Excerpt]:
From the synopsis alone and the first couple of chapters, this book seemed like the quintessential fantasy novel. In some ways, that was great. For example, in this case the story focused on a woman in her mid-twenties (25, specifically) which is a nice change from the YA youngsters I’m used to reading about. I often feel that these “quest” type of novels focus on men, too. Other times, the novel was too much like a fantasty novel. And by that I mean it became like your everyday, run-of-the-mill fantasy book. Some noticeable and familiar fantasy elements were the prophecy itself, Callileach’s visit to Briana’s mother’s bedside when Briana was born, the gnomes and their behaviors, the magic (which I wish there had been more of), the crow paired with Callileach the witch, and the whole royalty procedures (the usual war meetings, household staff, etc.).

I have to say though that the writing really surprised me. For a book that only has a handful of reviews on Goodreads and Amazon, “The Prophecy” is written EXTREMELY well. It was, frankly, phenomenal, and I only read an ARC! At times the dialogue could be cheesy, especially whenever someone spoke “words of wisdom” (which was often, mind you), but for the most part I thought the plot was well-paced and executed and the characters distinct. The world building was very in-depth and realistic, not to mention unique in that it focused on the Galic and Irish cultures.
[Full review on my blog!]

This book shines on every level: sentence after sentence is beautiful and precise. The characters are complicated and sympathetic, the ideas are sweeping and profound, but are never too overt. It’s a rare novel that is as accomplished in its meaning as it is in its storytelling while also succeeding wildly on the language level as well! A novel to lose yourself in and then reflect upon again and again.