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Phoenix Keeper
Phoenix Keeper | S A MacLean
15 posts | 8 read | 7 to read
Set in a magical zoo teeming with mythical beasts from dragons and unicorns to kelpies and krakens, The Phoenix Keeper is a fierce joy of a cozy fantasy novel with a soul-restoring queer romance at its heart, for fans ofThe House in the Cerulean Sea and Legends and Lattes. Aila has spent her entire life dreaming of saving phoenixes. She pulled countless all-nighters at uni just to sneak a toe in the door of the breathtakingly competitive field of conservation, stumbling through failed romance and disastrous class presentations thanks to social anxiety, while also surviving a ferocious class rivalry with the (unbearably beautiful) insufferably hotshot Luciana. Somehow, she actually did it: landed her dream job as head phoenix keeper at the world-renowned zoo that inspired her as a child, tasked with rescuing the critically endangered Silimalo phoenix from the brink of extinction. There are just two or three (thousand) impossible problems. 1. She can't act sensibly around the charming dragon keeper, Connor. 2. Her plans to revive the phoenix programme are more precarious than ever, after a poacher attack at a neighbouring zoo. 3. Her best chance at success means teaming up with the star of the zoo, the universally adored griffin keeper, the hotshot showmaster of the most popular exhibit . . . Yes, of course it's Luciana.
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Mattsbookaday
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Mehso-so

The Phoenix Keeper, by S.A. Maclean (2024)
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Premise: A young zoologist specializing in the conservation of magical creatures and living with severe anxiety must learn to cope with human and not just animal interaction when her zoo has the opportunity to revive its dormant phoenix breeding program. ⬇️

Mattsbookaday Review: I wanted to love this but I found it pretty disappointing. This really soared in its description of the joys, dangers, and heartbreaks of animal conservation efforts, and its protagonist‘s believably slow-but-steady growth in managing her anxiety. But very little happens for the first half of the novel, the big bad is disappointing and obvious, and the romance, while sweet, took way too long to get going. 1mo
12 likes1 comment
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Cupcake12
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Pickpick

Not my usual genre of choice, but I loved it! Set in a magical zoo for mythical beasts. Aila is head Phoenix keeper and wants to making the zoos breeding programme a success. The only issue is she knows she‘s got to call on her colleagues who she does or like. With the world watching and the threat of poachers higher than ever, can aila make the breeding programme a success?
A fab queer romance with cosy fantasy vibes. Perfect for animal lovers!

AnnCrystal 🤩💝. 2mo
41 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Cupcake12
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Belle is keeping me company in the garden 🌳

wildwoodreads The best company 🥰 2mo
dabbe #thebeautifulbelle (or is that redundant? 😂) 🖤🐾🖤 2mo
Ruthiella ❤️🐶❤️🐶❤️ 2mo
See All 6 Comments
AnnCrystal 💕🐕💝. 2mo
PaperbackPirate Good girl! 💙🐕‍🦺 2mo
charl08 😍 2mo
37 likes6 comments
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Cupcake12
Phoenix Keeper | S A MacLean
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I‘ve heard lots of good things about this book. Just picked up my copy from the library.
#wednesdaynightreading

AnnCrystal Beautiful backdrop 🤩💝. 2mo
ShelleyBooksie Looking forward to your review. I found the main character to be very frustrating. 2mo
30 likes2 comments
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Conservio
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so good! a 5/5 for me. Slice of life focused ons magical zoo keeper just trying to get a critically endangered phoenix to breed.

Note: This has a heavy romance marketing. While romance is a subplot and adds to the story, it is not mostly about romance.

#fantasy #magizoology #phoenix #debut #lgbtqia+

4 likes1 stack add
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BookBr
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Pickpick

This is a lovely cozy, all about finding the courage to be your true self, out loud. The MC is anxious to the point of reclusiveness, and watching her inch out of her shell is rewarding. I also loved that a number of the supporting characters are magical animals, with robust personalities of their own. Throw in a sweet, tentative, enemies to lovers, and I‘m sold.

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BookBr
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Which fantasy is my next read — cozy, high, or spooky…I can‘t decide…

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thewallflower0707
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My #HauntedHollowSwap #Halloween aesthetics! As you can see, I absolutely love autumn 🍂. I‘m also a fan of Dark Academia and Mythology. Starting last year, I‘m also a fan of #StephenKing (It, Pet Sematary, Salem‘s Lot…) so I do love some horror once in a while.

@wanderinglynn

wanderinglynn Awesome! 🧡💀 13mo
22 likes1 comment
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sebrittainclark
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Mehso-so

2/5

I was really excited by a cozy fantasy set at a zoo and about conservation of magical creatures. I enjoyed a lot of the descriptions of the zoo and of the phoenixes, but this didn't pull me into the world as much as some other cozy fantasies I've read. It was a very slow read, and I felt like the romance took way too long to develop. I was also frustrated by how long it took Aila to realize things that were quickly obvious as a reader.

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Branwen
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The new Illumicrate book is absolutely gorgeous! And I've been really excited to read this one too! From what I've heard about it, it's supposedly a sapphic romantic fantasy! 💕📚 #illumicrate

AnnCrystal 📚🤩👍💝. 1y
36 likes1 stack add1 comment
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ladym30
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Book mail!!❤️🐦‍🔥

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Gorgeous cover ❤️💛 1y
ladym30 @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Yes, I agree.❤️ 1y
28 likes2 comments
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sebrittainclark
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audiobook: The Phoenix Keeper by S. A. Maclean
e-book: Dark Restraint by Katee Robert

#weekendreads @rachelsbrittain

Nutmegnc The Phoenix 🐦‍🔥 Keeper looks amazing!! Stacked! 1y
35 likes1 stack add1 comment
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sebrittainclark
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#bookspin: The Phoenix Keeper's Daughter by S.A. Maclean

#doublebookspin: Parent Like a Pediatrician by Rebekah Diamond

#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! Looks fabulous!! 1y
29 likes1 comment
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rachelsbrittain
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Pickpick

A cozy fantasy enemies to lovers story set in a magical zoo. Head phoenix keeper Aila understands animals. People, not so much. But when she is granted the chance to start a breeding program for a highly endangered species of phoenix, she realizes she can't do it all on her own.

sebrittainclark I didn't realize this one was cozy fantasy, now I'm even more excited to read it. 1y
33 likes3 stack adds1 comment