Review of The Prophecy of the Heron
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Review of The Prophecy of the Heron
In an AI dystopia, multiple firms dominate different elements of life, and each of these companies has its own set of guidelines and service standards. These companies' activities are managed by AI, and humans are heavily reliant on them. If anything were to disrupt the seamless flow of these procedures, many human activities would come to a standstill, leaving people utterly clueless and possibly unsure of how to return home.
Kim, who previously worked at the AI company, broke regulations against genderism and unapproved intercourse. She was disciplined and sent to District 33, the slum territory where all of society's rejects were sent. Because Kim came from an affluent background, she had to find a way to integrate into her new life while still seeking meaning in her second chance at life.
The first book in this series, Terms of Service, introduced readers to the author's AI dystopia world, while this sequel, The Prophecy of the Heron, provided greater depth into the daily behavior and dealings of the inhabitants of this world. I thought District 33 would be a dreadful place to live based on how it was described, but I had a great time learning about it. It had a broad cast of individuals, some of whom immediately became Kim's friends and others who were against her. Kim, during her stay there, was highly adaptable, easily distinguishing between friend and foe. She moved from being a naive, wealthy individual to another outcast of society living in the slums, and she survived. That adaptability is amazing, and it was crucial to her survival. I particularly liked how her sense of humor remained intact, brightening the tone in tense situations.
Another thing I appreciated was how the AIs were given more attention, taking us inside their way of thinking and enlightening us on how they made decisions. The clever, sentient beings gave a unique twist to the plot, and the author even used light comedy to make them feel more lifelike. It was a pleasure to follow Kim on her adventure, where she made friends, some of whom were AIs, in unexpected places and grew in a variety of ways.
There was nothing I didn't like about this book. I had an issue with the first novel being slow-paced, but here, one thing followed another, and there was never a dull moment. This book exceeded my expectations in every way, and I am pleased to award it a perfect rating of 5 out of 5 stars. The few typos I discovered did not detract from my enjoyment, and I was fascinated by it from beginning to end. I recommend this to sci-fi fans with a sense of humor. Readers should be aware that there are scenes of violence and sex.
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The Prophecy of the Heron
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~Uchiha M.