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The Phoenix Files #6
Doomsday
Doomsday (Phoenix Files) [paperback] Morphew, Chris [Jun 01, 2014]
416 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2013
23 people are currently reading
668 people want to read
About the author
Chris Morphew
36 books152 followersChris Morphew is an author, teacher, and school chaplain living in Sydney, Australia.
He has written twelve books for the best-selling Zac Power series, as well as his own six-book young adult series, The Phoenix Files. He’s also co-written The Gateway, an eight-book series for primary school kids about a hotel for aliens, alongside Rowan McAuley and David Harding.
His latest books are Best News Ever, a 100-day guide to the Gospel of Mark, and The Big Questions, a series of short books answer tough questions about life and faith.
Chris enjoys Mario Kart, obscure board games, and superhero movies, and has been told he looks like Chris Hemsworth from the back.
He has written twelve books for the best-selling Zac Power series, as well as his own six-book young adult series, The Phoenix Files. He’s also co-written The Gateway, an eight-book series for primary school kids about a hotel for aliens, alongside Rowan McAuley and David Harding.
His latest books are Best News Ever, a 100-day guide to the Gospel of Mark, and The Big Questions, a series of short books answer tough questions about life and faith.
Chris enjoys Mario Kart, obscure board games, and superhero movies, and has been told he looks like Chris Hemsworth from the back.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
June 16, 2013
See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads
3.5 stars
Thank you Hardie Grant Egmont Australia for sending me this copy. No compensation was given or taken to alter this review.
'Peter. Red-faced and rabid, fist clenched with white knuckles around the handle of a knife. The knife.'
It's no lie I set the expectation bar high upon reading Doomsday. With its satisfying and exhilarating predecessors, this book was just as action packed, however I was a little wary of the ending. It was by no means a fiasco, but I was definitely expecting a completely disparate conclusion and more loose ends tied.
400 hundred pages and just 17 hours till the end of the world. For an impressive start, jumping right into the action, we are taken down to 16 hours and 58 minutes, each second meaning life threatening issues. Morphew recaps everything in Fallout concisely to provide the ultimate experience in Doomsday. Turns out Crazy Bill is actually Peter, Luke is about to die- as the future has already been written- and Jordan is trying to save him, just incase Tobias, their last hope for life will keep them safe. Intertwined with twists and hard-felt sacrifices, we follow, this time, the POV's of Jordan, Luke and even Peter.
As far as characters go, Jordan will always be my absolute favourite. Her voice is strong and determined, wholly matching the suspense that lingers throughout this novel. Her character has clearly developed from Arrival, and now is more kick-ass and clear-minded. Jordan's leadership skills shone brightly here and I adored her spirit.
Luke was just as endearing. Like his willingness to put himself in front of others, is phenomenal and courageous. What irritated me was his carelessness at times. By him admitting about his death, then repeating it like a rant that there was no hope, really slackened his personality for me.
It's the first time we get to get in touch with Peter's mind since he has- unfortunately gone mad. We begin to comprehend and sympathise towards him a little, which really caught me off guard, after all, he did try to assassinate Luke. His development during Doomsday was the most remarkable and moving.
The romance of this book was another of my appreciated aspects. It not only does not overpower the plot and action, but also keeps it to a subtle point unlike other novels. We definitely get more chemistry than the previous books and it becomes more like an anchor between Jordan and Luke. The desperate-ness and endurance of this connection could possibly be one of my favourites of all time.
The main thing that main element that disappointed me was the ending. It basically can be broken down into two major points- the unanswered questions, and the rushed ending. Upon finishing this thought provoking novel, I noticed something that irritated me. What the hell happened to the townspeople? We don't hear from them at all, while we can assume their fate, I would've appreciated to have it down on paper. Additionally, the ending seemed like a jumpy splotch. With such a dramatic buildup, it dropped drastically near the end, which saddened me to an immense scale.
Never a dull moment, with a constant doubt throbbing between all the characters, I'll miss the world Morphew illustrated. While there were loose ends, I'm still requited with the result. If you have not read this series yet, I highly recommend so as it's packed with action, suspense and an intricate idea.
3.5 stars
Thank you Hardie Grant Egmont Australia for sending me this copy. No compensation was given or taken to alter this review.
'Peter. Red-faced and rabid, fist clenched with white knuckles around the handle of a knife. The knife.'
It's no lie I set the expectation bar high upon reading Doomsday. With its satisfying and exhilarating predecessors, this book was just as action packed, however I was a little wary of the ending. It was by no means a fiasco, but I was definitely expecting a completely disparate conclusion and more loose ends tied.
400 hundred pages and just 17 hours till the end of the world. For an impressive start, jumping right into the action, we are taken down to 16 hours and 58 minutes, each second meaning life threatening issues. Morphew recaps everything in Fallout concisely to provide the ultimate experience in Doomsday. Turns out Crazy Bill is actually Peter, Luke is about to die- as the future has already been written- and Jordan is trying to save him, just incase Tobias, their last hope for life will keep them safe. Intertwined with twists and hard-felt sacrifices, we follow, this time, the POV's of Jordan, Luke and even Peter.
As far as characters go, Jordan will always be my absolute favourite. Her voice is strong and determined, wholly matching the suspense that lingers throughout this novel. Her character has clearly developed from Arrival, and now is more kick-ass and clear-minded. Jordan's leadership skills shone brightly here and I adored her spirit.
Luke was just as endearing. Like his willingness to put himself in front of others, is phenomenal and courageous. What irritated me was his carelessness at times. By him admitting about his death, then repeating it like a rant that there was no hope, really slackened his personality for me.
It's the first time we get to get in touch with Peter's mind since he has- unfortunately gone mad. We begin to comprehend and sympathise towards him a little, which really caught me off guard, after all, he did try to assassinate Luke. His development during Doomsday was the most remarkable and moving.
The romance of this book was another of my appreciated aspects. It not only does not overpower the plot and action, but also keeps it to a subtle point unlike other novels. We definitely get more chemistry than the previous books and it becomes more like an anchor between Jordan and Luke. The desperate-ness and endurance of this connection could possibly be one of my favourites of all time.
The main thing that main element that disappointed me was the ending. It basically can be broken down into two major points- the unanswered questions, and the rushed ending. Upon finishing this thought provoking novel, I noticed something that irritated me. What the hell happened to the townspeople? We don't hear from them at all, while we can assume their fate, I would've appreciated to have it down on paper. Additionally, the ending seemed like a jumpy splotch. With such a dramatic buildup, it dropped drastically near the end, which saddened me to an immense scale.
Never a dull moment, with a constant doubt throbbing between all the characters, I'll miss the world Morphew illustrated. While there were loose ends, I'm still requited with the result. If you have not read this series yet, I highly recommend so as it's packed with action, suspense and an intricate idea.
September 8, 2014
All the books in this series are constant action. Never boring. There's not a lot of character development, so I didn't really get sucked in emotionally, but I never wanted to put the books down because I just had to know what happened next.
May 16, 2018
It felt very drawn out. I may have enjoyed it more if I had time to sit and read it more often though.
November 9, 2021
Luke and Jordan are perfect for each other because they’re both utterly useless. Georgia would have been more helpful in a fight.
November 17, 2015
The promise of the earlier books of the series is fulfilled in the finale. Book #5 had so many minor but significant characters it was hard to keep track of them all. This is a much tighter read - with sufficient twists to ensure that there's nothing entirely predictable about the plot.
The three central characters - Luke, Jordan and Peter - return. Doomsday has finally arrived and the release of the Tabitha virus is just hours away. The 'superpowers' that have buoyed Jordan, Peter and many other residents of the town of Phoenix have disappeared. Crazy Bill is no longer crazy. Jordan can no longer fade in and out of different times, gaining mysterious knowledge to help everyone. Peter no longer has super strength, nor is so completely obsessed about Jordan. Most importantly, Tobias, the baby on whom everyone has been pinning their hopes of salvation, becomes just an ordinary newborn. It's desperate.
Now Luke and Jordan have to stop Shackleton's deadly plan to destroy the whole of humanity. However, Phoenix's overhead security grid has already locked into place and there is no way out...
An unexpected ally appears. But there's no one they'd rather trust less than security chief Calvin.
The three central characters - Luke, Jordan and Peter - return. Doomsday has finally arrived and the release of the Tabitha virus is just hours away. The 'superpowers' that have buoyed Jordan, Peter and many other residents of the town of Phoenix have disappeared. Crazy Bill is no longer crazy. Jordan can no longer fade in and out of different times, gaining mysterious knowledge to help everyone. Peter no longer has super strength, nor is so completely obsessed about Jordan. Most importantly, Tobias, the baby on whom everyone has been pinning their hopes of salvation, becomes just an ordinary newborn. It's desperate.
Now Luke and Jordan have to stop Shackleton's deadly plan to destroy the whole of humanity. However, Phoenix's overhead security grid has already locked into place and there is no way out...
An unexpected ally appears. But there's no one they'd rather trust less than security chief Calvin.
January 30, 2025
3.5 ⭐for a great ending but a dragging plot.
"He lifted my head again. 'Listen to me, okay? Whatever happens after this-Don't let today be the end of your life. You did everything you could today. You-you were amazing. Don't you dare blame yourself.'" Great quote.
This book went from one extreme to the other for me. I don't remember the plot dragging as much the first time I read it 10+ years ago. I had a hard time getting into this book. But the ending was great. I was totally hooked in the last 5 chapters. I just wish that the majority of the plot was as good as the first three books. Lots of dark themes and scenes for a YA novel (infant death, characters getting shot, torture), and I really appreciate the author's ability to tackle these in a way that is mature but not too graphic for a younger audience. Overall, a decent ending to the series. Just wish the first 3/4ths of the book were a bit more gripping. It took me ages to finally finish this. It was fun re-reading these after many years and enjoying them again. I had forgotten a lot. Would very much recommend the series to anyone who is a fan of end-of-the-world stories where a band of kids has to save the day.
"He lifted my head again. 'Listen to me, okay? Whatever happens after this-Don't let today be the end of your life. You did everything you could today. You-you were amazing. Don't you dare blame yourself.'" Great quote.
This book went from one extreme to the other for me. I don't remember the plot dragging as much the first time I read it 10+ years ago. I had a hard time getting into this book. But the ending was great. I was totally hooked in the last 5 chapters. I just wish that the majority of the plot was as good as the first three books. Lots of dark themes and scenes for a YA novel (infant death, characters getting shot, torture), and I really appreciate the author's ability to tackle these in a way that is mature but not too graphic for a younger audience. Overall, a decent ending to the series. Just wish the first 3/4ths of the book were a bit more gripping. It took me ages to finally finish this. It was fun re-reading these after many years and enjoying them again. I had forgotten a lot. Would very much recommend the series to anyone who is a fan of end-of-the-world stories where a band of kids has to save the day.
July 5, 2022
Such a strange series. Knowing what I know now, I don't know if I would've read the series. Jordan is much too impulsive and whiny. Luke is also impulsive and not very bright. But they are both brave, if not naive and idealistic. Don't even get me started on Peter. I also don't like how they are always trusting their guts with no data. And why do these teenagers figure out a plan that the adults are oblivious of.
The scene was disturbing and a bit intense for middle school, so I am changing this to a YA book.
Day 100:
Likes:
* Covers are telling a subtle story
* Noticed 3 other series books are really compilations (Book #1 & 2: Man in the Shadows; Book #3 & 4: Blood in the Ashes; Book #5 & 6: Life in Flames)
* All parents are still married, only Luke's mom is divorced and alone
* POV flipped between Jordan & Luke & even Peter
* Finally answers and no cliffhanger
Dislikes:
* Town named Phoenix keeps bringing Phoenix, AZ to mind
* Peter's jealousy and anger
* Jordan's impetuous behavior, especially in dangerous situations
* Awkward unreciprocated teenage crush
* Sworn to secrecy
* No cell phones, cars, internet or leaving
* Intra-city cell phone for select people
* Shackleton's original Elite 8: Principal Pryor, Noah Shackleton, Security Chief Bruce Calvin, Victoria Galton (manager of office complex), Louisa Hawking (Cathryn's mother), Aaron Ketterly (residential liason), Dr. Robert Montag, Benjamin More, Arthur van Pelt (manager of Phoenix Mall) & Brian Weir (Peter's father)
With-reservations:
violence, murder, torture, threats, bullying, end of world/apocalypse, mental illness, kidnapping, human experimentation
~ The Gang ~
Luke:
Peter:
Jordan:
- Others -
Crazy Bill:
Tank:
Mike:
Cathryn:
Jeremy:
Amy:
Discoveries:
* No phones, Internet or cars (1)
* No leaving
* Roads lead to nowhere with armed guarded gates (1)
* Warehouse with magazines and supplies to stock stores, including magazines with future dates (1)
* 3 story tall and 2 meter thick wall surrounding Phoenix (1)
* 45 minute bike ride from airport into town (1)
* Bad thing happening on August 13, Day 0
* Officer Reeve killed after helping kids break into Shackleton Building through secret tunnels (2)
* Secret passageways behind plain doors (2)
* Luke calls his father from hidden Communications room, but interrupted (2)
* Intra-city cell phone for select people, Elite 8 (2)
* Horrific videos of Tabitha trials showing gruesome, painful deaths (2)
* Tabitha is a lethal virus (2)
* Explosion (3)
* Secret overseer cave (3)
* Tank, Mike and Cathryn obeying mysterious overseers (3)
* Tank, Mike and Cathryn have tattoo of overseer mark (3)
* Shackleton injecting Jordan, Luke and Peter with tracking and punishment "suppressor" device (3)
* Peter hanging out with old pals Tank, Mike and Cathryn for information (3)
* Peter abducted after being zapped by Shackleton (3)
* Peter not trackable after his abduction (3)
* Activate suppressor...deactivate option? (3)
* Another underground bunker ~ overseer hideout (3)
* Peter, Luke & Jordan are captured by Overseers ~ Kara and Soren (4)
* Kara and Soren are digging out the underground bunker (4)
* Mike, Tank and Cathryn still brainwashed and obeying Kara's orders (4)
* Officer Reeve died after helping kids break into Shackleton Building through secret tunnels (3), but returns in this book after just being injured (4)
* Kara is Dr. Remi Vatel's daughter (4)
* Jordan see-through and non-solid during visions (4)
* New Phoenix surveillance system goes on-line (4)
* Capturing Phoenix citizens who are showing abilities (4)
* Abilities might be caused by Fallout (4)
* Dr. Galton telekinetic and evil scientist (4)
* Officer Calvin freaks out after tastes Luke's blood and isn't evil for a brief moment again (4)
* Shackleton changing the rules at the town meeting (4)
* Building by building search for Compulsory Town Meeting missing attendees (4)
* Luke's father got message and comes to Phoenix from Sydney, Australia to help (4)
* Shackleton's tracking and punishment "suppressor" device in Jordan, Luke and Peter are turned off by Kara (4)
* Peter's father is in a wheelchair but after suppressor is removed by Kara, he can walk, without any muscular issues (4)
* Take Jordan's father & Peter's parents underground with Kara & Soren (4)
* Peter locked up cuz he's unstable, telekinetic & strong (4)
* Jordan's mother & Georgia captured then rescued (4)
* Officer Reeves was alive then diversion (4)
* Dr. Montag shot by Dr. Galton saving Luke (4)
* Rescued unconscious Crazy Bill and crazy fast girl, Amy (4)
* Jordan's father & Peter's parents get captured by Shackleton security (4)
* Luke & Peter time travel back in time & Peter kills Luke in past (4)
* Jordan's father sacrifices himself during getaway (4)
* Luke's mother rescued against her will (4)
* Peter's parents go to the town meeting (4)
* Luke tells Kara to take Tobias to the Release Station (5)
* Dr. Galton is Shackleton's daughter (5)
* Officer Reeve has super healing powers (5)
* Tank is helping Officer Reeves (5)
* Mike dies sabotaging Shackleton building security with skid steer loaded with C-4 (5)
* Soren shoots some security officers (5)
* Crazy Bill/old Peter sacrifices himself (6)
* Officer Calvin helps Jordan & Tobias save the world (6)
* Officer Calvin empathized with people he touched, then changed with the end of Fallout (6)
* Tobias saves the world (6)
* Officer Reeve saves Tobias (6)
The scene was disturbing and a bit intense for middle school, so I am changing this to a YA book.
Day 100:
Likes:
* Covers are telling a subtle story
* Noticed 3 other series books are really compilations (Book #1 & 2: Man in the Shadows; Book #3 & 4: Blood in the Ashes; Book #5 & 6: Life in Flames)
* All parents are still married, only Luke's mom is divorced and alone
* POV flipped between Jordan & Luke & even Peter
* Finally answers and no cliffhanger
Dislikes:
* Town named Phoenix keeps bringing Phoenix, AZ to mind
* Peter's jealousy and anger
* Jordan's impetuous behavior, especially in dangerous situations
* Awkward unreciprocated teenage crush
* Sworn to secrecy
* No cell phones, cars, internet or leaving
* Intra-city cell phone for select people
* Shackleton's original Elite 8: Principal Pryor, Noah Shackleton, Security Chief Bruce Calvin, Victoria Galton (manager of office complex), Louisa Hawking (Cathryn's mother), Aaron Ketterly (residential liason), Dr. Robert Montag, Benjamin More, Arthur van Pelt (manager of Phoenix Mall) & Brian Weir (Peter's father)
With-reservations:
violence, murder, torture, threats, bullying, end of world/apocalypse, mental illness, kidnapping, human experimentation
~ The Gang ~
Luke:
Peter:
Jordan:
- Others -
Crazy Bill:
Tank:
Mike:
Cathryn:
Jeremy:
Amy:
Discoveries:
* No phones, Internet or cars (1)
* No leaving
* Roads lead to nowhere with armed guarded gates (1)
* Warehouse with magazines and supplies to stock stores, including magazines with future dates (1)
* 3 story tall and 2 meter thick wall surrounding Phoenix (1)
* 45 minute bike ride from airport into town (1)
* Bad thing happening on August 13, Day 0
* Officer Reeve killed after helping kids break into Shackleton Building through secret tunnels (2)
* Secret passageways behind plain doors (2)
* Luke calls his father from hidden Communications room, but interrupted (2)
* Intra-city cell phone for select people, Elite 8 (2)
* Horrific videos of Tabitha trials showing gruesome, painful deaths (2)
* Tabitha is a lethal virus (2)
* Explosion (3)
* Secret overseer cave (3)
* Tank, Mike and Cathryn obeying mysterious overseers (3)
* Tank, Mike and Cathryn have tattoo of overseer mark (3)
* Shackleton injecting Jordan, Luke and Peter with tracking and punishment "suppressor" device (3)
* Peter hanging out with old pals Tank, Mike and Cathryn for information (3)
* Peter abducted after being zapped by Shackleton (3)
* Peter not trackable after his abduction (3)
* Activate suppressor...deactivate option? (3)
* Another underground bunker ~ overseer hideout (3)
* Peter, Luke & Jordan are captured by Overseers ~ Kara and Soren (4)
* Kara and Soren are digging out the underground bunker (4)
* Mike, Tank and Cathryn still brainwashed and obeying Kara's orders (4)
* Officer Reeve died after helping kids break into Shackleton Building through secret tunnels (3), but returns in this book after just being injured (4)
* Kara is Dr. Remi Vatel's daughter (4)
* Jordan see-through and non-solid during visions (4)
* New Phoenix surveillance system goes on-line (4)
* Capturing Phoenix citizens who are showing abilities (4)
* Abilities might be caused by Fallout (4)
* Dr. Galton telekinetic and evil scientist (4)
* Officer Calvin freaks out after tastes Luke's blood and isn't evil for a brief moment again (4)
* Shackleton changing the rules at the town meeting (4)
* Building by building search for Compulsory Town Meeting missing attendees (4)
* Luke's father got message and comes to Phoenix from Sydney, Australia to help (4)
* Shackleton's tracking and punishment "suppressor" device in Jordan, Luke and Peter are turned off by Kara (4)
* Peter's father is in a wheelchair but after suppressor is removed by Kara, he can walk, without any muscular issues (4)
* Take Jordan's father & Peter's parents underground with Kara & Soren (4)
* Peter locked up cuz he's unstable, telekinetic & strong (4)
* Jordan's mother & Georgia captured then rescued (4)
* Officer Reeves was alive then diversion (4)
* Dr. Montag shot by Dr. Galton saving Luke (4)
* Rescued unconscious Crazy Bill and crazy fast girl, Amy (4)
* Jordan's father & Peter's parents get captured by Shackleton security (4)
* Luke & Peter time travel back in time & Peter kills Luke in past (4)
* Jordan's father sacrifices himself during getaway (4)
* Luke's mother rescued against her will (4)
* Peter's parents go to the town meeting (4)
* Luke tells Kara to take Tobias to the Release Station (5)
* Dr. Galton is Shackleton's daughter (5)
* Officer Reeve has super healing powers (5)
* Tank is helping Officer Reeves (5)
* Mike dies sabotaging Shackleton building security with skid steer loaded with C-4 (5)
* Soren shoots some security officers (5)
* Crazy Bill/old Peter sacrifices himself (6)
* Officer Calvin helps Jordan & Tobias save the world (6)
* Officer Calvin empathized with people he touched, then changed with the end of Fallout (6)
* Tobias saves the world (6)
* Officer Reeve saves Tobias (6)
February 21, 2016
This review is for the whole series.
I highly enjoyed this series and read the first five books within 2 weeks thanks to instant Kindle app downloads and a small amount of disrespect for adequate sleep. I was disappointed to learn that the final book hadn’t been released yet and I would have to wait a year to find out how it all ends. Having the memory capacity of a 1980s computer I had to reread the first 5 books to reappraise myself on the storyline thus far and get caught up in the action and desperateness of the situation. Once again I read these books within 2 weeks. The last book, Doomsday, recounts the final 17 hours of the countdown to, well, doomsday.
Being a science fiction series there is mutation from some sort of fallout, super powers, a bit of time travel and a villain with a super creepy appreciation for art. It was around Chapter 12 of the final book where things all started to tie together that I had a nerdtastic moment tying in my love for Doctor Who, X-Men and the Whedonverse; time travel, mutations and a strong female character.
Trying to follow and understand a storyline that involves any sort of time travel hurts my head and I find anyone who can write a book that incorporates it without making a big mess of it is amazing. The trick as a reader, I believe, is to not over think it. The Doctor (of the TV show Doctor Who) sums it up best, “People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but *actually* from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint – it’s more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly… time-y wimey… stuff”.
Apart from the way cool sci-fi elements of the series I found the plot action driven and well written from our three protagonist’s points of view. The point of view writing style seems quite common among YA literature and unfortunately can be poorly done without any character distinction but Morphew has pulled off writing three distinctive voices over the whole series.
Jordan is a particularly great character, a strong, daring and brave girl who is protective of her family and is the one leading Luke and Peter as they first try to discover what exactly is going on and then working on sabotaging the plan to end humanity.
I also appreciated how well the romantic storyline is written. It doesn’t dominate the series despite being an essential factor in the overall plot and isn’t nauseatingly vomit worthy full of cliches and sickeningly sweet lingering glances and professions of love. Chris Morphew, I thank you. No, really, thank you so much for that.
The villain is a complex and disturbing character. His quest for saving humanity through his own pervaded sense of righteousness to restore order in a world he sees as corrupt is fascinating. He stuck to his convictions and never wavered despite how ludicrous it was. He genuinely believed he was doing the right thing, that he was paving the way for a new humanity and while no one else could see that now they would in time. At times this man gave me the chills.
A fantastic sci-fi series for teenagers and maybe for mature Year 5 and 6 readers, and of course for grown ups like me who are still kids at heart. Full of action, fantastic characters and an ending that ties up loose ends satisfactorily. It seems to end abruptly with a rather tame ending but I guess after the adrenaline and action of 100 days leading up to the final 17 hours of battle it would have felt the same for the characters. Suddenly back to ‘normal’ and the everyday-ness of ordinary lives.
I highly enjoyed this series and read the first five books within 2 weeks thanks to instant Kindle app downloads and a small amount of disrespect for adequate sleep. I was disappointed to learn that the final book hadn’t been released yet and I would have to wait a year to find out how it all ends. Having the memory capacity of a 1980s computer I had to reread the first 5 books to reappraise myself on the storyline thus far and get caught up in the action and desperateness of the situation. Once again I read these books within 2 weeks. The last book, Doomsday, recounts the final 17 hours of the countdown to, well, doomsday.
Being a science fiction series there is mutation from some sort of fallout, super powers, a bit of time travel and a villain with a super creepy appreciation for art. It was around Chapter 12 of the final book where things all started to tie together that I had a nerdtastic moment tying in my love for Doctor Who, X-Men and the Whedonverse; time travel, mutations and a strong female character.
Trying to follow and understand a storyline that involves any sort of time travel hurts my head and I find anyone who can write a book that incorporates it without making a big mess of it is amazing. The trick as a reader, I believe, is to not over think it. The Doctor (of the TV show Doctor Who) sums it up best, “People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but *actually* from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint – it’s more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly… time-y wimey… stuff”.
Apart from the way cool sci-fi elements of the series I found the plot action driven and well written from our three protagonist’s points of view. The point of view writing style seems quite common among YA literature and unfortunately can be poorly done without any character distinction but Morphew has pulled off writing three distinctive voices over the whole series.
Jordan is a particularly great character, a strong, daring and brave girl who is protective of her family and is the one leading Luke and Peter as they first try to discover what exactly is going on and then working on sabotaging the plan to end humanity.
I also appreciated how well the romantic storyline is written. It doesn’t dominate the series despite being an essential factor in the overall plot and isn’t nauseatingly vomit worthy full of cliches and sickeningly sweet lingering glances and professions of love. Chris Morphew, I thank you. No, really, thank you so much for that.
The villain is a complex and disturbing character. His quest for saving humanity through his own pervaded sense of righteousness to restore order in a world he sees as corrupt is fascinating. He stuck to his convictions and never wavered despite how ludicrous it was. He genuinely believed he was doing the right thing, that he was paving the way for a new humanity and while no one else could see that now they would in time. At times this man gave me the chills.
A fantastic sci-fi series for teenagers and maybe for mature Year 5 and 6 readers, and of course for grown ups like me who are still kids at heart. Full of action, fantastic characters and an ending that ties up loose ends satisfactorily. It seems to end abruptly with a rather tame ending but I guess after the adrenaline and action of 100 days leading up to the final 17 hours of battle it would have felt the same for the characters. Suddenly back to ‘normal’ and the everyday-ness of ordinary lives.
December 1, 2015
Doomsday is the final book in this six-book series, and ends with a bang. The entire book takes place in the final 24 hours before the virus is to be released. Tobias has been found, but no one quite knows what to do with him. Shackleton's men are out to take down both Luke and Jordan in this story, the conclusion to the The Phoenix Files series.
Ah, we finally get to meet Tobias. Is he a big macho, machine gun-toting military type guy that bullet cannot stop? No. Is he a superhero that can bend steel in his bare hands? No. Has he always been in the city of Phoenix? No. So, who is he? Well, I'm certainly not going to tell you here. Can he stop the virus just like Luke and Jordan believe? No one really knows for sure. Only time will tell.
Chris Morphew wraps everything up in the largest book in this series. Is Luke really going to be killed? Will Jordan fade away into nothing during one of her visions? Will Tobias be able to stop the virus from being released? Or, will Shackleton win? If so, does the entire world die and the only survivors of the human race live in Phoenix? So many questions, and, I'm sorry, I cannot give you any answers right now. The only way you will find out it to pick up a copy of this book and read it yourself. It is the best of the six books and this series comes to an explosive conclusion.
I would have to say that The Phoenix Files series is one of the best young reader series I have read. I quite enjoyed all of the main characters that were considered the good guys, while really despising all of the bad characters. In my mind, this is exactly what Chris Morphew was trying to achieve. He has done a wonderful job in creating and very interesting world that I will remember for a long, long time.
Overall, Doomsday is an excellent ending to a series that really rocks! I highly recommend this book and the entire series to anyone that longs for an exciting thriller that keeps you always guessing. Readers will bond with the main characters, well, except for Peter, and will root for them for them with every turn of the page. Thank you, Chris Morphew, for keeping me entertained and I hope to read more books by you in the future.
I rated this book a 9 out of 10.
Ah, we finally get to meet Tobias. Is he a big macho, machine gun-toting military type guy that bullet cannot stop? No. Is he a superhero that can bend steel in his bare hands? No. Has he always been in the city of Phoenix? No. So, who is he? Well, I'm certainly not going to tell you here. Can he stop the virus just like Luke and Jordan believe? No one really knows for sure. Only time will tell.
Chris Morphew wraps everything up in the largest book in this series. Is Luke really going to be killed? Will Jordan fade away into nothing during one of her visions? Will Tobias be able to stop the virus from being released? Or, will Shackleton win? If so, does the entire world die and the only survivors of the human race live in Phoenix? So many questions, and, I'm sorry, I cannot give you any answers right now. The only way you will find out it to pick up a copy of this book and read it yourself. It is the best of the six books and this series comes to an explosive conclusion.
I would have to say that The Phoenix Files series is one of the best young reader series I have read. I quite enjoyed all of the main characters that were considered the good guys, while really despising all of the bad characters. In my mind, this is exactly what Chris Morphew was trying to achieve. He has done a wonderful job in creating and very interesting world that I will remember for a long, long time.
Overall, Doomsday is an excellent ending to a series that really rocks! I highly recommend this book and the entire series to anyone that longs for an exciting thriller that keeps you always guessing. Readers will bond with the main characters, well, except for Peter, and will root for them for them with every turn of the page. Thank you, Chris Morphew, for keeping me entertained and I hope to read more books by you in the future.
I rated this book a 9 out of 10.
June 10, 2013
Have to give this five stars because it is the final of the series and it didn't disappoint. More than that, it was hard to put down, answered many questions and left a satisfied-mixed-with-wow feeling when I finished. Hard to believe the series is over. Looking forward to whatever Chris Morphew writes next.
August 5, 2012
OH MY GOSH i cant wait until this book comes out XD
February 5, 2017
Exciting end to the series - lots of twists and turns. Some things that were unexpected... A good series to read...
January 9, 2022
There are now just sixteen hours to go until the end of the world and Jordan and Luke still don’t have a clue as to how a tiny new born baby is supposed to help save the human race from being wiped out. All they have is a desperate faith in fragments of visions and the unexpected aid of someone who every fibre in their being is telling them not to trust. The odds are stacked against them as the time ticks away. They all must work together to find a plan, but will they have enough man-power, and will they even understand what to do in order to save humanity when the long-awaited moment arises?
Chris Morphew’s final instalment of The Phoenix Files has all the suspense, all the nail-biting action, and all the excitement that I was hoping for in a finale. Instead of the story being told from one character’s perspective the whole way through, this time, that perspective changes each chapter. And once you get used to that format, it seems strange to look back and remember that the other books were only told from one perspective each. There are many things all happening at once and many things to try and get your head around and so this strategy of swapping between the three main characters, Jordan, Luke and Peter, throughout, was a great move.
Morphew grips you with a climactic part of the story right at the beginning, where we finally witness the conclusion of the mystery of how Luke is supposed to meet his fate. Then after this epic series of events, we move onto the next climactic situation of stopping Tabitha from wiping out the human race. After many twists, turns, surprises and edge-of-your-seat moments, we come to a very satisfying ending.
Doomsday is an excellent finale to The Phoenix Files series. The plot has been crafted so intelligently, with small clues throughout the whole series which culminate into meaningful outcomes, many unexpected twists – big and small, and great character development! I recommend this series to early high school kids and up. There are some graphic, violent moments which may be a little too intense for readers any younger than this. If you like fast-paced, dramatic, nail-biting suspense action stories that keep you guessing from start to finish, this series is for you!
Chris Morphew’s final instalment of The Phoenix Files has all the suspense, all the nail-biting action, and all the excitement that I was hoping for in a finale. Instead of the story being told from one character’s perspective the whole way through, this time, that perspective changes each chapter. And once you get used to that format, it seems strange to look back and remember that the other books were only told from one perspective each. There are many things all happening at once and many things to try and get your head around and so this strategy of swapping between the three main characters, Jordan, Luke and Peter, throughout, was a great move.
Morphew grips you with a climactic part of the story right at the beginning, where we finally witness the conclusion of the mystery of how Luke is supposed to meet his fate. Then after this epic series of events, we move onto the next climactic situation of stopping Tabitha from wiping out the human race. After many twists, turns, surprises and edge-of-your-seat moments, we come to a very satisfying ending.
Doomsday is an excellent finale to The Phoenix Files series. The plot has been crafted so intelligently, with small clues throughout the whole series which culminate into meaningful outcomes, many unexpected twists – big and small, and great character development! I recommend this series to early high school kids and up. There are some graphic, violent moments which may be a little too intense for readers any younger than this. If you like fast-paced, dramatic, nail-biting suspense action stories that keep you guessing from start to finish, this series is for you!
April 15, 2024
This was a book I read for fun. I liked it. I loved the entire series of it. I loved the mystery and liked the drama and all of that. So it was a good read. I don't remember much about it. Aside from being like the secret world, it was like these three kids who had to figure out what was happening in their town. So it was a really interesting book. There's a lot of mystery to it. So if you like mysteries, you should read them again. It's a pretty easy book to read. Not too many hard words. So, it's a pretty low reading level. I. read it in. I think middle school. So gage it, as you will from that.
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February 21, 2022This book was very interesting because of all the action involved in this book. The doomsday plot was very interesting to read through it as it had love scenes, fight scenes and also quite a few plot twist's.
I would recommend a-lot of people to read this book as it is super exciting and also very thrilling. This story is about a war in a town and city and the people fighting the war need backup therefor they send out a distress call, but there was help from a city that was not recognised. Will they except help or will they not. I suggest you to read this book.
I would recommend a-lot of people to read this book as it is super exciting and also very thrilling. This story is about a war in a town and city and the people fighting the war need backup therefor they send out a distress call, but there was help from a city that was not recognised. Will they except help or will they not. I suggest you to read this book.
July 16, 2020
A very good finish to the Phoenix Files saga!
I can't really say much without giving things away, but wow. The feels!
These books are pretty dang dark, for being for young adults.
Like, Peter and Jordan continue their journey to try to save the world, with help from a very unlikely source, near the end.
My 16 yr old is already half way through the series, but I am hoping to get my 14yr old on them too, as I am quite positive he'll enjoy them.
Worth reading!
- CJ
I can't really say much without giving things away, but wow. The feels!
These books are pretty dang dark, for being for young adults.
Like, Peter and Jordan continue their journey to try to save the world, with help from a very unlikely source, near the end.
My 16 yr old is already half way through the series, but I am hoping to get my 14yr old on them too, as I am quite positive he'll enjoy them.
Worth reading!
- CJ
March 9, 2018
An intense, driving, finale to the Phoenix Files series. This is the darkest of the 6 books. It builds the intensity throughout the book. I needed to take reading breaks in order to break the intensity of the read. The story continues to have twists and turns throughout this last book and there is no figuring out the ending before one reaches the end. A fabulous read for adults as well as youth.
December 14, 2019
i absolutely love this series! this final book had twist and turns at every corner, had me turning page after page! i’m a little sad i’m done with this series, i had so much fun reading them, but i was happy with the ending. HIGHLY recommend!!!
July 26, 2017
This was the book that never ends. It felt like it went on and on forever! Despite the length, it was a good ending to the series.
October 17, 2017
Really enjoyed the whole series! Always wondering what was going to happen next!
May 14, 2018
this one was very confusing because this kept jumping from different point of views and how they felt this was the most confusing also the way the world would of ended did not make sense.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2019
wow this was a good series I hope the rest of you like it
May 11, 2020
Great end to the Phoenix Files series! :)
March 23, 2022
A very satisfying ending. Love this series!
April 5, 2022
it was long and very event full at the end
April 7, 2022
Great ending. I kept wondering is "it" was really going to happen.....well did it?
October 17, 2022
Amazing read! An epic conclusion to an action-packed, thrilling series.
April 11, 2025
Absolutely LOVED this. Even though I accidentally read book 3 first, had to back track and didn't read books 2 and 5 until after finishing book 6.
June 15, 2025
bro fed the baby murder juice and was shocked when it didn’t go well.
September 30, 2013
I read this a while ago and must have forgotten to review it, so my memory is a bit hazy. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this book even though it was very, very confusing at the start because the last time I read a book in this series was about a year ago and I had forgotten the details of the previous book and what had happened. So it took me about a third of the way to finally get what was going on and who were the good guys and the bad guys.
The first thought I had upon reading this book was that one of the main characters was called Luke. If for some weird creepy reason, you are one of my friends in real life who has somehow found out about my account on this website and is now stalking the reviews I have made of books and has randomly decided to click on this one and is reading it, I mean this in a purely platonic way. Actually, upon looking up the definition for that particular word, that is definitely not what I mean but I cannot be bothered changing it and it sounds very fancy anyway. But yes, one of the main characters is called Luke and so it was very hard to get my head round the fact. Plus I shipped him very hard with Jordan and there were some really really cute moments.
Anyways, onto the actual book. It's not really a very good idea to read this book alongside the Gone series. Don't get me wrong, I love them both, but it's really easy to see parallels between the two and predict what is going to happen. And it didn't really help that I had basically forgotten everything that happened inched previous book.
It really really annoys me when authors do that, that is end a book on a cliffhanger and release the next book a year or so later. It's impossible for me to remember details of the ending, and most of the time I cannot be bothered rereading the previous book so I end up being confused for the first part of the new book. Which is all very well, but it also means I spend a lot of time trying to figure out who are the main characters and who was trying to kill who.
Overall though, I did really enjoy this book once I sorted out who was who (and all the time-travelling didn't exactly help!) and I am somewhat sad that the series has finished, though I don't really want there to be a sequel because that will cause it to drag on unnecessarily.
The first thought I had upon reading this book was that one of the main characters was called Luke. If for some weird creepy reason, you are one of my friends in real life who has somehow found out about my account on this website and is now stalking the reviews I have made of books and has randomly decided to click on this one and is reading it, I mean this in a purely platonic way. Actually, upon looking up the definition for that particular word, that is definitely not what I mean but I cannot be bothered changing it and it sounds very fancy anyway. But yes, one of the main characters is called Luke and so it was very hard to get my head round the fact. Plus I shipped him very hard with Jordan and there were some really really cute moments.
Anyways, onto the actual book. It's not really a very good idea to read this book alongside the Gone series. Don't get me wrong, I love them both, but it's really easy to see parallels between the two and predict what is going to happen. And it didn't really help that I had basically forgotten everything that happened inched previous book.
It really really annoys me when authors do that, that is end a book on a cliffhanger and release the next book a year or so later. It's impossible for me to remember details of the ending, and most of the time I cannot be bothered rereading the previous book so I end up being confused for the first part of the new book. Which is all very well, but it also means I spend a lot of time trying to figure out who are the main characters and who was trying to kill who.
Overall though, I did really enjoy this book once I sorted out who was who (and all the time-travelling didn't exactly help!) and I am somewhat sad that the series has finished, though I don't really want there to be a sequel because that will cause it to drag on unnecessarily.
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