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The Phoenix Institute #2
Phoenix Legacy
A man too dangerous to live. A woman whose survival depends on forgiving him.
The Phoenix Institute , Book 2
Philip Drake is immortal by virtue of a psychic power that heals all but the worst injuries. He’s needed every bit of it as a black ops agent, a life so violent that the line between pain and pleasure is tangled up in his head.
When he walks away from the CIA, the last thing he expects is to discover someone stole his DNA to create a race of super-healers. And that the expectant mother is a woman from his past who’d consider it her pleasure to spit on his grave.
One moment, Delilah Sefton is listening to a seriously hot, seriously deranged man giving her some half-baked explanation as to why she’s pregnant with no memory of how she got that way. The next, armed men swarm into her bar, and she and Mr. Sexy-Crazy are on the run.
Safety at the Phoenix Institute is only temporary, but it’s long enough to put the pieces together. A madman plans to steal her son in a plot to take over the world. And to stop him, she must learn to trust the baby’s father—a man she blames for her greatest loss.
This novel contains fast cars (that are driven), numerous guns (that are shot), a hero who prefers pain over love, and a heroine determined to fight for those she loves.
The Phoenix Institute , Book 2
Philip Drake is immortal by virtue of a psychic power that heals all but the worst injuries. He’s needed every bit of it as a black ops agent, a life so violent that the line between pain and pleasure is tangled up in his head.
When he walks away from the CIA, the last thing he expects is to discover someone stole his DNA to create a race of super-healers. And that the expectant mother is a woman from his past who’d consider it her pleasure to spit on his grave.
One moment, Delilah Sefton is listening to a seriously hot, seriously deranged man giving her some half-baked explanation as to why she’s pregnant with no memory of how she got that way. The next, armed men swarm into her bar, and she and Mr. Sexy-Crazy are on the run.
Safety at the Phoenix Institute is only temporary, but it’s long enough to put the pieces together. A madman plans to steal her son in a plot to take over the world. And to stop him, she must learn to trust the baby’s father—a man she blames for her greatest loss.
This novel contains fast cars (that are driven), numerous guns (that are shot), a hero who prefers pain over love, and a heroine determined to fight for those she loves.
272 pages, Paperback
First published November 13, 2012
252 people want to read
About the author
Corrina Lawson
25 books95 followersWriter, Mom, Geek & Superhero, Corrina Lawson is the author of the superhero romance series, the Phoenix Institute, and the alternate history Seneca series, in which Romans and Vikings have settled in ancient North America.
She is also co-founder and Content Director for GeekMom.com and a mother of four, including twins.
She is also co-founder and Content Director for GeekMom.com and a mother of four, including twins.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 3, 2016
The first third of this novel read like "pro-life" rhetoric and should be viewed as one massive cluster of potential trigger warnings for rape and the societal pressures surrounding abortion and adoption. It's not graphic but it is quite repetitive for a while.
I tend to be a fairly non-confrontational and laid back individual, but it took me 2/3rds of this book to stop being incandescently angry and disgusted at the way the beginning chapters are written and finally be able to concentrate on the rest of the story (I didn't stop being angry, I just stopped being so angry that I was unwilling to let the story try and explain itself somehow). I almost DNFed it at several points and the only thing that stopped me were the reviews that said it got better, which it did, but not to an extent that I feel it's worth driving yourself through the first 2/3rds of it for the sake of completion.
I think I found it so awful to read because in the end the medical rape and resulting pregnancy was merely a vehicle for getting Del and Philip together and all the potential trauma and consequences were brushed aside once they threatened to get in the way of the action or their HEA. It came across as a shock "entertainment" tactic and not one that was ever properly interested in exploring such thorny issues of modern society and I find that extremely distasteful.
In summary I don't have anything against this author or any of her other books (which I have not read), but I can't willingly recommend this book to anyone either and I have no idea why the author decided to set things up the way she did here. It's good that she's a capable enough writer to wring such intense emotions out of me, but it would probably be better if I also ended up caring if the main characters got any kind of a decent ending.
I tend to be a fairly non-confrontational and laid back individual, but it took me 2/3rds of this book to stop being incandescently angry and disgusted at the way the beginning chapters are written and finally be able to concentrate on the rest of the story (I didn't stop being angry, I just stopped being so angry that I was unwilling to let the story try and explain itself somehow). I almost DNFed it at several points and the only thing that stopped me were the reviews that said it got better, which it did, but not to an extent that I feel it's worth driving yourself through the first 2/3rds of it for the sake of completion.
I think I found it so awful to read because in the end the medical rape and resulting pregnancy was merely a vehicle for getting Del and Philip together and all the potential trauma and consequences were brushed aside once they threatened to get in the way of the action or their HEA. It came across as a shock "entertainment" tactic and not one that was ever properly interested in exploring such thorny issues of modern society and I find that extremely distasteful.
In summary I don't have anything against this author or any of her other books (which I have not read), but I can't willingly recommend this book to anyone either and I have no idea why the author decided to set things up the way she did here. It's good that she's a capable enough writer to wring such intense emotions out of me, but it would probably be better if I also ended up caring if the main characters got any kind of a decent ending.
February 17, 2019
I was excited to be back in this world after reading book 1. This book is less focused on Beth and Alec and more focused on one mysterious character from Book 1, Phillip Drake. There was so much we didn't know about him in book one because he doesn't want anyone to know. Drake's past comes back to haunt him in this book, but you also get to know him better and why he acts the way he does the things that he does.
I liked the historical plot twist that was woven in with the introduction of a new character, but I'm not going to spoil it. I'll be interested to see where this plot goes later on in the series.
This book does deal with several serious issues, despite being sort of a paranormal suspense. There is rape and child abuse in the book, but it is handled in a delicate way
I liked the historical plot twist that was woven in with the introduction of a new character, but I'm not going to spoil it. I'll be interested to see where this plot goes later on in the series.
This book does deal with several serious issues, despite being sort of a paranormal suspense. There is rape and child abuse in the book, but it is handled in a delicate way
February 16, 2015
Originally published at Sci-Fi Romance Quarterly
Phoenix Legacy is the direct sequel to Phoenix Rising, unlike Luminous which told a side story in this same fantastic universe.
The impact that Luminous has on Phoenix Rising is that it provides the excuse for telepath Beth Nakamora to be out of town and unavailable during the events of this book. IMHO the mystery would have been way too easy to solve if Beth had been around to read everyone’s occasionally tiny mind. She’s not, so it takes some more good old-fashioned talking for the good guys to all get on the same page and deliver the bad guys their just desserts.
Phoenix Legacy is a story about all the chickens coming home to roost. Including, in one very important part of the story, with eggs (or egg). Everyone’s past, including the past of the Phoenix Institute itself, come back to bite everyone’s ass one more time.
The skeletons in everyone’s closet all come out to dance, and it makes for one wild ride.
Alec Farley has been investigating the many and varied programs and businesses owned/sponsored by his late and unlamented foster father, Richard Lansing, as owner/creator/perpetrator of The Resource. Alec created the Phoenix Institute out of the ashes of The Resource when he inherited it from Lansing.
There are a lot of rocks to turn over, and way too many nasty things crawling out from under those rocks. Now that Beth Nakamora and Alec are lovers, Beth’s foster father, the ex-CIA agent Philip Drake, is unhappy that Alec is trying to clean up the existing structure instead of scrapping it and starting over. Or running away.
Drake knows that Lansing did a lot of dirty dealing, and dismantling his old organization puts Beth in danger. However, the rock that Alec turns over in this story brings way more trouble and danger to Drake than Beth. And it turns out to be a good thing.
Lansing, among other nefarious dealings, was the co-owner of a genetics lab that was researching the possible creation of a psychic healer who could heal others and not just him or her-self. Lansing and Drake were/are both self-healers.
In order to create this super-healer, Lansing gave the genetics lab (Orion) three sperm samples, his own, Drake’s, and Alec Farley’s. The kind of guy Lansing was, neither Drake nor Alec were informed or consented.
And, it turns out, neither was the woman who was artificially inseminated with that sperm. Not that she didn’t know where the sperm came from, but that she was kidnapped and medically raped, and then abandoned back at her home with a gap in her memory.
Lansing, having been a complete bastard, picked Drake’s childhood friend to kidnap and impregnate. Of course the baby is Drake’s. There would have been no fun for Lansing in tormenting a woman he didn’t know, the whole point of choosing Delilah Sefton was to hurt and possibly control Drake.
But Lansing is dead, and his partners are still after the baby, for what appear to be megalomaniacal reasons of their own.
Philip Drake, dead certain that he is not worthy of the love of the woman he used to call Lily, can’t help himself from protecting her and their unborn child - whether Lily can ever forgive him for all the pain he’s caused her in the past, or not.
It’s going to take a LOT of forgiveness to fix his earliest and greatest mess.
Escape Rating A: Of all the stories in this series so far (I’m up to #3.5) Phoenix Legacy was the most fun, at least for me.
Drake is one of those tortured, wounded souls that just cries out for healing and a happy ending, no matter how difficult achieving that HEA is going to be, or how little he thinks he deserves it. Also, Drake has been an enigma through the first two books in the series. His backstory was twisty and convoluted and sad, and I’m glad that we got to find out what makes him tick. As much as a man like him ever reveals such intimate details about himself.
Delilah Sefton, formerly known as Lily, is the first person we’ve met who knew Drake when he was very young. The events that pushed them toward an intense childhood friendship, and its brutal aftermath, were a critical part of Drake’s character formation. From her story, we find out what we need to about him.
At the same time, Delilah’s medical rape and the dangerous pursuit that follows in its aftermath make for an adrenaline fueled suspense story. The people pursuing her see her as a lab experiment, and not as a woman who was raped and is going to have a child. But then, they see her son as a guinea pig and not as a real person.
Delilah’s ability to get one of the surviving scientists to pull his obsessive focus away from his work to see the harm he did was awesome. But the surviving backers of the experiment have a hidden world-domination agenda that is even scarier than Lansing’s delusions. They are willing to do anything to imprison Delilah and take her baby when he’s born, for reasons that only half make sense to Drake.
When all is revealed, it makes for a jaw-dropping conclusion. Which doesn’t take one iota of evil away from the insanity they cause.
The romance that develops, or partially redevelops, between Delilah and Drake is meltingly hot, and even more fantastic for the way that this very scary badass manages to fall in love, be intensely protective, and still come off as dangerous and scary to everyone but the one woman who finally reaches what is left of his soul.
That there wasn’t much left to reach, and that Delilah manages it without giving up her agency or her core self, says awesome things about her character. This story is a winner.
Phoenix Legacy is the direct sequel to Phoenix Rising, unlike Luminous which told a side story in this same fantastic universe.
The impact that Luminous has on Phoenix Rising is that it provides the excuse for telepath Beth Nakamora to be out of town and unavailable during the events of this book. IMHO the mystery would have been way too easy to solve if Beth had been around to read everyone’s occasionally tiny mind. She’s not, so it takes some more good old-fashioned talking for the good guys to all get on the same page and deliver the bad guys their just desserts.
Phoenix Legacy is a story about all the chickens coming home to roost. Including, in one very important part of the story, with eggs (or egg). Everyone’s past, including the past of the Phoenix Institute itself, come back to bite everyone’s ass one more time.
The skeletons in everyone’s closet all come out to dance, and it makes for one wild ride.
Alec Farley has been investigating the many and varied programs and businesses owned/sponsored by his late and unlamented foster father, Richard Lansing, as owner/creator/perpetrator of The Resource. Alec created the Phoenix Institute out of the ashes of The Resource when he inherited it from Lansing.
There are a lot of rocks to turn over, and way too many nasty things crawling out from under those rocks. Now that Beth Nakamora and Alec are lovers, Beth’s foster father, the ex-CIA agent Philip Drake, is unhappy that Alec is trying to clean up the existing structure instead of scrapping it and starting over. Or running away.
Drake knows that Lansing did a lot of dirty dealing, and dismantling his old organization puts Beth in danger. However, the rock that Alec turns over in this story brings way more trouble and danger to Drake than Beth. And it turns out to be a good thing.
Lansing, among other nefarious dealings, was the co-owner of a genetics lab that was researching the possible creation of a psychic healer who could heal others and not just him or her-self. Lansing and Drake were/are both self-healers.
In order to create this super-healer, Lansing gave the genetics lab (Orion) three sperm samples, his own, Drake’s, and Alec Farley’s. The kind of guy Lansing was, neither Drake nor Alec were informed or consented.
And, it turns out, neither was the woman who was artificially inseminated with that sperm. Not that she didn’t know where the sperm came from, but that she was kidnapped and medically raped, and then abandoned back at her home with a gap in her memory.
Lansing, having been a complete bastard, picked Drake’s childhood friend to kidnap and impregnate. Of course the baby is Drake’s. There would have been no fun for Lansing in tormenting a woman he didn’t know, the whole point of choosing Delilah Sefton was to hurt and possibly control Drake.
But Lansing is dead, and his partners are still after the baby, for what appear to be megalomaniacal reasons of their own.
Philip Drake, dead certain that he is not worthy of the love of the woman he used to call Lily, can’t help himself from protecting her and their unborn child - whether Lily can ever forgive him for all the pain he’s caused her in the past, or not.
It’s going to take a LOT of forgiveness to fix his earliest and greatest mess.
Escape Rating A: Of all the stories in this series so far (I’m up to #3.5) Phoenix Legacy was the most fun, at least for me.
Drake is one of those tortured, wounded souls that just cries out for healing and a happy ending, no matter how difficult achieving that HEA is going to be, or how little he thinks he deserves it. Also, Drake has been an enigma through the first two books in the series. His backstory was twisty and convoluted and sad, and I’m glad that we got to find out what makes him tick. As much as a man like him ever reveals such intimate details about himself.
Delilah Sefton, formerly known as Lily, is the first person we’ve met who knew Drake when he was very young. The events that pushed them toward an intense childhood friendship, and its brutal aftermath, were a critical part of Drake’s character formation. From her story, we find out what we need to about him.
At the same time, Delilah’s medical rape and the dangerous pursuit that follows in its aftermath make for an adrenaline fueled suspense story. The people pursuing her see her as a lab experiment, and not as a woman who was raped and is going to have a child. But then, they see her son as a guinea pig and not as a real person.
Delilah’s ability to get one of the surviving scientists to pull his obsessive focus away from his work to see the harm he did was awesome. But the surviving backers of the experiment have a hidden world-domination agenda that is even scarier than Lansing’s delusions. They are willing to do anything to imprison Delilah and take her baby when he’s born, for reasons that only half make sense to Drake.
When all is revealed, it makes for a jaw-dropping conclusion. Which doesn’t take one iota of evil away from the insanity they cause.
The romance that develops, or partially redevelops, between Delilah and Drake is meltingly hot, and even more fantastic for the way that this very scary badass manages to fall in love, be intensely protective, and still come off as dangerous and scary to everyone but the one woman who finally reaches what is left of his soul.
That there wasn’t much left to reach, and that Delilah manages it without giving up her agency or her core self, says awesome things about her character. This story is a winner.
September 29, 2012
4 1/2 stars
“Phoenix Legacy” by Corrina Lawson is part of the ‘Phoenix Institute’ series. This fantastic sequel continues the adventures of several of the extraordinary characters introduced in “Phoenix Rising”. Philip Drake was altered by his foster daughter’s talent which boosted his self-healing abilities but he has a disconcerting need for pain to provide sufficient stimulation. Disenchanted with his life in black ops, he has been aimless until he realizes that his new project has far more personal relevance than he ever dreamed. The question is whether his past life will prevent him from ever moving forward and having a satisfactory future.
Delilah Sefton’s life is turned upside down when she discovers that a disturbing interlude resulted in an unwanted pregnancy. Her efforts to terminate the life that is rapidly growing within her thrust her into a bewildering world that includes a man who destroyed her family as her unconventional childhood was tragically disrupted. The remarkably talented people that she encounters cause her to question everything she has ever believed and her life may never be the same.
“Phoenix Legacy” is a wonderfully entertaining rollercoaster read that conjures up the fantastical worlds explored in comic books yet provides a romance between unconventional characters. The intriguing abilities of those who can manipulate fire, heal at the microscopic level, or communicate telepathically keep the reader fascinated even as the tension ramps up while the good guys try to prevent the evil villains from taking over the world. The intricate past relationships are deftly woven through the story to keep one invested in cheering on these beleagured people who have overcome so much yet still have plenty of obstacles to prevent them from becoming complacent. I like the way the stories interconnect (there are references to the characters presented in the novella “Luminous” also) yet can stand alone and provide a great read and I certainly hope there are more tales in the pipeline. Readers should be apprised that there are a few sensual scenes in the book and some allusions to somewhat kinky encounters therefore this is not a read for young adults.
© Night Owl Reviews
I received a copy of this title in return for an honest review.
“Phoenix Legacy” by Corrina Lawson is part of the ‘Phoenix Institute’ series. This fantastic sequel continues the adventures of several of the extraordinary characters introduced in “Phoenix Rising”. Philip Drake was altered by his foster daughter’s talent which boosted his self-healing abilities but he has a disconcerting need for pain to provide sufficient stimulation. Disenchanted with his life in black ops, he has been aimless until he realizes that his new project has far more personal relevance than he ever dreamed. The question is whether his past life will prevent him from ever moving forward and having a satisfactory future.
Delilah Sefton’s life is turned upside down when she discovers that a disturbing interlude resulted in an unwanted pregnancy. Her efforts to terminate the life that is rapidly growing within her thrust her into a bewildering world that includes a man who destroyed her family as her unconventional childhood was tragically disrupted. The remarkably talented people that she encounters cause her to question everything she has ever believed and her life may never be the same.
“Phoenix Legacy” is a wonderfully entertaining rollercoaster read that conjures up the fantastical worlds explored in comic books yet provides a romance between unconventional characters. The intriguing abilities of those who can manipulate fire, heal at the microscopic level, or communicate telepathically keep the reader fascinated even as the tension ramps up while the good guys try to prevent the evil villains from taking over the world. The intricate past relationships are deftly woven through the story to keep one invested in cheering on these beleagured people who have overcome so much yet still have plenty of obstacles to prevent them from becoming complacent. I like the way the stories interconnect (there are references to the characters presented in the novella “Luminous” also) yet can stand alone and provide a great read and I certainly hope there are more tales in the pipeline. Readers should be apprised that there are a few sensual scenes in the book and some allusions to somewhat kinky encounters therefore this is not a read for young adults.
© Night Owl Reviews
I received a copy of this title in return for an honest review.
January 2, 2014
I won a copy from Goodreads First Reads.
Lovely, lovely, lovely. Now you read the synopsis (if you are reading this from my blog, not my Goodreads account), you should move on.
There's no need to read the first Phoenix Institute book. There's a good fast recap whenever something from the past comes up (sorry, this is going to be fast review. I'm on the fast track today. Party, party, and party. New Years kind of stuff).
Okay. Let's break it down (before my laptop shuts down because of the freaking timer).
The Phoenix Legacy is a fast paced book, with events that quickly jump from one to another one. Now, some parts don't make sense because well...you need to read those parts yourself because if I tell you, I'll be telling you spoilers. Anyway, The Phoenix Legacy isn't the first of its kind. There's many like it and definitely there's some written better than this book. If you ask me, The Phoenix Legacy is perhaps a little bit above average.
The characters however hit below average. Some of them, like the semi-dimwitted Delilah Sefton, are a bit questionable, while others, like Phillip Drake, are more active and smarter until the author decides that they need to be dumb. (If the message of this book is "Love makes you dumb" then you can skip this paragraph. But I highly doubt it is).
Delilah Sefton does not, does not I repeat, follow any instincts of a raped victim. That's the first thing I'll say about her. She is not written correctly, but only written correctly to push forward the plot. Second, I really love the motherly touch she has when she first saw her child through ultrasound. Amazing what technology can do.
Finally, the plot. As I said before, I wish the plot will follow the course of the story rather than focus on some icky moment with the lovebirds. Okay, maybe I'll scratch that. I wish the plot will be push forward by the characters rather than the villains.
Rating: Three out of Five
-ofpaperandwords.blogspot.com
Lovely, lovely, lovely. Now you read the synopsis (if you are reading this from my blog, not my Goodreads account), you should move on.
There's no need to read the first Phoenix Institute book. There's a good fast recap whenever something from the past comes up (sorry, this is going to be fast review. I'm on the fast track today. Party, party, and party. New Years kind of stuff).
Okay. Let's break it down (before my laptop shuts down because of the freaking timer).
The Phoenix Legacy is a fast paced book, with events that quickly jump from one to another one. Now, some parts don't make sense because well...you need to read those parts yourself because if I tell you, I'll be telling you spoilers. Anyway, The Phoenix Legacy isn't the first of its kind. There's many like it and definitely there's some written better than this book. If you ask me, The Phoenix Legacy is perhaps a little bit above average.
The characters however hit below average. Some of them, like the semi-dimwitted Delilah Sefton, are a bit questionable, while others, like Phillip Drake, are more active and smarter until the author decides that they need to be dumb. (If the message of this book is "Love makes you dumb" then you can skip this paragraph. But I highly doubt it is).
Delilah Sefton does not, does not I repeat, follow any instincts of a raped victim. That's the first thing I'll say about her. She is not written correctly, but only written correctly to push forward the plot. Second, I really love the motherly touch she has when she first saw her child through ultrasound. Amazing what technology can do.
Finally, the plot. As I said before, I wish the plot will follow the course of the story rather than focus on some icky moment with the lovebirds. Okay, maybe I'll scratch that. I wish the plot will be push forward by the characters rather than the villains.
Rating: Three out of Five
-ofpaperandwords.blogspot.com
May 3, 2013
Lots of triggers for people in the beginning of this book. Liked the action and the characters, hated the stance on carrying a rapist's baby (the plot is more complicated than that but it is suggested that a woman should deliver regardless of if she was raped - something that I was uncomfortable reading).
September 24, 2014
I think this is my favorite so far of the series. Corrina has created a new kind of series with books that are totally stand-alone yet work together beautifully as a series, and this is the second. The story about Phillip and Del is just beautiful; childhood friends turned unknowing parents, turned lovers, turned partners. Can't wait to hear more about them in the coming books.
November 20, 2012
I was very excited for this, and am totally pleased with how good it is.
It ties in the novella to the series very well without detracting anything from the book.
Del and Phillip are great characters and Phillip deserves his name as Mr Sexy-Crazy very much indeed.
It ties in the novella to the series very well without detracting anything from the book.
Del and Phillip are great characters and Phillip deserves his name as Mr Sexy-Crazy very much indeed.
February 9, 2015
really good. not as fresh as the first novel And spent too much time trying to explain the powers or something. it didn't flow as well as the first two for me. which isn't to say i didn't read it during all possible moments in the Phoenix institute glom fest.
November 17, 2012
3.5 Stars. A great action packed read.
April 27, 2013
Great book! I enjoyed watching the controversial issues like medical rape and government tampering. Interesting pain/pleasure scenes. Overall great story.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews