The Leaning Pile of Books is a feature in which I highlight books I got over the last week that sound interesting—old or new, bought or received in the mail for review consideration. Since I hope you will find new books you’re interested in reading in these posts, I try to be as informative as possible. If I can find them, links to excerpts, author’s websites, and places where you can find more information on the book are included, along with series information and the publisher’s book description.
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One new book showed up in the mail last week, and it’s one I’m particularly excited about since it was on my list of anticipated 2024 speculative fiction book releases!
The Phoenix Keeper by S. A. MacLean
This fantasy romance novel with a zoo filled with magical animals just came out in August (trade paperback, ebook, audiobook).
Orbit’s acquisition announcement for The Phoenix Keeper piqued my interest, describing it as follows:
This effervescent standalone is set in a magical zoo of mythical creatures and follows the academic rivals-to-lovers slow burn romance between socially anxious phoenix keeper Aila and hotshot fan-favorite griffin keeper Luciana.
Perfect for fans of cozy fantasy reads like Legends & Lattes and The Undertaking of Hart & Mercy, The Phoenix Keeper is set in a world teeming with all your favorite mythical beasties, from dragons and unicorns to kelpies and krakens. MacLean has drawn on her formidable decade of experience in researching and teaching ecology and environmental science to weave a story of hope, courage, and conservation that is, at its heart, an ode to queer joy.
I love animals and fantastical animal companions, so I’m rather interested in this novel’s focus on mythical creatures and seeing how the author weaves her experience in ecology and environmental science into it.
Set in a magical zoo teeming with mythical beasts from dragons and unicorns to kelpies and krakens, The Phoenix Keeper is a fierce joy of a cozy fantasy novel with a soul-restoring queer romance at its heart, for fans of The House in the Cerulean Sea and Legends and Lattes.
As head phoenix keeper at a world-renowned zoo for magical creatures, Aila’s childhood dream of conserving critically endangered firebirds seems closer than ever. There’s just one glaring caveat: her zoo’s breeding program hasn’t functioned for a decade. When a tragic phoenix heist sabotages the flagship initiative at a neighboring zoo, Aila must prove her derelict facilities are fit to take the reins.
But saving an entire species from extinction requires more than stellar animal handling skills. Carnivorous water horses, tempestuous thunderhawks, mischievous dragons… Aila has no problem wrangling beasts. But mustering the courage to ask for help from the hotshot griffin keeper at the zoo’s most popular exhibit? Virtually impossible.
Especially when that hotshot griffin keeper happens to be her arch-rival from college: Luciana, an annoyingly brooding and insufferable know-it-all with the face of a goddess who’s convinced that Aila’s beloved phoenix would serve their cause better as an active performer rather than as a passive conservation exhibit. With the world watching and the threat of poachers looming, Aila’s success is no longer merely a matter of keeping her job…
She is the keeper of the phoenix, and the future of a species– and her love life– now rests on her shoulders.
