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mitri's review against another edition
3/5
Inconsistent writing, not enough clarity, choppy sentences and boring characters are just a few of the things this book does wrong.
I love its vibe and I love the setup, but ever sincethe archon died , the story never managed to pull me in. If it is ever to be rewritten, I'd gladly read it, since it's not a book a lot of people talk about.
Maybe I'll give it a second chance some time in the future, but for now, it stays on the shelf
Inconsistent writing, not enough clarity, choppy sentences and boring characters are just a few of the things this book does wrong.
I love its vibe and I love the setup, but ever since
Maybe I'll give it a second chance some time in the future, but for now, it stays on the shelf
cimorene1558's review against another edition
4.0
A very interesting world and good characters. I'm reading this for the second time so I can pick up the second one (I don't know why I didn't the first time), and I'm not at all sorry to have done so. It's a very masterful merging of several ancient civilizations (at least Egyptian, Greek and Mesopotamian, and I may be missing some), and I am eager to read on!
isajr26's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
esther23's review against another edition
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
onewinternight's review against another edition
4.0
Catherine Fisher doesn't "write down" to middle graders. Her prose/language level and story depth are nearly as complicated as that of her YA novels. "The Oracle Betrayed" is set in a fantasy culture that closely resembles Ancient Egypt, with a touch of Ancient Greek. Despite it not being "actually" in our world, it would be a great school/fun read when studying this period in history, as it captures a lot of the mythology and interest.
MUCH better than the Percy Jackson series, on every level (shorter too).
Recommended.
MUCH better than the Percy Jackson series, on every level (shorter too).
Recommended.
marimoose's review against another edition
4.0
Wow. This book was surprisingly good. I enjoyed The Oracle Betrayed much more than I did Incarceron, which was also written by the same author.
I hadn't realized Fisher had been the same author, but I mostly picked this story up because it was a different historical time period than what I've been reading lately. It was an ancient Egyptian teen fantasy, and it was greatly crafted, illustrating so many aspects of the ancient world. The pacing was fast but easy to follow, and the story was enjoyable.
Above all, I really loved the characters. They were really developed--Seth and Oblek and Mirany highly so--and by the time I finished, I was rejoicing over what were supposed to be the unsavory bunch, and hating the supposedly friendly group. Rhetia was a fabulous character, even though she was written to be disliked. The Jackal was most intriguing (but I have a soft spot for the clever thieves of fantasies).
I'm a little sorry this book is part of a series (not sure how many books yet), because now I'd have to wait for my next round of book-borrowing to get the next set!
I hadn't realized Fisher had been the same author, but I mostly picked this story up because it was a different historical time period than what I've been reading lately. It was an ancient Egyptian teen fantasy, and it was greatly crafted, illustrating so many aspects of the ancient world. The pacing was fast but easy to follow, and the story was enjoyable.
Above all, I really loved the characters. They were really developed--Seth and Oblek and Mirany highly so--and by the time I finished, I was rejoicing over what were supposed to be the unsavory bunch, and hating the supposedly friendly group. Rhetia was a fabulous character, even though she was written to be disliked. The Jackal was most intriguing (but I have a soft spot for the clever thieves of fantasies).
I'm a little sorry this book is part of a series (not sure how many books yet), because now I'd have to wait for my next round of book-borrowing to get the next set!
zenalth's review against another edition
2.0
If we're talking books on my backlist, this one takes the cake. I was a notorious skim reader back in the ol' days, and I remember being absolutely fascinated by the scattered pieces of this book. The world-building had seemed endless and enchanting to my virgin mind. I still hold true to that, but the overall experience of this novel was more lacklustre than I recall.
Mirany, our titular character of the Oracle, was a great heroine. She was brave and resourceful with a strong moral compass; however, her development from Mousy Mirany from Mylos into conspirator extraordinaire felt very sudden. She goes from painfully timid to bluffing her way around the Island in the span of a few pages--a drastic change which is outright ridiculous. Her shyness could have been downplayed or she could have been given more time to stew. The book was very fast-paced, so I understand the necessity of her rapid growth, but it was very jarring and made her feel less like she'd developed and more like she'd simply done a 180.
The other characters were very enjoyable. I do admit to being a little disappointed at the Jackal's minor role in this one. Thankfully, sneaky little me knows he becomes enmeshed with the main cast from this point onward. He and the Fox were always my childhood favourites.
I really liked Seth's moodiness and dark ambition; I felt it balanced well with his ultimate integrity. Oblek is the classic lovable douchebag and Alexos is disturbingly wise and childish in turns. They were all very distinct and memorable, if the fact that I can still recall them a decade later is any indication.
I know this may not be everyone's cuppa tea, but I loved the blurred lines between reality and illusion. I loved the complexity of the Archon. He isn't just the god or Alexos. He's not all-powerful. He's young and confused and ancient and knowing and sneaky and playful and sly. He loves his people, but in the strange way of eldritch beings, benevolent though he may be. It was fascinating to read about and I'm definitely keen for more from our divine young friend.
The world-building was good. I enjoyed the rich tapestry Fisher painted of the rituals and the Nine and the Two Lands. The drought that plagued them felt dangerous, close and real.
Why the two stars then, you ask? Well, despite all of the positives, I found myself bored whilst reading this. Nothing surprised me and I didn't love any of our unlikely heroes. Connecting with the characters is a huge element to my enjoyment of a novel and, unfortunately, the cast failed to hook me in this one.
Overall, this book was enjoyable. Nothing mindblowing, but I'd recommend it to a younger reader without qualms.
Mirany, our titular character of the Oracle, was a great heroine. She was brave and resourceful with a strong moral compass; however, her development from Mousy Mirany from Mylos into conspirator extraordinaire felt very sudden. She goes from painfully timid to bluffing her way around the Island in the span of a few pages--a drastic change which is outright ridiculous. Her shyness could have been downplayed or she could have been given more time to stew. The book was very fast-paced, so I understand the necessity of her rapid growth, but it was very jarring and made her feel less like she'd developed and more like she'd simply done a 180.
The other characters were very enjoyable. I do admit to being a little disappointed at the Jackal's minor role in this one. Thankfully, sneaky little me knows he becomes enmeshed with the main cast from this point onward. He and the Fox were always my childhood favourites.
I really liked Seth's moodiness and dark ambition; I felt it balanced well with his ultimate integrity. Oblek is the classic lovable douchebag and Alexos is disturbingly wise and childish in turns. They were all very distinct and memorable, if the fact that I can still recall them a decade later is any indication.
I know this may not be everyone's cuppa tea, but I loved the blurred lines between reality and illusion. I loved the complexity of the Archon. He isn't just the god or Alexos. He's not all-powerful. He's young and confused and ancient and knowing and sneaky and playful and sly. He loves his people, but in the strange way of eldritch beings, benevolent though he may be. It was fascinating to read about and I'm definitely keen for more from our divine young friend.
The world-building was good. I enjoyed the rich tapestry Fisher painted of the rituals and the Nine and the Two Lands. The drought that plagued them felt dangerous, close and real.
Why the two stars then, you ask? Well, despite all of the positives, I found myself bored whilst reading this. Nothing surprised me and I didn't love any of our unlikely heroes. Connecting with the characters is a huge element to my enjoyment of a novel and, unfortunately, the cast failed to hook me in this one.
Overall, this book was enjoyable. Nothing mindblowing, but I'd recommend it to a younger reader without qualms.
thecatwood's review against another edition
5.0
thanks to r/whatsthatbook for helping me remember the title of this book I loved in junior high! its a great girl power fantasy based in an Ancient Egypt style world.