Scan barcode
jessalynn_librarian's review against another edition
4.0
The Speaker is corrupt, the Oracle has been betrayed...and I need to get my hands on the sequel. Slightly reminiscent of Megan Whalen Turner's The Thief in terms of alternate mythology, gods who speak to the characters, and intrigue. Hard to put down, and it will make you grateful for every drop of water you have access to.
emilynavert's review against another edition
I read the French translation of this one back when every Fantasy YA book published in Quebec had an Egyptian flavour.
annieslibrary's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
moniszka's review against another edition
4.0
It was my second read through. The first time I read the Polish translation but I've forgotten everything as I grew older. After 7 years I decided to continue with the series and refresh my memory of the first volume. Conclusions? I liked it a lot. It was an easy and enjoyable read. There were moment when I couldn't quite imagine the setting but I guess it's just the language barrier (I've re-read it in English). I'm really exited to finally find out what happens in the second and the third volume. I like Mirany and all the other characters but I hope to explore their relationship even more. I recommend it for people who are looking for an easy and fast-paced story :)
mel1n's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
miraeli's review against another edition
3.0
I read and loved Fisher’s book Incarceron, which I found to be a very smart fantasy book, so I was interested in reading what else she’d written. Mostly so I could fill the gap between Incarceron and Sapphique. This one caught my eye due to the unique mix of Greek and Egyptian cultures. Plus, working to overthrow a conspiracy? Sign me right up.
I was entertained by The Oracle Betrayed, but it didn’t quite blow me away. That’s not to say it was horrible or mediocre, but it definitely didn’t draw me completely in. There’s a lot of good about the book; it outweighs the bad, in fact. But it just didn’t completely impress me.
I’ll start with the bad since there’s not a lot of it. The pacing was odd at times and it was especially slow in the beginning. Once all the main characters meet up it picks up, but there were still a few passages where it felt like it was going slower than it should have. The villains didn’t really get enough exposure, although since this is the first in a trilogy I hope they’re better fleshed out in the next two books. They were just there to be evil and stuff, although there were a few instances where they did actually feel threatening and like they really could win. I hope we get more of their backstory and motivation in the next two books.
The world building in this book is great. It’s obviously a fully realized world and Fisher does a great job of describing it and fleshing it out with little throw away sentences or paragraphs. I really enjoyed the mixture of Greek and Egyptian cultures, although honestly in this book it’s more Egyptian than it is Greek. A few mentions are made to the Island which is obviously the Greek counterpart in this world, but we don’t really see much of it. Still, it’s an intriguing world and I’m looking forward to reading more about it in the next two books.
I did like the characters, even though they weren’t particularly deep. As I mentioned above with the villains not having much of a backstory or motivation in this novel, I never wondered which side Seth was on. It was obvious at times we were meant to wonder if he was going to stay out of the whole ordeal and abandon everyone, but honestly, we know he’s going to keep up the fight and help Mirany and the others. There was some great conflict that could have been set up for Mirany, who doesn’t believe in the god she’s supposed to spend her life serving, but it was only addressed a few times and did not impact her choices that much. Near the end of the book, the god says that “at one time she didn’t believe he existed”, and she responds with “I’m still not sure.” Um, well, it’s kind of late to worry about that now, since you’re fighting for him and all. So I’d hope you’d have a better idea of what you’re fighting for than that. It’s just never brought up unless the scene calls for it, so that was a little disappointing.
I did like Mirany, though, and watching her gradually change from a shy, soft spoken, non-confrontational girl to someone who was taking control and trying to win this strange situation she’d been thrown into. Her growth probably could have been better planned, since it is a trilogy, but at the same time Fisher is very much a plot driven writer instead of character driven, so I suppose the sudden change in character we get from Mirany makes sense.
Another aspect I liked about this book was the romance, or namely, how little of it there was. There are hints that Seth and Mirany may get together, but it isn’t the focus of the story at all, and their relationship in The Oracle Betrayed is a good set up for the growth that should happen in the next two books.
All in all it’s a solid, entertaining novel that should satisfy a reader who’s in the mood for some good old fantasy. While it isn’t anything spectacular, there is a good set up for the rest of the trilogy, and the book stands on its own outside of that. I’m interested enough to see what happens so I’ll definitely be checking out The Sphere of Secrets and Day of the Scarab.
Trigger Warning(s): There are mentions of child abuse in this book.
I was entertained by The Oracle Betrayed, but it didn’t quite blow me away. That’s not to say it was horrible or mediocre, but it definitely didn’t draw me completely in. There’s a lot of good about the book; it outweighs the bad, in fact. But it just didn’t completely impress me.
I’ll start with the bad since there’s not a lot of it. The pacing was odd at times and it was especially slow in the beginning. Once all the main characters meet up it picks up, but there were still a few passages where it felt like it was going slower than it should have. The villains didn’t really get enough exposure, although since this is the first in a trilogy I hope they’re better fleshed out in the next two books. They were just there to be evil and stuff, although there were a few instances where they did actually feel threatening and like they really could win. I hope we get more of their backstory and motivation in the next two books.
The world building in this book is great. It’s obviously a fully realized world and Fisher does a great job of describing it and fleshing it out with little throw away sentences or paragraphs. I really enjoyed the mixture of Greek and Egyptian cultures, although honestly in this book it’s more Egyptian than it is Greek. A few mentions are made to the Island which is obviously the Greek counterpart in this world, but we don’t really see much of it. Still, it’s an intriguing world and I’m looking forward to reading more about it in the next two books.
I did like the characters, even though they weren’t particularly deep. As I mentioned above with the villains not having much of a backstory or motivation in this novel, I never wondered which side Seth was on. It was obvious at times we were meant to wonder if he was going to stay out of the whole ordeal and abandon everyone, but honestly, we know he’s going to keep up the fight and help Mirany and the others. There was some great conflict that could have been set up for Mirany, who doesn’t believe in the god she’s supposed to spend her life serving, but it was only addressed a few times and did not impact her choices that much. Near the end of the book, the god says that “at one time she didn’t believe he existed”, and she responds with “I’m still not sure.” Um, well, it’s kind of late to worry about that now, since you’re fighting for him and all. So I’d hope you’d have a better idea of what you’re fighting for than that. It’s just never brought up unless the scene calls for it, so that was a little disappointing.
I did like Mirany, though, and watching her gradually change from a shy, soft spoken, non-confrontational girl to someone who was taking control and trying to win this strange situation she’d been thrown into. Her growth probably could have been better planned, since it is a trilogy, but at the same time Fisher is very much a plot driven writer instead of character driven, so I suppose the sudden change in character we get from Mirany makes sense.
Another aspect I liked about this book was the romance, or namely, how little of it there was. There are hints that Seth and Mirany may get together, but it isn’t the focus of the story at all, and their relationship in The Oracle Betrayed is a good set up for the growth that should happen in the next two books.
All in all it’s a solid, entertaining novel that should satisfy a reader who’s in the mood for some good old fantasy. While it isn’t anything spectacular, there is a good set up for the rest of the trilogy, and the book stands on its own outside of that. I’m interested enough to see what happens so I’ll definitely be checking out The Sphere of Secrets and Day of the Scarab.
Trigger Warning(s): There are mentions of child abuse in this book.