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The Prophecy
Remember these words well. It’s only a thin veil that separates them from our world. As time grows near, they will return to make their war upon mankind. They will torment, attack, and cause destruction on this planet. They will never hunger; they will never sleep. They will walk amongst us unseen. Invisible to all but those born to see. And each generation of five that sees shall endure more than the last. But the final generation of Watchers will not only endure, not only watch… …THEY WILL FIGHT.
352 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2010
13 people are currently reading
857 people want to read
About the author
Dawn Miller
32 books28 followersDawn Miller is an award-winning filmmaker and author who has written and produced several books, a music video, and an urban teen drama. She lives in St. Louis with her teenage son and is currently at work on the graphic novel and feature film version of 'The Watcher Chronicles'.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
May 24, 2010
I have to say that this is definitely one of my favorite books. As a christian who backslid and then came back to his faith, I can really relate to a large amount that is going on in this book. The amount of detail given about the characters is perfect. You get a great understanding of who these teens are and what they are about. Its amazing how even though they are from completely different walks of life, there is one thing that ties them all together. The further you get into the book, the faster it seems to go. The pace accelerates and never lets up. Some have said that this book isn't original, but I completely disagree. Sure there is a battle of good vs. evil, but isn't that same with every story? The Prophecy is not just another good vs. evil story for you to add to the bookshelves. It is an epic tale of supernatural warfare that will keep you on the edge of your seat, constantly wanting to know more. I hear there are 2 more books coming out in this series and I will be sure to read them as well. I also hear that it is on the tables to be made into a movie. Just picturing what is going on here in my mind is hardcore as it is. Seeing this in movie form just sounds unimaginably awesome!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2015
A very messy book - too much going on, too many unexplained (or confusing) characters, and not enough of anything to make you actually care about anyone. According to the back copy, this is part of the Watcher Chronicles (book one is my guess) and while there's a definite cliff hanger ending, I just don't think it's not enough to keep readers coming back. A slower pace with a little more explanation, as well as decent editing to clarify who is who and what's going on are definitely needed here.
ARC provided by publisher.
ARC provided by publisher.
July 19, 2011
If there's one thing I hate about a book, (or in this case, a series) it's when it has potential that goes down the drain.
Plot rating: * *
The Prophecy is YA Christian fiction. Thus it follows a story of Christian mythology regarding a group of people called The Watchers. In this book they are, in short, people born with the ability to 'see' the battles between the fallen angels, and the good ones.
Now, the concept isn't what I have a problem with. It's the execution of it. Dawn lives up to everyone's worst fear when reading a series—that the first book is nothing but a drawn out prologue. This book is over 340 pages long, and yet there were 2 strategies used that allowed most of those pages to be useless.
#1 is that it takes the characters 32 chapters to figure out something the reader will know from the back cover blurb. I kid you not. Don't believe me? Well here's a piece of dialog from page 246 out of 344;
“You know what I think? I think the good ones—at least I hope they're good—want to help us. The bad ones, they're trying to keep us confused and apart—to get us when we're alone.”
I rest my case.
The other? We are not informed of anything useful beyond that until the bitter end.
And the once you DO find it out, it turns out to be lame. Really lame. Like, I feel embarrassed for the author lame. This is the kind of example authors set for themselves. If you can't throw me a bone in book 1 of 3 or more...what else can I expect out of you? She hasn't made me want to find out whats going to happen next. She's made me think she doesn't even have a 'next'.
Character rating: * * *
The characters weren't all that bad, but out of about 6 main ones...only 2 really shined. And one of them wasn't around by the end of the book, so...
Jonah Becker, the main character, is a junkie rock-star wannabe who likes hot red-head chicks and Ozzy songs. He can sing really well, when his lungs aren't blowing on joints.
Next is Sam Becker, (my personal favorite). Sam is kind, strong both inside and out, and isn't spoon fed to the reader so that they'll like him. Unlike some hot red-head chicks. He is essentially the one who brings and keeps everyone together.
Jenna Maldonado is a quiet, 19 year old mom who's desperation for attention, love, and money land her in some pretty messed up situations.
Mikey Maldonado is Jenna's 5 year old son who has more common sense than some hot red-head chicks. He likes drawing, watching cartoons, and macaroni and cheese.
J is a gang leader living in Chicago who...doesn't have much else to him. Other than a deeply religious grandma.
And lastly is Carly Hagan. She's a hot red-head chick and a mary-sue. In a group of deeply scarred and struggling friends, is the only one who hasn't gone through shit. And she only needs rescuing twice!
Prose rating: * * * *
If Dawn wrote anything less than average, I would have chucked this book into a trash fire to hopefully keep some homeless people warm. She has a good form that seems to combine a first-person level of connection to the character's thoughts and feelings, while writing in third person exclusively. When there are multiple characters in a scene, she usually focuses around Jonah, which helps keep things from being confusing.
Originality rating: *
If you noticed I sound a little biased while writing this review...it's because I am. I didn't appreciate Dawn making everything that a typical Christian does not understand out to be 'evil' and 'bad'. (Such as physics, tarot cards, and she even points a finger or two at science.)
While I understand the stigma behind this, she puts things like tarot reading in league with doing drugs and drinking alcohol like crazy. She did not bother to think up her own dark symbol. No, just use a 5 pointed star and be done with it. She didn't think up her own evil tool for her fallen angel followers to use. No, just slap in a fortune teller.
Her originality went as far as this;
Angels/God/Christians = good
Everyone else = bad
This lesson is constantly ground into her character's heads from the get-go. While I understand that it's the genre, this is outfitted to leave no room up to the person reading it. It's literally a 'no-no finger' morality story. Things like this never require much originality to make. And in this book, it shows.
Overall grade: D -
Her raw writing style saved this story—and I'm so glad I got it for free.
Plot rating: * *
The Prophecy is YA Christian fiction. Thus it follows a story of Christian mythology regarding a group of people called The Watchers. In this book they are, in short, people born with the ability to 'see' the battles between the fallen angels, and the good ones.
Now, the concept isn't what I have a problem with. It's the execution of it. Dawn lives up to everyone's worst fear when reading a series—that the first book is nothing but a drawn out prologue. This book is over 340 pages long, and yet there were 2 strategies used that allowed most of those pages to be useless.
#1 is that it takes the characters 32 chapters to figure out something the reader will know from the back cover blurb. I kid you not. Don't believe me? Well here's a piece of dialog from page 246 out of 344;
“You know what I think? I think the good ones—at least I hope they're good—want to help us. The bad ones, they're trying to keep us confused and apart—to get us when we're alone.”
I rest my case.
The other? We are not informed of anything useful beyond that until the bitter end.
And the once you DO find it out, it turns out to be lame. Really lame. Like, I feel embarrassed for the author lame. This is the kind of example authors set for themselves. If you can't throw me a bone in book 1 of 3 or more...what else can I expect out of you? She hasn't made me want to find out whats going to happen next. She's made me think she doesn't even have a 'next'.
Character rating: * * *
The characters weren't all that bad, but out of about 6 main ones...only 2 really shined. And one of them wasn't around by the end of the book, so...
Jonah Becker, the main character, is a junkie rock-star wannabe who likes hot red-head chicks and Ozzy songs. He can sing really well, when his lungs aren't blowing on joints.
Next is Sam Becker, (my personal favorite). Sam is kind, strong both inside and out, and isn't spoon fed to the reader so that they'll like him. Unlike some hot red-head chicks. He is essentially the one who brings and keeps everyone together.
Jenna Maldonado is a quiet, 19 year old mom who's desperation for attention, love, and money land her in some pretty messed up situations.
Mikey Maldonado is Jenna's 5 year old son who has more common sense than some hot red-head chicks. He likes drawing, watching cartoons, and macaroni and cheese.
J is a gang leader living in Chicago who...doesn't have much else to him. Other than a deeply religious grandma.
And lastly is Carly Hagan. She's a hot red-head chick and a mary-sue. In a group of deeply scarred and struggling friends, is the only one who hasn't gone through shit. And she only needs rescuing twice!
Prose rating: * * * *
If Dawn wrote anything less than average, I would have chucked this book into a trash fire to hopefully keep some homeless people warm. She has a good form that seems to combine a first-person level of connection to the character's thoughts and feelings, while writing in third person exclusively. When there are multiple characters in a scene, she usually focuses around Jonah, which helps keep things from being confusing.
Originality rating: *
If you noticed I sound a little biased while writing this review...it's because I am. I didn't appreciate Dawn making everything that a typical Christian does not understand out to be 'evil' and 'bad'. (Such as physics, tarot cards, and she even points a finger or two at science.)
While I understand the stigma behind this, she puts things like tarot reading in league with doing drugs and drinking alcohol like crazy. She did not bother to think up her own dark symbol. No, just use a 5 pointed star and be done with it. She didn't think up her own evil tool for her fallen angel followers to use. No, just slap in a fortune teller.
Her originality went as far as this;
Angels/God/Christians = good
Everyone else = bad
This lesson is constantly ground into her character's heads from the get-go. While I understand that it's the genre, this is outfitted to leave no room up to the person reading it. It's literally a 'no-no finger' morality story. Things like this never require much originality to make. And in this book, it shows.
Overall grade: D -
Her raw writing style saved this story—and I'm so glad I got it for free.
November 26, 2010
I always say that there's basically three types of books that mix religion & fiction. One type is where the book is religious to the point that the story is overwhelmed & overshadowed. Another type where the religion content is so awkwardly placed into the book to the point where the plot development doesn't feel natural. Then there's the type of book where the religious content mixes perfectly with the rest of the story, making for one fine book. Relax readers, this book is solidly in the third category.
Sam doesn't talk to his childhood friends much anymore, but lately he's been experiencing things that remind him of certain mysterious events that happened in his youth- things he can't exactly remember. Somehow knowing that their lives- and souls- depend on it, Sam attempts to gather all of his friends together, including his wayward brother Jonah. With all of them having similar episodes of memory loss & nightmares, they have no way of knowing that they are the legendary Watchers- people who will be instrumental in deciding the outcome of an epic battle between the forces of Heaven & Hell!
The plot for this book sounded great, but I'll admit that I was a little skeptical for multiple reasons. First off, angels have started becoming the new "sparkly Twilight vampires" in YA fiction, so I didn't know if I'd be jumping into a series that would be similar to this. Don't worry- it isn't that type of book. Secondly, I'm used to my religious reads falling into the categories listed above, but I shouldn't have worried- this book was excellently written.
I really enjoyed the slow buildup to the finale of this book, although once or twice I did feel as if the plot could have moved a little bit faster. (Ok, so I was impatient.) I loved that the characters are all flawed, but aren't over the top flawed. I can honestly believe that with everything the kids had gone through, that they might have ended up like the ways they did. (Can't elaborate without doing spoilers.)
My only real gripe is with all of the angel name dropping. It was a bit difficult to keep up with the multitude of names & the different types of angels, so I really wish that there was a glossary or an index in the back of the book. It would have made keeping up with the 5-6 different angel names a bit easier- especially since the angels weren't entirely in play that much until the end of the book. There's a lot of characters in this book & with the main action taking place with the human side, it was a bit distracting to have to keep up with the many exotic angel names, their sides & what they were doing in battle.
Overall though, this is an excellent book & one that I will be recommending to people at work. I may have gotten this book for free, but I can guarantee that I'll be buying the next volume. I want to know where it goes from here. This book had a conclusion (much like others have said), but it does leave it open for the next book in the series.
(ARC provided by amazon vine)
Sam doesn't talk to his childhood friends much anymore, but lately he's been experiencing things that remind him of certain mysterious events that happened in his youth- things he can't exactly remember. Somehow knowing that their lives- and souls- depend on it, Sam attempts to gather all of his friends together, including his wayward brother Jonah. With all of them having similar episodes of memory loss & nightmares, they have no way of knowing that they are the legendary Watchers- people who will be instrumental in deciding the outcome of an epic battle between the forces of Heaven & Hell!
The plot for this book sounded great, but I'll admit that I was a little skeptical for multiple reasons. First off, angels have started becoming the new "sparkly Twilight vampires" in YA fiction, so I didn't know if I'd be jumping into a series that would be similar to this. Don't worry- it isn't that type of book. Secondly, I'm used to my religious reads falling into the categories listed above, but I shouldn't have worried- this book was excellently written.
I really enjoyed the slow buildup to the finale of this book, although once or twice I did feel as if the plot could have moved a little bit faster. (Ok, so I was impatient.) I loved that the characters are all flawed, but aren't over the top flawed. I can honestly believe that with everything the kids had gone through, that they might have ended up like the ways they did. (Can't elaborate without doing spoilers.)
My only real gripe is with all of the angel name dropping. It was a bit difficult to keep up with the multitude of names & the different types of angels, so I really wish that there was a glossary or an index in the back of the book. It would have made keeping up with the 5-6 different angel names a bit easier- especially since the angels weren't entirely in play that much until the end of the book. There's a lot of characters in this book & with the main action taking place with the human side, it was a bit distracting to have to keep up with the many exotic angel names, their sides & what they were doing in battle.
Overall though, this is an excellent book & one that I will be recommending to people at work. I may have gotten this book for free, but I can guarantee that I'll be buying the next volume. I want to know where it goes from here. This book had a conclusion (much like others have said), but it does leave it open for the next book in the series.
(ARC provided by amazon vine)
June 5, 2010
(cross-posted from my blog...)
Dawn Miller's The Prophecy has a great cast of characters and a complicated plot--probably not the best choice for my first read-as-fast-as-you-can entry in the 48 hour book challenge. But it was at the top of my TBR list and it's YA, so there you go.
So, there's a war between good and evil (um, angels and fallen angels) but there are some humans who are really important to that war. So far, so good--though it did take me some 100 pages to figure that much out, at least with any clarity. The characters, though, make it: Sam, the martial arts instructor/painter, and his younger brother Jonah, the screw-up; J, the criminal; Jenna, who at 19 has a 5-year-old son (as she says at one point, "you do the math"); and red-headed Carly, whose small size belies her ability to get out of a jam, and fast. They are intriguing characters, and the slow pace of the novel (there are nested flashbacks, which keeps a reader on her toes but, again, slows her down) gives us time to try to get to know them.
There's a lot going on here, and I don't want to give it all away. In a quick read, I give it about three out of five stars: the plot points all do work out, and there's a satisfying conclusion (with a hint that the story could continue without making the reader feel cheated). And, as I said, there are some intriguing characters here, though some are better developed than others. Jonah's at the center, which is fine, but I wanted more of Carly and Jenna, myself--Jenna's story, in particular, is tantalizingly hinted out but remains undeveloped. So, all in all, a fine way to start out the 48-hour book challenge.
Dawn Miller's The Prophecy has a great cast of characters and a complicated plot--probably not the best choice for my first read-as-fast-as-you-can entry in the 48 hour book challenge. But it was at the top of my TBR list and it's YA, so there you go.
So, there's a war between good and evil (um, angels and fallen angels) but there are some humans who are really important to that war. So far, so good--though it did take me some 100 pages to figure that much out, at least with any clarity. The characters, though, make it: Sam, the martial arts instructor/painter, and his younger brother Jonah, the screw-up; J, the criminal; Jenna, who at 19 has a 5-year-old son (as she says at one point, "you do the math"); and red-headed Carly, whose small size belies her ability to get out of a jam, and fast. They are intriguing characters, and the slow pace of the novel (there are nested flashbacks, which keeps a reader on her toes but, again, slows her down) gives us time to try to get to know them.
There's a lot going on here, and I don't want to give it all away. In a quick read, I give it about three out of five stars: the plot points all do work out, and there's a satisfying conclusion (with a hint that the story could continue without making the reader feel cheated). And, as I said, there are some intriguing characters here, though some are better developed than others. Jonah's at the center, which is fine, but I wanted more of Carly and Jenna, myself--Jenna's story, in particular, is tantalizingly hinted out but remains undeveloped. So, all in all, a fine way to start out the 48-hour book challenge.
May 21, 2010
I won this book through Goodreads Giveaways.
I would give this book a 2.5 As far as I'm aware, this book is considered a YA book. I actually think it's a little violent to be read by the younger YA's, but oh well. This book is not really unique, the whole plot of the book is the essential battle of good vs. evil. The difference is that the people on the forefront of the battle, don't know what they are or who they are fighting. At this point they don't even know there's a war going on. As the teens are forced back together after a long separation, they struggle to remember bits of their past that they've forgotten. In the process they are being hunted by something, the likes of which might not be human.
Overall, I thought the book was a dichotomy. On one hand, it was a really classic idea of good vs. evil and yet it had a little twist to it to make it unique. I really adored the prologue of this book. It pulled me in, and made me want to KNOW what was going on. The problem is that it didn't fulfill until the latter half of the book. The beginning crawled on, and was a bit confusing as the POV was consistently shifting between each of the teens. It was a little hard to keep up, and frankly it was a little boring to keep switching back and forth without any idea of what was going on. The second half of the book did get a little more interesting, but I'm not sure it was worth sitting through the first half of the book. I have no intention of reading the sequel, the book just didn't have enough in it to grab me or make me curious about what happens next.
I would give this book a 2.5 As far as I'm aware, this book is considered a YA book. I actually think it's a little violent to be read by the younger YA's, but oh well. This book is not really unique, the whole plot of the book is the essential battle of good vs. evil. The difference is that the people on the forefront of the battle, don't know what they are or who they are fighting. At this point they don't even know there's a war going on. As the teens are forced back together after a long separation, they struggle to remember bits of their past that they've forgotten. In the process they are being hunted by something, the likes of which might not be human.
Overall, I thought the book was a dichotomy. On one hand, it was a really classic idea of good vs. evil and yet it had a little twist to it to make it unique. I really adored the prologue of this book. It pulled me in, and made me want to KNOW what was going on. The problem is that it didn't fulfill until the latter half of the book. The beginning crawled on, and was a bit confusing as the POV was consistently shifting between each of the teens. It was a little hard to keep up, and frankly it was a little boring to keep switching back and forth without any idea of what was going on. The second half of the book did get a little more interesting, but I'm not sure it was worth sitting through the first half of the book. I have no intention of reading the sequel, the book just didn't have enough in it to grab me or make me curious about what happens next.
June 2, 2010
I’m not a big reader. I’ve read 2 maybe 3 books in my life and I’m 17. Usually I find them boring and hard to stay interested in, but as I read The Prophecy I found myself having a hard time putting it down instead of picking it up.
I loved how the book showed the characters in their highest points and in their lowest points. Also the book was so well written and used such a variety of words that I could actually picture the scene in my head! Although I am not the best reader and at some parts there was a lot going on, I felt that the story as a whole was magnificent!!
Most books I’ve heard have an ending that either leaves you hanging (which can be good, and bad at the same time) or the ending in general just isn’t good which somewhat turns me off to reading. But in The Prophecy the ending was satisfying yet cliffhanging. It leaves you knowing that there is still more to come.
The one and only down to the book (which really isn’t a downer) was the crazy angel names! What an imagination you would have to have in order to think of using names like Shammah and Irinim! Having such wild names lets us know how much thought the author has put into the story.
This book over all is fantastic! As I said, I don’t read very much but if there were more books written like this with the special message and uniqueness, I would love to read them! Can’t wait for the next book to come out!
I loved how the book showed the characters in their highest points and in their lowest points. Also the book was so well written and used such a variety of words that I could actually picture the scene in my head! Although I am not the best reader and at some parts there was a lot going on, I felt that the story as a whole was magnificent!!
Most books I’ve heard have an ending that either leaves you hanging (which can be good, and bad at the same time) or the ending in general just isn’t good which somewhat turns me off to reading. But in The Prophecy the ending was satisfying yet cliffhanging. It leaves you knowing that there is still more to come.
The one and only down to the book (which really isn’t a downer) was the crazy angel names! What an imagination you would have to have in order to think of using names like Shammah and Irinim! Having such wild names lets us know how much thought the author has put into the story.
This book over all is fantastic! As I said, I don’t read very much but if there were more books written like this with the special message and uniqueness, I would love to read them! Can’t wait for the next book to come out!
Currently reading
July 4, 2010It's building up the characters and I'm anxious to see what is about to happen.....
September 24, 2019
The book is written in a way that the author doesn't want to give away all the secrets to build up suspense, but in doing so, up until at least the middle of the book, a lot of things don't make sense. There's so many names and theories that just don't click until later in the book. If you can follow along, the plot is good. The climax of the book happens with about 50 pages left and then the epilogue attempts at a cliffhanger.
September 28, 2023
2.5 - This wasn’t the most boring book I’ve read, but I did just finish it after having owned it for about 14 years. It also wasn’t very biblically accurate, but that can somewhat be forgiven in some ways. My final complaint is how “happily ever after” this ended. Everyone’s lives were great and they barely had to fight because that all came so easily. I’d give this book a 2, but I’ve read books that were way more boring so I guess 3 stars will have to do.
August 8, 2017
Riveted from the first page. A book I couldn't read alone at night. Some of the detail became confusing, and the timeline was hard to follow at some points, but it was exciting and creepy with well developed characters.
June 2, 2017
this book was so confuuuusing
October 3, 2011
“Old Devil likes you to think in grays, boy”… “Gray keeps you trapped in the in-between. Keeps you from looking for the one true Light that will lead you out, that’ll show you are who you really…”
That right there, that says it all. This is a book about faith, about conviction and definitely a book about the supernatural war between good and evil, God and the devil. A fictional paranormal read wrapped up with a good amount of biblical references and scripture and one that I thoroughly appreciated and enjoyed.
Each of the first chapters introduces you to a new character and contains a ton of information with bits and pieces of lost memories from their past and an explanation of their current life situation. As these 5 young people, (just under age 20) start to have recurring not quite normal nightmares, it becomes clear that these horrible dreams keeping them awake all night aren’t night nightmares at all but, flashes from their childhood together. So now what?.. Well, they haven’t been in contact much since they were 12, but now with all the bizarre happenings, spooky “I must be seeing things” moments and bad “dreams” they decide it might just be time for a reunion… And that’s when things really get interesting.
THE PROPHECY (The Watchers Chronicles #1) is not a Twilight-like angel paranormal romance read, but a thriller of the Stephen King variety with a scriptural twist. With dangerous creepy demon/fallen angels working in your ear, just outside most people’s line of site and a select young with the supernatural ability to see and fight the evil with the help of Gods warrior angels; the novel has a very TV “Heroes” meets end-times biblical warfare feel.
Dawn Miller did an excellent job realistically describing (in accordance with the bible) the angels, in beauty and fierceness for both the Fallen and the Warriors of God’s Will. I loved that all the characters felt so real and true to life. Each being very unique and from a different walk of life; some with a fairly normal home life situation, others with drugs, alcohol and/or gang issues and even a teen parent is present. But what wasn’t present was the typical syrupy unrealistic love story (or any gratuitous sex scenes) to hook you in and move the story forward, because well, it wasn’t necessary; just a great story and some good writing.
Really my only issue with THE PROPHECY wasn’t with the book itself at all, but was that I was on a family vacation and I didn’t have a more consistent time allotted to sit down and just read it through. A mistake I will be sure not to duplicate when I up the next exciting installment in The Watchers Chronicles.
"Do you wanna see how far that rabbit hole really goes?".. I know I do!
November 6, 2015
Title: The Prophecy
Author: Dawn Miller
Genre: YA Christian fantasy
Where I got it: ODLC (the e-book library)
One sentence: Five teens are reunited by a nightmare from their childhood and realize that their memories have been blocked by an evil force at work, and they must work together to stop it and uncover the truth.
Themes: Faith, truth, defeating evil, memory, friendship.
Main character: Jonah was an interesting and entertaining character. He had a fascinating past, and had a well-rounded personality. He had flaws, but they didn’t overwhelm the fact that he was a good protagonist, which was key to the plot. Jonah had to struggle with himself, with guilt, which made me connect to him.
Secondary characters: Few characters were as well-written as Jonah, but J was also well rounded and had issues to deal with that were interesting. I found the other secondary characters (Sam, Carly, Jenna) to be one-sided. Sam was portrayed as “the good one”, and had no obvious flaws besides the fact that he was deceived at times, and Jenna was basically annoying.
Writing style: Lots of POV’s. Some of the writing was a little choppy so I had to re-read every once in a while. There were also a lot of flashbacks which became slightly confusing.
Plot: I grew frustrated. At first, the whole supernatural evil thing was awesome and really spooky until I found out what they really were. Also, the memory block was reiterated too much. After the first couple times I heard that they couldn’t remember what had happened in the past, I became annoyed. I didn’t know why they couldn’t remember, and the author just kept dragging the issue on and on.
Best scene: Ending scene; lots of action, enough said.
Positives: Jonah’s character, beginning, spookiness
Negatives: Lots of confusion, stereotypical characters, slow plot movement.
Ending: Left open for the next book in the series. Not very exciting.
Verdict: Just okay. I found the plot was overdone, and after the beginning, there were things that really distracted me from just enjoying the read.
Rating: 4.1
Author: Dawn Miller
Genre: YA Christian fantasy
Where I got it: ODLC (the e-book library)
One sentence: Five teens are reunited by a nightmare from their childhood and realize that their memories have been blocked by an evil force at work, and they must work together to stop it and uncover the truth.
Themes: Faith, truth, defeating evil, memory, friendship.
Main character: Jonah was an interesting and entertaining character. He had a fascinating past, and had a well-rounded personality. He had flaws, but they didn’t overwhelm the fact that he was a good protagonist, which was key to the plot. Jonah had to struggle with himself, with guilt, which made me connect to him.
Secondary characters: Few characters were as well-written as Jonah, but J was also well rounded and had issues to deal with that were interesting. I found the other secondary characters (Sam, Carly, Jenna) to be one-sided. Sam was portrayed as “the good one”, and had no obvious flaws besides the fact that he was deceived at times, and Jenna was basically annoying.
Writing style: Lots of POV’s. Some of the writing was a little choppy so I had to re-read every once in a while. There were also a lot of flashbacks which became slightly confusing.
Plot: I grew frustrated. At first, the whole supernatural evil thing was awesome and really spooky until I found out what they really were. Also, the memory block was reiterated too much. After the first couple times I heard that they couldn’t remember what had happened in the past, I became annoyed. I didn’t know why they couldn’t remember, and the author just kept dragging the issue on and on.
Best scene: Ending scene; lots of action, enough said.
Positives: Jonah’s character, beginning, spookiness
Negatives: Lots of confusion, stereotypical characters, slow plot movement.
Ending: Left open for the next book in the series. Not very exciting.
Verdict: Just okay. I found the plot was overdone, and after the beginning, there were things that really distracted me from just enjoying the read.
Rating: 4.1
May 29, 2010
While reading The Prophecy, I was definitely aware that it had a religious premise to it, but it was not an in your face type of a thing. It is about heaven and hell and the angels who have taken sides, but more importantly it is about the lives of these five people and how their actions and decisions affect the world around them.
Miller’s writing is concise and she dives into the different personalities of each character holding nothing back. We see that the characters all have their strengths and weaknesses, though they need to realize that about themselves and each other. It is a little slow going in the beginning since we are taking the time to learn about each character one at a time and this same slow down happens throughout the book when we reread and reread the same scene from the past from each characters perspective with a little being added on each time. Flashbacks are often problematic in books, as I feel it distracts from the here and now and takes away from the action of the story. I was also lost several times trying to figure out which of the angels were the bad ones and which were the good ones as their introductions were a blur.
The theme of the story itself was great and the ending was left wide open to continue on into book two. There are many stories out right now with fallen angels, but this is the most realistic of the bunch and focuses on the “realities” of such a thing happening in our world. This basis in reality is the biggest draw of the book along with the side characters that work with (or against) the five young adults. This is a great read for those that are looking for a character driven tale.
Miller’s writing is concise and she dives into the different personalities of each character holding nothing back. We see that the characters all have their strengths and weaknesses, though they need to realize that about themselves and each other. It is a little slow going in the beginning since we are taking the time to learn about each character one at a time and this same slow down happens throughout the book when we reread and reread the same scene from the past from each characters perspective with a little being added on each time. Flashbacks are often problematic in books, as I feel it distracts from the here and now and takes away from the action of the story. I was also lost several times trying to figure out which of the angels were the bad ones and which were the good ones as their introductions were a blur.
The theme of the story itself was great and the ending was left wide open to continue on into book two. There are many stories out right now with fallen angels, but this is the most realistic of the bunch and focuses on the “realities” of such a thing happening in our world. This basis in reality is the biggest draw of the book along with the side characters that work with (or against) the five young adults. This is a great read for those that are looking for a character driven tale.
