The Prophecy

by Hilari Bell

Can a bard, a sword, a unicorn–and a hopeless prince–save a kingdom? Fourteen–year–old Prince Perryn is teased for loving books more than swords. But Perryn's books are his best weapons to stop the dragon that is destroying his kingdom–and his one hope of earning his father's respect. When he unearths a prophecy on how to kill the dragon, Perryn sets out to find the three things needed to make it come true–a unicorn, a true bard, and a special sword. But, as everyone knows, the only thing more absurd than pursuing a prophecy is believing any of these legends might still be found. From acclaimed author Hilari Bell, The Prophecy unfolds with wit, wisdom, danger, and discovery, as any unforgettable adventure should!

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Adventure, Magic, Dragons, Middle Grade, High Fantasy

208 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2006

About the author

As far as writing is concerned, I call myself the poster child for persistence. Songs of Power, the first novel I sold, was the 5th novel I'd written. When it sold I was working on novel #13. The next to sell, Navohar, was #12, and the next, A Matter of Profit, was #9. The Goblin Wood was #6, and the first Sorahb book, Flame (later renamed Farsala: Fall of a Kingdom), will be #15. You get the picture.

My reviews: Mea culpa! I got onto Goodreads years ago, and haven't been reviewing--but I now mean to start! I should add that as writer, I tend to read a bit more critically. Or at least, when I think a book is going off the rails I usually see technical, writer problems with it. In short, any time a book stops working for me, that author becomes an honorary member of my writing critique group--whether they want to or not! So I apologize in advance for any technical critiques my fellow writers may recieve.

Biography: My personal life? I was born in Denver in 1958—you can do the math. I'm single and live with my mother, brother and sister-in-law. I used to be a part time reference librarian for a mid-sized public library, but in the beginning of ’05 I achieved a writer’s dream and quit the day job. Librarian turned writer is a very schizophrenic state—when I try to urge people to buy my books, I have to beat down a lifetime of professional reflexes demanding that I tell them to check them out at the library instead.

I enjoy board gaming and fantasy gaming, both table top and live. But my favorite thing to do is the decadent version of camping my mom and I practice. We have a pop-up trailer with a fridge, a sink, a stove and (if electrical hookups are available) a space heater, heating pads and a toaster. Our motto is "No unnecessary work." We don't cook, we don't wash dishes, we don't...you name it. What we do is spend all day, every day, reading and hiking and reading some more. Camping is the only time I can get in enough reading. Well, I take that back—when it comes to reading, there's no such thing as enough.

Reviews

[Dashirah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story isn't what I thought it would be, yet the story was excellent. The book is about a boy who finds a prophecy about slaying a dragon to stop the dragon from destroying the kingdom of Idris and the villages. His father was the 44th Warrior King of Idris. The boy is a prince and his name is Perryndon. Prince Perryn wanted to be a scholar, but his father wanted him to be a warrior. His father became a drunk after his mother died in an avalanch while the king was fighting the dragon. Prince Perryn found out that the Master of Arms, of Idris, Cedric, was going to try to kill him. Cedric was the prince's sword fighting teacher.


The prophecy said that the dragon could be slain by having a true bard, a unicorn, and the sword of the 27th Warrior King of Idris. The prince decided to leave the castle to fulfill the prophecy. Then he got to town, he asked around to find a bard. He found a bard the next day in the next village. The bard, Lysander, and Prince Perryn had adventures before they found a unicorn, Prism. Prism was one who fainted at the sight of danger and was a major drama queen, poor unicorn, but who became brave and stopped fainting.

The group, Lysander the bard, Prince Perryn, and the dramatic unicorn, Prism, found the sword they needed. The sword, with a funny and strong attitude, liked to be called Sam. They all became good friends over time. When the time came to fight the dragon, the prince was not included in the fight, but still they were a team.

The dragon defeats the sword, Sam, and takes Prism and Lysander in a cage in his lair. Prince Perryn fights the dragon with a scholar mind to save his friends.

The prince ended up proving to the king and himself that with a scholar mind, he could do anything.

[Tara Sydney · Rating 5 out of 5]

3rd reading: I still concur with what I said below. This is still a favourite. But just wanted to add that I think the theme is conveyed very well. One of the main things I look for in a story is whether an author accomplished what they set out to do, and I believe Hilari Bell did just that.

2nd reading: I will continue to sing the praises of this book 'til the end of my days. I love it very dearly. It is a well told tale, presented concisely and with all the fun-loving adventure and magic you could hope to have. And besides all that, the characters are delightful.
The whole of the story is downright charming and wonderful.
Just.
Yes.

1st Reading: Loved this book! Hilari Bell writes amazing short books packed with adventure. The characters in this one (particularly the prince and the bard) were fabulous.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An entertaining story filled with great lessons despite its length. I loved the commentary on the importance of both theoretical and practical knowledge throughout the book and appreciated its sophisticated vocabulary despite the intended demographic of the book. I'll admit when I began reading the book, I thought it would just be another typical children's adventure book, but I was definitely proven wrong as it had some fantastic quotes and lessons and caught me by surprise more than once. I'm excited to read more works by the author. :)

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice YA novel about a misfit prince, a misfit bard and a misfit unicorn, banning together to defeat the dragon which is threatening the kingdom.

It might not be the most magical or exciting fantasy novel I've ever read, but Bell spins an enjoyable tale. I'll be checking out some of her other books soon.

Recommended.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bought ages ago from a used bookstore without ever having read it -- Hilari Bell remains the only author I do that with -- and it was absolutely delightful. Bell has a gift for creating a world so immediately that the reader is able to grasp the rules and the places her characters occupy in them without spending a prologue and three chapters after droning on about it -- a gift that the vast majority of fantasy writers (epic and otherwise) would do well to study.

The Prophecy, rated 4.5/5 stars.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very light, yet enjoyable read, I've relished every page of it.

[Jocelyn Montalvo Cullum · Rating 4 out of 5]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13808501

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up because I used to love Hilari Bell's work, and it didn't disappoint. It's a simple fantasy story with steady character growth, and it doesn't talk down to its audience, which is nice. I haven't read a quest fantasy in a long time and enjoyed this. Although I approached it as a reader, I largely thought of it as a writer, looking at what worked and made sense, and thinking about all the things I obsess over and how that sort of stuff really isn't necessary, because it's meant to be fun.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read. The best part of the book was the sense that the world surrounding the characters had many more stories to tell. Overall, The Prophecy feels comfortable: similar enough to fantasy tropes that I never felt truly surprised but original enough I wanted to keep reading. Nothing groundbreaking, but an nice afternoon read. I look forward to exploring other books by Hilari Bell.

[Sarah Karasek · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not nearly as wonderful as Bell's "The Goblin Wood."

[Sarah Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think the mind-voice was an easy way to write this story. It was still a great story, so I'm glad the author was fit for the task.

[Corinne Fowler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it very much. I love how a scholar nerd prince is the hero of the story.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute middle grade adventure story. The only complaint I had was that the Sword was really annoying, but he doesn't appear until toward the end, so there's that.

[Lisa Stuve · Rating 4 out of 5]

The prophecy
Good Night and him fight because the night only fights pretty good when his father is around and Found some thing in a book about unicorns, and he asked his father if they can see them and he laughed and said that he shouldn’t read any more books and he is a prince.
——————————————————————
He dad hi the magic mirror but his son found it and he’s asking about dragons and how to slay them. He go to he runs away, and then he goes to find unicorn and a person that makes music, and now he’s going to slide a dragon and they’re all friends, although other than the dragon.
Have a magical mirror and he friends find out he’s the prince. And his friends got kidnapped and he saved them, and he killed the dragon and live happily ever after.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's my booktalk on this one...it's a very entertaining fantasy.

"You'll be the forty-fifth warrior-king and not some worthless scholar!” That’s what the King of Idris tells his 14 year old son, Perryn, who’d really rather be reading a book in the library than getting trounced at sword practice by the merciless master of arms, Cedric. But a warrior is what is needed right now. The kingdom is in deep trouble—they are under attack by a fearsome dragon and by the fierce Norsemen who sweep down from the North to try to conquer the kingdom. Cedric wants to help his father, especially when he finds an ancient book that contains instructions on how to defeat a dragon. But his father won’t listen and doesn’t believe in the book’s magic. Even worse--Perryn overhears Cedric talking about betraying the kingdom to the Norsemen. So begins a quest to find the ingredients needed to slay a dragon: a unicorn, a bard, and the famous Sword of Samhein. But quests are never easy. The unicorn is terrified of danger and getting dirty; the bard is a bit of a con man; and the sword is rusty. Can Perryn really defeat a dragon with that kind of help?

[Althea Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prince Perryn loves nothing more than studying ancient scrolls - but his father wants a bold warrior for a son, a warrior who could defeat the dragon threatening the kingdom. He has nothing but contempt for nerdy Perryn. But Perryn believes the scrolls may hold the key to defeating the dragon. He finds an ancient prophecy, and sets off to find the bard, the unicorn, and the magic sword described in the old writings, hoping to fulfill the prophecy and prove his worth to his father by saving the kingdom himself. However, none of the foretold elements turns out to be quite what Perryn expected - as the bard needs to be gotten out of the local lock-up, the unicorn is a prissy wuss, and the magic sword is about as fearsome as a senile old veteran endlessly telling war stories. In the end, Perryn has to learn that perhaps he will never convince his father of his worth - but he can become confident of it for himself. A rather obviously teen-oriented fantasy, with its coming-of-age themes, but well-written and entertaining.

[Lacey Louwagie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a young prince (Perryn) who has not been able to win his father's love ever since his mother died and his dad became an alcoholic. The fact that Perryn is no warrior makes matters even worse, as his kingdom has a long tradition of "warrior kings." Perryn is a "scholar" and through his studying, discovers a prophecy about how to defeat the dragon that plagues the kingdom. He thinks that if he can bring together the elements of the prophecy (A True Bard, a Unicorn, and the Sword of Samhain), then he can finally prove to his father that scholarship is worth something. So, off he goes on a quest!

I read this book because there's a unicorn on the cover, and there were some interesting unicorn ideas, but the unicorn herself was a total wimp. The True Bard was the most fun character and he really carried the story for me. It was a sweet book with a somewhat lackluster ending.

[Hypatia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why is this book one of my favourites?
It's a wunderful little story , I like the twists, the characters, the "coming of age"-plot, but there are many books with such plots.

What I like most is the infinity, the possibilities and hints for the future.
Not only with the further way of Perryn and his father, there are so much more questions in the open:

Cedric
War
Dragons
Tapestries
Knowledge/Secrets

How is it possible to become a "Scholar-King" with this lingering problems?
This book cries for more informations - or dicussions.

In the end of this book we get something that changes the motivations of the Prince - he goes above his father, bis own people, the saving of the friends - he does it, because the mirror shows him the method a Schaman uses to use the dragon - Perryn goes for the dragon basically also for the "enemies".

This was the point the story becomes ageless and the reason why I love this little book.

[Liana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ohhhhh, I really liked this book! A prince, a bard, a unicorn, a dragon, and more - how much more awesome can you get?! THAR MAH FAVORITE THINGZ!!1

The story is nice and simple and flows through sweetly and softly... It was a nice change for me, after reading so many suspenseful stories! I loved the characters as much as I loved the plot, only I am sad that it all ended too soon...! I wish it could have continued longer, it needed an extra chapter or something, as I would have loved to have seen Perryn go back home to his father, and set things straight (or not...!) But having it be a mystery is still cool too. :)

If you ever see this book, do read it!~ I think it's more suited for older children though, due to some pretty violent dragon slaying scenes that might scare or disturb younger kiddies.

[Cait Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check out the other 9 reviews in this post SweetEnd Reviews !

Ultimately this book is why I am on Team Unicorn and not Team Zombie. Yes, this book is a 200 page book designed for middle schoolers, but it was one of the first books I read where the main character was a guy and he went on a quest of epic proportions. Besides the boy is around 12 and proves to his father, and the rest of the kingdom, that wit can beat brute anytime, slay the dragon, and save the kingdom with the help of a unicorn. My only dilemma was one that was probably purposely designed by the author to be that way and that is the cliches everywhere but it was a book that truly meant to teach kids that they can beat everything with wit and reading.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about 14 year old Perryn who loves books. Although, his druken father does not like it and would like him to more a prince. What is to be a prince these days? But Perryn's books are his best weapons in stopping the terrible dragon that is destroying the whole kingdom. With this, may be he will earn his father's respect. All he needs to stop the dragon is in a prophecy he finds in his own castle's library. It fortells to find three things: a unicorn, a true bard, and a special sword. But in a world where all magic is disappearing, will he ever pursue the prophecy? With the king's men on his trail, he only has a certain amount of time. Will he do it? Or will everything crash and burn?

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm starting to see patterns between books by Hilari Bell. This one ends just as quickly as The Wizard Test, although, not as abruptly. I like the character Perryn much better than Dayven. In the first chapter, I can see him vividly in the way she describes how he moves and looks. Maybe I just like underdogs better, but he was a much more appealing character. He gets his fair share of adventure and proves himself to himself without the love of his father which he so desperately craves. Kind of realistic in that every victory comes with a measure of sadness and every dream chased is born more out of imagination and faith than truth.

[DailyKaffee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute little story - entertaining through every line. Hilari Bell has just the right amount of fantastic imagination to make her stories unique, but uncomplicated. It allows her to write short, fast-paced novels that leave you with a smile and a love for her characters.
I fell in love with Perryn, Lysander and Prism almost instantly. And I find the story so sound, fantastic and the ending just perfect (in all its foreshadowing). At the time of the read, it was just what I was looking for. :)

PS: Dear HarperCollins - the cover is terrible.

[Lisa (Bookworm Lisa) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet book about Prince Perryndon who is not what his father or the warriors expect from the heir to the throne. He is a scholar who wears glasses.

There is a dragon who is terrorizing the Kingdom and Prince Perryndon uncovers a prophecy on how to defeat the dragon. He must find a true bard, a unicorn and an ancient magical sword.

On his journey he discovers himself and his strenghts.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prince Perryn is hopeless at weapons and fighting. His drunkard father scorns his scholarly ways and the master of arms Cedric mocks him. But Perryn knows that his books hold the best hope of the kingdom to find a way to slay the black dragon. When he finds an old prophecy, he sets out to find a true bard, a unicorn, and the Sword of Samhain, the 3 things the prophecy calls for. Now his father will have to respect him . . .

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book at one desperate lunch when I needed something to read while I ate. The cover of a second in a series by this author looked interesting, but I couldn't find the first in that series (and I hate starting in the middle) so I pulled this off the shelf.

It's simple and sweet. Very light and young on the YA age range.

[H · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was okay, but not stellar. I kept interrupting it with other books because it wasn't really enough to keep my attention, and I didn't end up finishing it--I just read the end and decided that pretty much summed it up for me. But Bell's other books look good, and the writing wasn't bad, so I'm hoping I'll like those better.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple story of the scholar prince (weak in strength, but strong in character) whose brute of a father wants him to be a warrior. By seeking to save the kingdom by following the prophecy, the prince shows his true abilities. A story just like any other fairy tale, but it's still uplifting to read when you're in that kind of mood.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bell has once again created a thoughtful fantasy. Here, Prince Perryndon is a scholar, and his studies lead him to a prophecy that may help him defeat the dragon that threatens his country. The contrast between Perryndon and his warrior father is intriguing, as is the bard who he recruits to help him in his quest. Unfortunately, romantic content makes this unsuitable for religious readers.

[Elyse · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started this to get familiar with one of my authors and was pleasantly surprised. A fantasy tale with fable-like teaches that don't hit the reader over the head. An ending that avoids conventional wrap ups and left me wanting Ms. Bell to write the sequel.