Review of The Prophecy of the Heron
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Jumanah Idris
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Review of The Prophecy of the Heron
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Prophecy of the Heron" by Craig W. Stanfill.]
The Prophecy of the Heron follows the tale of Kim, an anarchist protagonist rebelling against an unsound system of control, fighting the forces of injustice after being thrown out of society for the crime of individuality and sexual liberation. The story takes the reader through a journey of hope and despair, love and loss, terror and valuable, brief moments of beautiful, precarious peace. This, however, isn't just a story to be enjoyed. In a riveting tale of courage, love, and self-actualisation, Craig W. Stanfill discusses the ethics and morality of a world in which we achieve heights of advancement at which artificial intelligence develop sentience. How much free will and individuality do we grant these new beings? Do we allow them the liberty to shape their own destinies and act in their own self interest, even if it may conflict with our own? Or do we inslave them and use them for our own purposes? These are questions which, at the cusp of a technological revolution as appears to be on the horizon today, are incredibly relevant. It forces the reader to carefully analyse their own sense of morality-and it is possible they may not like what they find.
This was truly one of the most phenomenal books I have ever read in my life. It was compelling, invigorating, confounding, unsettling, and so deeply moving. I laughed, I cried, and I found myself feeling sad nearing the final pages that it was about to end. Days later, I am still thinking back on the plot and considering the ethical dilemmas raised by the author. I’m finding this to be one of the books that should be read twice; the first time for a fresh, exhilarating experience, and the second for deeper reflection and attention to subtle detail.
Stanfill is, without doubt, a highly capable artist with a talent for putting his readers exactly where he wants them. Reading the book, I often felt genuinely terrified for the well-being of the protagonist, desperately hoping she was alright and that things would eventually work out in her favour. The author was able, within a few pages, make me care for the character such that losing sight of her was comparable to a degree to losing sight of a loved one amidst chaos, no easy feat.
It was spectacularly well written and well thought out. It can be challenging for a writer to create a world that functions so differently than our own, yet still make it relevant and coherent. Stanfill was able to do this excellently. At no point did it appear as though some strange new element of the dystopian society had simply emerged in order to assist the plot while seeming generally out of place. It was delightfully cohesive.
I found it sometimes difficult to make sense of the plot as laws were being acted upon without introduction by the protagonist. However, I did not get the sense that this was due to a failure of the author to produce a logically consistent narrative, but due to those laws and systems having been introduced in the first book, Terms of Service, to which The Prophecy of the Heron is a sequel. Because of this, I do not consider this a flaw, but would instead suggest that readers have access to both books for the best experience.
The descriptive style was phenomenal. This author has the remarkable talent of fully immersing his readers into the heart of the scene, taking full advantage of all available senses. He was so good at this that, whilst reading the book, I often felt the need to go and take a shower. It was quite easy to not only see, but to also hear bustling crowds, the chatter in dining halls, the disturbing silence. His descriptions were so detailed that often without mentioning scent, a reader could understand exactly what a place smelled like because they’d been told all they needed to know. However, I would have liked to see him fully utilise all of the reader’s senses more often. Without spoiling the plot, there were some instances in which I would have preferred that he really lingered on a particular sensation, that of residual pain, or the contact between two characters, or the image of a group of people. It would have made the text, in my opinion, slightly more perfect than it already is.
With its fast-paced plot and compelling narrative, The Prophecy of the Heron is perfect for a weekend reading, guaranteed to take the reader on an unforgettable adventure. As this is, without a doubt, one of the finest books I have ever read, I give it a rating of 5 out of 5 stars, and highly recommend it to young adults and above.
******
The Prophecy of the Heron
View: on Bookshelves
The Prophecy of the Heron follows the tale of Kim, an anarchist protagonist rebelling against an unsound system of control, fighting the forces of injustice after being thrown out of society for the crime of individuality and sexual liberation. The story takes the reader through a journey of hope and despair, love and loss, terror and valuable, brief moments of beautiful, precarious peace. This, however, isn't just a story to be enjoyed. In a riveting tale of courage, love, and self-actualisation, Craig W. Stanfill discusses the ethics and morality of a world in which we achieve heights of advancement at which artificial intelligence develop sentience. How much free will and individuality do we grant these new beings? Do we allow them the liberty to shape their own destinies and act in their own self interest, even if it may conflict with our own? Or do we inslave them and use them for our own purposes? These are questions which, at the cusp of a technological revolution as appears to be on the horizon today, are incredibly relevant. It forces the reader to carefully analyse their own sense of morality-and it is possible they may not like what they find.
This was truly one of the most phenomenal books I have ever read in my life. It was compelling, invigorating, confounding, unsettling, and so deeply moving. I laughed, I cried, and I found myself feeling sad nearing the final pages that it was about to end. Days later, I am still thinking back on the plot and considering the ethical dilemmas raised by the author. I’m finding this to be one of the books that should be read twice; the first time for a fresh, exhilarating experience, and the second for deeper reflection and attention to subtle detail.
Stanfill is, without doubt, a highly capable artist with a talent for putting his readers exactly where he wants them. Reading the book, I often felt genuinely terrified for the well-being of the protagonist, desperately hoping she was alright and that things would eventually work out in her favour. The author was able, within a few pages, make me care for the character such that losing sight of her was comparable to a degree to losing sight of a loved one amidst chaos, no easy feat.
It was spectacularly well written and well thought out. It can be challenging for a writer to create a world that functions so differently than our own, yet still make it relevant and coherent. Stanfill was able to do this excellently. At no point did it appear as though some strange new element of the dystopian society had simply emerged in order to assist the plot while seeming generally out of place. It was delightfully cohesive.
I found it sometimes difficult to make sense of the plot as laws were being acted upon without introduction by the protagonist. However, I did not get the sense that this was due to a failure of the author to produce a logically consistent narrative, but due to those laws and systems having been introduced in the first book, Terms of Service, to which The Prophecy of the Heron is a sequel. Because of this, I do not consider this a flaw, but would instead suggest that readers have access to both books for the best experience.
The descriptive style was phenomenal. This author has the remarkable talent of fully immersing his readers into the heart of the scene, taking full advantage of all available senses. He was so good at this that, whilst reading the book, I often felt the need to go and take a shower. It was quite easy to not only see, but to also hear bustling crowds, the chatter in dining halls, the disturbing silence. His descriptions were so detailed that often without mentioning scent, a reader could understand exactly what a place smelled like because they’d been told all they needed to know. However, I would have liked to see him fully utilise all of the reader’s senses more often. Without spoiling the plot, there were some instances in which I would have preferred that he really lingered on a particular sensation, that of residual pain, or the contact between two characters, or the image of a group of people. It would have made the text, in my opinion, slightly more perfect than it already is.
With its fast-paced plot and compelling narrative, The Prophecy of the Heron is perfect for a weekend reading, guaranteed to take the reader on an unforgettable adventure. As this is, without a doubt, one of the finest books I have ever read, I give it a rating of 5 out of 5 stars, and highly recommend it to young adults and above.
******
The Prophecy of the Heron
View: on Bookshelves
Latest Review: Killing Abel by Michael Tieman
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Zeyad Waleed
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Great review, as moving as the book I'm looking forward to read.
