Helpful Score: 2
It has been a long, long time since Ive started reading a book and simply could not put it down. Its been even longer since Ive picked up something from the Christian Fantasy genre and have been completely engrossed. This book, my friends, is breathtakingly beautiful and full of truth and full of God.
In fact, I would go so far as to say that this is the closest thing to Narnia that I have ever experienced in adult fiction.
Ela Roeh is just a seventeen year old girl when our story begins. A girl on the road to marriage, with a family she delights in and a deep love for the Infinite. But life spirals out of control when she sees of a vision of a city burning and a voice begins to echo in her mind. Its the voice of God and he is calling her, a mere child and a girl, to speak up for the enslaved and mistreated.
The Infinite asks her, a child of dust, to speak His words and feel His heart and stand before Kings and armies with nothing but a twisted piece of vinewood and His voice in her ear.
With the echoed warning that a silver-haired prophet has failed she walks away from her home and her family and everything she holds dear to confront an evil King and beg a nation to come to repentance. Knowing that with her decision will come certain death.
The author takes us on an adventure through a mystic land that reflects the ancient Old Testament world with nations and kings and evil worship of gods made of wood and stone and a loving Creator who calls them, each and every one, to repentance.
As someone who devours the stories of Old Testament prophets, this book made me shiver. The truths about Gods heart are astounding.
Is there hope?
Ela asks the Infinite as they watch a battle and the certain death of a king.
Until the last instant.
Is His reply.
And that, dear friends, is truth.
One issue that I have with Christian fantasy is when God is unidentified. This book is crystal clear and while there are pieces of fantasy (I, personally, would have gotten in line for a destroyer as well!) the world is recognizable and the God, obviously, the same God that truly lives.
There are bites of humor and snatches of romance and an unrelenting call to follow the Creator.
The most wonderful part of all? We each have the chance to be His prophet. For real. On this earth. Today.
In fact, I would go so far as to say that this is the closest thing to Narnia that I have ever experienced in adult fiction.
Ela Roeh is just a seventeen year old girl when our story begins. A girl on the road to marriage, with a family she delights in and a deep love for the Infinite. But life spirals out of control when she sees of a vision of a city burning and a voice begins to echo in her mind. Its the voice of God and he is calling her, a mere child and a girl, to speak up for the enslaved and mistreated.
The Infinite asks her, a child of dust, to speak His words and feel His heart and stand before Kings and armies with nothing but a twisted piece of vinewood and His voice in her ear.
With the echoed warning that a silver-haired prophet has failed she walks away from her home and her family and everything she holds dear to confront an evil King and beg a nation to come to repentance. Knowing that with her decision will come certain death.
The author takes us on an adventure through a mystic land that reflects the ancient Old Testament world with nations and kings and evil worship of gods made of wood and stone and a loving Creator who calls them, each and every one, to repentance.
As someone who devours the stories of Old Testament prophets, this book made me shiver. The truths about Gods heart are astounding.
Is there hope?
Ela asks the Infinite as they watch a battle and the certain death of a king.
Until the last instant.
Is His reply.
And that, dear friends, is truth.
One issue that I have with Christian fantasy is when God is unidentified. This book is crystal clear and while there are pieces of fantasy (I, personally, would have gotten in line for a destroyer as well!) the world is recognizable and the God, obviously, the same God that truly lives.
There are bites of humor and snatches of romance and an unrelenting call to follow the Creator.
The most wonderful part of all? We each have the chance to be His prophet. For real. On this earth. Today.
Helpful Score: 2
Fantasy is not a genre that I usually read but over the last year or two, I have read a couple of them. Can't say that it has hooked me into reading more yet but it does make me more open to checking some of them out. When I came across this book web browsing, I thought that the story sounded like it would be a good read and I was not disappointed!
Ela Roeh of Parne doesn't understand why her beloved Creator, the Infinite, wants her to become His prophet. She's undignified, bad tempered, and only seventeen - not to mention that no prophet of Parne has ever been a girl. Worst of all, as the elders often warn, if she agrees to become the Infinite's prophet, Ela knows she will die young.
This is the first fantasy book written by R.J. Larson and she did an awesome job. The way that she laid out Ela's character as well as her young sister, Tzana shows a lot of love and care between the two of them. Ela is young and a spitfire I imagine except when she accepts being a prophet, she tries to keep a hold on it. You are also introduced to Kien who becomes one of the main characters in the book. He has a lot of cheekiness to him but strength also. He does tend to want to act before thinking though.
You will also be introduced to what they call 'destroyers' which are war horses. These are probably my most favorite part in the book, especially Pet/Scythe. I love the characters that she has given to them and they add a lot to the story.
One of the main themes of the book is calling those who have gone away from the Creator, the Infinite, back to Him. He gives everyone a chance up until the last minute, until judgment is rendered. Even when His judgment has fallen, you can feel His sorrow through the written words. So much of what is said in this book could be used in our everyday lives to reach out to those around us. You can feel the truth in every word. I can't say that I have read too many fiction books that impressed me that way.
If you, like me, have never read a Christian fantasy book, this would be a great one to start with. There aren't a lot of wishers for it either. I can't wait for the next one, Judge, to come out in October.
Ela Roeh of Parne doesn't understand why her beloved Creator, the Infinite, wants her to become His prophet. She's undignified, bad tempered, and only seventeen - not to mention that no prophet of Parne has ever been a girl. Worst of all, as the elders often warn, if she agrees to become the Infinite's prophet, Ela knows she will die young.
This is the first fantasy book written by R.J. Larson and she did an awesome job. The way that she laid out Ela's character as well as her young sister, Tzana shows a lot of love and care between the two of them. Ela is young and a spitfire I imagine except when she accepts being a prophet, she tries to keep a hold on it. You are also introduced to Kien who becomes one of the main characters in the book. He has a lot of cheekiness to him but strength also. He does tend to want to act before thinking though.
You will also be introduced to what they call 'destroyers' which are war horses. These are probably my most favorite part in the book, especially Pet/Scythe. I love the characters that she has given to them and they add a lot to the story.
One of the main themes of the book is calling those who have gone away from the Creator, the Infinite, back to Him. He gives everyone a chance up until the last minute, until judgment is rendered. Even when His judgment has fallen, you can feel His sorrow through the written words. So much of what is said in this book could be used in our everyday lives to reach out to those around us. You can feel the truth in every word. I can't say that I have read too many fiction books that impressed me that way.
If you, like me, have never read a Christian fantasy book, this would be a great one to start with. There aren't a lot of wishers for it either. I can't wait for the next one, Judge, to come out in October.
Helpful Score: 1
I absolutely love Biblical fiction, but I never know if Im going to connect with the storythat was NOT a problem with Prophet! By the first chapter I was hooked! Not only is Elas relationship with the Infinite fascinating and precious, but I truly wanted to see her story unfold. I was nervous the whole time about her life span, but I was also truly amazed by her obedience knowing shed have to make difficult choices and sacrifices the whole time.
Ela is only 17 when she must make the decision to become the Infinites prophet and immediately she must leave home and go into training. She is only able to bring enough food and water for training and EVERY step taken she must solely rely on the Infinites voice and protection. The story begins with a vision that knocks Ela down in its intensity. She receives more visions, but that is the only one that is detailed and the Infinite knows how much these visions drain her so He is lessens the visions after that first one.
I was utterly humbled reading this story and many Bible stories came up in my mind as I read this. I thought of Jonah since he also a prophet; Mary being told she would give birth to the worlds Savior and her humbleness is accepting this destiny knowing she would be shunned and judged for it; and Noah because he also had to warn society of their wickedness and to repent before it was too late, no one believed him either. Even though the Infinite (Creator) is the only name God is referred to as in this story I considered all His other names and was appreciative: Prince of Peace, El Shaddai, Lord, Redeemer, Mighty One, Lion of Judah, King of Kings, Emmanuel, etc.
One of my favorite characters in the story is the horse, Pet. His personality, loyalty, temperament, and strength shines throughout and it enhanced the story that much more with him there.
I was surprised at the harshness of the Infinite responding to Elas protests with certain evil characters, it seemed like she was more compassionate than He was (which is impossible but the Infinite is just). The thought of ANYONE perishing in eternity without the Infinite to be there horrified Ela with EACH person that died. She understood what would happen if bullies in the story beat her or mocked her and no matter what cruelties she endured, she was always more concerned about her persecutors than she ever was about her fate. In the midst of her showing this compassion, I understood how much the Infinite loved her and that even though the Infinite didnt desire anyone to suffer the consequences of hell, He knew that some characters would reject Him no matter what proof was shown to them. He also assured Ela that there was always hope, even to the last possible minute redemption was available to even the worst of rulers.
Most of this story is from Elas perspective, but it also shows others perspectives which helps the reader understand what Ela is going through as she gets discernment and wisdom. She experiences fear, reluctance, questions, feelings of hysteria, physical pain more than once, frustration, rejection, despair, protectiveness, servitude, missing her family/nostalgic for home, peace, unworthiness, and even resignation. Even though she understands the honorable calling she has received, she is still human and it was a treat to see her personality and growth in the story. I was amazed at her cooperation, contrite heart, courage, faith, and willing attitude never knowing for certain what would happen next.
This book is an incredible page-turner, intense, somewhat violent and it illustrates what a holy, loving, just, and unpredictable God we serve. The signs, wonders, miracles, and impossible things that happen in this story are accurate, tangible, humorous (love that Pet) and even romantic. The Infinite does not promise an easy journey for Ela, but He does make it clear to her that He is with her the whole time and even though she has many enemies He comes through for her like the Prince he is. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, supernatural occurrences (there are angels and even a little demonic manifestation in the journey), and a feisty young woman with courage beyond her expectations who is determined to carry out all tasks instructed by the Infinite to show His glory. To read how much this girl loves God was utterly precious to me, so inspiring and it really blessed me. I sooo look forward to reading Judge next!
Ela is only 17 when she must make the decision to become the Infinites prophet and immediately she must leave home and go into training. She is only able to bring enough food and water for training and EVERY step taken she must solely rely on the Infinites voice and protection. The story begins with a vision that knocks Ela down in its intensity. She receives more visions, but that is the only one that is detailed and the Infinite knows how much these visions drain her so He is lessens the visions after that first one.
I was utterly humbled reading this story and many Bible stories came up in my mind as I read this. I thought of Jonah since he also a prophet; Mary being told she would give birth to the worlds Savior and her humbleness is accepting this destiny knowing she would be shunned and judged for it; and Noah because he also had to warn society of their wickedness and to repent before it was too late, no one believed him either. Even though the Infinite (Creator) is the only name God is referred to as in this story I considered all His other names and was appreciative: Prince of Peace, El Shaddai, Lord, Redeemer, Mighty One, Lion of Judah, King of Kings, Emmanuel, etc.
One of my favorite characters in the story is the horse, Pet. His personality, loyalty, temperament, and strength shines throughout and it enhanced the story that much more with him there.
I was surprised at the harshness of the Infinite responding to Elas protests with certain evil characters, it seemed like she was more compassionate than He was (which is impossible but the Infinite is just). The thought of ANYONE perishing in eternity without the Infinite to be there horrified Ela with EACH person that died. She understood what would happen if bullies in the story beat her or mocked her and no matter what cruelties she endured, she was always more concerned about her persecutors than she ever was about her fate. In the midst of her showing this compassion, I understood how much the Infinite loved her and that even though the Infinite didnt desire anyone to suffer the consequences of hell, He knew that some characters would reject Him no matter what proof was shown to them. He also assured Ela that there was always hope, even to the last possible minute redemption was available to even the worst of rulers.
Most of this story is from Elas perspective, but it also shows others perspectives which helps the reader understand what Ela is going through as she gets discernment and wisdom. She experiences fear, reluctance, questions, feelings of hysteria, physical pain more than once, frustration, rejection, despair, protectiveness, servitude, missing her family/nostalgic for home, peace, unworthiness, and even resignation. Even though she understands the honorable calling she has received, she is still human and it was a treat to see her personality and growth in the story. I was amazed at her cooperation, contrite heart, courage, faith, and willing attitude never knowing for certain what would happen next.
This book is an incredible page-turner, intense, somewhat violent and it illustrates what a holy, loving, just, and unpredictable God we serve. The signs, wonders, miracles, and impossible things that happen in this story are accurate, tangible, humorous (love that Pet) and even romantic. The Infinite does not promise an easy journey for Ela, but He does make it clear to her that He is with her the whole time and even though she has many enemies He comes through for her like the Prince he is. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, supernatural occurrences (there are angels and even a little demonic manifestation in the journey), and a feisty young woman with courage beyond her expectations who is determined to carry out all tasks instructed by the Infinite to show His glory. To read how much this girl loves God was utterly precious to me, so inspiring and it really blessed me. I sooo look forward to reading Judge next!
