Kristal reviews
GHOST PHOENIX: THE PHOENIX INSTITUTE by Corrina Lawson
Book Blurb:
The cure they desperately need just rose from the ashes of evil…
The Phoenix Institute, Book 3
Richard Plantagenet, self-exiled prince of an immortal court, is content living the uncomplicated life of a California surfer. Until his brother’s sudden death and his Queen’s wasting illness wrest him from his ocean-side solitude for one last quest.
The Queen needs a cure. To get it, Richard needs assistance from someone with a singular—and slightly illegal—talent.
As the latest of a long line of ghost-walkers, Marian Doyle can, literally, walk through walls—bringing objects with her. Her gift comes in handy for her family’s shady antiquities business, but Marian’s had it with breaking the law. She wants a life of her own choosing.
Instead, she gets Richard.
Their mission seems simple: Find the body of Gregori Rasputin and procure a small sample of his DNA. But when they discover the Mad Monk of Russia is very much alive, the prince and the phantom must form a bond to battle a man who desires to remake the world in fire.
Here’s what I thought: It took me awhile to get into this story because I didn’t finding the opening chapters compelling. I also got hung up on some editing errors where words were missing from the sentence, or the wrong word was used and I had to re-read in order to figure out what the author actually intended.
Still, I kept reading. What unfolded was a passably interesting heist where Marian uses her ghosting talent to get them out of some precarious situations.
Despite the romance plot, I didn’t feel that Richard and Marian developed a deep emotional connection that would sustain a HEA; thereby the ending is more of a happily-for-now resolution, especially considering Richard’s ruminations about his inability to commit for a significant period of time, especially considering that he is immortal, yet Marian isn’t. Or, if she is, that isn’t made clear in the story. So for me, the romance is bitter-sweet because I’m not convinced theirs is a forever love.
There is a lively cast of characters. Almost too many to keep track of at times. GHOST PHOENIX is book 3 in the Phoenix Institute series and may be a pivotal point the series arc, but I haven’t read the other stories so I can only guess that this is why it seemed the characters from the Phoenix Institute were given too much time in the plot. I found the “Institute” scenes overshadowed Richard and Marian’s story and hijacked the tension rather than adding to the suspense. Neither Marian nor Richard are Institute members; however, their sidekick Daz Montoya is and his ties provide a convenient and expected rescue in the end.
The author does weave an interesting and imaginative tale, intersperse with a twist on a historical character, which isn’t all that original, but works well within the context of the story. The intricacies of the plot are elaborate and do work to push the characters, and the readers, to a satisfying conclusion.
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Romance, Mystery
Length: 277 pages, 842 KB
Book Format: eBook
Publisher & Imprint: Samhain
Blush Quotient: Pink
SG rating: 3
Author Scoop: For more information on the author, visit www.Corrina-Lawson.com
This book was provided by the author for an honest review. No other compensation was offered or received.
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