The Phoenix Keeper

Aila, head phoenix keeper at a world-renowned zoo for magical creatures, has spent her life dreaming of conserving critically endangered firebirds. Her chance to make that dream real arrives when a phoenix heist sabotages a neighboring zoo’s flagship breeding program, leaving Aila’s struggling facility in contention to take over the work. There is one serious obstacle: her own zoo’s breeding program has been inactive for a decade, and Aila must prove its derelict facilities are fit for the task. Handling carnivorous water horses, tempestuous thunderhawks, and mischievous dragons is easy compared with winning over the public—and asking Luciana, the zoo’s celebrated griffin keeper, for help.

Luciana is Aila’s former college rival and believes the phoenixes should serve as active performers rather than remain solely part of a conservation exhibit. With poachers looming and the future of an entire species at stake, Aila must navigate their rivalry, the zoo’s challenges, and an unexpected queer romance while learning that she does not have to face the crisis alone.