Phoenix Rising

A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel

By: Pip Ballantine, Tee Morris

Narrated by: James Langton

Length: 13 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

Evil is most assuredly afoot - and Britain’s fate rests in the hands of an alluring renegade... and a librarian.

These are dark days indeed in Victoria’s England. Londoners are vanishing, then reappearing, washing up as corpses on the banks of the Thames, drained of blood and bone. Yet the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences - the Crown’s clandestine organization whose bailiwick is the strange and unsettling - will not allow its agents to investigate. Fearless and exceedingly lovely Eliza D. Braun, however, with her bulletproof corset and a disturbing fondness for dynamite, refuses to let the matter rest... and she’s prepared to drag her timorous new partner, Wellington Books, along with her into the perilous fray.

For a malevolent brotherhood is operating in the deepening London shadows, intent upon the enslavement of all Britons. And Books and Braun - he with his encyclopedic brain and she with her remarkable devices - must get to the twisted roots of a most nefarious plot... or see England fall to the Phoenix!

©2011 Pip Ballantine & Tee Morris (P)2011 HarperCollins Publishers

Excellent earPod goodness

If you could sum up Phoenix Rising in three words, what would they be?

real page turner

What did you like best about this story?

attention to world building detail

Have you listened to any of James Langton’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

this is the first but really enjoyed the performance

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

blockbuster

Any additional comments?

has all the goodness of action/adventure and the cherry on top....steampunk 8-)

A fun romp if a little predictable

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. It's a great beach or vacation book. It's fun, easy, and amusing.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Phoenix Rising?

The initial meeting between the two main characters.

Which character – as performed by James Langton – was your favorite?

Wellington Books. He's calm, academic, and yet funny.

Any additional comments?

It's a typical steampunk adventure. A fun brain break worth your time but don't expect anything insightful or surprising. Eliza (the heroine) is pulled right from any feisty romance novel. The male lead, Wellington Books, is a bit more interesting. It's brain candy.

Loved it!

The narrator was great, and although the story was a little silly it was certainly enjoyable. Action packed. It kept my attention, which is exactly what I was hoping for.

James Bond Meets the X-Files, Steampunk Style!

It's the Victorian Era equivalent to the X-Files... if Mulder was a straight-laced archivist, if Scully was a female 007 with an explosives fetish, and if both of them were actually forbidden to go on the mission they were investigating. Overall, it's fairly predictable, lending to it being a quick read, but there are enough surprises and great character moments sprinkled throughout to keep you plowing through to the end. This book is simply a lot of fun. I can't wait to work through the second one.

Fun and Frivolous

Honestly well written and totally fun -- this was my first foray into the steampunk genre, and I was not disappointed. I'm not sure that it's totally MY genre? But this was a super fun story with some great language and interesting character dynamics. I wholeheartedly recommend this story!

my first steampunk novel

It was entertaining, but I found some of the situations the characters found themselves in to be a bit over the top not sure if I want to read the next novel or not

Entertainment in steampunk

Engrossing and well voiced, going for next in series .

Well thought out characters and universe, and teases to what is next.

Fabulous! Stay with it!

What did you love best about Phoenix Rising?

I loved the play between the Eliza and Wellington. At first this book was hard to get into - the narrator with the accents was hard to listen to but I kept listening and got lost in this book.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Phoenix Rising?

I knew there was something more to Wellington than just a bookworm and I really loved seeing his training come out -without - carrying the arsenal that Eliza does - it was a great moment - in the alley when he was attacked.

Which character – as performed by James Langton – was your favorite?

Love the leads - eliza and wellington

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

not sure

Any additional comments?

Like I said stay with it! It gets really good and i can't wait to read the next book.

Very entertaining

As other reviewers have noted, it's a very silly story; but it's also very entertaining.

Very fun and enjoyable

The character were a fun mix. The narration was really good. Look forward to the next one. They want me to write more but I am done.