Genre & Length: Christian, Adult Fantasy, 355 pages

The Blurb:

Close your eyes, Ela of Parne. Close your eyes and you will see.

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.

Istgard has turned their back on me. See the evil they do.

Yet after experiencing His presence, she can’t imagine living without Him. Determined to follow the Infinite’s voice, Ela accepts the sacred vinewood branch and is sent to bring the Infinite’s word to a nation torn apart by war. Here she meets Kien, a young Traceland ambassador determined to bring his own justice for his oppressed people. As they form an unlikely partnership, Ela must surrender to her destiny…and determine how to balance the leading of her heart with the leading of the Infinite.

Will you accept the branch and speak my will? Will you be my prophet?

My Thoughts

Plot: This is allegory through and through, but it is well-done allegory. Anyone familiar with Scripture will recognize many of the circumstances in this story, and anyone unfamiliar will hopefully find a good read.

Because it is that. Regardless of a reader’s faith or lack thereof, the characters in these pages come to life as you read. Their struggles are real, and they make mistakes, and they deal with the consequences.

Most of all, I like that Ela discovers that while she has a hard future ahead of her, it’s not so bleak as she may have thought.

Pacing: It was good! There were a few slow moments, but not so many that it hindered the plot or my enthusiasm.

Writing Style: Reminded me more of YA than the adult fantasy this is marketed as, but it was easy to read. It definitely dealt with some more mature topics than most Christian YA does.

Would I read this book again: Yes!