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Prophecy of Days #1
The Daykeeper's Grimoire
Can one (super smart) girl
(who just wants to be discovered)
decipher the cryptic Mayan calendar prophecy and SAVE THE WORLD?
When her safe-cracker mom and code-breaker dad inherit a dreary Scottish castle, sixteen-year-old Caity Mac Fireland is not happy. Ripped from her cushy life and friends in San Francisco, Caity’s secret fantasy of being discovered by a Hollywood agent, talent scout, or even just a pageant coach seems more unlikely than ever.
But when Caity stumbles across a hidden room in the castle, its walls covered in strange symbols, her life takes a bizarre turn. She finds herself center stage in an international conspiracy involving warring secret societies, assassins, the suppressed revelations of the Mayan Calendar and the year 2012, plus the fate of humanity.
With the help of her friend Justine back home, and Alex, a gorgeous and mysterious Scottish boy, Caity must race to decipher the code and reveal its message to the world before time runs out.
352 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2010
8 people are currently reading
2680 people want to read
About the author
Christy Raedeke
2 books118 followersChristy Raedeke is a writer and travel addict. She has trekked in the Himalayas, spent Halloween in a 16th century Scottish castle, dived into bottomless cenotes in the Yucatan jungle, studied feng shui in Kuala Lumpur, been dropped by floatplane into the wilds of British Columbia, stood atop the Jungfrau in Switzerland, floated down the River Ganges, explored Zeus's cave on Crete, climbed Mayan pyramids in Chiapas, explored the catacombs under Paris and Rome, melted her shoes on the lava fields of the Mauna Loa volcano, and body surfed in the Libyan sea.
Raedeke is the recipient of the Holmes Fellowship for Young Reader's Literature awarded by Oregon Literary Arts.
Raedeke is the recipient of the Holmes Fellowship for Young Reader's Literature awarded by Oregon Literary Arts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
June 13, 2010
Why I read this: I really wanted to read this one because the premise sounded intriguing and it's also another debut novel.
Plot: The author starts the novel the best way I've read in a while. The narrator, Caity, is on her way to Scotland and she gives a somewhat snarky version of how she came to be on her way to Scotland. Since she doesn't want to draw it out and bore us, she keeps it short - a page or two. The main premise that Caity arrives in Scotland and discovers there is a hidden room in her new bedroom. The room is full of symbols she has never seen before.
Luckily, her parents are code and safe crackers (the legal kind) and she brings it to them, lying that she created it to see if they could crack it. The code gets cracked slowly and parts of a prophecy are discovered, and guess what? She a part of it.
The only problem I had with the plot is that everything felt too easy for Caity. There's parts in the plot where she has to do certain things for the prophecy, she makes a huge deal of it and then things work out with no problem what-so-ever. Also, the random bad guys that pop up aren't all that menacing, which was a bit disappointing for me.
Characters: I enjoyed getting to know Caity throughout the book, especially when interacting with her parents. Also, she was a normal teenage girl when it came down to it, but still stepped up to do what she needed to when she needed to.
Caity had some great sidekicks, the first of which is a monkey named Mr. Papers who really does communicate through origami. Strange, but fun. Her Uncle Li is also a character, believing her right from the start and aiding her when she needs the help.
The love interest: mm mm mm. Yep, gorgeous and with a personality. He runs a bit hot and cold with Caity, she says something wrong.. he stops talking to her, and so on and so forth. But you guys know something always brings them back together and so we get to see a few small sparks fly. Hoping for more in the later books myself.
Relatability: I felt like I really connected to Caity via her relationship with her parents and uncle. I could definitely see them as a real family and with some similar qualities to my own family. Also, I loved how Caity interacted with Mr. Papers.. he was definitely somewhat of a comic relief character at times.
Cover Commentary: I like it. It's simple and eye-catching.
Plot: The author starts the novel the best way I've read in a while. The narrator, Caity, is on her way to Scotland and she gives a somewhat snarky version of how she came to be on her way to Scotland. Since she doesn't want to draw it out and bore us, she keeps it short - a page or two. The main premise that Caity arrives in Scotland and discovers there is a hidden room in her new bedroom. The room is full of symbols she has never seen before.
Luckily, her parents are code and safe crackers (the legal kind) and she brings it to them, lying that she created it to see if they could crack it. The code gets cracked slowly and parts of a prophecy are discovered, and guess what? She a part of it.
The only problem I had with the plot is that everything felt too easy for Caity. There's parts in the plot where she has to do certain things for the prophecy, she makes a huge deal of it and then things work out with no problem what-so-ever. Also, the random bad guys that pop up aren't all that menacing, which was a bit disappointing for me.
Characters: I enjoyed getting to know Caity throughout the book, especially when interacting with her parents. Also, she was a normal teenage girl when it came down to it, but still stepped up to do what she needed to when she needed to.
Caity had some great sidekicks, the first of which is a monkey named Mr. Papers who really does communicate through origami. Strange, but fun. Her Uncle Li is also a character, believing her right from the start and aiding her when she needs the help.
The love interest: mm mm mm. Yep, gorgeous and with a personality. He runs a bit hot and cold with Caity, she says something wrong.. he stops talking to her, and so on and so forth. But you guys know something always brings them back together and so we get to see a few small sparks fly. Hoping for more in the later books myself.
Relatability: I felt like I really connected to Caity via her relationship with her parents and uncle. I could definitely see them as a real family and with some similar qualities to my own family. Also, I loved how Caity interacted with Mr. Papers.. he was definitely somewhat of a comic relief character at times.
