Phoenix Unbound (Fallen Empire, #1) by Grace Draven

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Every year, each village is required to send a young woman to the Empire's capital--her fate to be burned alive for the entertainment of the masses. For the last five years, one small village's tithe has been the same woman. Gilene's sacrifice protects all the other young women of her village, and her secret to staying alive lies with the magic only she possesses.

But this year is different.

Azarion, the Empire's most famous gladiator, has somehow seen through her illusion--and is set on blackmailing Gilene into using her abilities to help him escape his life of slavery. And unknown to Gilene, he also wants to reclaim the birthright of his clan.

To protect her family and village, she will risk everything to return to the Empire--and burn once more.

"When the struggle only pleased the torturer and made the torture worse, you stopped fighting and learned to endure. To endure was to survive."

I received an ARC from NetGalley and First to Read in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product. 

Phoenix Unbound was a lot darker than I was expecting, full of brutality, sacrifices, and death. Grace Draven spared no one, and Gilene and Azarion both suffered the Empire's cruelty. Gilene as a Flower of Spring, meant to burn at the stake for the Empire's enjoyment (disguised as a sacrifice to the gods), and Azarion as a gladiator and plaything for Herself. They were both repeatedly raped and used for the amusement of others. "As one of those unfortunate blooms, Gilene would whore for her village tonight and burn for it tomorrow."

Despite Azarion's circumstances, I disliked him at the beginning. He was in a horrible situation and used Gilene to get out of it. I can understand his desire for freedom and vengeance, but hated how he forced Gilene to help him achieve them. She went from being used by the empire, to being used by Azarion. She risked her life (and the lives of others) to save him, and he repaid her with betrayal and more captivity. However, he did grow on me over time. He had very good reasons for doing what he did, but I wish he had gone about them differently. Although, I'm not sure it would have worked any other way. I felt really conflicted about this! He did treat Gilene with respect and always made sure she was safe (for his sake as well as hers), but he also threatened her so she wouldn't reveal their secrets as they traveled. He promised her his protection and a way home afterwards, but it was obvious he would do whatever was necessary to achieve his goals, even kill innocent people.

Azarion and Gilene never had many options, but I think they both made the best of their circumstances. She eventually came to understand him, and the two even became friends. They were able to be in each other's company without worrying what the other would do, and it was nice to see them working together instead of against each other. They made a great team when they wanted to! I enjoyed their conversations and their banter.

I think leaving with Azarion really helped Gilene in the end. She learned a lot about herself and her abilities, and it made her see things a little more clearly. She found love and acceptance, friendship and family, and was happy for probably the first time in her life. I wish she had made a different decision towards the end, but know her choice was necessary for the continuation of the story.

I thought this book had a wonderful hate-to-love romance, and one that was very authentic. At first Gilene never stopped trying to escape, and their shared fight for survival was believable and realistic. They needed each other to survive, but they were also wary of the other's intentions. It took a significant amount of time before they started to actually trust one another, and their goals were similarly aligned. I really enjoyed watching their relationship change over time, and I'm really happy with where things ended.

Phoenix Unbound was hard to read at times, but I think Draven showed a side of humanity that we don't see very often. There are people that enjoy the pain of others, and it's scary to think about what the world would look like if they were in charge. I hate that it took me so long to get through this one, because I really enjoyed it. I think the author created a beautifully dark world that shows what it's like for people to find hope and fight for it with everything they have.

I'm really looking forward to the next book in this series!