of th...more After the first pages of Pip Ballantine’s and Tee Morris’ Phoenix Rising: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel I was under the impression of heading into a hilarious and almost slapsticky Steampunk adventure. Eliza Brown and Wellington Books, the central protagonists, were simply too much of a missmatch and their initial “conversations” too comical. I had several good laughs.
Gradually, the lightheartedness leaves the novel, though. Keeping pace with the developments, the comical nature of their relationship fades more and more into the background. The pair gets to know each other better, and while still not fully understanding the other, they develop a grudging respect for their respective partner.
The story itself very soon becomes fast-paced and action packed. There are quite a few instances, in particular the excellent, almost swashbuckling duel scene in the London Opera, when I felt like having to hold onto my armchair. Still, humor never leaves the pages. Within the very same duel there is one notable simultaneous question between the duelists:

“Who is your seamstress?”

That one had me chuckling for hours afterwards.

But Phoenix Rising is not all good humored swashbuckling action. Not by far. The moment Books and Brown manage to infiltrate the Phoenix Society, the story gets noticeably, even drastically darker. Although there are hints earlier in the novel, telling of most nefarious events involving the society, I was relatively unprepared for the abysses of human behaviour and decadence within the Phoenix Society. Quite a twist.
I have to congratulate the authors on their ability of putting a number of those twists into the story. There are several very interesting turns over the course of the novel. Some are entertaining and give surprising insights into some characters, their history and the world, others drastically alter the reader’s perception of the main dramatis personae. I dislike putting spoilers into my reviews, so I will say no more.

The cast of characters is also one of the strong points of the novel. Every single one is believable, no matter how fleeting or detailed the description. Although Eliza and Wellington have some rather stereotypical traits, both have more hidden depth than one would suspect. Their antagonists are similarly fascinating. Sophia, Eliza’s nemesis, is Eliza’s spiritual twin, as Eliza herself notes, had they met in different circumstances, they would be the best of friends. The heads of the Phoenix Society range from scientist who has gone over the edge to complete and utter filth. Again I have to express my admiration for the creativity and writing-style of Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris. “Filth” does not even scratch the surface of what Lord Devane is. Of all the villains I have thus far encountered, he is by far the worst, and his claim of “superiority due to noble lineage” makes him even more disgusting. A villain you love to hate. Next to him, everyone other villain shines.

And shining brings me to the one aspect I found rather annoying. Eliza shines too much. Wellington, although highly skilled and with more talents than one might expect, has some issues. For one, he is haunted by his upbringing, further, he is awkward around women and afraid of guns. Eliza is bold, confident, brave, liberal, resourceful, rich and a benefactor to the poor, beautiful and through her we learn how much more progressive New Zealand is compared to Britain. She even had Maori tutors for her martial skills. Her one negative trait is that she is quite a vamp. But this is something easily forgiven since she uses her womanly powers only in service of the Empire and never crosses certain boundaries. She is too good. I got the impression she is the authors’ favourite brainchild and thus got only good things.

But this is the only point of contention I have with Phoenix Rising. Other than this one point, the novel leaves nothing to be desired. Phoenix Rising is a real page-turner. The novel makes you laugh, gets your adrenalin pumping, makes you laugh again and fills you with the urge to drag the villains out from between the pages and give them a dose of their own medicine.(less)

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Oct 28, 2011 CJ - Secret Charm rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: london-england, scifi-fantasy-mystery, steampunk, victorian, urban-fiction

4.7

I believe there must be a rule that says all knew Steampunk novels must start off slow, involve automatons serving food and then trying to kill you and explosions with large scale destruction.

On that note, this story follows Eliza Braun and Wellington Brooks, both agents of the crown with opposite personalities and interests. Wellington is safe and seemingly tamping down on some wicked past psychological issues while Eliza is ignoring her past and living life with the veneer of living it to t...more

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May 20, 2013 Bill Blume rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As an author who has written manuscripts for fantasy novels with a partner who is my wife, the idea of husband/wife writing teams fascinates me. I've often wondered how other writing spouses handle the division of duties and if their method resembles what my wife and I came up with. With that in mind, reading Phoenix Rising provided me with several moments of unintentional déjà vu.

The real question is did Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris pull off a successful novel?

In short: they nailed it.

The firs...more As an author who has written manuscripts for fantasy novels with a partner who is my wife, the idea of husband/wife writing teams fascinates me. I've often wondered how other writing spouses handle the division of duties and if their method resembles what my wife and I came up with. With that in mind, reading Phoenix Rising provided me with several moments of unintentional déjà vu.

The real question is did Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris pull off a successful novel?

In short: they nailed it.

The first novel in their "Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences" series provides a steampunk adventure that often reminded me of the 1960's "Avengers" TV show. The story starts with a bang. No, seriously. The title to chapter one even warns you that's what's going to happen. We're talking a massive explosion as the heroine of the novel Eliza Braun sends one of the bad guys' secret bases to kingdom come. She's all about the shoot first and ask questions later. Actually, it's more like shoot first, explode with dynamite and then ask questions later. Her task at the start of the novel is the rescue of her co-star, the ministry's archivist Wellington Books. On the surface, Welly is everything Eliza is not. She bends the rules into pretzels while he files and categorizes them into order of importance.

At this point, you might roll your eyes at how egregiously cliché this all sounds. Here's the good news: Pip and Tee make it all work. Very often, they find ways to surprise you with little twists in the story and characters to make things entertaining. More importantly, they've done a lot of work to give each of these characters the depth they need. As Eliza and Welly launch into their unauthorized investigation of some especially violent murders, a case which claimed the sanity of a fellow ministry agent (who is a former partner of Eliza's), they get in over their heads as they navigate their steampunk version of Victorian England and unearth a secret society with an agenda for global, racial and social dominance that would make Hitler proud.

I laughed, got giddy and even cringed at all the right times. Pip and Tee hit all the marks that great action adventure in a gritty fantasy world should deliver. With all the praise, you might wonder why I'm only giving it four stars. I'd say it's really more like four-and-a-half stars. Perhaps my only gripe would be within the interludes for this novel. The interludes focus mostly on another ministry agent named Bruce Campbell (a shameless and awesome nod to the actor best known for his roles as Sam Axe from "Burn Notice" and Ash from "Evil Dead"). The subplot is clearly setup for a storyline that will see more development in future novels. My complaint isn't so much about the unresolved storylines touched on here, but Bruce Campbell's character just didn't ring true to me for some reason, and that's a big issue since most of the interludes are told from his perspective. Of all the characters whose points-of-view are provided, Campbell doesn't hold up to the awesomeness of Eliza and Welly. What does impress me with the interludes is that Pip and Tee manage to leave me satisfied as a reader. Even with so much unresolved, they tie off enough threads in the plot to make this book work by itself, and that's not easy to do.

As for how this husband and wife write as a team, I look forward to learning more about this later this year. They'll be speaking at the James River Writers Conference in October, and speaking as someone who has written with a spouse, I will wager there are some great stories behind the story. I can't wait to hear them. As for how my wife and I approached the task of co-writing, I'll offer you a link to a blog entry I wrote many years ago to explain our process.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Dec 26, 2012 Veronica G. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk, dual-leads, mystery

I haven’t read a lot of steam punk and what little I have read hasn’t exactly grabbed me and refused to let go…until now. I picked up this book on a whim and I am so glad I did. The story is set in London during the reign of Queen Victoria and there is the usual gadgetry for which steam punk is known, and which I admittedly sometimes have a tough time picturing in my head. It is told in third person which really worked well for this story as it gives the reader some insight into all the characte...more I haven’t read a lot of steam punk and what little I have read hasn’t exactly grabbed me and refused to let go…until now. I picked up this book on a whim and I am so glad I did. The story is set in London during the reign of Queen Victoria and there is the usual gadgetry for which steam punk is known, and which I admittedly sometimes have a tough time picturing in my head. It is told in third person which really worked well for this story as it gives the reader some insight into all the characters (villains included), giving them all a depth they might otherwise not have.
The two leads are Wellington Thornhill Books and Eliza D. Braun, both agents working for the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences , whose first meeting is, quite literally, explosive. Meeting these two was a like a breath of fresh air. They are like oil and water, fire and ice, for while Agent Braun is an active field agent from New Zealand who believes that a lady’s best friend is her favorite firearm and some sticks of dynamite, Agent Books is the Ministry’s head Archivist (don’t you dare call him a librarian!) and a proper English gentleman who believes that there is a place for everything and everything in its place. When they are forced to pair up and work together to solve a cold case that involved Eliza’s previous partner and some highly strange murders, they each think that it is about the worst punishment imaginable. However, the two agents may just discover along the way that first impressions aren’t always the most accurate. This may be especially true in Brooks’ case as delightful hints are dropped throughout the book that there may very well be more to the proper English gentleman than meets the eye. Still waters, indeed.
This was a rollicking good time, sort of a cross between old school Avengers (think John Steed and Emma Peel from the old tv show) and the X-Files – all set against a steam punk backdrop. The back-and-forth between Books and Braun as they learned to work together was more than satisfying. Romance was not a mainstay of this story but there was enough of each agent noticing the other’s attributes to make it not implausible that something might develop in the future. And if it doesn’t then I will still be quite happy with how the two interact in their working relationship. What can I say? Whether as potential lovers or merely as trusted colleagues, Agents Books and Braun had me at hello – and here is an example of why:

“She groaned as her face turned to press against the rosewood floor. "Welly, remind me to order a better mattress for my bed. This one is far too firm."

