Phoenix: The Rise

Phi Athanatoi #3

by Efthalia

She wants justice. He wants to make things official. But for a demi-god and vampire there are bigger battles.

Demi-god Carissa Alkippes has fought her equal share of demons and Olympian gods, when one battle ends another begins. Only this one may destroy the thin veil between supernatural creatures, gods and humans. To make things worse Zeus offers her a ‘get in and out of Olympus’ card, which paints a dangerous target on her back. Now she must get a handle on her power.

With new enemies hunting her down, Carissa must use everything she knows to protect those she loves from being collateral damage.

Xen Lyson, has seen much in his immortal life and walking Carissa down the aisle is at the top of his vampire list, but when an ancient libation bowl turns up, so does Discord and Death.

Now they have fight not only to protect humanity, but themselves too. Will they defeat their enemies in time to tie-the-knot?

342 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 29, 2022

About the author

Efthalia lives in the beautiful city of Sydney Australia, Her passion for mythical stories was born from the stories her mother told her as a child.

Efthalia would love to hear from her readers visit her at : www.efthaliaauthor.com

Reviews

[Emmalynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the last book in the series… so far and I hope there will be more. This has been a very pleasant find and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading Carissa and Zen’s journey. One of the major +’s for me with this series is that there was no manufactured angst or misunderstanding/breakup/drama between the main couple. Did the author write instances where communication was needed? Absolutely, but instead of dragging it out to a dumb breakup, they actually got around to communicating and resolving the issue (with some funny mishaps along the way). The twist on Greek mythology was great as well and Carissa finally getting confidence and training to use her powers was +++. There are a few excellent surprises in the book that were not fully wrapped up so I’m hoping that means more books?? 😬😬
Anyway, great series so far.

[Literary Reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carissa Alkippes is a demi-god, daughter of greek god, Ares. She is unable to control her powers but is learning to get a better grip on it. Being a demi-god can be dangerous, but has its wonderful moments (such as having cool powers and visiting the home of the gods, Olympus). Having danger around every corner means Carissa’s loved ones are in danger. She is determined to keep her grandmother and Aunt Paula, as well as mankind, safe from the darker things that lurk in the shadows. Along with her close friends, and mated vampire Xen Lyson, she fights the creatures most people have nightmares of.

Carissa is a strong and well thought out character that I loved following. She is put in situations that most people would not be comfortable with, as we expect with action packed paranormal novels, but what I enjoyed most about her character was how she thrived in those situations and how she handled them. This made her character a compelling protagonist to follow and one readers will easily enjoy following over a long series.

Xen Lyson and Carissa share a telepathic bond that gives their relationship an intriguing depth. Though they are placed in tough situations, the couple’s relationship doesn’t waiver which, to me, makes this novel stand out from other paranormal romance novels where the couple in the story often, and easily, struggle with this kind of stuff. In this novel author Efthalia has transcended that issue and taken her characters relationship to a new level.

Adam and Kane, Xen’s friends and colleagues, are also interesting to read about because they keep the story light and entertaining, which is welcome in a novel that is dramatic and emotional. The scenes about Greek gods add a fascinating layer of complexity to the story. The unique feel the author is able to imbue in her story with the creative use of mythology is something that kept me coming back to this novel again and again. While I enjoyed this rousing paranormal action novel I would have liked to have seen the characters challenged a bit more in the fighting scenes. The action scenes were fun, but I wanted to feel the danger a bit more.

Phoenix: The Rise is a gripping urban fantasy novel with alluring characters and a story that feels deep and meaningful. Well written and surprisingly deep, this is a great read and a fantastic addition to a spellbinding series.

[Cindy Pearson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of Phoenix: The Rise from Efthalia for an honest review.
I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth back into Carissa and Xen’s world.
Efthalia didn’t disappoint. I couldn’t put it down.
Greek Mythology isn’t my normal Genre but I have to tell you I love Efthalia’s writing style.

[Jeff Cochrane · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Rise

Good ending to the trilogy. Plenty of action. Happiness and sadness. The characters were all developed well, good and bad. Sorry to see this series end. Recommended

[Alice Halsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story line

I thoroughly enjoyed these books. The third book left a lot of questions. I hope there are more books in this series.

[Lori Rohre · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the story/series itself is really good, the AI narration ruined it for me. There's nothing quite like listening to what is supposed to be a steamy scene told in an emotionless robotic monotone.