Phoenix Fire

by Elizabeth Forrest

Thousands of years after the first emperor of China imprisoned it, a demon is accidentaly released during an archeological excavation and searches for its ancient nemesis, the Phoenix

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Fiction

368 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Jean Triceratops · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s a specific type of action movie that I feel is quintessential to the 1990s. Rated PG-13, this movie includes a splash of bad language and a dash of violence but carefully controls the intensity to garner the viewership of families. What violence does occur happens to bad people or people who are introduced exclusively to die—and thus don’t elicit too much anguish. Intrigue there’s a plenty, even if it doesn’t always make sense, and sometimes it takes leaps that seem more convenient than realistic. Then the climax comes crashing in at the last possible second, bringing a startling conclusion to the slowly-built momentum. Invariably it leaves a ton of open questions (which leaves the viewer going ‘is that bad writing or is that merely life?’), and some characters limp off together while discussing a vague but heart-warming future.

Phoenix Fire, copy written in 1992, could be one of those movies. Honestly, I’m tempted to just end it here. The review is pretty self-evident. If you ever look back on those sorts of movies with fondness, I’ve got 364 pages of nostalgia lined up and ready for you. If you’re the sort to get bogged down in unanswered plot-points, or question the value of dedicating so much screen-time to a character who didn’t intrinsically matter, or feel flustered when you realize you’re 86% done with the novel and the main characters are just now figuring out that there’s a problem … then maybe skip over this baby.

I think I exist somewhere in the middle. I didn’t love Phoenix Fire, which, despite the name, spent way more time focusing on the very human character’s very human problems. While they were (mostly) fleshed-out and realistic, I don’t think I could describe any of them as particularly interesting, funny, or charismatic. Still, the intrigue running around in the background hooked me. It felt like any second the supernatural element promised would t-bone our protagonists' worlds.

The mythical element of Phoenix Fire is hit-or-miss. We do get asides of the demon on the prowl, and at times it was downright creepy.

As time went on, though, the demon started to get too powerful, too detached, too something. His segments became a bore to me. It was obvious when a section was about him, and it was obvious how it was going to end: him surviving and getting stronger. Occasionally there were flecks of intrigue thrown into his sections, but nothing big enough to keep me hooked. When we switched over to demon sections, I inevitably decided to take a break.

The phoenix, on the other hand, felt entirely like a miss. It was integral to the conclusion, yet wasn’t even discussed until, literally, the night of the final showdown. I had spent chapters wondering if Phoenix Fire were merely the first book in a series because the protagonists were still mostly faffing about their feelings and entirely un-supernatural problems.

I don’t regret reading Phoenix Fire. I didn’t know that I’d enjoy the nostalgia of the 1990s, but I did. And while the characters won’t stick with me the way some do, I enjoyed following kind-hearted people who, more than anything, wanted to love and help the world be a better place.

At the same time, though, this isn’t the sort of book I’d endorse unless the idea of a 1990s-styled action-book / light urban fantasy with Chinese elements geeks you out.

[I read old fantasy and sci-fi novels written by women authors in search of forgotten gems. See more at forfemfan.com]

[Tani · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this just to get it off my shelf, and I ended up thinking it was pretty unremarkable. Its strength is probably the characters, who are all pretty well-rounded and developed, and who generally are sympathetic and likable. I also appreciated that it drew from Chinese myth for its villains, and that it incorporated the political situation of China at the time. Unfortunately, I felt like the pacing was pretty far off on this one. There's a lot of focus on the relationship-building and setup, and then a very abrupt final battle where the characters serendipitously guess what's going on using some extreme jumps in logic that don't make much sense. By the time I hit the grand finale, I was bored, which is not a good sign, and I basically skimmed the ending just to make sure that things shook out the way I expected them to. I didn't hate the book, but I can't say I enjoyed it that much either, so we'll stick with 'It's OK' as a rating.

[Fred Rayworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark Tide introduced me to MS Forrest and I searched all over the place for her other titles. Phoenix Fire was a real gem! It has been a long time since I read it, but if I remember correctly, this was actually her first novel as Elizabeth Forrest. It has it all, interesting characters, a great icky bug, and takes place in and around LA. I especially like the La Brea Tar Pits locale. Nowadays, it is becoming harder and harder to find good icky bug because apparently publishers do not think it will sell any more. This out of print book is an excellent introduction to good ole' monster stories and I highly recommend seeking it out.

[Molly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is way too hard to get into and the exposition is always a bit much throughout the entire book, which is not to say it is all bad, as the characters are clearly there and expose themselves through action and words. It's just not all that enjoyable.