Firebolt

The Phoenix Feather #3

by Sherwood Smith

In the third volume of The Phoenix Feather epic martial arts adventure, the Redbark gang has broken up. Muin is rising in the imperial army; Yskanda lives day to day in the silken prison of the imperial court, hiding among his paints until an eerie encounter changes everything.

Prince Jion returns to the imperial palace in disgrace; Ryu, tired of disguises, begins to cultivate her skills and talents as she finds her way back toward her old name and a new identity. . .

. . . When she isn't crusading as Firebolt—and causing hunters on both sides to come after her.

Genres: Fantasy

433 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 4, 2022

About the author

I am a writer,( Patreon here) but I'm on Goodreads to talk about books, as I've been a passionate reader as long as I've been a writer--since early childhood.

I'm not going to rate books--there are too many variables. I'd rather talk about the reading experience. My 'reviews' of my books are confined to the writing process.

Reviews

[Sherwood Smith]

Most of this book I wrote while lying in bed this spring, as I had a rare reaction to the Moderna shots. (The first shot put me in bed for exactly one month, but the second for three and a half months.) So I lived through this story, as my fledglings grow up--and then the parents enter the tale.

It's been an enjoyable experiment, just letting the story write itself, though with the fourth I started falling into planning and set-pieces, and pulling threads together. It was also fun running research alongside this story. How well it works is of course up to the reader!

[katayoun Masoodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

well, i think the stories and the characters are growing, loved this as much as the second book and i am missing them and their stories right now, hope the fourth book comes out as promised in march and so happy that very soon date (touch wood!) and a bit sad that this would be the end. after three books, can't help but get attached to the characters and for me it was easy and fun to read all three one after another, it was not one of those series that i needed a break between books. it's fun read, it's great writing and it's good characters, it's not a profound "can't miss", "must read" book and yet it's good and if you do read it, you'd enjoy it.

[Francesca Forrest · Rating 5 out of 5]

These just get better and better. The characters are wonderful, and the plot fits together as beautifully as the gears of a clock--superb. There's never a wrong note. Waiting for each new chapter of this saga brightens my morning, and having those chapters gathered together in each new book is a special treat.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

An average middle book. Four in this series. All the character building is complete. We know who to despise and who to root for. The finale is next; book four.

I am glad I read the later published books first beginning with Tribute . There are a lot of references in this series to the Sage Empress and the special 'charmed' sword. All in the past tense. I suspect Sherwood Smith had certainly outlined or even wrote what I see is now the prequel to "Phoenix Feather."

Fun reading.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful but torture

Really great read. I am enjoying this series so much except I thought it was a trilogy and an a little sad that it is not as I was really excited to see for it was going to end. However, the story is thrilling and I really like all that different storylines.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit that this one wasn’t my favorite when I first read it on Patreon. But now, reading it again in a shorter amount of time (and after having read most of book 4) I really loved this one. There are so many important details and breadcrumbs that one misses on the first read. Also, I just love these characters—reading about them and thinking about them nearly everyday since June might have something to do with this ;) Smith is such a master with the written word! This book has some philosophical discussions which, had I not known better, I would readily believe that there are books written by Kanda and Mana Ta out there which she is quoting.

Redbark has broken up and Jion is back in the Imperial Palace so we get a lot more from Yskanda and Jion than Ari but Ari still gets a pretty cool story line. Contains: one not super violent scene

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I continued to love this series.

I liked seeing Ari cultivating her essence and exploring her identity. Her sense of justice was very admirable.

Seeing Jion and Yskanda get to know each other in the palace was very interesting and satisfying, and also very believable. I still love Yskanda and really enjoyed his character development. I also enjoyed all the scenes at court and seeing the characters navigate that. We also see even more of the Emperor since Jion has returned, and he's a much more interesting character than we might expect. I like that he is complex when based on the beginning of book one, it would be easy to paint him a villain.

[Kim Aippersbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blasted through this until my eyesight got blurry and was then devastated to reach the end and discover the next one isn't out until March!

Love Jion and Askanda and the Imperial family dynamics; the Journey to the Clouds was so gorgeous! Ari's development is just right for her hero's journey and I love all the characters she meets; the braided nature of the characters' stories works so well to create tension as they all circle around each other, getting pulled tighter and tighter together ...

Want Book 4. Want now.

[Howard Brazee]

You want to start off with part I. This book furthers the story, with a lot more with the third son who's the artist, in the Imperial Palace, and not much with the first son. The story is advancing, and occasionally the omnipotent author says something, indicating this story was written in some future time. I will start part IV immediately.

[Rawrr... · Rating 5 out of 5]

raced thru it, good read

[Naticia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shigan needs to get his act together, oof. Loved every other part of this book.

[Bill O'Driscoll · Rating 3 out of 5]

A middle book in a complex story.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Parts of this one lagged a bit, after some key reveals and meetings that had me unable to put it down. But I guess at some point characters needed to get into place.

[Kaymarion Raymond · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really going to be sorry when this series ends. Hard to put down perfect Sherwood Smith shero tale crossing generations in a braided adventure!!

[Edith Pawlicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Madness is many different things, so many that it is a useless word, except as a name to separate off a portion of humanity from the rest of us. Do you need such?”

This is a fast-paced addition which greatly expands the magic system of the series. Mouse/Ryu/Firebolt and Shigan are separated for most of this book, but Smith masterfully deepens their connection grows anyway. I also grew more invested in second brother's story, especially as he and Shigan come to trust each other; first brother was only slightly present. Smith's writing is accessible and detailed, and this book truly captures the thrill and wonder of the wuxia that inspired it. I highly recommend this entire series (the books should definitely be read in order).

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 3.5