Andi's Book Reviews: 'Phoenix Rising' Book Tour

Welcome to the Phoenix Rising book tour! Learn more about the author and the debut book of her new series. See what I thought about the book and then enter the Rafflecopter at the bottom! Good luck!

BOOK BLURB:

Maggie has lived the last ten years with a woman who isn't her mother and carrying the label "Daughter of John Henning", a man sentenced to live out his days at Sunnyview Psychiatric Hospital after his conviction of fire bombing a church...and killing the 8 people inside.

What Maggie learns will change her life.

She is the last of a race of creatures known as "The Phoenix", a race of supernatural beings with the ability to wield and control fire.

And she will need that power now...

Revenants- walking, living, skeletal creatures who have waged a war against an unseen, parallel world known simply as The Realm- need Maggie's blood to bring them to a full power...a power that will give them an unbeatable edge and offer the deciding weapon in this war.

Maggie is not alone as she learns not only what she really is, but what it is her destiny to become...

Synopsis

“…And I believe you do not have the control over your fire yet to destroy us all.” He was calling my bluff. Worse, he was right.

Phoenix Rising is a first person story revolving around sixteen year old Maggie Henning. Maggie lives with her mother and has spent the previous ten years of her life wearing a label- daughter of the murderer John Henning. Her father resides at Sunnybrook Psychiatric Hospital, having been convicted of killing eight people inside of a local church, burning them alive. Or so Maggie has always been told. Maggie's world begins to change after finding a letter addressed to her from the psychiatric hospital that offers an ominous warning. She ignores the letter, waving it off as some random nut sending her mail.

Having to endure visits with her father, per her mother's request, has left Maggie feeling isolated and alone, with exception to her one friend, Stephanie; daughter of her father's deceased law partner. In an effort to cheer Maggie up, Stephanie and she take in a little “retail therapy” at the local mall.

Maggie finds herself drawn into a music store she doesn't normally go in to, drawn by a melody played by a mysterious raven haired guy that apparently alarms Maggie's friend.

Following an argument, Maggie is abandoned at the shopping center to walk home, only to spot the mystery man again, riding a motorcycle, who offers her a ride home. Maggie isn't normally that reckless, but she decides to throw caution to the wing and take him up on the offer.

The stage is set after a visit to her see her father, normally in a fairly catatonic state, comes aware, giving Maggie the same warning as the letter she received. Creatures, called “revenants” want Maggie's blood. Just when Maggie had felt optimistic about her father, the hopes were dashed. But, she had seen strange things; bones, pointed teeth, rotting flesh…

The drive home reveals that Maggie's mother is NOT what she seemed to be and after she's attacked, the mystery guy, named Michel, arrives and rescues Maggie from one of these creatures.

Maggie is taken to “The Trust”, a manor house that offers protection to beings from “The Realm”- another world that lives right below the surface of the Mortal one. Maggie begins to learn of this strange world and the creatures that inhabit it, including a young witch with much to live up to named Autumn, a light hearted fairy named Seatha, and two Vampire Princes of The Realm, one of which is Michel. Michel is kind and level headed. Luc, his brother, is a smart ass and calls things as he sees them. The two brothers tend to be opposites of each other in most things, with exceptions to their kingdom and now, Maggie.

Maggie meets Liam at The Trust, learning that the crazy board game eating man from the asylum is really her grandfather. Liam explains The Realm, offering guidance, and more importantly, informs Maggie of what she really is- the last of a race of beings called “Phoenixes”, creatures who have the ability to call fire and use it as they wish.

The revenants, led by a creature named Ossa, will stop at nothing to get Maggie; needing her blood to bring them to full power.

Maggie must not only come to believe in all that she has heard, including that she's one of these mythical creatures from stories, but also learn how to wield her power to face the creatures that would destroy both worlds Maggie has come to know of. All of this, even as she begins to feel more than mere friendship with one of the Princes…

**My thoughts**

Witches and fairies and vampires, oh my! This book includes all of them! You name the paranormal creature and it exists in The Realm. Well, except for werewolves, as they are extinct in this story. But hold on! There is something new! At least I haven't yet encountered a phoenix in a recent paranormal offering. The last one I can remember is in Harry Potter.

This story is a familiar one in current literature today. A young girl comes of age, only to find out that she has a big secret. She possesses special powers and is the Chosen One to save some kind of a world. Maggie is a fun character, though. She is headstrong enough to know what she wants as she figures out how her life is going to change. She builds up her self-confidence as she comes into her own, finally realizing her potential. And of course, there is the hottie vampire who is tauntingly delicious.

You will laugh and cry, cheer and berate multiple characters as you read this initial story in the series. And like all good series openers, this one leaves you hanging and wanting more from the sequel. It's a fun debut that will keep the pages turning.

Author Bio:

Lisa C. Morgan lives in rural Upstate NY with her husband, three children, a degu, a precocious Siberian Husky, and a half Pom/Half Chi spoiled baby named Salacious B. Dustbunny.

A lover of books and words, it has always been her desire to tell stories that the people near her could listen and read, escaping the world around them by way of the page.

Always having a new story idea popping into her head, (sometimes at the least appropriate of times,) Lisa can always be found with a notebook and writing utensil somewhere within reach, just as her 8th grade teacher made her promise to do.Lisa has two short stories previously published in anthologies. A Romantic short titled Nothing's Terminal (A Home for the Holidays; December, 2011) and a zombie themed short titled Antidote (The Thorn of Death; March 2012). Her debut novel- Phoenix Rising is the first in a new YA series Maggie Henning & The Realm and will be released July 2012. Upcoming will be the continuation in the series- Phoenix Burning, Phoenix Shadow, and Phoenix Ashes.

When she isn't writing or taxiing kids, Lisa enjoys reading, football, softball, cooking, singing & dancing, tattoos, and spending time with family and friends.