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The Sorcerer's Guide #1

Path of the Phoenix

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Jet Black wonders if he’s destined to allow Elemental magic to be reborn or if he’s destined to be the reason it fails.

A hidden fable tells of an ancient and wonderous world of magic, adventure, mythical creatures, and exceptional tribesmen. But that world became plagued with civil war, deceit, and corruption. Magic chose to disappear for a time.

Centuries later, in our day, a series of natural disasters signal that magic is about to return to the world of the ordinary.

Arisol, an imprisoned demon, fashioned a single avenue of escape and created The Rivalry, a battle of the magical against those who would oppose. Jet and his friends are tossed into the Rivalry through a book that becomes his mentor, instructing him one page at a time. While at Chadwick’s boarding school, Jet attempts to learn the basics of Elemental magic as his understanding grows.
Shane Fallon, an enemy since the first day Jet stepped onto campus, is hunting for the same clues. Could he know about Jet’s secret book?

A collection of ancient artifacts called the Phoenix must be uncovered. Jet and his friends undertake a harrowing and exciting journey that will test their friendships beyond their limits. Jet’s greatest fear emerges: What happens if someone beats them to the Phoenix?

PATH OF THE PHOENIX is the first book in the Sorcerer’s Guide Series. If you enjoy adventure, mythical creatures, breathtaking magic, and enchanting characters, prepare for this exciting experience. This series combines a taste of Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and National Treasure.


“L. Scott Clark has created an adventure of magic and discovery, then interweaves his journey with the school setting.” -- Liz Konkel.

“Author L. Scott Clark has crafted a superbly engaging work of fiction with plenty of magical innovation, hidden secrets, and high drama to offer readers.” -- K.C. Finn

416 pages, Paperback

Published February 16, 2021

109 people are currently reading
1465 people want to read

About the author

L. Scott Clark

5 books48 followers
L. Scott Clark is the author of the successful series entitled The Sorcerer's Guide with four published titles. Book five is expected in early 2024. The series is anticipated to be a seven-book series. Path of the Phoenix, Soul of Anesidora, Gravity of Deceit, and Pool of Sorrows.

Born and raised in the foothills of Colorado, he found himself outside on an adventure nearly every day. If trapped inside, he picked up a book and became lost in the stories.

After college, he settled into the thrilling job of helping treat the incarcerated. L. Scott Clark lives in Utah with his family and several dogs.

To find out more, visit LScottClark.com or follow @LScottClarkAuthor on Instagram. He also can be found on Facebook.

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5 stars
27 (37%)
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23 (31%)
3 stars
11 (15%)
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5 (6%)
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
Profile Image for Lilly Lark.
3 reviews1 follower
March 21, 2021
I don't always read Fantasy but I was intrigued by this book. I so loved the cover and heard from a friend that it was really good. I was captivated right away by the book and loved every piece of adventure. There was more Romance (which I love) than I thought. The book is about magic and adventure and I love both of those areas as well. It was a long book but it was a good read. I would definitely recommend this to my friends.
Profile Image for Scott Kemp.
Author 9 books11 followers
March 1, 2021
This was a great book. I was looking for something with some fantasy, magic, adventure, and some cool creatures. This book had this and much more. The book started off in a good spot - gave me a good look into some of the main characters - especially Jet Black. It took a while to get the world created but it was done in an exciting way. Wish that book two was already out.
Profile Image for Vicky.
Author 26 books69 followers
August 12, 2021
Thoughts: First of all, let me just say that I hate giving a book less than three stars. I'll do anything to avoid that because I know how difficult writing is. However, there are times, like this, that I feel honesty is necessary. This is obviously the first in a series. There are six pieces of a tablet to be found, and the first is found in this book. The basis of the story is really good. There are a bunch of teens who are just finding out they have magic powers, the whole good vs. evil trope going on, a quest, danger, and more. That part is well-thought out. And there’s enough of a thread (the other five pieces of the tablet) that you know there is going to be more.

Unfortunately, that’s where the good ends. I received this book via a Goodreads win—and am grateful to the author and publisher for it—but… the book is in serious need of a good editor. There were so many typos/wrong-words/missing words… it became so disconcerting after a while that I could no longer ignore them. In an ARC, I could have accepted some errors. It happens. But there were so many in this that it became a distraction. It basically looked like “spellcheck” was used to edit – and not well.


Plot point questions that an editor should address. The beginning of the story was really confusing. We had no background to help us figure out what was going on and why. It all became clear later on, but in the beginning, it was off-putting and, had I not been reading this for review, I would probably have put the book down. Other issues: Jet and his friends are swimming all day, but no one sees his tattoo on his back? He still has his shirt on? We only learn much later that he doesn’t swim. That would have been nice to know here. Also, he had a lot of money for new clothes after his are destroyed, but he never goes shopping? And McKenzie is planning to go to Dillon, but the school was underwater due to the storms. So… it wasn’t destroyed? And Jet gets a bunch of old rings—and gives one away to someone who’s not part of his group without knowing it might be useful later? Why? Also, on the road trip, why not let the girls take part in driving (that was sexist!). Finally, we are introduced to a major character at the very end—not good. It was totally unexpected and really let me down. We go through the entire story expecting one thing, then suddenly, the author throws in a wrench. This person needs to be alluded to earlier in the book so it’s not a complete shock.

I suggest strongly that the author/publisher hire a good, professional editor to go over this book with the proverbial fine-tooth comb and fix the issues.


Recommendation: As stated, the premise of the book is good and, if it goes through a revision with a good proofreader/editor, it will be much better. Pick it up only if you can ignore the multiple grammatical errors. I look forward to the following books, but only if the editing improves.

Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Profile Image for WeLoveBigBooksAndWeCannotLie.
567 reviews30 followers
July 27, 2022
Do you enjoy YA fantasy?✨
I think the last YA fantasy I read was possibly Harry Potter, unless Midnight Sun counts!
It’s not my typical genre, but Path of the Phoenix by L Scott Clark was a fun adventure! And if you like YA fantasy, you’re gonna love it!
16 year old Jet attends a boarding school, but life is about to change for him! He goes on a magical journey that opens the door to so much more! I enjoyed reading about all of the different characters and I can see the next book is going to be just as fun!
Thank you @Lscottclarkauthor for this gifted copy!
You can find Path of the Phoenix on our Amazon storefront, it’s also available on Kindle Unlimited!
Profile Image for Cody Pelletier.
203 reviews
May 5, 2021
This book is an amazing magical adventure. Very well written and completely captivating. I was hooked from page one. I love the characters, the story, and of course, the magic.
Profile Image for Amzette.
400 reviews18 followers
August 12, 2021
Wow, where do I begin with this incredible book? I must first thank the author for an ARC. I’m ever so grateful and every opinion is my own! I was very drawn in by the cover of the book that was so brilliantly illustrated! The narrator was the best that I’ve heard in a while. I’m new to this author but I have to say bravo and I’m so happy for his success in this very well written book. I would rate it up there with Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series and the Kane Chronicles. That’s saying a lot because those are some of my favorite books. This book contained action, humor, romance and it was thrilling in a suspenseful way as you’re rooting for the good guy and you’re left on the edge of your seat, waiting to see what will be the outcome! I’m itching for the next book, in what I believe will be a growing success. Very well done! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Profile Image for Diana.
67 reviews16 followers
July 4, 2024
Loving this series. It’s a combination of Magick, mystery, fantasy and life all rolled into one amazing story with many adventures keeping your interest throughout. Looking forward to continuing the series.
Profile Image for Peter McKenna.
Author 4 books12 followers
July 30, 2022
Joshua “Jet” Black is an ordinary kid at a boarding school in California with a mysterious past. His hometown of Silverton was devastated by a volcanic eruption, and his recollection of that day is a blank page in his memory. Slowly, the memories start coming back to him when he finds a strange tome in his dorm room that he remembered appeared out of the blue on that fateful day. The pages of the book are sealed shut, but one by one, they begin turning, unlocking a world of magic and sorcery that Jet never knew existed. However, Jet isn’t the only one gifted with these powers, and he soon discovers that an ancient rivalry has been renewed, one that could pit him against fearsome foes in an effort to survive and save the world from utter destruction.

“Path of the Phoenix” is the first book in the wizarding series by L. Scott Clark. I liked the elemental magic system that Clark created and how each character seemed to have their own dedicated powers exclusively to them. The storyline reminds me a bit of Harry Potter with Jet and his friends trying to unlock untold secrets and treasures along the way. At times, the dialogue came off a bit clunky and there were quite a few editing mistakes that I found a bit distracting, but the overall story still shined through. This book has a fantastic cover, and an enjoyable narrative to boot. I’ll surely be checking back on Jet and company in future installments.
Profile Image for Annie H.
136 reviews1 follower
May 3, 2022
3.5 stars rounded up

I really loved the overall story and this was a good start to a series. I am curious where the story goes from here. It felt a bit long and there were grammatical errors but the story still was a fast read for me.

I liked the characters and felt they were written very realistically since they are teenagers, they can be impulsive and naïve but also would do anything to protect one another.
There are a lot of characters thrown at you from the start with a large secondary cast and some just drop out of the story but with this being the start of a series there is time for a more developed explanation of how the characters connect to one another.

