Phoenix Unbound by Grace Draven [Review]

Phoenix Unbound (Fallen Empire #1) by Grace Draven
Format: ebook
Source: provided through NetGalley
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: August 27, 2018

Fallen Empire
1. Phoenix Unbound - Paperback | Kindle

Grace Draven
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Synopsis (Goodreads):

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. And unknown to Gilene, he also wants to reclaim the birthright of his clan.

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

Thoughts on Phoenix Unbound: I read my first Grace Draven story in an anthology and really really REALLY liked it. So when this bad boy came across my radar, I was all fired up to read it.

BOY, did it not disappoint.

Gilene and Azarion are circumstantial adversaries when they first meet. He's the arena champion and she's the woman dying by pieces to protect her village. He needs her to escape, while she needs to do everything she can to stay free so she can protect her village next year when this all happens again. They're very much at cross-purposes and that leads to a rocky start.

Being forced into close proximity lets them see that they're not necessarily adversaries in the strictest sense. They both hate the Empire and what it's doing to its people. They both have reasons for their animosity, but they a grudging respect springs up between them and then that respect turns into something more. *heart eyes*

I'm seriously smitten with this book and these characters and pretty much everything about the story. When things are at their worst, Gilene and Azarion keep fighting. They're wily and smart and they don't know how to back down when everything they care about it as stake. THINGS HAPPEN and I'm excited to see where the next installment takes us.