The Force is strong in this intelligent launch of a mystic-tinged, space war saga" - Kirkus Reviews "Phoenix hints at an eon-spanning masterpiece in the making, a series that is poised to be as impressive as it is gigantic. An amazing read!" - Readers' Favourite They went to the stars in search of Earth-like planets. They had the perfect First Contact. They are even planning the first extra-solar colony. But do they really understand the world they came to conquer? Two worlds are about to collide. And what seems to be strangely familiar may not be familiar at all. Two hundred years from now, the exoplanet surveyor Endeavour arrives in the Kepler 452 system. Their mission is to map the site of the first human colony. Against all odds, they stumble instead across an alien civilisation triggering a first contact they aren't ready for. Luckily the natives appear to be technologically in the Middle Ages and look completely unthreatening. Or so it seems ... Aldeea is a Haillar frontier world at the edge of an ancient star-faring empire. A world where advanced field manipulation melds with astonishing psychical powers, creating something akin to magic. A world that is the frontline of a millennia-old war fought against a deceitful enemy. A world under siege. Caught between two vastly superior enemies, Endeavour's crew have only one chance of survival. For this to happen, two humans and an alien queen need to learn how to trust each other. And in doing so, they will all end up reinventing themselves. A story for the fans of "Avatar" and "The Host", about love and war, but ultimately a story about friendship and trust. Reader's Favourite Five Stars Reviews: "It is rare to find works of science fiction that have enough of the hard-boiled sci-fi concepts to satisfy fans but also manage to hold up lots of cinematic moments and blockbuster tensions. I would definitely recommend Phoenix to both super keen and casual science fiction fans for its many layers of accomplished prose." - K.C. Finn, Author of 'The Mind's Eye' "An addictive read, one that stirs a lot of curiosity within its readers. Readers are in for a long journey, one that is as immaculate, elegant, and creative as the writing itself."