Review of The Prophecy of the Heron
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Micheal Lamina
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- Latest Review: The Prophecy of the Heron by Craig W. Stanfill
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 is the second installment in a sci-fi/dystopian novel series by Craig W. Stanfill. Set in a futuristic society in which almost all aspects of individuality are ruthlessly suppressed and artificial intelligence has risen to unassailable heights, the novel reintroduces us to the life of Kim (first introduced in book one), an erstwhile 'model citizen' who becomes disillusioned with the monotonous lifestyle imposed on her by society and decides to rebel. Her actions have repercussions however, and in this installment we find Kim at her lowest as she tries to navigate her fall from grace while still harboring intent to upend the oppressive social structure of her world.
Broken into three parts. Each part sees Kim at different stages in her life, beginning with her exile to District 33 and culminating in a massive confrontation with the authorities as she tries to achieve intellectual freedom in a suppressive world.
The Prophecy of the Heron does well in terms of its storyline and world building, expertly immersing readers into the nitty gritty of slum life in a futuristic world. The author's imaginative skills are as sharp as ever, as he rapidly takes the reader from one sequence to the next without losing control of the narrative.
Part III of this novel is particularly exciting. It details Kim's attempt to wreak havoc on the authorities through subterfuge. The presence of multiple homonymous characters blending into one another manages to create a genuine sense of pandemonium without leading to confusion, which only gives rise to more tension as the novel approaches its climax. The author also does well to give a befitting end to the series, something that's easier said than done.
Conversely, the start of the novel failed to properly reintroduce its characters and premise to the reader. It basically just continues from where its predecessor (Terms of Service) stopped, with little or no preamble to help the reader familiarize themselves with the story. Hence, I'd recommend that new readers should first read Terms of Service before proceeding with The Prophecy of the Heron.
In all, the book is a worthy read. It retains most of the positives from the first book while doing enough to give this installment a life of its own.
I'd rate the book 5 out of 5 stars for its ingenuity and I'd recommend it to all lovers of fiction especially those with a taste for dystopian settings.
******
The Prophecy of the Heron
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
The Prophecy of the Heron is the second installment in a sci-fi/dystopian novel series by Craig W. Stanfill. Set in a futuristic society in which almost all aspects of individuality are ruthlessly suppressed and artificial intelligence has risen to unassailable heights, the novel reintroduces us to the life of Kim (first introduced in book one), an erstwhile 'model citizen' who becomes disillusioned with the monotonous lifestyle imposed on her by society and decides to rebel. Her actions have repercussions however, and in this installment we find Kim at her lowest as she tries to navigate her fall from grace while still harboring intent to upend the oppressive social structure of her world.
Broken into three parts. Each part sees Kim at different stages in her life, beginning with her exile to District 33 and culminating in a massive confrontation with the authorities as she tries to achieve intellectual freedom in a suppressive world.
The Prophecy of the Heron does well in terms of its storyline and world building, expertly immersing readers into the nitty gritty of slum life in a futuristic world. The author's imaginative skills are as sharp as ever, as he rapidly takes the reader from one sequence to the next without losing control of the narrative.
Part III of this novel is particularly exciting. It details Kim's attempt to wreak havoc on the authorities through subterfuge. The presence of multiple homonymous characters blending into one another manages to create a genuine sense of pandemonium without leading to confusion, which only gives rise to more tension as the novel approaches its climax. The author also does well to give a befitting end to the series, something that's easier said than done.
Conversely, the start of the novel failed to properly reintroduce its characters and premise to the reader. It basically just continues from where its predecessor (Terms of Service) stopped, with little or no preamble to help the reader familiarize themselves with the story. Hence, I'd recommend that new readers should first read Terms of Service before proceeding with The Prophecy of the Heron.
In all, the book is a worthy read. It retains most of the positives from the first book while doing enough to give this installment a life of its own.
I'd rate the book 5 out of 5 stars for its ingenuity and I'd recommend it to all lovers of fiction especially those with a taste for dystopian settings.
******
The Prophecy of the Heron
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Latest Review: The Prophecy of the Heron by Craig W. Stanfill
