Phoenix Flame (Havenfall #2)

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Phoenix Flame (Havenfall #2)

Sara Holland

New York Times bestselling author Sara Holland continues her blockbuster contemporary fantasy series, Havenfall, with this unforgettable sequel.

‘Sara Holland is a fierce storyteller’ STEPHANIE GARBER

After saving the inn at Havenfall from the wicked Silver Prince, Maddie thought all her problems were over. The Silver Prince has been banished, her uncle the beloved Innkeeper is slowly recovering from a mysterious coma, and there are still a few weeks of summer left to spend with her handsome more-than-just-a-friend Brekken.

But danger still looms and Maddie soon realises there’s more work to be done to protect Havenfall, the safe haven between worlds that her family has run for centuries. Maddie must embark on a dangerous mission: to venture into the icy Realm of Fiordenkill and put an end to the black market trading of souls that threatens the balance of the Realms.

As Maddie tries to accomplish these seemingly impossible tasks, she stumbles upon family secrets that could change everything. What if saving everyone means destroying the only home she’s ever known?

This next breathtaking fantasy from the bestselling author of Everless is perfect for fans of Melissa Albert and Holly Black.

-Excerpt taken from Goodreads.

Check Goodreads to see the book’s ratings.

My Opinion

(3.5 / 5) Last year, Havenfall was my very first physical ARC I received from a publisher. I was beyond ecstatic! The story felt new and exciting and I was happy to be a part of it’s release.

Book 2 built on the incredible world and expanded it beyond Havenfall’s borders into Fiordankill. I loved this expansion and hope that book 3 includes other realms. The world building is definitely my favorite part of this series. Havenfall is the center of multiple realms where they can verge and mingle and build treaties and public relations. Maddie is next in line to take over her uncle’s place as Innkeeper. Maddie’s family (her mother, her uncle and herself) each have had or do have a love for Fiordiankill’s men. One of those relationship’s has ended badly and they’re all paying the price.

Maddie is a unique character. While she’s not my favorite, I have to say they did well with her bisexual representation. It was natural and done well. However, I did not love the love triangle it presented. If you’ve followed me at all, you know that is not something I care for. The triangles become too dramatic for me. But her love interests were some of my favorite characters.

I second guessed each character’s motives all throughout the book. It made for some terrible guessing and fun adventure. The end was a bit convenient for me but was still a fun ride.

Content Summary: All aspects of this book are low on the severity scale. The only content that some might be opposed to is that the main character is bisexual. It doesn’t refer to it as that but she has a relationship with a guy and has feelings for a young woman. Both relationships are done well and she is never confused about it, and doesn’t fight either feelings. Her uncle is in a gay marriage also. The book doesn’t dwell on the gay aspect but it does play a moderate part in the story. Book one seemed to down play the bisexual aspect (from what I remember) while book two didn’t shy away.

Thank you to Bloomsbury Children’s Books for the ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book releases March 2, 2021.

Detailed Content Review

Language 

F***-

H***- 2

S***- 3

A**- 1

B****-

D***- 3

Bas****-

Religious Cursing

J****-

Chr***-

G**- 3

L***-

Derogatory terms etc-

Alcohol, Drugs, Smoking

“Forgettingwine” is given to people to make them forget. 

Wine is served at a party. A young woman drinks. 

A young woman drops a truth serum into wine. 

A man looks “loose, drunk.” Many are drunk at a party. 

Intimacy, Sex, Immodesty

*Moderate LGBTQ+ aspects included*

Two men are married. 

A young man kisses a young woman. Again, using tongue. 

A young woman admits a young man and a young woman “hold her heart.” This is talked about multiple times. 

A young woman kisses a young man. 

Violence, Weapons, Crime, Blood

Previously, a young girl was taken captive. She was rescued. 

A young man uses a sword on 3 men. For one, he slashes his throat, another swipes with his sword, both are dead. 

A young man cuts a young woman’s arm with a sword. 

A man takes a woman and holds her captive. 

A young woman charged at a man with a knife, he punches her. Then he burns a young man. A young woman uses magic to hurt him and he grabs her throat. Blood is dripping from his mouth. A knife is thrown at a young man, hitting him in the chest. 

**SPOILER** A young man comes very close to death. He coughs up blood. 

Potentially Intense Themes

A young woman sees the spot where she helped bury a body. 

A young woman’s mother is on death row. 

**Any quotes from the book are taken from the advanced copy and therefore may not be fully accurate or correctly compare to the final copy of the book.

**As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.