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nostradamnus's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Read if you like: slow placing with the occasional excellent fight scene scattered throughout.
The Art of Prophecy is a just fine vanilla high-fantasy novel with an okay-ly executed wuxia reskin. The first act is by far the strongest, but after that, it peters out so much that I think, after getting the set-up, you could easily skip to the next installation of the series, which will presumably fulfill the "thesis" of this book:That this is a story about Jian being trained by Taishi and hunted by Sali . All that really happens in the interim is that our trio/arguably quartet of protagonists collect allies and the occasional, low-level enemy, but none of these characters grow in an impactful way or drive the plot forward through their actions. Taishi's journey is the most emblematic of this as it ends in her receiving a prophecy of which the primary function (at least in this first book) is telling her something both she and the reader already know .
At the end of the day, there's just very little that makes this book stand out aside from Taishi (who does admittedly rock--even if she never changes and accomplishes nothing of import, you can't improve on perfection). I'll be reading on to The Art of Destiny, but only because I'm fairly certain it's the book I wanted to read in the first place when I picked this up.
The Art of Prophecy is a just fine vanilla high-fantasy novel with an okay-ly executed wuxia reskin. The first act is by far the strongest, but after that, it peters out so much that I think, after getting the set-up, you could easily skip to the next installation of the series, which will presumably fulfill the "thesis" of this book:
At the end of the day, there's just very little that makes this book stand out aside from Taishi (who does admittedly rock--even if she never changes and accomplishes nothing of import, you can't improve on perfection). I'll be reading on to The Art of Destiny, but only because I'm fairly certain it's the book I wanted to read in the first place when I picked this up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Colonisation, and Abandonment
Moderate: Blood, Death, Alcohol, War, and Violence
ssellwood's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.0
The Art of Prophecy takes on the classic prophesied hero trope, but with a twist. Jian, prophesied to slay the great Khan isn't perfect, in fact he's arrogant and impetuous, but that all begins to change when he meets his new mentor Taishi. Highlights included a broad mix of character POVs from different sides of the conflict, detailed, fast-paced fight scenes, the strong, sassy character of Taishi, Jian's character development and good humour. I did feel that the pacing became a little slower in the middle and that Qisami's character was a little one dimensional. Overall, would recommend for the visual battle scenes and the fun characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, War, Xenophobia, Murder, Death, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cannibalism and Fire/Fire injury
lizgriffinwords's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
medium-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? Yes
4.75
An excellent fantasy series opener! If you like epic, multi-cultural tales that have great dynamic characters at the core, please pick up this book. The audiobook is read by the excellent Natalie Naudus.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and War
azrah786's review against another edition
4.25
[This review can also be found on my BLOG]
**I was gifted a copy of the book by Daphne Press through Black Crow PR in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, blood, injury, gore, murder, torture, war, death, death of parent, xenophobia, bullying, confinement, emotional abuse, ableism, grief, drug use, alcohol
--
The Art of Prophecy is a book that has truly left a lasting impression as it is still rattling around in my mind two months on.
Now I’ll admit I did struggle with it at first as the opening chapters didn’t initially grab my interest. They consisted of the standard sequence of throwing us into a new world with lots of names and places and details that you have to get your head around and I immediately did not like Jian, the central figure of the prophecy this book revolves around, and his whiny bratty attitude. However, the synopsis played the story out to be something different to what it actually is.
My expectations were for it to predominantly follow a rag tag group joining together to go on a quest to get to the bottom of the failed prophecy with all the usual banter and resulting found family bonding. What this story is instead is a narrative shadowing a handful of characters (predominantly kick-ass female MCs) of varying backgrounds on their individual journeys, whose paths intersect and merge based around this prophecy and the central “hero” for different reasons and it was so so refreshing.
It is a slow-burner but once you get sucked in, you’re entranced by both the characters and the world. Wuxia inspired, the worldbuilding is vast and so evidently lived in but it is all revealed in a leisurely and meticulous manner. Over the course of the book we traverse across the continent and learn of the different people and cultures that make it up like a patchwork quilt and how they stand with regards to each other’s beliefs and ways of life. There is a community of people who live as part of a moving city which is one of the elements that I still vividly remember and that fascinated me the most.
I don’t actually want to say too much with regards to the plot as it truly needs to be enjoyed first hand but it does include a fair few familiar and classic fantasy elements (prophecies and chosen ones, master & apprentice situations) just in a slightly unconventional way.
Chu’s storytelling is wonderfully engaging. There’s a great balance of light, humorous moments and then lots of action and the exploration of darker themes. The martial arts fight scenes were so entertaining and the magical elements made it even cooler and it reminded me of the Green Bone Saga a little. But I’ve got to say what I loved the most were the characters, especially Ling Tiashi, and watching their motivations shift, their relationships grow and their arcs develop.
I’m excited to see where the story leads them all next!
Final Rating – 4.25/5 Stars
**I was gifted a copy of the book by Daphne Press through Black Crow PR in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, blood, injury, gore, murder, torture, war, death, death of parent, xenophobia, bullying, confinement, emotional abuse, ableism, grief, drug use, alcohol
--
The Art of Prophecy is a book that has truly left a lasting impression as it is still rattling around in my mind two months on.
Now I’ll admit I did struggle with it at first as the opening chapters didn’t initially grab my interest. They consisted of the standard sequence of throwing us into a new world with lots of names and places and details that you have to get your head around and I immediately did not like Jian, the central figure of the prophecy this book revolves around, and his whiny bratty attitude. However, the synopsis played the story out to be something different to what it actually is.
My expectations were for it to predominantly follow a rag tag group joining together to go on a quest to get to the bottom of the failed prophecy with all the usual banter and resulting found family bonding. What this story is instead is a narrative shadowing a handful of characters (predominantly kick-ass female MCs) of varying backgrounds on their individual journeys, whose paths intersect and merge based around this prophecy and the central “hero” for different reasons and it was so so refreshing.
It is a slow-burner but once you get sucked in, you’re entranced by both the characters and the world. Wuxia inspired, the worldbuilding is vast and so evidently lived in but it is all revealed in a leisurely and meticulous manner. Over the course of the book we traverse across the continent and learn of the different people and cultures that make it up like a patchwork quilt and how they stand with regards to each other’s beliefs and ways of life. There is a community of people who live as part of a moving city which is one of the elements that I still vividly remember and that fascinated me the most.
I don’t actually want to say too much with regards to the plot as it truly needs to be enjoyed first hand but it does include a fair few familiar and classic fantasy elements (prophecies and chosen ones, master & apprentice situations) just in a slightly unconventional way.
Chu’s storytelling is wonderfully engaging. There’s a great balance of light, humorous moments and then lots of action and the exploration of darker themes. The martial arts fight scenes were so entertaining and the magical elements made it even cooler and it reminded me of the Green Bone Saga a little. But I’ve got to say what I loved the most were the characters, especially Ling Tiashi, and watching their motivations shift, their relationships grow and their arcs develop.
I’m excited to see where the story leads them all next!
Final Rating – 4.25/5 Stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Murder, Torture, War, Death, Xenophobia, Bullying, Confinement, Emotional abuse, and Grief
Moderate: Ableism, Drug use, and Alcohol
niamhyjay's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Death, Xenophobia, and War
Moderate: Slavery, Death of parent, and Torture
maralaene's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
I picked this book up more than anything for the cover, but I stayed for the story. This is a phenomenal martial high fantasy book. It’s told in multiple perspectives that span the hero, a mentor, the enemy, and a somewhat villainous character with plot lines that all converge and overlap throughout the story.
Taishi is by far my favorite character-she is sassy and entertaining and a complete badass. PLUS she can walk on wind. I did listen to this book on audio, and I have to say the narration is phenomenal. It’s easy to tell who is speaking when, which can be hard in a multi-POV story, and it is done spectacularly.
I cannot wait to see how this series continues and will definitely be picking up the rest of these books as they come!
Taishi is by far my favorite character-she is sassy and entertaining and a complete badass. PLUS she can walk on wind. I did listen to this book on audio, and I have to say the narration is phenomenal. It’s easy to tell who is speaking when, which can be hard in a multi-POV story, and it is done spectacularly.
I cannot wait to see how this series continues and will definitely be picking up the rest of these books as they come!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Death of parent
adancewithbooks's review
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you to Daphne Press and netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion in anyway.
The Art of Prophecy is a book that has had a slow going buzz. Perhaps not when it released last year but as 2023 continues I hear more people talking about this book. And there is a reason for that.
In this book we first start following Tashi when she comes to visit Jian, the prophesied Hero. Sheltered from the world, Jian has much to learn. And Tashi decides to be the person to do it. But when the world learns that the prophecy failed, both Jian and Tashi have to run for their lives. As their story unfolds we meet two more main characters. Salminde who is on the other end of the war, trying to save her people. Qisami on the other end is a hired assassin with powers of the shadow nature. It creates an interesting narrative. One that took a while to get going but once it does, it hits quite a punch.
I especially fell in love with Tashi. A one armed war artist, considered the greatest of her generation. She is brash and in your face. But she has a big heart, somewhere burrowed under al that saltiness. Jian on the other hand took some getting used to. He was an entitled brat because that was the way he was raised. When you are raised to be The HERO of your nation. The one from the prophecy. You get a little ahead of yourself. But when his nation drops him like a stone, he has to start learning to fend for himself. I think he grew into that splendidly because he ended up with the right people around him.
As for Salminde, she is a character that I also couldn't help but like right away. Coming home to your rulers death and knowing you are meant to sacrifice yourself, is quite a feat. Then not doing it and deciding that you will be the one to find his substitution and save your people, is quite a switch. But it was believable with who she is. She wants to do the right thing but also wants to save what is hers (her sister). And she is in an internal war with herself over that. I did find it harder to like her when she joins the ranks of wanting to kill Jian.
But that is also the charm of this book. Getting the oposite sides of this big war. A prophecy that failed. But what is the true story behind that? Believe me that the title of this book is absolutely fitting. I'm not sure how Qisame fits in and I don't particularly like her. But she came into the story quite a bit later and there wasn't much growth in her yet.
All in all, this book is a great pick for those of us who love a good in depth, slower build of an epic fantasy. And the best thing is that the sequel is coming out later this year.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Violence, and Death
blumoonie's review
I couldn't finish this book, which I think is a real shame. The premise is awesome and the characters interesting at first glance, but I quickly realised that they were just too easy to figure out. The dialogue is a great example of this: in the beginning of the story most dialogue is short, taking place between bouts of action. the longest monologues are internal, so a lack of nuance can be forgiven. later, though, it becomes unbearable, to the point where I simply gave up halfway through a supposed “conversation” Sali was having. If i were to be really nitpicky, I might mention the occaisonally strange wording of specific sentences (”the tracks beneath Sali's pod begin to crunch on stone as the road transitioned from dirt to stone,” for example), but this book has far larger problems, such as near-nonsensical worldbuilding and an author who doesn't trust his audience enough to pick up on hidden clues, or know what a real conversation sounds like.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Violence
leanne_miron's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Xenophobia, Violence, and Bullying
Minor: Genocide
gen_wolfhailstorm's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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? Yes
5.0
Thank you Black Crow PR for sending this my way and including my participation in the Book Tour.
I knew this was going to be my cup of tea as soon as I read the line about the prophetic hero not being the hero after all and the motley cast of characters that we'd be introduced to.
This felt like such a jovial poke fun at old school martial arts movies (it had me in mind of crouching tiger, hidden dragon) and it really felt like it was playing out like a movie in my head.
The humour in this made me physically laugh out loud, whilst the action scenes had my belly feeling clenched and my teeth grinding in anticipation.
Act I was a great introduction to our main cast of characters. My favourite was definitely grandmaster Taishi. I feel like she delivered so much humour in her dead pan personality and just natural epic legendary...ness.
I really disliked Jian. He was written so perfectly as this spoiled child hero that really hadn't done anything to deserve all the praise and godship he was freely given, so when the two ultimately met, I loved to see how their different ways clashed and hoped to see some humble traits rise from within Jian.
Act I was also the beginning of the end for Jian in many ways. Finding out that the procephy was false was one of the biggest plot points of the first act and it was interesting to see how everyone reacted to the news. The balance of how everyone felt about the procephy before vs after was so perfectly tuned. Chu really knew how to enchance emotions in perfect timing for a big drop. It was looking to be a great set up for the second Act.
Act II was interesting in the fact that we met a new substantial character - Qisami - up until then I was racking my brain thinking this character had maybe been using an alias. Her whole sect of Shadowkills gave me serious Fire Nation vibes and I throughly enjoyed that.
I enjoyed exploring the war art school with Jian and seeing how he feared in his own two feet after the crumble of the world as he knew it.
I also loved that we had a constant narrative of Sali of the Katuia people, which at times was often every other chapter. I think sympathising with her people and being fascinated by their way of life in these moving citites and among the Grass Sea, is what made my loyalties get pretty tangled by Act III.
Act III was fantastic. There were multiple epic battles all leading up to the final boss and I couldn't begin to imagine which way events would pan out. Also, because I got to enjoy every narrative, I was incredibly stumped on where my loyalties lay. Which made this particularly hard to decide on was that even in battle there was so much honor and respect. It was so inspiring to see rivals admire eachothers techniques and skill during the fights.
I feel like this would be even more incredible via audio. Imagining how rich in character, how distinct each voice was and how hilarious or action packed scenes were by physically reading... this would surely be amplified tenfold in a listening experience.
By the end, my tear ducts was prickling and I was sad to leave these characters behind, but as a saga, there is bound to be more from this world, and I cannot wait to find out what comes next!
The Art of Prophecy by Wesley Chu is a new favourite, for sure!
I knew this was going to be my cup of tea as soon as I read the line about the prophetic hero not being the hero after all and the motley cast of characters that we'd be introduced to.
This felt like such a jovial poke fun at old school martial arts movies (it had me in mind of crouching tiger, hidden dragon) and it really felt like it was playing out like a movie in my head.
The humour in this made me physically laugh out loud, whilst the action scenes had my belly feeling clenched and my teeth grinding in anticipation.
Act I was a great introduction to our main cast of characters. My favourite was definitely grandmaster Taishi. I feel like she delivered so much humour in her dead pan personality and just natural epic legendary...ness.
I really disliked Jian. He was written so perfectly as this spoiled child hero that really hadn't done anything to deserve all the praise and godship he was freely given, so when the two ultimately met, I loved to see how their different ways clashed and hoped to see some humble traits rise from within Jian.
Act I was also the beginning of the end for Jian in many ways. Finding out that the procephy was false was one of the biggest plot points of the first act and it was interesting to see how everyone reacted to the news. The balance of how everyone felt about the procephy before vs after was so perfectly tuned. Chu really knew how to enchance emotions in perfect timing for a big drop. It was looking to be a great set up for the second Act.
Act II was interesting in the fact that we met a new substantial character - Qisami - up until then I was racking my brain thinking this character had maybe been using an alias. Her whole sect of Shadowkills gave me serious Fire Nation vibes and I throughly enjoyed that.
I enjoyed exploring the war art school with Jian and seeing how he feared in his own two feet after the crumble of the world as he knew it.
I also loved that we had a constant narrative of Sali of the Katuia people, which at times was often every other chapter. I think sympathising with her people and being fascinated by their way of life in these moving citites and among the Grass Sea, is what made my loyalties get pretty tangled by Act III.
Act III was fantastic. There were multiple epic battles all leading up to the final boss and I couldn't begin to imagine which way events would pan out. Also, because I got to enjoy every narrative, I was incredibly stumped on where my loyalties lay. Which made this particularly hard to decide on was that even in battle there was so much honor and respect. It was so inspiring to see rivals admire eachothers techniques and skill during the fights.
I feel like this would be even more incredible via audio. Imagining how rich in character, how distinct each voice was and how hilarious or action packed scenes were by physically reading... this would surely be amplified tenfold in a listening experience.
By the end, my tear ducts was prickling and I was sad to leave these characters behind, but as a saga, there is bound to be more from this world, and I cannot wait to find out what comes next!
The Art of Prophecy by Wesley Chu is a new favourite, for sure!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, War, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Violence, Slavery, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Torture, Religious bigotry, Gore, Bullying, Blood, Police brutality, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Genocide, Murder, Misogyny, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, Hate crime, and Emotional abuse