Monday, June 18, 2012

"Prophecy of the Most Beautiful" Review



Date Published: March 1, 2012

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Number of Pages: 268

Publisher: Self-Published

First Thoughts:

It took me a little bit to get into the story…the beginning just lacked something…I just couldn’t connect with the characters or story but slowly it finally came and the rest of the book was a pleasant and fun experience. I loved the mythology involved, it had small similarities to the “Goddess Test” series when it came to the mythology part but there were definitely huge differences between the two series. This book had a lot of comedy scenes but also tons of serious scenes, it was really well balanced and written.

Plot:

The concept was original as you can get with mythology…there’s some old ideas mixed in with the authors new ideas. I really enjoyed seeing Cupid and Aphrodite…some of the most comical and interesting characters. But the main god this whole story is surrounding is Apollo, quite interesting to see this author’s take on his personality and actions. Apollo definitely was one awesome character; he seemed to have dark humor and a fiery attitude; perfect character to stir up some trouble. But another concept that was cool to see was the Demigods; they were kind of different from what I’m used to reading in other stories. They don’t slowly age or live longer but they still have strength and special qualities…and there are some other things that are added to change up the rules some and I found it clever how the author incorporated it into the world and story. And as far as the plotline there were plenty of action scenes and conflict throughout the entire story and by the end it felt tied off for this one book but it definitely left a lot to be discovered in the next book of the series. I wouldn’t consider the ending to be a cliffhanger either so there are no worries there; it just leaves you yearning to learn more about the characters and some of the unanswered questions. And as far as the pace of the book, the beginning was real slow to me but it soon picked up a ways in, it was easier to get into the book when she leaves her current life and is thrust into the new world she knows nothing about. So overall this was a good book just needs help with the beginning; something to really grab the reader’s attention.


Romance:

The romance was there and it kind of got in the way at times…I liked the romance some but I found it to be over the top at times…if it was dulled down a little more I think it would have allowed more room for character development and interaction with many more characters. But one thing I am thankful for is that there weren’t any love triangles in this book, it was pretty much straight forward from the very beginning and though the romance seemed a little difficult and forced it really wasn’t…it was more of decided from the very first sighting. Overall this wasn’t an aspect that really thrilled me and it didn’t do much for the overall view of the book.


Characters:

I had trouble connecting with Chloe in the beginning but slowly as I begun to see more inner thoughts and images I slowly started to connect with her but it definitely wasn’t an easy connection. But Chloe did have plenty of quirks and traits that allowed her to appear more realistic. As far as the other characters I really connected easier with them. I fell in love with some of the more minor characters just based on their personality and actions…some were sweet while others were sweet with humor…they were just fun to read and get to know. And all the characters seemed to placed just right, there weren’t any unnecessary characters. One character that I loved to get to know but wish was in the book a little more was Hermes…he was pretty awesome and he really made the book fun to read…he’s definitely different than how I’m used to picturing him in any previous mythology based books. And the names of the characters were so unique and at times silly; super cute. So overall though I had a hard time connecting with the main character in the beginning I did enjoy the characters and thought they contributed a lot to my overall view of the book.


Transformation of the Character:

This wasn’t such a big part of the book, it didn’t make me enjoy the book any more than if there wasn’t any. There was a few tiny transformations but they weren’t anything big or that neon-bright noticeable. I think that the characters need more time and conflicts to allow them to fully bloom and make that beautiful transformation. So overall this wasn’t an important aspect of the book.

Description:

The description was good but it wasn’t too detailed. The author just described enough so that the reader to picture a simple image for each scene. I thought that some scenes were more detailed than others and I took that to mean that those more detailed scenes were emphasized and important to the story. I did enjoy when she described the places they stayed at; quite beautiful and humorous at times. Oh and one place I absolutely loved was the Club; especially the basement (the basement definitely was kind of creepy…I wouldn’t want to visit it) but I the importance of this aspect was that there wasn’t too much of it and I didn’t feel overwhelmed. I was able to picture each scene fine and understand what was going. As far as the dialogue I didn’t find it awkward and it seemed true to each of the characters. I didn’t find too much of dialogue either. So overall the description was a good aspect to this book.

Style:

This was kind of hard for me to adjust to in the beginning, some of the simple words were split onto the next line and it took me awhile to adjust to reading in that way but after a while it got easier. Also this was in different POV’s and thought it allowed the reader to better understand all that was happening in this story and to see a more wider view. This was written in third person but it seemed just right for this story, it took a step back to allow the reader see exactly what was happening in each scene. And as far as the authors writing I didn’t have any trouble with it; just a few grammar mistakes. So overall this was good aspect of the book.

Quote of the book:

““Ready to die?” Radiance asked casually as Strafford stepped forward.

He flashed and held Aor outward. “No. Achin’ to kill…””

Goodreads Summary:

She has a destiny so great that even the gods fear her.

Constant hallucinations and the frequent conversations with the voices in her head, have earned eighteen-year-old Chloe Clever the not-so-coveted title of "Whack Job" in her home town of Adel, Georgia. With the onslaught of prescription medications and therapists threatening to push her over the edge, she wishes for a life far away from the one she has, a life where she is destined to be more than the butt of everyone's jokes and mockery.

Be careful what you wish for has never rung more true.

After living through an attack from her worst nightmare, she awakens to find herself far from home, surrounded by glorious riches and servants…and a few demigods who enjoy killing things. Upon learning that her favorite rock star is an Olympian god, she is thrust into her new life as the Oracle of Delphi, the prophesier of the future, and the great Pythia that the gods have been anxiously awaiting to arrive for centuries. Setting out to fulfill the prophecy she has been given and to keep her family safe from a demigod Princess that wants her dead, Chloe learns of how great she is to become, all the while fighting mythical monsters, evading divine assassins and trying to outwit the ever-cunning Greek gods who harbor secrets of their own. In the hopes of discovering the Most Beautiful and the truth of her destiny, she strives to uncover the mysteries of the demigod Prince who has sworn to protect her with his life…and threatens to win her heart in the process.

Last Thoughts:

I would recommend this to mythology readers and also to YA readers. I enjoyed this book and loved all the fun and comical moments it had. This was definitely a good book to just lay back and read. And aside from a few issues I had with this book I did enjoy it and look forward to reading the next book in the series. This is an author to check in to when given the chance.

My Rating:


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