I'm coming back to finally review this.
I honestly can't think of anything in this book I didn't like. I'm a die hard for world building, and a unique story and I really felt this book had that start to finish. Like any high fantasy it takes a moment to adjust to the setting, and culture, but something I felt Pau-Preto does perfectly is the bond between the phoenix and the riders, it felt SO natural and intuitive.
I was mesmerized, I laughed, my heart broke and I felt both anger and fear. There are plot twists and little details add up to large pay-offs.
This wasn't a quick read for me, it was a worth while one.