"Oh, Eliza," Wellington gasped, now remembering why he was in these lush surroundings. "No broken nose, I hope."

"S'all right," Braun slurred. Her voiced dropped to a whisper. "My ample bosom broke my fall.”

Five stars because I loved the two leads in equal measure and because I just had a damn good time reading it. A damn good time.

Sign me up for the next adventure!

The Janus Affair (Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences #2)

(less)

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Mar 21, 2012 Isa rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk, boring, political-intrigue, read-2012

Poor writing (too much tell, not enough show), poor editing, poor pacing, lazy characterizations, and a plot that managed, somehow, to be both absurd and boring. The dialogue desperately tried to be witty but always fell short.

Also, Books and Braun? Come on, now.

The actual steampunk bits (the gadgets and the like) were interesting, hence the 2 stars rating (because I can't give it a 1.5).

And I still can't forgive this:

“It was believed that Ferdinand Magellan was one of its members.”
Eliza blinked...more

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Apr 09, 2012 Liz rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: steampunk

4.5 enthusiastic stars. fantastic fun, with a sweet partnership between two unlikely people!

Set in 19th century Victorian England, Phoenix Rising is an adventurous (sometimes sinister) romp through secret brotherhoods, hair raising hansom cab shootout chases and exploding laboratories!

Agent Eliza Braun has been remanded to the Ministry of Peculiar Occurances’ (MPO) Archives after her fondness for pushing the limits of her assigned mission boundaries and *ahem* blowing things up have finally land...more 4.5 enthusiastic stars. fantastic fun, with a sweet partnership between two unlikely people!

Set in 19th century Victorian England, Phoenix Rising is an adventurous (sometimes sinister) romp through secret brotherhoods, hair raising hansom cab shootout chases and exploding laboratories!

Agent Eliza Braun has been remanded to the Ministry of Peculiar Occurances’ (MPO) Archives after her fondness for pushing the limits of her assigned mission boundaries and *ahem* blowing things up have finally landed her in hot water. Paired with a new partner by the mysterious Director of MPO, Eliza believes her illustrious and exciting career in the field might be permanently cut short.

Brilliant archivist Wellington Books is quite happy in his quiet underground kingdom nestled alongside the river Thames, thoroughly convinced of the incalculable value he provides to solving the cases of the Ministry. But what happens when the brash, enlightened, and attractive Agent Braun is assigned to partner with him surprises even him!

Drawn into an unresolved case that involved Eliza’s former partner (Agent Harrison Thorne, now resident of Bedlam asylum) her investigations force Wellington to follow Eliza down some very dark paths indeed. Along the way we are treated to dry, witty commentary and almost comic confrontations as the two leads snipe and poke at each other, all the while chasing down and foiling more than one set of villainous forces on their tails! Now Welly and Eliza’s mutual attraction is quite obvious, but I wouldn’t characterize the story as a romance, more as a fledgling relationship nurtured by respect and admiration that could quite possibly grow into something more down the road. It’s got ‘the will they or won’t they’ flavor perfectly balanced and I was very pleased by the ‘just enough’ that the authors give us.

At the end we are left off quite satisfactorily if open ended, with book two, The Janus Affair, hinting at much more treachery and explosive adventure to come!
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May 03, 2012 Colleen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk, whodunit

2.5

The first chapter starts with a bang (see, I can do puns, too), and we're thrust into the world of Books and Braun.

Yes - Books (the Archivist/librarian/stuffy one) and Braun (the muscle/spunky/fighter). (There is also a character named Bruce Campbell, which may or may not be a nod to the man with the chin, and a couple named Barnabas and Angelique Collins - though they are of little consequence to the story.)

Anyway...

One thing I often expect from books set in Victorian England, and which I o...more

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Dec 12, 2011 Blodeuedd Finland rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk

I had hoped to like this one more, sure it was good and all, but you know, those hopes ones have. First it looks so cool and it sounds so good too.

