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Eve of Redemption #10
The Phoenix Ascension
From the ashes a new life is born.Kari and her allies have seen numerous miracles in recent months, from the glorious rebirth of a friend to the unprecedented alliance of many peoples from across Terrassia and beyond. Now, all the pieces are in place, the military campaign known as The Phoenix Ascension ready to be put into motion. All hope - not just on Terrassia or even Citaria as a whole, but on her sister worlds of Irrathmor and Mehr'Durillia as well - now rests on the execution of this plan. Failure will mean the end of the last chance of liberating Mehr'Durillia and the deaths of the final defenders of Citaria.Now, the time has come to find the truth behind the cunning priestess Ehren Hrykel and the god-like Tempis'ra. Will the alliance of many nations, many races, and many faiths, bolstered by the power of dragons, be enough to stand against the foothold of the demons? And what other mysteries will come to light as the heroes push toward victory?
462 pages, Paperback
Published December 11, 2020
13 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Joe Jackson
22 books182 followersAs an avid fan of fantasy, I try to combine shades of some of my favorite authors' writing - Tad Williams, Raymond E. Feist, and RA Salvatore, among others - into my own world. The result is a world of rich descriptions, complex politics, and heart-racing combat.
I started writing Sci-Fi short stories in fifth grade after seeing the movie "Aliens" in the theater. After getting into Dungeons & Dragons with friends as a teenager, my interests moved to Epic Fantasy, but still rooted in a Sci-Fi alien world. The Eve of Redemption series represents the culmination of years of world-building and back-story development, much of it through epic AD&D campaigns, that takes familiar epic fantasy and brings it to an alien world.
I live in Rhode Island with my wife and two daughters. When I'm not chasing the rascals around the yard or counting beans for the boss, I'm usually imagining the next turn on the long road that the Eve of Redemption series brings.
I started writing Sci-Fi short stories in fifth grade after seeing the movie "Aliens" in the theater. After getting into Dungeons & Dragons with friends as a teenager, my interests moved to Epic Fantasy, but still rooted in a Sci-Fi alien world. The Eve of Redemption series represents the culmination of years of world-building and back-story development, much of it through epic AD&D campaigns, that takes familiar epic fantasy and brings it to an alien world.
I live in Rhode Island with my wife and two daughters. When I'm not chasing the rascals around the yard or counting beans for the boss, I'm usually imagining the next turn on the long road that the Eve of Redemption series brings.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 25, 2019
The Phoenix Ascension by Joe Jackson is a book I requested and the review is voluntary. This series has been a long and wonderful epic run! It just gets better and better! I love stories of epic battles, great female leads, demons, elves, dragons, and all types of creatures living in a world so created that I feel I know it well by now! It is a wonderful and exciting world with great adventures. It is very thought out from religion, social status, different land masses, everything! Start with book one and join the reptilian type main character and follow the adventures!
May 28, 2019
Another fantastic book to carry on the story. Alot changes quickly in this book and I didn't see most of it coming. Kari still kicks ass as usual. A few plot lines get tidily wrapped up this time but the story is definitely not done. There is enough action in here to even leave me satisfied and that's hard to do. I slowly have come to love all of the characters even the ones I had complaints about before as they are so well written and change to be more than they were before. A book that can bring more emotion to you other than interest is an amazing thing and this one does it to me in spades. I laughed and cried and couldn't put it down. And now I eagerly await the next book in the series.
June 1, 2019
The war is in full swing. Kari, Kris, and their allies are pushing to conquer the desert kingdom of the shakna-rir as fast as possible, so they can take down an ancient evil before it unseals itself. This is complicated by the simultaneous wars on two other worlds Kari holds dear, but slowly, things are starting to pull together . . .
I received a review copy of this book for free, but I bought it anyway because I love the series.
This is a book best suited to being read shortly after the previous, as it picks right up where those left off and wastes no time throwing the dozens of characters we've come to know into play. The epic scale shines, although in contrast to most of the rest of the series, the grand nature of the constant battles leaves little time for anything else.
