Review—Daughter of Prophecy

I am not a reviewer really, but there are some books I believe in and want to tell others about. One such novel is Daughter of Prophecy by Miles Owens (Realms, 2005).

In Tim Frankovich’s review at Christian Fiction Review, he gave a clear, succinct summary of the story—a much better one than I could write, to be sure.

Rather than offering a poor duplication of what others have already given, I’ll focus instead on what I perceive to be the strengths and weaknesses of the book.

Strengths. There are many. First, I found Owens’s writing to be engaging from the beginning. Who wouldn’t be pulled into a story with a Chapter One opening line that reads “Her home was a ruin.” Owens goes on to describe the scene with strong verbs and tight prose.

Description is probably the strongest of the strong when it comes to Daughter of Prophecy. People and places are clear and unique because the description encompasses all the senses. Consequently, the opening scene of Chapter One doesn’t just give the visual of a ruined home, it includes this mood-setting depiction: “Rising above the acrid smell of wet soot was the odor of death.”

Because Owens is a master of description, each of his characters is unique and interesting. I never felt like I was reading about two people who were alike. The protagonist’s father is tall with pale skin and graying black hair while the loreteller has a round face with heavy jowls and short, bandy legs. An important nobleman is barrel-chested with iron-gray hair. The accompanying warrior has dark hair and even darker eyes and chiseled features.

You get the idea—upon introduction each character is one of a kind. This individuation continues through the characters’ speech and action. No cardboard cutouts in this book!

Because I cared about the characters, I rooted for the protagonist during the expected plot complications. I wouldn’t say the suspense put me on the edge of my seat, but it certainly kept me engaged.

Weaknesses. I’d love to say “none,” but I think that would be misleading. While I believe Owens is a talented writer who will only improve and while I loved the book and recommend it without reservation, I thought one thing would have improved it: better pacing. There were times, occasionally in the middle of intense scenes, that the action slowed for the sake of the description.

This is one of those flip-side-of-the-coin issues. Owens gives such clarity in his description, but at times his description detracts from the story. In my opinion, when he learns to meld his particularized depictions with the action, his stories will be better.

One other thing I found interesting—not a strength or weakness, just something unique to this book. Owens created an interesting combination of traditional fantasy (similar to Lawhead) and spiritual warfare (slightly Peretti-esque). Although I am a fantasy purist, I thought he made the combination work and certainly put his own unique stamp on the genre.

In conclusion, I’d have to say, Miles Owens is an author fans of speculative fiction should look for. Daughter of Prophecy is an interesting, entertaining book—one I highly recommend.