leeannadotme

I don’t usually read novellas, but I jumped on PHOENIX OVERTURE for a couple of reasons. One: the Newsoul trilogy is one of my all-time favorites, and I’m impatiently waiting for the release of the last book, INFINITE. Two: I love Jodi Meadows’s writing. Three: I wanted a peek into Sam’s head.

PHOENIX OVERTURE is Sam’s story, when he lived in a world where there was true death, and it lurked behind every corner. If you remember some of the revelations of ASUNDER, the novella fills in the gaps of how the citizens of Range came to be reincarnated lifetime after lifetime. If it’s been a while since you’ve read INCARNATE or ASUNDER, don’t worry — you won’t be lost. It’s been a while since I read them, but details came back to me as I read this novella. There are quite a few familiar names, from Stef to Cris, from Li to Meuric. There are dragons and centaurs, too.

At first, Sam’s story is pretty sad. His father hates him, his brother doesn’t like him, and his mother, the only person who understood him, is dead. The only good thing in life Sam has is music, but it’s dangerous to sneak into the old city to play the only piano left. The Sam in this novella is reminiscent of the Sam we know in the Newsoul series. I feel like the life he had before being reincarnated explains some of why he helps Ana in the series, even if he doesn’t remember that life.

Overall, I enjoyed PHOENIX OVERTURE. It’s the perfect story to tide you over if, like me, you are desperately waiting for INFINITE.