Despite the raw power commanded by many of the individuals in Kari's army (least of all Kari herself) it was interesting to me to see how war changes things. Whether it's Kari turning down Ashanti's plans to fight 17-to-1, or to have the focus more on the position of troops than any individual fighter, it was clear that the sheer numbers of soldiers involved changes the game considerably. And that's without considering Kari's desire not to wipe the "enemy" out, as she's mostly interested in curtailing the demon activity involved in the usurpation.
There's also still a bit of humor, even though the circumstances lend themselves less to banter.
I was happy to see several longstanding plot threads resolved---and some of them in very surprising ways (Kari's reaction to the portal at the end was priceless). Although the plot is bending in a few new directions, it feels like the series will resolve soon.
Overall this is another strong book, though not my favorite in the series. The focus on battle does mean less opportunity for characterization, and the huge cast means it's hard to stay emotionally connected with them all. But this is a necessary chapter in the ongoing saga, and it will be interesting to see what comes next. I rate this book Recommended.
See my reviews and more at https://offtheshelfreviews.wordpress....
Other favorite quotes:
I received a review copy of this book for free, but I bought it anyway because I love the series.
This is a book best suited to being read shortly after the previous, as it picks right up where those left off and wastes no time throwing the dozens of characters we've come to know into play. The epic scale shines, although in contrast to most of the rest of the series, the grand nature of the constant battles leaves little time for anything else.
Despite the raw power commanded by many of the individuals in Kari's army (least of all Kari herself) it was interesting to me to see how war changes things. Whether it's Kari turning down Ashanti's plans to fight 17-to-1, or to have the focus more on the position of troops than any individual fighter, it was clear that the sheer numbers of soldiers involved changes the game considerably. And that's without considering Kari's desire not to wipe the "enemy" out, as she's mostly interested in curtailing the demon activity involved in the usurpation.
“Then we shall have to clear a path,” Ashanti said.
“I like your determination, but not your sense of self-preservation,” Morduri said with a roll of those amethyst eyes.
“No kidding,” Kari said. “Sheesh, it’s one thing to die for a cause, but can we set our sights a little higher than foot soldiers and maybe aim for fighting something like this idiot?”
There's also still a bit of humor, even though the circumstances lend themselves less to banter.
I was happy to see several longstanding plot threads resolved---and some of them in very surprising ways (Kari's reaction to the portal at the end was priceless). Although the plot is bending in a few new directions, it feels like the series will resolve soon.
Overall this is another strong book, though not my favorite in the series. The focus on battle does mean less opportunity for characterization, and the huge cast means it's hard to stay emotionally connected with them all. But this is a necessary chapter in the ongoing saga, and it will be interesting to see what comes next. I rate this book Recommended.
See my reviews and more at https://offtheshelfreviews.wordpress....
Other favorite quotes:
Kris blinked. “I didn’t mean go there to fight, Kari. You’ve got a much tougher job than that. You’ve got to go do cleanup detail after the fight’s won. But then again, if our friends fail… kill everyone you can, and we’ll figure it out afterwards.”
June 3, 2019
A Lookback To The Series
This will be a bit different than the previous reviews. Instead of talking about the current installment, I'd like to use the opportunity to throw a retrospective on the journey so far, and again examine the series as a whole. Don't worry, *The Phoenix Ascension* is an excellent book. It's precisely its excellency that made me think about the previous novels and the *Eve of Redemption* series in general.
From Kari's humble, even pedestrian, first adventure on Tsalbrin after her resurrection, through the gathering of many allies and friends, the forging of new bridges between cultures, uniting the peoples of multiple worlds toward common goals, to the liberation of Irrathmor, and the decisive battle against the Tempis'Ra, featuring artifacts, archmages, dragons, gods, and heroic sacrifices, even sci-fi elements, this fantasy series has been a blast to read. Sure, it has its rough patches, yet there are so many awesome and heartwarming moments and inspiring scenes, that they completely offset whatever issues the series has in terms of story or technical presentation. While I read *The Phoenix Ascension* I was continually reminded of all the past adventures, and the book often made callbacks to previous world-defining events or referenced character-defining moments, showing how at last it all tied together.
As for the characters themselves, the EoR series' central point, they are all here. Like, ALL OF THEM. *Phoenix* features somewhere around 50 main characters, a completely flooring, mind-blowing, absolutely flabbergasting number. And several times all of the characters are even IN THE SAME SCENE!
Granted, such a setup isn't without flaws. Important characters from previous books have barely-felt presence, or are left with few, in any, dialogue lines; most scenes struggle with pinpointing their focus; and the POV changes so often, it's sometimes hard to keep track of who is the observing character, especially later in the novel.
Yet all of the above criticism pales before the feat itself of featuring so many varied characters, with each of them having a purpose in the story, and a personal reason to participate. For me, this is the first time I witness something like that in literary fiction, and I can only commend the author for the determination and capability to make such a narrative work.
And this is what makes *Eve of Redemption* so special - the world-changing miracles and events don't happen because of the actions of a single "savior" or a small group of super-heroes - they happen because of teamwork between many people, because of shared effort on part of friends and family, and they happen because those 50 or so main characters worked to build bridges between entire cultures and races, uniting them together in common causes and for shared visions.
That, is what in my opinion makes this series truly epic, and why it deserves a place among the pantheon of the literary works of writers like Ericson, Feist, Sanderson, Zelazny, and others. Now, make no mistake - EoR is much more down-to-earth and "ordinary" compared to these titans; yet at the same time, this is the very reason why it is so engaging and special - how normal, day-to-day life continues despite the epic shakedowns of whole worlds and how lives change in the face of such events. And when I say "change", I don't mean that the characters/heroes become more brooding or jaded - which has been explored enough in "hard" fiction - no, rather, said characters struggle to cope with their loss, try to preserve their empathy, to keep the light inside them whole, and seek support from friends and family to do so; overall, they try to stay *wholesome*.
How much of modern high-profile genre fiction does the same? How many of today's bestsellers try to end their stories on a positive note, not merely a bittersweet one or even downright negative? Why we read fiction in the first place - to be burdened and ruminative, or to be entertained and inspired?
In my case, I seek positive fiction. One that gives visions of a brighter future, and a better tomorrow. And in that regard, I can honestly say the *Eve of Redemption* series hits the mark right home.
This will be a bit different than the previous reviews. Instead of talking about the current installment, I'd like to use the opportunity to throw a retrospective on the journey so far, and again examine the series as a whole. Don't worry, *The Phoenix Ascension* is an excellent book. It's precisely its excellency that made me think about the previous novels and the *Eve of Redemption* series in general.
From Kari's humble, even pedestrian, first adventure on Tsalbrin after her resurrection, through the gathering of many allies and friends, the forging of new bridges between cultures, uniting the peoples of multiple worlds toward common goals, to the liberation of Irrathmor, and the decisive battle against the Tempis'Ra, featuring artifacts, archmages, dragons, gods, and heroic sacrifices, even sci-fi elements, this fantasy series has been a blast to read. Sure, it has its rough patches, yet there are so many awesome and heartwarming moments and inspiring scenes, that they completely offset whatever issues the series has in terms of story or technical presentation. While I read *The Phoenix Ascension* I was continually reminded of all the past adventures, and the book often made callbacks to previous world-defining events or referenced character-defining moments, showing how at last it all tied together.
As for the characters themselves, the EoR series' central point, they are all here. Like, ALL OF THEM. *Phoenix* features somewhere around 50 main characters, a completely flooring, mind-blowing, absolutely flabbergasting number. And several times all of the characters are even IN THE SAME SCENE!
Granted, such a setup isn't without flaws. Important characters from previous books have barely-felt presence, or are left with few, in any, dialogue lines; most scenes struggle with pinpointing their focus; and the POV changes so often, it's sometimes hard to keep track of who is the observing character, especially later in the novel.
Yet all of the above criticism pales before the feat itself of featuring so many varied characters, with each of them having a purpose in the story, and a personal reason to participate. For me, this is the first time I witness something like that in literary fiction, and I can only commend the author for the determination and capability to make such a narrative work.
