The Light of the Oracle

I devoured this book as a kid. The plot is deceptively simple, but with political intrigue, an internal struggle for power, and rare magic, this book is everything but simple! I was so happy to find it so easily online.

Hanley has kept up the good work with this book. The story is very well written so you don't feel things are just added in just so you can get from point A to point C in record time. The characters very interesting, even the ones you don't like. It is a pretty traditional fantasy story, but it different enough to pull you in and make you wonder what is going to happen next. If you like reading The Seer and the Sword and The Healer's Keep, you will definately like this book. If you haven't read Victoria Hanley before, but like light fantasy, you should like this book. You can really read the books in any order as they do not really follow each other like a series, but are companion books.

Light of the Oracle is the third book Hanley has set in the same fantasy universe - and aside from that, the three books could hardly be more different, and all are excellent. The Seer and the Sword is a political-military novel, with relatively little magic and a lot of action. Healer's Keep is a save-the-world novel almost entirely about magical warfare between the protagonists and Ultimate Evil. And this one is an "academy" story about relationships among students and faculty at an institute organized to control prophecy. Others have summarized the plot; I'll just say that I've loved all three books, and that based on her start Hanley is fully worthy to be mentioned in the same breath as Tamora Pierce, Jane Yolen, Sherwood Smith, and Diana Wynne Jones. She doesn't have anything like their body of work produced yet, so I can't say if she'll sustain it as well, but so far so good.

The Light of the Oracle, a fantasy by Victoria Handley, is about a young adult growing up with a special talent; she can see the future. Thought by the town, and mainly her mother, a wild and crazy child, Bryn has always felt singled out, separate from the rest. Separate, that is until one day she runs in front of the Master Priest's horse while following a strange piece of floating thistledown. The Master Priest, instead of seeing her as "the silly dreamer", he realizes her talent and asks her to join the Temple of the Oracle. Eager to leave the village, she quickly accepts; not knowing the challenges she is yet to face. But as she enters the Temple, so does the wicked, power-hungry Clea. Almost immediately, rivalry swarms between the two girls. As time passes, it soon becomes time for the bird-choosing festival, were a twist of fate leads Bryn to be chosen, not by a bird, but by the wind. One of the highest, and most sacred power, wind chosen receive the power to control the wind, only to be crippled by a curse. Consequently enough, Clea is chosen by one of the most feared birds, a vulture. Controlled by Keldes, the God of death; vulture chosen were given the gift of casting curses. Seeing her advantage, Clea quickly curses Bryn, forces the wind to leave her. Distraught and empty inside, Bryn is forced to standby and watch as the Temple's powers crumbles, powerless to stop it... Jam-packed with adventure, fantasy, magic, and a bit of romance, The Light of the Oracle is perfect for anyone who loved, Pendragon, Harry Potter, or Handley's two other books: The Seer and the Sword, and The Healer's Keep. I loved this book, not only because I love Handley's writings, but also for its captivating plot and extraordinary style of writing. As the book progresses, tension and excitement builds up in the Temple, until the climatic end that you would never expect. "I'm afraid the wind has unchosen me. I don't hear its whispers anymore, don't feel it lifting my hair or brushing against my face. It's all stillness now." Bryn says this after Clea has cursed her, giving an excellent example of Handley's vivid writing. Her style of writing keeps you going right up to the last page; you want to find out how the book ends, but you never want the book to end. It is a classic "huddled up in your bed with a flash light" all-nighter. This book raised the issue that when someone has power, most of the time, they abuse it. When the Master Priest and Clea joined together, they tried to overpower and control the Temple, bringing down anyone in their way. I agreed with the author because in most cases, this is true. Take for example Hitler. Since he had power over thousands of people with his great speaking skills, he tried to take over the world, wiping out everyone in his way. Though a few bumpy spots here and there, all in all, The Light of the Oracle is a great book with superb plot and, I say, one of the best writing styles of all fantasy books. This book is de

I really loved this book. It was exciting as well as mystifying. The magic and deception that takes place is riviting and the characters are wonderfully alive with thoughts and feelings. The imagination that it must have taken to think up all the ways of the Temple of the Oracle is just awsome! I absolutly loved this book and think that many others will find it as hard to put down as I did.

I have been a fan of Hanley's work since THE SEER AND THE SWORD. This book is a companion novel to that one and HEALER'S KEEP--they are all set in the same fantasy world. You can read the book description for yourself. What makes Hanley's work so wonderful is the way she uses details--you can feel the magical wind, and you keenly feel its loss. Her characters are fully realized, and the plot is exciting and interesting. I was almost breathless as the last third of the book hurtled toward a very satisfactory ending. Highly recommended.