I really enjoyed Phoenix and I thought it was great. I didn't know too much about it until it dropped through my letterbox, but I knew as soon as it did I would have to read it, especially after seeing the brilliant trailer and reading the synopsis, which really intrigued me.
I don't often read space books so I was both excited and apprehensive to read it. I was excited because it was something new, something that I'd never really experience before, and I was looking forward to it. I was apprehensive because there's a reason I don't read too many space books - because the few that I have read have been a bit hit and miss (mostly miss to be honest!). But I'm happy to say that Phoenix is definitely a hit for me.
The world created in Phoenix is so wonderfully imaginative, and so brilliantly written. I got lost in the stars within only a few minutes of reading. I loved the concept of the singing stars being the centre of everything, and the universe was just such a pleasure to read about (even the bad bits like the Shadow Guards!). I especially loved any scene where Lucky was inside the astrolabe and flying through the sky.
The characters were fantastic. I especially loved the Axxa, and I really liked how they were so similar physically to humans, yet their lifestyle and culture is so hugely different. I felt sorry for them while they were attacked and hated by humans, and I was really glad that Lucky could overcome his imagined hatred of them and that they could actually work together in the end and be happy doing so.
At first, I wasn't sure about the ending and didn't like it at all. I know that sounds harsh but I was expecting (or maybe I was just really hoping for) something different. I really tried reflecting on the rest of the book and trying to justify the ending, but simply couldn't. I personally think that the whole ending partially ruined the book.
• Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop.
Want to tell the world about a book you've read? Join the site and send us your review!
