Today I'm reviewing Marie Brennan's "Lies and Prophecy".
Set in Minnesota, in a world containing magic of many varieties- from sorcerers and wiccans to diviners and wilders. Wilders being one of the main themes of the story. I won't say much about the plot because that would be spoiling, so here are a few basic details.
We read the story from the point of view of Kim, a student studying at Welton Academy. At the start, I was reminded of the basic premise of Harry Potter. Some people are normal and some have magic. As in Harry Potter, it can appear suddenly, only in this series it can be lethal too, with a chance of developing psi-sickness.
The writing style is fast-paced and captivating and the characters are believable and individual. Towards the second half of the book we begin to get brief flashes of events from Julian's point of view. Never for very long and used sparingly. At first, they felt a little shoehorned in perhaps, with no real point to them. Until I began to realise the cleverness of them. Julian as a person is naturally reserved by nature and due to his existence as a wilder. Showing us his side of the story is letting us into his mind and allowing us to briefly see his thoughts and emotions that he rarely ever shows otherwise. Not only does this make him more relatable, but also more human.
The story and writing style remind me of a mix of the Harry Potter series and the Morganville Vampire series, both of which I enjoyed. While similar to both, this story has it's own essence and makes a great read. The ending was fantastic and left me craving more.
I look forward to the next instalment in the Wilders series and would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of magic, fantasy or adventure.
Disclaimer: I received this book through LibrayThing (www.librarything.com). I am not being sponsored. All my opinions are my own. LibraryThing is a free website and anyone can sign up.
First Paragraph:
"Arguing with my advisor over my class schedule was a familiar ritual. We'd done it six times before, like clockwork, once for every quarter of my freshman and sophomore years, and without it, my junior fall at Welton would not have been ready to start."
Set in Minnesota, in a world containing magic of many varieties- from sorcerers and wiccans to diviners and wilders. Wilders being one of the main themes of the story. I won't say much about the plot because that would be spoiling, so here are a few basic details.
We read the story from the point of view of Kim, a student studying at Welton Academy. At the start, I was reminded of the basic premise of Harry Potter. Some people are normal and some have magic. As in Harry Potter, it can appear suddenly, only in this series it can be lethal too, with a chance of developing psi-sickness.
The writing style is fast-paced and captivating and the characters are believable and individual. Towards the second half of the book we begin to get brief flashes of events from Julian's point of view. Never for very long and used sparingly. At first, they felt a little shoehorned in perhaps, with no real point to them. Until I began to realise the cleverness of them. Julian as a person is naturally reserved by nature and due to his existence as a wilder. Showing us his side of the story is letting us into his mind and allowing us to briefly see his thoughts and emotions that he rarely ever shows otherwise. Not only does this make him more relatable, but also more human.
The story and writing style remind me of a mix of the Harry Potter series and the Morganville Vampire series, both of which I enjoyed. While similar to both, this story has it's own essence and makes a great read. The ending was fantastic and left me craving more.
I look forward to the next instalment in the Wilders series and would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of magic, fantasy or adventure.
Disclaimer: I received this book through LibrayThing (www.librarything.com). I am not being sponsored. All my opinions are my own. LibraryThing is a free website and anyone can sign up.
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