This review first appeared at
Sam Elena and Rhonda's awesomeness blog
Rhonda- I first became acquainted with Rachel Firasek with her first novel "Piper's Fury" and it was so good I was certainly on board for anything she writes. Well I was all kinds of excited when I found out she was coming out with this three part novella series "Curse of the Phoenix". In book one we meet most of the key players that carry over to this book, so I strongly recommend reading them in order. Now in book 2. "The Last Awakening", we have Arabella Durand's story.
Arabella is a phoenix, she is sent so save lives of the chosen which always ends in her death. Ari has been repeating this reincarnation process for about 300 years, thanks to Osiris, the Egyptian god of the Underworld. Today, her mark is Greyson Meadows, and ex-Marine who fought in Afghanistan, and is carrying an extensive amount of personal baggage.
Elena~ Piper's Fury was also my first novel I read by Rachel Firasek, (which if you haven't read it, add it to your shelves) our blog decided to give her "Phoenix" series a go and the tables started turning. We're all now a huge fan of her series and waiting very patiently while she musters up yet another great novel/novella's.
Sam ~I was so glad when Rachel contacted us to read `The Last Rising' - after loving the first Phoenix book I knew that the second book would be a winner right from the start. I was not disappointed.
Rhonda- Ari meets her mark and saves him from being shot by an elderly veteran that has gone "postal" and decides to start shooting everyone in the little store, where Grey stopped to grab some beer for game day. Ari immediately realizes upon her flashing out as her Phoenix that Grey isn't going to handle the events well, and begs Osiris to send her back to help him. Osiris agrees to let her go back, but not without conditions. Before Ari became a Phoenix, she was a voodoo priestess and has some hefty baggage of her own. Grey harbor's some serious issues with failure due to events in Afghanistan, and after being left the lone survivor of the shooting all his failures start to fester even more.
Elena~ Rhonda went into details about what you can look forward to in this series. But I just have to add a few thoughts. I liked "Last Rising" BUT "Last Awakening" was spectacular. The Hero and Heroine have a deep dark connection between their pasts to their present selves. They understand and complete one another. I love tortured characters that end with a wonderful HEA. Grey and Ari made my heart melt. They have an instant attraction that just clashes in an amazing way. I believe Ari's French made Grey all types of happy. I loved it, I found myself smiling throughout most of the novel.
Sam: I really liked both hero and heroine; the two really shared a special bond. The two had amazingly scorching hot chemistry and as Elena mentioned, Ari's French was just all types of erotic. I loved the background story for Ari; I think that Rachel really did well in the depths that she went into it. From the very start I have loved the concept of the Phoenix. It's not something I have read about is the past and it's still great to read something new and refreshing from the same old Vampire story that gets thrown around.
Rhonda- Grey needs more saving than just from the bullet that could have taken his life. He needs saving from the self destructive path he's heading down. I love a tortured hero, but this time we have a heroine who is just as tortured and needs to be saved just as much as the hero. I think Firasek pulls this off beautifully, and the background of Ari definitely displays her creativity, along with the base story behind the series. The H/h have wonderful chemistry and I really loved watching them save each other.
Elena~ the plot was very dramatic and eventful which kept me reading it non-stop. I was connected throughout the novel with the plot of the story including the involvement of the characters. The story was very intriguing and it fascinated me. I had a little of both of the characters story when reading it. The emotional conflicts between this couples was sweet, tearful, and all together heartfelt. Their relationship becomes stronger and stronger as the book progresses. In the end they overcame all the obstacles that were thrown their way and no one could stop them from being a part.
Sam ~What I love most about both book one and two is that even though both are novellas, Rachel has managed to make the story not seemed rushed. Often you read a Novella and its crammed in and jumps from place to place. Rachel Firasek has the talent to fit a full length novel into a novella sized package.
Rhonda- I really enjoyed the first novella in this series, but this one was fantastic, fast paced but getting her story across without leaving unresolved issues. Her characterization was spot on, Ari is sweet and sassy, yet strong and compassionate. Grey is a little rough around the edges, but kind-hearted and at the same time he's sexy, protective, and possessive, exactly what I like. I liked that all the previous characters played a role in this story as well.
Sam ~ I cannot wait to read more into this series. It's original and pulls you in instantly. Im waiting with baited breath and crossed fingers that Rachel contacts us once again to review the next book in the trilogy. And like `The Last Rising' this book earns the big FIVE STARS from me.
Elena~ Rachel Firasek hits all the right spots in a well written story. She put a lot of thought and determination into this novel, so therefore by me giving it a 5 Star rating, it's a definite "HECK YES" I will continue to read many more wonderful novels by this author.
