Title: Phoenix Overture Series: Newsoul #0.5
Author: Jodi Meadows
Published: September 3, 2013
Genre(s): Fantasy
Page Count: 138
Rating:
Summary from Goodreads:In the wilds around the Community where Sam and his family have taken shelter, life is dangerous. Dragons, trolls, centaurs, and other monsters fill the world. The word comes from the council that everyone must leave and journey to rescue their leader, Janan, who has been abducted by a mysterious new enemy in the north. Faced with overwhelming threats that bring death and destruction, Sam and the others reach the northern Range and, reunited with Janan, are given an unimaginable opportunity. Although it would give them the privilege to live and learn and love without fear, the choice is not without its own dire consequences. And lives—though not theirs—are sure to be lost. Just how much are they willing to give up to save themselves?
The world of Jodi Meadows’ Newsoul trilogy is one of the most creative and captivating settings I’ve encountered, and I was more than anticipating this chance to go back to the beginning and see what happened (and what went wrong). Phoenix Overture most certainly didn’t disappoint.
Though this novella is certainly an excellent origin story in its own right, it was equally fascinating to see these characters at so early a date. At the time of the series proper, Sam and Stef and everyone are more than 5,000 years old, but in Phoenix Overture, Sam is only 15, and he’s scared—so, so scared. The Sam the reader meets here is not the patient, wise, intelligent Sam that Ana knows. He’s timid, anxious, guilty, and, dare I say it, cowardly. Sam has always been an amazing, nuanced character, but seeing this side of him is especially humanizing. He didn’t pop out of mom’s uterus with studied composure and endless compassion—those things were honed over 5,000 years of reincarnation. And in some ways, this version of Sam has something in common with Ana (not, obviously, the cowardly part). Like Ana, Sam’s been told that he’s worthless, not a useful member of society, and it’s scarred him. And like Ana, over the course of the story, Sam comes to be valued for his individual talents and personality.
Aside from Sam, there’s also a lot of familiar faces present. Stef is in the story, obviously, and you get to see how his relationship with Sam first began. Li, Sine, Orrin, Whit and Meuric were all present. And, of course, Janan. Probably the most interesting thing about Phoenix Overture is the portrayal of Janan, however brief. He’s just a disembodied thing in the full-length books, but here he’s an actual person. Which was interesting for sure.
Phoenix Overture also offers a more understandable glimpse at how the inhabitants of Range came to exist. Basically, the modern world experiences an apocalypse, seemingly from a Yellowstone-like supervolcano, and only a few survive by scavenging and feuding. Enter Janan and his delusions of immortality. Meadows didn’t go into too much detail because in the end it doesn’t really make too much difference, but it was nice to get a little bit more information.
Overall, this novella was a pretty worthwhile investment of my time. Going back to the very beginning was an interesting experience, and getting more of a feel on who Sam is as a character was important, I feel. Phoenix Overture might not be winning any awards from my end, but it was a nice supplement to the Newsoul trilogy.
