Spark of Intent

Phoenix Rising #3

by Quinn Arthurs, Harper Wylde

The things of nightmares haunt my dreams. Secrets lurk around every corner. The world I’ve entered isn’t all it seems, but as a newcomer, questioning the Council isn’t the safest move. Not when my guys are so entrenched in a world that I find dangerous. As Theo, Hiro, Ryder, Killian, Damien, and I try to find out how we fit together, we must also decide where we stand among the politics, class, and half-truths. While we each battle with our own demons, the ties that bind us together strain. With the Gala right around the corner and the Council’s rules threatening to break up my family, the arrival of a new shifter at our front door adds more stress—and more humor—to our already complicated lives. As everyone struggles to find where loyalties lie, we find that not everybody is who they appear to be. When the secrets around me turn deadly, will I let them break me or will they become my Spark of Intent?

*18+ Reverse Harem Romance. Warning this book contains scenes and references of abuse that some readers may find triggering. This book also contains some m/m themes.*

Genres: Paranormal, Shapeshifters, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Magic, Why Choose

476 pages, Paperback

First published August 28, 2018

Reviews

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

Garbage

What happened! Is it just me or did this story fizzle out badly? Man I've never been so tired of reading a book like I was with this one, I caught myself skimming through the pages bored out of my mind. So we are 3 books in and it's the same sly smiles, shy kisses and utter nothingness. This book also seemed to have what I call " paper bag scenarios " like you don't see them coming, they just come straight out of thin air!! Like whoa what!!, it seems like someone jotted down scenarios that could happen on sheets of torn up paper, through them in a hat, mixed them up and bam! That's how we got Questionable scenes in this book. And since I'm talking about what happened about 54% into this wreck!! I just stopped, it was sad and down right eye rolling. So she's relaxing and then hears all her guys fighting with each other, it was really out of no where, even I was like huh? One of the guys pretty much verbally attacks her which is way out of character from how this author has been making the guys out to be, I hate how this author killed one of the characters integrity just to get to the story to flow, anyways our girl gets upset and leaves with rini who is also fighting with her guys the same time? So they fly to somewhere by the council? weird since they are trying to stay far away from them!? And so nix decides to fly and let her Phoenix out, ( knowing damn well she shouldn't be out by herself )..sigh....hears crying, investigates and is kidnapped easy which I'm shocked since she was saying in the beginning how she won't be a victim no more, well that didn't last long, so anyways now her guys gotta go save her ( eye rolling ). The whole thing seems like the author has no idea how to keep this story afloat so just is throwing w.e to keep us intertwined in this ridiculous read..

Update:::: I decided to finish, still sucked, I won't be finishing this series.

[Maraya21 (The Reading Dragon) · Rating 1 out of 5]

✨ Read for the 2019 KU Shitathon™ challenge - [Halfsies Vol.2: July-December] - over at Maraya's Cave Of Freaking Wonders ✨
◼ Plan A - Book: #4 of 13 ◼



#1. Uhm..Fire I Guess? ★★★
#2. Huh. Yeap Fire ★½

DNF @33% (Page 153)

This is my first ever official DNF and I couldn't pick a better book for it. I can't do this. Honestly I can't. I would rather shit glass, it would be both less painful and more exciting. Abandoning this series. Bye bye *waves*

[Princess J. Antoinette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, while this book has a good storyline and I do love the characters, the author was just a bit frustrating with her teasing with some of the sexual moments. Kinda turnt me off.

Anyway I will continue with this series whenever the author seem fit to write and finish the next installment of this series.

Overall rating:
3.5 An Ok read

[Siri · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,3*

[Iretsia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this book added a fun new character, that wasn’t enough to save it. This book had character issues, story inconsistencies, and poor writing. I mentioned in my review of book 2 (see link to review below) that I considered dropping the series while reading book 2, but I really am done with it now.

I’ll start by talking about Rini because this book started with a chapter narrated by Rini. I’m going to be honest, I’m still not entirely sure what was going on there. It kind of had me wondering whether there’s an ongoing spin-off series that was being referenced here because there seems to be a lot going on here that we’re just getting tiny glimpses of. She has apparently been constantly calling Theo to check on Nix’s emotional state after the events at the end of book 2, which makes it even weirder to me that she never called to check on Nix after she saw Nix die in book 2 (see my review). As she takes a pill to help her sleep, something happens (not really sure what), and she communicates with a shadow guy whom she doesn’t seem particularly fond of, and I’d bet anything that the shadow guy is Ciarán, whom we meet later. Basically, Rini has some secrets! The end of the book could explain some of them, but I’m still not sure what is going on between her and Ciarán. It almost seems like a fated mate thing, but that hasn’t been a thing in this series so far, and Rini already has mates (divorce isn’t possible). Still, the addition of Ciarán made me wonder if he’s the reason why the authors haven’t bothered characterizing/developing Rini’s guys at all; if Ciarán is their end game for Rini, maybe they didn’t want us getting attached to the other guys.

This Ciarán guy whom I keep mentioning is Killian’s brother, and he was probably the highlight of this book for me. He is incredibly intelligent but acts like an idiot 99% of the time. He’s hilarious, and I died in just about every scene that he had with Killian: for example, when he bought a rabbit hoodie because Kill needs a fluffle (rabbit family; Ciarán is a horse), when he bought two pairs of rabbit boxers so that he and Kill could be twins, and when he asked Killian to break down his emotional walls.

As for Nix, overall, the depictions of her PTSD in this book were slightly more internally consistent than they were in book 2; however, they aren’t consistent with the ones in book 2. In book 2, it almost seemed as if the guys couldn’t trigger her, but they sure trigger her a lot in this book. She jumps at unexpected touches and pauses before touching them. Furthermore, loud noises and yelling trigger her, and Killian decides to be completely unacceptable and call her a bitch, which triggers her hard. Side note about that incident, she’s upset enough that she needs to leave the house and get away from them because she’s getting flashbacks left and right. Later, Hiro says, “From now on, we need to promise to try to work out our differences together. No matter how hard it is to stay, we stay.” In most relationships, I can go along with that, and I get what he’s saying; bad things happened when she left them this time. However, they were terrifying her. He has no right to ask her to stay in a situation that isn’t calming down and is terrifying her and triggering serious flashbacks. Just, no. Anyway, part of me liked that we saw more of her PTSD because she has only known these guys for two months, and there’s no way that the guys would “cure” it for her in that time frame. The other part of me was thrown because Nix seemed pretty much over a lot of this in book 2, so the inconsistency was bothering me, even though I was basically getting what I wanted. Still, this book had some inconsistencies with it too. For example, at one point, Hiro says, “Good girls hold still and take what they’re given.” Again, I’m not trying to kind shame people who are into the dominant/submissive thing. I’m just saying that those words sound like something a rapist would say, and Nix has a history of sexual assault. If she can’t handle loud noises, sudden movements, unexpected touches, and some sexual positions, then she is not going to be ok with someone saying that to her. Also, late in the book, Nix describes her reaction to walking into the room of one of the guys: “Suddenly, my body started to tremble as I realized that I had put myself, practically naked, in a room alone with a man.” Yay, a PTSD reaction! However, she had been actually naked with other guys by this point, and she hadn’t reacted like that. I don’t even care which way the authors swing at this point; I just want them to choose a direction for this character and be consistent.

I disliked other things about Nix as well. She still acts as if defending herself and being relieved about violence done against someone who would kill her in a heartbeat if given the chance make her as bad as Michael. No way. Move on. She’s also still insecure about the guys’ feelings for her, no matter how many times they tell her how they feel or Damien actually lets her literally feel how they feel for her. She was driving me crazy. She still treats Kill as a pet at times, and I still have mixed feelings about it. Those are about the only times that she makes me laugh, but he’s a person. Also, I thought she had a bit of a double standard when she talks about trusting Theo to respect her privacy and turn around while she changes but doesn’t even offer to turn around for him. Most importantly, however, she got some TSTL in this book. She decides that the guys will never believe her about the council’s nefarious deeds unless she finds proof, so she sets off toward the council buildings, acknowledging that she has no idea what kind of security the council could have. Furthermore, for awhile, she doesn’t even seem to be looking for something specific; it was like she thought she’d see a neon arrow pointing at something labeled “Proof of Evil.” She finally tells the readers what she’s looking for, but it was too little too late because I had already started thinking of her as the worst kind of idiot.

As for the guys, Damien was annoying as hell in this book. He (apparently) withdrew from the others because he was worried that Nix would reject him when she realized the depth of his father’s involvement with Michael (“he was lying to me, and that meant I, in some convoluted way, was responsible for Nix’s predicament—for all the torture she had received” ok egomaniac); however, for the first 80% of the book, all he says is that his father knows Michael. As such, his attitude seemed even more stupid. He is in no way responsible for anything that his father did anyway, but everyone would be guilty for everything if we were judged based off whom we know. He doesn’t even say what that knowing entails. For the first 80% of the book, it seems as if they could have just introduced themselves once. It was ridiculous. Then, Damien finally decides to elaborate and says that his father may have hired Michael to do something. Ok, we’re finally getting to something semi-significant, but it still has nothing to do with Damien. Just move on already. I already mentioned that Killian messed up bad in this book. It wouldn’t have been ok even if the word “bitch” hadn’t triggered her. That said, bunny Killian was still cute. We finally got to see Theo shift in this book, and that was cool. Ryder was still being annoying about kissing Nix for the first time, talking about how everything had to be perfect. Just kiss the girl and stop setting yourself up for disappointment. One of the great moments in this book was when we learned that Hiro gives the guys bouquets after they piss him off, and he uses the language of flowers to tell them how obnoxious they were. The guys are still good about consent in this book; they’re great about stopping as soon as they realize that Nix wants them to, and Hiro acknowledges that she doesn’t owe him anything if she turns him on.

I thought the relationships were a bit weird in this one, though, because the way I saw them didn’t match the way the authors described them. Nix says, “it felt like we’d stalled, each lost in our own world of worry,” but they seemed to interact just as much as they always had. Furthermore, because Damien is being an idiot, he withdraws their mental connection. However, I never noticed this lack until Nix pointed it out, so it seemed like it must not matter all that much if it’s barely noticeable. However, Nix kept going on about how it was hurting their bond: “we kept closing the walls back down one by one, trying to hide our emotions, straining the bond again and again as we kept our feelings to ourselves.” Again, I just didn’t see any type of strain.

I still feel like Hiro and Ryder’s relationship is underdeveloped. We didn’t get any one-on-one scenes between them in this book, so their connection doesn't seem any deeper than the relationships between the other guys; these two just make out sometimes. At one point, Ryder gets jealous of Ciarán hugging Hiro, and he later calls Hiro “babe,” but that’s about all that happens in terms of development, and that development didn’t seem grounded in anything for me. In other words, I have no idea what happened to make Ryder jealous now when he hadn’t been before since their relationship still seems extremely casual. Ryder later calls Hiro and Nix his two favorite people, but I just didn’t see anything to make me think that’s true. Also, we learn in this book that Ryder’s kiss with Hiro in book 1 was his first kiss. That makes me dislike the kiss in hindsight. He keeps talking about how his first kiss with Nix needs to be ultra-special, so why would he give his first kiss ever to someone whom he wasn’t even attracted to?

In my review of book 2, I talk about how these guys are not as exempt from their society’s misogyny as they would like to think they are and how I think it’s selfish that the guys seem willing to stand up to the council if it tries to prevent in their relationship with Nix but not if it tries to force her to have kids against her will. That’s still an issue in this book. Nix says that she’s not even sure that she wants to have kids, and one of the guys says that she has options. She has a social duty to bear children, but she can do that outside a mating, and she can give the baby to someone else after she has it. That is so very much not the issue. I mean, it’s part of the issue, but everyone in this book seems to act as if women could only conceivably object to motherhood and not to pregnancy itself. Later, Nix seriously almost goes into a panic attack at just the thought that someone else might be pregnant. If you were looking for a sign that you aren’t ready for it, that’s it. Nix and Rini talk about it, and Rini says, “However, and I don’t say this to pressure you, but you should give it more time. You might surprise yourself one day and wake up realizing that you want to have little Hiros wandering around. Or little Damiens or Theos.” Give it time??? She wasn’t talking about going and getting her tubes tied; she was just saying that she wasn’t sure that she wanted them. You don't need to wait before saying you're unsure about something. Also, everyone is always so quick to try to change the minds of women who don’t want kids, but let’s be honest, plenty of women are obviously going to be terrible mothers, and no one ever tries to change their minds. Later, one of the guys says, “If you don’t want to have children yet, then don’t.” He’s acting as if he’s being so nice to say that, as if it solves all her problems, but he still added that damn “yet”!

Side note, I thought Gaspard, Damien’s grandfather, was really annoying in this book. Nix was upset by how much politics she had to play, and Gaspard went off on her about how she needs to stop judging their culture and adapt to it since she belongs to it now. She wasn’t saying that it was morally wrong; she was saying that their culture is forcing her to act in ways that she is uncomfortable with. There’s a huge difference there.

Another side note, we get a bit more actual shifting in this book, but it still doesn’t feel like much. Also, Nix keeps pointing out that she still doesn’t know much about her or the guys’ individual abilities, so yeah, it’s about time the authors got around to that.

Furthermore, this book had more inconsistencies (aside from the PTSD) than the earlier books did. I mentioned the lack of reactions to the cold before, but seriously, Nix moved from Florida to Alaska. She should be constantly cold. At one point she says, “I wasn’t sure I would ever get used to the cold,” but she never acts cold. Later, when she’s in the ocean with Theo, she refers to “the hypothermia that was setting in.” However, she hadn’t even mentioned being cold, and she doesn’t even shiver until at least a page later. Also, Nix apparently got flying lessons at some point, but it was unclear how time passed between the end of book 2 and the fall-out. As such, it seemed like almost no time had passed, so it seemed very odd that she was suddenly able to fly alone when she’d likely had time for only one lesson. I thought it was annoying when she said, “this was another item off of my ever growing bucket list” because she hadn’t mentioned that list before, and she didn’t mention it again later. Also, after one brief mention in book 1 and another brief mention in book 2, Killian’s visions are apparently important now. I wish they had been more emphasized throughout if that’s the case. Even now, his visions didn’t really do anything, so I’m not really sure what the point of them is. At one point after he wakes up, he said that his vision disappeared completely, but then he mentions details about it. I also thought it was annoying that Ryder’s sister is apparently important, but we didn’t get any details about her until now. We still don’t really have details, but it’s more than we got in the previous books. I thought books 1 and 2 said she died, but when I was writing my review of book 2, I saw that it briefly mentioned that she disappeared. If I had noticed that while reading it, I would have been totally confused. I also thought it was a bit weird when Nix said that she and Hiro hadn’t fully made up from their fight because her description of events really didn’t match Hiro’s narration of those events. I was really confused at one point because the guys mention finishing a half-hour flight and searching for hours to no avail, but then they mention that James is doing a flight check and they leave for their cars. Had they already been on the flight or not? Later, Nix describes Theo as the best hacker she knows, but I didn’t know he was a hacker, and at one point, Ahmya says, “You all have a lovely home,” but that's something you say the first time that you visit a home, and she’s already been there. I also thought it was weird when one of the guys said that he wished he had the balls to confess his feelings to Nix, and one of them later talks about how Nix isn’t ready to talk about mating yet. What fricking book have I been reading then? In the one I was reading, she and the guys have an entire strategy going about how they’re going to get permission to mate each other. However, one of the biggest issues for me involved when Damien went to his father after Nix went missing to check whether she was a council prisoner. His father says that he can give the guys 24 hours to find her, but he’ll have to report her absence after that. I thought Damien would have had to tell his father when they found her so that he wouldn't launch a search. If he was the bad guy on the council or mentioned the event to the rest of the council, then the bad guys would have immediately known that the guys knew about the facility where they found Nix. That would have been a huge problem, but the authors never again mention the fact the Damien’s father knew that she was missing. The other biggest issue involved the humming that was apparently important near the end. Ryder says that Nix has been humming a specific song since they found her, but I never saw her do it. Come on! You need to lay the groundwork for your important plot points!

In addition, many phrases or events in the book were unclear or nonsensical. For example, at one point, Nix wraps her legs around Theo’s waist, but I wasn’t sure whether he was naked, so I was a bit disoriented. Later, Nix says, “His features were exotic looking even in the sparse moonlight with his golden skin, slate blue eyes, and shock of inky hair.” Nauseatingly, “exotic” is usually used to refer to Eastern features, so I was a bit thrown when the described features didn’t seem overtly Eastern. “Exotic” should never be used to refer to a person, but I was particularly unsure what was supposed to be exotic here. Later, one of the guys says, “her eyes were blurry as they opened.” He’s directly saying that his vision of her eyes went blurry when she opened them, as he has no way to know what her vision is like. Furthermore, someone describes how “the whites of [his] teeth” became visible when he smiled; no one says that. Someone else mentioned “cultural laws,” but it’s not a law if it’s dictated only by culture. Later, Nix mentions one of the guys taking off her “lacey confines,” but I didn’t know whether she was referring to her bra or underwear, so I was disoriented there too. Last, during a steamy scene, Damien pops in with some commentary. He apparently then mentally stuck around to feel what the participants felt. However, because of his history of linking everyone, I wasn’t sure whether “us all” and “we all” in terms of what they felt referred to just the three of them or to the whole group.

The narration was also redundant at times. For example, “‘What’s going on?’ Carefully, she pried for more information.” Yes, the question itself told me that she was prying for information. Something similar happens in “Stop scaring her, asshole. Damien’s voice was a scold to Killian.” Wait, he scolded him in that scolding? How about that!

Side note, at one point, we got several paragraphs of a bad guy revealing her whole dang back story and scheme while talking to herself. That’s just awful writing. No one actually does that in real life.

The writing mechanics themselves also had some issues. I saw several spelling issues / typos (e,g., “cerpator” instead of “cerapter” and “my” instead of “me”) and malapropisms (e.g., “reign” instead of “rein”). Furthermore, I saw some problems with word choice. For example, a council member said, “You dare to speak to a Council member in that manner and expect me to be complicit in it?” The character actually meant something like “allow it.” The book was also missing some words or had too many words in some places: for example, “He’ll need monitored” and “under the her shorts.” The narration also shifted to present tense instead of past tense in some places, the book had verbs that were singular where they should have been plural, and the book was missing apostrophes in places.

As I said, I was tempted to drop the series about book 2, and I almost dropped this one in the middle. I ended up finishing it, but I think I’m done with the series now. I might have kept going if book 4 was already out, but I’m not invested enough in this to wait for the next book.

PROGRESS UPDATES
69% Not sure whether I'm just tired and cranky or I'm actually ready to drop this series. I'll decide for sure after I get some sleep.

Here are my reviews and ratings of the previous books in the series:
Born of Embers ★★★★
Hidden in the Smoke ★★★

[Rambling Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

The simplest way to describe Spark of Intent: big sh*t happens.

There's a lot of progress in this book all around: Nix's relationships with her mates (emotional AND PHYSICAL), their suspicion of the Council & shifters' way of life, and digging deeper into what makes each of the boys tick.

No specific spoilers, but those of you who were disappointed with the steam level in book two will not be disappointed with book three. Although there's still some of that teasing that Wylde and Arthurs demonstrated so well in the first two books, Nix and the boys make some progress in the bedroom (and perhaps the kitchen ;P) that drives them closer together.

What I liked is that Wylde & Arthurs are staying true to the MC they've crafted; Nix is learning how to be part of a romantic relationship, how to experience and participate in physical love, how to be part of a team, but that doesn't erase her past. There's a big moment that some might see as a major setback for Nix and the boys, but it makes them all realize that they need to put some serious work into acknowledging and responding to each others' needs. It would have bothered me if Nix was suddenly able to just fall into this relationship with ease, and it's so much more realistic that they have to work at it.

Not only are we getting to see more of their relationship, but we're also learning more about the boys. There's a lot of vulnerability here, and it just endears them to me even more. Despite the other differences they might have, all the boys are connected by the fact that Nix helps heal them in some way, helps to make them feel whole. Spark of Intent is a book where I think Theo really gets a chance to shine, and I love that Ryder's sweetness and innocence are a part of this story, too. Right now, I think those two are winning out for my current favorites, but there are some swoon-worthy moments that are bringing Kill & Hiro as fast-approaching competition.

Side note: don't hate me for saying this, but I'm also totally intrigued by one of the potential suitors that Nix meets at the Gala. Despite his potential to be terrifying, there's a quick chemistry. a spark of interest, and I'd like to see Nix make another friend who will help to shake up her (and the shifters') world.

The plot continues to thicken in every way possible; I'm just waiting for something to happen (not eagerly) because I'm just getting so attached to Nix and the boys and the little family they're creating, but it's clear that the Council will do whatever it can to tear them apart. This is going to sound super vague, but there's something even more dangerous that gets set into motion, and it's driving me nuts that Nix and the boys don't seem to have it figured out yet. They're being hit with drama from all sides, and unfortunately, it's blinding them to a huge issue that needs to be dealt with. They're distracted, and I'm not sure what kind of crazy ripples are going to come from what happens to Nix in Spark of Intent.

Overall, Spark of Intent brings so much to the table. Romantics will swoon, adventurers' pulses will race, and curious readers will be left wanting more. Whether it's the fight for their relationship or their coming fight against society, Wylde & Arthurs' characters have won me over, and I'm dedicated to knowing where this is all going next.

[❀ Crystal ✿ - PEACE ☮ LOVE ♥ BOOKS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since learning of the Councils existence Nyx has been skeptical. She may be new to the shifter world but she senses something is up and is determined to find proof. Relationships move along in this book which is nice and the perfect pace for her. Slowly Nyx has learned to feel safe and comfortable with the guys bringing their relationship one step further. While the group feels cemented and complete, all the stupid shifter politics try and keep them apart. Considering Nyx is a phoenix and is thus a rare and sought after breed, she's basically bidded on like prized cattle. She may have a say in her mating but not nearly enough if you ask me so I'm really hoping the gang can tear apart all these medieval rules and mark the start of a new world for shifters. Aside from the guys and Nyx's bear bestie, it's unclear who can be trusted (like the guys' parents) and certainly what their motives are. Still enjoying this one and looking forward to what's next!!!

[goodbooks_warmsocks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not sure about it.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Give this Book a 3.5-4/5 Star Rating, Listing as 4.

Formats Read: Audiobook, Audiobook Review at Bottom.

Cliffhanger(?): Yes.
Relationship: RH> Reverse Harem: MMFMMM
M/M(?): very very lite, still mainly hinting.
Heat: 3.5/5, I would rate this a 4, but while listening it just feels immediate despite this being book 3, it almost comes off filler-ish.
Romance: 3.5-4ish/5
Pacing: it’s slow going, trust me I’m a huge fan of Slow Burns but it almost feels like I’m going around in circles instead of seeing growth.
Drama: 3.5/5
Suspense: 3.5-4/5
I personally, am getting a tiny bit bored the longer I listen. It’s very slow going, and even in the last couple books it’s been a tad bit consistent in the way for it being hard to figure out how much time goes by.
Cute things or the Growth of Characters are only mentioned but are never actually witnessed by the reader. I don’t understand why those scenes aren’t written as actual scenes in the books, especially for example with Nix & Bunny Killian.


Audiobook Review:
Overall: 3.5-4/5
Story: 3.5-4/5
Performance: 3.5-4/5
Narrators: Brandon Utah & Heather Costa

The narration isn’t bad in this one, but it’s easier to pick out subtle repetition.

I’ll be listening to the next book now, I’d still like to finish this series.

[S.R. Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Um....

I have no idea if I am being honest. I like the overall plot of the book, but I just don't know. It seems like Nix and her guys are moving along nicely, however, I really don't get the whole bullshit that is the Counsel. The trying to tell them who they can and cannot mate with seems strange.

I will continue with the series because it seems like the story is going to pick up with the revolution about to be underway, and I am curious about Killian's brother.

[Amazon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice continuation of the series

If you liked the first two books, then you will love this one. There is less college drama /scenes and the story takes place more "at home".

The heat level increased in the book too.

Spoilers:

That whole huge fight and what Killian said to her to make her run off seemed really forced. What he said is really out of character and the events that followed (her running off alone) after girls night was unneeded imo.

I knew the secrets she was keeping from the last book would come back to bite her. Also - why does she need to run off alone and get herself in trouble? I hate how this is the norm in a lot of books lately.

Secrets everyone is keeping ends up hurting the group and keeping them apart - and instead of coming together sooner, it takes her getting in trouble for them to work things out.

I am annoyed at the addition of Killians brother - I am assuming he is supposed to be a comic relief but instead makes me want to just skip his parts. He also adds strain to the group. And obviously he is putting on a show and is not the airhead mask he wants everyone think he is. Plus - why hasn't she questioned him and Rinis connection? Where was the "brother talk" they were supposed to have after she was saved?

And why does everyone ignore their alters warnings in this book!?!? Clearly they sense stuff and is warning you against evil people.

All in all, I will continue reading the series even with the annoyances.

[Amara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was hard to finish. I almost gave up a few times. Glad I didn't though because Nix finally started making some progress in the more intimate moments of her life...meaning she was freaking out and having less flashbacks after the guys help her find new ways and new memories to shield out some if the previous ones that were so bad.

My big question though is that if Nix had to go through the coming out to society party to be introduced to eligible guys she can propagate the species with a new generation of phoenixes, then why is Amaylia still unmated or has she not endured the same? The way her dad pushed for her to take a few of the guys from Nix's group should mean she needs her own coming out party. Or if she had one, did no one bud because she's a jerkish piece of work..lol anyway....

[bersabea giudice · Rating 2 out of 5]

La seria ha del potenziale, ma è stata gestita malissimo, nel peggior modo possibile.
Sono pochi i passaggi in cui la storia viene portata avanti, e questi stessi sono soffocati da capitoli e capitoli di inutili insulsaggini.
Pur di allungare il brodo si usano tutti gli escamotage più fastidiosi, dalla perdita di memoria alla mancanza di comunicazione, dalle crisi esistenziali per aver ferito il nemico, agli attacchi di panico della protagonista.
Probabilmente leggerò anche il quarto, ma sono a tanto così da mollare tutto.

[My_Strange_Reading · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this series more than I did. Book one had such an exciting premise, but then things got SO SLOW and everything got so bogged down in politics. I am choosing to DNF the series at 3/7 books.

Born of Embers ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hidden in Smoke ⭐️⭐️
Spark of Intent ⭐️
DNFed the series here.

CW/TW: abuse, violent death, mention of rape, triggers from abuse and rape, reverse harem

[Eren Valentine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our characters are starting to come more into their own and also learning a lot more secrets then they ever thought from their community. Their fears have come to surface in regard to Nix and what the Council is doing.

Everyone has made their choice but the Council still doesn't want Nix with the guys. Nix is playing the game of politics but also making it firmly understood where she stands with the people she needs to. I found that we learned a lot in this book and we meet a new character who was far more intriguing than I expected. Killian's little brother Ciaran. He's unique and definitely comes out odd. He drives all the guys crazy but also the Council. He's written off as having no powers, but I'm finding that may not be true and there's a lot to uncover about him that I see coming.

Nix finally makes it past some of her personal barriers with some of the guys and I loved it. She's got such a heart wrenching past that is riddled with trauma and honestly it's no less after some of the recent things that have happened. But I love that the guys are all there and they are all learning that they have to work together.

Secrets are starting to come to the surface, things they never saw coming or expected. Ciaran also has a whole lot more to him than he let's people including the Council be aware of. The ending definitely had me grabbing the next book.

[jodiel86]

I’m here purely for Ryder and Hiro.

Fuck this is a slow burn series.

[Heather Gilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely!

