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loveisnotatriangle's review
4.0
I was almost halfway into INFINITE when I decided to take a break and read PHOENIX OVERTURE before finishing the final book. I really enjoyed this look into Sam's past. I don't think it is essential to read this story to finish the series, but Sam's history and his people's choices are important to understanding the last installment. The magical/Janan component of series is something I've never connected well with in the first two books, but reading this and the first half of INFINITE has changed that. The world building feels a lot stronger!
the_cover_contessa's review
4.0
So, when I found out that Jodi would be writing a novella to go along with this series, I squeed. When I saw it was from Dossam's POV, I jumped around for joy! I just love Sam. I didn't even care what it was about so long as I could see things from his POV.
And this was not disappointing in the least. I think the most interesting thing about this novella is it's from Sam's POV as a young boy of 15. I was not expecting that in the least. The novella read a bit like a middle grade read because he was younger in this story, but it was not at all boring. I loved Sam's voice.
The story shows us his relationship with his mother, father and brother and how it affected him. How he was always a bit of an outcast because of his love of music. And the story demonstrates how the music shaped him and was always part of his life from the very beginning, even before we were introduced to him.
It's a story of courage and remorse. A story of looking inside and finding out who you are and using that to make yourself happy, and to make the people around you understand who you are. It's sad and heart wrenching at times, giving us a key look into Sam's quiet and reserved nature (born of mistrust and fear).
The book also introduces us to Stef as his young friend. It's interesting to see how they met and how their friendship was borne and solidified.
It's so hard to review a novella because you don't want to spoil anything for the reader who has not read the books as of yet. I will say that this novella could certainly be read prior to starting the series, as it might give more insight into who Dossan truly is. It also introduces us to the world of Heart at it's beginnings. Any way you choose to read it, you won't be disappointed in Meadow's writing and prose.
This just made me that much more excited for Infinite!
And this was not disappointing in the least. I think the most interesting thing about this novella is it's from Sam's POV as a young boy of 15. I was not expecting that in the least. The novella read a bit like a middle grade read because he was younger in this story, but it was not at all boring. I loved Sam's voice.
The story shows us his relationship with his mother, father and brother and how it affected him. How he was always a bit of an outcast because of his love of music. And the story demonstrates how the music shaped him and was always part of his life from the very beginning, even before we were introduced to him.
It's a story of courage and remorse. A story of looking inside and finding out who you are and using that to make yourself happy, and to make the people around you understand who you are. It's sad and heart wrenching at times, giving us a key look into Sam's quiet and reserved nature (born of mistrust and fear).
The book also introduces us to Stef as his young friend. It's interesting to see how they met and how their friendship was borne and solidified.
It's so hard to review a novella because you don't want to spoil anything for the reader who has not read the books as of yet. I will say that this novella could certainly be read prior to starting the series, as it might give more insight into who Dossan truly is. It also introduces us to the world of Heart at it's beginnings. Any way you choose to read it, you won't be disappointed in Meadow's writing and prose.
This just made me that much more excited for Infinite!
lpcoolgirl's review
5.0
Oh, what a great book, of Dossam's 1st life, and his best friend, Stef, both with music and machines as in the rest of the series, Stef's aunts were the archivists, and how Stef gave Dossam the nickname of Sam, and Sam's brother, Jayden, who got the nickname of Jay or Den. So good! Loved this novella!
depressyspice's review
5.0
Janan, küfür bulamıyorum sana. Ah Dossam, neler yaşamışsın. Çok iğrenç bir şey olmasına rağmen bu teklifi ben de kabul ederdim.
jcriddle3's review
5.0
It was definitely interesting to learn a little bit of Sam's history. I also liked how this short story helped fill in some of the blanks but I think while it may have answered some of my questions it also made me question even more lol
ireadthebooks's review
3.0
This was a good novella, and I was surprised to find that it really changed my outlook on Sam. In the first two books of the series, I was viewing him as this wise, steady musical genius who had a fierce love for Ana and was kind of her solid rock through a lot of what's been going on.
In this novella, which takes place before the reincarnations begin, Sam is a young child, hated by his father and grieving over the loss of his mother. In their survival-first society, there's no room for a dreamy kid obsessed with music and good at little else. Sam is scared, and because I'm expecting him to act like the preternaturally mature reincarnated version of himself, the (dare I call it?) cowardice and uncertainty were at odds with his characterization as we know it.
And yet, going into Infinite and reading about Sam's struggles and seeing some of that same fear reappear, it just made him more human. Some of these characters have been so perfect, so wise, so skilled that they just didn't seem real. Sam's fear in this novella enhanced his characterization in Infinite, and made me like him even more.
In this novella, which takes place before the reincarnations begin, Sam is a young child, hated by his father and grieving over the loss of his mother. In their survival-first society, there's no room for a dreamy kid obsessed with music and good at little else. Sam is scared, and because I'm expecting him to act like the preternaturally mature reincarnated version of himself, the (dare I call it?) cowardice and uncertainty were at odds with his characterization as we know it.
And yet, going into Infinite and reading about Sam's struggles and seeing some of that same fear reappear, it just made him more human. Some of these characters have been so perfect, so wise, so skilled that they just didn't seem real. Sam's fear in this novella enhanced his characterization in Infinite, and made me like him even more.
appifanie's review
5.0
BAD THINGS HAPPEN
Okay, in all seriousness - that is definitely an adequate summary of this novella (of the whole series, quite frankly), but it's all magic and beautiful in it's own way, even with the Bad Things.
Phoenix Overture is an excellent and integral addition to the Newsoul series. In it we learn all about Sam's difficult first life. We learn how he discovers music, and about his family and their journey - both in their relationships to one another and to their new home and their new way of life - reincarnation. Sam, ever the musician, describes his world beautifully with sounds, and it's easy to imagine and immerse yourself in his life. Sam feels irrelevant in his world, and it's tough to see him living that life when we know how important he is. "What was music when humanity's greatest survival was a desperate hope, not a guarantee?" But we see Sam find himself, his strengths, his offerings to his world.
"The cost for endless life had to be tremendous." This actually reminds me of something an economics professor said in school - it's something people say all the time, but when he said it, it made sense to me (something had to make sense in that class!) - he said 'nothing in life is free.' This novella is an excellent example of that - what does Sam pay to get to where he ends up, what does he pay (and does everyone else pay) to be endlessly reincarnated?
Some novellas make me mad - you pay $.99-$2.99 for them and you get what feels like not much, but PO is definitely worth it's cost. A must read for fans of the series.
Okay, in all seriousness - that is definitely an adequate summary of this novella (of the whole series, quite frankly), but it's all magic and beautiful in it's own way, even with the Bad Things.
Phoenix Overture is an excellent and integral addition to the Newsoul series. In it we learn all about Sam's difficult first life. We learn how he discovers music, and about his family and their journey - both in their relationships to one another and to their new home and their new way of life - reincarnation. Sam, ever the musician, describes his world beautifully with sounds, and it's easy to imagine and immerse yourself in his life. Sam feels irrelevant in his world, and it's tough to see him living that life when we know how important he is. "What was music when humanity's greatest survival was a desperate hope, not a guarantee?" But we see Sam find himself, his strengths, his offerings to his world.
"The cost for endless life had to be tremendous." This actually reminds me of something an economics professor said in school - it's something people say all the time, but when he said it, it made sense to me (something had to make sense in that class!) - he said 'nothing in life is free.' This novella is an excellent example of that - what does Sam pay to get to where he ends up, what does he pay (and does everyone else pay) to be endlessly reincarnated?
Some novellas make me mad - you pay $.99-$2.99 for them and you get what feels like not much, but PO is definitely worth it's cost. A must read for fans of the series.
lili_darknight's review
3.0
3,5
Nebolo to zlé, ale problém bol, že som vedela, ako to skončí, pretože sa vlastne celá epizóda opisovalo v rámci prvých troch dielov. Čiže mi tento príbeh nepriniesol nič nové, ale na druhej strane sa to aspoň dobre čítalo. Len bolo fakt divné uvedomiť si, ako niektoré z mojich obľúbených postáv skutočne začínali...
Nebolo to zlé, ale problém bol, že som vedela, ako to skončí, pretože sa vlastne celá epizóda opisovalo v rámci prvých troch dielov. Čiže mi tento príbeh nepriniesol nič nové, ale na druhej strane sa to aspoň dobre čítalo. Len bolo fakt divné uvedomiť si, ako niektoré z mojich obľúbených postáv skutočne začínali...
alexalovesbooks's review
5.0
Let me begin this review by warning you all that I'm supremely biased when it comes to the Newsoul series, as you can tell from my reviews of Incarnate and Asunder. It's phenomenally written, incredibly inventive, and Jodi Meadows has created a boy that I absolutely adore named Sam. It is so not a surprise then that I adored Phoenix Overture, in spite of the fact that it's (1) short and (2) set in Sam's life before he met Ana.
In my notes, I simply wrote, "GOD, I ADORE SAM." It's basically the entire reason that this novella worked for me. I love Sam, so it made my novella purchase worth it just to learn more about him. Readers get a glimpse into his past, including his relationships then. He and his mother had a strong connection because of their musical abilities, while he and his father didn't exactly see eye to eye on his usefulness. And then, there's his brother Fayden, who I initially didn't like, but ended up really loving, and also Cris, who other fans might recall from the previous books in the series. Each of these people contributed greatly towards making Sam who he is when Ana meets him, and just thinking about that made the story even more interesting.
Phoenix Overture, even though it reads as a prequel novella, is actually better read after the first two books in this series. By then, readers will be invested in Sam and will enjoy this look into his past life as much as I did. Jodi Meadows weaves a very strong tale in a short amount of pages, and I look forward to seeing what happens next to Sam and Ana in Infinite, the final book in the Newsoul series.
(originally posted on the blog)
In my notes, I simply wrote, "GOD, I ADORE SAM." It's basically the entire reason that this novella worked for me. I love Sam, so it made my novella purchase worth it just to learn more about him. Readers get a glimpse into his past, including his relationships then. He and his mother had a strong connection because of their musical abilities, while he and his father didn't exactly see eye to eye on his usefulness. And then, there's his brother Fayden, who I initially didn't like, but ended up really loving, and also Cris, who other fans might recall from the previous books in the series. Each of these people contributed greatly towards making Sam who he is when Ana meets him, and just thinking about that made the story even more interesting.
Phoenix Overture, even though it reads as a prequel novella, is actually better read after the first two books in this series. By then, readers will be invested in Sam and will enjoy this look into his past life as much as I did. Jodi Meadows weaves a very strong tale in a short amount of pages, and I look forward to seeing what happens next to Sam and Ana in Infinite, the final book in the Newsoul series.
(originally posted on the blog)
starlightspell's review
4.0
The world building is so beautiful and the descriptions and writing are so easy to read through and enjoy. This is the beginning of everything and it was interesting and quick to read. Nothing special or really necessary. But enjoyable.