Phantoms (The Phoenix Wars, #2). By C.R. Daems. My rating ⭐ ⭐ out of 5 stars.
The ruling Anixians believe Kayla is the “Wingless and Featherless” savior prophesied by Grey Seer hundreds of years in the past. As a consequence, they have given her the problem of saving Anixia from the multiple warlike races inhabiting the Milky Way.
Unfortunately, Kayla is quick to realize she is in charge of a strategy that has no chance of surviving contact with the three warlike nations currently known to exist: Tullizor, Soofir, and Jumanu.
The Anixians only have five cruisers and don’t have sufficient population to crew a sixth nor adequate yearly recruits from Earth to replace crew losses that would be sustained in a major invasion. Their current numbers might be enough to keep the Tullizor at bay, but not if, or likely, when the Jumanu or the Soofir find the planet. To make matter worse, Kayla is young woman while most of the senior humans are male, older, and have years of experience. If that weren’t enough, too many of the humans on Anixia believe stealing a cruiser and returning to Earth would make them rich, healthy, and famous.
Life on Anixia is about to become very interesting.
This is another one of those books series where I had read the first book and thought it was okay but not great. To be honest I had pretty much forgotten about this series when I stumbled on the second book in the series and just remembered that the first one was okayish so I had a go at reading it. I did not even re-read my own review of the first one before I jumped which was maybe a mistake.
This book very much continues the story straight from where the first one left of. Unfortunately it is not only the story itself that continues but also the rubbish science and overly simplistic handling of pretty much everything from mutinies to technological advances to military action and diplomatic alliances.
Everything Kayla does is a success whether it is figuring out new military strategies, new weapons or negotiating with aliens in first contact situations. And she does it with breath neck speed. The pace of the story is just way too fast and too simplistic.
The characters are quite simplistic. The not too bright asshat humans constantly trying to mutiny against the people that gave them a second chance at life, actually a chance to have a life at all, is just annoying. How the Anxians/Humans got promoted to being a first tier member and member of the Alliance council in days based on just a few events is just ludicrous.
I do occasionally read young adult book and sometimes, quite often actually, I like them and sometimes not. This one falls in the latter category. It is not really young adult material but just young. And not very bright young at that.
Too bad. With some more thought and realism going into the story this could have been a good one. I guess I am not the only one not being hooked on this series since both books came out in 2021 and from there on… nothing.
PG's Ramblings 