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Jacob Graves #1
Phoenix Born
How do you kill a man who won't stay dead stay dead?Are you ready for a pulse-pounding, action-packed adventure? Look no further than Phoenix Born. Follow the thrilling journey of Jacob Graves, a wizard and assassin as he faces off against a seemingly invincible target who just won't stay dead.Jacob Graves is the world's best assassin (allegedly). He meets his match when he's hired to take out a powerful phoenix-born who keeps coming back from the dead. As he starts to uncover the truth behind the phoenix-born's immortality, Jacob must use all of his skills and knowledge to stay alive in a fight for his life.With twists and turns on every page, Phoenix Born is a thrilling read that will keep you guessing until the very end. Join Jacob on his journey as he battles against the impossible and discover if he has what it takes to keep himself and his loved ones alive.With nonstop action and a plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat, Phoenix Born is a must-read for fans of urban fantasy. Don't miss out on this epic tale of magic and survival. Get your copy of Phoenix Born today!If you like Shayne Silvers, Jim Butcher, Kevin Hearne, and MD Massey, then you will love the insanely addictive Jacob Graves Series.
- GenresUrban Fantasy
272 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 4, 2019
104 people are currently reading
63 people want to read
About the author
Sean Stone
37 books40 followersSean is a writer and reader of all kinds of books, but he particularly enjoys books with 413 pages. He lives alone in Maidstone with his cats, Molly and Klaus, in an apartment that does not allow pets. He is also quite sure that one of them is trying to kill him. It’s a good thing he’s immortal.
He works as a lab technician by day and writes rather marvelous books by night. Sometimes he writes in the day too, but those books aren’t as good.
Sean Stone is a serious man.
He works as a lab technician by day and writes rather marvelous books by night. Sometimes he writes in the day too, but those books aren’t as good.
Sean Stone is a serious man.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 4, 2019
I am a big fan of urban fantasy; it’s my favorite genre by far. When I stumbled upon this author, I was excited to read his stuff as it fit right in with what I like. He quickly became a favorite. After reading this series opener, I am even more excited: well-written, great characters, and some kick-butt action. I kept turning the pages because I had to see what was going to happen next. And, when it was over, I really wanted the next one. Jacob is a fascinating protagonist. If you are a fan of urban fantasy, definitely give this book a try! Highly recommend this book, and I received a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.
September 1, 2021
I've loved all of Sean Stones other dark urban fantasy stories so far as this is no exception.
An enemy that won't die no matter what magic is thrown at him and faerie deals with wizards make this a thrilling first book in series.
An enemy that won't die no matter what magic is thrown at him and faerie deals with wizards make this a thrilling first book in series.
February 20, 2023
For me, the main character let this book down. It might just be me. I may be too critical.
The TL;DR: I found the main character 'meh' and the magic system pointless, but I liked the world building, plot and side characters.
Drew is excellent, Leah is fabulous. But they're supporting characters and I'd rather the book was about those two. Drew reminded me of Bobby Singer from Supernatural: gruff, no-nonsense, believes in research and hard work; while Leah reminded me of Willow from Buffy: pretty, smart, magical and pulls the lead out of trouble (and probably secretly loves them). Jacob Graves? The eponymous lead? He's not nasty, he's not nice. He's not morally grey. I don't know what he is. Best Assassin in the Country? I doubt he's the best in his house, and he lives alone. He doesn't learn; he doesn't grow; he gets lucky. I dislike it when a character only wins because they get lucky. Both his antagonists are the same. Dorian Gray? Nothing like the Oscar Wilde version. Much too sanitised. I struggled to understand the titular Phoenix. He didn't appear to have much in the way of motive. This led to a series of battles in which I didn't care who won. Jacob Graves reminded me a little of Harry Potter in the way the characters around him drove the plot and he gets swept along with little agency and his inability to think his way out of a room with a single door.
And that's a damn shame.
Sangford, the world Sean Stone created, with its murky edges, magical creatures and hierarchical wizards, comes across as well actualised. Both the premise and plot of the book offers much and deliver the right notes at the right times. The writing is crisp and clear, and the pacing is spot on.
The magic system? Draw energy from nature or electricity and convert it into something. There seemed to be little penalty for using magic, making me wonder why Graves drove anywhere, or why they build houses in the traditional manner. Nobody seems to know a spell for making a cup of tea or walking the dog, but know ones for fireballs and exploding hearts.
I might give the sequels a go, but they're low down on my TBR if I do.
The TL;DR: I found the main character 'meh' and the magic system pointless, but I liked the world building, plot and side characters.
Drew is excellent, Leah is fabulous. But they're supporting characters and I'd rather the book was about those two. Drew reminded me of Bobby Singer from Supernatural: gruff, no-nonsense, believes in research and hard work; while Leah reminded me of Willow from Buffy: pretty, smart, magical and pulls the lead out of trouble (and probably secretly loves them). Jacob Graves? The eponymous lead? He's not nasty, he's not nice. He's not morally grey. I don't know what he is. Best Assassin in the Country? I doubt he's the best in his house, and he lives alone. He doesn't learn; he doesn't grow; he gets lucky. I dislike it when a character only wins because they get lucky. Both his antagonists are the same. Dorian Gray? Nothing like the Oscar Wilde version. Much too sanitised. I struggled to understand the titular Phoenix. He didn't appear to have much in the way of motive. This led to a series of battles in which I didn't care who won. Jacob Graves reminded me a little of Harry Potter in the way the characters around him drove the plot and he gets swept along with little agency and his inability to think his way out of a room with a single door.
And that's a damn shame.
Sangford, the world Sean Stone created, with its murky edges, magical creatures and hierarchical wizards, comes across as well actualised. Both the premise and plot of the book offers much and deliver the right notes at the right times. The writing is crisp and clear, and the pacing is spot on.
The magic system? Draw energy from nature or electricity and convert it into something. There seemed to be little penalty for using magic, making me wonder why Graves drove anywhere, or why they build houses in the traditional manner. Nobody seems to know a spell for making a cup of tea or walking the dog, but know ones for fireballs and exploding hearts.
I might give the sequels a go, but they're low down on my TBR if I do.
April 2, 2021
An ambitious start to a series.
Jacob Graves is a wizard and an assassin. On his latest job, his target won’t stay dead. That is a problem as the man knows his real identity, which is the last thing an assassin needs. On top of that, the girl he has been seeing turns up dead, and he gets framed for the murder. Add in a power struggle in the city, which he ends up in the middle of, and Jacob’s life just got very complicated.
Jacob makes an interesting lead character, but one that I have mixed emotions about. There are likable traits that he has, but there are also flaws that make him unlikable at times too. The supporting cast are a plus as there are characters in the book that I would enjoy learning more about.
What makes this novel stand out is the three plotlines that are happening in the story. The author does a good job of making all three plots intriguing and masterfully weaving them together at the end.
The one issue I have with the story, is the mysterious Magraval who is challenging Dorian for control of the city. I’m sure that his identity will be a big reveal later in the series, but I’m convinced I know who it is. If I’m right, then the author was a bit too heavy handed in how they went about it.
On the upside, I guess I will just have to pick up the next book to see if this is the case.
Jacob Graves is a wizard and an assassin. On his latest job, his target won’t stay dead. That is a problem as the man knows his real identity, which is the last thing an assassin needs. On top of that, the girl he has been seeing turns up dead, and he gets framed for the murder. Add in a power struggle in the city, which he ends up in the middle of, and Jacob’s life just got very complicated.
Jacob makes an interesting lead character, but one that I have mixed emotions about. There are likable traits that he has, but there are also flaws that make him unlikable at times too. The supporting cast are a plus as there are characters in the book that I would enjoy learning more about.
What makes this novel stand out is the three plotlines that are happening in the story. The author does a good job of making all three plots intriguing and masterfully weaving them together at the end.
The one issue I have with the story, is the mysterious Magraval who is challenging Dorian for control of the city. I’m sure that his identity will be a big reveal later in the series, but I’m convinced I know who it is. If I’m right, then the author was a bit too heavy handed in how they went about it.
On the upside, I guess I will just have to pick up the next book to see if this is the case.
December 13, 2019
I’ve never done an ARC before. I got it free because I promised to do an honest review. So, seems like a paid project. Most of my reviews are short and sweet but I’m going to take more time and try to write down thoughts as they occur to me. First, I don’t normally read stories about assassins. But this one kinda intrigued me enough so that I agreed to read it and do a review. Having said that, as an adult, the character still has abandonment issues from childhood. Not a keen believer in allowing childhood issues linger into present day and it irks me when people do. I had plenty of childhood issues and dealt with them. To me having a cold blooded killer with lingering childhood issues just doesn’t sit well. Once you get past that issue, the book is well written and the story is engaging. I came to like the main character and the others. The ending was written so that I look forward to the next book and plan on reading it when it comes out….to me, that is the best take on any author!
January 3, 2020
A good first book for the Jacob Graves Series
Jacob Graves, a.k.a Wraith, is the best assassin wizard in the world, select in the jobs he will undertake. Unfortunately for him, his last target refuses to stay dead. And his friend with benefits gets herself murdered, so Jacob Graves, rich upstanding citizen is the target of a police investigation, pushed along by her fiance. What a crimp to his lifestyle and livelihood.
The story takes place in an alternate contemporary Britain ruled by supernaturals and strongmen who are almost like feudal lords.
I enjoy the ironic Jacob, professionally superb assassin but in social situations an arrogant jerk who cannot keep his mouth from causing him problems.
Overall a nice quick read. I look forward to book 2.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Jacob Graves, a.k.a Wraith, is the best assassin wizard in the world, select in the jobs he will undertake. Unfortunately for him, his last target refuses to stay dead. And his friend with benefits gets herself murdered, so Jacob Graves, rich upstanding citizen is the target of a police investigation, pushed along by her fiance. What a crimp to his lifestyle and livelihood.
The story takes place in an alternate contemporary Britain ruled by supernaturals and strongmen who are almost like feudal lords.
I enjoy the ironic Jacob, professionally superb assassin but in social situations an arrogant jerk who cannot keep his mouth from causing him problems.
Overall a nice quick read. I look forward to book 2.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 2, 2020
For all that Jacob Graves is an anti-hero, there is something heroic about his approach to life, relationships and responsibility. Jacob Graves is an interesting character as the author suggests and hints. The author's writing itself feels dense, full of details and atmosphere; this is one of the few urban fantasies I have read that feels like a JD Robb or Tom Clancy novel with fewer pages. That plus the original situation that the author throws his beleaguered anti-hero really holds the attention. I mean, really - do you have any idea how migraine-inducingly frustrating it would be to assassinate a PHOENIX!?!?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 11, 2020
Great new series.
Having read all of the previous books put out by this author I was excited to see a book set somewhere completely new. Unlike the previous books; this one does not exist, or overlap, with the world of the previous series's. This I feel made it strong as it stands on its own and introduces new rules and concepts that really enhance the story-line.
I will be honest and say that I was initially unsure if I connected with the main character like I have with Sean's previous books, but that quickly disappeared from my mind as the story developed which is credit to the writing IMO.
If you enjoyed the other books, or if this is your first one of Sean Stones books, it is definitely worth the read.
Having read all of the previous books put out by this author I was excited to see a book set somewhere completely new. Unlike the previous books; this one does not exist, or overlap, with the world of the previous series's. This I feel made it strong as it stands on its own and introduces new rules and concepts that really enhance the story-line.
I will be honest and say that I was initially unsure if I connected with the main character like I have with Sean's previous books, but that quickly disappeared from my mind as the story developed which is credit to the writing IMO.
If you enjoyed the other books, or if this is your first one of Sean Stones books, it is definitely worth the read.
July 24, 2020
I wanted a great story, and got an ok one
The blurb for this book sounded so interesting and unique that I had to read it. Unfortunately, it took over half of this book for me to get into it. I thought that Jacob was absolutely ridiculous in his determined stubbornness to insist that Ethan had killed his own fiancé. His insistence that he can’t learn any more about his powers is reckless and rather stupid, considering his profession.
While the end of this story certainly raised some intriguing potential issues for Jacob, I have to say that, as a whole, this was just ok for me.
The blurb for this book sounded so interesting and unique that I had to read it. Unfortunately, it took over half of this book for me to get into it. I thought that Jacob was absolutely ridiculous in his determined stubbornness to insist that Ethan had killed his own fiancé. His insistence that he can’t learn any more about his powers is reckless and rather stupid, considering his profession.
While the end of this story certainly raised some intriguing potential issues for Jacob, I have to say that, as a whole, this was just ok for me.
July 7, 2021
Good Read!
This was a well thought out world in a city in England, where magic is an open secret and has been from the beginning. The MC is a 30year old with very little maturity and very little ability to reason out simple things, has emotional issues of a teenager and well, does magic poorly and without thought untill he can learn to gather power from nature as he can only draw from electrical source now. He has power none the less and is an assassin. It got better as the story developed. But it was the simple Main character that seemed to ruin it or at least made it less better. Simple Good read with some flaws.
This was a well thought out world in a city in England, where magic is an open secret and has been from the beginning. The MC is a 30year old with very little maturity and very little ability to reason out simple things, has emotional issues of a teenager and well, does magic poorly and without thought untill he can learn to gather power from nature as he can only draw from electrical source now. He has power none the less and is an assassin. It got better as the story developed. But it was the simple Main character that seemed to ruin it or at least made it less better. Simple Good read with some flaws.
March 26, 2020
This is a quick-paced book with so much action that it reads quickly in spite of its regular book-length, mainly because I could not put it down. This is a new author for me but I am hooked.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 20, 2020
2 chapters
That was all I lasted. Can't deal with a woe is me mentality. Or arrogance without any humility. He seems like a a-hole without any redeeming qualities. Maybe he will grow out of it, but I don't like him enough to find out.
That was all I lasted. Can't deal with a woe is me mentality. Or arrogance without any humility. He seems like a a-hole without any redeeming qualities. Maybe he will grow out of it, but I don't like him enough to find out.
March 28, 2021
All around a good story, but I didnt find myself desperate to know what happened next. The characters were good and the supernatural world was epic especially since they live with humans. I'm not sure if I will continue the series.
July 6, 2020
Excellent
Sean stone has become one of my new favourite urban fantasy writers. Phoenix born is fast passed and original. A must read for lovers of magic and mayhem.
Sean stone has become one of my new favourite urban fantasy writers. Phoenix born is fast passed and original. A must read for lovers of magic and mayhem.
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March 15, 2021🎁 FREE on Amazon today (3/15/2021)! 🎁
October 31, 2025
Great read.
SEAN STONE HAS PROVEN TO BE AN EXCEPTIONAL WRITER AND STORY TELLER. JACOB GRAVES IS THRILLINGLY AND ENTERTAINING. PHOENIX BORN IS ON PAR WITH EDDIE LANCASTER.
SEAN STONE HAS PROVEN TO BE AN EXCEPTIONAL WRITER AND STORY TELLER. JACOB GRAVES IS THRILLINGLY AND ENTERTAINING. PHOENIX BORN IS ON PAR WITH EDDIE LANCASTER.
April 5, 2020
An amusingly rich world, slightly more than popcorn for the brain (and nothing wrong with that!) most enjoyable!!!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews