Phoenix Extravagant
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Narrated by:
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Emily Woo Zeller
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By:
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Yoon Ha Lee
About this listen
The new blockbuster original fantasy work from Nebula, Hugo, and Clarke award nominated author Yoon Ha Lee!
“An arresting tale of loyalty, identity, and the power of art... Lee’s masterful storytelling is sure to wow.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)
Gyen Jebi isn’t a fighter or a subversive. They just want to paint. One day they’re jobless and desperate; the next, Jebi finds themself recruited by the Ministry of Armor to paint the mystical sigils that animate the occupying government’s automaton soldiers.
But when Jebi discovers the depths of the Razanei government’s horrifying crimes - and the awful source of the magical pigments they use - they find they can no longer stay out of politics.
What they can do is steal Arazi, the ministry’s mighty dragon automaton, and find a way to fight....
©2020 Yoon Ha Lee (P)2020 Recorded BooksListeners also enjoyed...
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Everyone knows who the magical estate will choose for its next ruler. Or do they? Will it be the lord’s eldest son, who he despised? His favourite nephew, with the strongest magical land-sense? His scandalous daughter, who ran away from home years ago to study illusion? Hetta knows it won’t be her, and she’s glad of it. Returning home for her father’s funeral, all Hetta has to do is survive the family drama and avoid entanglements with irritatingly attractive local men until the Choosing.
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Unexpected and delightful
- By emily on 03-25-21
By: AJ Lancaster
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Storm Glass
- By: Maria V. Snyder
- Narrated by: Jennifer Van Dyck
- Length: 12 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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As a glassmaker and a magician-in-training, Opal Cowen understands trial by fire. Now it's time to test her mettle. Someone has sabotaged the Stormdancer clan's glass orbs, killing their most powerful magicians. The Stormdancers--particularly the mysterious and mercurial Kade--require Opal's unique talents to prevent it happening again. But when the mission goes awry, Opal must tap in to a new kind of magic as stunningly potent as it is frightening.
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Interesting character, no Gabra
- By Glenn J on 06-16-09
By: Maria V. Snyder
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The Baine Chronicles Series, Books 1-3
- Burned by Magic, Bound by Magic, Hunted by Magic
- By: Jasmine Walt
- Narrated by: Laurel Schroeder
- Length: 20 hrs and 23 mins
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The first three books in this action-packed, wildly original fantasy series by New York Times bestselling author Jasmine Walt. This kick-ass urban fantasy series has been compared to books by Ilona Andrews, Patricia Briggs, Karen Marie Moning, and more. You're sure to enjoy it if you like spunky heroines, kick-ass fight scenes, wild new worlds, and sizzling, slow-building romance.
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Decent YA light read, but no Patricia Briggs
- By Life's A Beach on 12-25-16
By: Jasmine Walt
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The LonTobyn Chronicle, Books 1-3
- By: David B. Coe
- Narrated by: Pete Cross
- Length: 64 hrs and 9 mins
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This bundle includes Children of Amarid, The Outlanders, and Eagle-Sage.
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The complete characters, made you think !
- By Darla Renn on 06-27-24
By: David B. Coe
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The Fairy Godmother
- Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, Book 1
- By: Mercedes Lackey
- Narrated by: Gabra Zackman
- Length: 12 hrs and 59 mins
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Elena Klovis was supposed to be her kingdom's Cinderella - until an accident of fate left her with a completely inappropriate prince! Determined not to remain with her stepfamily, Elena set out to get a new job - and ended up becoming the Fairy Godmother for the land. But "Breaking with Tradition" was no easy matter. True, she didn't have to sleep in the chimney, but she had to deal with arrogant, stuffed-shirt princes who kept trying to rise above their place in the tale.
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An excellent start to a new series
- By Captain Skurvy on 01-16-13
By: Mercedes Lackey
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Big Trouble
- Small Medium, Book 1
- By: Andrew Seiple
- Narrated by: Tim Gerard Reynolds
- Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Chase Berrymore dreams of adventure, excitement, and getting the heck out of her pastoral halven village. But when adventure finds her, she'll be scrambling to save her family and friends from a necromancer's wrath. Outmatched in almost every way, she'll have to use her wits, charisma, and a bit of divine favor to figure out the path to victory. Even worse, she'll have to figure out ways to deal with the weird and nigh-immortal beings that call themselves "playas"...and she'll have to do it with the most powerful weapon she has available: words.
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Great continuation of threadbear-verse
- By Randall on 08-17-19
By: Andrew Seiple
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The Obsidian Tower
- The Rooks and Ruin Series, Book 1
- By: Melissa Caruso
- Narrated by: Senn Annis
- Length: 14 hrs and 28 mins
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Deep within Gloamingard Castle lies a black tower. Sealed by magic, it guards a dangerous secret that has been contained for thousands of years. As Warden, Ryxander knows the warning passed down through generations: nothing must unseal the door. But one impetuous decision will leave her with blood on her hands - and unleash a threat that could doom the world to fall to darkness.
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Fantastic!
- By McKynzee Pivonka on 10-26-20
By: Melissa Caruso
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The Hills Have Spies
- Valdemar: Family Spies, Book 1
- By: Mercedes Lackey
- Narrated by: Nick Podehl
- Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins
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In this new series, set in the bestselling world of Valdemar, Heralds Mags and Amily must continue to protect the realm of Valdemar while raising their children and preparing them to follow in their footsteps.
Mags, Herald Spy of Valdemar, and his wife, Amily, the King’s Own Herald, are happily married with three kids. The oldest, Peregrine, has the Gift of Animal Mindspeech—he can talk to animals and persuade them to act as he wishes. Perry's dream is to follow in his father's footsteps as a Herald Spy, but he has yet to be Chosen by a Companion.
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Great continuation of the series!
- By Peter on 06-28-18
By: Mercedes Lackey
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The Broken Ones
- By: Danielle L. Jensen
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Below Forsaken Mountain, a plot is being hatched to overthrow the tyrant king of Trollus, and Marc is the right-hand man of its leader. His involvement is information more than one troll would kill to possess, which is why he must keep it a secret from everyone, even the girl he loves. After accidentally ruining her sister's chance to become queen, Pénélope is given one last opportunity by her father, the Duke d'Angoulême, to make herself useful: she must find proof that the boy she's in love with is conspiring against the crown.
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A-MAZE-ING!!!!!!!
- By L. DelPrete on 06-30-17
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The Last Magician
- By: Lisa Maxwell
- Narrated by: Candace Thaxton
- Length: 16 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In modern-day New York, magic is all but extinct. The remaining few who have an affinity for magic - the Mageus - live in the shadows, hiding who they are. Any Mageus who enters Manhattan becomes trapped by the Brink, a dark energy barrier that confines them to the island. Crossing it means losing their power - and often their lives. Esta is a talented thief, and she's been raised to steal magical artifacts from the sinister Order that created the Brink.
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Couldn't Finish
- By Anne on 08-06-17
By: Lisa Maxwell
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Heart of Stone
- The Negotiator Trilogy, Book 1
- By: C. E. Murphy
- Narrated by: Eve Bianco
- Length: 13 hrs and 44 mins
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Overall
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Okay, so jogging through Central Park after midnight wasn't a bright idea. But Margrit Knight never thought she'd encounter a dark new world filled with magical beings, not to mention a dying woman and a mysterious stranger with blood on his hands. Her logical, lawyer instincts told her it couldn't all be real, but she could hardly deny what she'd seen...and touched.
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Her best by far
- By Amazon Customer on 11-08-07
By: C. E. Murphy
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The Uncommon Rider
- By: Sarah Noffke, Michael Anderle
- Narrated by: Dara Rosenberg
- Length: 13 hrs and 47 mins
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The first dragonrider in over a hundred years has been born...and it’s a girl. Never before has a female been chosen to ride a dragon. The Elite, a guild comprised exclusively of dragonriders, is dead according to most. No one has seen a rider in decades. The problems they used to fight overwhelm the world. Dragons are thought to be near extinction. However, the Elite aren’t dead...It’s just that a bunch of crusty old men who do nothing that benefits the world at large are easy to mistake as useless corpses. Sophia Beaufont is about to change all of that.
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Not Much of a Story
- By Small Mountain on 10-01-20
By: Sarah Noffke, and others
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Conquer
- Conquering the Kingdom, Book 1
- By: Aron Stone
- Narrated by: Gary Furlong
- Length: 12 hrs and 49 mins
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The game is Conquer, played for the king's amusement by the most notorious criminals and ambitious lordlings. Aron Stone, street rat turned commander of the king's First Legion, doesn't have patience for pointless games. But when a series of unfortunate events earns him the king's ire, he is forced to participate. Armed with a ragtag troop of dwarves, a beautiful but short-tempered sorceress, and a doting mistress, Aron must grow his forces, locate valuable weapons and magical artifacts, and win the day. Only complete victory will allow him to escape the arena and get his revenge.
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Sigh
- By Anonymous User on 01-11-19
By: Aron Stone
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In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety. But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern. On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid—a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.”
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What listeners say about Phoenix Extravagant
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Dartanyan Johnson
- 03-06-21
Oh so boring
The best thing about this book was the writing itself. I thought the sentences flowed really well. The style reminded me of J.F. Kuang's The Poppy War.
The story, however, didn't hold my interest. I didn't like the insta-love between the MC and their choice of partner. Given the story, I'm actually confused why there was a love interest at all. Take the relationship away, and you have the same exact story. Also, the characters weren't fleshed out well enough for my liking; it was hard caring what happened to any of them. The revolution was bland, and I'm curious why the automatons--the dragon included--didn't have bigger roles. Definitely not my cup a tea.
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- storm baughman
- 09-27-23
Wonderful read!
Loved it so much! great read with a unique storyline and vibrant character development!
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- Jennifer C.
- 03-09-23
I loved the dragon!
Jebi is an artist. Not a genius artist, mind you, but it is their life and they love painting. It's all they want to do. They certainly do not want to be involved in the growing rebellion. But then Jebi, desperate for a job, finds themselves recruited by the Ministry of Armor to paint the mystical sigils that animate the automaton soldiers used by the government to occupy their land.
It may not be a great job, but it is a job, and Jebi has no issue with it until they discover the depths of the crimes committed by the Razanei government. Jebi can no longer stay out of politics, but what can they really do?
Well, it turns out that they may be able to steal Arazi, the war dragon automaton which belongs to the ministry, as well as find a way to fight back.
I enjoyed this book for two main reasons. One was the dragon. I love dragons in fantasy novels, and Arazi was just as much fun to read about. I wish Arazi had been present for more of the book. The second was a main character who was just ordinary. Jebi wasn't a chosen one, nor were they a genius painter who was better than all other painters. Jebi was just a regular person who found themselves in a situation in which they were way out of their depth - which was also a bit of a running theme as Jebi was consistently reminded of that by other characters.
The world-building, which was largely inspired by Japanese-occupied Korea, was absolutely wonderful. It reminded me a lot of the Tensorate series by Neon Yang in the way that Yoon Ha Lee incorporated queerness into the society. It wasn't an afterthought in the way some worlds are (oh, yeah, and there are people who aren't cis-hetero too), but thoughtfully considered and incorporated into the very fabric of the world.
The only real complaint that I have about the book is that it seemed to take a bit to find its feet, as it were. The first 15%-20% or so seemed to kind of wander and made it hard to figure out what was going on and what the plot was. Once I got further into it, I understood why it began that way, but I worry that there will be readers who will get frustrated by that beginning and put the book down, never knowing what they're missing,
As a final note, I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated by Emily Woo Zeller. She did a fantastic job as the narrator. I have listened to several other audiobooks narrated by her, and I have several more in my listening queue just waiting for me to get to them. I you enjoy listening to audiobooks, I definitely recommend listening to this one. If you haven't yet explored the joys of audiobooks, give this one a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
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- K
- 10-26-21
wonderful idea and world, but poor execution
I was really happy to finally read a book with a nonbinary main, and the way they wrote them was really good! but the overall performance of the story seemed like it needed some editing. the writing style is really technical and some of the things that are written could just be left to interpretation. it felt robotic at times but also there are a few lines in this book that are written beautifully. it did get a little corny there at the end and I found the main characters love interest and the way its handled by their sister to be a bit of a stretch, but nonetheless the universe behind this story is amazing and I would love to see these concepts more in literature. idk maybe it'd be better if it wasn't an audiobook
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