What do you think?
Rate this book
Phoenix Series #1
Phoenix Rising
Sail. Salvage. Repeat.
For as long as Toby can remember, he and his father have sailed on the Phoenix , salvaging from the junk-filled seas to stay afloat, while keeping under the radar of the authorities. His father is, after all, a wanted man.
And now the Phoenix is on the trail of the ultimate prize, a salvage of solar panels that could mean they’ll never need to hunt for fuel again.
Ayla is second-in-command on the rival Banshee , where she’s trained her whole life to fight—just as her mother, Captain Nell, demands. Since childhood, Ayla’s been taught the Phoenix must be destroyed. And now they have the ship in their sights. And they’re desperate to have their precious intel, too.
Toby’s sick of a life at sea, and Ayla may be his only hope. Can he turn an old feud into a new alliance that will save both their skins?
Award-winning Bryony Pearce brings the high seas to life with her rousing steampunk pirate adventure that will have you craving more.
For as long as Toby can remember, he and his father have sailed on the Phoenix , salvaging from the junk-filled seas to stay afloat, while keeping under the radar of the authorities. His father is, after all, a wanted man.
And now the Phoenix is on the trail of the ultimate prize, a salvage of solar panels that could mean they’ll never need to hunt for fuel again.
Ayla is second-in-command on the rival Banshee , where she’s trained her whole life to fight—just as her mother, Captain Nell, demands. Since childhood, Ayla’s been taught the Phoenix must be destroyed. And now they have the ship in their sights. And they’re desperate to have their precious intel, too.
Toby’s sick of a life at sea, and Ayla may be his only hope. Can he turn an old feud into a new alliance that will save both their skins?
Award-winning Bryony Pearce brings the high seas to life with her rousing steampunk pirate adventure that will have you craving more.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2015
8 people are currently reading
612 people want to read
About the author
Bryony Pearce
23 books188 followersBryony Pearce (formerly McCarthy) lives with her husband and two children in a village on the edge of the Peak District. She completed an English Literature degree at Corpus Christi College Cambridge in 1998 and afterward worked in the business-to-business market research sector. She went freelance in 2004 so she could devote more time to writing. Bryony was a winner of the 2008 Undiscovered Voices competition with her MG novel Windrunner's Daughter. Her first YA novel, Angel's Fury, will be published on 4th July 2011 by Egmont.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
May 22, 2015
2.5 First half was boring, second half picked up. Just a bit...boring.
March 15, 2017
This review and others posted over at
my blog.
A middle-grade book about pirates in a post-apocalyptic setting? Sign me up! When I initially requested this book I thought it would give me Shipbreaker vibes. Unfortunately, I was disappointed on all counts and wish I’d just re-read Shipbreaker.
My biggest issue with this book was my inability to picture most of what was going on. The bulk of the story takes place on the ship and the trash-filled sea and I couldn’t clearly picture either. From what I gather, a series of natural disasters destroyed the society as we know it and knocked out much of our technology. The sun disappeared for a few years, but now it’s back. The ocean has some sort of deadly levels of salt or acid or something and it’s full of trash and old vehicles and all sorts of stuff that pirates could salvage. None of this information gave me a clear picture and it felt like disaster overkill.
The Phoenix is mostly wood, I think, but maybe also had some metal parts and the bridge is made of glass (not sure why that’d be beneficial, but what do I know?) It has two different types of engines, one for traditional fuel and another for combustibles, and it also has paddles. There is a diagram of the ship at the beginning of the book but when it came to trying to imagine the characters navigating the ship, I simply couldn’t do it and just imaged the deck of a basic, ye olde pirate ship.
Pair my confusion with the fact that next to nothing happens for the first 50% of the book and I was ready to call it quits. I primarily kept going because I requested the book and the writing isn’t bad, it just didn’t capture my attention and I think perhaps the book was taking on too much at once. Even with the low level of action at the start of the book, the characters didn’t feel well developed either.
The crew of The Phoenix is forgettable. The captain is kind but firm and dedicated to his ragtag crew of semi-criminals. Various crew members are mentioned throughout the book – some more than others, and they seem to either like Toby or dislike him. There’s a pair of bully brothers, who I think are much too old to be tormenting and threatening the fourteen-ish-year-old son of the captain. Toby feels much younger than his age and is more caring and trusting than I think a child who grew up with a hard life at sea, amidst a ship full of wanted men and women, should be.
There’s even a mechanical parrot who goes by the clichéd name of Polly. She was apparently created by the captain before the world completely fell apart and though I think she’s supposed to add a steampunk feel to the novel, she felt magical instead. She has a metal skeleton and many of her abilities are explained with her “biomass” something-or-other and she has real feathers and looks real, but she needs to vacuum up pellets (of unknown substance) for power. She can store and download information like a computer and her personality is “cares for Toby.”
No one on the rival ship really matters except its captain, Nell, and her daughter and second in command, Ayla. Nell is mean, bent on vengeance and not very violent considering she’s so ruthless and her crew is supposed to frighten the pants off everyone else. Ayla is pretty, smart, good with a sword and doesn’t require her head shaved and a skull tattoo like every other crew member (male or female) likely because she’s the captain’s daughter and Toby’s potential love interest. Despite her purported awesomeness, I didn’t understand why she was chosen as second in command as a fifteen-year-old and I didn’t peg Captain Nell as one for nepotism.
The plot picks up somewhat at the end, but based on the opinion I’d formed of Toby I didn’t find his role in a rescue mission believable. His relationship with Ayla is an awkward back and forth of trust issues and unwarranted care for each other and I kept forgetting they were teens because they behaved more like ten-year-olds. The stakes felt low because I had no connection with any of the characters and there was some info-dumping that could have fleshed out the characters some, but I was too tired to care at that point.
I think Pearce was trying to cram too much into one book and as a result, the world-building, characters and plot all fell flat for me. This book is clearly a setup for the next in the series, but I won’t be continuing.
I received this book from Sky Pony Press in exchange for an honest review.
A middle-grade book about pirates in a post-apocalyptic setting? Sign me up! When I initially requested this book I thought it would give me Shipbreaker vibes. Unfortunately, I was disappointed on all counts and wish I’d just re-read Shipbreaker.
My biggest issue with this book was my inability to picture most of what was going on. The bulk of the story takes place on the ship and the trash-filled sea and I couldn’t clearly picture either. From what I gather, a series of natural disasters destroyed the society as we know it and knocked out much of our technology. The sun disappeared for a few years, but now it’s back. The ocean has some sort of deadly levels of salt or acid or something and it’s full of trash and old vehicles and all sorts of stuff that pirates could salvage. None of this information gave me a clear picture and it felt like disaster overkill.
The Phoenix is mostly wood, I think, but maybe also had some metal parts and the bridge is made of glass (not sure why that’d be beneficial, but what do I know?) It has two different types of engines, one for traditional fuel and another for combustibles, and it also has paddles. There is a diagram of the ship at the beginning of the book but when it came to trying to imagine the characters navigating the ship, I simply couldn’t do it and just imaged the deck of a basic, ye olde pirate ship.
Pair my confusion with the fact that next to nothing happens for the first 50% of the book and I was ready to call it quits. I primarily kept going because I requested the book and the writing isn’t bad, it just didn’t capture my attention and I think perhaps the book was taking on too much at once. Even with the low level of action at the start of the book, the characters didn’t feel well developed either.
The crew of The Phoenix is forgettable. The captain is kind but firm and dedicated to his ragtag crew of semi-criminals. Various crew members are mentioned throughout the book – some more than others, and they seem to either like Toby or dislike him. There’s a pair of bully brothers, who I think are much too old to be tormenting and threatening the fourteen-ish-year-old son of the captain. Toby feels much younger than his age and is more caring and trusting than I think a child who grew up with a hard life at sea, amidst a ship full of wanted men and women, should be.
There’s even a mechanical parrot who goes by the clichéd name of Polly. She was apparently created by the captain before the world completely fell apart and though I think she’s supposed to add a steampunk feel to the novel, she felt magical instead. She has a metal skeleton and many of her abilities are explained with her “biomass” something-or-other and she has real feathers and looks real, but she needs to vacuum up pellets (of unknown substance) for power. She can store and download information like a computer and her personality is “cares for Toby.”
No one on the rival ship really matters except its captain, Nell, and her daughter and second in command, Ayla. Nell is mean, bent on vengeance and not very violent considering she’s so ruthless and her crew is supposed to frighten the pants off everyone else. Ayla is pretty, smart, good with a sword and doesn’t require her head shaved and a skull tattoo like every other crew member (male or female) likely because she’s the captain’s daughter and Toby’s potential love interest. Despite her purported awesomeness, I didn’t understand why she was chosen as second in command as a fifteen-year-old and I didn’t peg Captain Nell as one for nepotism.
The plot picks up somewhat at the end, but based on the opinion I’d formed of Toby I didn’t find his role in a rescue mission believable. His relationship with Ayla is an awkward back and forth of trust issues and unwarranted care for each other and I kept forgetting they were teens because they behaved more like ten-year-olds. The stakes felt low because I had no connection with any of the characters and there was some info-dumping that could have fleshed out the characters some, but I was too tired to care at that point.
I think Pearce was trying to cram too much into one book and as a result, the world-building, characters and plot all fell flat for me. This book is clearly a setup for the next in the series, but I won’t be continuing.
I received this book from Sky Pony Press in exchange for an honest review.
November 9, 2018
Phoenix Rising follows the story of teenage pirate Toby Ford and his travels aboard the Phoenix in a world of garbage-filled seas and blinding sunlight. Years before the story starts, the world had run out of natural oil, bringing the governments and corporations into chaos as they fight for power and resources. While all of this happens, a supervolcano erupts, bringing the world into darkness caused by ash clouds. Along with this, the Earth's seas become so salty that it becomes near impossible for life to inhabit on it.
Toby Ford is doing his regular duties on the Phoenix, which are maintaining the boat's boiler room to make sure the paddles keep rowing. One day, he finds a piece of scrap out on the ocean, an airplane that may be filled with valuables. He and the Phoenix's crew don't know it yet, but this one salvage mission will bring problems for them in the future, mainly when against rival ship the Banshee.
▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄
I hate this book.
I'll be blunt when I say most of this book did not float well with me, which is rather disheartening because the plot had so much potential to be good. Sadly, it did not live up to such a great idea.
There is a LOT of world building within this book, but it ends up useless when I don't care about anything that happens in the said world.
-----
There are multiple characters mentioned throughout the story, most of which have little to no personality. The man Toby saves in the prologue, Marcus, has so little personality that it surprises me that his rescue was even given any recognition. With this fatal flaw, whenever a character dies in the story, it just feels like background noise.
The characters that DO matter (Toby, Ayla, Nell, Barnaby, Polly, and Hiko) are just tropes upon tropes.
Toby is Thomas + Peeta + kind-hearted male dystopian protagonist number 150 - any common sense these people had that helped them survive such harsh conditions. Ayla is Katniss + Tris - anything that made them interesting. Hiko is any kid dystopian character that dies in the end but doesn't die. Polly is probably the only interesting character, which isn't saying much because she's a robotic parrot with a personality.
For a dystopian novel that constantly talks about battles aboard rusting ships surrounded by toxic waters and robot birds, it feels BORING. The first half simply drags on for too long for what is supposed to be an intense battle between two rival pirate groups. Even when the main characters reach a new port town, the story only picks up around the near end of that whole ordeal.
-----
Even worse is the formatting of this book. AT times, there are moments where you would see typos such as:
The formatting of this book irritates me to no end, which doesn't help the case for this book at all.
▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄
Overall, Phoenix Rising is a boring book that only manages to be interesting for the twist. Although it is a GREAT twist, I feel like it does not serve this wreck of a book justice. It's clear the author put her heart and soul into this book, especially considering the map of the Phoenix + the news article clippings before the prologue. Sadly, they only make a rotten meal slightly more bearable.
Overall, Phoenix Rising gets 3 crackers out of 10.
▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄
"Toby f0idg0ted."
- Bryony Pearce, Phoenix Rising
Toby Ford is doing his regular duties on the Phoenix, which are maintaining the boat's boiler room to make sure the paddles keep rowing. One day, he finds a piece of scrap out on the ocean, an airplane that may be filled with valuables. He and the Phoenix's crew don't know it yet, but this one salvage mission will bring problems for them in the future, mainly when against rival ship the Banshee.
▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄
I hate this book.
I'll be blunt when I say most of this book did not float well with me, which is rather disheartening because the plot had so much potential to be good. Sadly, it did not live up to such a great idea.
There is a LOT of world building within this book, but it ends up useless when I don't care about anything that happens in the said world.
-----
There are multiple characters mentioned throughout the story, most of which have little to no personality. The man Toby saves in the prologue, Marcus, has so little personality that it surprises me that his rescue was even given any recognition. With this fatal flaw, whenever a character dies in the story, it just feels like background noise.
The characters that DO matter (Toby, Ayla, Nell, Barnaby, Polly, and Hiko) are just tropes upon tropes.
Toby is Thomas + Peeta + kind-hearted male dystopian protagonist number 150 - any common sense these people had that helped them survive such harsh conditions. Ayla is Katniss + Tris - anything that made them interesting. Hiko is any kid dystopian character that dies in the end but doesn't die. Polly is probably the only interesting character, which isn't saying much because she's a robotic parrot with a personality.
For a dystopian novel that constantly talks about battles aboard rusting ships surrounded by toxic waters and robot birds, it feels BORING. The first half simply drags on for too long for what is supposed to be an intense battle between two rival pirate groups. Even when the main characters reach a new port town, the story only picks up around the near end of that whole ordeal.
-----
Even worse is the formatting of this book. AT times, there are moments where you would see typos such as:
"Toby f0idg0ted."
The formatting of this book irritates me to no end, which doesn't help the case for this book at all.
▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄
Overall, Phoenix Rising is a boring book that only manages to be interesting for the twist. Although it is a GREAT twist, I feel like it does not serve this wreck of a book justice. It's clear the author put her heart and soul into this book, especially considering the map of the Phoenix + the news article clippings before the prologue. Sadly, they only make a rotten meal slightly more bearable.
Overall, Phoenix Rising gets 3 crackers out of 10.
▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄
"Toby f0idg0ted."
- Bryony Pearce, Phoenix Rising
October 29, 2017
In a not so distant future the world suffers from a mega volcano that changes the way everyone lives. Toby has grown up on the pirate ship Phoenix that his father the captain built. The pirates circle the world trying to find salvage that they can barter or sell.
When his dad is captured, Toby finds help from an unlikely ally.
3.75
When his dad is captured, Toby finds help from an unlikely ally.
3.75
February 27, 2017
This review is also available on my blog, Read Till Dawn.
This actually has an even cooler premise than I thought it would going in. I guess I didn't read the description very carefully, because I saw "pirates" and thought "historical fiction." You know, like Blackbeard and shanghaied pirates and the Jolly Roger and all that stuff? Well, it turns out that Phoenix Rising is definitely nothing like that. It has the Jolly Roger, sure, but that's where any similarities to historical pirate stories ends. This book actually tells a story set in a bleak future where fossil fuel supplies have dried up, the sun was entirely blocked by atmospheric gases for several decades, and the oceans have become cluttered full of garbage from ancient garbage dumps that broke apart during land shifts. Toby lives on a pirate ship full of pirates wanted for various (non-violent) crimes, and they move through the water by burning wood and using whatever scraps of natural gas they can find in the junk that fills the ocean.
It's actually an amazing premise, isn't it? I love the way it blends historical pirate culture, modern environmental crises, and predictions of how things could devolve once nations start fighting over resources.
All that to say . . . I didn't like the book quite as much as I'd hoped I would. It's got gobs of semi-minor characters everywhere, and I had a terrible time trying to keep them all straight. Several of those characters die throughout the book, and more random people we don't even know die as well. Even the two main characters, both of whom are about fourteen, kill multiple people throughout the book. I can be okay with death, when it's realistic and contributes to a story, but I just didn't like the way people skated past all the deaths. Toby never struggles with what he's done, not really, and I just needed to see him do that in order to believe in him as a character.
As for Ayla, she's not in the book as much as you'd think from the description. She shows up about a third of the way through, actually. I think she's supposed to be a tough but lovable character, one of those "enemies with a heart of gold." Unfortunately, I never really bought that conception of her character. Ayla seems like a troubled soul, and I do wish her greater happiness in the future, but I don't really see her as an innocent in this story.
I assume there will be a sequel, since the story has a pretty open ending. If one does come out in the future, despite not falling completely in love with Phoenix Rising, I would definitely still be interested in reading it and discovering what happens next. I'd also like to see the conflicting politics of the land countries explained in more detail, because we only get a quick sketch of them in Phoenix Rising but it sounds like they could be really fascinating. Until then, though, I'm content to pass my copy of Phoenix Rising along to my local book swap.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This actually has an even cooler premise than I thought it would going in. I guess I didn't read the description very carefully, because I saw "pirates" and thought "historical fiction." You know, like Blackbeard and shanghaied pirates and the Jolly Roger and all that stuff? Well, it turns out that Phoenix Rising is definitely nothing like that. It has the Jolly Roger, sure, but that's where any similarities to historical pirate stories ends. This book actually tells a story set in a bleak future where fossil fuel supplies have dried up, the sun was entirely blocked by atmospheric gases for several decades, and the oceans have become cluttered full of garbage from ancient garbage dumps that broke apart during land shifts. Toby lives on a pirate ship full of pirates wanted for various (non-violent) crimes, and they move through the water by burning wood and using whatever scraps of natural gas they can find in the junk that fills the ocean.
It's actually an amazing premise, isn't it? I love the way it blends historical pirate culture, modern environmental crises, and predictions of how things could devolve once nations start fighting over resources.
All that to say . . . I didn't like the book quite as much as I'd hoped I would. It's got gobs of semi-minor characters everywhere, and I had a terrible time trying to keep them all straight. Several of those characters die throughout the book, and more random people we don't even know die as well. Even the two main characters, both of whom are about fourteen, kill multiple people throughout the book. I can be okay with death, when it's realistic and contributes to a story, but I just didn't like the way people skated past all the deaths. Toby never struggles with what he's done, not really, and I just needed to see him do that in order to believe in him as a character.
As for Ayla, she's not in the book as much as you'd think from the description. She shows up about a third of the way through, actually. I think she's supposed to be a tough but lovable character, one of those "enemies with a heart of gold." Unfortunately, I never really bought that conception of her character. Ayla seems like a troubled soul, and I do wish her greater happiness in the future, but I don't really see her as an innocent in this story.
I assume there will be a sequel, since the story has a pretty open ending. If one does come out in the future, despite not falling completely in love with Phoenix Rising, I would definitely still be interested in reading it and discovering what happens next. I'd also like to see the conflicting politics of the land countries explained in more detail, because we only get a quick sketch of them in Phoenix Rising but it sounds like they could be really fascinating. Until then, though, I'm content to pass my copy of Phoenix Rising along to my local book swap.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
October 10, 2018
The idea of the book is very interesting, with many interesting things in the story keeping the reader hooked, wanting more of the story. Really well executed and the characters and events feel real. 10/10 would recommend.
March 17, 2017
Decent post-apocalyptic middle grade adventure.
May 29, 2017
My 14 year old son loved this book!
October 19, 2018
I picked this book up because I liked the theme of salvaging to survive, and I couldn't put it down. I just kept telling myself just a few more pages until I just gave up and finished it in a day.
May 20, 2021
1.75 stars
That was a disappointment. The whole time, I was just bored and barely focusing on the story, which is never a good sign.
That was a disappointment. The whole time, I was just bored and barely focusing on the story, which is never a good sign.
August 19, 2025
Interesting premise that was well executed.
June 3, 2015
Bryony Pearce’s last book,
The Weight of Souls
was one I enjoyed tremendously, so I was looking forward to reading her next book. What made Phoenix Rising even more interesting was that it is a departure from what Pearce has written previously; both Angel’s Fury and The Weight of Souls were supernatural YA stories, where Phoenix Rising is very much a dystopian narrative. The future Pearce evokes for us is bleak and its causes are frighteningly plausible.
Pearce’s world building is fabulous. She sets up the timeline quickly and innovatively through a four-page spread of newspaper clippings, that quickly inform us about the biggest causes for the collapse of society as we know it today. These causes range from humanity poisoning the Earth to natural disasters. I really liked this way of giving the reader what amounts to a considerable info dump in a very concise and elegant manner. Pearce also clearly thought through all the effects of what happened and what the consequences would be, for example the fact that humanity would become photosensitive when existing in a perpetual gloom due to ashes in the atmosphere. These details are dropped in the narrative without great bombast, but they are there for the finding and I loved that.
Within this changed world and changed civilisation, Pearce positions her narrative mainly on the Phoenix, a ship that contains a society in miniature and shows the breadth of experiences different people had after the collapse in the stories of the crew members. I adored the diversity of characters and experiences onboard the Phoenix. Uma, Marcus, Dee and Nisha were all great, but my favourites had to be our protagonist Toby and the youngest member of the crew, Hiko. Toby is interesting because of his position on the ship. On the one hand he is crucial to the running of the Phoenix as he is the engineer in charge of the all important boiler that creates the steam to propel the Phoenix forward and on the other hand he is the protected son of the Phoenix’s Captain Barnaby Ford.
Part of the narrative is Toby coming to grips with his desire to break free and be considered an adult and be respected in his own right, a struggle that is most clearly reflected in his interactions with the villainous Crocker and Peel. While I really didn’t like these guys, Pearce manages to make them sympathetic in a rather roundabout way, which I appreciated a lot as it served to showcase Toby’s growth throughout the narrative. Another way his growing maturity is shown is his bond with Hiko. He feels responsible for the younger boy and both protects him and allows him to shine by giving him responsibilities of his own. Toby is always shadowed by his parrot, Polly, who is far more than a simple parrot. She’s an advanced AI, who serves as Toby’s guardian and friend on a ship where he as long been the youngest member on board without any playmates of his own. I absolutely loved Polly and her hectoring ways. I know she was an AI in a robotic body, but she felt real and fully developed to me.
My one complaint with the narrative would be that the entire book was told from Toby’s perspective. From the flap text, and the publicity campaign, it was clear that there were two sides to the story, that of the Phoenix and that of the Banshee, so I’d expected to get at least some of the story from Ayla’s perspective. Instead we only see Ayla through Toby’s eyes. Being confined to a Phoenix point of view also means we only learn the true nature of the enmity between the Phoenix and the Banshee relatively late in the book. To be fair, I just really loved Ayla, so my desire for her viewpoint stems from the desire to spend more time with her as well.
I really enjoyed Phoenix Rising. As a YA novel it sits somewhat at the younger end of the scale in my opinion, without losing any of its complexity. Pearce manages to infuse a lot of interesting and thought-provoking themes into the books about politics, climate change and what happens when those two collide. I can’t wait to continue Toby and Ayla’s adventure in the next book and to see if my decision to remain #BansheeCrew will be justified. If dystopia is your cup of tea then you should definitely check out Phoenix Rising.
This book was provided for review by the publisher.
Pearce’s world building is fabulous. She sets up the timeline quickly and innovatively through a four-page spread of newspaper clippings, that quickly inform us about the biggest causes for the collapse of society as we know it today. These causes range from humanity poisoning the Earth to natural disasters. I really liked this way of giving the reader what amounts to a considerable info dump in a very concise and elegant manner. Pearce also clearly thought through all the effects of what happened and what the consequences would be, for example the fact that humanity would become photosensitive when existing in a perpetual gloom due to ashes in the atmosphere. These details are dropped in the narrative without great bombast, but they are there for the finding and I loved that.
Within this changed world and changed civilisation, Pearce positions her narrative mainly on the Phoenix, a ship that contains a society in miniature and shows the breadth of experiences different people had after the collapse in the stories of the crew members. I adored the diversity of characters and experiences onboard the Phoenix. Uma, Marcus, Dee and Nisha were all great, but my favourites had to be our protagonist Toby and the youngest member of the crew, Hiko. Toby is interesting because of his position on the ship. On the one hand he is crucial to the running of the Phoenix as he is the engineer in charge of the all important boiler that creates the steam to propel the Phoenix forward and on the other hand he is the protected son of the Phoenix’s Captain Barnaby Ford.
Part of the narrative is Toby coming to grips with his desire to break free and be considered an adult and be respected in his own right, a struggle that is most clearly reflected in his interactions with the villainous Crocker and Peel. While I really didn’t like these guys, Pearce manages to make them sympathetic in a rather roundabout way, which I appreciated a lot as it served to showcase Toby’s growth throughout the narrative. Another way his growing maturity is shown is his bond with Hiko. He feels responsible for the younger boy and both protects him and allows him to shine by giving him responsibilities of his own. Toby is always shadowed by his parrot, Polly, who is far more than a simple parrot. She’s an advanced AI, who serves as Toby’s guardian and friend on a ship where he as long been the youngest member on board without any playmates of his own. I absolutely loved Polly and her hectoring ways. I know she was an AI in a robotic body, but she felt real and fully developed to me.
My one complaint with the narrative would be that the entire book was told from Toby’s perspective. From the flap text, and the publicity campaign, it was clear that there were two sides to the story, that of the Phoenix and that of the Banshee, so I’d expected to get at least some of the story from Ayla’s perspective. Instead we only see Ayla through Toby’s eyes. Being confined to a Phoenix point of view also means we only learn the true nature of the enmity between the Phoenix and the Banshee relatively late in the book. To be fair, I just really loved Ayla, so my desire for her viewpoint stems from the desire to spend more time with her as well.
I really enjoyed Phoenix Rising. As a YA novel it sits somewhat at the younger end of the scale in my opinion, without losing any of its complexity. Pearce manages to infuse a lot of interesting and thought-provoking themes into the books about politics, climate change and what happens when those two collide. I can’t wait to continue Toby and Ayla’s adventure in the next book and to see if my decision to remain #BansheeCrew will be justified. If dystopia is your cup of tea then you should definitely check out Phoenix Rising.
This book was provided for review by the publisher.
October 5, 2015
Thank you firstly to Stripes Publishing for involving me in promoting this book, from a signed review copy to putting me in the blog tour - more content can be found on my blog, such as author interview, a guest post from the author as well as the other tour stops on the blog tour.
Now on to the review we go! I’m going to start by saying that I was recruited as #TeamPhoenix whoop whoop but fear not my review does not take me away from my loyalty ;) Anyway here we go!
Phoenix Rising begins with some illustrations and newspaper clippings that foretell the slow demise of the world as we know it. Banks are collapsing, war over oil, power blackouts across the world, chaos brewing everywhere we look. Sound somewhat familiar? (and devastatingly scary). This has become the future of the world we’re living in, civilisation is on the brink of disaster and in the midst of all this, is where our story really starts. I also love the way the newspaper clippings were used to give us a snippet of each of the things that have lent a hand in bringing down the free world - a nice touch to unload information without overloading.
I felt like there was a real effort at diversifying the characters, and for some reason in my head I kept imagining this ship as an Arc, with the people on it being one of each kind just waiting for the end of the world LOL don’t judge me, it’s my imagination, hard to control. Toby’s point of view guides us through the narrative as his narrative is the main one. I enjoyed being in his head and seeing things unfold from his point of view, seeing him mature as he battles his inner and outer demons - but as a reader I would have liked to see alternating points of view between him and Alya. See the same events through both their eyes which would have balanced out the different interests of these characters well and drawn on their individual characteristics and experiences in how they see things. Also, am I the only one who wants an individual book on almost every other character just to find out more about their background?! Especially Hiko. I just wanted to gather him under my arms and shoot daggers at anyone that comes close. Alya was pure kick-ass, I resonated with her on some personal level, how determined, feisty, no nonsense she was.
For me, what I enjoyed most about Pearce’s story was the way that this is all a possibility. With the endless amounts of dystopian books and countless movies that foretell the end of the world, I feel like Pearce’s perspective of looking at what would happen after the collapse of the real world rather than how it happens, has lent us readers a hand in discovering alternate realities of what could happen. We very may well end up on individual ships, battling it out for resources with survivors, who really knows?! This isn’t just a book about government corruption and the subsequent rebellion and uprising of its people - but this is a book about a true horror, when our world can no longer find a way to function and collapse around us. Loyalties are tested, humanity is called into question and I think that’s what I truly enjoyed about the story.
With a strong yet steady pace that has moments of hitching our breath, I found myself immersed completely in the book - which is saying a lot for someone who rarely reads steam-punky books let alone anything that involves the word pirate - but don’t be put off by that in the slightest, because this story is more about loyalty, bonds and relationships, tested in times of hardship. In terms of audiences, I feel like this could fit into the range of young teens to older readers and shouldn’t really be bound to just one category. There are many elements to this story that can appeal to all kinds of readers and Pearce’s writing and storytelling allows for us to dive into the story easily.
With another book in the works as this is a series, I honestly can’t wait to see what happens next because if you’ve read the book, you’ll be itching like me to get your hands on the next instalment. For the time being, this is Sahina, #TeamPhoenix, over and out!
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Now on to the review we go! I’m going to start by saying that I was recruited as #TeamPhoenix whoop whoop but fear not my review does not take me away from my loyalty ;) Anyway here we go!
Phoenix Rising begins with some illustrations and newspaper clippings that foretell the slow demise of the world as we know it. Banks are collapsing, war over oil, power blackouts across the world, chaos brewing everywhere we look. Sound somewhat familiar? (and devastatingly scary). This has become the future of the world we’re living in, civilisation is on the brink of disaster and in the midst of all this, is where our story really starts. I also love the way the newspaper clippings were used to give us a snippet of each of the things that have lent a hand in bringing down the free world - a nice touch to unload information without overloading.
I felt like there was a real effort at diversifying the characters, and for some reason in my head I kept imagining this ship as an Arc, with the people on it being one of each kind just waiting for the end of the world LOL don’t judge me, it’s my imagination, hard to control. Toby’s point of view guides us through the narrative as his narrative is the main one. I enjoyed being in his head and seeing things unfold from his point of view, seeing him mature as he battles his inner and outer demons - but as a reader I would have liked to see alternating points of view between him and Alya. See the same events through both their eyes which would have balanced out the different interests of these characters well and drawn on their individual characteristics and experiences in how they see things. Also, am I the only one who wants an individual book on almost every other character just to find out more about their background?! Especially Hiko. I just wanted to gather him under my arms and shoot daggers at anyone that comes close. Alya was pure kick-ass, I resonated with her on some personal level, how determined, feisty, no nonsense she was.
