The Phoenix Saga Part II: Phoenix Ascendant

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

The second story in thePhoenix Saga,Phoenix Ascendant,begins 6 months after the end ofPhoenix Ignited. Ranko and Akane have their ownapartment, as both resume their academic careers. Ranko's pursuit of music takes a huge leap forward, and Ranko and Akane further cement their relationship. A secret Akane insists on keeping threatens to tear them apart. As Ranko's second original song shakes up their lives, the pair must navigate being a gay couple in 1990's Tokyo when one of them is a budding celebrity. Features more thanTWENTYoriginal songs!

Information

Status: Completed
Year: 2024
Author: AnneOminous

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.3/ 5.0
Followers: 49
Views: 102,174

Reviews

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Community Reviews(5)

Anabel SnowRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
If you liked the first one, you will love this one too! After Ranko and Akane move in together, their relationship becomes even closer and all the more sweet. So many beautiful scenes that made me cry! It feels like this story was written just for me, it's so perfect.
BelhamboneRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
You should be able to tell based on when I reviewed the first book to the review after catching to what is posted for the second that I was hooked and burned through these incredibly fast.
This is not an action story, but the energy and emotion is present in every interaction. I've read a lot where the story needed action because everything else is flat. Here seeing how things unfold is captivating and I honestly think that this is a top work on this site.
Cassandra wRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Really enjoyed this one too. A lot of the early story revolves around being gay/closeted in early 90s Japan and all felt well written. High school and it's accompanying drama also play a part in the story but it's more spread out.
The author continues to keep the characters generally grounded and realistic rather than being cartoonish. Though a few characters operate like they're still on the show, at least for a while. Things like super human abilities or operating on cartoon/sitcom logic are kept to a minimum and really only happen a few times. Honestly the most unbelievable thing in the story is that these people are 19 and 20 and communicating about their feelings and relationship better than the vast majority of real people regardless of age. But I'd much rather suspend disbelief around that than have to read about sitcom style miscommunications.
The trans stuff continues in this book primarily in the form of Ranko learning to be and accept being more feminine or doing "girly" things. Ranko gets over the toxic masculinity she was raised with and gives herself permission to do/enjoy things like cheerleading, dresses, and stuffed animals.
We also learn that she was explicitly trans all along, or at least gender fluid. Which is an interesting direction to go and explains why she's able to accept this change more than her just going with it because she had no choice like we're told in the first book. I'd like to see that explored a little more, maybe she tells other people than just that one.
CestarianRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
How many times can you read a book and say you were satisfied? For me, I think this might be the first time I can say I am truly and completely satisfied with a book, the story isn't over, but book 7 was a true masterpiece.
Did you like Phoenix? If you did, I have absolutely no doubt you will like Phoenix Ascendant even more!
Grammar is just about spotless, might actually really be spotless, I never notice grammar mistakes from this author. Probably because the author is way better at grammar than I am.
Style is the same high quality one we enjoyed in the Phoenix. Maybe even better because now we have quite a bit of wonderful, wonderful fluff to sweeten the deal even more
Story is even better in my opinion than in Phoenix (So far Ascendant is my favorite part of this series),
Characters are awesome too, Akane and Ranko's relationship gets plenty of coverage.
It's all perfect, this author is the hero we all need, the hero we don’t deserve... I stand by what my review. Best fanfic I've ever read. A solid contender for best fiction I ever read even, at the very least it's the best romance I ever read, and the best slice of life I ever read, and the best gender bender too!
Can't go wrong with Anne Ominous it seems.
AdiAdiAdiAdiRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Don't be alarmed! I think it's safe to say that usually when we hear the words wish fulfilment it can sometimes kindle a bit of worry in our chests. Depending on the target audience sometimes it can be quite cringe inducing. Thankfully I think this story has managed to dodge the alienation pitfall.
That said---call me a sadist but---I think I would have liked Ranko to suffer a little more. I feel that Phoenix was quite focused on coming to terms with being a girl and getting comfy in her skin and that journey was continued in to a lesser degree in Ascendant. It's really nice to see some trans representation on the platform, even so, I think that that particular plotline went from simmering to the serenity of a smooth lake.
I think from a broad transition perspective it can sometimes be like that. In many ways I think the hardest steps are concentrated at the start and then they fade into the background of your life. At least it's something I see reflected in the lives of many of my friends.
However, from a story perspective I was really really hoping for the catharsis of having Hana and the family finding out about Ranko's past and for them to continue loving her anyway. While it's still potentially a card tucked in the deck for during odyssey i think I would have liked to have seen it by now.
Even if Ranma is dead and gone I do feel like he was a catalyst for the person Ranko manages to become, the family might not ever get to know Ranma but it would have been nice for his memory to be honoured even if he was flawed and broken. (okay so this is where I have to admit I've never watched Ranma 1/2 so I don't really know what Ranma is like in cannon but an acknowledgement would have been nice I think. Plus it's kinda sad that Ranma's friends think he's gone/dead and that Ranko didn't try to foster that bridge a little. Tho maybe they're actually awful who knows xD.)
tl;dr 4.5 stars because I don't feel like the end of Ascendant did quite enough to plunge me into despai