Cycles of the Phoenix- C.A. Nicholas

Some people have an intrinsic gift for story telling. Nicholas is one of them. Cycles of the Phoenix is broken into three sections: the accumulated Interlaced Soul Series. Right from the first page, you are absorbed and drawn to these characters. The first story starts out with a tangible enemy. Other stories face enemies that may be invisible to the eye but are equally, if not more formidable.

Upon first glance, this may appear to be another fantasy novel but this goes much, much deeper. Through vivid prose, Nicholas addresses many mental health issues in a very poetic and innovative way. I haven’t read a book like this before and I hope it won’t be the last. As a strong advocate for mental health, I greatly appreciated this read. I saw myself reflected in many of these characters. It is clear that this is written with great wisdom and empathy. I must warn you that this is certainly not an easy read and can be triggering but I enjoyed the awareness that is shone onto difficult topics such as depression, self-harm, PTSD, etc.

I was gifted this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I am pleased to say it was a very fulfilling read.