REVIEW OF THE PHOENIX AND THE SWORD (CRANE MOON CYCLE 1)
BLURBAili Fallon is desperate.
Determined to escape her past, she refuses to let anything impede her training as a combat nurse – until the woman she’s falling in love with disappears in a fiery tempest, leaving Aili burdened with terrible immortality and destroying flame.
Gambling with her own existence, Aili crosses into a spiritual realm in search of her lost love — the only person that can give her answers. But beneath the life she has known is a life shaped by secrets, and a love that was doomed a thousand years before.
And unless Aili discovers the truth, the powers she now bears will destroy her.
The Phoenix and the Sword is the first book in the Crane Moon Cycle duology, a queer epic fantasy set in a world of spiritual powers, past lives, and beings of myth and legend. Perfect for those looking for a story of love, loss, and redemption that crosses centuries and worlds.
The Crane Moon Cycle is set in a world that includes war and violence, and themes that may be difficult for some readers. Please see the author’s website, jcsnow.com, for list and details.
It took me a while to find my stride with this book, but once I did, I couldn’t put it down. It’s a cultivation fantasy and queer, two things that immediately make me sit up and take notice. I’m a sucker for all kinds of cultivation books/ shows and when they come with queer content, it’s HEAVEN.
The book starts in a war similar to one of our world wars where Aili, one of our protagonists is dragged to a bar by her best friend Nora to find a cute girl. Both Aili and Nora are nurses, training to go out into the warzone. Aili meets Tairei, a Daxian, with whom she feels an immediate connection. Despite misunderstandings, the two come to something close to a romance before Tairei sacrifices herself for Aili, leaving Aili with weird powers of healing and regeneration. During a mission, Nora is killed and Aili meets Tainu who promises her answers but only in the spirit realm.
What follows is a memorable tale of past lives, rebirths, and a love that has lasted over a thousand years.
I have no words to express just how much I loved this book. I was so invested in Aili and Tairei’s story that when the past life flashback happened, I was annoyed. Of course, it’s a staple of cultivation fantasy, and many important events are shown in the flashbacks which adds depth to the events of the present and makes sense of the characters and their relationships. Still, I loved that the author interspersed the past with the present so readers could follow both.
The characters and the emotions are the strong point of this. The pacing was rather slow in the beginning, and though it picked up speed, it is a sedate journey. Character development is given more space than anything else, and it is well worth it. While I loved Aili and Tairei/ Liu Chenguang, I was more intrigued by the dynamic between Tainu and Zhu Guiren, especially considering some of the revelations from the past.
I was up all night reading this, and I was so invested that I started the sequel immediately and finished it in one go.
The book being an eastern fantasy is written in the style of Eastern fantasies, which I personally adore. But east or west, a good story is a good story and well written characters are universal. If you love fantasy, well rounded characters who are flawed and human, mythological beasts, lots of magic, and romance, you will love this book.
You can find the book here!