Eliza was a good kick-ass heroine who liked explosives and sometimes acted a bit too soon. While her new partner in crime, Books was a the nerdy guy from the cellar who does not act and who would rather read books. Oh yes what a couple. He is also upper class, while she is from the colonies (though he is a decent fellow). Together they made a good mis...more

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Oct 16, 2011 Cat Russell (Addicted2Heroines) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: highly-recommend

Ballantine and Morris' well-crafted debut provides mystery, intrigue and a brilliantly paired duo, Books and Braun.

Agent Eliza D. Braun is a strong and admirable heroine. She is sassy, playful, and full of life. Her occasional moments of recklessness and her penchant for dynamite are all a part of this Ministry agent's charm.

Archivist Wellington Thornhill Books Esquire is Eliza's complete opposite.

He's disciplined, well-mannered, often snobbish and uptight. He's comfortable in his routine and pr...more

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Sep 11, 2012 Kara-karina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: borrow-from-the-library

Seriously? One of the most amazing steampunk books I've ever read. So funny, sharp and brilliant.

The partnership between Wellington and Eliza works to a tee. She is like a female version of Robert Downey Jr. - cocky, slightly reckless, crazily entertaining and very wordly.

Welly on the other hand is a bit of an enigma. Bookish, prudish and very boring when you just meet him, and yet our gentleman is full of surprises which we uncover only slightly in his acting at the end of the book.

So, wha...more

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Jun 03, 2011 Kindle-aholic rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone who loves steampunk, gadgets and adventure

Shelves: steampunk

4.5 Stars

I grew up watching Wild Wild West, The Avengers, and Sherlock Holmes re-runs, and this book felt like coming home.

This one was so much fun to read. I really loved it. Lots of adventure, gadgets, the brassy Eliza Braun with her love of explosives and weaponry, the dapper Wellington Books with his love of order and gadgetry. They are completely mismatched, which means of course that they make absolutely perfect partners. They just don't know it yet.

As a punishment for their respective sc...more

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May 04, 2011 Jen (That's What I'm Talking About) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk, ministry-of-peculiar-occurrences

Phoenix Rising is a well-written amazing adventure. The plot unfolds at just the right pace, leaving me at the edge of my seat throughout much of the tale. The story is smart and the characters witty. Ms. Ballantine and Mr. Morris have captured my imagination, heart and mind with their wickedly delightful tale. Phoenix Rising kicked off what I hope to be a long-lived series of adventures for Ms. Braun and Mr. Books. Although they may have closed the unsolved case they uncovered in the Archives,...more

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Apr 23, 2013 Karen rated it 1 of 5 stars

DNF. I made it through seven (poorly copy-edited) chapters-- close to a quarter of the book-- and I just couldn't get into it. Aside from the initial (somewhat confusing) rescue, the action was very ploddy and the main characters felt stereotyped and one-note; Agent Braun acted more like a pouting teen delinquent than a grown-up agent with several years of experience under her belt. The weird surnames were a bit of a distraction, too. Books? Sound? Those might work as agent handles, but as real...more

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Jan 04, 2013 Feder rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

( 4,5 Punkte )
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Dunkles geschieht hinter der ach so noblen Fassade der Londoner Oberschicht. Denn immer wieder tauchen blutleere Leichen oder Leichen gänzlich ohne Muskeln an den Themseufern auf. Doch die geheime Organisation der Krone, das Ministerium für Eigenartige Vorkommnisse, tut alles als einen nicht weiter verfolgenswerten Zufall ab und verbannt die Akten ins Archiv, wo sie in ein paar Kartons vor sich hin modern. Erst als die schlagfertige, dynamitliebe...more ( 4,5 Punkte )
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Dunkles geschieht hinter der ach so noblen Fassade der Londoner Oberschicht. Denn immer wieder tauchen blutleere Leichen oder Leichen gänzlich ohne Muskeln an den Themseufern auf. Doch die geheime Organisation der Krone, das Ministerium für Eigenartige Vorkommnisse, tut alles als einen nicht weiter verfolgenswerten Zufall ab und verbannt die Akten ins Archiv, wo sie in ein paar Kartons vor sich hin modern. Erst als die schlagfertige, dynamitliebende und vor allem sehr emanzipierte Agentin Eliza Braun ins Archiv strafversetzt wird, bekommen die Fälle die ihnen gebührende Beachtung. Doch während die heißblütige Eliza bereits Feuer und Flamme ist, gilt es zunächst, ihren unfreiwilligen Partner, den Archivar Wellington Books, auf ihre Seite zu ziehen – oder zumindest dafür zu sorgen, dass er ihr mit seiner pedantischen Art und seiner Liebe für Regeln und Vorschriften nicht in die Quere kommt. Doch was sich hinter den Leichen verbirgt, übersteigt die Vorstellungskraft unserer beiden tapferen Agenten. Denn die Leichen führen sie auf die Spuren einer geheimen, uralten Bruderschaft, die im Verborgenen danach trachtet, das Empire mit allen Mitteln zu Fall zu bringen …

Nachdem es nun schon eine ganze Weile her ist, dass ich mir das letzte Mal einen Steampunk-Roman zu Gemüte geführt habe, war ich natürlich auf „Books & Braun: Das Zeichen des Phönix“ sehr gespannt, da ich mit besagtem Genre schon besonders gute, aber auch extrem schlechte Erfahrungen gemacht habe. Zugute halten muss man den Autoren aber zunächst einmal, dass sie sich wirklich darauf verstehen, einen Roman einzuleiten. Da wird nicht lange um den heißen Brei herumgeschrieben, sondern gleich mit der Tür ins Haus gefallen – im überaus positiven Sinn. Denn die gute Agentin Eliza Braun macht auf den ersten Seiten nicht nur ihren Standpunkt klar, sondern verdeutlicht auch dem Leser, dass ihre charakterliche Gestaltung im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes als „explosiv“ bezeichnet werden kann. Demgegenüber wirkt der gute Wellington „Welly“ Books wie das Musterbeispiel eines belesenen Stubenhockers und das genau Gegenteil zur etwas schießwütigen Eliza. Ein raffinierter Schachzug, der dem Leser, vor allem wenn er sich vor Beginn der Lektüre den Klappentext durchgelesen hat, doch zu denken geben wird, wie diese beiden Extreme sich als Partner zusammenraufen können.
Wie bereits erwähnt, liefern die Autoren mit Eliza und Wellington zwei nicht nur auf den ersten Blick ziemlich gegensätzliche Charaktere. Und dass da einiges an Ärger vorprogrammiert ist, dürfte wohl jedem klar sein. Aber genau dieser Ärger sorgt nicht unerheblich dafür, dass die Lektüre so unterhaltsam ist. Die wilde, etwas ungestüme und vor allem die Regeln sehr weit auslegende Eliza Braun, die mit ihren weniger damenhaften Neigungen für Sprengstoff und Schusswaffen jeder Art wie eine musterhafte Emanze wirkt und der ruhige, seine gesamte Zeit im Archiv verbringende, streng nach Protokoll verfahrende Willington Books. Zwei Charaktere, die facettenreicher kaum sein könnten. Denn neben dem emanzipierten Auftreten der guten Miss Braun verbergen sich auch ziemlich feine Manieren und ein Sinn für guten Geschmack in ihr, während der gute Mr. Braun nicht ganz so ein Stubenhocker zu sein scheint, wie er die Welt glauben machen will. Das ist genau der Stoff, aus dem ein guter Charakter gesponnen werden sollte. Denn die beiden tragen nicht nur offen gewisse Stärken und Schwächen zur Schau, sondern sowohl Eliza als auch Wellington haben noch etwas in der Hinterhand, das sie beide vor dem jeweils anderen, aber auch vor dem Leser zu verbergen versuchen. Ein hübsches Rätsel in ihren jeweiligen Charakter eingebaut, das geradezu dazu auffordert, sich näher mit ihnen zu beschäftigen und ihren Schritten aufmerksamer zu folgen.
Erfrischend und sehr gut gelungen sind vor allem die Szenen, in denen die beiden mit ihren unterschiedlichen Ansichten aneinander geraten und Eliza in der Regel dazu tendiert, Wellington mit irgendetwas, das sie sagt oder tut, extrem zu schockieren.
Wie sich die beiden gegenseitig kennen- und einander zu vertrauen lernen, so lernt sie auch der Leser besser kennen und schätzen. Es ist ein Prozess, der sich häppchenweise auf die gesamte Lektüre verteilt und viele Fragen löst, während noch mehr im Dunkeln bleiben.

Aber nicht nur die Figuren und ihre Entwicklung geben dem Buch seinen Reiz. Nein, auch die um sie herum konzipierte Geschichte ist spannungsgeladen und mitreißend. Auch wenn man ziemlich deutlich erkennt, dass das erste Drittel des Buches sich mehr auf die Charaktere an sich und weniger auf den vor ihnen liegenden Fall konzentriert. Im restlichen Buch ist dies dann doch etwas ausgeglichener: Was aber nicht unbedingt ein Kritikpunkt sein soll, denn dass die beiden eine gewisse Aufwärmphase brauchen, liegt aufgrund ihrer charakterlichen Unterschiede quasi auf der Hand. Und nachdem dies im vorderen Drittel größtenteils abgearbeitet wurde, konnte sich das Geschehen dann umso intensiver mit der eigentlichen Handlung befassen und das „Zusammenraufen“ von Eliza und Wellington war dazu malerisches Beiwerk, das den Fortgang der Geschichte bereichert, aber keinesfalls aufgehalten hat. Gegipfelt hat die ganze Geschichte schließlich in einem doch etwas überraschend kommenden Finale, das zumindest ich nicht ganz in dieser Gestalt vermutet habe und das zwar einige Fragen zu beantworten vermochte, die sich im Laufe der Lektüre angesammelt haben, andere wiederum offen ließ oder gar neu aufwarf. Ein durch und durch gelungener Abschluss also, bedenkt man, dass es sich bei „Das Zeichen des Phönix“ leidglich um den ersten von hoffentlich vielen Romanen der „Books & Braun“-Reihe handelt. Und so ist es wohl kaum verwunderlich, dass ich mit Spannung den Folgeroman „Janus-Affäre“ erwarte, von dem ich mir vor allem erhoffe, dass er etwas mehr Licht in die Vergangenheit der beiden Protagonisten bringt und das Geheimnis lüftet, das ihr Vorgesetzter zu hüten scheint.

Das Steampunk-Duo Ballentine und Morris liefert mit ihrem Auftaktroman zur „Books & Braun“-Reihe einen ausgewogenen, und mitreißenden Fantasyroman, der den Anforderungen des Genres durchaus gerecht wird. Zwei starke Figuren machen die Geschichte zu einem abwechslungsreichen und spannungsgeladenen Lesegenuss, der einen in freudige Erwartung auf die Folgebände versetzt.(less)

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Nov 18, 2012 Jana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Phoenix Rising

Fast, entertaining, gripping, and humorous. Phoenix Rising features a dynamic duo with great chemistry and a lot of enjoyable banter. Great world-building and characterisation. Also: depiction of sexual debauchery including the drugging of unwilling participants and hunting humans. There’s some discussion of the feeling of superiority and subsequent entitlement. We get books, and gadgets, and seriously villainous villains, and kick-ass heroes.

Gender roles are tweaked in this steam...more

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Sep 09, 2012 Nicole Gozdek rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, steampunk

"Phoenix Rising", der erste Band der spannenden Steampunk-Reihe um die ungleichen Agenten Wellington Books und Eliza Braun, der aif Deutsch unter dem Titel "Das Zeichen des Phönix" erschienen ist, packt den Leser ab der ersten Seite. Das liegt vor allen an den beiden sehr unterschiedlichen Hauotfiguren Books und Braun: Wellington Books ist ein Brite, wie er im Buche steht: mit erstklassigen Manieren, hoch gebildet und einer Vorliebe für die schönen Künste. Er ist der Chefarchivar einer geheimen...more

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Jun 29, 2012 OpenBookSociety.com rated it 3 of 5 stars

Review brought to you by Verushka

Steampunk is not my first choice of genres, with Gail Carriger’s Parasol Protectorate ‘Soulless’ being my first introduction to it. So, a steampunk novel is going to have to work hard to keep me interested and Phoenix Rising succeeds admirably. The climax of the novel might have given me flashbacks to Branagh in the unfortunate Wild Wild West, but that was short-lived, and also a movie (yes, I watch too many movies that have nothing to do with the rich, engaging...more Review brought to you by Verushka

Steampunk is not my first choice of genres, with Gail Carriger’s Parasol Protectorate ‘Soulless’ being my first introduction to it. So, a steampunk novel is going to have to work hard to keep me interested and Phoenix Rising succeeds admirably. The climax of the novel might have given me flashbacks to Branagh in the unfortunate Wild Wild West, but that was short-lived, and also a movie (yes, I watch too many movies that have nothing to do with the rich, engaging and absolutely enjoyable prose of this novel).

Eliza Braun, a field agent is introduced to us mid-mission on her way to rescue Wellington Books, an Archivist at the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, a clandestine organisation dedicated to investigating, well, peculiar and supernatural occurrences for Queen and country. Books is a bookworm, happier stuck in the Archive of the Ministry, filing unsolved cases and ignoring the voice of his father in the back of his mind and his upper-crust upbringing.

