Daughter of Prophecy
Miles
Owens
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Daughter
of Prophecy (DoP) is a fantasy tale that centers around a young
maiden named Rhiannon, who was prophesied to be the Protectoress
of the Covenant, the binding agreement that keeps evil out of
the lands of the Faber Dynasty. Sixteen years after her birth
and the prophecy a group of winged horrors, creatures of darkness,
attack Rhiannon. This attack signals a weakening of the covenant,
and Rhiannon must discover just what it means for her to be the
Protectoress of the Covenant.
This
is a fine first novel for Owens, and he does a good job of keeping
this story from falling into just another warrior maiden tale
or other clichés of the fantasy genre. He also weaves in strong
Christian elements, especially with an emphasis on the importance
and power of prayer and confession.
The
forces of evil must be confronted on both the physical and the
Spiritual planes if they are to be defeated. And for the prayers
to be effective, a clear and unhindered connection with God is
essential. Which leads the main characters to face their pasts,
relinquish their dreams, and make hard decisions about their dealings.
There are times when this can make the spiritual lessons a bit
heavy handed, and one character's "breaking" felt a bit too abrupt,
but it worked for the most part.
On
the downside, I found this book's pace to be far slower than I
would have liked. Much of the conflict is based on Clan politics,
especially a controversial wool sale. Not exactly exciting stuff,
and it dragged the story down for me early on. However, once the
sale is over, the pace picks back up. There is also a tad too
much telling, and I found the plot a bit to predictable at times.
Still,
the action is well written, and Owens has opened the portal to
a world ripe for exploring. I look forward to the sequel and discovering
how Rhiannon adjusts to the path she has been set upon.
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