I found it a bit tricky to rate this book because although I did like it in the end, I struggled to get through it. “Cosy” fantasy sometimes ends up being pretty slow-paced and that’s where it loses me. In this book there was just enough going on to keep me picking it up, but not enough to make me not want to put it down.

The main things I liked about The Phoenix Keeper were the descriptions of the magical animals and the zoo habitats mirroring their natural environments. I would like to have seen more about magical creatures in the wild and how humans interact with them.

The main plot line was a bit frustrating as it was immediately obvious to me who the perpetrator was so the twist fell flat. I also found the main character irritating at points. Aila suffers from extreme social anxiety, and while it’s good to see depictions of this in a character, she is an adult who has been dealing with this her whole life and the fact that she has let it impact her job and her friends to the degree that it has seems pretty selfish and childish.

I did like most of the side characters. Aila’s best friend Tanya, a trans woman, is an absolute saint for the way she consistently puts Aila’s needs before her own. Presumably in the course of their friendship Aila has supported her and been a decent friend, but we don’t really see that on the page. I also really enjoyed Luciana, who was much less tolerant of Aila’s unprofessional behaviours and willing to call her on them.

The main thing about this book was atmosphere and there’s plenty of that. The zoo is brought so clearly to life that I feel I could visit it.

The Phoenix Keeper is so cosy, it's exactly what I wanted! I did spend a while being annoyed and frustrated by the main character because she was a little too socially awkward and dense for my liking. It took her forever to figure out how to interact with people, and she was also AWFUL to her best friend as well as her future love interest for most of the book. I was getting seriously exhausted. My only other gripe was that the phoenixes weren't featured enough! We spent more time reading about other animals, particularly Archie and the griffins, but not much time with the phoenixes other than watching them bond and care for their babies. I feel like the phoenixes could have played a greater role at kicking butt in the grand finale. However! I really loved this book and I was drawn in the entire time. The ending was predictable but so satisfying, and I had a great time reading this book about a magical zoo overall. Would recommend!

I believe this book will be my favourite of the year. It has everything I could ever want from a book. Friendship, magical zoo animals, and the SWEETEST romance. I wish there was more to read and I dream of short stories from the couple (no spoilers!) and their friends, Phoenix Keeper was amazing and I loved it so so much.

This is probably one of the most magical and cosy books I have ever read. The central relationship is a joy to read but I have to say that the setting of the zoo for magical creatures was unbelievably captivating and really made me evaluate my job choices, ha ha!!

This was utterly charming! So enjoyable and cosy, who doesn't want to work at a magical zoo?! The characters were so sweet and adorable, Aila was a fantastically loveable main character, there's a wonderful message running throughout about the importance of conservation, and there is a gorgeously mischievous thieving bird named Archie who I adore. Books don't always have to be hard and tragic, you know? They can be gentle and lovely and a happy time, and that's exactly what this was.

It's slow paced, so took me a little longer to read than my usual pace, but I had such an enjoyable time, and it's never boring, it's just joyful. There's a slowburn enemies-to-lovers queer romance that was beautiful, and while the plot is fairly predictable, it's such a heartwarming book.

Perfect for fans of Legends & Lattes or TJ Klune!

Cosy and romantic, set in the magical world of the San Tamculo Zoo with loyal friendships and a wonderful main character who is desperate to realise her dream of reintroducing phoenix breeding to the zoo while navigating dating mishaps, anxiety and a long-standing feud with her perfect college rival. If you want to read a brilliant fantasy where the focus is on the incredible world building and characters, without a world-saving quest getting in the way, then The Phoenix Keeper is a must-read.

Cosy, heart-warming, low angst fantasy with a beautifully unfurling romance!

Aila is about as anxiety ridden as I am. She overthinks, over plans and always thinks she's not good enough. However, she has to be one of the most hard working and capable keepers of magical creatures, which leads to her being put in charge of a Phoenix breeding programme after the tragic recent theft of a clutch of eggs.

Aila isn't above a little massaging of facts (and using her boss' email!) to get things off the ground and with the assistance of her bestie, they are determined to be THE phoenix exhibit. Alia however, also has to navigate the advances of a handsome dragon keeper and having to work with her college crush/nemesis.

I loves meeting Aila and co. Aila is sweet, kind of naïve, too trusting and slightly self-absorbed. But she does learn that the world won't end when things can and do go wrong. She also learns that others have problems too and all the disasters she lays at the feet of others weren't aimed at her but she perceived them as slights towards her.

Slow paced, low angst with a heist to unravel and thieves to unmask. Great LGBTQIA main characters and cosy romantasy to curl up and enjoy.

4.5 stars

My all time favourite mythical creatures are phoenixes so as soon as I saw this one I knew I had to read it. I really enjoyed this one and I loved all the mythical creatures and the zoo in general! I would absolutely love to visit a zoo like this as all these creatures are so majestic and sound so beautiful! I honestly loved the day to day aspects and getting to know so much about the zoo.

I really loved how passionate Aila was and how dedicated so was to the future of the phoenixes. She was such a realistic and relatable character who just really struggles with talking to people outside of her bubble and at times let's her social anxiety get the best of her. She had such amazing character development in this book and I loved watching her grow to be more accepting of herself. I also really loved the side characters (including the different creatures and their unique personalities) and I adored the enemies to lovers romance in this one!

This was an absolutely fantastic cozy fantasy that from the first page I knew I was going to love it. MacLean has an amazing way of writing that just has you absolutely hooked and needing more. The descriptions were so detailed and it was so easy to imagine everything. I definitely recommend this if you are a lover of books that are more character driven and cozy!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This was delightful and so wholesome, I really enjoyed this and will say it’s definitely a slow burn but it worked really well. The world seems to be very much like ours, the major difference being that they have the amazing animals. The descriptions and the amount of thought that has gone into the details is what makes this book so special.
If you want fast paced action then this may not be the book for you right now, but it’s well worth taking the time to explore. I loved the characters, especially the romantic elements, all about finding yourself, your place and your people.
A heartwarming story.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

I enjoyed this cosy fantasy! At first I was sceptical about a fantastical zoo, but the author made the everyday so entraping, I sometimes forgot that the animals were made-up! The characters are flawed, but interesting and it was a joy to follow their journey. Its important to note, that the romance is a subplot (which I actually enjoyed!), so do not expect a lot of romantic scenes!

4.5 stars

Cosy and romantasy are currently my two bête noires, so I anticipated that I might not be the right reader for this book - and I wasn't, but for reasons that had nothing to do with either cosiness or romance. S.A. MacLean's adult fantasy debut, The Phoenix Keeper, stars bisexual Aila, who is in charge of a certain type of phoenix at a magical zoo. Aila struggles with anxiety and so avoids anything public-facing, but knows her phoenix biology inside out, and dreams of acquiring a second phoenix to begin a breeding programme. Her nemesis is Luciana, the beautiful and confident griffin keeper, who seems to be everything she is not - and whom she harboured a secret crush on in college.

First things first: this might be marketed as adult, and Aila might be supposed to be twenty-eight years old, but it's definitely YA. The whole feel of the book is wrong for the adult market, but also, it would all have worked so much better if Aila had just been a sixteen-year-old apprentice. As an adult protagonist, she's impossibly frustrating: naive, blinkered, unable to understand that a conservation programme might need to make money, and intensely uninterested in anybody except herself for at least the first half of the novel. Her difficult backstory with Luciana is practically middle grade. I felt particularly sorry for her best friend Tanya, who continually supports Aila and gets nothing back. This feels especially uncomfortable as Tanya is a trans woman of colour whom Aila keeps objectifying with weird epithets ('Tanya. You magnificent tropical merhorse'.) Aila's character arc follows the typical YA trajectory of simplistically acknowledging and apologising for all her faults about halfway through, after which she becomes more bearable, but she's never a great protagonist.

The Phoenix Keeper would also have worked better for me if it had been set in a skewed version of our own world (I'm thinking Robin McKinley's Dragonhaven, which is the only other book about magical conservation I've come across), rather than in an incredibly sketchy fantasy world that is basically place names and nothing else. The worldbuilding is so weak that I spent most of the book wondering whether a character being referred to as a 'witch' meant that she was actually a witch or whether this was just an insult. I enjoyed the care-of-magical-creatures material in the zoo and the practicalities of the phoenix programme, but I thought MacLean could have taken this much further, especially given that she has a PhD in Environmental Science. What sort of ecosystems do these animals fit into? How is conserving them beneficial for nature more generally? OK, other readers may not have been as keen on these geeky details, but BRING ON THE MAGICAL ECOLOGY, I say.

Having said all this... I think this is the first 'cosy' book I've read that actually felt cosy to me. It flashed me right back to the kind of fantasy I read as a teenager, and after the midway point, I genuinely enjoyed reading it, despite Aila, despite everything. The romance is low-key but that's perfectly fine with me, and I thought MacLean did a good job of developing Aila and Luciana's relationship. I'd read more set in this world, but I'd want more cryptid ecobiology and a different protagonist. 3.5 stars.

This is an adorable and heartwarming cosy fantasy book, full of great characters and fantastical creatures, and not to mention tons of warmth, heart and humour. Now I just need to figure out where I can get a pet phoenix...

A cozy feel-good read that ushers you into a world where magical creatures are as real as horses and dogs! Set in a zoo that is trying to protect endangered animals, you will become embroiled in the future of these animals; it resonates that these creatures have been hunted to near extinction because their feathers can make you beautiful - among other equally fashionable uses. At its heart, this story is about relationships and conquering your self-doubt although, the conservation message rings loud and clear throughout. Beautifully written and will appeal to fans of Heather Fawcett and TJ Klune.

Apparently all I've been missing in my life is cozy fantasies set in a zoo, because this book was everything. It was cute, it had low stakes, rivals to lovers vibes... simply put it was *chefs kiss* and I loved it that much, I read it in one sitting!

Aila is our MC, and someone I instantly related to and bonded with. Someone infinitely more comfortable in the company of animals over people. Her passion for these animals absolutely bleeds through the pages, until you find yourself as invested in their outcome as she is, despite them not existing. She has always struggled with the more, people based, side of zoo keeping, spending as little time as possible talking to the visitors, and breaking into sweats any time she has to do a talk about one of her animals. But as the story progresses, Aila comes to see just how important those people are to the safety and conservation of the animals she wants to protect, and we start to see her come out of her shell a little, knowing how much it would benefit them.

Alongisde Aila, MacLean gives us a tight knit, but brilliant cast of side characters. Tanya, Aila's bestie, the one person she feels she can be herself around without an judgement. Connor, the hottie Dragon Keeper who Aila has had her eye on, even if she can't being herself to talk to him. And Luciana, Aila's colleague who deals with the Griffins. These two have been rivals since college, nemesis if you will, at least in Aila's eyes. She see's her as this shining star of everything Aila herself can't be, and she resents her for her ease with the public. But by far my favourite side character was Archie, the gray archibird. He is so unbelievably mischievous, but adds some really humour to the story and I just loved the scenes he was in.

MacLean graces us with world building galore, but instead of it being focused on the different cultures that live in the lands, it focuses on the magical animals that call it home, something that made this story so unique, but also made me way more interested it learning about it all. I couldn't get enough of all the magical creatures that she introduces us too, some we all know and love; Unicorns, Kelpies, even the Phoenix's themselves, but she also builds this whole world filled with creatures of her own making, some hilarious sounding like vanishing ducks, and other's impressive like Thunderhawks. MacLean really takes her time to bring all of these creatures to life, makes the magical seem even more so somehow, making me wish that these animals existed so I could go and see them in the flesh,and I honestly never got sick of learning about them, despite them being completely made up.

The story itself focuses on Aila's desperate hope of helping to bring the Silimalo Phoenix back from the brink of extinction, and when a disaster happens at a neighbouring Zoo, Aila get's that chance. MacLean really focuses on the whole conservation side of Zoo's, showing just how important they can be to keeping certain species alive, and she also shows the love and care that Aila and crew put into getting their breeding programme back up and running. The stakes are fairly low, right until the last 20% or so, but Aila's love and passion for these animals, not just the Phoenix, really jumps off the page, so despite the stakes being low, you still find yourself getting invested, desperately wanting Aila to succeed. And when that last 20% hits, let me tell you... me guessing the plot twist didn't make it hit any less and I was absolutely glued to the pages. But even with the stakes raised, MacLean still manages to keep it cozy and humorous.

The romance in this was just *chefs kiss.* Rivals to lovers, with a teeny tiny hint of misunderstanding, but not enough to annoy me (I really do hate that trope.) Seeing these two characters go from glaring at each other any time they are in view, to digging in and helping each other to succeed was brilliant, and I loved the slow burn feels it gave off. These are two people who have their own difficulties, their own insecurities, and I enjoyed seeing them open up to each other about it, and start trying to move on. But I think what I loved most of all was how much page time was given to Aila and Tanya's friendship. These two people know each other inside and out, are the closest of friends, but she also shows how easy it is to get blindsided by your own wants and needs, forgetting there are other people who may want other things. She really shows the up's and down's of friendships, but also how they will be there for you, no matter what.

I think this may be one of my all time favourite cozy fantasies! Who knew all I needed was for it to be set in a zoo and I would be hooked. Aila and co absolutely wormed their way into my heart, and I would honestly love the chance to delve into this world, and the magical creatures that inhabit it, more. If you like low stakes, magical animals who have their own personalities and rivals to lovers romance, you need to check this out.

This was a mixed bag for me I'm afraid, which is a shame it was an anticipated release!
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The good. I liked the zoological element. I loved learning about the mythical animals and what zoo environment they like, and how to look after them. A lot of thought had gone into it and I could read about just the zoo for ages!
The side characters were fun, Tanya espiecally was great and really cared Aila!
Overall a great concept for a book
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However. The plot was rather easy to guess, which isnt necessarily a bad thing, just predictable.
And Aila (our main character) was insufferable. To the point where in the middle her behaviour made it hard to keep reading. I'm glad I finished as the story picked up at the end. But oooft, she has a lot of problematic traits that people don't really call her out on. The one time they do it's over and moved past the same day. She's just incredibly self-centred and I really struggled to care about her cause. If it wasn't for the cute cool animals I'd have given in I think. Which is a shame.
It does have queer representation which I always love, but I don't think was executed that well and seemed to come on very suddenly. So 50/50 on that. Some places are advertising it as romantasy and it doesn't feel like that. More like fantasy with a sprinkling of a relationship.
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Overall a great idea but maybe not the best execution. But I think if Aila doesn't bother you as much you would really enjoy this still!

I think this is my top read of the year so far! I loved this book from start to finish. The passion and love Aila has for her Phoenix's was beautiful and I loved her nervous rambling - I related a lot to this character and the social anxieties she has from time to time. Her friendship with Tanya was beautifully written and whilst I wouldn't necessarily categorise this as a romantasy (the romance was very light) I still loved the elements we did get. I shall be keeping my eye out for this authors next book for sure!

A zoo full of magical and mystical animals, sign me up!

The premise of this book had me so intrigued. The story itself was well executed and I was invested in Aila and her phoenixes. I loved how much character was given to the animals, they each had their own cheeky personalities which brought them to life for me as a reader.

Aila is a dorky and awkward main character, lacking in social skills and is therefore not sure how to interact with others, including her colleagues. Instead she prefers to spend time with her animals. She was likeable for her awkwardness but she also came across as self-absorbed and quite immature at times. I enjoyed the relationship between Aila and her friend Tanya, as well as her arch nemesis (Aila’s words), Luciana. Their banter felt genuine and realistic.

This is a cute and cosy, slow burn fantasy romance with queer representation throughout, which I really enjoyed.

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher, Orion Publishing Group, for my early copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This book is the definition of cosy fantasy and I loved it. I loved the zoo environment and all the animals, and I really enjoyed how Aila's character was drawn and it felt very realistic to me (as a neuro-typical person). The relationships felt organic, and though I definitely saw THAT twist coming from the start, it didn't make it any less enjoyable to read. The LGBTQ+ rep was great, and I am now an official Tanya stan. More please!

Aila is almost living her childhood dream as being a phoenix keeper and conserving and breeding the beautiful creature. However her zoo has not been chosen as a breeding centre for over a decade and she desperately awaits the opportunity. When a catastrophe hits and a major zoo is targeted by a heist stealing their precious phoenix's and chicks, the opportunity may arrive with very little time for preparation.

Aila is an extreme introvert with social anxiety and is held together by her bestie, Tanya. She navigates communicating with others, dating and fulfilling her side in a friendship. Special mention to Archie, the best mischievous thunderhawk.

If you enjoy cozy, low stakes, magical beasts and a smidge of romance then this will be perfect for you. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Aila starts out as quite a self-absorbed character, but her growth throughout the book is wonderful. Her love for phoenixes makes for a great read.

I did manage to predict a certain character's actions, and figured out early on that this particular person was awful. Although my predictions were correct, it didn't take any enjoyment away from the book. I still enjoyed seeing how it all played out.

A fascinating fantasy with a bi MC, her trans bestie, an enemies to lovers sapphic romance, and plenty of magical creatures!