The Bookwyrm's Review of Return of the Phoenix by Heath Stallcup

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Author: Heath Stallcup

Length: 371 Pages/ 9 Hours, 30 Minutes (Audio)

Publisher: DevilDog Press

Release Date: October 18, 2019

Narrator: Jack Voorhies

Series: Monster Squad, Book 1

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: 8.5/10 Stars

Amazon Link

Long before I had a review blog, I was still reading lots of books. Discovering audiobooks just helped me get even more stories into my head. Being offered the chance to read and review this series was the seed of the idea that grew into this blog, since I wanted to get more eyes on this and the other books I was reading. I am really thankful for the indie authors that took a chance on someone like me they didn't know to read and give an honest review of their books.

PLOT SUMMARY

Humanity has spent its time enjoying the peace that can only be had through blissful ignorance. For centuries, stories of things that go "bump" in the night have been passed down and shared. When creatures of the night proved to be real, the best of America 's military came together to form an elite band of rapid-response teams. 

Their mission: To face the challenge and keep the civilian populace safe from those threats and hide all evidence of their existence. But during a routine mission, when things go horribly wrong, the Monster Squad finds themselves having to rebuild from the ashes of what they once were.

This time, they face not only the monsters that threaten the peaceful lives of the citizens they are sworn to protect, but their own government, as a dark storm brews on the horizon. A storm that will threaten not just the squad and their existence, but the lives of every human on Earth.

FURTHER THOUGHTS

I was asked to give an honest review of the book, so here goes. I loved it! As a former soldier, I understand the difficulty of translating the military experience to any kind of fantasy setting without resorting to clichés and stereotypes, but I think the author really hit it on the head. He was in the military, and obviously researched like crazy, because it was spot on in so many ways. The story is about the government's military monster hunting teams, made up of different Special Operations operators. After a team is wiped out to almost the last man in an ambush, new recruits are brought in and trained to replace them. 

No spoilers here, but everything is not what it seems. There is a Senator that wants the teams shut down, a civil war fomenting in the supernatural world, and revelations to be made about the hunter teams themselves. It is well written and engaging, with strong world building and character development. The only aspect I was kind of leery of was an inter-team romance that I thought would damage unit cohesion, but the author resolved the issue later in the book in a realistic way. While there is not a lot of back story in the book, but the second book fleshes out the back story nicely. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who likes urban fantasy and military thrillers. I have recommended it to my own friends and family, knowing they would enjoy it as well.