Eliza is his complete opposite, a fiery and brash colonial (a New Zealander, and proud of it, much like Pip Ballantine, one of the authors. As an Australian, the references did make laugh out loud). Her attitude gets her in trouble more often than not, despite her talent as a field agent and this is what lands her in what is probably the most boring place in the Ministry to her, the Archive as Book’s assistant.

What is interesting though, is that Eliza begins the book by keeping a secret from her rescue mission of Books, concerning Books from him, and by the end of the book, Books in turn does the same with her. By then though, readers are fully aware that neither is what they seem, and what I think is a joy to read is that when these characters do learn from each other, and about each other causes them both to develop further as characters, when too often things like that can be forgotten within a novel. It isn’t the most original set-up, but the authors’ talent and skill elevates what is a common plot to something better.

The elements of steampunk that have always fascinated me, and all are present in this book: the Ministry, with their gadgets and their secret agents in need of gadgets, not to mention a secret Phoenix society hell bent on destruction and power. Everything is primed to show off some remarkable incorporations of modern tech that had me laughing as I was reading this on the train to work.

The gems in this book though are Eliza and Books, both as fabulously alive within these pages, as they are opposites. The book takes readers to both aspects of London reflected in their characters – the working class pubs where Eliza feels at home, and the upper-crust of society where Books knows he can fit in, but might not feel quiet at home. I should mention though, as much as Eliza loves London, she is colonial and proud of it, and longs for New Zealand. The book works hard in making each overcome their pre-conceptions of each other, but again the authors’ skill saved a simple plot tactic from being boring. It is fun watching Books fluster at the depths to Eliza which brings me to something else – the cover does create a misconception in regards to the story, for it is Eliza and Books’ story, not just her’s.

Where the book begins with Eliza taking charge of the action admirably, Books is merely on a slow burn it seems, growing the most through the novel and thus far sharing a part of his character that fascinates me more even though this adventure begins because of Eliza and her relationship with her former partner, now driven mad.

Which brings me to the case – once banished to the Archive, Eliza finds a clue that leads her to her former partner in Bedlam, an asylum and onto a case of brutal murders and drags Books along despite himself. In the end, they find themselves trying to stop the Phoenix Society from over-throwing the government, while still trying to keep their jobs with the Ministry.

I foresee many, many elaborate tales and excuses in this pair’s future in the next books in this series!

The book is not without its weaknesses. While a fluctuating point of view is one of my pet peeves, for two characters that are treated with equal importance within the novel, the authors achieve a good balance. Where the writing gets weaker, is the POVs breaks to other characters, several other characters in fact that took me out of the world of two between Eliza and Books.

http://openbooksociety.com/article/ph...(less)

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Jun 26, 2012 Jenna rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book! The two main characters, Eliza Braun and Wellington Books, reminded me a little of Irene Adler and John Watson joining forces in order to do good ;). Eliza is a spunky, adventurous member of England's Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences who has a fearless approach to any challenge and often brings along an interesting collection of weapons and gadgets to help her along. Wellington considers himself an upper-class gentleman who prefers working in the basement of the Ministry, far...more

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May 29, 2012 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

I definitely liked this book more than I didn't, but I suppose that really isn't helpful for anyone else.
When we are first introduced to Agents Books and Braun, it is 'in media res', in the middle of some Antarctic hijinks involving secret societies and a great deal of dynamite. And you know, when I pick up a steampunk/gaslight book, especially one that has the cover art like this one, I expect hijinks and daring-do. Yay. Wish granted.

However, I found that at about the three-quarters mark, I was...more

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May 12, 2012 Fangs for the Fantasy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Miss Eliza Braun first meets archivist Wellington Books when she saves him from captivity. Like all missions involving Braun, she does not completely follow orders, and leaves behind a trail of destruction. Her punishment is to be sent down to the archives to assist Books with cataloging the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences case files. For someone who loves to be out in the field, chasing down bad guys, this is punishment. Books for his part is not happy to have someone meddling with his case fi...more

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Apr 28, 2012 Jim rated it 3 of 5 stars

A solid first outing for this series. While hearkening to the fun of The Avengers (The British secret agents), it also brings a Victorian National Treasure vibe. The steampunk is there, but while the story features a healthy dose of gadgets, it feels like the steampunk is more flavor than anything critical to the plot.

This can be a good thing though, as the writing never strays from plot for the sake of "ooh, shiny!" I will echo previous sentiment by saying there was a bit too much exposition fo...more

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Feb 20, 2012 Jenn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk

I bought this book on a whim the other day and I’m so pleased that I did. After enjoying Philippa Ballantine‘s Geist (which I talked about here), I was excited to see that she’s also ventured into the world of steampunk, teaming up with Tee Morris (who I’d never heard of) to create a fun new series with its very own website.