I’m left with so many questions, and will definitely be continuing Jet & co’s story.
Profile Image for Laura.
2,484 reviews82 followers
February 9, 2022
The debut novel was such a vivid and magical world.
The authors words just transported me to a different world of magic, and magical beasts. Jet, is a 16 year old boy which the story follows closely along with his friends while they go on hunt to get a artifact.
I feel like the author did a great job in weaving the story and brining forgotten memories to the forefront and explaining them in a way that is not confusing to the reader. I really enjoyed seeing who the villain is up front and seeing how they compete and are against one another.
I’m very curious to see how the meteorite ties into the story. I really enjoyed the magical beasts. I was on the edge of my seat listening to their description then try to figure out how the crew will beat them.
The narrator, Kevin Rineer did a wonderful job portraying Jet and many of the secondary characters. The variety of tones and inflections used were great.
If you enjoy YA fantasy with magical elements then I would recommend this series for you. It was a mixture of Harry Potter with the motley crew and magic and National Treasure with the seeking of the relic.

2 reviews1 follower
February 8, 2022
Very fun book. Good character development and Story setup. Looks like the beginning to a very good series.
Profile Image for Laurel Becker.
200 reviews11 followers
May 5, 2022

✨This book was such a good time! The premise was really cool--that magic has been dormant for hundreds of years but is awakening, and a group of high school students will find themselves in the center of all of the crazy that results. The readers get to learn about magic alongside the protagonists which is one of my favorite styles of writing.

✨The characters were intriguing, the settings were fun, and the story arc definitely had me hooked. Also-that cover-wow, it’s gorgeous!

✨I do have to say that my rating here is based on the story itself. The actual editing in this book was crazy rough. I’m not sure if I just had an early version, but it was consistently distracting enough to pull me out of the story. That said, I think the story itself was worth it, but I couldn’t review it and not mention this issue.

✨Thanks so much to @lscottclarkauthor for the chance to read and review this book! I can’t wait to see where the series goes!
Profile Image for Candice Willman.
404 reviews66 followers
December 11, 2021
Thank you so much to the author for sending me a copy of the book to read and review!

What an epic journey! If you enjoy a good fantasy quest, you’ll enjoy this one. We embark on a magical journey with the MC Jet who discovers an ancient book that unlocks all sorts of magic.

We meet all sorts of magical creatures on Jet’s journey. It reminded me a lot of Rick Riordan’s world and character journeys. Epic quest and tons of world building. The teenagers discover they have magic as well. They hunt down tablet pieces to combine into one, the magical book holding the first.

Good vs evil. Twists and turns. This debut book has it all. It is definitely a book building into the next one so tons of world building and mysterious back stories that leave you wondering what will happen next. The author included a ton of creature art with the book that I really enjoyed. It helped while reading to be able to fully picture what was going on. The magical creatures are intense and amazing.

Also glad there is romance in this one as well. I find it hard to read without some sort of romance. If you are looking for a epic fantasy quest with all sorts of characters to love, pick this one up! Book two here I come!
Profile Image for Marsha.
452 reviews
June 16, 2022
I only got halfway through when I gave up. The characters have very little motivation, disasters are huge and somehow connected to magic, but a group of teenagers are supposed to save the world while another group is trying to destroy them.
Profile Image for Rachel  Wentz.
42 reviews
November 6, 2022
If you have yet to read L. Scott Clark's books. This definitely is one to start with. The storyline is epic. There are so many things that twist and turn and just grab your attention. I listened to the audio version of this book and loved how it was read!

Now I would not recommend to anyone under the age of 12. There are some violent scenes in this book. I can't wait to either read or listen to book two!
631 reviews15 followers
October 11, 2021
Not good

The writer skipped to much and did not explain anything. The main character was unlikable and so was his friends placed in California was a mistake that the writer should not have done! .It made all the characters seem like spoiled brats. I dont know how this book got any 5 star ratings unless they where paid?
Profile Image for Darren.
517 reviews11 followers
March 8, 2022
Poor

30% in and book is still all about some mystery surrounding high school students. One is bullied and There's weird relations between friends. Main character has visions and is trying to piece back memories..more mystery...Boring !
Profile Image for Erika Oney.
250 reviews5 followers
November 16, 2022
Wow! This is another Harry Potter type series in the making..and me being a Harry Potter fan, this is a huge compliment..at least the "voldemort" in this story is same age...two sides opening up an ancient rivalry.

This is a great book..if this is a series, I want the rest 😁😁
11 reviews
January 4, 2025
I really enjoyed reading this book and now I need to find the next book in this series!
2 reviews
September 27, 2024
This book has some great reviews, and I wish I could give it one also. However, I just couldn't get into this book. It sounds interesting, but I couldn't get past the first chapter. Perhaps I will try again with it, but at a later date.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews

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