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Phoenix Trilogy #2
Phoenix: By the Sword
18-year-old Germanic princess, Cassius, witnessed the destruction of her village by the Romans. Now, she is being made to serve a Roman Senator as his slave. During the Battle of Teutoburg Forest in nine A.D., Cassius is forcefully abducted again but this time by an unknown soldier, named Sgt. Banks. Banks tells her that she is the key to his mission, which is to stop the death of millions. And even though Banks has the build and abilities of a Roman soldier, he is not a centurion. In fact, he is not a soldier of her time at all.
Neither Banks nor Cassius foresees that the stress from their journey has the potential of bringing out their previously contained inner demons, but it does. And when they are tested the most, their newfound feelings for each other could be their undoing and mankind’s as well.
Neither Banks nor Cassius foresees that the stress from their journey has the potential of bringing out their previously contained inner demons, but it does. And when they are tested the most, their newfound feelings for each other could be their undoing and mankind’s as well.
253 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 20, 2020
10 people are currently reading
15 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 16, 2020
I found Book 2 to be another interesting mixture of tropes I'd seen before used in a creative new way.
The stakes are high, but it is easy to get emotionally connected to the main character, which was really important for propelling me through a book dealing with battles.
It was easy to feel sympathy for Cassius. I think the first person narration conveys a lot of relevant fear and uncertainty along with a lot of fortitude. I was touched by many of the subtle character interactions. This is historical fiction with a hint of romance. It's subtly done, without unnecessary fluff. There are plenty of historical details and an effective atmosphere. A lot of movement builds as the story unfolds and something is always happening. A light touch of feminism is well placed in the form of the protagonist, who must get by by any means and withstand harsh conditions and demands. It is occasionally thrilling to follow her on her journey and occasionally heartbreaking to watch her suffer in the various struggles she meets with.
You do feel some of the powerlessness she has to put up with along with the sense that everyone is underestimating her. But the fact she keeps pressing on leads to moments of strong character development.
When we see from Banks' perspective as well the subtle change in tone lends an air of authenticity to the characters' voices. I was carried along by the smooth sentence structure and the understated key details.
This is an effective historical fantasy series with an addictive rhythm and a lot of heart. Looking forward to reading the final installment.
The stakes are high, but it is easy to get emotionally connected to the main character, which was really important for propelling me through a book dealing with battles.
It was easy to feel sympathy for Cassius. I think the first person narration conveys a lot of relevant fear and uncertainty along with a lot of fortitude. I was touched by many of the subtle character interactions. This is historical fiction with a hint of romance. It's subtly done, without unnecessary fluff. There are plenty of historical details and an effective atmosphere. A lot of movement builds as the story unfolds and something is always happening. A light touch of feminism is well placed in the form of the protagonist, who must get by by any means and withstand harsh conditions and demands. It is occasionally thrilling to follow her on her journey and occasionally heartbreaking to watch her suffer in the various struggles she meets with.
You do feel some of the powerlessness she has to put up with along with the sense that everyone is underestimating her. But the fact she keeps pressing on leads to moments of strong character development.
When we see from Banks' perspective as well the subtle change in tone lends an air of authenticity to the characters' voices. I was carried along by the smooth sentence structure and the understated key details.
This is an effective historical fantasy series with an addictive rhythm and a lot of heart. Looking forward to reading the final installment.
February 22, 2022
I'm so sorry, but I must be a very picky reader. The characters have to make sense of their own lives in their time periods. They must have voices that can be heard above mere words on a page.
I tried to keep plodding along with this book, the second of a trilogy. And I failed miserably.
Nothing gelled for me. Not the characters, or the unlikely plot concept of a rare virus being taken back to ancient times before christ to devastate the population and uplift the Germanic tribes over the rampage of Roman Conquest.
It felt so wrong. I love time travel but nothing in this book focuses on how the actual travel occurred. I think readers are supposed to just assume one rather disturbed "scientist" farmed a virus and took it to ancient lands without a great deal of fanfare, but sinister intent to change history. That much is a stretch but okay, whatever works. The problem for me is that it doesn't work, it is physically impossible to control something as weird as a viral transmission. Really, aren't we seeing that same horror show in real life, just at this moment?
So the basis for the story is ludicrous.
What truly bothered me was the divergence from the former special-ops personnel as warriors to stricken men in love with the most inept heroines in literature. An 18-year-old Germanic princess? A modern century female sales and marketing technician who has a boring and uninspired love-life in reality to a ravening temptress of sultry demeanor and lusty thoughts in ancient times. That hidden lust is eventually something she does get to act upon, but not until almost the final word. Inane. Action via inaction. All the guys are tough-as-nails one minute and the next they're falling over their "swords" with lust, passion, and yet, surprisingly, some form of respect. The women are impossibly and perfectly beautiful, the men are all images of Greek (Roman?) gods and dedicated killers, but everyone somehow finds love and life in the first century AD. No. Not possible. Even if it were possible, who would care? How is this supposed to carry forward to this modern time? No, not even in dreamwork could this take place. It's best left labeled on a discarded shelf of fantasy fiction.
