Jared,

Your review of Fantastic Beasts is garnering a lot of views, so congrats to that. Still haven’t seen it, and probably won’t until it’s out on Redbox…..maybe 6 months? As for this review I was going to do this book next week but I didn’t finish the intended book in time.

Title: The Phoenix Endangered
Series: The Enduring Flame Trilogy; Book 2
Author: Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory
Genre: Fantasy
Audience: Adult
ROTS Setting: UU, Medieval, Dragons, Higher Magic
Synopsis: Tiercel and Harrier have found themselves central to the plans and mechanics of the Wild Magic, the agent of the Light in the world. The myths and legends of the past aren’t just stories anymore and the consequences for failure are just as real.
Recommendation: Adult or late teens. I suggest having read The Obsidian Trilogy first but that technically isn’t required.

The middle book of a trilogy is often the most looked over, because it’s really a vehicle to get from the beginning to the end. In the first book Tiercel and Harrier lost their innocence. They discovered that they were all the stood against the coming darkness and not even the Elves were willing to do much to help them.

Book two finds the pair on the edge of the Elven lands heading for a lake of fire which they hope is somewhere in the desert. A few critical events happen which I’m going to skip over because they’re awesome and…..spoilers. I will say that most the rest of this book and the next happens in the desert. Which is a refreshing change and a great insight into how the magic system was integrated into the world.

Harrier begins to take on a more equal role as a main character and we find that his part is just as important as Tiercels. Much of his character exterior is pulled away and we get a view of him that is potentially disturbing to us and himself. Which he must eventually come to terms with or they could all die. So no pressure.

Tiercel is finally able to begin learning how to be a High Mage thanks to his newly Bonded dragon. However the more he learns the more he understands how little he actually knows. Much of his time in this book is spent stumbling from one point to the next. Thankfully it’s intended and put to good use.

The main theme of this book seems to be about them learning humility. Or at least a stripping of pride. By the end they’ve lost much of their naivety, and their images of self more accurately reflect reality than some idealized self-centered version. They aren’t perfect and their death is all but inevitable, but they’ve come to terms with who/what they are……if only grudgingly.

Again, it’s a lot of setup (as most second books are). It was nice though to start seeing threads being to intertwine glimpses of how the end may finally happen.

Robert

<< Review of The Phoenix Unchained; Book 1

 Coming Soon The Phoenix Transformed; Book 3 >>

Links

• Mercedes Lackey’s Official Website
• James Mallory’s Official Website
• James Mallory Online Journal – current info on the World of Obsidian