This means she has to be her village’s sacrifice every year. She is a fire witch and escape being burned alive. However, Phoenix Unbound is fantasy romance so in this story, Gilene, our heroine, has magic that saves her. There are people from villages sent to the capital for the entertainment of the citizens-the men have to fight gladiator style battles and the women are burned alive. Its difficult not to make some initial comparisons between Phoenix Unbound and The Hunger Games because of their similar settings. To protect her family and village, she will risk everything to return to the Empire-and burn once more. And unknown to Gilene, he also wants to reclaim the birthright of his clan.

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.Īzarion, 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.

For the last five years, one small village's tithe has been the same woman. A woman with power over fire and illusion and an enslaved son of a chieftain battle a corrupt empire in this powerful and deeply emotional romantic fantasy from the USA Today bestselling author of Radiance.Įvery 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.

Phoenix unbound by grace draven