• Phoenix Unbound

  • The Fallen Empire Series, Book 1
  • By: Grace Draven
  • Narrated by: Katharine Lee McEwan
  • Length: 14 hrs and 2 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (837 ratings)

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Phoenix Unbound  By  cover art

Phoenix Unbound

By: Grace Draven
Narrated by: Katharine Lee McEwan
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Publisher's summary

In this USA Today best-selling novel, a woman with power over fire and illusion and the enslaved son of a chieftain battle a corrupt empire in this powerful and deeply emotional romantic fantasy.

Every year, each village is required to send a young woman to the Empire's capital - her fate to be burned alive for the entertainment of the masses. For the last five years, one small village's tithe has been the same woman. Gilene's sacrifice protects all the other young women of her village, and her secret to staying alive lies with the magic only she possesses.

But this year is different.

Azarion, the Empire's most famous gladiator, has somehow seen through her illusion - and is set on blackmailing Gilene into using her abilities to help him escape his life of slavery. Unknown to Gilene, he also wants to reclaim the birthright of his clan.

To protect her family and village, she will abandon everything to return to the Empire - and burn once more.

©2018 Grace Draven (P)2018 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Grace Draven's exciting romantic fantasy features characters who are fresh and original. Their problems and triumphs will keep you reading into the night.” (Charlaine Harris, number-one New York Times best-selling author)

“Fierce and captivating, Phoenix Unbound is the story of a gladiator and a fire witch fighting for their freedom against an empire that wants them enslaved. With impossible odds, breathtaking battles, terrifying magic, and an unlikely love, this book is a must read. Grace Draven is a master of romantic heroic fantasy.” (Ilona Andrews, number-one New York Times best-selling author)

“Fabulous. Quite possibly Grace Draven's best book yet. I couldn't put it down, and I didn't want it to end!” (C.L. Wilson, New York Times best-selling author of The Sea King)

What listeners say about Phoenix Unbound

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Nothing special. Highly predictable

I didn't hate this book and I didn't love it. It was kind of boring. I didn't find the characters compelling. The first third was the best. Some character development but overall not enough to make me feel connected.

I hate the "man abuses/abducts/rapes the woman, they fall in love" thing. A trope that should die.

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21 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Grace Draven is a master at world building!!

I loved it! Of course I love all of her books and have recommended them to all of my friends who are avid readers and they've loved them too. This one will be no exception. I didn't want it to be over. I wanted more.

At the beginning I was so made at the hero. He was kind, gentle, and caring but was selfish. You understand his reasons but you just want the smack him!.

Minor spoiler - don't read if you don't want to know anything about the book - I loved that the author gave the heroine true emotions over being taken by force by the hero. I read so many books where she is kidnapped and just instantly fall for the hero and forgives him immediately. In my mind I'm going...really? She was mad and she let him know it. She tried to escape and made no promises that she wouldn't do it again. She was genuine with her emotions. As was the hero.

So worth the credit. The narrator was excellent! She was easy to listen to and didn't grate on my nerves with accents like others sometimes do.

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21 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Taste of epic

If you’ve read Draven, you know this is an automatic Yes! It has the characters with gentle dignity, innate nobility, commitment and determination; who are called upon to live through, or bear witness to, events that are greater than anything they dreamed. I was satisfied at the end with a quietly happy HEA.
The book details on Amazon and Audible is descriptive and accurate enough to determine if you’re interested in the basic story.
From what I’ve read in the last ten years, this reminds me most of Jacqueline Carey’s Naamah series, or Lois McMaster Bujold’s Curse of Chalion/Paladin of Souls/World of the Five Gods -or- Sharing Knife series. I’ve read and enjoyed Draven’s Radiance and Eidolon; after this book, Master of Crows has just moved up on my reading wish list.
McEwan does a very good job with narration.
Happily recommend on all levels!

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

The review I wish I had read before I got this book

If you read any part of my review before purchasing this book, let it be this. If you do not want to read about abuse, murder, kidnapping, or just general mistreatment of women and men for so many chapters just go ahead and pass on this book. I skimmed the reviews and did not get a true sense of this book. I wish I had not gotten it and I don’t know why I powered through it to the end.

I feel like I know as much about the characters at the end of this story as I did in the beginning. No time is taken to establish who these people really are to make you care for them. I’m also honestly concerned about all the reviews I saw saying the first third of the book is the best. The first few chapters are just about the mistreatment, abuse, and death that take place in this world. They were not easy or fun to get through. The rest of the book doesn’t have anything to break up the difficult parts of the story, and there are plenty. You know the whole time what this is, a story of the abused falling in love with the abuser. Just because he was also abused does not make him someone to care about. Just because people have families to go back to doesn’t mean they’re a good person. There’s a lot of heavy, heavy stuff talked about in this book and it makes this a very hard book to get through. There’s nothing about this world that makes me want to be there. There’s nothing about the characters that make you want to know them, be them, or be like them. If I hadn’t read the wraith kings series I’d seriously question this writer. Does the world really need stories that seem like they’re written just to detail horrible things? Is abuse the only way to move a lot forward? I don’t understand the point of this book and I can’t imagine the writing process for this one.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Felt nothing for main characters

I wasn’t able to get through this book. First, I had to increase the narration speed to 1.5 because the narration dragged on and on. The narrator has a lovely voice, but the speed was too slow for a slowish story.
On that, I found the story dragged, but not in a good way. Descriptions of abuse over and over again do not make for excitement only depression. The female main character was just not likable. The character was brave but only when forced to be. She just seemed ambiguous at best. The male lead was a bit better. I jumped to the end and found the end to be as expected but also rushed, leaving a great many things unexplained. Also, there is very little humor in this book. I personally like my romance to at least have a spark of humor. Non to be found here.
I am returning the book, as I will never finish it.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Between a rock and a hard place

Listening to this story made getting the work done fun. I spent a few days saying things like “I can’t watch that show with you. I need to do yard work... dishes... walk the dog (and listen to my book).” When the last word was spoken I loved the ending but hated that the story was over.
The protagonists are both caught between a rock and a hard place for much of the story. I’ve read this theme play out before but the shifts in pressure and character development made it feel new. The character’s backstories are fraught with terrible times but once they join forces willingly and not, their lives change for the better. Due to the hardships they persevered, I was emotionally invested in the first chapters so their adventures, battles, trials, happy moments and each success felt very satisfying. The love developed at a slow burn that got pretty hot. I also appreciated that if there was no adventure in the journey the reader didn’t have to travel with the characters over every hill and dale.
I enjoyed this story and definitely recommend it.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Complete World and Strong Characters

The world created by Grace Draven was complete and amazing. I could hear the horses and smell the ashes. The story was also enveloping, although it took me a while to get into it. By the end I cared about these characters and wished I could stay in touch with them.

The ending felt abrupt. Yes, the story was over, but it needed an epilogue. I can't say more without spoilers, but this was disappointing.

I was also disappointed that there weren't any lighter moments. Yes, the plot overall was dark, but I bought this because one of my favorite books is Radiance. In that book the H/h often good-naturally teased each other, amusing each other and the reader.

The narration was not great. Acceptable, but her tone and cadence was similar throughout. I couldn't clearly distiguish voices of many of the characters, but didn't have an issue following the story.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

DNF. Awful hero - Boring story

DNF this. The hero was just a douchebag. I kept hanging on hoping he'd do something redeemable, but he just continued to be a self centered prick and just gets worse and worse. While he wasn't horribly cruel, there was literally nothing to like about him. No redeeming qualities at all. I have absolutely no sympathy for anything he's been through. If anything I just wished more horrible shit would happen to this ass hat. How does this bs have such a misleading rating?!??!

Also, had annoying editing issues. It would randomaly repeats lines multiple times.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Enthralling

After bumping the speed to 1.5, and forgiving several botched edits where phrases repeat, this story drew me in. Draven’s stories are always rich, emotional, and unique. I love the number of strong women in this one, even if Gilene’s starts as a literal sacrificial lamb. I also loved that this was as much an epic as a romance. The next book in the series features a minor character from this book, so it’s really a standalone set in the same world. Due to my enjoyment of this one, I’ll gladly move on to the next.

There were some negatives. Although broadly described, gentle readers may find some themes triggering, especially in the Spartacus grim beginning, with men and women victimized by an evil Empress. Also, compared to her fabulous Eidolon series, this book doesn’t feel nearly as otherworldly, with occasional F bombs, gladiators, and Vikings to feel more like medieval fantasy. Finally, I was disappointed by the near complete lack of humor to balance out the trauma.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

So much language

I wish this had a warning! So many F words- the story started off awesome- but if you are at all sensitive to language- don’t waste your credits like I did!

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2 people found this helpful