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Phoenix Rising
Escape into a world of mythical creatures, legendary civilizations, dangerous sword fights, and epic space battles... where science fiction meets fantasy. Whispers of foul deeds and terrifying acts plague the galaxy as death spills across unknown battlefields and unrest spreads throughout empires. Riders, impressed with the gargantuan creatures called Solar Sailors, speak of horrific attacks upon peaceful citizens as they travel the dark energy currents of the galaxy. At the center of this onslaught, a sinister and secretive society rises, seeking to control the galaxy. The Igigi, mysterious ancient beings, Keepers of the Galactic Gates, and Trade Lane towers, attacked by a formidable enemy without warning. Ghost walkers, mystic warriors of the Temple sent to investigate, discover an elusive and savage enemy pitting empire against empire spreading terror and chaos. Into this maelstrom, Aidan, a Murian prince, awakens from a fiery crash. His people, legends fading into the mist of time. A young Queen Jynnalt, and a haughty Prince, Ryakin, thrown together by Imperial decree. Two Malkuth royal brothers, Kendo and Ikath, as children, kidnapped and forced to live off the streets till rescued, now live with those scars. One wants to put the event behind him, the other obsessed with discovering who did this to them. While the son of a royal concubine of the Anunnaki Empire, Prince Ea brilliant, feckless and in line for the Anunnaki Throne desperate to win his father's approval while attempting to stay out of the political limelight, one foot in the city of the concubines the other in the complicated intrigue of the royal house of the Anunnaki Empire.
All fight for the very survival of their empires and the galaxy, compelled to sacrifice for love, house, and empire as it slides into the anarchy of civil war. Forced to battle against enemies not seen since the time of the formidable and legendary Phoenix Queens. How much are they willing to sacrifice to save everything they love? As the Phoenix Rises and the galaxy burns, some will rise to the challenge. Others fall. This is the first book in the series Anunnaki Wars, chronicles the rise and fall of noble houses and vast empires throughout the galaxy, filling the pages of this magnificent saga with intrigue, murder, mayhem, and betrayal.
All fight for the very survival of their empires and the galaxy, compelled to sacrifice for love, house, and empire as it slides into the anarchy of civil war. Forced to battle against enemies not seen since the time of the formidable and legendary Phoenix Queens. How much are they willing to sacrifice to save everything they love? As the Phoenix Rises and the galaxy burns, some will rise to the challenge. Others fall. This is the first book in the series Anunnaki Wars, chronicles the rise and fall of noble houses and vast empires throughout the galaxy, filling the pages of this magnificent saga with intrigue, murder, mayhem, and betrayal.
512 pages, Paperback
Published July 1, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 29, 2018
Reviewed By Ruffina Oserio for Readers’ Favorite
Phoenix Rising by C.S. Wade is a spellbinding opening in the Anunnaki Wars series, an action-packed sci-fi story with phenomenal characters. A poem written by an anonymous Malkuth five hundred sars ago could be a prophecy, one of the most sacred texts in the temple and one not available to the public. A strong, yet elusive enemy has set his eyes on the Anunnaki Empire and is determined to have it, come what may. Powerful armies rise against each other, bloodshed and anarchy punctuate the daily life of the people. Can the Council of Nine and the High Temple of the Seer of Radiance find the wisdom to halt the carnage? It is against this backdrop that a young warrior queen and two brothers will fight for their people, but with the enemy growing stronger by the day and becoming more cunning, what chances do they have of beating him?
The narrative begins in the midst of action and against a setting that is so beautifully imagined and captured with vivid images. C.S. Wade’s prose is exotic and I enjoyed the invention of names and places and even the cycle of time. I love sci-fi that reinvents the world and creates a unique civilization and the author knows how to do this. The plot is intricately done with a wide array of characters, skillfully developed. The author balances exciting narrative and fascinating dialogues with breathtaking descriptions of scenes, characters, and elements of the setting. The reader can follow the cinematic action in their mind and they can easily see the characters. The atmospheric writing and the ability to paint images in the minds of readers make this story even more enjoyable. Phoenix Rising is a great book for fans of sci-fi, a story that is transporting and hugely entertaining.
Phoenix Rising by C.S. Wade is a spellbinding opening in the Anunnaki Wars series, an action-packed sci-fi story with phenomenal characters. A poem written by an anonymous Malkuth five hundred sars ago could be a prophecy, one of the most sacred texts in the temple and one not available to the public. A strong, yet elusive enemy has set his eyes on the Anunnaki Empire and is determined to have it, come what may. Powerful armies rise against each other, bloodshed and anarchy punctuate the daily life of the people. Can the Council of Nine and the High Temple of the Seer of Radiance find the wisdom to halt the carnage? It is against this backdrop that a young warrior queen and two brothers will fight for their people, but with the enemy growing stronger by the day and becoming more cunning, what chances do they have of beating him?
The narrative begins in the midst of action and against a setting that is so beautifully imagined and captured with vivid images. C.S. Wade’s prose is exotic and I enjoyed the invention of names and places and even the cycle of time. I love sci-fi that reinvents the world and creates a unique civilization and the author knows how to do this. The plot is intricately done with a wide array of characters, skillfully developed. The author balances exciting narrative and fascinating dialogues with breathtaking descriptions of scenes, characters, and elements of the setting. The reader can follow the cinematic action in their mind and they can easily see the characters. The atmospheric writing and the ability to paint images in the minds of readers make this story even more enjoyable. Phoenix Rising is a great book for fans of sci-fi, a story that is transporting and hugely entertaining.
March 27, 2019
DNF at 8%.
Interesting premise and I even liked the characters that were introduced. There was some variety from your average character cut-outs. I think the action sequences were rushed, but the worldbuilding was interesting. The author used their own system of measurement and time, which I always feel is unnecessarily confusing. But points for trying to be original. I wanted to read it, but I couldn't.
The problem with this book was simply that it was unreadable. There were constant, numerous errors in grammar and sentence structure. It almost seemed as if the book was badly translated from another language, or like the file was corrupted when it was uploaded and words were randomly deleted. It was Beyond distracting and often very confusing when key words were missing from a sentence.
I guess the book was never edited? I recommend editing before publishing, since right now it was a headache even to get to 8% and I believe that this book deserves better.
I'm giving an optimistic 2 stars because 1 star is too harsh for a good story, but 3 stars is too good for something that's basically unreadable from errors.
Interesting premise and I even liked the characters that were introduced. There was some variety from your average character cut-outs. I think the action sequences were rushed, but the worldbuilding was interesting. The author used their own system of measurement and time, which I always feel is unnecessarily confusing. But points for trying to be original. I wanted to read it, but I couldn't.
The problem with this book was simply that it was unreadable. There were constant, numerous errors in grammar and sentence structure. It almost seemed as if the book was badly translated from another language, or like the file was corrupted when it was uploaded and words were randomly deleted. It was Beyond distracting and often very confusing when key words were missing from a sentence.
I guess the book was never edited? I recommend editing before publishing, since right now it was a headache even to get to 8% and I believe that this book deserves better.
I'm giving an optimistic 2 stars because 1 star is too harsh for a good story, but 3 stars is too good for something that's basically unreadable from errors.
August 9, 2020
I'm a big sci-fi fan and this book ticked all the boxes for me. If you like authors like Ian M. Banks, then give C.S. Wade a chance. The world-building is fascinating! The author's imagination is seriously impressive, from the different types of "citizens" to the military and the Ghost Walkers; everything in this book was incredibly detailed. I also loved the planets, ships and maneuver descriptions as well as the universe bureaucracy. The AIs - always a nice touch- were fun and different, each with their own personality.
The various entwined subplots were gripping and so interesting that, at times, I found myself more involved in them rather than the main plot. Phoenix Rising felt epic, there was so much happening constantly over time that it made you think about timelines, goals and motivations.
Characters were nicely developed and rounded, even secondary characters such as Rualui (loved him so much). It also has strong female characters like Jynnalt, who -despite having weaknesses- is always fiercely independent in every sense of the word. The one thing I was not convinced about was the insta-love. I was genuinely enjoying how long it was taking the characters to actually like each other and I would have loved to see that journey rather than just the result.
*I received a complimentary copy for review from Voracious Readers*
The various entwined subplots were gripping and so interesting that, at times, I found myself more involved in them rather than the main plot. Phoenix Rising felt epic, there was so much happening constantly over time that it made you think about timelines, goals and motivations.
Characters were nicely developed and rounded, even secondary characters such as Rualui (loved him so much). It also has strong female characters like Jynnalt, who -despite having weaknesses- is always fiercely independent in every sense of the word. The one thing I was not convinced about was the insta-love. I was genuinely enjoying how long it was taking the characters to actually like each other and I would have loved to see that journey rather than just the result.
*I received a complimentary copy for review from Voracious Readers*
October 12, 2020
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book for an honest review.
I will admit, this book dragged in the beginning. It was hard to comprehend what was going on as it jumped from character to character who seemed disconnected at the time. Also, the author used their own time measurement system, which I always find confusing until you finally figure it out. However, once this book came together, I could not stop reading! The seemingly unconnected characters slowly start to fall into place with each other, and that is when the book takes off. After this point, the book was full of action and amazing adventures. There were plenty of characters to root for, and times to mourn some of those characters. Be warned though, if you do not like SciFi, this book is not for you. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I will admit, this book dragged in the beginning. It was hard to comprehend what was going on as it jumped from character to character who seemed disconnected at the time. Also, the author used their own time measurement system, which I always find confusing until you finally figure it out. However, once this book came together, I could not stop reading! The seemingly unconnected characters slowly start to fall into place with each other, and that is when the book takes off. After this point, the book was full of action and amazing adventures. There were plenty of characters to root for, and times to mourn some of those characters. Be warned though, if you do not like SciFi, this book is not for you. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
July 19, 2020
The book I read is a second edition. The characters are not flat but interesting. The world building was highly interesting. I found a few mistakes here and their but nothing to make the book unreadable. The main female character is not some whiny character, making her more likable. The villains are villains without being over the top and the support characters were not paper cut out walk on characters. The book is full of action and suspense and had an actual plot line. The ending was a little blah but still finished the book well enough. Some words and names were familiar to me as I am a UFO/Ancient Alien fan and it appears the author used some Summerian gods and times to frame the books calendar around. I will be definetly reading the next book in the series.
June 16, 2021
Phoenix Rising is so very well made. Such a compelling thrilling story and the descriptions are on point. This is the first book I have read from this author and I’m quite delighted I picked up a copy. Great story.
January 20, 2019
Phoenix Rising: Anunnaki Wars by C S Wade
BLURB~
“Aidan a Murian prince awakens from a fiery crash in an unknown time. His people legends fading into the mist of time. Long forgotten. After an eon of hiding in the shadows sinister enemies from his past once more come forth spreading chaos as they pit empire against empire precipitating war and chaos across the galaxy. He discovers the oldest race in the galaxy betrayed by one they trusted. Whispers of foul deeds and unspeakable acts proliferates as death spills across battlefield's. Rider merchants impressed to the gargantuan deepspace creatures called Solar Sailors carry news of the unrest to the Council of Nine and High Temple as they travel the great energy currents delivering goods and news. Ghost walkers, Temple warriors, powerful and mysterious are sent to investigate and discover an elusive, and savage enemy. At the center of the whirlwind is a battle for control of the Anunnaki Empire. Blood will flow as the wrath of war rises. Into this anarchy a young queen, her consort, and two powerful brothers fight for the very survival of their people, forced to sacrifice for love, house, and empire. Now the future of the galaxy rest upon two lost souls. How can an ancient prince, and an untried Queen hope to triumph over one of the most insidious forces the galaxy has seen since the time of powerful and long dead Phoenix Queens. Full of mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure. The rise and fall of powerful alliances fill the pages of this magnificent saga, Anunnaki Wars an epic series sure to delight Science Fiction/Ancient Aliens fans everywhere.”
REVIEW~
Hmmmmm… I am not certain how to review this book. The story itself is very interesting, but there were a lot of typos and grammatical errors that distracted me, as can be noted in the blurb alone. I found myself beta reading more than enjoying the story at first. I was still able to be drawn in, however, and I feel that with some editing, it could really be a wonderful fantasy/sci-fi read. What the blurb doesn’t tell you is that the story is about how a warrior princess/new, young queen and her two brothers are fighting to protect their family and society against an enemy that seems indomitable.
The writer is very imaginative, and the premise of the novel is enrapturing, despite the errors. It sends readers through space and time to fascinating new galaxies. Wade has crafted a world full of depth. The writing style is very descriptive and dynamic. From the very beginning, the book is full of action and continues to be quickly paced till the very end. The plot is intricate and detailed, which allowed me to overlook the poor editing. The characters were easily visualized and developed. I found the tale intriguing and would like to read the sequel.
Because of the poor editing, I am going to give this book 3.5/5. It’s saving grace is that the characters are vivid, the basis of the story is captivating, and the author’s fresh and imaginative tale is truly enticing.
I was given this book by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This review, or portions thereof, will be posted (when able) on Amazon, B&N, Goodreads, Kobo, IG, FB, Pinterest, Litsy, and my own blog.
Unfortunately, I am unable to provide links to all sites as I am using my phone.
On various sites I am:
Pinterest~ Pinterest.com/katskraps
Barnes & Noble~ Karyl-Ahn-white_7
Litsy~ Karylahn or Karyl White
BLURB~
“Aidan a Murian prince awakens from a fiery crash in an unknown time. His people legends fading into the mist of time. Long forgotten. After an eon of hiding in the shadows sinister enemies from his past once more come forth spreading chaos as they pit empire against empire precipitating war and chaos across the galaxy. He discovers the oldest race in the galaxy betrayed by one they trusted. Whispers of foul deeds and unspeakable acts proliferates as death spills across battlefield's. Rider merchants impressed to the gargantuan deepspace creatures called Solar Sailors carry news of the unrest to the Council of Nine and High Temple as they travel the great energy currents delivering goods and news. Ghost walkers, Temple warriors, powerful and mysterious are sent to investigate and discover an elusive, and savage enemy. At the center of the whirlwind is a battle for control of the Anunnaki Empire. Blood will flow as the wrath of war rises. Into this anarchy a young queen, her consort, and two powerful brothers fight for the very survival of their people, forced to sacrifice for love, house, and empire. Now the future of the galaxy rest upon two lost souls. How can an ancient prince, and an untried Queen hope to triumph over one of the most insidious forces the galaxy has seen since the time of powerful and long dead Phoenix Queens. Full of mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure. The rise and fall of powerful alliances fill the pages of this magnificent saga, Anunnaki Wars an epic series sure to delight Science Fiction/Ancient Aliens fans everywhere.”
REVIEW~
Hmmmmm… I am not certain how to review this book. The story itself is very interesting, but there were a lot of typos and grammatical errors that distracted me, as can be noted in the blurb alone. I found myself beta reading more than enjoying the story at first. I was still able to be drawn in, however, and I feel that with some editing, it could really be a wonderful fantasy/sci-fi read. What the blurb doesn’t tell you is that the story is about how a warrior princess/new, young queen and her two brothers are fighting to protect their family and society against an enemy that seems indomitable.
The writer is very imaginative, and the premise of the novel is enrapturing, despite the errors. It sends readers through space and time to fascinating new galaxies. Wade has crafted a world full of depth. The writing style is very descriptive and dynamic. From the very beginning, the book is full of action and continues to be quickly paced till the very end. The plot is intricate and detailed, which allowed me to overlook the poor editing. The characters were easily visualized and developed. I found the tale intriguing and would like to read the sequel.
Because of the poor editing, I am going to give this book 3.5/5. It’s saving grace is that the characters are vivid, the basis of the story is captivating, and the author’s fresh and imaginative tale is truly enticing.
I was given this book by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This review, or portions thereof, will be posted (when able) on Amazon, B&N, Goodreads, Kobo, IG, FB, Pinterest, Litsy, and my own blog.
Unfortunately, I am unable to provide links to all sites as I am using my phone.
On various sites I am:
Pinterest~ Pinterest.com/katskraps
Barnes & Noble~ Karyl-Ahn-white_7
Litsy~ Karylahn or Karyl White
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews