Review of The Prophecy of the Heron

This forum is for volunteer reviews by members of our review team. These reviews are done voluntarily by the reviewers and are published in this forum, separate from the official professional reviews. These reviews are kept separate primarily because the same book may be reviewed by many different reviewers.
Post Reply
User avatar
Aspen Lavallee
Posts: 80
Joined: 16 Mar 2023, 16:09
Favorite Book: Terms of Service
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 26
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-aspen-lavallee.html
Latest Review: Exploring Wine Regions – Bordeaux France by Michael C. Higgins, PhD

Review of The Prophecy of the Heron

Post by Aspen Lavallee »

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Prophecy of the Heron" by Craig W. Stanfill.]
Book Cover
5 out of 5 stars
Share This Review


The entertaining book, The Prophecy of the Heron, by Craig W. Stanfill, takes place in a futuristic dystopian society run by AI. To begin with, we see what happened to Kim after her downfall in the previous book and just how despairing the outer districts truly are. For someone who has consistently experienced a privileged life, Kim adapts admirably here and gains significant respect. As we move through the book, we witness the adrenalin-fueled madness Kim is subjected to as she does her very best to not only survive but to conquer her ultimate goal: freedom. Does Kim ever free her society—along with the AIs themselves—from the grips of the corporate-run disaster? Does she see her dear friend Shan again? You’ll have to discover for yourself by reading the novel.

I grew quite fond of the first book in the series, so it's no surprise that I also adore the sequel. I appreciate how the author implemented his writing style and produced the vivid tale that played out here. To say I was completely engaged is an understatement, at best. Through and through, from the treacherous and murderous disputes to the heartfelt moments shared between lifelong friends, there was not one encounter I wasn’t deeply entrenched in. There are only a few books I’ve discovered that I've thoroughly enjoyed this much. While the series is brief, it is a favorite of mine.
 
As mentioned above, I fully enjoyed every piece of the storyline and the author's writing style. While this is genuine, there were several instances towards the end of the book when scenes were taking place simultaneously for Kim and her doppelgänger. I rarely minded this; I could mostly decipher when the author shifted scenes, but I experienced a few moments of confusion. I had to go back and re-read a paragraph or two to figure out what was taking place. This may be a more critical issue for other readers, and I felt it would have been beneficial for the author to specify when shifting between the two characters. 
 
Bearing everything into consideration, I rate this book five out of five stars. As I've discussed, this book series is a genuine favorite of mine, and I would enthusiastically recommend it to others. Therefore, I've rated it highly as a reflection of my profound appreciation.

Despite my excellent rating, I must mention that I noticed a few obvious spelling and grammar errors that were not part of the writing style. Since they were extremely minuscule, they had no impact on the quality of the book. Due to the minor nature of this, it did not impact my rating, though this is still significant to take note of as it shows that this book was not professionally edited. These errors would’ve been detected and corrected before publication if it had been edited better. 
 
This book is perfect for teens and adults who adore sci-fi and futuristic dystopias, specifically those who’ve read the previous book in the series, as they must be read in order. Because of the violence and erotic nature of various encounters, I would strictly recommend this to mature audiences who can handle these kinds of descriptions.

******
The Prophecy of the Heron
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Post Reply

Return to “Volunteer Reviews”