This book heats up the slow burn theme, finally bringing a bit of fire to the smoldering group. The action is also evolving, and the conspiracy deepening. Truths are being revealed, and few of them are good.

[✨ Lauren ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

There was too many lulls and dips, too many times I almost quit.

[ROMEOISNOTFUNNY · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intense moments, and more questions being raised. Like Kiran...👀
oh and we get some open door action 🥵

[Sherilyn Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am seriously loving this series.

The level of secrecy in this society of mythological and shifters is amazing. I cannot wait to figure it all out!!

[Sassafrack · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this series is a little slow for my impatient ass, I really love the characters and the world. We are starting to get a bigger picture on just how dodgy the council is in this one, and things are starting to feel more urgent. I do like how slow burn the romance and particularly the intimacy between the group has been going though. I would have been been wholly unbelieving if things were going faster with a character who had been assaulted and had so many issues with touch. As it is, I’m also busy focusing on what I think has happened that they aren’t aware of yet, and I’m holding my breath for the fallout in the next books.
I think the slow pace of the story is why I’m not having any trouble reading other books in between, but I will definitely keep reading this series.

[Savannah Laegen · Rating 5 out of 5]

More please

I absolutely LOVED this book. It was even better than the first two. I love the introduction of new characters. This book kept me on the edge of my seat for sure. I cannot wait for the next one!!!

[OneDayI'll · Rating 4 out of 5]

And she fell further into the rabbit hole...

By day one way, by night another, and this shall be the norm...

Tricksy, tricksy authorses. Ok, so I'll do my summary first and then come the spoilers in my review. So, avoid if you want to.

Nix has recovered from 2 more deaths, seen her faux father's death at the hands...well, eyes, of the council, and is now being offered up like a haunch of beef at a buffet due to her rare shifter status. The first party was a smash. As in it fell rather flat, although the night itself ended very well. This Gala promises to be even worse. But, before that less than magical event can even occur, cue the big fight scene of misunderstanding and a runaway heroine. One wrong word during an argument brings horrible memories crashing down on Nix. And while that gets smoothed over it doesn't happen before another kidnap attempt. But, where do they take her? Why can't she remember anything other than a very unusual shifter and a hummed song that one of her guys is familiar with? And why is Kill's brother, who could give the Cheshire cat a run for his money, suddenly hanging around? The shadows around the community are growing darker, it's a good thing Nix is rather handy with fire.

Ok, now the breakdown:
An argument is to be expected. That many hotheads, pun intended, under one roof is going to bring about some explosions. And someone with as many triggers as Nix has is going to make it even more touchy as eggshells are hard to walk on. Not that she asks for that kind of behavior. But all the deaths, and kidnappings, and shady behavior from certain people have her on edge and unable to hide in herself. The runaway scene was sort of a let down? I say sort of because even though she has a very brief TSTL moment, without that moment I'm not sure how the author would have worked in some of that info that gets brought up. I'm not sure what to think of Rini in this book. She's still her friend but she's acting different and hearing voices. Although, the voice thing makes a lot of sense after a certain character is introduced. The council is as creepy as ever and the community still as classist. But, after certain revelations come to light for our group, I wonder how long that system will last? Especially after other characters are introduced, certain people's family members who shouldn't think as they do. As per usual there is a slow and subtle build up to the climactic ending, which always leaves us desperate for the next book lol. I did love Ciarán. He's adorably and madly brilliant. Fluffle?? Absolutely! Nix is making strides in her abilities to overcome her PTSD and bond with the guys. I'm so happy that the author didn't just gloss over her trauma, have her magically heal due to being a shifter and all, but has her struggling as she would in reality. It doesn't make for easy reading, and anyone with sensitive triggers should definitely be advised that there are memories of her abuse that she relives. But, she isn't beaten down by them and she is working to make herself whole again and have a life complete with love and affectionate touches. I know it's a paranormal book but realistic behaviors are appreciated. Insta love and all is great for fluff books but this is a series that grabs you, so you want, and expect, more from it. I have to say, I wasn't expecting her Gala debut to go quite as it did. I like the extra angles and undertones woven in. The subtle hints and misleads while circling back and then laid out in front of the reader. But that ending? Grrr... Please tell me we don't have long to wait for book 4?

PS: There were a few grammatical oopsies and typos, but maybe less than a dozen that I noticed and highlighted. Mostly comma issues in address but some words like doted was intended in one scene but dotted was used. Amusing but it did jar a little lol.

[Kassey J · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the first book well enough so I gave it a 4 star. In the second book I started to kinda lose intrest but it was still ok. But this third book... idk if I'd even want to continue after this one which kinda sucks seeing as I've already read 2 lol. I'm not even partly finished with book three and I have to say, I understand completely what people mean when they say so far the series has been all about politics. Yeah I know when I saw a few reviews complaining about how much political stuff was in the books I thought maybe they meant like literally political stances in rl not that the entire book is about the shifter politics and how corrupt they are. I thought I'd read a book with a bit of corrupt leading then have the rest be about love and smexy scenes but nope not with this series so far. Really I'd say even the second book had to much political angst in it. Idk it's just not something I care to read about basing the whole books on explaining how corrupt it is but so far nothing has been fought or even really slammed down the gavel and objected. It's given me a headache and I've skipped quite a bit of the second book and now I'm skipping some in the third. All I can do is hope for better as I try to push through😪. (And let's hope for smexy scenes too cuz literally 2 books and nothing but teases in each let's hope we get a homerun in book 3).

So not finished yet I've only gotten to 40% and I've once again do not like the fmc. Literally almost half the books ive read recently just have a fmc I just can't seem to make myself like them. For this one she's all "I no longer want to be a victim"
But what exactly is she doing to over come that? Nothing that's what. Now she's all trying to be a spy/private investigator when she literally has NO clue whatsoever about anything and has no control over her animal what does she think will happen if she finds something? I'll tell you what she'll have a break down and probably burn whatever evidence she may find. Idk I want to like the books I really do they have potential. If there was less politics and more romance, it'd be a 10/10 (so far atleast). Ugh on top of all that I went ahead and read synopsis' for the rest of the books and it seems politics will forever be being brought up. I want to know what happens but honestly I have no clue if I'll get past this book more or less the others 😪.
Im at 58% now and I found another problem. The author seems to forget how their characters looked, Damien in the first book had dark eyes like dark chocolate and now they are being called russet brown that's like 2 different descriptors imo may not be to others but I find that highly annoying. Just like if I'm not mistaken rini was described as  pixi like the first book with blonde hair now she has brown hair... just a little thing I know so it's not a big deal just a little annoying.

OK so I'm stopping at 64%. I may come back to read it one day but I just can't deal with the politics and junk no more 😪

[AMG · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shifters/RH MMMMMMM/Lost Phoenix

SYNOPSIS (of 7 Book Series): This is set in the modern world world but where humans and shifters live separately. The FC (Nix) is the last phoenix. She did not know she was a shifter and has been raised by an abusive father. She escapes to university and discovers that there is a whole shifter community. The shifter community is run by a corrupt council who try to control shifters’ lives and breeding and is run by a strict class system with rare shifters at the top. The series covers the FC finding her mates and bonding with them, discovering her background and trying to bring down the corrupt council. There’s a HEA.

The books are well written and edited with only a few typing and formatting issues. On the whole this is an enjoyable series with a decent amount of world, character and relationship building. The FC is likeable and strong - although not overly kickass and each of the MCs is distinct enough in their characters to give depth and diversity in the FC interactions with them.

The sex level is hot and well written. It ramps up over the books until, for me, it became too much and went on for pages. When you’re already looking at a 7 books series the last thing it needed was more padding. I also find 6 too many for RH and into the realms of ridiculous numbers and logistics!

The problem I had with this series is that it is too long with not enough happening to justify its length. The first 2-3 Books keep moving enough as the basic story line develops and the FC meets and gets to know the different MCs but then it just seems to dry up and start dragging. I was skimming large parts of the story by Book 4. The other issue I had was that whilst the author had no issue describing some pretty gruesome things that happened to the “good guys” and showing how evil the villains were when it came to meting out vengeance the Good Guys were all - can’t kill anyone despite how hideous and evil they are. Whilst you may not want your heroes randomly killing where there is no justification books where you have truly evil villains are let down by authors who do not then give their readers a real sense of justice and closure. Finally, and lastly, the final battle was ridiculously drawn out and then, whilst you get a description of the final fight with Stepanov you don’t hear what happens to the other villains. The whole climax left me with a sense of anticlimax and disappointment. I also didn’t see the point of the epilogues which seemed to add little to the ending.

There are a few inconsistencies and gaps in the story - unclear exactly what the phoenix blood does or what happened to the people on the Island who were supposed to be moved to a different place etc.

In conclusion, a decent enough story just long and drawn out with a disappointing ending.

[desislavaIG · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

This is the third book in the Phoenix Rising series, and honestly, it was a bit of a rollercoaster—emotionally and plot-wise.

At the beginning of the book, I found myself getting mentally tired while reading. Nyx’s trauma is understandable, but at times it felt overwhelming. It seemed like everything was a trigger for her, and while I know trauma works that way in real life, it made the story feel emotionally heavy in a way that drained me more than pulled me in.

I usually enjoy when a book makes me feel something, but when those emotions are mostly anger and sadness, it just doesn’t hit the same. For example, when Killian got mad and actually called her a bitch, I was expecting Nyx to finally stand up for herself and show some strength—but instead, she cried and leaned on others to help her. I really wanted her to rise above and show her power in that moment.

One of the parts I struggled with most was the kidnapping. I hated the memory-wiping part. It felt cruel and invasive—and I didn’t enjoy reading those scenes. That said, I can admit it was good for the plot. It added tension and mystery and did push the story forward in an interesting direction.

After that darker part of the book, things started to lighten up. The tone shifted a bit—there were more jokes, more banter, and the characters began to feel like a found family again. I enjoyed those lighter moments a lot more and felt more connected to the story again.

However, one thing I continue to hate in this series is the constant focus on breeding or how rare Nyx is and how many babies she might have someday. Why is this such a big focus? Why does it feel like her entire worth is tied to whether she’ll have kids or not? She’s supposed to be powerful and rare because of who she is, not because of her ability to have children. It really takes away from the story for me and makes me enjoy those parts way less.

And without giving spoilers, when the guys finally find out about what happened to Nyx… things get very real. The ending gave us a cliffhanger, and although I was unsure if I’d keep reading earlier in the book, that ending convinced me to continue the series.

There’s definitely big potential here. If Nyx’s character continues to grow—if she becomes stronger, more confident in her powers, and less emotionally dependent—I think the next book could be great. I’m hopeful the series is about to take off.

So overall, 3.5 stars from me. Parts of it were emotionally exhausting, and the whole “baby-making” theme is something I really dislike, but the plot still keeps me curious. I’ll keep reading and hope for some serious growth—especially from Nyx.

[Raven9308 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 3 for me in the series did drop a little of the momentum of the overall storyline but I think the character development and funny moments really got it back on track with a solid 4 stars.

I actually like the plot regarding the Council (and boy do I want to shake them and throttle them for their inane proceedings and regards to women and rare shifters) and cannot wait to see the group and others go against them and hopefully topple them down. Karmic justice will be sweet after what some of the council members are doing behind people's backs, especially in regards to children. I am worried what was done to Nix the couple of times she was in their clutches, already listening to book 4 to find out more!

In terms of the prospective mates, I am kinda confused by some things but again, there are 7 books so I feel like more will be explained. I did like seeing Nix put her foot down with the one baddie. I am intrigued by a couple of the prospects and I love that Kill's brother is so quirky but has so much depth. I am hoping he is a certain bear's other mate down the line, but gotta get through the series before I figure that out. He had some of the best one-liners and I loved the songs that were going on in his head. Great addition to this story!

I also loved seeing some of the relationships further develop. I am a M/M junkie so I am so digging the 2 harem members having a relationship as well. I was frustrated but happy to see the guys finally get the sticks out of you know where and talk to each other. The guys totally deserved to be smacked upside the head with their fighting that lead to some bad stuff. I am getting a little bit of whiplash with Nix's triggers but I think that lends itself to be more relatable/realistic because trauma is like that. Sometimes triggers, sometimes no rime or reason for episodes. I am hoping over time this won't be as big of a plot line since Nix will have healed with her time from the guys and the past trauma will be managed/not as tough for her.

Like I have said before, I think the audiobook had so much potential and if this had turned from a dual to a duet I would easily give it 5 stars (more if I could). Heather cannot do the accents correctly for the guys, keeps swapping them or making them cringe. She is amazing at the females voices though! Brandon does an impeccable job with the male voices. His Kill, Theo, and Ryder are utterly amazing and I would listen to him all day long if I could.

[TheQDB · Rating 5 out of 5]

~Review🖋~
Things are still a little tense since the incident with the Council and Michael (aka Henri) but Nix is slowly settling into shifter life with her men. That is until the Council comes poking around again, expecting her, as a rare shifter, to conform to societal rules. That means a debutante ball type gala where she's presented to suitable "mates" despite her having already chosen (at least in her heart) several.  Throw in a botched attempt to confirm suspicions that the Council is corrupt, kidnappings, and Killian's oddball and very mysterious brother and your jaw will be on the ground by the time you get to the last page.

Side note: To be clear, I am a HUGE fangirl of these books. This one I rated less than the last in the series because of editing not the story itself. I am not a skimmer -- I read ALL the words and kept on having to stop because I kept finding typos or verb-tense issues which kind of ruined the vibe for me a little. Still a huge fan, I just felt like the editing might have been a little rushed on this one.

Overall: 4.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
Steam: 🔥🔥
Feels: 😥😏💖😲😩😱

~QD Story Details~
Tear jerker: No
Paranormal/Fantasy: Yes
Location: Alaska
Character age range: mid-20s
Lead: Nix (Phoenix shifter)
Love interest(s): 5 -- Killian (Puca aka Bunny shifter), Theo (Kraken shifter), Ryder (Ceraptor aka Unicorn shifter), Hiro (Kitsune aka magical fox shifter), Damien (Gargoyle shifter)
HEA: No - Cliffhanger

~QD Book Info~
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Audible: No
Series: Yes - Phoenix Rising Series -- book 3
1. Born of Embers -- released 01/31/18
2. Hidden in Smoke -- released 03/31/18
3. Spark of Intent -- released 08/28/18

~QD 🔥~
Sex/kink type: Penetrative, oral, manual
Possible triggers: Patriarchy, kidnapping, manipulation of children, misogyny, violence

[Melo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spoilers ahead

I wondered why I stopped reading this series at book 3 @ 47% a few years ago. When I realised book 7 was out, I figured I would give it another go. I wish I hadn't, it all came back to me.

Nix comes across as a would be villain. I'm serious. Firstly she doesn't want anyone to know about her past but slowly she leaves cookie crumbs for the MMCs. They fall for her "vulnerability" one at a time but notice how everything turns into being about her. Nix ends book 3 by saying she doesn't want to mate, suspiciously all of a sudden because Damiens grandpa told her it was for life hmmm pray tell what happened to "they are all mine even my Phoenix thinks so".

Nix has "feelings" that the MMCs are too interwoven in the council because of their parents. Then suddenly she's keen to have sex with them, following that up by how corrupt the rules and the council are. There is a pattern here, I don't trust them, make out. I'm scared to be alone near them sex/make out. All a bit sus....

What really put me off Nix was her unwillingness to even try get to know their parents. It was like her saying well I don't have any, why should I put effort into getting to know yours. She obviously learnt how to shield but for some reason when she filled their telepathic communication with distrust of distress it was wide open. Always when with other people close to the MMCs.

How is she not a villain in disguise. Like they said different paranormals had different gifts.

Enough of my rant, I just lost interest. I always want a heroine I can connect with and care about. Conniving isn't my thing.

[Chrissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve really enjoyed this series so far, and my main criticism is that the next book isn’t out yet! It’s very much a case of Happy For Now!

This third book in the series is a definitely continuation of the first two books, which means they need to be read first in order for book three to make sense. Nix, a phoenix shifter, is believed to be the only one left in existence and the Shifter Council are pushing Nix to mate (at age 18!). Brought up in the human world she does not understand the shifter society and is being pushed to mate, or at least give birth to more shifters. Apparently her guys, all five of them mythological, are not all suited to her as mates because of their shifter types and how powerful, both politically and metaphysically, they are. Nix wants to be mated to all five of her guys and is forced to bow to council demands and follow their protocol for finding mates in order to keep staying with her guys, where she feels safe for the first time in her life.

This book is all about how the society is structured and reveals properly, for the first time, the degree of classicism their society displays. Nix is unhappy with her situation but builds on her relationships and her powers, to try and keep everyone she cares about safe.

There is quite a lot of politics in this book, but there is still plenty of relationship ups and downs too.

I really hope the next book comes out soon.