Phoenix

Phoenix (Peradon Book 1)
By Daccari Buchelli
Published in 2017

Why I chose this book:
When I learned that the author was seeking reviewers, I was interested - magic, intrigue, and a lead female character are right up my alley. I received a copy of the book for review from the author.

Review:

A princess with fire magic seeks freedom from her royal duties, only to encounter greater trials.

As a child, Violetta survives an ice storm that was intended to kill her, but hits her brother and mother. This leaves emotional scars and prompts her to desire freedom from her royal duty as the new heir to the throne when she comes of age at fifteen. As a misguided way to escape, she marries the emperor of the neighboring realm. When Violetta fails to become pregnant with a needed heir to the Frost realm's throne, her husband turns on her, physically, emotionally, and magically. Spoiler Alert: Violetta overcomes all this, gaining confidence, magical power, and the throne.

I could not put this down for the final 120 pages. The reason that I did put it down periodically for the first couple hundred pages is mainly because I had to — either T woke up or I had to go to bed. The world construction was fanciful and enjoyable; each of four realms is focused around an element, with the ruling class and some of the commoners wielding magic related to that element (earth, frost, air, fire). Magic is integral to the plot, but not the characters' everyday lives. Violetta's magical capabilities manifest themselves in new ways at the end, setting up the next book in the series. The plot itself was exciting — the reader knows that someone is trying to kill Violetta and her husband, but they do not. And Violetta is a mostly likable protagonist. Her husband, on the other hand, is great to hate. The only reason that I wasn't rooting for the traitors to succeed is because I wanted to see Violetta in charge, not them. It was a fun read and I am eager for the next installment.