Dark Phoenix is a powerful and highly engaging account that delves deeply into the intriguing story of Danielle Smith's alarming rise and consolidation of power. Jeremy Appel has done a first-rate job documenting how seamlessly and ruthlessly she has championed the interests of Big Oil, the far-right and provincial separatists, and how her street-smart political skills now pose an immense risk to Alberta — and to Canada as a whole.
Linda McQuaig, author of Cancelling Billionaries Before They Cancel Us
When encountering a politician like Danielle Smith, it's sometimes hard to truly grasp why they do the things that they do — and, more importantly, how they keep getting away with it. In Dark Phoenix, Jeremy Appel demystifies these questions. Through gripping writing and immaculate research, he paints a clear picture of what drives Smith: naked opportunism. It's a chilling tale of a woman who appears to be motivated by nothing more than her own ascent — and it's only in understanding both her thinking and the tactics she uses to achieve her goals that we can truly push back. Dark Phoenix is an important read for any anyone seeking to understand Alberta politics and its unhinged premier. It's even more essential as a case study of a kind of politician that is all too common these days.
Rachel Gilmore, independent journalist and host of Bubble Pop
Dark Phoenix presents a well-researched portrait that will likely become the standard account for anyone curious about Danielle Smith's career to date.
Mark Lisac, journalist and author of The Carbon Eaters
Not just a biography, but an incredibly detailed overview of an emergent form of authoritarian anti-politics wherein the candidate subscribes to an ideology of nothing except the acquisition of power for powers sake. Jeremy Appel is one of the best journalists working in Canada today. A necessary voice.
Dan Boeckner, musician in Wolf Parade
Like Rick Perlstein's Nixonland, Jeremy Appel uses the details of Danielle Smith's life, from the shocking and enraging to the banal and deeply hilarious, to capture a cultural and political shift in Canada. Appel reveals Smith, with her uncanny ability to project empathy and normalize extremist ideas, as a defining figure in our neo-authoritarian age; where the role of government is to enact and enforce the policies of capital, while acting as the stage for reactionary grievance theatre. A must-read for anyone interested in Canadian politics.
Jordan Foisy, comedian and lead writer of This Hour Has 22 Minutes
Understanding the path Danielle Smith took to the helm of Alberta politics provides an understanding to this moment in time in Canada's political landscape. Canadians wanting to understand the politicizing of grievances in Alberta owe a debt to Appel for this in depth understanding of the political movements that led to the political division in the province, and the charming manipulation of Smith to lead the charge.
Carmen Celestini, author of God's Angry Men
Danielle Smith has named the writer Ayn Rand as one of her heroes. But the literary figure that Smith most resembles is Lady Macbeth. Dark Phoenix reveals Smith as a figure driven entirely by ambition, opportunism, and self-preservation. She is, as Jeremy Appel writes, 'an affable conduit for the dark forces who put her into power.' Canadians should pay attention.
Marcello Di Cintio, award-winning author of Walls: Travels Along the Barricades