Phoenix Rising
A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel
Paperback | Kindle
By Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris
HarperCollins Voyager
Release Date: April 26, 2011

You know how everyone says to never judge a book by its cover? Well, I did”¦ and boy, was it worth it! I was intrigued by the title Phoenix Rising, or rather the subtitle — A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel — but was snared by the art on the front. Going in with an expectation of sexy, steampunk fantasy I was happily rewarded with an excellent introduction to the characters. Agents Braun and Books came to life immediately. Even better, they continued to grow slowly throughout the book keeping me interested in not just the plotline, but in the character development as well. As with any steampunk novel this book is full of mechanized gadgets, well described and alluring. I might perhaps be doing this book an injustice by labeling it so, as it does have all the earmarks of an excellent fantasy-mystery. That said, it was a well-written, highly entertaining romp.