Gift of the Phoenix
When three strangers are brought together by the discovery of a common enemy, they must fight to keep the magic of the Phoenix out of dangerous hands before their world is destroyed forever. The Three must learn to unite in spite of what separates them, and unlock the magic of three stones that seem to harm as much as they help. But uniting will not be easy for Nicolai, the simple peasant with a powerful secret; Marcellus, the warrior prince who’s no longer heir to the throne; and Corren, a gifted wizard whose ambitions threaten to ruin them all. Full of magic, mystery, and a touch of romance, Gift of the Phoenix is an epic fantasy that takes the reader deep into the heart of a wondrous world and the three men destined to defend it.
“An incredibly impressive book that grips you from the very start. There is plenty of action in the story, some wonderful characters and magical, atmospheric settings. Donna has created a fascinating realm in this story which, even if you don’t consider yourself a fantasy fan, you’ll definitely enjoy.” – Excerpt of Stephanie Dagg’s review at Books Are Cool.
“As an avid reader of fantasy, I often encounter boring or overused plotlines—this was neither! With a fresh new take on fantasy adventure, Cook constructs an enchanting world of magic, kingdoms, rebirth, and death.” – Excerpt a review by Artemis at Fantasy Book Lovers Unite
“Gift of the Phoenix reminds me of a mix of Paolin’s Eragon and Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, but stands on its own as a unique fantasy-adventure. Cook creates a magic system that is intricate and unique, which can be hard to do in a genre littered with magic. The story is very complex, and yet very easy to follow… layers upon layers of intertwined plots that all culminate to a fantastic ending. I would recommend this book to anyone of any age.” – Excerpt of a review by Will Wortner at Zero2Fiction
Awards
Gift of the Phoenix has won several awards, including Semifinalist in the Kindle Book Review Book of the Year Awards, and Notable Read in the Shelf Unbound/Half Price Books Indie Book of the Year competition.
Read an excerpt
The man’s eyes narrowed and he leaned in.
“Have you ever seen the waters swallow an island?”
“What?” Nicolai asked.
He pointed to what Nicolai knew to be the
Pearl and Crescent Islands, only a few miles out from the coast. They were
uninhabitable rock for the most part, notable only because one island was
shaped like a crescent moon while the other circular shaped island sat within
its gulf. Only Nicolai didn’t see two islands. He saw only the crescent-shaped island.
“What happened?” Nicolai asked.
“I’ll tell you what happened. The Pearl is
gone! Sank right into the sea it did!”
Nicolai tried to imagine an island in the
cove of Crescent Island’s bay, then tried to imagine that island sinking into
the sea.
“My brother says a monster ate it!” the
little girl said.
Her mother hushed her. “Don’t listen to his
tales.”
“It was an earthquake,” the first man said
kindly, bending his reddened face down to her. He put his hands together and
slid them back and forth. “The earth shook under the water and made the water
come sloshing up over the edge. Just like shaking a cup.” She looked at him
skeptically. Nicolai gathered she thought a monster sounded more credible.
“It wasn’t a monster,” said a frail voice.
They all looked around to see a withered woman resting on a bench next to the
wall. “It wasn’t an earthquake either. What took that island was the same thing
that made it.”
Author Donna Cook
Donna Cook is an Arizona native transplanted to Boise, Idaho, where she is delighting in the change of scenery. When she’s not writing she spends her time chasing the kids, exploring delicious eateries downtown, and dancing with her talented husband. Her fantasy adventure, Gift of the Phoenix has won several awards, including Semifinalist in the Kindle Book Review Book of the Year Awards, and Notable Read in the Shelf Unbound/Half Price Books Indie Book of the Year competition. It was also nominated for the Whitney Award, which recognizes LDS writers. She’s currently working on the sequel to Gift of the Phoenix.
Tour Giveaway
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Ends 4/31/14
4 comments:
Thanks so much for hosting! :)
You're welcome, Donna! Thanks for dropping by and contributing your comments. Fingers crossed and great success to your book :-)
Wow, these sound like great characters! Marcellus intrigues me - why is he no longer heir to the throne, but Nicolai's secret makes me curious. Will Corren's ambitions be tempered in this book, or will they become a source of grief? Thanks for the preview!
Thanks for your comments June! I had so much fun with these characters and their plot twists. And I gotta say, I love your avatar! :)
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