And this is what makes *Eve of Redemption* so special - the world-changing miracles and events don't happen because of the actions of a single "savior" or a small group of super-heroes - they happen because of teamwork between many people, because of shared effort on part of friends and family, and they happen because those 50 or so main characters worked to build bridges between entire cultures and races, uniting them together in common causes and for shared visions.
That, is what in my opinion makes this series truly epic, and why it deserves a place among the pantheon of the literary works of writers like Ericson, Feist, Sanderson, Zelazny, and others. Now, make no mistake - EoR is much more down-to-earth and "ordinary" compared to these titans; yet at the same time, this is the very reason why it is so engaging and special - how normal, day-to-day life continues despite the epic shakedowns of whole worlds and how lives change in the face of such events. And when I say "change", I don't mean that the characters/heroes become more brooding or jaded - which has been explored enough in "hard" fiction - no, rather, said characters struggle to cope with their loss, try to preserve their empathy, to keep the light inside them whole, and seek support from friends and family to do so; overall, they try to stay *wholesome*.
How much of modern high-profile genre fiction does the same? How many of today's bestsellers try to end their stories on a positive note, not merely a bittersweet one or even downright negative? Why we read fiction in the first place - to be burdened and ruminative, or to be entertained and inspired?
In my case, I seek positive fiction. One that gives visions of a brighter future, and a better tomorrow. And in that regard, I can honestly say the *Eve of Redemption* series hits the mark right home.
June 29, 2019
The tenth and thus far latest of author Joe Jackson’s Eve of Redemption series conveniently opens with a list of dramatis personae reminding readers of the identities, species, and whatnot of the multitude of characters that appear in his fantasy series. The story itself opens with protagonist Karian Vanador going over soldier records and facing the difficult decision of whether to rescue Seanada whilst risking the lives of many forces or just leave her to die with no risks taken. In the meanwhile, Master Maelstrom works on making a magical portal bidirectional so that forces from Irrathmor can visit Citaria.
A romance gradually forms between Kari and her companion Kris, while magical fog envelopes naval forces for a few chapters. King Auremax’s consort further has a brush with death, and the undead serve as adversaries for much of the novel. The indirect siege of Aurun Ch’Gurra also begins, and the elf Yiilu effects a miracle that can transform deserts into rainforests. Traditional giant dragons play various roles throughout the narrative, too, and a battle with the Tempis’ra terminates the events, the relationship between Kari and Kris coming to fruition, with an epilogue written by one of the characters ultimately ending the plotline.
Overall, this was another enjoyable Eve of Redemption story, though as with its predecessors, one can find difficult the need to keep track of the various races, particularly the different breeds of anthro dragons, to which the characters belong, with definitions and descriptions of the appearances of the many personas definitely needed among the list of dramatis personae. Furthermore, while the series as whole is definitely an admirable effort of literature spotlighting animalian heroes and heroines, I wouldn’t mind breaking from it for a long while, and don’t think I could reread them again like I did when further entries appeared.
A romance gradually forms between Kari and her companion Kris, while magical fog envelopes naval forces for a few chapters. King Auremax’s consort further has a brush with death, and the undead serve as adversaries for much of the novel. The indirect siege of Aurun Ch’Gurra also begins, and the elf Yiilu effects a miracle that can transform deserts into rainforests. Traditional giant dragons play various roles throughout the narrative, too, and a battle with the Tempis’ra terminates the events, the relationship between Kari and Kris coming to fruition, with an epilogue written by one of the characters ultimately ending the plotline.
Overall, this was another enjoyable Eve of Redemption story, though as with its predecessors, one can find difficult the need to keep track of the various races, particularly the different breeds of anthro dragons, to which the characters belong, with definitions and descriptions of the appearances of the many personas definitely needed among the list of dramatis personae. Furthermore, while the series as whole is definitely an admirable effort of literature spotlighting animalian heroes and heroines, I wouldn’t mind breaking from it for a long while, and don’t think I could reread them again like I did when further entries appeared.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews