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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I loved the main characters Ela and Kien. They were very likeable and had lots of adventures. The story was always moving. There was never a dull moment. I loved how Ela rose up to her mission as prophet even though she felt inadequate.
I got this book free via Amazon. I normally don't go for books that have a blatantly Christian theme to them, but I'm glad I gave this one a chance. It ended up being far more interesting than I expected it to be. I'll definitely look for the rest of the series to read, that's for sure.
Star Rating: 4 stars
If you have been following my reviews, then you know that I enjoy reading Christian-themed fiction (especially fantasy) on a regular basis, as it tends to be free of the darker messages and scenes that are sometimes prevalent in more secular books, and so it shouldn’t be surprised that I picked up Prophet by R. J. Larson. This book is set in Old-Testament-style fantasy world with the main character of Ela who follows her disabled sister, Tzana, into a tomb in her home country of Parne. When she goes to get onto her sister for defying the sanctity of the tomb, her sister presents her with a vinewood staff and tells her that it is a present from the Infinite (God). It is at this point that she hears the Infinite’s voice for the 1st time and realizes she is the new prophet, much to everyone’s chagrin, as she is the youngest and 1st female prophet. Spurned by the calling of the Infinite, Ela and her sister set out on a journey that will change their world in ways that they never imagined.
The thing that I enjoyed most about this book is the main characters of Ela and Tzana and the way that the author used them to showcase the fact that the Infinite (God) uses the most unlikely of people to convey his messages. Ela is the youngest and 1st female prophet in this world and Tzana is physically disabled in a world that is very geared through men and able-bodied people. Their struggles and triumphs and how the Infinite (God) works through them are a great way to showcase the theme and to inspire others to allow God to work through them as well.
I also appreciated the fact that the author did not just showcase prefect Christian examples like many other books do. Usually, there are only prefect Christian characters or complete non-believers, however, in this book, you see the entire spectrum of Christians from the self-righteous to the true believers to the hypocrites. This was refreshing as it made the book feel more authentic and real as Christian fall on a spectrum similar to this, especially in my experience.
The only problem I had with this book was the fact that I felt the author should have included the places where she drew her inspiration from in her book. I would have been interested to know which prophets she drew from to craft her characters of Ela and which Biblical tales she used to craft her plot. She also didn’t have a map so I had trouble picturing where all the different kingdoms are.
All in all, this was a great start to a series and I am really interested to continue, although it will be a while as all of my holds came in at once so I have a lot of books to read right now.
If you have been following my reviews, then you know that I enjoy reading Christian-themed fiction (especially fantasy) on a regular basis, as it tends to be free of the darker messages and scenes that are sometimes prevalent in more secular books, and so it shouldn’t be surprised that I picked up Prophet by R. J. Larson. This book is set in Old-Testament-style fantasy world with the main character of Ela who follows her disabled sister, Tzana, into a tomb in her home country of Parne. When she goes to get onto her sister for defying the sanctity of the tomb, her sister presents her with a vinewood staff and tells her that it is a present from the Infinite (God). It is at this point that she hears the Infinite’s voice for the 1st time and realizes she is the new prophet, much to everyone’s chagrin, as she is the youngest and 1st female prophet. Spurned by the calling of the Infinite, Ela and her sister set out on a journey that will change their world in ways that they never imagined.
The thing that I enjoyed most about this book is the main characters of Ela and Tzana and the way that the author used them to showcase the fact that the Infinite (God) uses the most unlikely of people to convey his messages. Ela is the youngest and 1st female prophet in this world and Tzana is physically disabled in a world that is very geared through men and able-bodied people. Their struggles and triumphs and how the Infinite (God) works through them are a great way to showcase the theme and to inspire others to allow God to work through them as well.
I also appreciated the fact that the author did not just showcase prefect Christian examples like many other books do. Usually, there are only prefect Christian characters or complete non-believers, however, in this book, you see the entire spectrum of Christians from the self-righteous to the true believers to the hypocrites. This was refreshing as it made the book feel more authentic and real as Christian fall on a spectrum similar to this, especially in my experience.
The only problem I had with this book was the fact that I felt the author should have included the places where she drew her inspiration from in her book. I would have been interested to know which prophets she drew from to craft her characters of Ela and which Biblical tales she used to craft her plot. She also didn’t have a map so I had trouble picturing where all the different kingdoms are.
All in all, this was a great start to a series and I am really interested to continue, although it will be a while as all of my holds came in at once so I have a lot of books to read right now.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Beautifully written story. I think the description of the infinite presence leaving her was the most impactful event in the story.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
tense
Chapter 1 was eternally long. The main character’s transition into “Chosen prophet” doesn’t seem like something I’m going to enjoy.