Prophecy by Ellen Oh

Title: Prophecy

Author: Ellen Oh

Book #: 1st of Trilogy


Publisher: HarperTeen

Publish Date: January 2nd 2013

Pages: 312

Format: Hardcover


Date Read: August 16th 2013

Rating: ★★★★★ / out of 5

"Our power lies in the choices we make." Her father placed his warm hand on her cheek. "In the choices you make. Remember, stay true to yourself and do what your heart tells you is right, and not what is easy."
She pondered her father's words, profoundly affected by his confidence in her.
"Father," She replied. "I will not disappoint you."

Summary: 

Kira’s the only female in the king’s army, and 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 Prophecy, but the missing treasure of myth may be the true key. With only the guidance of the cryptic prophecy, Kira must battle demon soldiers, evil shaman, and the Demon Lord himself to find what was once lost and raise a prince into a king.
(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

Review:

Wow, what an thrill!

I was interested in this book from the start but couldn't decide if I was ready to buy it. There are many negative reviews of this book comparing it to Graceling. If you read a review that puts down this book because it is a "copy-cat" of Kristen Cashore's book, ignore it. Who cares if the book is similar? The plots are nothing alike. If anything, both Kira, the protagonist inProphecy, and Katsa share a few similarities. But does that mean that this book should be shammed because of that? No. They are both great books. Just ignore those reviews and move on. 

__________

Kira was a great heroine from the start. When we are introduced to her in the very beginning, she is hunting down a demon in the marketplace. She's a demon-hunter and a warrior. The only one of her kind and the only girl trained in battle. She is strong- both physically and of will. 

She doesn't want to marry because of her loyalty to her warrior status and her job as protector of the prince. There is nothing she wants to get in the way and, despite some new-found feelings for a newly made friend, she keeps her duty as her first priority.

"Young mistress, protect him with your life, or all will be lost."
"On my honor," she said.

I found her to be both respectable and admirable. Unfortunately, not everyone in her world does. Most people look down on her, especially the other women and court ladies. She despises them for their open hatred of her, despite the fact that she saved the life of their prince and continues to keep them and their pampered life styles safe.

"Contemplating all the unfriendly faces, Kira wondered what was the greater sin: having yellow eyes or being the sole female warrior? Would she be less of an aberration if she'd been a man?"

Kira continued to be strong throughout the entire novel, even when there seemed like there was nothing else to do and all had been lost. She continues to fight and I can't wait to see where it takes her in the next novel!


All of the other side characters were great, as well. Even though most of the population shuns Kira, her entire family and friends system were supportive. The King, her aunt (the Queen), her cousin (the prince), her uncle (another King), her mother, her father (Army General), the army captain, her brothers, her friends- They all supported Kira when others would not and I was thankful for it. I probably wouldn't have been able to enjoy this book as much if her parents and superiors closest to her were jerks. She had a great support system of people who were willing to help her succeed. 

All her life she'd dealt with prejudice and hate. All her life she's lived knowing people despised her for being different. It was her parents who kept Kira from turning her back to the world. They'd taught her that every life was precious and worth protecting.

But then there's Lord Shin. I have nothing to say about him except:




The writing definitely wasn't the most amazing I've ever read, but I still enjoyed it. I was able to fly through every chapter and understand exactly what was going on, without having to go back and re-read what I just read to make sense of it. The sparse details in some cases were quite nice- giving us just what we needed to form an image in our minds. The action scenes, I thought, were well written because of this, too. There are not extra descriptions overcrowding the action and we are given crisp statements as to what is going on, making the fighting seem like steps instead of a scene in a movie. I liked this because it was easy to process and just as satisfying. 


The story was probably my favorite part. Even though at times being the Dragonborn in Skryim is sometimes tiring...



I very much enjoy being the "one" prophesied to save the day. This concept is very similar in Prophecy except it contains different elements. Instead of fighting dragons, we are fighting demons. I was very glad with the way the story progressed in this book and am excited to see how it ends!

Overall, I loved this book so much! Definitely a new favorite. Would recommend!

Quotes:

"You won't find it easy to kill me, Demon Slayer."
"Personally, I think it's harder to look at you," she said, and grinned.

No matter how long it takes and if it costs me my life, I will have revenge. I swear to you, Father. You will be avenged.

"Don't mind them; it's just ignorance."
Kira let out a bitter laugh. "There seems to be a lot of ignorance in the world."
The captain nodded. "But you can change that, one person at a time."

"The beginning of what?" Kira asked.
But the monk didn't answer. 

"Never be ashamed of what you are, child."

Mother, I know what to do now. I will not fail you. She took a deep breath. I swear to you, I will not fail you.


On My Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/526190218