March 15, 2021
On the cover of this book there is a sticker that states "Guaranteed Good Read". Well they got that right! Dawn Miller is a new author to me, but I am not disappointed. I am very much a fan now. This book was incredible. Everything was easy to visualize and I felt the action and emotions as if I were there right along with the characters. It reminded me partially of that TV movie based on a book Fallen-something. But it was so much better. On the back cover it says that she is working on making this into graphic novel and feature film and oh that just gives me chill bumps I am so eager for it.
This is a story of entertainment, but it is with a great topic that breathes through every page. This is a book about faith. Faith when it is difficult and hard. Listening for God in all situations and living your life accordingly to his word and will. I am surprised at just how much I enjoyed this book. Though it is marketed for young adults, I think anyone could appreciate the story. The characters are teens/early twenties and far from perfect. But faith is a budding things in progress and I can see plausible redemption for all of them eventually. Taking the broken and putting them into a form of healing, the prophecy will bring them together and possibly keep them together.
Oh what will come in the rest of the series!!
*Thanks to Zondervan for providing a copy for review.*
This is a story of entertainment, but it is with a great topic that breathes through every page. This is a book about faith. Faith when it is difficult and hard. Listening for God in all situations and living your life accordingly to his word and will. I am surprised at just how much I enjoyed this book. Though it is marketed for young adults, I think anyone could appreciate the story. The characters are teens/early twenties and far from perfect. But faith is a budding things in progress and I can see plausible redemption for all of them eventually. Taking the broken and putting them into a form of healing, the prophecy will bring them together and possibly keep them together.
Oh what will come in the rest of the series!!
*Thanks to Zondervan for providing a copy for review.*
May 24, 2010
This book has a lot of potential, until it rears it's ugly Christian fundamentalist bent.
On the one hand it's a urban fantasy with an intriguing format twist (that granted Stephen King did a better job with in IT). On the other hand, it reminds me of the things I hate about religion.
Sure, it includes Jews in on the good side, but there's still the 'My way or the highway' mentality of the Christian God is the only path to salvation. In addition to the dig at the occult, there's a dig at science as well. One of the appealing characteristics about "Celticism" and Native American world views is there ability to see another way of thinking and work it into their view, rather than condemning anyone who thinks differently as pitiful at best, damned at worst.
Then there's the faith issue. Believe in God, believe he will save you and it will work out. I've always considered strength from a higher power to be a cop out, a weakness on the part of the individual. I'd rather people be flawed and accept that, than look outside of themselves for what to do/what is right. If it doesn't come from within yourself, then there's a sense that it's not sincere or deliberate. Even if it comes from wanting revenge, justice, or in memory/attributed to someone or something else, at least it's a conscious, personal, and deliberate choice by the person themselves and not something they picked up from somewhere else.
Still, I'm curious about the next book.
On the one hand it's a urban fantasy with an intriguing format twist (that granted Stephen King did a better job with in IT). On the other hand, it reminds me of the things I hate about religion.
Sure, it includes Jews in on the good side, but there's still the 'My way or the highway' mentality of the Christian God is the only path to salvation. In addition to the dig at the occult, there's a dig at science as well. One of the appealing characteristics about "Celticism" and Native American world views is there ability to see another way of thinking and work it into their view, rather than condemning anyone who thinks differently as pitiful at best, damned at worst.
Then there's the faith issue. Believe in God, believe he will save you and it will work out. I've always considered strength from a higher power to be a cop out, a weakness on the part of the individual. I'd rather people be flawed and accept that, than look outside of themselves for what to do/what is right. If it doesn't come from within yourself, then there's a sense that it's not sincere or deliberate. Even if it comes from wanting revenge, justice, or in memory/attributed to someone or something else, at least it's a conscious, personal, and deliberate choice by the person themselves and not something they picked up from somewhere else.
Still, I'm curious about the next book.
April 19, 2020
I see she has not written the second book in the series. My personal thoughts are this series would have been better served if two of the main characters were focused on in each of the books. By focusing on all five equally AND the "dark" characters and the "light" characters and so many in between, it became difficult to keep the storylines apart. Especially with two of the main characters having similar name beginnings - "J" and "Jenna."
There were elements of the book I found very enjoyable and would have been interested to see how the series played out, but it was too jumbled to make a relaxing, enjoyable read. Apparantely from other reviews, this seems to be a common issue.
Merged review:
I see she has not written the second book in the series. My personal thoughts are this series would have been better served if two of the main characters were focused on in each of the books. By focusing on all five equally AND the "dark" characters and the "light" characters and so many in between, it became difficult to keep the storylines apart. Especially with two of the main characters having similar name beginnings - "J" and "Jenna."
There were elements of the book I found very enjoyable and would have been interested to see how the series played out, but it was too jumbled to make a relaxing, enjoyable read. Apparantely from other reviews, this seems to be a common issue.
There were elements of the book I found very enjoyable and would have been interested to see how the series played out, but it was too jumbled to make a relaxing, enjoyable read. Apparantely from other reviews, this seems to be a common issue.
Merged review:
I see she has not written the second book in the series. My personal thoughts are this series would have been better served if two of the main characters were focused on in each of the books. By focusing on all five equally AND the "dark" characters and the "light" characters and so many in between, it became difficult to keep the storylines apart. Especially with two of the main characters having similar name beginnings - "J" and "Jenna."
There were elements of the book I found very enjoyable and would have been interested to see how the series played out, but it was too jumbled to make a relaxing, enjoyable read. Apparantely from other reviews, this seems to be a common issue.
June 2, 2010
The Prophecy (The Watchers Chronicles) is definitely a must read! From the onset I found myself excitedly anxious to delve into the ‘next’ chapter to find out how the characters were connected and figure out the mystery of not only what kept them apart but what was bringing them back together in such a dramatic way. The characters as well as sequence of events were full of descriptive words and well developed that I could almost see the story play out in front of me. I love the way the author intertwined the past, present and future with such suspense, yet managed to give you moments of relief with comedic moments that let you know either she’s been through a lot in her own life or she’s done her due diligence in research. Either way it’s the sign of a good author who know how to draw the reader in with relevance. Most importantly, although the ending left you satisfied it also left you with the sensation that the end was exactly the set up for the real beginning. I can’t wait for the next one and hope to see this on the big screen some day! Harry Potter move over, kitty playtime is over!
June 6, 2011
THE WATCHERS CHRONICLES: THE PROPHECY
By Dawn Miller
Reality is merely an illusion ~ Albert Einstein
Something sinister was after them, something that only they could see. Something from their past. But the memory from childhood - 7 years earlier was buried- buried deep. Will they remember what has been forgotten in time to save themselves?
Jonah Becker’s world has gone from bad to worse. His parents were murdered. His brother, Sam is dead. And now someone or something is out to kill him and his friends. Jonah and his friends are caught in the endless struggle between good and evil because they have a special gift - the gift of sight!
The first six chapters seem slow as the key characters are introduced, but the story quickly draws you in with each successive chapter. When THE PROPHECY ends you are left wanting more.
This book will appeal to young adult readers who want a book with a supernatural twist while still dealing with real life situations that teens face. Some of the issues that are dealt with include drugs, alcohol, teen parents, and gangs.
This is a “can’t put it down” book and perfect for a long weekend!
By Dawn Miller
Reality is merely an illusion ~ Albert Einstein
Something sinister was after them, something that only they could see. Something from their past. But the memory from childhood - 7 years earlier was buried- buried deep. Will they remember what has been forgotten in time to save themselves?
Jonah Becker’s world has gone from bad to worse. His parents were murdered. His brother, Sam is dead. And now someone or something is out to kill him and his friends. Jonah and his friends are caught in the endless struggle between good and evil because they have a special gift - the gift of sight!
The first six chapters seem slow as the key characters are introduced, but the story quickly draws you in with each successive chapter. When THE PROPHECY ends you are left wanting more.
This book will appeal to young adult readers who want a book with a supernatural twist while still dealing with real life situations that teens face. Some of the issues that are dealt with include drugs, alcohol, teen parents, and gangs.
This is a “can’t put it down” book and perfect for a long weekend!
July 27, 2012
My sister bought this book for me as a Christmas present in 2010 and in all honesty I wasn't sure what to expect of it. (I mean the pitch is a cryptic message for Pete's sake, doesn't really say what's the book about.)
The story begins with a journal entree written by the main character, Jonah and it definitely puts the right feel in the atmosphere. Danger.
The plot is constructed with chapters infiltrating the present and past of the main characters, Jonah, Carly, J and Jenna. Creating this illusive effect that constantly ratchets up the adrenaline level. It's balanced between fast paced and steady, and does require all your attention to grasp everything that's going on. I even had to read it three times just to understand the full picture. But once you get past the confusion, The Prophecy is epic! My favorite YA book of all time, charged with heart wrenching emotion, laced with a lingering fear that is nearly tangible and 3D characters that most young people can relate to- I definitely can.
I will definitely buy the sequel!
The story begins with a journal entree written by the main character, Jonah and it definitely puts the right feel in the atmosphere. Danger.
The plot is constructed with chapters infiltrating the present and past of the main characters, Jonah, Carly, J and Jenna. Creating this illusive effect that constantly ratchets up the adrenaline level. It's balanced between fast paced and steady, and does require all your attention to grasp everything that's going on. I even had to read it three times just to understand the full picture. But once you get past the confusion, The Prophecy is epic! My favorite YA book of all time, charged with heart wrenching emotion, laced with a lingering fear that is nearly tangible and 3D characters that most young people can relate to- I definitely can.
I will definitely buy the sequel!
May 26, 2010
I won this book in the First Reads Giveaway.
This book is about 5 children struggling with inner turmoil, demons, spirituality and their fated futures. Do not get discouraged with the first few chapters of this book. It is a bit confusing but it all starts making sense once you get into it. I thought that with this being a teen book it would be way too easy to read - I was delightfully mistaken! It is a very mature read. It does reference drugs in the first few pages and teenage pregnancy. If you want to shelter your child from this type of reading, just scan the first few chapters - it's nothing too extreme. The Prophecy surprised me at the end. It had a slow beginning, but in hindsight with all of the information given, it needed to be that way. Good versus Evil has always been a favorite for many authors to write about, but I haven't ever read one quite as good as this. I am definitely looking forward to the next installment.
This book is about 5 children struggling with inner turmoil, demons, spirituality and their fated futures. Do not get discouraged with the first few chapters of this book. It is a bit confusing but it all starts making sense once you get into it. I thought that with this being a teen book it would be way too easy to read - I was delightfully mistaken! It is a very mature read. It does reference drugs in the first few pages and teenage pregnancy. If you want to shelter your child from this type of reading, just scan the first few chapters - it's nothing too extreme. The Prophecy surprised me at the end. It had a slow beginning, but in hindsight with all of the information given, it needed to be that way. Good versus Evil has always been a favorite for many authors to write about, but I haven't ever read one quite as good as this. I am definitely looking forward to the next installment.
May 16, 2010
Five teens are swept up into an unseen battle of good versus evil. They are blind to what is going around them but soon terrifying memories come flooding back and their eyes are open to the evil that surrounds them. Slowly they piece together that they must depart from the bad choices they have made and band together to help battle the unknown.
This book definitely will be a hit for Peretti fans and for fans of horror. It was intended for a young adult audience, but I feel that many adults will enjoy it too. My only concern is that there was a great deal of characters to keep up with that caused the storyline to be a bit confusing for me along with a jump in the different characters’ points of view. However, this is a suspenseful story that will leave the reader eager to read more about the characters’ battles against evil in the next Watchers Chronicles story of the series.
This book definitely will be a hit for Peretti fans and for fans of horror. It was intended for a young adult audience, but I feel that many adults will enjoy it too. My only concern is that there was a great deal of characters to keep up with that caused the storyline to be a bit confusing for me along with a jump in the different characters’ points of view. However, this is a suspenseful story that will leave the reader eager to read more about the characters’ battles against evil in the next Watchers Chronicles story of the series.
August 23, 2010
My husband would probably say I'm being generous giving this two butterflies after listening to me contemplate giving up or finishing it. I'm sure others like this story. I found it to be a way to similar to Stephen King's It in the beginning. And no matter how terrifying fallen angels should be, it's not written to be more scary that Pennywise. In fact, I had a heck of a time figuring out who were the good guys and who were the bad ones. The story alters between far to many view points to lessen any confusion. I didn't connect with any of the characters. The events were all over the place. And then ending just sort of happened with the characters still not having any real clue about what's happening to them. I don't think I will be continuing this series unless the future books happen to fall into my lap.
July 20, 2011
Found on my local library's shelves when searching for good YA lit...
I was skeptical of this novel at first, I'll admit it. However, my mind quickly changed with the turning of each page. Before long, I found myself having a hard time putting this one down. Miller drew some very interesting parallels, and incorporated belief in a higher power - God - in a non-threatening way. (Read: Even if you don't believe, you won't be offended by this book. Still read it.) The action in this novel is tremendous, and brings a whole new meaning to the term "good vs. evil." Miller does a great job of hitting up all five senses of the reader with her well-penned descriptions. Fans of Cassandra Clare's works would absolutely LOVE this novel, as Miller's writing seems to be in that same vein.
This could easily be adapted to the big screen, and I really would love to see it happen. :)
I was skeptical of this novel at first, I'll admit it. However, my mind quickly changed with the turning of each page. Before long, I found myself having a hard time putting this one down. Miller drew some very interesting parallels, and incorporated belief in a higher power - God - in a non-threatening way. (Read: Even if you don't believe, you won't be offended by this book. Still read it.) The action in this novel is tremendous, and brings a whole new meaning to the term "good vs. evil." Miller does a great job of hitting up all five senses of the reader with her well-penned descriptions. Fans of Cassandra Clare's works would absolutely LOVE this novel, as Miller's writing seems to be in that same vein.
This could easily be adapted to the big screen, and I really would love to see it happen. :)
May 27, 2010
I recently won this book in a FirstReads giveaway.
The Prophecy (The Watchers Chronicle) is about the battle between good and evil. Five children experience an event that changes their lives; however, their memories of the event are blocked and their eyes are closed to seeing the evil. They grow up and go separate ways until one of them instigates a reunion. Though supernatural beings try to stop them from reuniting and remembering, they eventually come to know they are Watchers who are caught in the battle between warrior angels who protect mankind and fallen angels who want to destroy life for humans and let evil reign.
The Prophecy is an interesting book that keeps the action moving. It's a Christian book about having faith even through difficult and hard times.
The Prophecy (The Watchers Chronicle) is about the battle between good and evil. Five children experience an event that changes their lives; however, their memories of the event are blocked and their eyes are closed to seeing the evil. They grow up and go separate ways until one of them instigates a reunion. Though supernatural beings try to stop them from reuniting and remembering, they eventually come to know they are Watchers who are caught in the battle between warrior angels who protect mankind and fallen angels who want to destroy life for humans and let evil reign.
The Prophecy is an interesting book that keeps the action moving. It's a Christian book about having faith even through difficult and hard times.
May 30, 2011
This series promises to offer a great alternative to the teen vampire novels flooding the bestseller lists.The characters are real, gritty and engaging and the glimpses of what is unfoldingin realms that we cannotsee are fascinating. I bought and read this book because I wanted to recommended some fiction to the teenagers at the christian camp that I help at.
What surprised me was thatI got hooked and am already looking forward to the second novel being published.
My reasons for liking this novel so much are many and varied.I am a big kid,I love reading a series of novels and I like characters with a bit of fire in their belly. But most of all, I like reading books that challenge me to live life rather than dodge it.
What surprised me was thatI got hooked and am already looking forward to the second novel being published.
My reasons for liking this novel so much are many and varied.I am a big kid,I love reading a series of novels and I like characters with a bit of fire in their belly. But most of all, I like reading books that challenge me to live life rather than dodge it.
June 2, 2010
Dawn Miller wrote "The Prophecy" for young adults, aka teens. And like many adults who have been caught up in the Twilight series you can do the same right here. The Prophecy is part of The Watchers Chronicles. Here I have teetered on the line of good and evils age old battle. Along with the 5 characters that Dawn has created, we traveled into their history with terrifying memories that started this battle. I followed along as we raced against the evil at our heels looking for a way out. I was caught up like a memory or dream that hung on long after I awoke. Not only will your Y.A. enjoy this one, you may very well too.
February 5, 2011
This is an intense, dark book that I did not think I was going to like, but I liked it a lot. This is about a group of kids, the watchers, who have been set apart to be part of saving the world from enemy aliens. They are normal kids growing up, facing many adverse situations, and have to grow into an understanding of who they are. This is not my normal stsyle of reading, but the action moves so quickly and the character development is so good that I had a hard time putting down the book. Anybody who likes "V" or any of those shows (and even people like me who do not!) would enjoy this book. The writing is excellent, and it is quite a thriller!
April 1, 2013
Borrowed this book from a friend and I was very disappointed at how it turned out. I had to reread whole pages because I had no idea what was going on and couldn't keep track of the characters because there was nothing to define them besides one had a dog and another a kid. The actual story took so long to happen because they kept getting memories and having weird visions and wind and I didn't care for a single one of them by the end. I think this is a rare one where even if there is another one I won't read it.
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