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The Phoenix Enigma #1
Resistance
A sinister attack. A dangerous city. An abandoned child.
The old cities are flooded, crops have failed, and resource wars have wrecked most things from refineries to satellites.
It was the day Jac discovered how precarious her life had become.
Her love of nature and loyalty to her remote forest community can no longer weave the illusion of safety she has believed in for so long. Driving damaged roads to a city she hasn’t seen for six years, Jac finds unexpected allies as well as disturbing truths about the ruthless Avarit imperium controlling their lives.
And then… she has never met anyone like Raine, the mysterious and charismatic leader of the outlawed forest rangers. She offers her medic skills to the Resistance, caught between Avarit military and the terrorist F2 gangs inflicting havoc on the city and Outlander communities.
But would you risk everything for freedom?
Resistance is the first book in the Phoenix Enigma series, the dystopian romance epic from Jay Aspen.
The old cities are flooded, crops have failed, and resource wars have wrecked most things from refineries to satellites.
It was the day Jac discovered how precarious her life had become.
Her love of nature and loyalty to her remote forest community can no longer weave the illusion of safety she has believed in for so long. Driving damaged roads to a city she hasn’t seen for six years, Jac finds unexpected allies as well as disturbing truths about the ruthless Avarit imperium controlling their lives.
And then… she has never met anyone like Raine, the mysterious and charismatic leader of the outlawed forest rangers. She offers her medic skills to the Resistance, caught between Avarit military and the terrorist F2 gangs inflicting havoc on the city and Outlander communities.
But would you risk everything for freedom?
Resistance is the first book in the Phoenix Enigma series, the dystopian romance epic from Jay Aspen.
281 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 14, 2022
129 people are currently reading
128 people want to read
About the author
Jay Aspen
34 books18 followersHi, thanks for visiting my page. I’m Jay, a sci-fi, thriller and occasional fantasy author from the wild Welsh borders!
I love weaving my (sometimes hair-raising) experiences of extreme sports into my stories as well as painting scenes from my travels into both contemporary and imagined worlds.
When I’m reading, I find the blend of fast-paced plots and interesting, compelling characters is what keeps the pages turning – so that is how I like to write.
I hope you’ll love my stories – there are more of them due out this year!
You can find more of my online pages and my work at the links below. Don’t forget to sign up for my VIP reader-group to keep up to date on my news and new releases!
I love weaving my (sometimes hair-raising) experiences of extreme sports into my stories as well as painting scenes from my travels into both contemporary and imagined worlds.
When I’m reading, I find the blend of fast-paced plots and interesting, compelling characters is what keeps the pages turning – so that is how I like to write.
I hope you’ll love my stories – there are more of them due out this year!
You can find more of my online pages and my work at the links below. Don’t forget to sign up for my VIP reader-group to keep up to date on my news and new releases!
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 14, 2019
I found this a well written, page-turning adventure mixed with some needle-sharp satire that had me laughing out loud. The characters are realistic and engaging, wrestling with personal challenges but still managing to look out for each other in a future world where threats of lifelong debt-slavery and unreliable food supplies leave the Resistance relying on teamwork to survive. Halfway through the book some new characters appear with their own points of view on situations and relationships. Extra POVs make for a more complicated read, but it’s worth it for the chance to discover key events in other locations that affect the plot. I liked getting a few glimpses of Jac and Raine from another perspective, as well as finding out what happens to characters who manage to survive and escape elsewhere.
February 21, 2022
In a near-future dystopian version of Great Britain where a despotic megacorp known as Avarit controls, well, everything, a sharp young woman named Jac has to leave the comfort of her sheltered forest community to visit the city, only to learn just how deep and wide the corruption goes. After unknowingly saving the leader of the resistance, she finds herself drawn to the cause... and to him. *wink, wink*
From the very first chapter, I was drawn in. Aspen does a fantastic job setting the scene and putting you right into the action without disorienting you. However, she also keeps a very strong focus on character reactions and thought processes, which really helped ground me in the world in a way that sci-fi jargon simply couldn't.
Which, speaking of sci-fi jargon, Aspen still does a great job of incorporating it without it feeling like endless exposition dumping--and I have a total monkey brain when it comes to catching worldbuilding details, so if I could follow along okay, that's a huge point in its favor.
Our main protagonist, Jac, is smart, relatable, and felt like a real person. I liked that she wasn't a warrior-huntress but still had real courage and gumption. I also loved her found family and the sweet relationship she had with her grandfather.
Meanwhile, Raine is strong, steadfast, and a total badass while still feeling human. I thought the build-up to him and Jac meeting was perfect; after all, I am a sucker for the "injured warrior needs a stranger's help" trope. (Is that a trope? Well, it is now!) While I did think their romance came on a little fast, it's still in its infancy, so I'm eager to see how it develops in later books.
The plot was also solid and fast-paced while still giving the characters a chance to breathe. While it is setting up a trilogy, there is a very clear sense of conflict and direction. I liked how everything converged in the end, though it left me with enough questions to want to read more!
Overall, I totally recommend this to dystopian fans, especially if you liked The Hunger Games!
*Originally published as an ARC review on Reedsy Discovery: https://reedsy.com/discovery/book/res...
From the very first chapter, I was drawn in. Aspen does a fantastic job setting the scene and putting you right into the action without disorienting you. However, she also keeps a very strong focus on character reactions and thought processes, which really helped ground me in the world in a way that sci-fi jargon simply couldn't.
Which, speaking of sci-fi jargon, Aspen still does a great job of incorporating it without it feeling like endless exposition dumping--and I have a total monkey brain when it comes to catching worldbuilding details, so if I could follow along okay, that's a huge point in its favor.
Our main protagonist, Jac, is smart, relatable, and felt like a real person. I liked that she wasn't a warrior-huntress but still had real courage and gumption. I also loved her found family and the sweet relationship she had with her grandfather.
Meanwhile, Raine is strong, steadfast, and a total badass while still feeling human. I thought the build-up to him and Jac meeting was perfect; after all, I am a sucker for the "injured warrior needs a stranger's help" trope. (Is that a trope? Well, it is now!) While I did think their romance came on a little fast, it's still in its infancy, so I'm eager to see how it develops in later books.
The plot was also solid and fast-paced while still giving the characters a chance to breathe. While it is setting up a trilogy, there is a very clear sense of conflict and direction. I liked how everything converged in the end, though it left me with enough questions to want to read more!
Overall, I totally recommend this to dystopian fans, especially if you liked The Hunger Games!
*Originally published as an ARC review on Reedsy Discovery: https://reedsy.com/discovery/book/res...
June 10, 2022
Excellent book!
I can see everything I read in this book clearly in my mind. Very descriptive, I have nightmares of this happening to the world. I hope it never does.
I can see everything I read in this book clearly in my mind. Very descriptive, I have nightmares of this happening to the world. I hope it never does.
May 18, 2019
It's always difficult to predict what our future is going to be like, but Resistance does a really good job of being both innovative enough to be entertaining, but also accurate enough to be scary. Floods, droughts and ensuing food wars have changed the face of the earth. A regime has taken control of food production and is working its subjects to the bone. But not everyone follows their ways. The rangers who live hidden in the woods are planning the end of the regime...
The story follows Jac, a young girl training as a medic, as she goes from living in the relative safety of her grandfather's farm, to training with the rangers, led by the charismatic Raine. Several other characters have a point of view, showing us the different sides of the conflict.
One of my favourite things are the quotes at the beginning of each chapter, which are very insightful, sometimes funny and have often made me think about things in a new way. The social and economic changes and the technological advancements are very interesting and well-researched too. They feel organic and it's interesting to read how our culture and technology might adapt to such a changed environment. The questions of justic and injustice, right and wrong, whether power corrupts and what humans are capable of if they truly work together are explored in depth and I'm curious to see what is going to happen in the next book!
The story follows Jac, a young girl training as a medic, as she goes from living in the relative safety of her grandfather's farm, to training with the rangers, led by the charismatic Raine. Several other characters have a point of view, showing us the different sides of the conflict.
One of my favourite things are the quotes at the beginning of each chapter, which are very insightful, sometimes funny and have often made me think about things in a new way. The social and economic changes and the technological advancements are very interesting and well-researched too. They feel organic and it's interesting to read how our culture and technology might adapt to such a changed environment. The questions of justic and injustice, right and wrong, whether power corrupts and what humans are capable of if they truly work together are explored in depth and I'm curious to see what is going to happen in the next book!
March 13, 2021
Applies to the six book 'trilogy'. Not your typical dystopian adventure, in that whilst post-apocalyptic, it is grounded in an all too possible near future reality. Within that world there is hope - almost in a bit of a Star Wars way - a new hope. The main characters are all accessible and flawed and linked by a common goal/desire and sense of common humanity. And while there is a lead character, she is not the books hero, more a provider of perspective. That's the wordy bit: the books are great reading, with battles, insights, tension, fun (though not too many laugh out loud moments), romance and all the other things that make for a good read. At the same time because of that all too possible context they provide insights into how we might grow (timescale from now is too short for true evolution) as human beings. Bottom line I enjoyed the read and am waiting for the next instalment - already bought and waiting for me!
January 2, 2025
Well paced, engaging and thoughtful. Action with a conscience.
The blend of tech, dystopia and physical capabilities felt plausible and drew me in. A realistic, well conceived version of a rebuilt society struggling to free itself from the constraints of tyranny. The political wrangling/control is well observed and the characters likeable. Looking forward to book 2.
The blend of tech, dystopia and physical capabilities felt plausible and drew me in. A realistic, well conceived version of a rebuilt society struggling to free itself from the constraints of tyranny. The political wrangling/control is well observed and the characters likeable. Looking forward to book 2.
May 6, 2019
Full of cracking insights about what the future might hold and deep provocation about what that means for now. Written in a lively and engaging style - great characters, buzzing dialogue. Most of all an action packed read that never lets up the pace for a second. Like very much!
November 9, 2019
A fine piece of thought-provocation. What if growing food was illegal, what if government monitored your consumption? Aspen builds a well-driven narrative around these questions and others; fascinating characters bustle through a plausible (albeit horrifying) story. Strongly recommended.
July 20, 2020
Interesting dystopian story...
Heavy on action and characters. I was wishing that there were maps while I was reading, but the link for maps wasn’t available until the end of the book. Several books in the series, more than just a trilogy.
Heavy on action and characters. I was wishing that there were maps while I was reading, but the link for maps wasn’t available until the end of the book. Several books in the series, more than just a trilogy.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews