The Dragon King Chronicles #1
Ellen Oh
Young Adult/Fantasy
312 pages
HarperTeen
Available January 2nd
Received from publisher for review
THE STORY (from Goodreads)
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.
MY THOUGHTS
Showing a great deal of promise before the spine is even cracked, Prophecy has us highly anticipating an adrenaline-fueled story led by a strong but ostracized young heroine, desperately hoping the pages deliver on what the blurb so beautifully teases. Unfortunately the potential Prophecy is never entirely realized, giving us characters who don’t quite make the transition from black and white words to larger-than-life color images, leaving us on the outside looking in rather than in the middle of the action with our hearts on our sleeves, vulnerable to any who wish to inflict serious emotional wounds. Prophecy is read quickly and easily, but for those who seek out complexity and thrive on uncovering layer after layer of their beloved characters, the experience may be a touch underwhelming.
Kira is everything the synopsis promises she’ll be–an extraordinary young woman verbally chastised and openly mocked day in and day out for her fighting prowess and lack of feminine traits, and while she earns our sympathy and admiration from the first page, it doesn’t quite lead to the connection we so desire. There are a handful of opportunities with Kira for Ms. Oh to slice open our skin and slide our young warrior underneath; numerous threads existing that we can’t help but want to tug just to see her unravel, thereby exposing us to a beauty and vulnerability we know is there but simply can’t reach. Instead, our hands ghost over perfectly smooth fabric, and while we’re told there are snags and imperfections present, we’re never given the opportunity to discover them in a tactile, memorable way.
Despite our driving need to get more to the heart of Kira and our subsequent frustration when we’re unable to do so, she is a likable character with some serious fighting skills, making her journey one that’s entertaining even if it leaves us wanting a bit more. The character interactions and dialogue can at times read a little young, making this fantasy adventure perhaps better suited to a younger YA crowd or even middle grade readers who are not looking for as much depth in their character development as some of us older readers are.
Rating: 3/5
Aw man, I was really looking forward to this book! I'm a bit disappointed to hear that the characters were the main issue in this book. However, I'm glad to hear that the main character is at least likeable, just that we don't get to know her very well. Thanks for the honest review, Jenny!
ReplyDeleteI was a bit bummed with my reaction to this one, I really wanted to love it, but I just never really fell in love with any of the characters:(
Deleteawwwwwwww bummr
ReplyDelete*is sad*
DeleteYes! I had the exact same reaction to this book, Jenny! It had a lot of potential that was wasn't fully explored. I thought that the characters weren't well-developed enough. I wrote in my review that I credited the under developed characters to the overly fast pace of the book. We don't get to fully appreciate the scenes because it's over in the blink of an eye. Like you I mentioned that this book is much better suited to the younger crowd because of the writing style.
ReplyDeleteGreat review, Jenny! :)
Yes! There was so much potential in the characters, and just like you said, the minute things slowed down and I thought we were going to get to spend some time getting to know them, the plot would be off again and the opportunity was lost:(
DeleteI do not know, I doubt books like this sometimes. It feels like they just put in a female in a strong position to show that we can
ReplyDeleteHer strength was impressive, I did like that about Kira, but that was all I really knew of her. That she could kill effectively.
DeleteAw, no! I am (was?) really looking forward to this one. It's a shame about the characters, because really without awesome characters I'm not likely to enjoy the book. I'll give it a go, but meh. Sorry you didn't enjoy it that much.
ReplyDeleteI know, if I don't connect to the characters the book is a bit of a wash for me even if it has a strong plot and world building in place. I'll be interested to see what you think Amber!
DeleteAw man, this was one of most anticipated debuts of 2012, Jenny. It's too bad then that you thought that Kira lacked some character development and the writing geared a bit more towards younger readers. I'll read this one but with lowered expectations now.
ReplyDeleteI KNOW! I felt all guilty for not being able to gush about it, it was one I was really looking forward to as well. *hangs head*
DeleteI was hoping for a complex characters and setting but I'm really glad that the main character is likable though. The cover looks amazing though! Great review
ReplyDeleteAlex @ Possession of Books
Overall I did like Kira, I just wanted a bit more from her you know? I'm a greedy reader:)
DeleteKira sounds like an enjoyable character -- too bad there's not more depth to the story. Maybe the next one will be more fully colored in, rather than just outlining the shapes.
ReplyDeleteI hope so Mary! I had high hopes for this one, and it just read a bit young to me and I felt like an outsider looking in.
DeleteIt's a shame so much of the potential in this wasn't recognized. I'm definitely planning to skip it now, alluring cover or not. Amazing review, Jenny!(:
ReplyDeleteI know, it's so disappointing when a blurb sounds brilliant and then the story doesn't quite live up to it. Maybe the next one will be a bit more character-driven:)
DeleteHmmmm..This doesn't really sound like one for me - a little bit too fantasy and a little bit too young. Sorry it didn't live up to its potential for you, but thanks for the review! :)
ReplyDeleteNormally fantasy isn't really my thing either, but I did like this world because it wasn't so foreign that I couldn't picture it. I just wanted more from Kira and company.
DeleteI've been intrigued by this book for quite a while now and I'm still excited to read it. 3 stars doesn't necessarily mean it's bad, right? It just means that it had flaws and it wasn't as loveable as it could've been. I find your review very informative, as always and Kiras fighting skills are definitely likeable for my taste, but I'm not so stoked about the target group being very young (regarding the dialogue, e.g.). I'll still most likely give it a try though:)
ReplyDeleteAND HAPPY HOLIDAYS, JENNY! I'll probably be absent for a few days. I hope you'll have wonderful Christmas:) *hugs*
No, not bad at all. 3 stars for me is something that's well-written and enjoyable for the most part, it's just missing a few key things to make me fall in love with it:) And Happy Holidays to you too Siiri! I'm on my way to your blog now:)
DeleteThis sounds interesting. I have been seeing it around a lot and was wondering how it was. Thanks for the great review.
ReplyDeleteI have read loads of reviews and all have been mediocre. I'm a huge fantasy fan and the concept sounds amazing but I think I will skip this one unless I hear amazing things when the second one comes out.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful Christmas!
I'm not a fan of traditional fantasy and the reviews (including yours) haven't been altogether very positive so I'll pass on this one, I reckon. It's a shame this book wanted to be akin to Graceling, but resulted in a simpler, more juvenile MG fantasy novel... Psshh.
ReplyDeleteMarvelous review, Jenny!
Another beautifully written review, and about a book that wasn't a winner in your eyes at that! Great job, Jenny :) I'm not a huge fantasy fan and I like my YA a little (to a lot) mature, but nevertheless reading your review about Prophecy was worth it. I always enjoy reading your thoughts!
ReplyDeleteIt's always disappointing when a book doesn't live up to its potential. =/
ReplyDeleteOh shoot! I was hoping for a 4 on this one. The description sounds awesome. I hate it when that happens. Hope your next read is much better. Happy Holidays!
ReplyDeleteOh, nuts. I was hoping you would like this one. Sigh. I guess I may have to pass this one over for now since my TBR list is already so high.
ReplyDeleteBut Ellen Oh is doing a signing near me, so I may go to it anyways. :)
Hello Jenny!
ReplyDeleteI really loved this book. I think the new genre I'm getting into is high fantasy. I find myself adoring these types of books more and more. Thanks for sharing and being honest.
Oh I'm sorry you didn't enjoy this as much as you'd hoped Jenny, the book does sound like it does have a lot of potential :)
ReplyDeleteBeautifully written review! I'm sorry to hear it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. I was really looking forward to Prophecy, and I was hoping it was be a great read.
ReplyDeleteI am glad this was OK for you, but the little young character description has me passing on this one. great review as always!
ReplyDeleteThis one does sound perfect for middle grade readers. I will have to get a copy of it for my classroom library--my students love fantasy/adventures. Thanks for the great review!
ReplyDeleteI was thinking of requesting this one but now I'm not too sure... Great review as always Jenny :)
ReplyDelete