The phoenix keeper - s. a. maclean

Set in a magical zoo teeming with mythical beasts from dragons and unicorns to kelpies and krakens, The Phoenix Keeper is a fierce joy of a cozy fantasy novel with a soul-restoring queer romance at its heart, for fans of The House in the Cerulean Sea and Legends and Lattes.

As head phoenix keeper at a world-renowned zoo for magical creatures, Ailas childhood dream of conserving critically endangered firebirds seems closer than ever.

Theres just one glaring caveat: her zoos breeding program hasnt functioned for a decade.

When a tragic phoenix heist sabotages the flagship initiative at a neighboring zoo, Aila must prove her derelict facilities are fit to take the reins.

But saving an entire species from extinction requires more than stellar animal handling skills.

Carnivorous water horses, tempestuous thunderhawks, mischievous dragons.

Aila has no problem wrangling beasts.

But mustering the courage to ask for help from the hotshot griffin keeper at the zoos most popular exhibit? Virtually impossible.

Especially when that hotshot griffin keeper happens to be her arch-rival from college: Luciana, an annoyingly brooding and insufferable know-it-all with the face of a goddess whos convinced that Ailas beloved phoenix would serve their cause better as an active performer rather than as a passive conservation exhibit.

With the world watching and the threat of poachers looming, Ailas success is no longer merely a matter of keeping her job.

She is the keeper of the phoenix, and the future of a species- and her love life- now rests on her shoulders.