Sunday, January 6, 2013

Prophecy: By Ellen Oh

PROPHECY

SUMMARY


The greatest warrior in all of the Seven Kingdoms . . . is a girl with yellow eyes.

Kira's the only female in the king's army, and she's also the prince's bodyguard. She's a demon slayer and an outcast, hated by nearly everyone in her home city of Hansong. And, she's their only hope. . . .

Murdered kings and discovered traitors point to a demon invasion, sending Kira on the run with the young prince. He may be the savior predicted in the Dragon King's prophecy, but the legendary lost ruby treasure just might be the true key to victory. With only the guidance of the cryptic prophecy, Kira must battle demon soldiers, an evil shaman, and the Demon Lord himself to find what was once lost and raise a prince into a king.


REVIEW


For readers looking for a book to compare Prophecy to, Prophecy reminded me a bit of a middle grade version of Eon, by Alison Goodman. This is probably because of the Asian culture setting, the emphasis on women becoming powerful figures in this society, and the use of dragons in the magic system seen in both books.

For those not familiar with Eon, Prophecy is the story of the female warrior, Kira, in an Asian based society. She is gifted with a tiger spirit that grants her accelerated healing, superior strength and speed, and the ability to see demon possessions, making her the perfect demon hunter and protector of her cousin, Prince Taejo. Of course, these attributes that make her special also make her reviled her people, as their superstitions bring them to fear her and her glowing yellow eyes. The story then quickly takes Kira’s protection of Prince Taejo to a new level as they and their country is backstabbed by the King’s political enemy. With Kira, her brother, and Taejo on the run, the seven countries falling to the enemy, and the rise of demon spirits it’s up to Kira and Taejo to fulfill a centuries old prophecy about the rise of a great demonic power and the One that can defeat it.

Ellen Oh, the author, does a fantastic job maintaining a constant level of action in Prophecy. Everything from magical assaults, demon possessed warriors, to human enemies, make up the action that Kira and her cousins have to face and readers will love to read about.

As for the characters, many of the characters I liked, such as Taejo, Kira, and Jaewon. But some of the characters decisions I just didn’t understand, such as Shin Bo Hyun’s admission of his uncle’s treachery yet unwilling to accept his own part in the scheme for following orders. Or his lust for Kira herself which could have been developed more, but was thrown out there and then left unfinished in its development as a storyline.

Of course, I did like how this wasn’t just another love starved powerful girl looking for a man. This was a story about finding one’s strength, overcoming gender stereotypes, and acceptance for one’s true self. All in all a fun book for readers looking for a little action and adventure, and I’m curious what Oh will do in the next installment in the series. 


INFO

Publisher: HarperTeen

Published: January 2, 2013

Price: $17.99

Link to Buy: http://www.amazon.com/Prophecy-Dragon-King-Chronicles-Ellen/dp/0062091093/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1357514366&sr=1-1&keywords=prophecy+ellen+oh

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