The book is told from both Eliza and Books’ perspectives, helping the reader to get to know both protagonists. Eliza is brash and daring and saucy while Books is more reserve...more

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Jan 09, 2012 Nathan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk

Phoenix Rising moves along at a rollicking pace and feels like a classic pulp adventure with twists, turns and exciting action sequences. It also has enough odd contraptions, interesting locations and class conflict to keep Steampunk fans hooked. I also really enjoyed the relationship between the main characters, which provides plenty of entertaining conflict. Everything is over the top and larger than life, which I enjoyed, and the villains are truly despicable. Some of the characters are a lit...more

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Jan 01, 2012 Cornerofmadness rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

I'm still enamored of the idea of steampunk, but I've had trouble finding novels that I like. This one comes close. Wish Goodreads had a half star system since this is better than three but not as good as four.

Set in Victorian London, it opens with a grand rescue by the ministry of Peculiar Occurrences agent, Eliza Braun. We later learn that she was supposed to assassinate Agent Wellington Books, fearing he had been compromised by their enemy to the House of Usher but she refused to follow that...more

I'm still enamored of the idea of steampunk, but I've had trouble finding novels that I like. This one comes close. Wish Goodreads had a half star system since this is better than three but not as good as four.

Set in Victorian London, it opens with a grand rescue by the ministry of Peculiar Occurrences agent, Eliza Braun. We later learn that she was supposed to assassinate Agent Wellington Books, fearing he had been compromised by their enemy to the House of Usher but she refused to follow that order.

As punishment, Eliza is taken out of the field to learn a little restraint and respect for the chain of command and is assigned to Books as a partner. He's an archivist, but he's also an inventor and innovator (which is where the steampunk elements come in the heaviest). Their relationship is a common trope, the stuffy bookish man and the highly sexualized outgoing woman (reminded a little too much of Rupert Giles and Faith). They called her a 'colonial pepperpot' a little too often. Eliza is from New Zealand and misses it. She also misses being in the field and when Books tells her about the cold case files, she can't resist looking into what happened to her last partner who'd been driven insane by a case involving missing people who were later found missing either all their bones, their tissues or their blood.

Books gets drawn into helping her. Together they uncover a new secret society, worse than the House of Usher, filled with England's upper crust, determined to restore England to it former world power status by any means possible. Intercutting the flip flopping chapters (between Eliza and Books, povs) are interludes that set up hints of unrest in the ministry and lay the groundwork for what surely will be a series of Braun & Books stories. With no back up and doing this in secret, Books and Braun may not survive to see another day.

The book was entertaining but it did have its problems. For one, the names bothered me, silly I know. It's not totally unlikely for a librarian to be named Books but it is a little eye rolling and Eliza Braun just kept putting me in mind of Germany not New Zealand but that's my issue not the book's. I was more put out that the characters are a tad one note, especially Eliza. I'm a little tired of action heroines being too over the top and Eliza is. The female assassin was more realistic in many ways. Eliza is all let's blow things up and not enough of anything else even though that is what she's supposed to be learning. Her sexing up Books and backing away got a little tiresome after a while but then again I'm not an UST fan. Books can be a little one note, too, and his loathing of guns made me think I misread something. I hadn't. He can/will shoot but he keeps hiding it from Eliza, which ended up feeling contrived, and I just didn't see why he'd do it. Overall, it was good. I'd look for the next one but I hope the characters will get a little more depth to them then.
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James River Writers: Currently Reading	2	8	May 09, 2013 12:44pm
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About Philippa Ballantine

Born and raised in Wellington, New Zealand, Philippa is a writer and podcaster of fantasy fiction.
Immersed in books from an early age, she moved onto to become a librarian. She'd been dreaming of being a writer since a teenager, but in the last ten years she's devoted herself to it.
She's the author of the Books of the Order series from Ace Books. Geist, Spectyr, Wrayth (2012) and Harbinger (2013)...more

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Quotes from Phoenix Rising

“She groaned as her face turned to press against the rosewood floor. "Welly, remind me to order a better mattress for my bed. This one is far too firm."

"Oh, Eliza," Wellington gasped, now remembering why he was in these lush surroundings. "No broken nose, I hope."

"S'all right," Braun slurred. Her voiced dropped to a whisper. "My ample bosom broke my fall.” — 11 people liked it

“I think you will agree the sign of a civilised society is a regular dining schedule.” — 2 people liked it

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