| SF Reviews by Aaron M. Renn | By Author - By Title - By Date Reviewed |
Conclusion: Well Written, but Poorly Conceived
I kind of liked Rhapsody, the first book in this series, but Prophecy really fell flat for me. The things I didn't like in Rhapsody's character just completely took over in this book, and the overall plotting was fairly weak, I thought.
A quick summary: Again, Rhapsody is the perfect woman - stunningly beautiful, highly moral, exceptionally brave, etc. She charges headlong into conflict and emerges victorious. Etc, etc. In this volume, Haydon apparently thinks Rhapsody lacks enough superpowers so Hayden has her go around collecting even more powerful stuff to go along with her magical flaming sword, receive additional superhero training, and get extended history lectures from various wise folk around the continent. And one Really Big Secret is revealed, but it was so poorly a kept secret that I already guessed it in the first book.
On the plus side, this book is well written and the characters very distinct and well drawn. I guess most people loved this book because the reviews I glanced at on Amazon were almost uniformly glowing. So I appear to be in the minority here.
%A Haydon, Elizabeth %T Prophecy %I Tor %D 2000-07 %G ISBN 0-312-86751-4 %P 480 pp. %O hardcover, US$27.95
Reviewed on 2000-12-03
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