The lead female, our feisty Kyla, is a small-town girl from one of the Southern "M"-titled states. Her speech is peppered with "y'all's and hush-up's and not to be forgotten, golly gee's". Unreadable.
Annoying. It doesn't sound good in person, I darn sure don't want to hear the unattractive slang in my reading penetration. It's uncouth and somewhat racist.
Finally, this book is just riddled with typos, poor grammar, sentence structure, and punctuation errors. It screams for a good editor, and at the very least, someone who knows the difference between words like "ceased, v. seized, distant,v. distinct, heavy v. heaven, and other malapropisms. There isn't one page that doesn't have some sort of error in the text that needs to be corrected by a good editor.
I'm really sorry I just cannot give this a more positive review. I did increase my rating from 2 to 3 stars, simply because it was an effort attempted, however poorly. I read the first segment with similar thoughts on the simplistic storytelling, determined to see if the adventure improved. With this volume, I made it to page 108. It's too painful to read to the end. I can't recommend it. I will not read the final segment.
I tried to keep plodding along with this book, the second of a trilogy. And I failed miserably.
Nothing gelled for me. Not the characters, or the unlikely plot concept of a rare virus being taken back to ancient times before christ to devastate the population and uplift the Germanic tribes over the rampage of Roman Conquest.
It felt so wrong. I love time travel but nothing in this book focuses on how the actual travel occurred. I think readers are supposed to just assume one rather disturbed "scientist" farmed a virus and took it to ancient lands without a great deal of fanfare, but sinister intent to change history. That much is a stretch but okay, whatever works. The problem for me is that it doesn't work, it is physically impossible to control something as weird as a viral transmission. Really, aren't we seeing that same horror show in real life, just at this moment?
So the basis for the story is ludicrous.
What truly bothered me was the divergence from the former special-ops personnel as warriors to stricken men in love with the most inept heroines in literature. An 18-year-old Germanic princess? A modern century female sales and marketing technician who has a boring and uninspired love-life in reality to a ravening temptress of sultry demeanor and lusty thoughts in ancient times. That hidden lust is eventually something she does get to act upon, but not until almost the final word. Inane. Action via inaction. All the guys are tough-as-nails one minute and the next they're falling over their "swords" with lust, passion, and yet, surprisingly, some form of respect. The women are impossibly and perfectly beautiful, the men are all images of Greek (Roman?) gods and dedicated killers, but everyone somehow finds love and life in the first century AD. No. Not possible. Even if it were possible, who would care? How is this supposed to carry forward to this modern time? No, not even in dreamwork could this take place. It's best left labeled on a discarded shelf of fantasy fiction.
The lead female, our feisty Kyla, is a small-town girl from one of the Southern "M"-titled states. Her speech is peppered with "y'all's and hush-up's and not to be forgotten, golly gee's". Unreadable.
Annoying. It doesn't sound good in person, I darn sure don't want to hear the unattractive slang in my reading penetration. It's uncouth and somewhat racist.
Finally, this book is just riddled with typos, poor grammar, sentence structure, and punctuation errors. It screams for a good editor, and at the very least, someone who knows the difference between words like "ceased, v. seized, distant,v. distinct, heavy v. heaven, and other malapropisms. There isn't one page that doesn't have some sort of error in the text that needs to be corrected by a good editor.
I'm really sorry I just cannot give this a more positive review. I did increase my rating from 2 to 3 stars, simply because it was an effort attempted, however poorly. I read the first segment with similar thoughts on the simplistic storytelling, determined to see if the adventure improved. With this volume, I made it to page 108. It's too painful to read to the end. I can't recommend it. I will not read the final segment.
March 5, 2020
An Inspirational Adventure across Time
Late in Jackie Anders’ inspiring and lively novel Phoenix: By the Sword, the soldiers on a special mission encounter a spiritual figure who presents additional layers and gravity to the work. As this monumental figure explains, “Ah, there is still much to do, but it not at all what you think.” The twists and turns in the novel across an ancient landscape are both cinematic and memorable … from the Battle of Teutoburg to the sumptuous Parthian communities to edge of the Sea of Galilee to the climactic scene in Capernaum.
Along the way, Anders has infused Phoenix: By the Sword with plenty of action and romance: the young Germanic princess, Cassius, discovers a man worthy her love in Banks, given his inherent decency, his haunted visions, and his hard-edged devotion to her; meanwhile, the team leader Eriksen finds a source of love and stability in Kayla as he confronts the most unstable of situations. That some of these figures come from the future to prevent horrific revisions of history gives the novel countless possibilities and permutations.
The skirmishes, battles, rescues, and escapes make Phoenix: By the Sword continually thrilling. The selfless commitment of many of the characters to the greater good is deeply moving. A war of the future has hurtled into the Roman world of the past, and the characters must find a way to find protect the legacies essential to our understanding of history at their own great personal sacrifice. Surprises abound, especially ones that come from the Jewish scientist Memon and from the nefarious plans which surface in the intense, ironic climax.
The novel’s connections to Biblical and Christian histories are inspired. Reading this second of installment of the Phoenix trilogy, I can’t wait to see where Anders takes the story next.
Late in Jackie Anders’ inspiring and lively novel Phoenix: By the Sword, the soldiers on a special mission encounter a spiritual figure who presents additional layers and gravity to the work. As this monumental figure explains, “Ah, there is still much to do, but it not at all what you think.” The twists and turns in the novel across an ancient landscape are both cinematic and memorable … from the Battle of Teutoburg to the sumptuous Parthian communities to edge of the Sea of Galilee to the climactic scene in Capernaum.
Along the way, Anders has infused Phoenix: By the Sword with plenty of action and romance: the young Germanic princess, Cassius, discovers a man worthy her love in Banks, given his inherent decency, his haunted visions, and his hard-edged devotion to her; meanwhile, the team leader Eriksen finds a source of love and stability in Kayla as he confronts the most unstable of situations. That some of these figures come from the future to prevent horrific revisions of history gives the novel countless possibilities and permutations.
The skirmishes, battles, rescues, and escapes make Phoenix: By the Sword continually thrilling. The selfless commitment of many of the characters to the greater good is deeply moving. A war of the future has hurtled into the Roman world of the past, and the characters must find a way to find protect the legacies essential to our understanding of history at their own great personal sacrifice. Surprises abound, especially ones that come from the Jewish scientist Memon and from the nefarious plans which surface in the intense, ironic climax.
The novel’s connections to Biblical and Christian histories are inspired. Reading this second of installment of the Phoenix trilogy, I can’t wait to see where Anders takes the story next.
February 28, 2020
Cassius, an 18-year-old Germanic princess is forced to serve a Roman Senator as his slave. Then she's abducted by Sgt. Banks. He tells Cassius that she is the key to his mission, which is to stop the death of millions. During their journey, they are tested, and so are their feelings for each other.
Fast-paced from page one. Tension is high as danger mounts. I loved it and was drawn in from the beginning.
The characters battle forces as they battle inner wars. The latter is as exciting as the former. The question, "Will romance develop?" Tension increases. Great story in a difficult era with a unique twist.
Fast-paced from page one. Tension is high as danger mounts. I loved it and was drawn in from the beginning.
The characters battle forces as they battle inner wars. The latter is as exciting as the former. The question, "Will romance develop?" Tension increases. Great story in a difficult era with a unique twist.
March 1, 2020
Amazing read. Rich in culture, history, adventure, romance, and beautiful twists that keep you on the edge of your seat.
I hooked on Cassius from the very beginning. Her narrative was moving and thoughtful. When the mysterious soldier abducted her, I felt her anger & fear until she realized how special that strange soldier really was.
This story pulls you, shows you love, purpose, trust, and most importantly- the will to live. This is a must read!
I hooked on Cassius from the very beginning. Her narrative was moving and thoughtful. When the mysterious soldier abducted her, I felt her anger & fear until she realized how special that strange soldier really was.
This story pulls you, shows you love, purpose, trust, and most importantly- the will to live. This is a must read!
August 10, 2020
This fun sequel delivers the same thrills and feels as the first, even if it also contains many of the same homophone issues (i.e. passed vs past, conceited vs conceded). Regardless of continued grammar issues, it's another good save-the-timeline tale that keeps you entertained and teases your mind with possibilities. I was particularly impressed with the interaction with certain historical figures that I found spot-on. I'm looking forward to Book 3.
Read
April 15, 2020Ander's story is full of snappy lines and interesting body language. She loves to leave a witty line at the end of a chapter, and it totally kept me wanting to read more. Overall, her book is full of intriguing characters that will leave you flipping pages until you find out more about both of the main characters.
February 17, 2021
Enjoyed continuing my adventure through time with Kyla and Erikson. Excited to read book three and find out how their love story comes to an end.
November 9, 2022
This book became too religious for my taste. I like the time travel angle.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews