The Art of Prophecy

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The Art of Prophecy is an exploration of the power of prophecies; do you believe in prophecy and fate? So many stories begin the same way: With a prophecy. A chosen one. And the inevitable quest to slay a villain, save the kingdom, and fulfill a grand destiny. appropriate for expressing the majesty of the Spirit ( Acts 17:2, 3; 2 Cor. 4:2-4; Gal. 3:1). For this

The training overseer stood and clapped his hands. “You all have the honor of aiding in the training of the undefeated Champion of the Five Under Heaven, the terror of the Katuia Hordes, and the savior of the Zhuun people. Fight bravely, but remember your place. The penalty for injuring him is death. The penalty for drawing his blood is death. The penalty for refusing to engage is death.” The overseer continued, rambling off another ten or fifteen rules. By the time he was done, Taishi wasn’t sure how any fighting was possible. “Any questions?” he intoned.Overall, I rate this book a 4/5. I loved the cast of older women, found the premise really fun, and the story, especially the fight scenes, extremely engaging. One of our favourite questions here on the Fantasy Hive: which fantastical creature would you ride into battle and why? I have been reading Wesley Chu’s work for a long time and if I’m not mistaken, I believe The Art of Prophecy might be his first foray into the epic fantasy genre. This first book of his new series The War Arts Saga is a lushly written story of intrigue, adventure and action set in a world that’s not only inspired by rich histories and theologies of Asian cultures but also the martial-chivalric traditions of the Wuxia genre. There’s no doubt this novel is much bigger, deeper, and very different in style and scope to the author’s previous works, but fans will be happy to know his writing is as witty and entertaining as ever. Taishi rolled her eyes. So much stupid pomp. She mouthed silently and carried her whisper on the wind to the man’s ear. “Skip the rest.”

And if I somehow miraculously survive all that, I’m pretty sure I’d die of starvation or dysentery by the end of the week. There were still a few seconds of excessive drumbeating and fanfare before the gates below the balcony finally opened. Five imposing figures in heavy armor cut long shadows into the sand. They wore elaborate helmets shaped like animal heads, which she thought was a nice touch, and moved with the swagger of opera villains. They looked like the guardians of the gate to some mystic zoo. Taishi was entertained. So there's a prophecy and the one chosen to fulfil it has been discovered and his training has begun with a cadre of amazing instructors in a lush and exotic setting. Ah, this year has been a thing that’s happened. I’m going to try to get in the habit of writing at least one review a week from now on, but I’ve been extremely busy and I just haven’t had time. So, here I am. I'm up in the air whether I want to own the physical copy. I did use one of my Audible credits to get the book as I couldn't seem to get through it with my Netgalley copy. The narration is very good and funny as hell at times so I do recommend it.The palacelord led her across the balcony toward an elevated dais, rambling on about his stupid fruit the entire time. “They are so succulent you will believe it is nectar from heaven. My orchards are renowned among all of the Enlightened States.” The palacelord appeared out of nowhere and hovered nearby as she gnawed on the peach, his eyes staring intently. He was sneaky for such a large man. Taishi fought the urge to spit the peach out and sour her face, but there was no sense in wasting quality fruit. She had to give the man his due and so offered him a slight tilt of his head. The palacelord beamed. Sali, our point of view character in the Grass Sea, is fantastic. With a very “takes-no-shit” attitude, Sali has a way with walking into a room and just owning it (she also has one of the coolest weapons I’ve ever read in fantasy). Sali is one of those characters I could sink into so easily, and yet while she has a hard edge and she’s prone to uh… hurting people who cross her, she has a spine crafted of loyalty and love to her people and those she cares about. She has her own moral core, and her raw humanity is what makes the Grass Sea, this incredible, strange place that Chu created, so intensely captivating and immersive. This infusion of magic and martial arts had me instantly transported into the gritty world of politics and underhanded scheming. There were many perspectives included, but Jian's is the only name I shall include here for fear of spoiling anything, and I loved how each worked together to bring the reader a comprehensive understanding for the legislative overhaul that many were attempting in this kingdom. All insights were given equal precedence and, despite having my favourites, there were none I was less eager to read from as they all provided understanding, altered in this focus and abilities, explored differing geographical terrains, and contained continuous new reveals.

Disgusted, Taishi decides to take the boy on as her apprentice, determined to transform him into the hero that the prophecy promised. Having been doted on and spoiled his entire life, Jian initially rebels against her harsh training, but then the two of them eventually reach a point of mutual respect—just in time to receive the news that the Eternal Khan has died. In a single moment, Jian’s entire world is turned upside down. For if the nemesis that he was fated to kill is already dead, then where does that leave him? Sensing that the boy will be in great danger now that the entire prophecy has crumbled around him, Taishi escapes the palace with Jian and takes him to a warrior arts school, where she plans to hide him until the danger has passed.And that prophecy did anoint a hero, Jian, raised since birth in luxury and splendor, and celebrated before he has won a single battle. The prophecy is considered wrong because the Eternal Khan dies, but through Sali’s point of view, it’s revealed that the Eternal Khan will be reincarnated, as has been the case for centuries. This may sound like a minor distinction since it doesn’t change the fact that Jian was set aside out of a belief that the prophecy was wrong, but I found the premise of the prophecy being incorrect more interesting than this—especially since it seems odd that no one from Jian’s homeland seems to have realized there have been multiple Eternal Khans throughout the ages. (Of course, that may be explained later in the series.)

Jian, however, is a character I wanted to hate but ended up loving almost instantly. He starts out the book spoiled, yes, but Chu works him in such a way that even his haughty nature is endearing, and when his life starts changing, his confusion and turmoil is genuine and heartfelt. The transformation he undergoes might be the most obvious in the book, but I’d venture to say The Art of Prophecy is, at its core, about people challenging the roles that have been thrust on them and while Jian might be the most obvious in that, he is far from the only one undergoing fundamental change.

Así empieza el Arte de la Profecía. Con Jian, el héroe que designó la profecía, libre de su destino y dejando de ser relevante mientras su nueva maestra, Taishi, intenta hacerle desaprender todo lo aprendido para que se acerque mínimamente a lo que se espera de él. Con Sali, que decide aparcar sus obligaciones para vengar a su difunto Kan. Y, por último, con Qisami, una asesina que disfruta de su trabajo y que tiene como objetivo eliminar al elegido y a su maestra. Soon, it became obvious that this was a book unlike any other. Here, we are introduced to Jian, the “chosen one” but instantly you’ll realize that this particular chosen one isn’t like any of the chosen ones you’ve probably come across in fantasy. Jian, the Champion of the Five Under Heaven, lives a lavish life where he is granted his every wish and has a bevy of servants and teachers whose job is to hang on his every whim and only challenge him just enough. The Art of Prophecy was a book I knew less than nothing about before I started reading. I enjoy going into books ignorant. I read so much (and edit so much) that unless I do, I end up predicting most of the story before I even start to read, which diminishes my enjoyment. So, not knowing what this was about was really a benefit.