For me, what I enjoyed most about Pearce’s story was the way that this is all a possibility. With the endless amounts of dystopian books and countless movies that foretell the end of the world, I feel like Pearce’s perspective of looking at what would happen after the collapse of the real world rather than how it happens, has lent us readers a hand in discovering alternate realities of what could happen. We very may well end up on individual ships, battling it out for resources with survivors, who really knows?! This isn’t just a book about government corruption and the subsequent rebellion and uprising of its people - but this is a book about a true horror, when our world can no longer find a way to function and collapse around us. Loyalties are tested, humanity is called into question and I think that’s what I truly enjoyed about the story.
With a strong yet steady pace that has moments of hitching our breath, I found myself immersed completely in the book - which is saying a lot for someone who rarely reads steam-punky books let alone anything that involves the word pirate - but don’t be put off by that in the slightest, because this story is more about loyalty, bonds and relationships, tested in times of hardship. In terms of audiences, I feel like this could fit into the range of young teens to older readers and shouldn’t really be bound to just one category. There are many elements to this story that can appeal to all kinds of readers and Pearce’s writing and storytelling allows for us to dive into the story easily.
With another book in the works as this is a series, I honestly can’t wait to see what happens next because if you’ve read the book, you’ll be itching like me to get your hands on the next instalment. For the time being, this is Sahina, #TeamPhoenix, over and out!
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
February 24, 2017
A great read! For more Steampunk Reviews and Guest Authors, Check out Unabridged Andra's Steamy Saturdays!
As an avid reader, I have the opportunity of reading many, many books. This is a great problem to have; I don't deny that. However, when you're reading anywhere from 2-5 books a week for fun, plus 1-2 per week for work, it takes a really strong showing for a book to really stand out and keep your attention. Phoenix Rising was that book for me.
Bryony Pierce doesn't waste time in setting the scene, as we start out with a spotlight on our MC Toby in the place he feels most at home; the boiler room on the salvage ship the Phoenix. As he struggles to fix a steam leak we're given a lot of recap and character history, all mixed together with a lot of complicated steam-related science. Add in an exciting salvage project and the potential for enemy pirates stealing their prize, you get a TON of action in the first half of the book.
For a short while, I felt lost against the plot. It seemed as though I alone didn't understand what was happening, as the book kept chugging along and almost didn't let me catch up. There were a ton of characters, and it's sort of a pro/con that everyone had a backstory and life of their own. It made it hard to suss out the primary characters from the secondary, but I suppose that's a good thing. It means that even if they were C-list characters you got to know them by name and started to care for them (or hate them) just a little bit. I admit that I was overwhelmed; however, if you stick with it and keep going, your brain patches together a whose-who of the motley salvage crew and you really start enjoying them as the family they are.
As this is a Young Adult book, you can bet your clockwork a** that there's going to be a star-crossed love interest! Enter Ayla, the second-in-command of the Banshee, whose captain will stop at nothing to seek revenge upon the captain of the Phoenix. As opposed to Romeo/Juliet stories as I pretend to be am, Ayla was a very powerful character. She's larger-than-life, kicks butt better than the boys, and is positively lethal with a knife. No wonder Toby falls for her, especially as she's the first girl his age he's ever met. Without giving you too much details, their story gets predictably sappy and full of teenaged angst at the end of the book after a particularly gut-wrenching twist, but in spite of the melodrama, I enjoyed seeing their relationship grow as the plot continued to charge forward around them.
I took a look at some other reader's reviews for Phoenix Rising and found that the main complaint was about the technology being too technical and confusing. Well...those ladies must not have read much steampunk, because most of the technology, gears, steam-boilers, Artificial Intelligence, etc. is not uncommon in really any other steampunk book I've read. I felt that the pseudo-science that Pierce applied to her tech was very believable. I mean, we are looking at a futuristic wasteland. The combination of industrial technologies with solar and computer tech was interesting and fun, and did a great job of setting the scene as this poisonous, trashy wasteland.
I am giving Phoenix Rising a resounding 4.5 Keys! The world-building was astoundingly and realistically crafted to show a world that could very easily be ours one day. I docked a few points because near the end, the suspense between Toby and Ayla turned got too melodramatic for my tastes, as well as those few key details kept from me as a reader at the beginning of the book, but overall Phoenix Rising is a wonderful adventure. There's action, battle, a mystery, and a clear future for this story as a series. I for one cannot wait for book two to come out!
As an avid reader, I have the opportunity of reading many, many books. This is a great problem to have; I don't deny that. However, when you're reading anywhere from 2-5 books a week for fun, plus 1-2 per week for work, it takes a really strong showing for a book to really stand out and keep your attention. Phoenix Rising was that book for me.
Bryony Pierce doesn't waste time in setting the scene, as we start out with a spotlight on our MC Toby in the place he feels most at home; the boiler room on the salvage ship the Phoenix. As he struggles to fix a steam leak we're given a lot of recap and character history, all mixed together with a lot of complicated steam-related science. Add in an exciting salvage project and the potential for enemy pirates stealing their prize, you get a TON of action in the first half of the book.
For a short while, I felt lost against the plot. It seemed as though I alone didn't understand what was happening, as the book kept chugging along and almost didn't let me catch up. There were a ton of characters, and it's sort of a pro/con that everyone had a backstory and life of their own. It made it hard to suss out the primary characters from the secondary, but I suppose that's a good thing. It means that even if they were C-list characters you got to know them by name and started to care for them (or hate them) just a little bit. I admit that I was overwhelmed; however, if you stick with it and keep going, your brain patches together a whose-who of the motley salvage crew and you really start enjoying them as the family they are.
As this is a Young Adult book, you can bet your clockwork a** that there's going to be a star-crossed love interest! Enter Ayla, the second-in-command of the Banshee, whose captain will stop at nothing to seek revenge upon the captain of the Phoenix. As opposed to Romeo/Juliet stories as I pretend to be am, Ayla was a very powerful character. She's larger-than-life, kicks butt better than the boys, and is positively lethal with a knife. No wonder Toby falls for her, especially as she's the first girl his age he's ever met. Without giving you too much details, their story gets predictably sappy and full of teenaged angst at the end of the book after a particularly gut-wrenching twist, but in spite of the melodrama, I enjoyed seeing their relationship grow as the plot continued to charge forward around them.
I took a look at some other reader's reviews for Phoenix Rising and found that the main complaint was about the technology being too technical and confusing. Well...those ladies must not have read much steampunk, because most of the technology, gears, steam-boilers, Artificial Intelligence, etc. is not uncommon in really any other steampunk book I've read. I felt that the pseudo-science that Pierce applied to her tech was very believable. I mean, we are looking at a futuristic wasteland. The combination of industrial technologies with solar and computer tech was interesting and fun, and did a great job of setting the scene as this poisonous, trashy wasteland.
I am giving Phoenix Rising a resounding 4.5 Keys! The world-building was astoundingly and realistically crafted to show a world that could very easily be ours one day. I docked a few points because near the end, the suspense between Toby and Ayla turned got too melodramatic for my tastes, as well as those few key details kept from me as a reader at the beginning of the book, but overall Phoenix Rising is a wonderful adventure. There's action, battle, a mystery, and a clear future for this story as a series. I for one cannot wait for book two to come out!
March 8, 2017
A book labeled as junk-punk? That is a must read! I found myself immediately immersed in this original story. The juxtaposition of being set in the future, after a super volcano eruption has changed the world and the oceans are literally filled with floating junk, and pirate ships is pretty awesome. The Phoenix crew is like family and when Toby, the captain's son, runs into some trouble the crew help each other to escape. Full of adventure, science/inventions, and a tiny bit of romance, this is an action packed story that lots of kids will enjoy.
February 14, 2017
My name is Toby, and my father is captain of the Phoenix. The Phoenix may appear to be a pirate ship due to the criminals manning the small crew, but we mostly sail the garbage-filled seas looking for wreckage to salvage. Resources are scarce, and our hopes rest in finding the location of a sunken ship containing solar panels. However, a rival pirate ship called the Banshee is hunting us down and is determined to loot our ship. The hunt for our ship seems to be personal to the Banshee's captain, and that became obvious during their recent attack. The captain said she wanted to kill me in front of my father before killing him. The captain's daughter Ayla, also her first mate, is a fearsome fighter, but she's also very cute. She scares me, but I can't help liking her. I thought we had left the Banshee far behind us, but Ayla reappeared at a most unexpected time. My father was taken prisoner in Tarifa and now she's come aboard the Phoenix, offering to help in his rescue. What is she up to?
I enjoyed this new book, and I'm looking forward to the sequel. The unusual relationship between Toby and Ayla, both enemies and friends, creates an interesting conflict. Toby's affection for Ayla is evident even though he doesn't trust her. Even though Ayla risks her life to save Toby's father, I kept waiting for the moment when she would turn on them. You must read the book to find out if that moment ever comes. It's hard to imagine a setting with the level of pollution described in the book. The front of the Phoenix was extra strong to enable it to move through oceans full of debris. It's similar to a navy destroyer cutting through ice in Arctic waters. It took awhile to figure out where the plot was headed, but it later introduced the solar panels and the search for an uninhabited island. The fact that Toby has never set foot on land in his entire life reinforces the importance of finding a land where the pirates can settle. I highly recommend you give this book a shot!
I enjoyed this new book, and I'm looking forward to the sequel. The unusual relationship between Toby and Ayla, both enemies and friends, creates an interesting conflict. Toby's affection for Ayla is evident even though he doesn't trust her. Even though Ayla risks her life to save Toby's father, I kept waiting for the moment when she would turn on them. You must read the book to find out if that moment ever comes. It's hard to imagine a setting with the level of pollution described in the book. The front of the Phoenix was extra strong to enable it to move through oceans full of debris. It's similar to a navy destroyer cutting through ice in Arctic waters. It took awhile to figure out where the plot was headed, but it later introduced the solar panels and the search for an uninhabited island. The fact that Toby has never set foot on land in his entire life reinforces the importance of finding a land where the pirates can settle. I highly recommend you give this book a shot!
June 10, 2015
Originally posted here: https://heatherreviews.wordpress.com/...
________________________________
A fantastic, action packed pirate adventure set in a world where fossil fuels have finally run out and alternative fuel sources are growing scarce. Toby and the rest of the Phoenix crew are sailing in the hopes of discovering a hidden cache of solar panels so they can find their way to ‘the island’ – a paradise where they can settle and flourish. Sadly, it’s not an easy journey as they have to steer clear of not only the government, but fellow pirates like the Banshee crew too. The Banshee crew is a formidable, cut-throat crew that are known for their ruthlessness.
Toby has never set foot on land, or at least not that he can remember. His father is the captain of the Phoenix crew and is fiercely protective of him. So Toby maintains the boiler room and helps out around the ship. Until the day he finds a stowaway and a series of events leads to the boy being kidnapped and taken to the Banshee. This sets in motion a series of events that sees the crew hit dark times, with dangerous battles and more kidnapping ahead.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found it a little slow to build up to the action, but once it kicked off, I was hooked. Toby was an interesting character – with his love for the ship and the crew, the work that he does as well, but his dream of going on land. My heart warmed to him. I actually really liked the Banshee crew too. They were nefarious and ruthless and even though Ayla was the daughter of the captain, she didn’t get any special treatment (other than getting to keep her hair) and was under the same fear of the captain as the rest of the crew.
When the Phoenix captain tricks the Banshee crew and escapes with the co-ordinates for the solar panels, Ayla is sent after them. I thought this was a really interesting move and it did lead to some great developments in Ayla’s character. The one thing I couldn’t get behind was Ayla and Toby’s attraction – I can understand that they were both isolated and didn’t really see others their own age, but I just didn’t feel it. I think it would’ve been better without the romance elements in it.
Having said that, the kidnapping and epic battle at the end of the book was fantastic. So much action, excitement, pain and relief packed into a short space of time, you barely had a moment to catch your breath before something else happened. The twist at the end was great, I didn’t see it coming at all – even though I’d made a couple of guesses as to what it could have been. It was very cleverly done and explains so much.
A perfect summer read, a fun pirate adventure full of action and danger. Great for young readers.
________________________________
A fantastic, action packed pirate adventure set in a world where fossil fuels have finally run out and alternative fuel sources are growing scarce. Toby and the rest of the Phoenix crew are sailing in the hopes of discovering a hidden cache of solar panels so they can find their way to ‘the island’ – a paradise where they can settle and flourish. Sadly, it’s not an easy journey as they have to steer clear of not only the government, but fellow pirates like the Banshee crew too. The Banshee crew is a formidable, cut-throat crew that are known for their ruthlessness.
Toby has never set foot on land, or at least not that he can remember. His father is the captain of the Phoenix crew and is fiercely protective of him. So Toby maintains the boiler room and helps out around the ship. Until the day he finds a stowaway and a series of events leads to the boy being kidnapped and taken to the Banshee. This sets in motion a series of events that sees the crew hit dark times, with dangerous battles and more kidnapping ahead.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found it a little slow to build up to the action, but once it kicked off, I was hooked. Toby was an interesting character – with his love for the ship and the crew, the work that he does as well, but his dream of going on land. My heart warmed to him. I actually really liked the Banshee crew too. They were nefarious and ruthless and even though Ayla was the daughter of the captain, she didn’t get any special treatment (other than getting to keep her hair) and was under the same fear of the captain as the rest of the crew.
When the Phoenix captain tricks the Banshee crew and escapes with the co-ordinates for the solar panels, Ayla is sent after them. I thought this was a really interesting move and it did lead to some great developments in Ayla’s character. The one thing I couldn’t get behind was Ayla and Toby’s attraction – I can understand that they were both isolated and didn’t really see others their own age, but I just didn’t feel it. I think it would’ve been better without the romance elements in it.
Having said that, the kidnapping and epic battle at the end of the book was fantastic. So much action, excitement, pain and relief packed into a short space of time, you barely had a moment to catch your breath before something else happened. The twist at the end was great, I didn’t see it coming at all – even though I’d made a couple of guesses as to what it could have been. It was very cleverly done and explains so much.
A perfect summer read, a fun pirate adventure full of action and danger. Great for young readers.
September 13, 2015
oh dear, I think I'm going to give this up. I'm 100 pages in (25%), and my attention is still wandering.
It started so promisingly! I loved the way the scene was set with the torn off newspaper cuttings sketching a scene of social unrest, resource scarcity, and leading to coups, new nations, and finally the Yellowstone super volcano redrawing the world map.
I thought, 'I *love* this book! And I haven't even read the prologue yet!' Unfortunately, as soon as I started on the prose, it all went downhill a bit.
It's not *badly* written, in as much as the prose isn't clunky or stupid or full of unnecessary adjectives. It's just... dull. And everything seems over-explainified - and yet still incomprehensible.
For instance, the first three chapters (which I know from my own attempts to interest agents and publishers, are supposed to reel your readers in and hook them without mercy) just blethered on about obscure mechanical workings that I did not understand in the slightest.
The one thing I thought I did understand made no sense whatsoever. I'll admit I'm not an expert in the field of physics, and definitely not in engineering, but nor am I a complete dunce. So when she talked at length about the steam engine powering the boat, and then said on p32 that, 'the steam from the boiler travelled through the coils of a superheater, which dried it out', I became very confused.
a) steam is what happens when you heat water. If you 'dry' it then i) isn't it just hot air, not steam? and ii) in a closed system like the one described, where does the water go? iii) I'm not even going to attempt to imagine *how* a superheater goes about 'drying' steam.
b) if all the power is coming from the steam, what is powering the superheater?
I'm genuinely perplexed by this. If anyone has knowledge that this is real physics that works, then please do explain!
Anyway, I was prepared to give her the benefit of the doubt and let that one go, but as I read on nothing bound me to the story. It all felt as though it needed a really rigorous edit to trim it to maybe 2/3 its current length.
I paused at p100 to read a few reviews and see if anything I read would inspire me to persevere. But unfortunately, all I'm seeing is either, 'Five stars! I loved it!' which I can't relate to, or 'Starts dull, perks up a bit, but ultimately isn't worth it.' So that's the one I'm believing.
Shame. It started so well. The only reason it's getting three stars instead of two is for the newspaper clippings and the ideas behind it all. The story itself - pfft.
It started so promisingly! I loved the way the scene was set with the torn off newspaper cuttings sketching a scene of social unrest, resource scarcity, and leading to coups, new nations, and finally the Yellowstone super volcano redrawing the world map.
I thought, 'I *love* this book! And I haven't even read the prologue yet!' Unfortunately, as soon as I started on the prose, it all went downhill a bit.
It's not *badly* written, in as much as the prose isn't clunky or stupid or full of unnecessary adjectives. It's just... dull. And everything seems over-explainified - and yet still incomprehensible.
For instance, the first three chapters (which I know from my own attempts to interest agents and publishers, are supposed to reel your readers in and hook them without mercy) just blethered on about obscure mechanical workings that I did not understand in the slightest.
The one thing I thought I did understand made no sense whatsoever. I'll admit I'm not an expert in the field of physics, and definitely not in engineering, but nor am I a complete dunce. So when she talked at length about the steam engine powering the boat, and then said on p32 that, 'the steam from the boiler travelled through the coils of a superheater, which dried it out', I became very confused.
a) steam is what happens when you heat water. If you 'dry' it then i) isn't it just hot air, not steam? and ii) in a closed system like the one described, where does the water go? iii) I'm not even going to attempt to imagine *how* a superheater goes about 'drying' steam.
b) if all the power is coming from the steam, what is powering the superheater?
I'm genuinely perplexed by this. If anyone has knowledge that this is real physics that works, then please do explain!
Anyway, I was prepared to give her the benefit of the doubt and let that one go, but as I read on nothing bound me to the story. It all felt as though it needed a really rigorous edit to trim it to maybe 2/3 its current length.
I paused at p100 to read a few reviews and see if anything I read would inspire me to persevere. But unfortunately, all I'm seeing is either, 'Five stars! I loved it!' which I can't relate to, or 'Starts dull, perks up a bit, but ultimately isn't worth it.' So that's the one I'm believing.
Shame. It started so well. The only reason it's getting three stars instead of two is for the newspaper clippings and the ideas behind it all. The story itself - pfft.
June 20, 2015
The future that Toby lives in is the earth after the eruption of Yellowstone’s super volcano, but not immediately. Those who live now have survived through the days of darkness and the ash clouds have cleared, leaving behind a harsh environment. The seas are acidic and overflowing with junk, with only the most hardy sea life surviving and the sunlight blinding.
The world-building is well thought out and didn’t jar at any point. However we only see a limited view of this world from Toby’s stand point. I was a little confused with the political situation; the back story is introduced at the start with a series of news clippings that piqued my interest but are never expanded upon.
Whilst the story follows Toby, there’s a great mix of male and female pirates and a girl that certainly doesn’t need rescuing, at least not in the traditional sense. Ayla is around Toby’s age but is second in command on her ship. She is the fighter, the one hardened to emotions and he is the one full of compassion, but a bit clueless.
Phoenix Rising is aimed at the younger end of the teen market, and I think it’s a great pirate adventure for younger readers, but one that was a little lacking in complexity for my personal taste. Toby is a bit naïve and has lived a sheltered life, despite living aboard a pirate ship and it makes him come across as a simple character.
The Captain’s advance artificial intelligence has been installed into a robotic parrot, but one made to look real so she is easily kept a secret. It’s a great ruse and had potential but there’s a point were Barnaby tells Polly (the parrot of course) that she’s supposed to predict Toby’s actions. Yet she isn’t really in a position to do anything other than tell him to be careful all the time. Was she supposed to be a mother figure to him?
Review copy provided by publisher.
The world-building is well thought out and didn’t jar at any point. However we only see a limited view of this world from Toby’s stand point. I was a little confused with the political situation; the back story is introduced at the start with a series of news clippings that piqued my interest but are never expanded upon.
Whilst the story follows Toby, there’s a great mix of male and female pirates and a girl that certainly doesn’t need rescuing, at least not in the traditional sense. Ayla is around Toby’s age but is second in command on her ship. She is the fighter, the one hardened to emotions and he is the one full of compassion, but a bit clueless.
Phoenix Rising is aimed at the younger end of the teen market, and I think it’s a great pirate adventure for younger readers, but one that was a little lacking in complexity for my personal taste. Toby is a bit naïve and has lived a sheltered life, despite living aboard a pirate ship and it makes him come across as a simple character.
The Captain’s advance artificial intelligence has been installed into a robotic parrot, but one made to look real so she is easily kept a secret. It’s a great ruse and had potential but there’s a point were Barnaby tells Polly (the parrot of course) that she’s supposed to predict Toby’s actions. Yet she isn’t really in a position to do anything other than tell him to be careful all the time. Was she supposed to be a mother figure to him?
Review copy provided by publisher.
May 6, 2015
Phoenix Rising is the first novel in a brand new dystopian YA series about Pirates. The main character is Toby, chief engineer aboard the Phoenix.
The novel is very fast paced. The main character,Toby, moves from saving the ship’s engines to discovering a stowaway. The action never stops, it is a very wild ride, with the enemy ship the Banshee captained by Nell and her daughter Ayla as well as prison breaks, epic battles and explosions. I love that the world is well realised, an environmental calamity has changed the world and governments have collapsed new states have sprung up with pirates scavenging resources from the floating junkyards that the oceans have become.
There are a lot of crew on the ship which made it slightly hard to keep track of but the main characters of Toby, Barnaby, Polly the very special parrot, Hiko were well drawn. Toby is very likeable main character, he’s more of an engineer that a fighter and he is very trusting which is rather unusual for a pirate. I liked that characters were not just black and white morally and I loved all the twists and turns within the plot. I really was kept guessing.
Ayla is a fantastic creation, she is very much her mother’s daughter but meeting Toby complicates matters for her. I love the way she sets out to do things and achieves them. she is not a girl to back down and she isn’t a damsel in distress or otherwise.
With Phoenix Rising being a duology the end of this book felt rather abrupt. The drama and action kept on to the final page and I was left wanting more. Not so bad as a cliffhanger but it was a jolt to the system a minor grumble in an otherwise fun book.
Phoenix Rising is a novel with a great story and a lot to say on the world as it is at the moment, I would heartily recommend it.
The novel is very fast paced. The main character,Toby, moves from saving the ship’s engines to discovering a stowaway. The action never stops, it is a very wild ride, with the enemy ship the Banshee captained by Nell and her daughter Ayla as well as prison breaks, epic battles and explosions. I love that the world is well realised, an environmental calamity has changed the world and governments have collapsed new states have sprung up with pirates scavenging resources from the floating junkyards that the oceans have become.
There are a lot of crew on the ship which made it slightly hard to keep track of but the main characters of Toby, Barnaby, Polly the very special parrot, Hiko were well drawn. Toby is very likeable main character, he’s more of an engineer that a fighter and he is very trusting which is rather unusual for a pirate. I liked that characters were not just black and white morally and I loved all the twists and turns within the plot. I really was kept guessing.
Ayla is a fantastic creation, she is very much her mother’s daughter but meeting Toby complicates matters for her. I love the way she sets out to do things and achieves them. she is not a girl to back down and she isn’t a damsel in distress or otherwise.
With Phoenix Rising being a duology the end of this book felt rather abrupt. The drama and action kept on to the final page and I was left wanting more. Not so bad as a cliffhanger but it was a jolt to the system a minor grumble in an otherwise fun book.
Phoenix Rising is a novel with a great story and a lot to say on the world as it is at the moment, I would heartily recommend it.
September 2, 2015
Book review netgalley The Phoenix Rising
Steampunk meets The Jolly Roger/Pirates of the Caribbean
A wonderful swashbuckling adventure set in a destroyed future where survivors of an apocalypse are creating new world orders and pirates sail seas searching for alternative treasure – re-useable junk.
The book does not go into great detail about ‘the Dark’, but gives us enough to understand that these events could and did take place in the story and that the survivors are now experiencing new prospects with the return of the sun: which is what, as readers, we want otherwise it would detract from the fantastic adventure taking place.
The adventure centres around Toby, the captain’s fourteen year old son, and chief engineer of the Phoenix who, caught in the throws of growing up, has to go from pirate innocence to fully fledged pirate throughout the course of the book. But he is a pirate with a sense of fairness and justice/honour and suffers many emotional conflicts because of this, none so great as his love for Ayla the daughter of Captain Nell from the enemy ship the Banshee.
That said even this love story does not overwhelm the story. It is just there, slowly being woven through the main narrative by an expert story teller; as is the tapestry of other colourful characters that make up the crews of the Phoenix and the Banshee. These characters are so well crafted that you want to get to know them so more, and the adventure familiar yet unique, so much so that I know I can’t wait to read the next Phoenix book.
And I just loved the take on Polly!
I couldn’t put the book down! Brilliant! Just Brilliant!
Steampunk meets The Jolly Roger/Pirates of the Caribbean
A wonderful swashbuckling adventure set in a destroyed future where survivors of an apocalypse are creating new world orders and pirates sail seas searching for alternative treasure – re-useable junk.
The book does not go into great detail about ‘the Dark’, but gives us enough to understand that these events could and did take place in the story and that the survivors are now experiencing new prospects with the return of the sun: which is what, as readers, we want otherwise it would detract from the fantastic adventure taking place.
The adventure centres around Toby, the captain’s fourteen year old son, and chief engineer of the Phoenix who, caught in the throws of growing up, has to go from pirate innocence to fully fledged pirate throughout the course of the book. But he is a pirate with a sense of fairness and justice/honour and suffers many emotional conflicts because of this, none so great as his love for Ayla the daughter of Captain Nell from the enemy ship the Banshee.
That said even this love story does not overwhelm the story. It is just there, slowly being woven through the main narrative by an expert story teller; as is the tapestry of other colourful characters that make up the crews of the Phoenix and the Banshee. These characters are so well crafted that you want to get to know them so more, and the adventure familiar yet unique, so much so that I know I can’t wait to read the next Phoenix book.
And I just loved the take on Polly!
I couldn’t put the book down! Brilliant! Just Brilliant!
November 27, 2015
Toby's feet have not touched solid ground since he was 6 years old, he has grown into a teenager aboard The Phoenix, a mighty ship that sails around the globe through the junk filled seas. He, his father, and their motley crew of pirates are all wanted men and women, unable to dock for long in case St George's Greymen capture them and hang them for crimes against the government.
The seas are far from safe either, as they contend with storms, acid waters and their dreaded enemy The Banshee, captained by the ferocious Pirate Nell and her equally terrifying daughter Ayla. When the crew learn the location of a consignment of solar panels lost at sea they know they must get their hands on them, as fuel resources have all but dried up on earth. They are not the only ones who want the panels, however, and suddenly The Phoenix is thrown into a life-or-death battle to save the precious resource.
This is an exhilarating, superbly written adventure story. Pearce captures all the swash-buckling excitement of old piratical tales, but reinvents them by placing her characters in a junk-filled, energy-starved future, and the combination works! The diverse characters are well thought through, and the pace is relentlessly gripping. This is the first in a series and deserves to earn legions of fans. Highly recommended
The seas are far from safe either, as they contend with storms, acid waters and their dreaded enemy The Banshee, captained by the ferocious Pirate Nell and her equally terrifying daughter Ayla. When the crew learn the location of a consignment of solar panels lost at sea they know they must get their hands on them, as fuel resources have all but dried up on earth. They are not the only ones who want the panels, however, and suddenly The Phoenix is thrown into a life-or-death battle to save the precious resource.
This is an exhilarating, superbly written adventure story. Pearce captures all the swash-buckling excitement of old piratical tales, but reinvents them by placing her characters in a junk-filled, energy-starved future, and the combination works! The diverse characters are well thought through, and the pace is relentlessly gripping. This is the first in a series and deserves to earn legions of fans. Highly recommended
February 16, 2017
Post-apoc junk pirates, what's not to love?
January 30, 2016
Phoenix Rising is the first novel in a new series for young adults and I have to say I really enjoyed it! It takes place in an honest and predictable future where society is experiencing political collapse due to the exploitation of fossil fuels.
This novel begins with a fantastic start! I was immediately hooked and full of anticipation. As expected, this remained throughout the novel, with a fast paced action and constant thrill. I really enjoyed this factor.
The ending was amazing and I particularly loved the cliff hanger. Luckily the sequel to this is being published soon so I don't have long to wait to find out what happened to the characters and join them on another adventure, that I'm sure is going to be equally intriguing!
Check out the full review on my blog here: http://jennieelouisee.blogspot.co.uk/...
This novel begins with a fantastic start! I was immediately hooked and full of anticipation. As expected, this remained throughout the novel, with a fast paced action and constant thrill. I really enjoyed this factor.
The ending was amazing and I particularly loved the cliff hanger. Luckily the sequel to this is being published soon so I don't have long to wait to find out what happened to the characters and join them on another adventure, that I'm sure is going to be equally intriguing!
Check out the full review on my blog here: http://jennieelouisee.blogspot.co.uk/...
January 1, 2016
Loved this! A pirate adventure on the high seas but with a very different, unique take on the setting which is post apocalypse Earth. The briny seas burn, the sun blinds and the seas are filled with useless junk making it difficult to navigate. The story rattles along with a good pace with plenty of swashbuckling action and burgeoning friendships. Throw in a quirky Polly parrot and rival pirate ships and you have a rollocking good page turner. The ending is a bit of a cliff hanger which is ok because the second book of the trilogy is well on it's way and I can't wait to read the further adventures of the Phoenix.
My thanks to NetGalley for a free digital proof in return for an honest review.
My thanks to NetGalley for a free digital proof in return for an honest review.
February 26, 2015
Phoenix Rising is the first in a new series for young teens published by Stripes and definitely one to look out for.
If you liked Philip Reeve's award winning Mortal Engines you'll love this. Very unique, incredibly fast paced and has that page turning factor that is so essential in an action story.
There's a quirky parrot, three diverse and dynamic young protagonists who are pirates and a strong message about the future of our planet.
I'm looking forward to the next one in the series which is being written right now.
If you liked Philip Reeve's award winning Mortal Engines you'll love this. Very unique, incredibly fast paced and has that page turning factor that is so essential in an action story.
There's a quirky parrot, three diverse and dynamic young protagonists who are pirates and a strong message about the future of our planet.
I'm looking forward to the next one in the series which is being written right now.
March 6, 2017
A young adult book officially but I found it gripping and very entertaining. Bryony Pearce paints an intricate picture of a dystopian future of pirates struggling to survive afloat on a poisonous sea (the salt). The attention to detail is high and the story gripping. I read it while off sick from work and went straight on to read the sequel immediately. Have since recommended to all my friends with older kids
March 12, 2015
Keep an eye out for this one, guys! :)
Read
June 17, 2015I didn't enjoy this one at all sadly. I couldn't get into the world that Bryony Pearce had created and found my attention constantly wandering. A shame because it sounded so good.
July 19, 2015
Not feeling it at the moment. Leaving it and moving on.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews