What do you think?
Rate this book
SPI Files #6
The Phoenix Illusion
The agents of Supernatural Protection & Investigation (SPI) are used to dealing with the weird and the wacky, but even they are stunned when a building from another world suddenly appears on an empty lot in New York. . .
I’m Makenna Fraser, seer for SPI, and it’s just my luck that my birthday party is literally crashed by a building from another planet. And it’s not just any building—it’s my goblin boyfriend’s house from his home world. SPI’s mission, to keep the public clueless about the supernatural, has us scrambling to find who did this and why, not to mention how.
The deeper we dig, the more we realize this incident is the opening gambit to a much larger event. Old enemies have combined forces with an even older nemesis to develop the means to kidnap an entire building and everyone in it. But who, or what, is their ultimate target? Finding out and getting to the mark before they do will require all hands on deck, including some extraterrestrial help from the goblin home world. We’re running out of time, and if we can’t get our act together, we’ll have front-row seats for the end of the world as we know it.
I’m Makenna Fraser, seer for SPI, and it’s just my luck that my birthday party is literally crashed by a building from another planet. And it’s not just any building—it’s my goblin boyfriend’s house from his home world. SPI’s mission, to keep the public clueless about the supernatural, has us scrambling to find who did this and why, not to mention how.
The deeper we dig, the more we realize this incident is the opening gambit to a much larger event. Old enemies have combined forces with an even older nemesis to develop the means to kidnap an entire building and everyone in it. But who, or what, is their ultimate target? Finding out and getting to the mark before they do will require all hands on deck, including some extraterrestrial help from the goblin home world. We’re running out of time, and if we can’t get our act together, we’ll have front-row seats for the end of the world as we know it.
Audible Audio
First published November 6, 2018
104 people are currently reading
364 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Shearin
22 books1,104 followersLisa is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Raine Benares novels and The SPI Files.
Lisa is a voracious collector of fountain pens, teapots & teacups both vintage and modern. She lives on a small farm in North Carolina with her husband, four spoiled-rotten retired racing greyhounds, and enough deer and woodland creatures to fill a Disney movie.
Lisa is a voracious collector of fountain pens, teapots & teacups both vintage and modern. She lives on a small farm in North Carolina with her husband, four spoiled-rotten retired racing greyhounds, and enough deer and woodland creatures to fill a Disney movie.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
March 12, 2025
These optimistic adventures are just what I need right now. They are kind of happy-clappy, but charming nevertheless. Shearin keeps the action coming, not giving Makenna much time to breathe.
You've gotta love getting Rake and Tam, the goblin cousins, in the same book. It's like having two James Bonds (with silvery skin, pointed ears & fangs) running around! By this time, however, they've both had to tame their bad boy ways. That tends to happen when you get promoted to high government office. I was a bit sad to see them domesticated. It was good to have Tam get to be the black-leather-clad dark mage once again in the final showdown.
Shearin is also very good at providing enough closure to be satisfying in each volume while still leaving sufficient unresolved issues to carry us on to the next book. And I hope the next book does get produced and that we finally get to meet Grandmother Fraser!
I'm thinking that I may have to revisit the Raine Benares books soon, and refresh my memory on Raine, Tam, and Mychael.
You've gotta love getting Rake and Tam, the goblin cousins, in the same book. It's like having two James Bonds (with silvery skin, pointed ears & fangs) running around! By this time, however, they've both had to tame their bad boy ways. That tends to happen when you get promoted to high government office. I was a bit sad to see them domesticated. It was good to have Tam get to be the black-leather-clad dark mage once again in the final showdown.
Shearin is also very good at providing enough closure to be satisfying in each volume while still leaving sufficient unresolved issues to carry us on to the next book. And I hope the next book does get produced and that we finally get to meet Grandmother Fraser!
I'm thinking that I may have to revisit the Raine Benares books soon, and refresh my memory on Raine, Tam, and Mychael.
November 19, 2018
***2.5***
Honestly, there was a lot I didn't like about this one. But let me start with this: I love Lisa Shearin's books, and the Raine Benares series is one of my all-time favorites (the Raine books, not the Raine Benaraes World books) ... and I'm super excited that she said in her newsletter that she's going to write another book with Raine and Mycheal. Yes, I subscribe to her newsletter, because as I said, I love her books.
But I didn't like a main character from that series - Tam - rolling into this one. I thought I would, but I didn't. Look, I love that the worlds are connected, and I love the intersection, the easter eggs dropped about events happening over there. It is freaking awesome. But having a main character pop in ... well, I felt like it undercut the SPI team. By which I mean, honestly, the SPI team became background characters in this book. It felt more like the Tam / Rake adventure that Mac tagged along on (and they treated her like a tag-along, more on this in a moment). Even Ian was barely present (though when he was, he pissed me off ... that's part of the "more on this in a moment" though).
This series has a great cast - with Mac and Ian as the leads - and a rich secondary cast, and I love them ... and resent that they were largely sidelined. And I'm also confused, because Ian seems to not be a lead anymore. He was present, somewhat, in a token way. And Mac mentioned he was her partner, or called him her partner, probably a dozen times. But they didn't work together. They'd split up at incident locations, and when Mac gets jumped by the ever-present baddie who wants to kill the seer (a constant goal of theirs, for good reason), Ian is nowhere near ... and comes running when things are over. That happens twice in this book, but more than that, I was struck that they are literally never side-by-side working. They're not partners. They call each other that, but it's stupid. And it is even more stupid because of what happened at the end.
I was furious at what Ian pulled at the end. This is the "more on that later" bit, in case it wasn't clear. Here's the more.
This was so infuriating to me that I am undecided whether I'll read more in this series.
Aside from that inexplicable bullshit, this series is stuck in a weird place that it now needs to solve. We used to have Mac and Ian. And while they weren't romantically involved, they were damn good partners - and they used to respect each other - that worked well together. I was cool with them not being romantically involved, I thought it was an interesting change of pace. Then Rake enters, and over the course of the last few books, he and Mac have gotten seriously involved. That's cool, I like Rake. I have a couple problems with their relationship, though. One, he treats her like a child who needs to be coddled. She's a freaking agent, dammit! Further, the coddling seems to have grown some kind of crappy self-esteem issue for her, as several times in this book she laments that she's not sure she can handle this. Dude, this woman, until now, has always rolled up her sleeves, jumped into the fray, and done what needed doing. Where did this wishy-washy crap come from? Is it because of Rake?
But now the book seems to be rolling Rake into the lead, with Ian contributing nothing (that's not an exaggeration) and being out of character. The bit in the spoiler tags above, that's way out of character imo - Ian has never been that stupid. Further, Ian was always Mac's shadow, because he was going to keep his partner safe (given that seers tend to have a short lifespan in SPI, since they are major targets for the bad guys). Now, he seems to have dropped out of that role entirely, and I don't understand why. I get that we need to have Rake there as her romantic partner, but he doesn't work for SPI and this is still an SPI series, right? Can we please have Ian actually BEING Mac's partner again? I like Rake being there, but it should be Ian alongside Mac when we get down to business or are handling an incident. Either that, or just freaking have Rake join SPI and be Mac's damn partner, because this currently feels like a mess.
Honestly, there was a lot I didn't like about this one. But let me start with this: I love Lisa Shearin's books, and the Raine Benares series is one of my all-time favorites (the Raine books, not the Raine Benaraes World books) ... and I'm super excited that she said in her newsletter that she's going to write another book with Raine and Mycheal. Yes, I subscribe to her newsletter, because as I said, I love her books.
But I didn't like a main character from that series - Tam - rolling into this one. I thought I would, but I didn't. Look, I love that the worlds are connected, and I love the intersection, the easter eggs dropped about events happening over there. It is freaking awesome. But having a main character pop in ... well, I felt like it undercut the SPI team. By which I mean, honestly, the SPI team became background characters in this book. It felt more like the Tam / Rake adventure that Mac tagged along on (and they treated her like a tag-along, more on this in a moment). Even Ian was barely present (though when he was, he pissed me off ... that's part of the "more on this in a moment" though).
This series has a great cast - with Mac and Ian as the leads - and a rich secondary cast, and I love them ... and resent that they were largely sidelined. And I'm also confused, because Ian seems to not be a lead anymore. He was present, somewhat, in a token way. And Mac mentioned he was her partner, or called him her partner, probably a dozen times. But they didn't work together. They'd split up at incident locations, and when Mac gets jumped by the ever-present baddie who wants to kill the seer (a constant goal of theirs, for good reason), Ian is nowhere near ... and comes running when things are over. That happens twice in this book, but more than that, I was struck that they are literally never side-by-side working. They're not partners. They call each other that, but it's stupid. And it is even more stupid because of what happened at the end.
I was furious at what Ian pulled at the end. This is the "more on that later" bit, in case it wasn't clear. Here's the more.
This was so infuriating to me that I am undecided whether I'll read more in this series.
Aside from that inexplicable bullshit, this series is stuck in a weird place that it now needs to solve. We used to have Mac and Ian. And while they weren't romantically involved, they were damn good partners - and they used to respect each other - that worked well together. I was cool with them not being romantically involved, I thought it was an interesting change of pace. Then Rake enters, and over the course of the last few books, he and Mac have gotten seriously involved. That's cool, I like Rake. I have a couple problems with their relationship, though. One, he treats her like a child who needs to be coddled. She's a freaking agent, dammit! Further, the coddling seems to have grown some kind of crappy self-esteem issue for her, as several times in this book she laments that she's not sure she can handle this. Dude, this woman, until now, has always rolled up her sleeves, jumped into the fray, and done what needed doing. Where did this wishy-washy crap come from? Is it because of Rake?
But now the book seems to be rolling Rake into the lead, with Ian contributing nothing (that's not an exaggeration) and being out of character. The bit in the spoiler tags above, that's way out of character imo - Ian has never been that stupid. Further, Ian was always Mac's shadow, because he was going to keep his partner safe (given that seers tend to have a short lifespan in SPI, since they are major targets for the bad guys). Now, he seems to have dropped out of that role entirely, and I don't understand why. I get that we need to have Rake there as her romantic partner, but he doesn't work for SPI and this is still an SPI series, right? Can we please have Ian actually BEING Mac's partner again? I like Rake being there, but it should be Ian alongside Mac when we get down to business or are handling an incident. Either that, or just freaking have Rake join SPI and be Mac's damn partner, because this currently feels like a mess.
January 26, 2019
Having read/listened to the SPI Files since the beginning, I’ve found myself frustrated with the past couple books, yet I wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye because I’ve always enjoyed the mythology and world that Ms. Shearin created. With that said, I am happy to report that The Phoenix Illusion went a long way to restoring my enjoyment of the series.
The book opens shortly after the conclusion of the previous title, The Myth Manifestation, with the SPI gang celebrating Mak’s birthday, when all of a sudden a burning building appears out of nowhere on a previously vacant lot. The team jumps into action, discovering that there have been a series of disappearing buildings in remote areas, all leading back to both the Goblin home world and what appears to be a cabal of evil “most wanted” mages.
Rather than give a side-by-side comparison of my previous issues with the books and what was different this time around, I’ll just say that things are much better. However, I still had issues with the amount of repetition in the storytelling, but the overall backstory repetition was limited to the first chapter, which is key for those who either are new to the series, or haven’t listened in a while. I do wish that Mak would cut back on her lengthy explanations and repetitive reminders because I’d rather live through her experiences, not have her explain them to me.
Regardless of the repetitive talk, the overall story is action-packed and interesting right from the get go. The SPI team is stumped as to what is going on, so they form a team to help them solve the case. I enjoyed getting the different “expert opinions” and theories as the group worked to figure it all out. I also liked the addition of this mysterious cabal - bringing in past baddies from the series who have given the slip to SPI in previous books.
Another shining spot in The Phoenix Illusion is the amount of time spent with Mak and her goblin boyfriend, Rake. In the past few books, the pair were supposedly a couple, yet they felt more like friends based on their page time and how they interacted. Ms. Shearin leaves no doubt about the status of their relationship right from the get go. There is more affection, time spent together, innuendos, and Mak thinking about how much she cares for Rake.
Narration: Ms. Parker continues to be a shining spot of the series and is the voice of Mak for me. With the story told from the first person POV of Mak, we are privy to her every thought. Ms. Parker’s southern accent and “sweet as tea” narrative voice is perfect for Mak. Ms. Parker gives each character a different voice, although some male voices are similar. She switches up her accent and cadence depending on the character, and is able to infuse emotion into all characters when called for.
Overall, I enjoyed The Phoenix Illusion and I’m looking forward to finding out what Ms. Shearin has in store for Mak, Rake, Ian, and the whole SPI gang.
My Ratings:
Story: B
Narration: B+
The book opens shortly after the conclusion of the previous title, The Myth Manifestation, with the SPI gang celebrating Mak’s birthday, when all of a sudden a burning building appears out of nowhere on a previously vacant lot. The team jumps into action, discovering that there have been a series of disappearing buildings in remote areas, all leading back to both the Goblin home world and what appears to be a cabal of evil “most wanted” mages.
Rather than give a side-by-side comparison of my previous issues with the books and what was different this time around, I’ll just say that things are much better. However, I still had issues with the amount of repetition in the storytelling, but the overall backstory repetition was limited to the first chapter, which is key for those who either are new to the series, or haven’t listened in a while. I do wish that Mak would cut back on her lengthy explanations and repetitive reminders because I’d rather live through her experiences, not have her explain them to me.
Regardless of the repetitive talk, the overall story is action-packed and interesting right from the get go. The SPI team is stumped as to what is going on, so they form a team to help them solve the case. I enjoyed getting the different “expert opinions” and theories as the group worked to figure it all out. I also liked the addition of this mysterious cabal - bringing in past baddies from the series who have given the slip to SPI in previous books.
Another shining spot in The Phoenix Illusion is the amount of time spent with Mak and her goblin boyfriend, Rake. In the past few books, the pair were supposedly a couple, yet they felt more like friends based on their page time and how they interacted. Ms. Shearin leaves no doubt about the status of their relationship right from the get go. There is more affection, time spent together, innuendos, and Mak thinking about how much she cares for Rake.
Narration: Ms. Parker continues to be a shining spot of the series and is the voice of Mak for me. With the story told from the first person POV of Mak, we are privy to her every thought. Ms. Parker’s southern accent and “sweet as tea” narrative voice is perfect for Mak. Ms. Parker gives each character a different voice, although some male voices are similar. She switches up her accent and cadence depending on the character, and is able to infuse emotion into all characters when called for.
Overall, I enjoyed The Phoenix Illusion and I’m looking forward to finding out what Ms. Shearin has in store for Mak, Rake, Ian, and the whole SPI gang.
My Ratings:
Story: B
Narration: B+
May 16, 2024
Stars: 5 out of 5
This book starts with a bang... or with a literal building being dropped almost on top of our characters... and then catching on fire. Wow, that was an intense opening scene, let me tell you! The rest of the book is a fun romp in search of other vanishing buildings and figuring out who the baddies are and what they want. Side note, still not clear on that last part.
This series continues to shine, and it's because of the characters. I love Mac and her team. Heck, I even hooked my husband on these books, and he isn't usually a big fan of urban fantasy. Mac, Ian, Rake, and especially Yasha have made a convert out of him.
Mac continues to be a sassy, but competent protagonist who reads very human and relatable. Yes, she has powers, since she can see through glamor and cloaking spells, but she isn't overpowered. She definitely isn't a one woman army. She knows her strengths and weaknesses and can think on her feet. And kudos for bringing one of the previous book's baddies down with a bottle of perfume and a handy storage closet. That was hilarious.
My only complaint is that at one point this book almost became a Tam and Rake show, and the other characters, including Mac, were kinda pushed into the background. And there was very little Ian again, which was very disappointing. Yes, I love Mac and Rake as a couple, and their interactions are always fun to read about. But I also love Mac and Ian, and their partners/siblings relationship. I want to read more of their banter and how they bounce ideas of each other and have each other's back during tough cases.
But all in all, still loving this series, and I will definitely finish it. Also thinking about picking up the Raine Benares series afterwards.
If you liked this review, check out my blog.
This book starts with a bang... or with a literal building being dropped almost on top of our characters... and then catching on fire. Wow, that was an intense opening scene, let me tell you! The rest of the book is a fun romp in search of other vanishing buildings and figuring out who the baddies are and what they want. Side note, still not clear on that last part.
This series continues to shine, and it's because of the characters. I love Mac and her team. Heck, I even hooked my husband on these books, and he isn't usually a big fan of urban fantasy. Mac, Ian, Rake, and especially Yasha have made a convert out of him.
Mac continues to be a sassy, but competent protagonist who reads very human and relatable. Yes, she has powers, since she can see through glamor and cloaking spells, but she isn't overpowered. She definitely isn't a one woman army. She knows her strengths and weaknesses and can think on her feet. And kudos for bringing one of the previous book's baddies down with a bottle of perfume and a handy storage closet. That was hilarious.
My only complaint is that at one point this book almost became a Tam and Rake show, and the other characters, including Mac, were kinda pushed into the background. And there was very little Ian again, which was very disappointing. Yes, I love Mac and Rake as a couple, and their interactions are always fun to read about. But I also love Mac and Ian, and their partners/siblings relationship. I want to read more of their banter and how they bounce ideas of each other and have each other's back during tough cases.
But all in all, still loving this series, and I will definitely finish it. Also thinking about picking up the Raine Benares series afterwards.
If you liked this review, check out my blog.
November 9, 2018
This felt like a really short novel... I need Ms Shearin to write bigger books :D
December 10, 2018
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy.
I have previously detailed my love for Lisa Shearin's work, therefore, it's no surprise that I enjoyed THE PHOENIX ILLUSION. While I have some minor criticisms, it is overall a fun book, and as usual, leaves me wanting more.
First of all, Rake. And Tam. In the same book. Oooo la la. Those two individually are super mischievous, bad boy with heart of gold characters. Together, they make for some entertaining scenes. Tam teaching Ben to use his gem mage skills, Tam during the final showdown, Rake ... well, all the time ... overall, they're probably my favorite characters. Mac is great, don't get me wrong, and I love that she's not the typical urban fantasy heroine - you know the type, "the one" with the special power she doesn't even know she has that she uses to save the world. Amongst the other characters, Mac is almost normal! But, Rake and Tam are just so much fun.
Mac's internal monologue is yet again a low point. It's repetitive and sounds like she's narrating a movie in her head. I mean, I know I sometimes do that when I'm bored with my everyday life, but she's got a lot going on, so why does she keep reiterating to herself who each of the major players are? On the upside, if you don't remember all the details from previous books, or didn't know them to begin with, it's a bonus, since it's a good way to keep up with the action and understand the stakes without having to read all of the books that proceed THE PHOENIX ILLUSION in both the SPI Files and the Raine Benares World series. However, THE PHOENIX ILLUSION is a bit short, and when I think of how much time Mac spends illuminating us on who is doing the bad things, I am slightly annoyed there's not just a little more action. So I have mixed feelings, obviously.
Overall, Shearin doesn't disappoint. As I've said before, her writing is predictable, but to me, it's a good kind of predictable. Mac is sassy, Rake is overprotective, there's some comic relief from lesser characters, and there's some great action (Mac really gets her moment in this one, in my opinion). I will definitely be continuing to read this series, and I can't wait to see what the bad guys come up with next!
Sexual content: Kissing, references to sex
I have previously detailed my love for Lisa Shearin's work, therefore, it's no surprise that I enjoyed THE PHOENIX ILLUSION. While I have some minor criticisms, it is overall a fun book, and as usual, leaves me wanting more.
First of all, Rake. And Tam. In the same book. Oooo la la. Those two individually are super mischievous, bad boy with heart of gold characters. Together, they make for some entertaining scenes. Tam teaching Ben to use his gem mage skills, Tam during the final showdown, Rake ... well, all the time ... overall, they're probably my favorite characters. Mac is great, don't get me wrong, and I love that she's not the typical urban fantasy heroine - you know the type, "the one" with the special power she doesn't even know she has that she uses to save the world. Amongst the other characters, Mac is almost normal! But, Rake and Tam are just so much fun.
Mac's internal monologue is yet again a low point. It's repetitive and sounds like she's narrating a movie in her head. I mean, I know I sometimes do that when I'm bored with my everyday life, but she's got a lot going on, so why does she keep reiterating to herself who each of the major players are? On the upside, if you don't remember all the details from previous books, or didn't know them to begin with, it's a bonus, since it's a good way to keep up with the action and understand the stakes without having to read all of the books that proceed THE PHOENIX ILLUSION in both the SPI Files and the Raine Benares World series. However, THE PHOENIX ILLUSION is a bit short, and when I think of how much time Mac spends illuminating us on who is doing the bad things, I am slightly annoyed there's not just a little more action. So I have mixed feelings, obviously.
Overall, Shearin doesn't disappoint. As I've said before, her writing is predictable, but to me, it's a good kind of predictable. Mac is sassy, Rake is overprotective, there's some comic relief from lesser characters, and there's some great action (Mac really gets her moment in this one, in my opinion). I will definitely be continuing to read this series, and I can't wait to see what the bad guys come up with next!
Sexual content: Kissing, references to sex
November 11, 2018
When Lisa Shearin announced that the original publisher doesn't extend contracts to more books but she will continue the SPI Files series via self-publishing route, I was really excited.
This is the SECOND book from the independent publisher, and it's released in the same year as book #5. Which is great -- two books in one year *laugh*. I love this universe. I love the characters in it. Plus, it is nowhere finished with the villains and their plan to overthrown humans ruling Earth.
This book opens with Makenna Fraser's birthday party, which is disrupted when Rake's house -- Mac's goblin boyfriend - is dropped near where they are staying. A house that is originated from another dimension. Talk about a surprise birthday party ^^. Things rolls out from there, with the SPI agents, Rake, as well as Rake's cousin, Tamnais Nathrach (Tam for short), trying to once again stop the bad people's plan.
The Phoenix Illusion has more of Rake and his cousin sharing the spotlight with Mac, though. I sort of miss having Ian and Yasha to have more pages than they are in this book. It feel like because they're not goblins -- and our big bad villains are pretty much coming from Rake and Tam's part of the world -- they are delegated into the backseat.
However, we also welcome back Dr. Ben Sadler, the cute young man who now works as SPI's new consulting gem mage, whom we previously introduced in The Dragon Conspiracy. And not only that, Ben is getting a lot of training in handling magical rocks from Tam, which is fun to read.
In overall, this is another entertaining book. There might be quite a number of info-dump though, probably Ms. Shearin is explaining what has going on to new readers who never read the previous books. I don't really mind this time, because I admit that I've forgotten details. But I imagine the more strong-memory readers will be annoyed by it.
Well, I hope the next book will FINALLY take Rake meeting Mac's family, including her grandmother...
This is the SECOND book from the independent publisher, and it's released in the same year as book #5. Which is great -- two books in one year *laugh*. I love this universe. I love the characters in it. Plus, it is nowhere finished with the villains and their plan to overthrown humans ruling Earth.
This book opens with Makenna Fraser's birthday party, which is disrupted when Rake's house -- Mac's goblin boyfriend - is dropped near where they are staying. A house that is originated from another dimension. Talk about a surprise birthday party ^^. Things rolls out from there, with the SPI agents, Rake, as well as Rake's cousin, Tamnais Nathrach (Tam for short), trying to once again stop the bad people's plan.
The Phoenix Illusion has more of Rake and his cousin sharing the spotlight with Mac, though. I sort of miss having Ian and Yasha to have more pages than they are in this book. It feel like because they're not goblins -- and our big bad villains are pretty much coming from Rake and Tam's part of the world -- they are delegated into the backseat.
However, we also welcome back Dr. Ben Sadler, the cute young man who now works as SPI's new consulting gem mage, whom we previously introduced in The Dragon Conspiracy. And not only that, Ben is getting a lot of training in handling magical rocks from Tam, which is fun to read.
In overall, this is another entertaining book. There might be quite a number of info-dump though, probably Ms. Shearin is explaining what has going on to new readers who never read the previous books. I don't really mind this time, because I admit that I've forgotten details. But I imagine the more strong-memory readers will be annoyed by it.
Well, I hope the next book will FINALLY take Rake meeting Mac's family, including her grandmother...
August 14, 2021
Earlier this year I panned
Ruins & Revenge
, a Raine Benares spin-off novel featuring Tam as the main character. In my review, I expressed my disappointment over Lisa Shearin’s plotting, but I reassured myself that I would continue reading her novels (specifically her SPI Files series).
I might need to revise that prediction. I might need to take a long hiatus from Shearin’s novels for a while.
The Phoenix Illusion begins with a building appearing out of nowhere in an empty block of New York City. Not-so-coincidentally, that building belongs to Rake, our protagonist Makenna’s goblin boyfriend, and it’s not from our world but rather from the world we know from the Raine Benares series. That’s not all—buildings from around the United States have been disappearing, most of them in isolated locations where people wouldn’t notice a building vanishing right away. Someone is up to no good, and Rake, Mac, and the rest of the SPI team need to find out who, what, and why. Oh, and Tam shows up. Yay.
I’ll cut right to my criticism: Mac doesn’t do much in this book until the climax. She is, for the majority of the story, merely our first person narrator, mostly there to provide us with interminable exposition and occasionally making sly innuendo about other characters who are in relationships. I have written about Shearin’s penchant for exposition before, and maybe it used to work better for me, but in this book I was getting annoyed. I wanted something to happen, yet after the initial excitement of Rake’s otherworldly headquarters showing up in New York, it’s a while before anything does.
When it does occur, Mac isn’t integral at all. This hasn’t always been the case—she has played far bigger roles as a seer in other books—but for some reason in this book, she feels extraneous. Her role as a seer is underutilized for most of the book, and everything happens to her or around her instead of at her own instigation. This lack of agency makes for a boring story and also does little to get me excited about Mac or her relationship with Rake, which is the focal point of the characterization. In contrast, Mac’s partner Ian is there, but it feels like he barely gets any lines. There is almost no exploration of their friendship and professional relationship like there was in previous SPI Files books.
To be fair to the book, Mac eventually gets to do something near the end. With entirely predictable comedy, she ends up in the thick of the villain’s evil plot. But it’s wrapped up very neatly, with little enough trouble for any of the good guys and only a moment of tension for Mac.
This is the crux of my dissatisfaction with this story: none of it feels like it matters. Ok, so the bad guys are moving buildings around (and even between dimensions). I agree that’s villainous, and at one point the good guys remark on how it could be deadly for people inside those buildings. So I see the potential for the plot of this book to matter. Nevertheless, when you get right down to it, very little bad happens in this book, and what does happen is resolved without too much fuss. There are no hard choices, and therefore no room for character growth. The Mac at the beginning of The Phoenix Illusion is the Mac at the end, albeit perhaps hornier for Rake than ever before….
Hence the need to perhaps take a hiatus from Shearin for a while. I don’t want to dislike these books as much as I am, because I really did enjoy the first few Raine Benares books and also the beginning of the SPI Files. Shearin is a good writer, but lately her plots have fallen flat, in favour perhaps of her fondness for the characters she has created and the worlds she wants to showcase. This exuberance doesn’t lead to excitement for the reader, alas, and that is where I am at with The Phoenix Illusion.
Originally posted on Kara.Reviews, where you can easily browse all my reviews and subscribe to my newsletter.
I might need to revise that prediction. I might need to take a long hiatus from Shearin’s novels for a while.
The Phoenix Illusion begins with a building appearing out of nowhere in an empty block of New York City. Not-so-coincidentally, that building belongs to Rake, our protagonist Makenna’s goblin boyfriend, and it’s not from our world but rather from the world we know from the Raine Benares series. That’s not all—buildings from around the United States have been disappearing, most of them in isolated locations where people wouldn’t notice a building vanishing right away. Someone is up to no good, and Rake, Mac, and the rest of the SPI team need to find out who, what, and why. Oh, and Tam shows up. Yay.
I’ll cut right to my criticism: Mac doesn’t do much in this book until the climax. She is, for the majority of the story, merely our first person narrator, mostly there to provide us with interminable exposition and occasionally making sly innuendo about other characters who are in relationships. I have written about Shearin’s penchant for exposition before, and maybe it used to work better for me, but in this book I was getting annoyed. I wanted something to happen, yet after the initial excitement of Rake’s otherworldly headquarters showing up in New York, it’s a while before anything does.
When it does occur, Mac isn’t integral at all. This hasn’t always been the case—she has played far bigger roles as a seer in other books—but for some reason in this book, she feels extraneous. Her role as a seer is underutilized for most of the book, and everything happens to her or around her instead of at her own instigation. This lack of agency makes for a boring story and also does little to get me excited about Mac or her relationship with Rake, which is the focal point of the characterization. In contrast, Mac’s partner Ian is there, but it feels like he barely gets any lines. There is almost no exploration of their friendship and professional relationship like there was in previous SPI Files books.
To be fair to the book, Mac eventually gets to do something near the end. With entirely predictable comedy, she ends up in the thick of the villain’s evil plot. But it’s wrapped up very neatly, with little enough trouble for any of the good guys and only a moment of tension for Mac.
This is the crux of my dissatisfaction with this story: none of it feels like it matters. Ok, so the bad guys are moving buildings around (and even between dimensions). I agree that’s villainous, and at one point the good guys remark on how it could be deadly for people inside those buildings. So I see the potential for the plot of this book to matter. Nevertheless, when you get right down to it, very little bad happens in this book, and what does happen is resolved without too much fuss. There are no hard choices, and therefore no room for character growth. The Mac at the beginning of The Phoenix Illusion is the Mac at the end, albeit perhaps hornier for Rake than ever before….
Hence the need to perhaps take a hiatus from Shearin for a while. I don’t want to dislike these books as much as I am, because I really did enjoy the first few Raine Benares books and also the beginning of the SPI Files. Shearin is a good writer, but lately her plots have fallen flat, in favour perhaps of her fondness for the characters she has created and the worlds she wants to showcase. This exuberance doesn’t lead to excitement for the reader, alas, and that is where I am at with The Phoenix Illusion.
Originally posted on Kara.Reviews, where you can easily browse all my reviews and subscribe to my newsletter.
January 20, 2019
My review and an extended sample of the audiobook are posted at Hotlistens.com.
I continue to enjoy stories with Mac and the gang of SPI (Supernatural Protection & Investigation). This story starts off at a birthday party which is interrupted by a house appearing in a vacant lot. The house and the vacant lot are both own by Rake Danescu, very rich goblin and boyfriend of our leading lady, Makenna Fraser. Since SPI’s main goal is to keep control of the supernaturals on Earth and keep magic from unknowing humans, you can imagine having an elaborate house appear in a vacant lot isn’t the best of things. Then the house burns down.
In this story, we get a lot of time with Rake, much more than we’ve had in the past. We continue to learn more about his race and his home planet (it seems that goblins come from another planet instead of another realm). We also meet Rake’s cousin, Tam.
This story had a lot of the things I love about this series, action, humor, characters that I love. I wish we had more time with some of the SPI characters, as Rake and Tam take over a lot of the page time, so we didn’t see as much of Mac’s partners, Ian (human) and Yasha (werewolf).
There is a scene towards the end of the story that is really frustrating. I know that the characters had their hearts in the right place, but it was not the right thing to do. I know that is very vague, but I don’t want to give spoilers.
Anyway, overall, I did really enjoy this story. I enjoy my time with these characters. They always make me laugh. I can’t wait to see where we go from here in this series. I’m hoping that we might get to meet Mac’s family and maybe even Rake’s. That should be interesting.
Narration
Johanna Parker continues to do an amazing job with this series. She really brings out the humor of Mac and the gang. I love all the voices she’s chosen for these characters. She does a great job with men and women (which is really good because there are way more men in this series than women). If you haven’t tried Johanna Parker, I highly recommend her. She has several great paranormal series out there that I’ve listened to and enjoyed.
**I like to thank the publisher for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
I continue to enjoy stories with Mac and the gang of SPI (Supernatural Protection & Investigation). This story starts off at a birthday party which is interrupted by a house appearing in a vacant lot. The house and the vacant lot are both own by Rake Danescu, very rich goblin and boyfriend of our leading lady, Makenna Fraser. Since SPI’s main goal is to keep control of the supernaturals on Earth and keep magic from unknowing humans, you can imagine having an elaborate house appear in a vacant lot isn’t the best of things. Then the house burns down.
In this story, we get a lot of time with Rake, much more than we’ve had in the past. We continue to learn more about his race and his home planet (it seems that goblins come from another planet instead of another realm). We also meet Rake’s cousin, Tam.
This story had a lot of the things I love about this series, action, humor, characters that I love. I wish we had more time with some of the SPI characters, as Rake and Tam take over a lot of the page time, so we didn’t see as much of Mac’s partners, Ian (human) and Yasha (werewolf).
There is a scene towards the end of the story that is really frustrating. I know that the characters had their hearts in the right place, but it was not the right thing to do. I know that is very vague, but I don’t want to give spoilers.
Anyway, overall, I did really enjoy this story. I enjoy my time with these characters. They always make me laugh. I can’t wait to see where we go from here in this series. I’m hoping that we might get to meet Mac’s family and maybe even Rake’s. That should be interesting.
Narration
Johanna Parker continues to do an amazing job with this series. She really brings out the humor of Mac and the gang. I love all the voices she’s chosen for these characters. She does a great job with men and women (which is really good because there are way more men in this series than women). If you haven’t tried Johanna Parker, I highly recommend her. She has several great paranormal series out there that I’ve listened to and enjoyed.
**I like to thank the publisher for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
June 20, 2019
The Phoenix Illusion is the sixth book in the SPI Files series written by Lisa Shearin and centered on Makenna Fraser, a former tabloid journalist, turned covert agent for the Supernatural Protection & Investigations (SPI) when she discovered she had the gift of second sight.
A birthday party is interrupted by a house appearing in a vacant lot. The house and the vacant lot are both own by Rake Danescu, the very rich goblin and boyfriend of Makenna Fraser. Since SPI’s main goal is to keep control of the supernaturals on Earth and keep magic from unknowing humans, a house appearing on a vacant lot is problematic – especially when the house burns down.
The Phoenix Illusion is written rather well. In this installment more is learned about the goblin species, which apparently seems to be from a different planet than another realm. We get to explore more of Rake Danscu and his cousin Tam. Unfortunately, we don’t get see much of Ian Byrne and Yasha the werewolf.
All in all, The Phoenix Illusion is written rather well and is a good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to continue in the very near future.
A birthday party is interrupted by a house appearing in a vacant lot. The house and the vacant lot are both own by Rake Danescu, the very rich goblin and boyfriend of Makenna Fraser. Since SPI’s main goal is to keep control of the supernaturals on Earth and keep magic from unknowing humans, a house appearing on a vacant lot is problematic – especially when the house burns down.
The Phoenix Illusion is written rather well. In this installment more is learned about the goblin species, which apparently seems to be from a different planet than another realm. We get to explore more of Rake Danscu and his cousin Tam. Unfortunately, we don’t get see much of Ian Byrne and Yasha the werewolf.
All in all, The Phoenix Illusion is written rather well and is a good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to continue in the very near future.
October 20, 2019
When last we left our heroine, she and others had just managed to get themselves and the hotel they were trapped in out of a pocket dimension. Moving along, the bad guys have relocated Rake’s house to NY - from his native world. And now they’re using the upgraded version of the thingie they used to relocate the hotel to move random buildings. Stuff happens, lots of stuff. Our h is definitely involved with Rake now.
I sort of wonder how many books the bad guys are going to be drawn out. I mean; I enjoy the trip but one hopes for resolution eventually.
I sort of wonder how many books the bad guys are going to be drawn out. I mean; I enjoy the trip but one hopes for resolution eventually.
December 3, 2023
Rake's house from his home world suddenly materializing on an empty lot in New York - in the middle of Mac's birthday party, no less - opens the next highly entertaining entry in this series. The SPI books are starting to overlap with the Raine Benares series more and more... might be time to catch up on that as well.
March 9, 2021
A great book, full of action (I’m actually not sure how they keep going). Cross over from her other series with a visit from Tam. Rake and Tam are great together, the cousins work well. Ian is in this book but he seems to take a back seat to Rake (which isn’t bad as I love Rake). Even Yasha is MIA for half the book.
didnotfinish
April 21, 2020I just kept putting it down to read something else but I believe it was me not the book itself. Just one of those times when I needed to be reading something else based on my mood.
December 28, 2021
I enjoyed the change of scene in this one, as Mac, Ian, Yasha, Rake and others head out west, ending up in Vegas. A fun read, and since I have already read The Solstice Connection, it brings me up to date with the SPI Files adventures. Longer review to come.
Read for the COYER "Finish What You Started" Readathon, Sept. 2021.
Read for the COYER "Finish What You Started" Readathon, Sept. 2021.
August 20, 2022
Gah! All I can say is it has the wit and action you should expect by now and you will be impatient for the next book plus the story around the name drop once our special guest arrives. :)
November 18, 2018
Excellent
December 31, 2018
Magic, Mischief and Missing Buildings
THE PHOENIX ILLUSION
SPI Files Novel (6)
Author: LISA SHEARIN
Publisher: Murwood Media, LLC
Page count: 232pp
Release date: 6th November 2018
If you’re new to the SPI Files or haven’t read them in a while, I thought it best to summarise the books the easiest way possible. By letting Mac herself tell you about her job.
“My name is Makenna Fraser and I work for SPI (Supernatural Protection and Investigations). In my professional life, I have a skill that eliminates a certain kind of surprise. I’m a seer. I can see through any shield, ward, or spell a supernatural being can use to disguise itself from the human population.”
Mac and her partner Ian have been involved in lots of shenanigans (I still need to read the story about the Leprechaun prince stag do) and together they fight Supernatural criminals whilst hiding the existence of these creatures. In the last book, during a giant conference Mac and Ian plus other cohorts dealt with murderers, drunken dwarves and all manner of creatures being trapped together in the Regor Regency hotel by an unseen force.
The hotel was owned by Mac’s goblin boyfriend Rake - “Rake Danescu was a very bad boy—in all the very best ways.” Think “Jean Claude” from Laurel K Hamilton’s Anita Blake series rather than the kind of goblin you’d see in Labyrinth or LOTR. He basically oozes charm, dark moody vibes and sexiness through the text. He’s what the PNR crowd call the perfect ‘book boyfriend’.
Having recently been appointed governor of the goblin colony on Earth, the trip with Rake to meet Mac’s family in Carolina had been delayed, but things had gone from flirtation to serious in the space of five books.
Now, Mac isn’t one for surprises, so her birthday party this year is at the the local werewolf-run bar ‘Full Moon’ with co-workers and friends; humans in the know, SPI agents such as Ian’s dryad girlfriend Kylie and the furry crowd.
Well, as parties go, this one kicks off with a bang, literally, as Rake’s house appears from Regor, Rake’s home world - the goblin capitol, out of nowhere. And it’s engulfed in fire. Hence, the mystery begins.
And it’s just the start of buildings disappearing in the human world.
The series as a whole has a great range of diverse characters, who are strong and pervasive.
Dr Anika Van Daal, the MD or Supernatural medical examiner, and vampire, arrived in New York in 1625. As Mac puts it, “She’d gone from midwife to the city’s first licensed female doctor.” Just as Vivienne Sagadraco, head of SPI USA is a fierce dragon/human shifter who likes like a petite older woman but rules the roost. Despite being a seer, Mac goes out on missions and although she’s not a combat veteran she uses her wits and strength to often save the day.
There’s also a terrific authorial voice here, through Mac and a laugh out loud sense of humour.
In this book, we finally realise there’s a bigger arc at stake and the villains and evil machinations in this novel are part of a bigger game. I expect when book seven arrives, it will all kick off and we’ll be looking at a new offshoot arc in the wider story.
Either way, it can be read independently and it’s a fantastic - I believe, penultimate - book in this series.
THE PHOENIX ILLUSION
SPI Files Novel (6)
Author: LISA SHEARIN
Publisher: Murwood Media, LLC
Page count: 232pp
Release date: 6th November 2018
If you’re new to the SPI Files or haven’t read them in a while, I thought it best to summarise the books the easiest way possible. By letting Mac herself tell you about her job.
“My name is Makenna Fraser and I work for SPI (Supernatural Protection and Investigations). In my professional life, I have a skill that eliminates a certain kind of surprise. I’m a seer. I can see through any shield, ward, or spell a supernatural being can use to disguise itself from the human population.”
Mac and her partner Ian have been involved in lots of shenanigans (I still need to read the story about the Leprechaun prince stag do) and together they fight Supernatural criminals whilst hiding the existence of these creatures. In the last book, during a giant conference Mac and Ian plus other cohorts dealt with murderers, drunken dwarves and all manner of creatures being trapped together in the Regor Regency hotel by an unseen force.
The hotel was owned by Mac’s goblin boyfriend Rake - “Rake Danescu was a very bad boy—in all the very best ways.” Think “Jean Claude” from Laurel K Hamilton’s Anita Blake series rather than the kind of goblin you’d see in Labyrinth or LOTR. He basically oozes charm, dark moody vibes and sexiness through the text. He’s what the PNR crowd call the perfect ‘book boyfriend’.
Having recently been appointed governor of the goblin colony on Earth, the trip with Rake to meet Mac’s family in Carolina had been delayed, but things had gone from flirtation to serious in the space of five books.
Now, Mac isn’t one for surprises, so her birthday party this year is at the the local werewolf-run bar ‘Full Moon’ with co-workers and friends; humans in the know, SPI agents such as Ian’s dryad girlfriend Kylie and the furry crowd.
Well, as parties go, this one kicks off with a bang, literally, as Rake’s house appears from Regor, Rake’s home world - the goblin capitol, out of nowhere. And it’s engulfed in fire. Hence, the mystery begins.
And it’s just the start of buildings disappearing in the human world.
The series as a whole has a great range of diverse characters, who are strong and pervasive.
Dr Anika Van Daal, the MD or Supernatural medical examiner, and vampire, arrived in New York in 1625. As Mac puts it, “She’d gone from midwife to the city’s first licensed female doctor.” Just as Vivienne Sagadraco, head of SPI USA is a fierce dragon/human shifter who likes like a petite older woman but rules the roost. Despite being a seer, Mac goes out on missions and although she’s not a combat veteran she uses her wits and strength to often save the day.
There’s also a terrific authorial voice here, through Mac and a laugh out loud sense of humour.
In this book, we finally realise there’s a bigger arc at stake and the villains and evil machinations in this novel are part of a bigger game. I expect when book seven arrives, it will all kick off and we’ll be looking at a new offshoot arc in the wider story.
Either way, it can be read independently and it’s a fantastic - I believe, penultimate - book in this series.
November 15, 2018
Phoenix Illusion is such an enjoyable read!
I particularly enjoy books similar to the movie franchise Men in Black where supernaturals are everywhere on Earth but the humans can't be allowed to know that they exist! That really adds to the fun, such as when there is a tremendous battle between our side (the good guys) and the other side (the really bad guys) and literally one of our side's job is to explain away what ubiquitous humans holding cell phone cameras caught on video and looks quite impossible to believe!
I also especially enjoy reading books in series. Our main protagonist in the SPI (Supernatural Protection & Investigation) Files is Makenna Fraser. I love it that this series is told in first person, too!
Makenna is a seer. That means she can see through any glamour and while you may see a nondescript human, she sees an elf, a goblin, a vampire, a werewolf, etc. etc. Makenna goes into battle armed with a paintgun because she can tag the bad guys only she can see for the rest of her teammates who have other skills and are often not human.
Early on she meets Rake the goblin (who by the last book before this one in the series had become the Governor of Earth's Goblin Colony, quite an important position). They start dating, it gets more serious, and now they are talking about introducing each other to their families. It's not only Makenna & Rake, too. Other team members are pairing off and are also in the process of meeting their intended's families. (This IS book six, after all!) Which is cool.
But I enjoy that Makenna's & Rake's relationship is allowed to develop at its own pace during each book of the series, in between taking down the bad guys trying to kill you. In each book, the relationship develops just a little more. Just like in real life? So, yes, this is a romance series but the team still gets the primary job done first (protecting Earth from nefarious supernaturals always scheming to make trouble!).
Phoenix Illusion opens with the bad guys teleporting a building onto an empty lot in Manhattan not far from SPI Headquarters. But it is not just any skyscraper. It's Rake's own multistory home from the goblin planet! Worse it immediately catches fire and New York's finest is dispatched to put out the fire! (No worries, quite a few of the upper officers in the fire department are supernaturals themselves and have long worked hand-in-glove with the SPI!)
And the plot takes off from there! Much fun ensues!
Highly recommended for those who enjoy supernaturals in their police procedurals!
I particularly enjoy books similar to the movie franchise Men in Black where supernaturals are everywhere on Earth but the humans can't be allowed to know that they exist! That really adds to the fun, such as when there is a tremendous battle between our side (the good guys) and the other side (the really bad guys) and literally one of our side's job is to explain away what ubiquitous humans holding cell phone cameras caught on video and looks quite impossible to believe!
I also especially enjoy reading books in series. Our main protagonist in the SPI (Supernatural Protection & Investigation) Files is Makenna Fraser. I love it that this series is told in first person, too!
Makenna is a seer. That means she can see through any glamour and while you may see a nondescript human, she sees an elf, a goblin, a vampire, a werewolf, etc. etc. Makenna goes into battle armed with a paintgun because she can tag the bad guys only she can see for the rest of her teammates who have other skills and are often not human.
Early on she meets Rake the goblin (who by the last book before this one in the series had become the Governor of Earth's Goblin Colony, quite an important position). They start dating, it gets more serious, and now they are talking about introducing each other to their families. It's not only Makenna & Rake, too. Other team members are pairing off and are also in the process of meeting their intended's families. (This IS book six, after all!) Which is cool.
But I enjoy that Makenna's & Rake's relationship is allowed to develop at its own pace during each book of the series, in between taking down the bad guys trying to kill you. In each book, the relationship develops just a little more. Just like in real life? So, yes, this is a romance series but the team still gets the primary job done first (protecting Earth from nefarious supernaturals always scheming to make trouble!).
Phoenix Illusion opens with the bad guys teleporting a building onto an empty lot in Manhattan not far from SPI Headquarters. But it is not just any skyscraper. It's Rake's own multistory home from the goblin planet! Worse it immediately catches fire and New York's finest is dispatched to put out the fire! (No worries, quite a few of the upper officers in the fire department are supernaturals themselves and have long worked hand-in-glove with the SPI!)
And the plot takes off from there! Much fun ensues!
Highly recommended for those who enjoy supernaturals in their police procedurals!
March 6, 2020
While celebrating Mac's birthday, Rake's house suddenly from Regor appears down the street. They start to investigate this incident and soon realize that buildings have been disappearing in remote locations. The same technology from book 5 plays a role with some unknown stones. As the investigation shows that there are some powerful goblin mages involved, the team races to find out what is happening.
In book five, the author named the characters from the Raine Benares series, thus establishing that both not only play in the same universe but at the same time. In this one, Tam crosses over. There also is a link to a storyline from RB involving the Khrynsani and mighty stones that may or may not be sentient. I can't wait to see if the author will include more crossovers in the upcoming novels.
The author also starts to build up towards the conspiracy she mentioned in the first book. Therefore, quite a few of the villains from previous volumes either make an appearance or are mentioned. While I enjoyed the first two novels, I found three and four a little bit of a letdown. Five was an improvement again and I'm happy to state that six continues this trend. It was quite the page-turner.
One of my main complaints about this series was the lackluster characters. Rake, for example, is a carbon copy of Tam. Having both of them in the same book kind of proves my point. Ian and Mac, on the other hand, never showed enough personality to like or dislike. This was the first time that Mac either through her actions (geeking out about the Jeep), her narration (comparing Kenji to Blofeld), or her dialogue (they paraphrased one of the most famous dialogues from Star Wars, I was in geek heaven) showed some kind of personality. After reading the first chapter, I thought to myself "I have learned more about Mac in these few pages than I did in the entire first five books." So this was definitely an improvement.
While the book isn't perfect, it was one of the more enjoyable outings in this series. Waiting for the next one.
In book five, the author named the characters from the Raine Benares series, thus establishing that both not only play in the same universe but at the same time. In this one, Tam crosses over. There also is a link to a storyline from RB involving the Khrynsani and mighty stones that may or may not be sentient. I can't wait to see if the author will include more crossovers in the upcoming novels.
The author also starts to build up towards the conspiracy she mentioned in the first book. Therefore, quite a few of the villains from previous volumes either make an appearance or are mentioned. While I enjoyed the first two novels, I found three and four a little bit of a letdown. Five was an improvement again and I'm happy to state that six continues this trend. It was quite the page-turner.
One of my main complaints about this series was the lackluster characters. Rake, for example, is a carbon copy of Tam. Having both of them in the same book kind of proves my point. Ian and Mac, on the other hand, never showed enough personality to like or dislike. This was the first time that Mac either through her actions (geeking out about the Jeep), her narration (comparing Kenji to Blofeld), or her dialogue (they paraphrased one of the most famous dialogues from Star Wars, I was in geek heaven) showed some kind of personality. After reading the first chapter, I thought to myself "I have learned more about Mac in these few pages than I did in the entire first five books." So this was definitely an improvement.
While the book isn't perfect, it was one of the more enjoyable outings in this series. Waiting for the next one.
November 20, 2022
RATING:
5 STARS
The Phoenix Illusion is the sixth book in Lisa Shearin’s SPI Files series, and Ms. Shearin continues to outdo herself. Makenna Fraser, seer extraordinaire for the Supernatural Protection and Investigations team (SPI), was having a fun night out with her coworkers and boyfriend, goblin dark mage Rake Danescu, when the evening is disrupted as Rake’s house (from another dimension) gets dropped onto an empty lot. Things get even crazier from here, with SPI again being responsible for stopping the evil supernaturals in the world from enacting their plans.
Unlike some of the previous books in the series, The Phoenix Illusion puts a lot of the spotlight on Rake and his cousin Tam. There are some side characters from previous books that don’t make as big of an appearance, but I think that's ok because the author does a great job of rotating the characters from her ensemble cast in the series in and out of the books. It was fun getting to see how Tam trained Ben Sadler, SPI’s resident gem mage, in the best way to deal with the magical crystals at the story's center.
As a note, Johanna Parker does an excellent job narrating this book. I’m always cackling whenever I’m listening to any of Makenna’s antics, and this book has no shortage of mischief. This is the last book of the series that she’s narrating, but I’m excited to see (and hear) how the author does narrating the books in the future. The book is best suited for those who are already familiar with the series. Still, the author does drop enough information such that any newcomers should be able to follow the plot with minimal issues (or missing context).
Overall, The Phoenix Illusion is another amazing and entertaining book by Lisa Shearin. SPI Files is still one of my favorite urban fantasy series of all time. If you enjoy laugh-out-loud urban fantasy tales with headstrong heroines, then this book is for you.
The Phoenix Illusion is the sixth book in Lisa Shearin’s SPI Files series, and Ms. Shearin continues to outdo herself. Makenna Fraser, seer extraordinaire for the Supernatural Protection and Investigations team (SPI), was having a fun night out with her coworkers and boyfriend, goblin dark mage Rake Danescu, when the evening is disrupted as Rake’s house (from another dimension) gets dropped onto an empty lot. Things get even crazier from here, with SPI again being responsible for stopping the evil supernaturals in the world from enacting their plans.
Unlike some of the previous books in the series, The Phoenix Illusion puts a lot of the spotlight on Rake and his cousin Tam. There are some side characters from previous books that don’t make as big of an appearance, but I think that's ok because the author does a great job of rotating the characters from her ensemble cast in the series in and out of the books. It was fun getting to see how Tam trained Ben Sadler, SPI’s resident gem mage, in the best way to deal with the magical crystals at the story's center.
As a note, Johanna Parker does an excellent job narrating this book. I’m always cackling whenever I’m listening to any of Makenna’s antics, and this book has no shortage of mischief. This is the last book of the series that she’s narrating, but I’m excited to see (and hear) how the author does narrating the books in the future. The book is best suited for those who are already familiar with the series. Still, the author does drop enough information such that any newcomers should be able to follow the plot with minimal issues (or missing context).
Overall, The Phoenix Illusion is another amazing and entertaining book by Lisa Shearin. SPI Files is still one of my favorite urban fantasy series of all time. If you enjoy laugh-out-loud urban fantasy tales with headstrong heroines, then this book is for you.
March 27, 2021
2.5 stars. Rare for me: I usually enjoy Lisa Shearin’s books, but I can safely say that this was not my favorite SPI Files book.
I don’t understand why fiction authors find it necessary to be part of the politically correct (politically stupid is more like it), me-too, planet/human hating movements that seem to be popping up as the new in-thing. I don’t know when they’ll realize that we don’t buy fiction books for the author’s opinions, we buy them for entertainment— to forget about the world and the chaos in it, and I was less than entertained by this SPI installment.
Conceptually it was a good plot. Marek is back and he’s a guinnea pig for Isidor and Phaenus evil plan. We get to see Tiamat and Viktor again and we get to see Mac save everyone’s hide again.
Pretty solid.
I hated the way Mac was treated: like she’s not needed or worth anything. And then they called it protection. I hated how Mac didn’t get mad. It’s like she’s used to being a door nail or something and for a spunky heroine who’s the star the series (not so much anymore apparently), she’s awfully laid back about being blind-sided. Just kill her off already if that’s how she’s going to be treated.
I don’t understand why Tam was necessary. He didn’t really add anything to the story. And him being included really took away from SPI characters.
I think I also understand why the author is self publishing now: if SPI is going to cross with the Raine Benares world then the entire series is too big now to keep track of unless you’re a reader of both series and know what’s going on.
And as I’ve mentioned, I don’t need to read the author’s opinion of the planet, or humans.
I’d say skip this one. You won’t miss much.
I don’t understand why fiction authors find it necessary to be part of the politically correct (politically stupid is more like it), me-too, planet/human hating movements that seem to be popping up as the new in-thing. I don’t know when they’ll realize that we don’t buy fiction books for the author’s opinions, we buy them for entertainment— to forget about the world and the chaos in it, and I was less than entertained by this SPI installment.
Conceptually it was a good plot. Marek is back and he’s a guinnea pig for Isidor and Phaenus evil plan. We get to see Tiamat and Viktor again and we get to see Mac save everyone’s hide again.
Pretty solid.
I hated the way Mac was treated: like she’s not needed or worth anything. And then they called it protection. I hated how Mac didn’t get mad. It’s like she’s used to being a door nail or something and for a spunky heroine who’s the star the series (not so much anymore apparently), she’s awfully laid back about being blind-sided. Just kill her off already if that’s how she’s going to be treated.
I don’t understand why Tam was necessary. He didn’t really add anything to the story. And him being included really took away from SPI characters.
I think I also understand why the author is self publishing now: if SPI is going to cross with the Raine Benares world then the entire series is too big now to keep track of unless you’re a reader of both series and know what’s going on.
And as I’ve mentioned, I don’t need to read the author’s opinion of the planet, or humans.
I’d say skip this one. You won’t miss much.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 2, 2021
This is a fun and quirky urban fantasy series that I am very much enjoying!
This series revolves around McKenna Fraser who is a seer working for SPI. SPI is an alphabet organization that is trying to keep the humans ignorant of the paranormals working and living around them every day while also making sure the paranormals visiting or living on earth are following the rules.
This book is a continuation of the last one and you do really need to read the series to appreciate the characters and what is going on here. The book starts off with a bang. Rake's house from the Goblin home world lands in the middle of an empty lot in New York on fire. While trying to figure out how this happened and why it is even possible SPI uncovers an even larger plot involving even more members of their most wanted list.
I have to say that when the characters mention their love of MST 3K, Mystery Science Theater 3000, I laughed. My teens are currently obsessed with that series and watch it as often as possible! These books are not super deep an there are some small continuity issues but I find them to be fun and quick reads. There is a lot of explaining and mentioning the same information more than once. Usually this will put me off an author/series/book but it is really mostly at the beginning and I find I like the characters enough to overlook this. Looking forward to the next book and really hoping it involves McKenna taking Rake home to meet her family!!
This series revolves around McKenna Fraser who is a seer working for SPI. SPI is an alphabet organization that is trying to keep the humans ignorant of the paranormals working and living around them every day while also making sure the paranormals visiting or living on earth are following the rules.
This book is a continuation of the last one and you do really need to read the series to appreciate the characters and what is going on here. The book starts off with a bang. Rake's house from the Goblin home world lands in the middle of an empty lot in New York on fire. While trying to figure out how this happened and why it is even possible SPI uncovers an even larger plot involving even more members of their most wanted list.
I have to say that when the characters mention their love of MST 3K, Mystery Science Theater 3000, I laughed. My teens are currently obsessed with that series and watch it as often as possible! These books are not super deep an there are some small continuity issues but I find them to be fun and quick reads. There is a lot of explaining and mentioning the same information more than once. Usually this will put me off an author/series/book but it is really mostly at the beginning and I find I like the characters enough to overlook this. Looking forward to the next book and really hoping it involves McKenna taking Rake home to meet her family!!
May 6, 2024
The agents of Supernatural Protection & Investigation (SPI) are used to dealing with the weird and the wacky, but even they are stunned when a building from another world suddenly appears on an empty lot in New York. . .
I’m Makenna Fraser, seer for SPI, and it’s just my luck that my birthday party is literally crashed by a building from another planet. And it’s not just any building—it’s my goblin boyfriend’s house from his home world. SPI’s mission, to keep the public clueless about the supernatural, has us scrambling to find who did this and why, not to mention how.
The deeper we dig, the more we realize this incident is the opening gambit to a much larger event. Old enemies have combined forces with an even older nemesis to develop the means to kidnap an entire building and everyone in it. But who, or what, is their ultimate target? Finding out and getting to the mark before they do will require all hands on deck, including some extraterrestrial help from the goblin home world. We’re running out of time, and if we can’t get our act together, we’ll have front-row seats for the end of the world as we know it.
Heather's Notes
This was a really quick read for me. I really like Mac and the guys. I love that Mac and Rake are officially a couple. I am a little annoyed that the "bad" guys keep getting away, but I guess that is what keeps us on our toes or the next story.
I’m Makenna Fraser, seer for SPI, and it’s just my luck that my birthday party is literally crashed by a building from another planet. And it’s not just any building—it’s my goblin boyfriend’s house from his home world. SPI’s mission, to keep the public clueless about the supernatural, has us scrambling to find who did this and why, not to mention how.
The deeper we dig, the more we realize this incident is the opening gambit to a much larger event. Old enemies have combined forces with an even older nemesis to develop the means to kidnap an entire building and everyone in it. But who, or what, is their ultimate target? Finding out and getting to the mark before they do will require all hands on deck, including some extraterrestrial help from the goblin home world. We’re running out of time, and if we can’t get our act together, we’ll have front-row seats for the end of the world as we know it.
Heather's Notes
This was a really quick read for me. I really like Mac and the guys. I love that Mac and Rake are officially a couple. I am a little annoyed that the "bad" guys keep getting away, but I guess that is what keeps us on our toes or the next story.
June 6, 2022
During Makenna's birthday party, Rake Danescu's house crashes on an empty lot and bursts into flames. They find out that some buildings have been disappearing and it leads them into a night in Las Vegas.
Well, apparently Mac and Rake started sleeping together somewhere between books. Ian is flying solo here, without his significant other. We get to meet Rake's cousin, who looks like Rake, but sounds more interesting.
The story is OK, and it's moving fairly quickly. At least I wasn't bored. I started to think it's probably because it's simple and focused, unlike the Ghoul Vendetta (and yes, I am still a little sore about the whole Tuatha Dé Dannan story that whets my appetite but doesn't really go anywhere).
I don't like the "yikes!" and "Oh boy" commentaries. It just doesn't make her sound very intelligent. I also find it awkward that Mac allows the Goblins to call her Lady Makkena. Maybe she is a seer, but she is also just a human American. As the series goes, everybody seems to rely more and more on Rake's money, and in this book, it's getting too much. While I do believe that Mac is not with Rake for his money, the continuous display of wealth is a bit off-putting.
Well, apparently Mac and Rake started sleeping together somewhere between books. Ian is flying solo here, without his significant other. We get to meet Rake's cousin, who looks like Rake, but sounds more interesting.
The story is OK, and it's moving fairly quickly. At least I wasn't bored. I started to think it's probably because it's simple and focused, unlike the Ghoul Vendetta (and yes, I am still a little sore about the whole Tuatha Dé Dannan story that whets my appetite but doesn't really go anywhere).
I don't like the "yikes!" and "Oh boy" commentaries. It just doesn't make her sound very intelligent. I also find it awkward that Mac allows the Goblins to call her Lady Makkena. Maybe she is a seer, but she is also just a human American. As the series goes, everybody seems to rely more and more on Rake's money, and in this book, it's getting too much. While I do believe that Mac is not with Rake for his money, the continuous display of wealth is a bit off-putting.
August 5, 2023
In the 6th SPI Files book, Mac, Rake and friends are celebrating her birthday at their regular hangout, when Rake’s house from his home world crashes on to a vacant lot he owns. It’s pretty easy to figure out that someone is plotting something, and things could get worse. Then vacant buildings around the US start disappearing from areas where they won’t be quickly missed. The SPI team, quickly realize there is a plot afoot, now they just have to figure out who the culprits are and what they are planning to do. Their investigation takes them to the desert, along with Rake, Gethen, and Rake’s cousin, and then it’s on to Las Vegas, baby. Things get wilder from there, with goblins pretending to be vampires, an evil plot masquerading as a magic show, and the team causing havoc in a casino. It’s lovely to see the relationship between Mac and Rake getting stronger, and the team working together with Rake and his people, and I can’t wait to read the next adventure to find out what happens next.
July 14, 2019
Something i have noticed in recent books by this author is that she had a tendency to descend in to tell not show repetitive info dumps disguised as Mak's internal musings. For example they know the bad guy's evil plan and are trying to figure out how to stop it. Mak keeps telling us that is what they have to in so many words. We didn't need to be told that is what they are doing 3 or 4 times. We the reader are smart enough to figure that out if you show them working on figuring in out. This slows the pace of the story down and throws you out of the narrative. However the climactic thwart the bad guy scene was actually enjoyable as things were finally happening and it was show not tell.
Makes me hesitate to reread the Raine Benares series which I LOVED in case I just didn't notice this irritating (to me) writing style before.
Makes me hesitate to reread the Raine Benares series which I LOVED in case I just didn't notice this irritating (to me) writing style before.
January 23, 2020
This felt like a let-down from the previous book, which I loved. Some interesting things happen, especially the appearance of a large house in the middle of a previously empty lot ... and it's on fire ... and it's Rake's house from back on the goblin-elf world. Other buildings out in the middle of nowhere in the southwestern states have been disappearing, starting small and increasing in size. Somebody's working up to something. And it's up to SPI to found out what and why and especially to stop it.
Mac and Ian and Rake and others end up in Las Vegas, where some of the SPI most-wanted mages have something major planned.
As usual Ian and Rake try to keep Mac safe, even though her job is to point out the invisible or glamored bad guys. To do that she has to be where they are, but with the people who can take them out or at least keep them from doing their evil deeds.
Mac and Ian and Rake and others end up in Las Vegas, where some of the SPI most-wanted mages have something major planned.
As usual Ian and Rake try to keep Mac safe, even though her job is to point out the invisible or glamored bad guys. To do that she has to be where they are, but with the people who can take them out or at least keep them from doing their evil deeds.
November 17, 2018
I really enjoy the SPI files books. Mac and the SPI crew are back racing to save the world again while trying to keep the supernatural side of things out of the public eye. Goblin Mages, Elves, Werewolves, and Portal keepers working for an extremely old dragon are kept on their toes as abandoned buildings across the US disappear completely. Where have the buildings gone? Who is taking the buildings? An old enemy resurfaces and is hiding in plain sight. Vegas has never been more dangerous than when Mac and company head for the magic show at the Phoenix Hotel. Read this book to get the details. This book is #6 in a series and you really should read them in order but they are all fast paced action that you finish before you realize you've gotten to the end.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews