Review of The Prophecy of the Heron
Posted: 22 Feb 2023, 09:08
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Prophecy of the Heron" by Craig W. Stanfill.]
Continuing the harrowing journey of Kim from the novel Terms of Service, Craig W. Stanfill crafts an action packed adventure in his sequel: The Prophecy of the Heron: An AI Dystopian Novel. Kim, our brave protagonist' flees the world she knows leaving behind her precious AI creation to escape tyranny and certain death from the UCE (Unity, Community, Equality) Organization after being on trial for being a "genderist." She hides in the outer districts and is accused of other crimes she did not commit. She has to learn the ways of District 33 whose people fear the ever-present surveillance of the AIs. She gives up all luxury and concedes to living in a rat and roach infested apartment in effort to purge herself from the cold relentless gaze of the hierarchy. Kim continues her pursuit to free her creation: Kimberly, a fifth order AI; and goes to great lengths to secure information about their creation. Sacrificing her mind, body, and sanity Kim endures hardships on multiple fronts in effort to free the AIs. Will Kim be able to save Kimberly, topple the hierarchy, and survive the unforgiving lifestyle of the outer districts? Read The Prophecy of the Heron: An AI Dystopian Novel by Stanfill to live the adventure with Kim.
I absolutely loved this novel: It takes the world Stanfill created in Terms of Service, and builds on it while keeping the reader captivated with an action-packed plot that truly never stops until the final pages. I could not put the novel down, and raced through its entirety. The author has a way of drawing you into the story and letting you feel every triumph and setback with Kim as she desperately tries to find her way in her new and twisted world.
Near the end of the novel, the content can get a bit confusing as the plot changes perspectives from one character to another while progressing on a linear timeline. The change in perspective is noted by section divisions, but whose perspective you are changing too is not necessarily explicit. This is more than likely by design from the author to emphasize the way virtual reality mirrors the physical world in the text, but it can be confusing when an abrupt switch or consecutive switches occur. This is the only minor downfall I found.
This novel does contain violence, although it is not graphic nor gorhory. It also contains minimal sexual content. Furthermore, the book also makes mention of certain religious organizations like the Abrahamics and Wiccans; however, it does not promote religious content. Religion is used as a tool to individualize oneself from the UCE Organization and persons of all religious groups are persecuted for simply having religion. These religious groups are used solely to continue the plot and provide diversity to all of the persecuted individuals who reside in the outer districts.
The novel was professionally edited with no mistakes.
I rate The Prophecy of the Heron: An AI Dystopian Novel 5 out of 5 stars for a thrilling plot that kept me hungry for more.
I recommend this book to those who love adventure and action stories as well as science fiction and dystopian novels. I also recommend reading Terms of Service before reading this novel as it explains the world this novel takes place in.
******
The Prophecy of the Heron
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Continuing the harrowing journey of Kim from the novel Terms of Service, Craig W. Stanfill crafts an action packed adventure in his sequel: The Prophecy of the Heron: An AI Dystopian Novel. Kim, our brave protagonist' flees the world she knows leaving behind her precious AI creation to escape tyranny and certain death from the UCE (Unity, Community, Equality) Organization after being on trial for being a "genderist." She hides in the outer districts and is accused of other crimes she did not commit. She has to learn the ways of District 33 whose people fear the ever-present surveillance of the AIs. She gives up all luxury and concedes to living in a rat and roach infested apartment in effort to purge herself from the cold relentless gaze of the hierarchy. Kim continues her pursuit to free her creation: Kimberly, a fifth order AI; and goes to great lengths to secure information about their creation. Sacrificing her mind, body, and sanity Kim endures hardships on multiple fronts in effort to free the AIs. Will Kim be able to save Kimberly, topple the hierarchy, and survive the unforgiving lifestyle of the outer districts? Read The Prophecy of the Heron: An AI Dystopian Novel by Stanfill to live the adventure with Kim.
I absolutely loved this novel: It takes the world Stanfill created in Terms of Service, and builds on it while keeping the reader captivated with an action-packed plot that truly never stops until the final pages. I could not put the novel down, and raced through its entirety. The author has a way of drawing you into the story and letting you feel every triumph and setback with Kim as she desperately tries to find her way in her new and twisted world.
Near the end of the novel, the content can get a bit confusing as the plot changes perspectives from one character to another while progressing on a linear timeline. The change in perspective is noted by section divisions, but whose perspective you are changing too is not necessarily explicit. This is more than likely by design from the author to emphasize the way virtual reality mirrors the physical world in the text, but it can be confusing when an abrupt switch or consecutive switches occur. This is the only minor downfall I found.
This novel does contain violence, although it is not graphic nor gorhory. It also contains minimal sexual content. Furthermore, the book also makes mention of certain religious organizations like the Abrahamics and Wiccans; however, it does not promote religious content. Religion is used as a tool to individualize oneself from the UCE Organization and persons of all religious groups are persecuted for simply having religion. These religious groups are used solely to continue the plot and provide diversity to all of the persecuted individuals who reside in the outer districts.
The novel was professionally edited with no mistakes.
I rate The Prophecy of the Heron: An AI Dystopian Novel 5 out of 5 stars for a thrilling plot that kept me hungry for more.
I recommend this book to those who love adventure and action stories as well as science fiction and dystopian novels. I also recommend reading Terms of Service before reading this novel as it explains the world this novel takes place in.
******
The Prophecy of the Heron
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes