Review: The Phoenix Keeper is a triumphant enemies-to-lovers romance

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I want to vomit words about how much I loved The Phoenix Keeper.

It’s the queer cozy fantasy magical animal conservation novel of your (or at least my) dreams.

As head phoenix keeper at a world-renowned zoo for magical creatures, Aila must navigate her anxieties, friendships, and potential rivals-turned-lovers in order to save her beloved species, the silimalo phoenix.

Suffering from severe social anxiety, Aila would rather hole up at the back of her animal enclosures than talk to other people. She’s deeply flawed, prone to unraveling her insecurities and making rash, hard-headed assumptions.

But this also means that she has one of the most satisfying character arcs I’ve read all year, a rarity in the cozy fantasy genre. By the end of The Phoenix Keeper, Aila owns up to her mistakes. She opens up to people. And dare I say it, she even begins to do things she would never do before.

I love it when authors don’t coddle their characters.

Oh, and Luciana? *chef’s kiss*