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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Speaker is Corrupt. The Oracle is Being Betrayed. Burn This. Stay Alive., February 22, 2008
A Kid's Review
Listen... I Will Trust You. There Is No One Else, And I WIll Be Dead Soon. The Speaker is Corrupt. The Oracle is Being Betrayed. Two Things You Must Do, Mirany. Find the New Archon, Stop Argelin. Second. In My Palace Is A Musician. Oblek. Talk To Him, He Knows. Do Not Be Afraid Of The God For He Has Chosen You. Burn This. Stay Alive.
The Oracle Betrayed is by far the best book I have ever read. Catherine Fisher creates a vivid landscape, close to something like Egypt or Greece, and writes of all sorts of characters, each with a unique, complex, but believable personality. The back ground point is Mirany is chosen to be the Bearer-of-the-God, the second highest ranking position in amongst nine priestessess. The first is the Speaker to the God, Hermia, who is corrupt and turns the god's word around to suit her's and Argelin's own purposes. But the God speaks to Mirany, tells her about it. And gives her a mission. Find Oblek before he is put to death with the other slaves of the old Archon (god-in-human-form (who dies at the start of the book)) The rest you have probably already read about in other reviews so i won't waste space telling you.
What I disliked about this book: Well, the starting is a bit confusing, but it's all explained later on. And you repeatedly read about the Jackal's long eyes staring at someone, or his fair hair, or about the characters licking dry lips. Well, it's better than just plain " Seth liked his lips." And that's all.
What I liked about this book: All the characters are so complex and even the main ones are still mortal and will give in if it means something for them will come out of it. No two are alike- like real people. And Catherine Fisher does such a good job describing how they're like- (not in long, boring paragraphs) but how they act in different situations throughout the book that it's almost like you know them like you do a friend. Admittedly, not all the characters are like that, most have deep histories that aren't apparent until Catherine Fisher tells you or until you put two and two together and figure it out for yourself. When I read this book for the third time I started to realize that, how Mirany was helping Oblek and Seth from the Garden of the Rain, and i only started to understand who the Rain Queen really was at the third book. And when you finnish one of her books, it's clear what happened, but you still have a feeling as if their was more to it, if you cared to understand, and there is, in short paragraphs or poem-like pages that you thought were insignificant before.
The Oracle Betrayed is fast paced, and doesn't take long to start up- the climax happened about 30 pages into the book, and never receded. Catherine Fisher really know's how to right suspense, and the words seem to just roll off the pages and into your mind. Suspense always leaves you hanging whenever the points of views between characters suddenly switch, and you never know what will happen next.
Over all, I highly reccomend this book to anyone who loves books about adventure/suspense/awesome writing/egypt/tomb thieves/plots/deciet/betrayal/and realistic characters that you could actually picture living in the real world.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Oracle Betrayed Review, May 10, 2004
Mirany is a girl who had a simple life in the arid desert tundra, until she got chosen that is. She was chosen to be the bearer of the God, their idol who decides when to bring the priceless rain and normally comes to them in the form of snakes, scorpions, and other scuttling creatures. This is a huge honor for someone as young and inexperienced as Mirany, although soon it is apparent that she is much more powerful than she thinks. Nine other girls serve the god. Just after receiving her new post, her life is constantly in danger. The Archon is dead, the speaker is false, and the oracle is being betrayed. The speaker of the god Hermia tells the people what the god says through the oracle and delivers it to the people to appease the god so the rains come. The people don't know however that they are being deceived. Hermia is in league with general Argelin who has intense power over the land and its inhabitants. They are planning to betray the oracle by giving false information to the people and intend to dictate the choosing of the new ruler, who is supposed to have the presence of the god within him and is known as the Archon. This plot between the two most powerful people in the land has unearthed a disturbance and the god is not happy: there is no rain. Mirany goes through an epic adventure trying desperately to bring the rightful candidate of the new Archon (named Alexos) to the temple to bring the life sustaining rains, and ensure the happiness of the people. She teams up with Seth, an ambitious scribe who really wants nothing to do with the whole affair, and has some dark secrets of his own; and Oblek, a drunken, pugnacious, middle aged man who used to be the best musician in the land, and was the old Archon's best friend, and may be the only man who can keep Alexos alive and deliver him safely to the temple to fulfill his duties. Will Mirany, Oblek, and Seth stop the malicious plot between Hermia and Argelin? What new powers will Mirany discover during her quest? This book is an amazing science fiction novel for all ages. The Oracle Betrayed is extremely descriptive, and stirs your thoughts and imagination in the most unlikely ways. The characters are intense and convincing, you feel as though you are really there. Riveting to the last page. I recommend this book to all readers and hope you find it as enjoyable as I have.
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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is a terrific new series, August 25, 2005
I've started reading this series after having gone through the Edgewater series. "The Oracle Betrayed" already promises that this series will be much better and more satisfying. The characters are well rounded, the dialogue is believable, and while there is a lot of action, it all flows together as part of an overarching plot, rather than as individual episodes. This book will appeal to both girls and boys.
Catherine Fisher does a great job of making the world of this story come to life. The brutality of life in the ancient world is made evident. As she describes the crowded city streets, details such as rotting garbage and the odor of dead animals make it extremely vivid and realistic. And then this is contrasted with the sumptuous City of the Dead, where the high ranking inhabitants lack for nothing, even precious water while the poor are reeling from the effects of the long-lasting drought.
The two main characters, Mireny and Seth, are flawed which makes them more believable than they would have been if they had been gung-ho, able-to-do-everything types. Mireny is priestess but she doesn't believe the in the existence of her god, and by nature she is shy and uncomfortable around people. Over the course of the book her faith changes and she gains confidence. Seth begins as an arrogant scribe who gets drawn into the plot initially as a means of achieving his ambitions, but he too grows and his motives change.
A previous reviewer complained that the meaning of everything is not spelled out at the beginning. That's actually what makes for sophisticated storytelling, and makes this a book that will appeal to various ages. As you read on the various layers of the the mystery are revealed and the various threads of the plot come together.
For parents who are evaluating this book there are a couple of things to be aware of. Although this is listed as book for 9 yr olds, it probably is more appropriate starting at 11 to 12 year olds due to some more mature elements. There is a scene of ritual sacrifice, and while it is not graphic it might be disturbing to some kids. Also there is a brief scene that takes place in an opium den. Otherwise I highly recommend this book. It's enjoyable for anyone who enjoys a mix of mystery and fantasy.
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