Friday, December 18, 2015

Friday Fiction Fix: "Firebird"

Thanks for bearing with me while I took some time to let my brain to recuperate from three exams in thirteen hours. Also, please vote in the poll in the right side bar! I'd really appreciate your feedback. 

The Short:

Firebird
Book 1 of the Firebird Trilogy

By: Kathy Tyers

4.5/5 Stars

What: She was supposed to die, but what if there’s something better than dying for a corrupt planet?

Recommended to those who like: Science fiction, Christian, space battles, some romance.

The Long:

Today we finally get something outside of my recent fantasy streak!

When I started the blog, I told myself I wouldn’t do “half” stars. But I really couldn’t decide between 4 and 5 stars on this book. The action, world-building, and characters suck you right in, but the beginning is a bit awkward and cumbersome, for lack of a suitable word. So, four and a half. (Also, the cover on this! This is some beautiful artwork.)

Lady Firebird is the third daughter in the royal family of Netaia, making her best option an honorable death in battle and, in lieu of that, a quick suicide of her own choosing.

But when suicide fails in the middle of battle and she’s taken prisoner, her whole world is turned upside down. Could there be something better than dying for a royal family that's been corrupted? 

I really enjoyed the story and it kept surprising me at every turn. There’s telekinesis, romance, some great flying scenes, and a fair amount of political intrigue involved in the story. The Christian allegorical theme is strong, but well done and not overwhelming.

I look forward to reading the next book! Currently, Firebird is available for free on Amazon Kindle, if you’d like to give it a try.

What are your thoughts?

8 comments:

  1. You had me at "free on Amazon Kindle." :) But seriously, this looks intriguing! I don't usually read sci-fi, but I'm always willing to expand my horizons. I might even watch the Star Wars movies this spring (I've only seen two of them, and I wasn't impressed... but I really want to like them!).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This would probably be a good intro to sci-fi. Even though there are some good space battles/sci-fi action, it's a much more "personal" story. It's more of a space opera than hard sci-fi (honestly, I'm not a hard core sci-fi person myself).

      The original trilogy of Star Wars is probably best to start out on (4, 5, and 6--New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi). It's a bit harder to care about episodes one and two unless you know where it's leading. Just my personal thoughts.

      I am SO excited to see Star Wars 7. I can hardly wait until I go here in a couple of days.

      Thanks for the comment!

      Delete
    2. Yeah, I watched episode 1 with my brother years ago (he claims he told me not to, since I hadn't seen the original trilogy...), and so my husband blames him for ruining Star Wars for me. :) I saw episode 4 shortly thereafter, but I still didn't think it was all that great.

      Delete
    3. Well, let me know if you ever get around to watching it again!

      Delete
  2. That book looks awesome!! Unfortunately, I don't have Kindle so I'll have to actually pay for it or something. (The horror!) But that cover :D

    And your new design is super cool, too!! (If I may make one suggestion? The brown text makes it hard to read with the brown background.) But it's the cool scrolly design! Love it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the heads-up on the brown text! I was a little concerned about that, so I'll have to tinker with it a bit more.

      You can download a kindle reading app to your computer or tablet for free. I would still recommend the book, even if you have to pay for it.

      Thanks for the comment!

      Delete
    2. No problem :)

      Really? I didn't know that. I'll have to do that. And I don't have a problem with paying for books, it's just extra awesome when they're free :)

      Delete
  3. I actually have this book on my kindle, but I keep forgetting about it. It definitely sounds interesting and I'll have to tackle it soon. :)

    ReplyDelete

Feel free to share your thoughts below. I reserve the right to remove vulgar, hateful, or rude remarks from the comments. Thanks for sharing!