REVIEW á TEXASBEERGUIDE.COM Ô Petra Landon
A powerful wizard threatens the Chosen from beyond the grave. Can they unravel The Prophecy in time to save their world!
Chosen have walked the earth for time immemorial. Tasia is a very special Chosen. Warned to keep her distance from her brethren, she makes a fateful decision one night to assist an injured Shape-shifter. Suddenly, Tasia finds herself in the cross-hairs of Shifter mercenaries encroaching on San Francisco. Forced out of the shadows, Tasia has little choice but to ally herself with the local Shifter Pack led by a formidable and dangerous Alpha Protector. In the cut-throat world of a Shifter Pack, Tasia must fight to protect her secrets while struggling to negotiate with the enigmatic Alpha who holds his violent Pack together with a ruthless hand on its reins.
Grave danger threatens their world as a powerful wizard exploits an old prophecy to divide the Chosen. When the Pack is asked to investigate the twenty-five year old mystery, Tasia is drawn deeper into a past that risks raising the suspicions of the very Chosen she hides from. As danger closes in on her, Tasia must decide who to trust with the deadly secrets she guards.
Author's Note : The Prophecy is the first book of
Saga of the Chosen
, an urban fantasy series sprinkled with action, adventure, an unfolding mystery and a dose of romance. Set in contemporary San Francisco in the fantastical and intrigue-ridden world of Chosen where factions of Wizards, Shape-shifters, Vampires and others vie for power and influence over their kind, it introduces Tasia Armstrong, a Magick with dangerous secrets and powers. Circumstances propel Tasia from a nondescript life on the fringes of Chosen society to a crucial role in an investigation to decode a mysterious plot from the past that threatens her people. Along the way, she gains new friends and allies while struggling to maintain a tempestuous alliance with the local Shape-shifter Pack. Thrust into a world where the line between friend and foe is often hard to decipher, Tasia must figure out the rules quickly even as danger stalks ever closer to her.
The Rainmaker will be Book Two in this series.
Librarian's note: See alternate cover edition of ASIN B01NBZ8OLM here.
The Prophecy (Saga of the Chosen, #1)
This is Urban Fantasy at its best; there are many types of sups in the book and this makes for an excellent start to this series. The book isn’t perfect, there’s some monotonous dialogue but, IMHO no writer is completely perfect and the story and originality makes up for mistakes that take nothing away from the enjoyment of the story itself. I received this as one of my Prime books and it lingered on my shelf for months, but I’m glad because once I read it I only had a couple of weeks to wait until book 2 was released (now I’m impatiently waiting for the next one).
This book has several main characters; Tasia a witch with powers that the vampires thought they had destroyed years ago. She is in hiding, working two dead-end jobs and flying under the radar a level two wizard where she uses her low-level abilitied to make extra money doing mainly magical cleaning jobs.
Raoul, the brooding, enigmatic young Alpha of the local pack who offers Tasia his protection (despite his hatred of witches) after she recues Hawk, a young dual shifter who is a pack member. Duncan is Raoul’s second who shares the secret of Raoul’s past. These are just a few of the wonderful characters that make up this saga.
Tasia has been hiding her abilities for so long, moving to different cities while trying to hide in plain sight; she knew she was taking a risk when she rescued Hawk but thought it was relatively a small one. When the two weres that were holding Hawk come after her she manages to survive using abilities she isn’t suppose to possess, this puts her in danger from the people who have been searching for her and she has no choice but to accept the offer of protection the pack has offered.
While Tasia has accepted the pack’s protection she does not tell them the extent of her abilities; even after Raoul sees evidence that she killed vampires without using the usual methods he’s not sure how she did it but he helps to cover it up by staking them. He knows she hiding things, which adds to his innate distrust of her because she is a witch but he feels obligated to offer her the protection of the pack until she turns on them which he fully expects her to do.
Since I don’t want to give any more away I’ll stop now but I urge you to read this book!
5/5 STARS: **I read this novel using a selection from my Amazon Prime First Reads; the review reflects my honest opinions.** The Prophecy (Saga of the Chosen, #1) Epic
Gripping
Suspenseful
Riveting
Intense
Action packed
Heart stopping
These are just but a few words that best describe The Prophecy by Petra Landon. It's an urban fantasy set within a world that has many layers that unfold beautifully. From the well developed and ever evolving characters, the back stories as well as the main story, which weaves in and out, and paced perfectly. All of these amazing points create a delicate balance, bringing about a brilliant and memorable start to a series that will no doubt continue to be captivating and exciting.
I felt compelled immediately to fall in love from the first word and held onto every breath as I devoured this wonderfully written story about Wizards, Shifters, Vampires and Ancients. It has depth and a richness that is most thoughtful to the story and mesmerising for the reader. You are drawn in and catapulted completely within thus making it impossible to stop reading. Everything about this book is beautiful and for the life of me I don't know how I'm going to survive waiting for the next instalment.
I want to thank the author for providing me with a copy of The Prophecy in exchange for my review and I also want to remark how much I appreciate every word she wrote to create such a fantastical read. The Prophecy (Saga of the Chosen, #1) Set in San Francisco, in a world where wizards, shape-shifters and vampires exist unknown to the human population, this is a captivating, action-packed and thrilling adventure. The supernatural world that Ms Landon has created is intriguing and I found myself totally immersed in Tasia’s journey.
Tasia has always kept a low profile, hiding in plain sight in order to guard her deadly secrets, until the night she rescues an injured shifter. She is now forced to turn to the shifter pack for protection when her good deed draws unwanted attention and danger to her.
Tasia is new to the shifter’s ways and struggles to fit in, and seems to cross the Alpha at every turn. He knows that she is keeping secrets but Tasia is reluctant to open up as it could prove to be a fatal mistake.
I instantly connected with Tasia; she is a likeable, spirited character and I felt for her struggle to survive and to find a place to belong. She is unsure who to trust and is in over her head with the politics and power plays of the supernatural clans. The plot was multi-layered and complex and the characters well developed; I enjoyed getting to know them and their world as the story unfolded.
There is so much that I loved in this strong debut novel. It is a rewarding, well-written and entertaining read. Ms Landon has introduced a great cast of characters in a fascinating world and I can’t wait to continue with this series.
The Prophecy (Saga of the Chosen, #1)
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The Prophecy by Petra Landon
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Action, mystery, suspense and intrigue all come into play with The Prophoecy with a little hint of romantic possibilities to come.
The Prophecy is a fast paced and at times action intense story. Its packed with strong characters and backed by a highly engaging plot. What I enjoyed most was the completely new take on the paranormal world.
Landon does a marvelous job at world building and creating a place you can let our imagination go.
I received this copy of The Prophecy from Petra Landon. This is my honest and voluntary review. The Prophecy (Saga of the Chosen, #1) After reading the synopsis on Goodreads I thought that the book sounded like something that I would like, WOW did I underestimate that. This book was everything that I look for in a fantasy. It had great plot, characters, edge of your seat action, and an element of suspense all weaving together seamlessly into one great story.
The characters are very well put together, and I just seemed to connect with each and every one of them in totally different ways. Found myself rooting for some, apprehensive of others, disliking (in a good way) a few, and laughing along with many. The characters drive this story, with extremely well done backstories that were expertly integrated into the story as to not feel like the story took a lull while telling them. The tensions the author was able to bring to life whether it be between characters, or between the different chosen was superb. I found myself hypnotized by some of the ways the author was able to bring about different emotions between the a lot characters that I don't normally feel while reading books of others.
The story had great pace, and matched the scene the author was putting forth, from action packed highly detailed fighting scenes to the tension packed private meetings between Tasia and the Alpha, to the light banter filled interactions between Tasia and Hawk, while also providing the calming influence that Duncan seemed to have over everyone. Very well done and extremely well thought out.
The plot was a great start to a series, revealing just enough to have you trying to predict what lies ahead for our wonderful characters, while keeping you totally focused and involved in a twist and turned filled first book. This is the type of writing that I lean towards, a good action packed story with a great mix of back stories and hint dropping to keep you hoping that time will speed up so that you do not have to wait for the next installment.
I would also like to thank the author for providing me a copy of The Prophecy in exchange for my review while also thanking the author for a fantastic story that will keep me poised to read other works that she has for us while I await the release of the next book in The Prophecy series. The Prophecy (Saga of the Chosen, #1)
This is a very promising start to what looks like a fabulous urban fantasy series! The story is unique and extremely engaging, pulling the reader in almost immediately.
