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Enchena #2
The Oracle
After a brief respite, the Gardyn rebels have returned to fight the tyranny of King Hrafn and Prince David. Samantha, Jillis and Tobias will have to find their place in the new vision of Enchena; but first, they have to risk everything to make it real. New allies will rise, as the past plays a huge part in the future; and an Oracle must be brought, to guide them all.
- GenresFantasy
259 pages, Paperback
First published December 28, 2016
1 person is currently reading
630 people want to read
About the author
K.S. Marsden
20 books741 followersKelly S. Marsden grew up in Yorkshire, and there were two constants in her life - books and horses.
She went on to author the best-selling Urban Fantasy series - "The Northern Witch" and "Witch-Hunter".
Kelly is currently working in animal nutrition, and she never outgrew her obsession with horses.
Visit her blog for book reviews and inanity:
The Northern Witch's Book Blog
She went on to author the best-selling Urban Fantasy series - "The Northern Witch" and "Witch-Hunter".
Kelly is currently working in animal nutrition, and she never outgrew her obsession with horses.
Visit her blog for book reviews and inanity:
The Northern Witch's Book Blog
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 5, 2017
Having read the first book of this series in April of last year, I was excited to read the new release, looking forward to learning more about Enchena and finding out what happened next. I was not disappointed.
The Orcale has a fluid and smooth pace, overcoming the only real flaw I found in the first book of the series. This book was an absolute joy to read and I found it very difficult to put down. The main character that begins in this book is a different one from the first, but the two soon cross paths and the story just kept getting better and better.
I am very pleased to give this book 5 stars. It was well worth it. An awesome and wonderfully exciting tale in a magical land. I highly recommend this book, and the series, to all fantasy fans of all ages.
The Orcale has a fluid and smooth pace, overcoming the only real flaw I found in the first book of the series. This book was an absolute joy to read and I found it very difficult to put down. The main character that begins in this book is a different one from the first, but the two soon cross paths and the story just kept getting better and better.
I am very pleased to give this book 5 stars. It was well worth it. An awesome and wonderfully exciting tale in a magical land. I highly recommend this book, and the series, to all fantasy fans of all ages.
October 5, 2018
This is the second book in the Enchena Duology and we get to meet yet another teenager who ventures into the home of the old lady, guardian of the portal to Enchena. Jemma has been having dreams about someone called Minaeri and seeing places she had never seen in real life and had no explanation for. She was apparently an oracle and was urged to pass through the portal to take a message to Lady Samantha and once she passes through she ventures on the biggest adventure she could have ever imagined in her normally quite tedious life. She is looked at askance when first discovered by the gardyn rebels, but she soon proves to be of help through her visions of the future. In the meantime Samantha’s power seems to have gone to her head over the years she has been away, she seems to have gotten used to being called Lady Samantha and to everyone bowing and obeying her orders. I simply hated the way she spoke to Jemma, she was downright despicable, as though she did not wish to share her glory but Jemma in fact saves the day during the final battle which just had to be fought if Enchena was ever to be rid of the tyrannical King Hrafn. A highly imaginative book, as seen through the great world building of Enchena, with a strong cast of characters and lots of adventure. A struggle between good and evil, with good use of magic and beautiful mythical creatures involved. All in all this duology was a very enchanting fantasy read, in the usual Marsden style!
Merged review:
This is the second book in the Enchena Duology and we get to meet yet another teenager who ventures into the home of the old lady, guardian of the portal to Enchena. Jemma has been having dreams about someone called Minaeri and seeing places she had never seen in real life and had no explanation for. She was apparently an oracle and was urged to pass through the portal to take a message to Lady Samantha and once she passes through she ventures on the biggest adventure she could have ever imagined in her normally quite tedious life. She is looked at askance when first discovered by the gardyn rebels, but she soon proves to be of help through her visions of the future. In the meantime Samantha’s power seems to have gone to her head over the years she has been away, she seems to have gotten used to being called Lady Samantha and to everyone bowing and obeying her orders. I simply hated the way she spoke to Jemma, she was downright despicable, as though she did not wish to share her glory but Jemma in fact saves the day during the final battle which just had to be fought if Enchena was ever to be rid of the tyrannical King Hrafn. A highly imaginative book, as seen through the great world building of Enchena, with a strong cast of characters and lots of adventure. A struggle between good and evil, with good use of magic and beautiful mythical creatures involved. All in all this duology was a very enchanting fantasy read, in the usual Marsden style!
Merged review:
This is the second book in the Enchena Duology and we get to meet yet another teenager who ventures into the home of the old lady, guardian of the portal to Enchena. Jemma has been having dreams about someone called Minaeri and seeing places she had never seen in real life and had no explanation for. She was apparently an oracle and was urged to pass through the portal to take a message to Lady Samantha and once she passes through she ventures on the biggest adventure she could have ever imagined in her normally quite tedious life. She is looked at askance when first discovered by the gardyn rebels, but she soon proves to be of help through her visions of the future. In the meantime Samantha’s power seems to have gone to her head over the years she has been away, she seems to have gotten used to being called Lady Samantha and to everyone bowing and obeying her orders. I simply hated the way she spoke to Jemma, she was downright despicable, as though she did not wish to share her glory but Jemma in fact saves the day during the final battle which just had to be fought if Enchena was ever to be rid of the tyrannical King Hrafn. A highly imaginative book, as seen through the great world building of Enchena, with a strong cast of characters and lots of adventure. A struggle between good and evil, with good use of magic and beautiful mythical creatures involved. All in all this duology was a very enchanting fantasy read, in the usual Marsden style!
April 10, 2018
I enjoyed the continuation in this series and world. It can be read as a standalone, but I recommend the first book for more depth into this author's mind. I liked the ending and felt like it came to an end, but there are some loose ends that I would love to be explored in a third book!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 10, 2018
this is the second part of the story. they have been able to have a bit of a rest bite from everything. now they have to get used to the new world. will they be able to get used to everything that is going to happen? follow their adventures
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 12, 2017
The Oracle by K.S. Marsden proves that you don't always need elves, orcs, and halflings to create a fun and exciting new fantasy world.
Before I begin, I must disclose that I was a beta reader for this book and also received a free copy for participating in the beta read. (Which is awesome.)
This review has been a long time coming and I’m glad to finally have the time to sit down and write it out. The Oracle is the second book in K.S. Marsden’s Enchena duology. The Oracle is a direct follow up to K.S. Marsden's first novel, The Lost Soul. In The Oracle, we change POV's and follow newcomer Gemma.
For those of you unfamiliar with the Enchena books, they are similar to Chronicles of Narnia sans magical wardrobe. A teen from the modern world is thrust into a magical fantasy realm. She encounters talking unicorns, predatory mallus which are wolf/ape-like hybrids, and an evil necromancer king.
The Oracle is a classic fantasy adventure that feels fresh and new.
The world of Enchena is full of magical forests, ancient tombs, lavish castles, and even more portals which lead to other dimensions.
To this day, I'm still curious of the mysterious world Samantha and company journeyed to. The Oracle delivers endearing, memorable characters, and no whiny brats. Though the tone and atmosphere is light and magical, there still exists heartbreak and loss.
Gemma, like Samantha, is the everyman, (or woman in this case). She is a teenager living in England with her mom. A bit of a social outcast, but not so much that she doesn't have friends. Like Samantha, she discovers a magical portal which transports her to the world of Enchena. A dangerous place where not knowing how to ride a horse or wield a weapon could get you killed. Unfortunately for Gemma, she can do neither. What she lacks in grit, she makes up for with compassion, bravery, and the useful ability to perceive the future.
There is a strong theme of destiny woven throughout The Oracle; and one that makes the reader question if the future is malleable or etched in stone.
These are deep, philosophical questions to ask and one that you might not expect in a book featuring talking unicorns.
The talking unicorns by the way, are fleshed out characters. Don’t think these are cuddly creatures spewing rainbows out of their bum. They are selfish and uninterested in the affairs of man. Like humans, some are good and some are evil. The Mallus however, are neither good nor evil, they are predators. Siabhor is the Mallus companion from the first novel and he is probably my favorite non-human character of all the cast. Sadly, Siabhor is under utilized in The Oracle, so if you want to read up on his adventures, you'll have to go back to book one, The Lost Soul.
And this is where we run into one of the major issues with The Oracle. Gemma becomes a secondary character in her own novel. She has no relationship with Alina, the unicorn, or Siabhor, the mallus, who were the best parts of book one.
Gemma's newcomer status, although necessary for new readers, becomes a detriment for anyone who has read The Lost Soul. In addition, Gemma's lack of training in combat leaves her immediately sidelined once the battles begin. When Samantha, the heroine from the first novel returns, she usurps Gemma's role as the protagonist. It's a point of view switch which made me question whether the entire novel should have been Samantha's POV from the start.
A lot of the relationships and emotional moments directly affect Samantha more than Gemma. Gemma doesn't get a love interest, or a heroic rescue, or any tight bond with anyone except for a family she stays with, Samantha does. When a specific character dies in the book (a death which still saddens me) it affects Samantha more than Gemma.
Samantha is the true protagonist of the novel. Though Gemma does help gather reinforcements for the final battle, she's not among those riding in for the dramatic rescue.
The Oracle also has an issue with rapid-fire pacing. Though I love novels that read quickly, The Oracle moved a little too fast for me. I had difficulty following the events, which forced me to reread passages so I could make sense of it all.
I also had some minor gripes about The Oracle’s ending which fell a bit on the weak side. Though I was happy it didn’t end in a cliffhanger, there were some character resolutions and plot threads which seemed a little too convenient. Not necessarily Deus Ex Machina but a tiny bit clichéd. Luckily, the ending leaves room for more stories in the world of Enchena.
But don't let these minor gripes turn you away from these novels. I had a wonderful time reading them (even chuckled a few times) and also think these books would be good shared with children. The violence is never gory or extreme and the tone is consistently positive so as not to feel oppressive or dark. If The Oracle were a movie, it would be rated PG-13.
If you need a break from elves, dwarfs, kobold’s, trolls, and orcs, The Oracle’s Enchena is a brand new universe waiting for you to discover it.
An extremely high four out of five stars.
Before I begin, I must disclose that I was a beta reader for this book and also received a free copy for participating in the beta read. (Which is awesome.)
This review has been a long time coming and I’m glad to finally have the time to sit down and write it out. The Oracle is the second book in K.S. Marsden’s Enchena duology. The Oracle is a direct follow up to K.S. Marsden's first novel, The Lost Soul. In The Oracle, we change POV's and follow newcomer Gemma.
For those of you unfamiliar with the Enchena books, they are similar to Chronicles of Narnia sans magical wardrobe. A teen from the modern world is thrust into a magical fantasy realm. She encounters talking unicorns, predatory mallus which are wolf/ape-like hybrids, and an evil necromancer king.
The Oracle is a classic fantasy adventure that feels fresh and new.
The world of Enchena is full of magical forests, ancient tombs, lavish castles, and even more portals which lead to other dimensions.
To this day, I'm still curious of the mysterious world Samantha and company journeyed to. The Oracle delivers endearing, memorable characters, and no whiny brats. Though the tone and atmosphere is light and magical, there still exists heartbreak and loss.
Gemma, like Samantha, is the everyman, (or woman in this case). She is a teenager living in England with her mom. A bit of a social outcast, but not so much that she doesn't have friends. Like Samantha, she discovers a magical portal which transports her to the world of Enchena. A dangerous place where not knowing how to ride a horse or wield a weapon could get you killed. Unfortunately for Gemma, she can do neither. What she lacks in grit, she makes up for with compassion, bravery, and the useful ability to perceive the future.
There is a strong theme of destiny woven throughout The Oracle; and one that makes the reader question if the future is malleable or etched in stone.
These are deep, philosophical questions to ask and one that you might not expect in a book featuring talking unicorns.
The talking unicorns by the way, are fleshed out characters. Don’t think these are cuddly creatures spewing rainbows out of their bum. They are selfish and uninterested in the affairs of man. Like humans, some are good and some are evil. The Mallus however, are neither good nor evil, they are predators. Siabhor is the Mallus companion from the first novel and he is probably my favorite non-human character of all the cast. Sadly, Siabhor is under utilized in The Oracle, so if you want to read up on his adventures, you'll have to go back to book one, The Lost Soul.
And this is where we run into one of the major issues with The Oracle. Gemma becomes a secondary character in her own novel. She has no relationship with Alina, the unicorn, or Siabhor, the mallus, who were the best parts of book one.
Gemma's newcomer status, although necessary for new readers, becomes a detriment for anyone who has read The Lost Soul. In addition, Gemma's lack of training in combat leaves her immediately sidelined once the battles begin. When Samantha, the heroine from the first novel returns, she usurps Gemma's role as the protagonist. It's a point of view switch which made me question whether the entire novel should have been Samantha's POV from the start.
A lot of the relationships and emotional moments directly affect Samantha more than Gemma. Gemma doesn't get a love interest, or a heroic rescue, or any tight bond with anyone except for a family she stays with, Samantha does. When a specific character dies in the book (a death which still saddens me) it affects Samantha more than Gemma.
Samantha is the true protagonist of the novel. Though Gemma does help gather reinforcements for the final battle, she's not among those riding in for the dramatic rescue.
The Oracle also has an issue with rapid-fire pacing. Though I love novels that read quickly, The Oracle moved a little too fast for me. I had difficulty following the events, which forced me to reread passages so I could make sense of it all.
I also had some minor gripes about The Oracle’s ending which fell a bit on the weak side. Though I was happy it didn’t end in a cliffhanger, there were some character resolutions and plot threads which seemed a little too convenient. Not necessarily Deus Ex Machina but a tiny bit clichéd. Luckily, the ending leaves room for more stories in the world of Enchena.
But don't let these minor gripes turn you away from these novels. I had a wonderful time reading them (even chuckled a few times) and also think these books would be good shared with children. The violence is never gory or extreme and the tone is consistently positive so as not to feel oppressive or dark. If The Oracle were a movie, it would be rated PG-13.
If you need a break from elves, dwarfs, kobold’s, trolls, and orcs, The Oracle’s Enchena is a brand new universe waiting for you to discover it.
An extremely high four out of five stars.
February 15, 2017
This is an absorbing, YA epic fantasy read. Although it forms the second part of the 'Enchena' duology, it works well as a standalone book - which is how I read it. There is no overt summary of the events of Book 1 (The Lost Soul), but it is possible to deduce what has gone before without too much difficulty.
I quickly identified with the main character, Jemma, (The Oracle) and found her sympathetic and believable. As she learnt about her new surroundings and companions, I discovered them with her.
The plot rockets along at a speedy pace, accompanied by magic and monsters, dragons and unicorns, and some warfare and treachery thrown in for good measure. Although it reaches a firm conclusion, there are a number of threads that might easily lead into another compelling story, and also some close friendships/relationships that, in my opinion, are not yet fully resolved. I hope the author changes her initial plan and writes a third book in the series.
I was lucky enough to win a copy of this book in a competition. I have now bought a copy of Book 1 so as to enjoy the whole story from beginning to end.
I quickly identified with the main character, Jemma, (The Oracle) and found her sympathetic and believable. As she learnt about her new surroundings and companions, I discovered them with her.
The plot rockets along at a speedy pace, accompanied by magic and monsters, dragons and unicorns, and some warfare and treachery thrown in for good measure. Although it reaches a firm conclusion, there are a number of threads that might easily lead into another compelling story, and also some close friendships/relationships that, in my opinion, are not yet fully resolved. I hope the author changes her initial plan and writes a third book in the series.
I was lucky enough to win a copy of this book in a competition. I have now bought a copy of Book 1 so as to enjoy the whole story from beginning to end.
January 31, 2017
The second book starts out with a new 'leading lady', but it's not long before she meets up with Samantha and other characters from book 1.
The story is well-written with plenty of twists to keep me hooked.
In my review for The Lost Soul I said:
"The detailed descriptions allowed me to visualise the landscape, the scenes, and the characters."
The same applies to this book.
I enjoyed revisiting Enchena, and am looking forward to further visits. The book ended well, without a cliffhanger but definitely leaving room to continue the story.
The story is well-written with plenty of twists to keep me hooked.
In my review for The Lost Soul I said:
"The detailed descriptions allowed me to visualise the landscape, the scenes, and the characters."
The same applies to this book.
I enjoyed revisiting Enchena, and am looking forward to further visits. The book ended well, without a cliffhanger but definitely leaving room to continue the story.
April 10, 2017
Better than the first one!
I love it when sequels outdo the original. It shows the growth of the story and the growth of the writer, and Marsden writes a wonderful story. The characters are strong and full of depth, and it's interesting how the characters are introduced once again to the readers. The pace is flowing and perfect to tell this story. Filled with magic, monsters, and unicorns, it's a magnificent continuing story. But it's not just about continuing. Jemma is a new character to Enchena but is then joined by Samantha, as well as others, so it's great way to add new characters and mesh them with others. Marsden did it right, and I enjoyed this story.
I love it when sequels outdo the original. It shows the growth of the story and the growth of the writer, and Marsden writes a wonderful story. The characters are strong and full of depth, and it's interesting how the characters are introduced once again to the readers. The pace is flowing and perfect to tell this story. Filled with magic, monsters, and unicorns, it's a magnificent continuing story. But it's not just about continuing. Jemma is a new character to Enchena but is then joined by Samantha, as well as others, so it's great way to add new characters and mesh them with others. Marsden did it right, and I enjoyed this story.
April 29, 2017
Rebels seek the overthrow of their evil rulers. As battles rage and alliances made, a special being, an oracle, is sought to guide the rebels' fortunes.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews