6.2k reviews for:

Prophet Song

Paul Lynch

4.11 AVERAGE

elle_emm_ess's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Dementia, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexual violence

trutledge's review against another edition

4.0

emotional slow-paced

tamaraoc_99's review against another edition

4.75

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

millieviolet's review against another edition

3.5

dark medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

clurrossreads's review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

ana_r_vd's review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

lera9reen's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

hannahreyno's review against another edition

2.0

dark

bellwetherdays's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

who_knew's review against another edition

4.25

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SUMMARY: Ireland is falling apart, caught somewhere between a fascist goverment take over and a violent resistance.There's always a reason for a family not to leave, and then suddenly it's just about too late

I had a hard time reading this book for pretty much the same reason that I think it's really powerful. It doesn't have that "epic fantasy" scope. You feel lost and disoriented here, seeing the world falling apart through such a limited perspective. Nothing seems to be caused by anything specific, just falling and falling and falling apart. But... that's the point. It's hard to follow confusion like this, and it's probably hard to orient yourself in it in real life. It's hard to trust anything. It's hard to make decisions, and that paralysis is insidious

I have one detail I thought was really cool (in such a minor way, but so tasteful and so impactful)  :

We never had to see anyone get raped to know that there was a threat of it. Again, that's really minor, except it's not. I'm so sick of violence against women being something an author adds to a book to up the stakes, to prove a point. Yes, it's there. It's scary. It's very very real. And no, we don't need to see it happen. Because the story can make its points without such a graphic, careless visual.