The only glitch in the story was the constant repetition of thoughts, points, extra. Readers are told something, then soon after that same point is re-told almost verbatim of the first time. Then, further on, that same point is again re-told. This happens often enough that it slows the story and gets very annoying. If the author tightened up those stop points, this book would truly be a 5 star read! The story is seriously that good! The Prophecy (Saga of the Chosen, #1) There are so many wonderful characters in this story. Tasia, the main character, risks her life and anonymity to save someone she doesn't even know. Hawk is the loyal big brother type who can be counted on for comfort when needed. Sara is Hawk's sister who befriends Tasia and helps her learn the ways of the Pack despite her own discomfort around them. Sienna and Jason are working with the Pack temporarily and have also come to care about Tasia. The Pack's Alpha Raoul extended protection to Tasia the moment she rescued Hawk, one of his closest Pack members. Even when Tasia told Raoul off and turned her back on him, he didn't hesitate to rescue her when her very life was in danger.
These are characters I admire, respect, and would be grateful to have as friends. They are loyal and faithful to Tasia and she needs them more than she realizes. I believe they also need her, too. They need her help solving the mystery, they need her magic to assist in the fight, and they need her friendship. I also suspect someone wants and needs her more than a friend.
This is an enjoyable and well-written story with twists and turns and I look forward to reading more. The Prophecy (Saga of the Chosen, #1) 3.5/5 stars
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
As a powerful wizard threatens the Chosen from beyond the grave, can they unravel The Prophecy in time to save their world?
Tasia is a very special Chosen. Warned to keep her distance from her brethren, she makes a fateful decision one night to assist an injured Shape-shifter. Suddenly, Tasia finds herself in the cross-hairs of Shifter mercenaries encroaching on San Francisco and their vampire allies. Forced out of the shadows, Tasia has little choice but to ally herself with the local Shifter Pack, led by a formidable and dangerous Alpha Protector. In the cut-throat world of a Shifter Pack, Tasia must fight to guard her secrets while struggling to negotiate with the enigmatic Alpha who holds his violent Pack together with a ruthless hand on its reins.
Grave danger threatens their world as a powerful wizard exploits an old prophecy to divide the Chosen. When the Pack is asked to investigate the twenty-five year old mystery, Tasia is drawn deeper into a past that risks raising the suspicions of the very Chosen she hides from. As danger closes in on her, Tasia must decide who to trust with the deadly secrets she guards. “‘Try me, Big Eyes’ his voice was whisper soft as he resumed his sprint towards their car. ‘I might surprise you.’”
I am very grateful that Ms. Landon offered me the opportunity to read and give an honest review of her book. Naturally I was very excited to read an urban fantasy because after a month of studying for final exams I was ready to escape into a book. I was not disappointed with The Prophecy, it's storyline and characters were amazing! This book started out with a bang and I knew right away that it was going to be a hard book to set down. The first thing I would like to get out of the way is the terminology I'll be using throughout this review. Wizards poses magic that is put on a scale of “levels”. Wizards that have magic L2 and below have little to no magic and are seen as “less than” in the wizard world. Wizards with L3 and above have enough magic to weird against other chosen. The next important subset of Chosen are the Shifters. Shifters are basically werewolves but they are able to change into any animal that is specific to that shifter. A Shifter has an immense amount of strength and a huge temper that comes from their animalistic side. The next two subsets are Vampires and Ancients, which are ancient wizards that have the most power. Ms. Landon did a great job explaining the power systems and different Chosen present in the book, which makes it easy to understand and implement the knowledge throughout the book. “It had been a long day. Rather, it had been a long week. Nope, scratch that, it had been a long three months!”
Tasia Armstrong is the strong, but also extremely realistic, female protagonist you didn't know you needed. Tasia is an extremely rare and powerful wizard that is hiding in San Francisco. To keep her powers and existence a secret she poses as a Level 2 wizard, a wizard with little to no magic. She is also extremely independent and knows how to step up to the plate when anyone she loves needs her. Tasia not only holds two normal human jobs but also takes small jobs on the side to use her magic to clean away any previous magic spent in an area. The one unique gift Tasia possesses is the ability to sense the amount of magic spent and what kind of Chosen, creature with magic, spent it. On one of her small jobs she finds herself in the sticky situation of either helping a fellow Chosen or keeping her identity hidden. Needless to say Tasia helps the Chosen because even with the many stupid situations Tasia puts herself into and the mistakes she made, she is a kind hearted person. One of my favorite aspects of this book was how even through all of the danger and intrigue Ms. Landon kept Tasia as the strong woman that also has an extremely strong heart. “‘That girl is very special. Do you know why?’ he spat out furiously. ‘She has a Pack that will not abandon her, no matter what.’”
Our male protagonist, Raoul, also known as Alph, is the Alpha Protector of the North Californian Shifter Pack. He is the overly protective and testosterone driven male in our story. From the beginning he was shown as the one to hold loyalty over anything else but also the one that can break your neck with a stare. Alph is the kind of character that is an acquired taste. In the beginning I knew he was supposed to be the guy you hate but then halfway through learn to love him along with the female protagonist. But he was always an interesting character in my mind because he was very back and forth with his emotions, which at times did get very irritating, but in the end it all made sense. Yes, in the end I did end up liking Alph because who can resist a brooding, secretly sensitive Alpha who respects women? Not me. “‘From what I hear, he defended you vigorously to his colleagues.’
Hawk, my absolute favorite character in this book. Both of them are Shifters, but they aren't as temperamental or testosterone driven. Hawk is a very loving and protective character that takes a liking to Tasia when she first comes to the Pack. Hawk was the reason why Tasia was brought into the Pack in the first place. Hawk was captured by two rogue Shifters and Tasia was able to rescue him. Because of this incident Alph granted Tasia Pack protection allowing Tasia to stay at the Lair and get closer to Hawk. Hawk is basically the best friend that every person needs. He cares for and helps Tasia through the process of her becoming familiar with Shifter tradition and lifestyle. At one point he even held Tasia as she cried, and I would like to point out how most Shifters don't like physical touch or affection. Hawk. Is. The. Most. Affectionate. And. Loving. Character. And. He. Deserves. More. Than. What. He. Was. Given. That's all I have to say.
‘Hawk’ Raoul remarked with a knowing look. ‘Why am I not surprised? Hawk behaves like a gossipy schoolgirl when it comes to you.’
‘I heard that, Alph’ Hawk’s irrepressible voice came clearly through to both Shifters.”“Love is a very powerful emotion, my boy! Never underestimate it.”
One of the main things, that I touched on previously, was how the relationships developed and were portrayed. The Prophecy did not lean heavily on romantic or sexual relationships which was a really nice change. Instead it focused on the platonic relationships that helped Tasia grow to be the person she becomes at the end of the book. My favorite friendship was between Tasia and Hawk because both characters are so genuine in their love for each other. Hawk, being the only familiar face at the Lair, was the person Tasia leaned on and depended on for help. Even though Hawk was a huge “rock” for Tasia she also provided a safe space for Hawk to open up about his life and problems plaguing him. The other platonic relationship I love is between Duncan, an older British Shifter, and Raoul. Throughout all of the exchanges these two Shifters have you can tell how comfortable they are with one another. Duncan is one of the only people Raoul will open up to and he also allows him to call him by his first name instead of Alpha, which demonstrates a level of equality. Being able to read an urban fantasy that wasn't solely focused on a romantic relationship was a really nice change. The Prophecy is chock full of friendships that are both unexpected and unique in their own ways. “Enormous gray eyes, shimmering with unshed tears gazed straight at him. An involuntary and watery hiccup followed as the gray eyes stared at him in awe…’You good, Big Eyes?’ he inquired softly. ‘Where does it hurt?’”
A small aspect of the book that I happened to not like was the use of nicknames. I have read many books where two characters have an inside joke or nicknames for each other and it comes off as cute and intimate. But, in this case, I don't think they really worked for me. Raoul calls Tasia “witchling” which I was totally okay with because it came off as natural. But then he started calling her “Big Eyes” and it just made me a little uncomfortable. Like I personally can never see anyone referring to another person as “Big Eyes”. It just doesn't roll off the tongue easily and just sounds awkward. Yes, this was a very small and insignificant aspect of the book, but when it's used over and over it starts to grate on your nerves just a little. “For what it’s worth, my boy, I’m glad. It is time for you to stop sleepwalking through your life.”
The plot for this story was intricately thought out and all in all pretty well written. From the beginning you were aware of who was who and what the overarching problem was. This helped you figure out later on what the world's dynamic was and how or why people reacted the way they did. The beginning of this book really started out with a bang. After reading the first chapter i knew I was going to have a problem setting the book down. But after hitting around halfway through the pace of the book came to a sudden halt. Problems weren't being solved and many scenes and plot lines seemed repetitive. But after a couple chapters that were a little hard to get through the book took off. It was at the point in the story where everything was happening all at once. There was also the theme of having scenes or pieces of dialogue repeated throughout the story, which in a way made me feel like I as a reader was being underestimated. All of these scenes and pieces of dialogue had just occurred so I ended up skipping them because I felt like they were unneeded. All in all the writing is very thorough and descriptive which made for a very in depth reading experience. “You are wrong, Tasia Armstrong. In fact, you couldn’t be more wrong. I hope that you come to see that one day.”
All in all I really enjoyed reading this book. I loved the characters’ personalities and the plot was easy to engage with. This book seemed to just have a beginning and middle so I wish we could have seen more of a definite ending to this book. With that being said I will definitely be looking forward to reading the continuation of this series and seeing what Tasia and Raoul have hidden up their sleeves. If you are into urban fantasy, fantasy, or just young adult books in general you would enjoy The Prophecy.
The Prophecy (Saga of the Chosen, #1) Wizards, shifters and vampires, all power hungry, all co-existing in San Francisco, but things are about to get very dicey as secrets, both new and old force their way to the surface and either the supernaturals learn to play nice together or face the hell that threatens to break loose, possibly destroying them all. Can the vamps learn to play nice with the shifters? Can the Wizards lose a little of their paranoia long enough to survive the coming prophecy? Things that go bump in the night are caught up in a nightmare of epic proportions and it may all hinge on one powerful woman who has hidden who and what she really is just to survive.
Tasia followed her heart and that one action put her in good standing with the local were pack and its cold as steel alpha has offered her their protection…but that protection will come with a price…
Petra Landon’s THE PROPHECY is a cut above many fabulous paranormal tales with its unique blend of intelligent and multi-layered characters, its deep secrets and its ability to make fantasy feel like reality! Hang on for some humor, lots of heart and a ton of action and intrigue and you know that that means? TOTAL ENTERTAINMENT FROM START TO FINISH!
Ever wonder about the hierarchy of different paranormal groups? It’s all spelled out by Ms. Landon and I have to say, I was fascinated with the depth and personalities she brought together! Fall in love with Tasia’s feistiness, feel for her plight, then swoon over Raoul, the super-serious and powerful alpha with secrets of his own and let’s not forget the quirky Hawk, a bit of a misfit himself, but always entertaining.
Fast-paced, high on tension, both physical and emotional, a definite gem in the paranormal world without a wasted page or word!
Series: Saga of the Chosen - Book 1
Publication Date: January 27, 2017
Publisher: Petra Landon
Genre: Paranormal suspense
Print Length: 419 pages
Available from: Amazon
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The Prophecy (Saga of the Chosen, #1) Thanks to the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I'm so so so surprised by this book. Mainly because it has very little readers on Goodreads. I wasn't really sure what I was getting into, when Petra Landon asked me to read the book. It took me some time to get into, but I loved it! I'll tell you why.
This review was first posted on BiteIntoBooks Blog
Pros
Language choice: I truly loved the way this book was written. I learned SO MUCH new English words. It was written beautifully and described so well. The words that were used added a lot of depth to the story. There were so much words that you don't see that often in a book and it was great to read a book with a different feel to it. (So happy with my Kindle Dictionary, since English is not my native language)
Lot of mystery: The book starts with a lot of mystery and also ends with a lot of mystery. This really makes me want to read the second book, to get me some answers. The ending is great, because Tasia is at the brink of solving the mystery, but there are still a lot of questions.
Amazing worldbuilding: The Council, Shifters, Leeches, Guardians, Wizards, Humans.. YEAH! It's so well thought through. There were no loose ends in the world building what so ever. This is by far the strongest part about this book. I believed every part of it.
Characters: Can't end this list of pro's without saying something about the characters. The characters have so much depth because of the rich conversations they have together. Tasia is great, but the Alpha Protector stole my heart. He is so passionate :)
Cons
Felt slow at some points: I would understand if people think this book is a slow read. It could have had more action for me at some parts. The rescues when there was danger were so quick, so it never really felt like danger. The action scenes were short and followed by long conversations. I didn't mind that much, but I would've loved a bit more muscles, fighting and magic spells.
Too much exclamation marks: I have a thing with exclamation marks. I enjoy reading sentences when those are really shouted or if someone is shocked beyond believe. From my point of view, a lot of sentences in this book did not need a exclamation mark. It's a little remark from my side, but it just annoyed me sometimes, yep sorry.
We can welcome Petra Landon to the writer's world with a big bow. Great worldbuilding and amazing characters. I truly enjoyed this book. Loved the Pride and Prejudice references. Can't wait for the second part to get me some answers. The Prophecy (Saga of the Chosen, #1)
