Prophecy

Author: Ellen Oh
Goodreads Rating: 4.13
Pages: 312
Format: ARC from NYCC12

The greatest warrior in all of the Seven Kingdoms... is a girl with yellow eyes.
Kira’s the only female in the king’s army, and the prince’s bodyguard. She’s a demon slayer and an outcast, hated by nearly everyone in her home city of Hansong. And, she’s their only hope...
Murdered kings and discovered traitors point to a demon invasion, sending Kira on the run with the young prince. He may be the savior predicted in the Dragon King Prophecy, but the missing treasure of myth may be the true key. With only the guidance of the cryptic prophecy, Kira must battle demon soldiers, evil shaman, and the Demon Lord himself to find what was once lost and raise a prince into a king.
Intrigue and mystery, ancient lore and action-packed fantasy come together in this heart-stopping first book in a trilogy.

I don't keep it a secret that I am not the biggest fantasy fan. In fact, I avoid most high fantasy books for that reason. This book though, I adored. It was a little difficult in the beginning, but once I fell into the quick pace of the story, it was easy going as far as the plot.

I loved the amount of dedication that Kira has when it come to defending her family and their honor. It was a little confusing when you are introduced to Kira because there is a lot going on. Oh alludes to the fact that demons are kept a secret from the people of the realm, but what isn't explained is why and I feel like that information would have helped to understand why there was such a hatred for Kira other then people fearing her.

Its very clear that part of Oh's inspiration is related to an Asian culture, although I'm not sure which. You can see it in the names as well as the honor code and the fighting styles. I've actually asked Oh to come to a guest post on her inspiration for the book so you can find out more about it there.

I liked the cast of characters that we had, although through the entire book I wanted to shake Taejo because he acted like a silly spoiled brat the entire time. He wouldn't let the big kids do what they needed to do when it came to saving the kingdom, instead he just interfered and made an even bigger problem for everyone.

Like I said, fantasy is not so much my thing. I felt really disoriented when I started the book (although I did love the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon like fighting at the start. I'm glad that I toughed it out for this book because it wound up being entirely worth it.

The Courts Decision: