Review: The Last Rising (Curse of the Phoenix) by Rachel Firasek

The Last Rising (Book One: Curse of the Phoenix) by Rachel Firasek

Publisher: Entangled Publishing

Published: September 6, 2011

Pages: 102

Received: for review as part of Bewitching Book Tour

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ADULT CONTENT

After paying two millennia’s penance to Osiris, world-weary Phoenix Ice has had enough. Saving souls without any hope for her own redemption isn’t how she imagined spending eternity. Fed up, she decides her next death will be her last. But when she sacrifices her own life for a sexy Texan in a catastrophic plane crash, she has no idea the consequences will be so great…or that she’ll end up back in his life for her next assignment.

Now that Turner Alcott has survived the worst, finding a wife and mother for his son matters more than ever before. When the mysterious Ice comes into his life, Turner knows she’s the one—but love is the last thing Ice wants. If he wants to win her heart, Turner must teach Ice how to forgive herself, and prove that love is the ultimate sacrifice.

This story sucked me in right away. The novella centers around the idea that as a phoenix, Ice is destined to serve her penance by savings others and dying in their place. Two thousand years later and she is still serving her time - hoping to one day be freed from this life filled with so much death. 

She likes to keep her distance, never getting attached to the people she is sent to save. No memories, Ice. No conversations.  She goes through so much turmoil when it comes to letting herself fall in love, because she is afraid to get close to anyone and then be reborn as someone else. It would leave a gaping wound in her heart and she has been afraid of hurting the other person by disappearing.

Ice is a stubborn woman, but once Turner comes into her life, she has a hard time following her self-imposed rules. Her heart melts for his little boy, who reminds her so much of her long lost child. And Turner ignites a fire deep inside her soul that she thought was long gone. Turner and Ice have this hot and cold relationship - sexy and steamy one minute and all business the next. 

Throughout the book I was wondering when Ice would wake up and realize that feelings and sex don't have to be two different things - that as a whole they are a wonderful experience. After having lived so long, I was surprised that she would force herself to keep her emotions in check. Like the synopsis says: she must learn to forgive before she can learn to love. And Turner knows just how to win her heart.

Such a quick, exciting read. Everything you need to know is there and not filled in with chapters of fluff. I cannot wait to read the rest of this series. The supporting characters were introduced in a way that you just know they are going to receive their own amazing stories. I loved how the mixture of Egyptian mythology and the concept of the phoenix meshed together to create such a unique story.