Review of The Prophecy of the Heron
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Review of The Prophecy of the Heron
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Prophecy of the Heron" by Craig W. Stanfill.]
The Prophecy of the Heron: An AI Dystopia Novel is the second novel written by Craig W. Stanfill, which follows Terms of Service: Subject to change without notice. After reading the first book, I really wanted to see what happens to Kim in her AI dystopian world, a wish that made me read the second book almost immediately after I finished the first. An important aspect to note is that I read the second book for its story and not for the writer’s style, which I did not find appealing in Terms of Service. The good news, however, is that Stanfill’s writing style has improved drastically and this evolution can be seen by comparing the first chapter of the Prophecy with the last. In the second book, Kim’s story is continued and in the words of the author, she is “stuck in a dark and lonely place, hunted by enemies, and everyone wants me dead” (page 379). This is the leitmotif of this second book.
On a very positive note, this book contains some stunning descriptions of the environment, an area in which the author excels. I especially enjoyed the visuals of the scene in which Kim had been taught how to fight alongside the other gang members. The movements and the gestures of the characters were presented vividly, allowing me to live that moment with Kim. A fascinating aspect of the character’s development is that they stopped growing in this book; presenting a world of action, there was no time for characters to do nothing but use the knowledge they have accumulated in order to survive. I believe this aspect was hidden in the existence of Kim’s doppelgänger and its development as a tangential storyline.
On the other side, one aspect I did not particularly like was the eruption of violent fights out of seemingly no build-up. The violent scenes came and went with no particular reason, and I see how this lack of rationality was emphasized throughout the book, but I believe these scenes could have been worked on a little better to consolidate the lack of sense and incorporate the gory better. I have also stumbled upon some clichés, such as the main character beating up an experienced character with almost no preparation, as well as some copy-pasted fragments from the first book. I am sure a reader that reads the first and the second novel with a lengthy pause would not notice this aspect, but I did and I found it a bit off-putting.
I am giving this book a 3 out of 5 stars due to the reasons mentioned above. I did find a few typos, which means the book was edited almost perfectly. I think one aspect that can be worked on in future books is calling Shan Kim’s “lover”, as she clearly became at the end of the first book, and not her “friend”, as the narrator has done throughout The Prophecy of the Heron.
Lastly, I would recommend this book to a mature audience due to the violence presented and the mature themes contained in it. Moreover, the second book would be best enjoyed by those who have read the first, as I do not think it would be enjoyable as a standalone. I do not regret reading the sequel because now I know what happened to Kim and I can sleep in peace!
******
The Prophecy of the Heron
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
The Prophecy of the Heron: An AI Dystopia Novel is the second novel written by Craig W. Stanfill, which follows Terms of Service: Subject to change without notice. After reading the first book, I really wanted to see what happens to Kim in her AI dystopian world, a wish that made me read the second book almost immediately after I finished the first. An important aspect to note is that I read the second book for its story and not for the writer’s style, which I did not find appealing in Terms of Service. The good news, however, is that Stanfill’s writing style has improved drastically and this evolution can be seen by comparing the first chapter of the Prophecy with the last. In the second book, Kim’s story is continued and in the words of the author, she is “stuck in a dark and lonely place, hunted by enemies, and everyone wants me dead” (page 379). This is the leitmotif of this second book.
On a very positive note, this book contains some stunning descriptions of the environment, an area in which the author excels. I especially enjoyed the visuals of the scene in which Kim had been taught how to fight alongside the other gang members. The movements and the gestures of the characters were presented vividly, allowing me to live that moment with Kim. A fascinating aspect of the character’s development is that they stopped growing in this book; presenting a world of action, there was no time for characters to do nothing but use the knowledge they have accumulated in order to survive. I believe this aspect was hidden in the existence of Kim’s doppelgänger and its development as a tangential storyline.
On the other side, one aspect I did not particularly like was the eruption of violent fights out of seemingly no build-up. The violent scenes came and went with no particular reason, and I see how this lack of rationality was emphasized throughout the book, but I believe these scenes could have been worked on a little better to consolidate the lack of sense and incorporate the gory better. I have also stumbled upon some clichés, such as the main character beating up an experienced character with almost no preparation, as well as some copy-pasted fragments from the first book. I am sure a reader that reads the first and the second novel with a lengthy pause would not notice this aspect, but I did and I found it a bit off-putting.
I am giving this book a 3 out of 5 stars due to the reasons mentioned above. I did find a few typos, which means the book was edited almost perfectly. I think one aspect that can be worked on in future books is calling Shan Kim’s “lover”, as she clearly became at the end of the first book, and not her “friend”, as the narrator has done throughout The Prophecy of the Heron.
Lastly, I would recommend this book to a mature audience due to the violence presented and the mature themes contained in it. Moreover, the second book would be best enjoyed by those who have read the first, as I do not think it would be enjoyable as a standalone. I do not regret reading the sequel because now I know what happened to Kim and I can sleep in peace!
******
The Prophecy of the Heron
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Latest Review: Always Strive to Be a Better You by Pete Hall