Cover Commentary: I like it. It's simple and eye-catching.
June 15, 2011
I really loved the opening of this book. The characters and the inheritance plot were just ridiculous enough to be hilarious and somewhat believable. Caity seems intelligent enough, despite her constant worry about her frizzy curls (with which I totally sympathize).
As the book moved along, I became a bit more concerned and a bit less entertained. Certain things I really loved, like Mr. Papers, the capuchin monkey. He is way smarter than pretty much anyone else in the book. Also, he's just awesome.
On the other hand, the whole prophecy plot and what Caity has to do to fulfill it struck me as absurd. For one thing, Caity is told that she has to do everything, but is actually pretty much led along like a puppet by mysterious adults, who warn her not to trust other mysterious adults. Yikes. It was cool that you really couldn't tell who she should trust (although sometimes it was pretty obvious when someone was evil or good, but not always).
The Prophecy of Days is about the Mayan calendar and the fact that it ends in 2012. According to Raedeke, this may not betoken the end of the world, but merely a complete change in consciousness. To keep evil forces from preventing human's evolving to a new level, she has to get teens to start using the Mayan calendar. She makes a website, sends out an email that sounds like junk mail and it catches on like wildfire. Umm, what? This was laughable.
I have not yet decided whether I want to read the second book in the series when it comes out. Parts were really clever and interesting, but other sections were a bit boring or absurd.
As the book moved along, I became a bit more concerned and a bit less entertained. Certain things I really loved, like Mr. Papers, the capuchin monkey. He is way smarter than pretty much anyone else in the book. Also, he's just awesome.
On the other hand, the whole prophecy plot and what Caity has to do to fulfill it struck me as absurd. For one thing, Caity is told that she has to do everything, but is actually pretty much led along like a puppet by mysterious adults, who warn her not to trust other mysterious adults. Yikes. It was cool that you really couldn't tell who she should trust (although sometimes it was pretty obvious when someone was evil or good, but not always).
The Prophecy of Days is about the Mayan calendar and the fact that it ends in 2012. According to Raedeke, this may not betoken the end of the world, but merely a complete change in consciousness. To keep evil forces from preventing human's evolving to a new level, she has to get teens to start using the Mayan calendar. She makes a website, sends out an email that sounds like junk mail and it catches on like wildfire. Umm, what? This was laughable.
I have not yet decided whether I want to read the second book in the series when it comes out. Parts were really clever and interesting, but other sections were a bit boring or absurd.
July 14, 2010
This books is smoothly written, and I was prepared to like the flippant-voiced protagonist. I also liked the detail of specific energy patterns emerging when many people were thinking about a specific thing, worldwide, like when Princess Di died.
But I just didn't end up enjoying the book as much as I'd hoped. The MC's decision not to reveal anything to her parents, even though her life had been threatened by a stranger, and her parents were talking about sending her to a special school for geniuses because she was taking credit for something she didn't do, took a big chunk out of my willing suspension of disbelief. As did the fact that thousands of young people needed to use an ancient horoscope to change the world for the better.
The love interest did not capture my interest either.
I think the MC is YA age, but this felt like an MG story. Maybe others will enjoy it where I did not!
But I just didn't end up enjoying the book as much as I'd hoped. The MC's decision not to reveal anything to her parents, even though her life had been threatened by a stranger, and her parents were talking about sending her to a special school for geniuses because she was taking credit for something she didn't do, took a big chunk out of my willing suspension of disbelief. As did the fact that thousands of young people needed to use an ancient horoscope to change the world for the better.
The love interest did not capture my interest either.
I think the MC is YA age, but this felt like an MG story. Maybe others will enjoy it where I did not!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2010
So, it wasn't that the book was bad, I just couldn't buy it. For example, when the main girl tells her crush about this crazy prophecy and asks him to travel half way around the world with her, he just says yes. No questions. He didn't even push to see evidence. The same thing with this guy she thinks is a bad. He tells her he's good, and she accepts it without question. I just found it unbelieveable and a little too far fetched.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2012
Šestnáctiletá Caity odhalí skryté tajemství týkající se nejen mayského kalendáře, ale také roku 2012. Roku, který je podle vše zkázou lidstva. Jenže co kdyby se právě tato nic netušící holka dostala do běhu dějin a byla ona zrovna tou jedinou, kdo by mohl tuto „zkázu“ zničit? Právě teď začne Zápas o osud lidstva.
Jak již napovídá anotace, odsuneme se trochu od fantasy a dostaneme se k příběhu odehrávající se v tomto světě a čase, kde musí Caity přijít na kloub velikému tajemství, na kterém závisí osud lidstva.
Caity nás na začátku celého děje nejdříve uvede a vysvětlí, co a jak. Následně se přestěhuje do hradu, který zdědila její rodina. Dosti zajímavé klišé, že? Toto klišé se může vyskytovat často, ale do tohoto příběhu se to opravdu velice hodilo a sama hlavní hrdinka zmínila, že by v toto klišé nikdy neuvěřila. Následně začne objevovat tajemství, které se pojí s tajemnými May.
Prosím, hlavně nešilte z toho, že vidíte napsáno: rok 2012. Dobře vím, že všude se dočtete o konci světa a podobných blábolech. Tato kniha se liší tím, že proroctví nevěstí žádný konec světa, ale pouze „nakopnutí“ naší mysli, aby se vyvíjela dále. Tudíž neproběhne konec, ale pravý opak: začátek. Svět projde pouze proměnou, kterou předurčili Mayové již dlouhá staletí před tímto rokem. Sami si dokázali dokonce určit, kdy se Cortéz na jejich břehu vylodí.
Ze začátku jsem si myslel, že příběh bude takový lehký. Mýlil jsem se. Prvních 150 stran se prakticky odhalovalo tajemství hradu a tajemství v něm samotné. Od 150 a výš se začalo teprve poté jednat o proroctví, které nám Mayové zanechali. Některé informace byly ale tak složité, že jsem je ani z větší části nedokázal pochopit. Začali se tam probírat nějaké vlny, energie a co já vím, co všechno ještě. Ale nemohu říci, že mi kniha nedala nic. Jednoduše byly tyto fakty pro mě trochu moc… vědecké.
Abych řekl pravdu, kniha má svým způsobem hrdiny dva. Tou první je šestnáctiletá Caity, které je vržena do všeho toho zmatku a tím druhým je její opička: Pan Papírek. Právě tato opička pomáhá Caity a jednou ji dokonce i zachránila život. Byla to právě Pan Papírek, kdo ji ukázal tajemnou komnatu ve svém pokoji a právě on ji poradil, co dělat s podivnými spirálami, které ukrývaly proroctví. Opička se stala mým favoritem, stejně jako Caity.
Jak jsem již říkal, Caity je šestnáct a právě přijela ze San Francisca do Skotska. Hrad ji ze začátku skrývá svá tajemství, ale časem na ně přijde. Pomohou ji nejenom její rodiče, ale také Pan Papírek a další. Sama ze začátku nebude věřit, že to zrovna ona má být ta, kdo sjednotí lidi po světě a vytvořit tak „nový věk“, ve kterém již nebude záhadná Stínová armáda vládnout. Právě tato armáda má za vinu všechny hladomory, drogy a války, které na našem světě vládnout a Caity je tím, kdo má lidi sjednotit a nechat je řídit se podle mayského kalendáře tzolkinu, který naší mysl posune vpřed. Caity ale také objeví svou novou schopnost: Dokonale lhát. Samou ji ale po čase ze lží, které musí vykládat, začne pukat srdce. Musí ale lhát, aby se dokázala ochránit. Nebezpečí číhá i na jejich hradě. Lhala dokonce i rodičům, kteří na ni byli milí a ona se jim takto odvděčila za jejich přízeň a práci.
Příběh se neodehrává pouze ve Skotsku a San Franciscu, ale také na Velikonočních ostrovech. Tato místo se mi hned po Skotku velice líbilo. Pravda taky je, kdy se dostaneme v takovýchto knihách na tak exotická místa? Kniha ale také není přeplněna nějakými popisy a tudíž se i lehce čte. Okouzlí Vás nejen místy a postavami, ale také nádherným příběhem, kterým se to v této době sice hemží, ale zrovna tento příběh má svůj půvab a kouzlo.
Hlavní motiv knihy je vlastně tajemství a sjednocení lidí k tomu, aby se nenechalo armádou ovládat. Ze začátku se Vám to může zdát hloupé, či praštěné, ale časem přijdete na to, že se Vám toto téma líbit bude a vy budete hltat jednu stránku za druhou. Nikde se to podle mě nezadrhávalo kromě toho začátku. Poté vše ale nabere rychlý spád a knihu přečtete do pár dní celou.
K oblíbeným postavám bych mohl ještě přidat Alexe. Je chytrý a ochrání Caity i za cenu, že by měl přijít k újmě. Už od prvního pohledu s Caity se do sebe zamilují a číst někdy myšlenky hlavní hrdinky je velice… zábavné. Oba tvoří pěkný pár, i když si to tak ani úplně nemyslí. Nebýt Alexe, neudálo by se hodně osudných věcí a byl to právě on, kdo podpořil Caity v jejím úkolu, který na ni Mayové uložili. A mohu říci, že tento úkol není ani za mák lehký.
Na závěr bych chtěl říci, že knihu hodnotím tak, jak hodnotím. Pěkně se četla a děj byl nádherný, ale něco tomu trochu chybělo. Bohužel ale nevím, co to je. Přesto ale nelituji, že jsem knihu četl a mohu pouze a jen doporučit! Nechám si ale tu jednu hvězdičku do rezervy, kdyby náhodou…! :)
Jak již napovídá anotace, odsuneme se trochu od fantasy a dostaneme se k příběhu odehrávající se v tomto světě a čase, kde musí Caity přijít na kloub velikému tajemství, na kterém závisí osud lidstva.
Caity nás na začátku celého děje nejdříve uvede a vysvětlí, co a jak. Následně se přestěhuje do hradu, který zdědila její rodina. Dosti zajímavé klišé, že? Toto klišé se může vyskytovat často, ale do tohoto příběhu se to opravdu velice hodilo a sama hlavní hrdinka zmínila, že by v toto klišé nikdy neuvěřila. Následně začne objevovat tajemství, které se pojí s tajemnými May.
Prosím, hlavně nešilte z toho, že vidíte napsáno: rok 2012. Dobře vím, že všude se dočtete o konci světa a podobných blábolech. Tato kniha se liší tím, že proroctví nevěstí žádný konec světa, ale pouze „nakopnutí“ naší mysli, aby se vyvíjela dále. Tudíž neproběhne konec, ale pravý opak: začátek. Svět projde pouze proměnou, kterou předurčili Mayové již dlouhá staletí před tímto rokem. Sami si dokázali dokonce určit, kdy se Cortéz na jejich břehu vylodí.
Ze začátku jsem si myslel, že příběh bude takový lehký. Mýlil jsem se. Prvních 150 stran se prakticky odhalovalo tajemství hradu a tajemství v něm samotné. Od 150 a výš se začalo teprve poté jednat o proroctví, které nám Mayové zanechali. Některé informace byly ale tak složité, že jsem je ani z větší části nedokázal pochopit. Začali se tam probírat nějaké vlny, energie a co já vím, co všechno ještě. Ale nemohu říci, že mi kniha nedala nic. Jednoduše byly tyto fakty pro mě trochu moc… vědecké.
Abych řekl pravdu, kniha má svým způsobem hrdiny dva. Tou první je šestnáctiletá Caity, které je vržena do všeho toho zmatku a tím druhým je její opička: Pan Papírek. Právě tato opička pomáhá Caity a jednou ji dokonce i zachránila život. Byla to právě Pan Papírek, kdo ji ukázal tajemnou komnatu ve svém pokoji a právě on ji poradil, co dělat s podivnými spirálami, které ukrývaly proroctví. Opička se stala mým favoritem, stejně jako Caity.
Jak jsem již říkal, Caity je šestnáct a právě přijela ze San Francisca do Skotska. Hrad ji ze začátku skrývá svá tajemství, ale časem na ně přijde. Pomohou ji nejenom její rodiče, ale také Pan Papírek a další. Sama ze začátku nebude věřit, že to zrovna ona má být ta, kdo sjednotí lidi po světě a vytvořit tak „nový věk“, ve kterém již nebude záhadná Stínová armáda vládnout. Právě tato armáda má za vinu všechny hladomory, drogy a války, které na našem světě vládnout a Caity je tím, kdo má lidi sjednotit a nechat je řídit se podle mayského kalendáře tzolkinu, který naší mysl posune vpřed. Caity ale také objeví svou novou schopnost: Dokonale lhát. Samou ji ale po čase ze lží, které musí vykládat, začne pukat srdce. Musí ale lhát, aby se dokázala ochránit. Nebezpečí číhá i na jejich hradě. Lhala dokonce i rodičům, kteří na ni byli milí a ona se jim takto odvděčila za jejich přízeň a práci.
Příběh se neodehrává pouze ve Skotsku a San Franciscu, ale také na Velikonočních ostrovech. Tato místo se mi hned po Skotku velice líbilo. Pravda taky je, kdy se dostaneme v takovýchto knihách na tak exotická místa? Kniha ale také není přeplněna nějakými popisy a tudíž se i lehce čte. Okouzlí Vás nejen místy a postavami, ale také nádherným příběhem, kterým se to v této době sice hemží, ale zrovna tento příběh má svůj půvab a kouzlo.
Hlavní motiv knihy je vlastně tajemství a sjednocení lidí k tomu, aby se nenechalo armádou ovládat. Ze začátku se Vám to může zdát hloupé, či praštěné, ale časem přijdete na to, že se Vám toto téma líbit bude a vy budete hltat jednu stránku za druhou. Nikde se to podle mě nezadrhávalo kromě toho začátku. Poté vše ale nabere rychlý spád a knihu přečtete do pár dní celou.
K oblíbeným postavám bych mohl ještě přidat Alexe. Je chytrý a ochrání Caity i za cenu, že by měl přijít k újmě. Už od prvního pohledu s Caity se do sebe zamilují a číst někdy myšlenky hlavní hrdinky je velice… zábavné. Oba tvoří pěkný pár, i když si to tak ani úplně nemyslí. Nebýt Alexe, neudálo by se hodně osudných věcí a byl to právě on, kdo podpořil Caity v jejím úkolu, který na ni Mayové uložili. A mohu říci, že tento úkol není ani za mák lehký.
Na závěr bych chtěl říci, že knihu hodnotím tak, jak hodnotím. Pěkně se četla a děj byl nádherný, ale něco tomu trochu chybělo. Bohužel ale nevím, co to je. Přesto ale nelituji, že jsem knihu četl a mohu pouze a jen doporučit! Nechám si ale tu jednu hvězdičku do rezervy, kdyby náhodou…! :)
November 8, 2010
OMG this book was phenomenal prepare for gushing [ ; ) ] What could be more totally awesome than a monkey that does origami. I want one [ : D ]
Written in first person narrative from Caity's perspective. Your typical teenager with wonderful snarkiness. Directly addressing the reader giving it an air of confiding her secrets in you. Her parents are both genius's in their respective fields, being somewhat unconventional: her Mum is a safe-cracker, while her Dad is a computer whizz but full of conspiracy theories (YAY). Caity underestimates herself when comparing her intelligence to her parents. In that respect you can understand why she would want to keep the unravelling of the mystery to herself rather than directly asking for their help, fearing they would take over like previous school projects.
Wonderfully descriptive writing with captivating imagery. Visually dynamic with the use of prose, email and text formats, giving a totally rounded depiction of both modern technology alongside ancient beliefs. Caity's narrative tends to jump about a bit but is totally relatable and keeping in character with a 16 year old girl.
A terrific clue trail is scattered throughout the narrative, I found my mind jumping to conclusions and then assumptions all the way through. Nothing should be taken at face value. Mystery after mystery is piled together, seemingly unrelated until the pieces are fitted together.
All the characters were interesting and colourful, I couldn't say there was anything normal about any of them.
The weaving of myths and legends into the narrative was astounding. It was amazing to see how many different cultures have very similar myths and legends. Provoking the mind to gather the common thread and search for the truth behind them.
Not only does Christy Raedeke weave the ancient history into the plot but sprinkles in a good bit of spirituality. She takes it to another level by adding in quantum physics and conspiracy theories. Be still by beating heart; all the things I totally love because that is what goes on in my head. Meshing it all together, finding the common threads and examining the principles behind it. Totally amazing how science/spirituality and mythology all came together to create such an amazing plot.
*faints* I have raved so much about this book at home that J (who does not read) went back to the library and borrowed it for himself *falls over* *thud* and yes he is actually reading it.
Written in first person narrative from Caity's perspective. Your typical teenager with wonderful snarkiness. Directly addressing the reader giving it an air of confiding her secrets in you. Her parents are both genius's in their respective fields, being somewhat unconventional: her Mum is a safe-cracker, while her Dad is a computer whizz but full of conspiracy theories (YAY). Caity underestimates herself when comparing her intelligence to her parents. In that respect you can understand why she would want to keep the unravelling of the mystery to herself rather than directly asking for their help, fearing they would take over like previous school projects.
Wonderfully descriptive writing with captivating imagery. Visually dynamic with the use of prose, email and text formats, giving a totally rounded depiction of both modern technology alongside ancient beliefs. Caity's narrative tends to jump about a bit but is totally relatable and keeping in character with a 16 year old girl.
A terrific clue trail is scattered throughout the narrative, I found my mind jumping to conclusions and then assumptions all the way through. Nothing should be taken at face value. Mystery after mystery is piled together, seemingly unrelated until the pieces are fitted together.
All the characters were interesting and colourful, I couldn't say there was anything normal about any of them.
The weaving of myths and legends into the narrative was astounding. It was amazing to see how many different cultures have very similar myths and legends. Provoking the mind to gather the common thread and search for the truth behind them.
Not only does Christy Raedeke weave the ancient history into the plot but sprinkles in a good bit of spirituality. She takes it to another level by adding in quantum physics and conspiracy theories. Be still by beating heart; all the things I totally love because that is what goes on in my head. Meshing it all together, finding the common threads and examining the principles behind it. Totally amazing how science/spirituality and mythology all came together to create such an amazing plot.
*faints* I have raved so much about this book at home that J (who does not read) went back to the library and borrowed it for himself *falls over* *thud* and yes he is actually reading it.
August 19, 2010
I’d like to start my review off by saying that Prophecy of Days was an amazingly written book. I am just blown away by how much research must have gone into the writing of this book and by how well the book flowed.
I really enjoyed the slight mystery aspect in the book and how I was never quite sure who was trying help Caity and who was trying to impede her progress. Prophecy of Days really kept me on my toes as I tried to peg down who the goodies (good-guys) were versus who the actual baddies (bad-guys) were.
One of my favorite things about books like Prophecy of Days, is how the main character who is supposed to save the world doesn’t necessarily want to or believe that they can, yet they try to do what’s expected of them anyways. I know when it’s put like that it might make a book sound corny, but this book is anything but. Can I just say that Mr. Papers was so adorable.
While I loved Caity as the main character (she was hilarious especially in her almost stalker like adoration of Alex), Justine, Caity’s best friend, totally stole the lime-light in my eyes. I loved her evil genius schemes and the fact that they worked out.
My favorite part of Prophecy of Days also happens to be my favorite line, which I used for Teaser Tuesday the other day. Click here to find out what I considered to be the funniest part of the book.
I can honestly say that I don’t have a single part of the book that I would rate as my least favorite, so no least favorite part of the book this week. 2
Prophecy of Days was an excellent read, well worth the time it takes to read. Would I recommend it? Absolutely.
Now all I got to do is wait for the sequel to come out.
I really enjoyed the slight mystery aspect in the book and how I was never quite sure who was trying help Caity and who was trying to impede her progress. Prophecy of Days really kept me on my toes as I tried to peg down who the goodies (good-guys) were versus who the actual baddies (bad-guys) were.
One of my favorite things about books like Prophecy of Days, is how the main character who is supposed to save the world doesn’t necessarily want to or believe that they can, yet they try to do what’s expected of them anyways. I know when it’s put like that it might make a book sound corny, but this book is anything but. Can I just say that Mr. Papers was so adorable.
While I loved Caity as the main character (she was hilarious especially in her almost stalker like adoration of Alex), Justine, Caity’s best friend, totally stole the lime-light in my eyes. I loved her evil genius schemes and the fact that they worked out.
My favorite part of Prophecy of Days also happens to be my favorite line, which I used for Teaser Tuesday the other day. Click here to find out what I considered to be the funniest part of the book.
I can honestly say that I don’t have a single part of the book that I would rate as my least favorite, so no least favorite part of the book this week. 2
Prophecy of Days was an excellent read, well worth the time it takes to read. Would I recommend it? Absolutely.
Now all I got to do is wait for the sequel to come out.
May 6, 2010
Book 29 for 2010.
Prophecy of Days is perfect for kids who are into the whole treasure hunt adventure book thing. I was reminded a bit of both National Treasure and the Celestine Prophecy reading this book, and the ending really left me hanging. I will definitely read the second book in the series. And if Mr. Papers isn't about the cutest addition to a novel I've ever seen, than I don't know what is. I now want a cute little monkey.
Recommended for upper elementary (I know it's categorized as YA, but it's totally appropriate), middle, and high school kids or anyone interested in prophecies and fantasy or anything mysterious or unknown.
Prophecy of Days is perfect for kids who are into the whole treasure hunt adventure book thing. I was reminded a bit of both National Treasure and the Celestine Prophecy reading this book, and the ending really left me hanging. I will definitely read the second book in the series. And if Mr. Papers isn't about the cutest addition to a novel I've ever seen, than I don't know what is. I now want a cute little monkey.
Recommended for upper elementary (I know it's categorized as YA, but it's totally appropriate), middle, and high school kids or anyone interested in prophecies and fantasy or anything mysterious or unknown.
February 28, 2025
Fascinating tale written 15 years ago but earily timeless. A good read that my kids and myself enjoyed.
December 8, 2010
I love a good conspiracy theory and THE PROPHECY OF DAYS by debut author Christy Raedeke is filled with some doozies.
Caity Mac Fireland, the heroine of the novel, is spunky, humorous, and has a delightful narrative voice that pulls you into the story from the get-go. She's smart as a whip and takes after her parents who don't have your ordinary nine-to-five jobs. Caity is a little unusual, and how can she not be when her mother is a safe-cracker and her father breaks codes for a living? But I really enjoyed that her parents are a part of her life and weren't stock character parents who aren't often in the picture.
Living in a Scottish castle on the Isle of Hurcan -- practically out in the middle of nowhere -- Caity's having a hard time figuring out what to do with herself during her summer away from San Francisco. She likes to draw and keep in touch via e-mail with her best friend, Justine who she misses desperately. And of course, play with her pet monkey, Mr. Papers, who is an origami master. Now you're probably thinking how does Caity have a pet monkey in Scotland? Well, the story goes like this...
Caity's father inherited Breidablik Castle from his great-uncle Hamish. Mr. Papers was abandoned years ago by a Chinese visitor and Caity convices the groundskeeper she wants to take care of him.
This castle has some strange things -- including a secret room with weird markings. Caity notices the rubbings look like words, so she decides to make rubbings of them. Thinking nothing of it, she asks Justine if her grandfather who works at Princeton as a Professor of old languages can take look at them. Boy, does this open a can of worms!
Caity not only discovers the writing on the wall, but she's part of a bigger movement to help change the world through the Mayan calendar, one kid at a time. Some feel that the Mayans, who were great astronomers, believed the world would not necessarily come to an end in 2012 (due to the Galactic Alignment prophecy), but it would transition. It's too hard to explain in my review, but there's plenty of information about the Mayan prophecies online and it's fascinating stuff!
I really enjoyed the story. It was unlike anything I've ever read. The characters are fun, including Justine who's eager to help her friend, very adventurous and more than willing to play spy. I also like Alex, a boy who lives on the Isle of Hurcan, who's cute, intelligent and has definitely caught Caity's eye.
The only thing that I had trouble believing is the fact that everyone does things so easily without even thinking anything through. I would have liked a little more conflict in the story. Caity needs to get the message out about the Mayan calendar and an organization set on destroying the world, called the Secret Government. But when she does everyone from Justine to Alex to her classmates at school and various people she knows in other countries, including an old family friend who comes to visit them in Scotland, goes along for the ride with very little questions asked. Even her super smart parents are oblivious to what Caity's up too. I think it would have been more realistic to have some resistance -- it would have upped the stakes for Caity.
But despite this, I kept reading the story to find out what happens to Caity because I've went along on the ride as well. The end was very surprising and has a fantastic twist I never saw coming. I'm looking forward to reading the second book in the Daykeeper's Grimoire series, THE SERPENT'S COIL -- which comes out next year.
If you like stories featuring intrigue, historical mysteries like The Da Vinci Code, then PROPHECY OF DAYS will be right up your alley. Heck, I'm even thinking of visiting my Scottish relatives in the Orkney Islands! I also wonder if I it would be too much to ask for a pet monkey for Christmas...
I love that Raedeke wants to get out the message of the power of change and believing in oneself to make a difference in the world. YA authors do a great job with this -- whether it's teen pregnancy, drug use, bullying, discovering you have magical powers, fighting feelings for a handsome vampire or beautiful werewolf, and even slay dragons.
Caity Mac Fireland, the heroine of the novel, is spunky, humorous, and has a delightful narrative voice that pulls you into the story from the get-go. She's smart as a whip and takes after her parents who don't have your ordinary nine-to-five jobs. Caity is a little unusual, and how can she not be when her mother is a safe-cracker and her father breaks codes for a living? But I really enjoyed that her parents are a part of her life and weren't stock character parents who aren't often in the picture.
Living in a Scottish castle on the Isle of Hurcan -- practically out in the middle of nowhere -- Caity's having a hard time figuring out what to do with herself during her summer away from San Francisco. She likes to draw and keep in touch via e-mail with her best friend, Justine who she misses desperately. And of course, play with her pet monkey, Mr. Papers, who is an origami master. Now you're probably thinking how does Caity have a pet monkey in Scotland? Well, the story goes like this...
Caity's father inherited Breidablik Castle from his great-uncle Hamish. Mr. Papers was abandoned years ago by a Chinese visitor and Caity convices the groundskeeper she wants to take care of him.
This castle has some strange things -- including a secret room with weird markings. Caity notices the rubbings look like words, so she decides to make rubbings of them. Thinking nothing of it, she asks Justine if her grandfather who works at Princeton as a Professor of old languages can take look at them. Boy, does this open a can of worms!
Caity not only discovers the writing on the wall, but she's part of a bigger movement to help change the world through the Mayan calendar, one kid at a time. Some feel that the Mayans, who were great astronomers, believed the world would not necessarily come to an end in 2012 (due to the Galactic Alignment prophecy), but it would transition. It's too hard to explain in my review, but there's plenty of information about the Mayan prophecies online and it's fascinating stuff!
I really enjoyed the story. It was unlike anything I've ever read. The characters are fun, including Justine who's eager to help her friend, very adventurous and more than willing to play spy. I also like Alex, a boy who lives on the Isle of Hurcan, who's cute, intelligent and has definitely caught Caity's eye.
The only thing that I had trouble believing is the fact that everyone does things so easily without even thinking anything through. I would have liked a little more conflict in the story. Caity needs to get the message out about the Mayan calendar and an organization set on destroying the world, called the Secret Government. But when she does everyone from Justine to Alex to her classmates at school and various people she knows in other countries, including an old family friend who comes to visit them in Scotland, goes along for the ride with very little questions asked. Even her super smart parents are oblivious to what Caity's up too. I think it would have been more realistic to have some resistance -- it would have upped the stakes for Caity.
But despite this, I kept reading the story to find out what happens to Caity because I've went along on the ride as well. The end was very surprising and has a fantastic twist I never saw coming. I'm looking forward to reading the second book in the Daykeeper's Grimoire series, THE SERPENT'S COIL -- which comes out next year.
If you like stories featuring intrigue, historical mysteries like The Da Vinci Code, then PROPHECY OF DAYS will be right up your alley. Heck, I'm even thinking of visiting my Scottish relatives in the Orkney Islands! I also wonder if I it would be too much to ask for a pet monkey for Christmas...
I love that Raedeke wants to get out the message of the power of change and believing in oneself to make a difference in the world. YA authors do a great job with this -- whether it's teen pregnancy, drug use, bullying, discovering you have magical powers, fighting feelings for a handsome vampire or beautiful werewolf, and even slay dragons.
July 21, 2010
This was a very weird book for me, not in regards to content but how I felt about it overall. The writing I felt was both kind of dull and yet compelling. I had a hard time connecting to the plot yet I couldn't stop turning the pages. It's an odd juxtaposition and it kind of made the reading slow but at times I could plow through chapters. I don't get it myself.
Caity's your typical teenager: kind of bratty, kind of spoiled and kind of hard to like at the beginning. Although I did like the beginning. Why? Because it makes fun of itself. Yeah, it's one of those books about the family inheriting the castle and the fate of the world lies on the daughter's shoulders. And it's Caity poking fun at herself which is pretty cool. That's why I was able to tolerate Caity's character a little more; because I knew she would come around. If I didn't have that prologue, I don't know if I would have had the patience.
The "action" in the castle itself with the inspector seemed kind of forced and out of left field. It just happened out of nowhere and then it was gone. It kind of made my head spin. I'm not sure if that was the point but I wasn't really scared at all for Caity like Caity was for herself. I was just thrown off balance by it all. This wasn't the only action moment that had me feeling like this.
How everyone fell into place for Caity was both convenient and compelling. Yeah, it all happened really easily but the underlying message (really, it's not all that underlying, actually, the weird Mayan dude pretty much just comes out and says it) of the story itself is creating a harmony. Once you strike one fork, the rest will follow in tune, as the book says. One fork was struck in Caity's life and each subsequent fork played right along. So it was both self-serving to the story and fueled the story even more. See what I'm talking about with these juxtapositions?
I just wish I could have connected with Caity a little more. She's a pretty great character but even going through what she went through, I didn't feel for her. I was compelled to keep turning the pages to find out what happened to her, but I didn't feel it, you know?
It's all very strange. But the Maya were an interesting people. I even downloaded a 3D Mayan calendar app onto my iPod and I check it every day now. It really is amazing just how accurate these "primitive" people were and maybe, just maybe, we are missing something they already knew.
So while I was pretty much all over the place with this story, I do know I want to read the next one. I can totally sympathize with the fact that the planet is nine different levels of fucked up and something needs to be done to fix it. Soon. I also want to see how Raedeke ties all of the Mayan stuff to Caity and hopefully more of her family's past will come into play. It's only kind of alluded to in the greater picture but I know there's a lot more story there.
A good, and much more entertaining, edition to all of the End of Days stuff coming out now.
Caity's your typical teenager: kind of bratty, kind of spoiled and kind of hard to like at the beginning. Although I did like the beginning. Why? Because it makes fun of itself. Yeah, it's one of those books about the family inheriting the castle and the fate of the world lies on the daughter's shoulders. And it's Caity poking fun at herself which is pretty cool. That's why I was able to tolerate Caity's character a little more; because I knew she would come around. If I didn't have that prologue, I don't know if I would have had the patience.
The "action" in the castle itself with the inspector seemed kind of forced and out of left field. It just happened out of nowhere and then it was gone. It kind of made my head spin. I'm not sure if that was the point but I wasn't really scared at all for Caity like Caity was for herself. I was just thrown off balance by it all. This wasn't the only action moment that had me feeling like this.
How everyone fell into place for Caity was both convenient and compelling. Yeah, it all happened really easily but the underlying message (really, it's not all that underlying, actually, the weird Mayan dude pretty much just comes out and says it) of the story itself is creating a harmony. Once you strike one fork, the rest will follow in tune, as the book says. One fork was struck in Caity's life and each subsequent fork played right along. So it was both self-serving to the story and fueled the story even more. See what I'm talking about with these juxtapositions?
I just wish I could have connected with Caity a little more. She's a pretty great character but even going through what she went through, I didn't feel for her. I was compelled to keep turning the pages to find out what happened to her, but I didn't feel it, you know?
It's all very strange. But the Maya were an interesting people. I even downloaded a 3D Mayan calendar app onto my iPod and I check it every day now. It really is amazing just how accurate these "primitive" people were and maybe, just maybe, we are missing something they already knew.
So while I was pretty much all over the place with this story, I do know I want to read the next one. I can totally sympathize with the fact that the planet is nine different levels of fucked up and something needs to be done to fix it. Soon. I also want to see how Raedeke ties all of the Mayan stuff to Caity and hopefully more of her family's past will come into play. It's only kind of alluded to in the greater picture but I know there's a lot more story there.
A good, and much more entertaining, edition to all of the End of Days stuff coming out now.
August 22, 2010
The Daykeeper’s Grimoire (Prophecy of Days, #1) is beyond interesting and quite the engrossing read. Caity is a strong female character who is intelligent and independent, while still remaining slightly naïve and young. At times, she comes off as a bit younger than her 16 years, but in other ways, she is wise beyond her years. As an only child, her attachment to Mr. Papers, the origami-making monkey, is understandable. And who wouldn’t adore a monkey in a circus outfit who can communicate with intricately folded pieces of paper?
The entire backstory to The Daykeeper’s Grimoire centers around the Mayan predictions about 2012 and what it all really means. Seeing as how all I knew about 2012 was that there was a movie that basically said the world was going to end, I was so far out of my league here. Raedeke tackles everything from the Mayan calendar to feng shui to incredibly complicated things involving the Galactic Center. While it all may sound out of this world and too much to truly comprehend, Raedeke brings it down to an easily digested level. I was blown away by the crazy amount of research that must have gone into creating this Scottish castle with these weird symbols that lead to a prophecy involving a girl and what some view as the end of the world.
I can’t say too much about it without giving away really awesome little details, so go pick this up. It will be one of the best investments you’ll ever make. The Daykeeper’s Grimoire is a delectably intelligent, complicated, yet completely satisfying read that stands so far out in the YA genre. Caity doesn’t naturally have to fall in love with a guy and the love story is so innocent that it’s barely even. This one’s about the storyline, not the love story and that really pays off. The cast of characters are, at times, hilarious, creepy, geeky to the point of awesomeness, and (most importantly) easy to relate to. Caity is easily one of the most likable characters I’ve read in a while. Everything about her makes you like her. The fact that she is so intelligent, but not snotty about it was one thing that really made me love Caity. That and Raedeke just does a wonderful job developing the character and the entire prophecy storyline. I loved it and I feel like I learned so much from it.
Opening line: First off, I’m going to save you from reading seventy pages of how I go a Scottish castle on the Isle of Huracan in the middle of a black churning sea. ~ pg. 1
Favorite line: “Often the least amount of words speak the most profound truths…” ~ pg. 97
The entire backstory to The Daykeeper’s Grimoire centers around the Mayan predictions about 2012 and what it all really means. Seeing as how all I knew about 2012 was that there was a movie that basically said the world was going to end, I was so far out of my league here. Raedeke tackles everything from the Mayan calendar to feng shui to incredibly complicated things involving the Galactic Center. While it all may sound out of this world and too much to truly comprehend, Raedeke brings it down to an easily digested level. I was blown away by the crazy amount of research that must have gone into creating this Scottish castle with these weird symbols that lead to a prophecy involving a girl and what some view as the end of the world.
I can’t say too much about it without giving away really awesome little details, so go pick this up. It will be one of the best investments you’ll ever make. The Daykeeper’s Grimoire is a delectably intelligent, complicated, yet completely satisfying read that stands so far out in the YA genre. Caity doesn’t naturally have to fall in love with a guy and the love story is so innocent that it’s barely even. This one’s about the storyline, not the love story and that really pays off. The cast of characters are, at times, hilarious, creepy, geeky to the point of awesomeness, and (most importantly) easy to relate to. Caity is easily one of the most likable characters I’ve read in a while. Everything about her makes you like her. The fact that she is so intelligent, but not snotty about it was one thing that really made me love Caity. That and Raedeke just does a wonderful job developing the character and the entire prophecy storyline. I loved it and I feel like I learned so much from it.
Opening line: First off, I’m going to save you from reading seventy pages of how I go a Scottish castle on the Isle of Huracan in the middle of a black churning sea. ~ pg. 1
Favorite line: “Often the least amount of words speak the most profound truths…” ~ pg. 97
May 20, 2011
We've seen many books out there on the specific date, December 21st, 2012, but this book has been the best out of the enormous list of books. The book was filled with well written information that clearly had hours upon hours of research stringed to it. The first book in the series, Prophecy of Days, The Daykeeper's Grimoire, has conspiracy theories, a bit of...attraction between Caity and Alex, humor, and twists galore. Though the book had all of these great plot enhancers, my favorite thing about the book was an animal, a monkey that can do origami to be specific! I mean really, have you EVER heard the words monkey and origami in the same sentence before? Not including the time when a friend was making origami shaped like a monkey, of course! Mr.Papers, the origami making factory...oops...I mean monkey...has got to be the best part of the book!
What makes this book different from all the others out there about the Mayan calender prophecy? Well, instead of the usual "the world is ending" this book contains another theory on what would happen on the date. This new type of theory includes that instead of the world just plain old ending, it will just start over again...in simple words...a new beginning.
Caity, the main character of the plot, is a incredibly smart and tricky girl that has to get the code made up of strange symbols deciphered. She usually gets help from her friend, Justine, back in San Francisco, throughout the book. Her love interest is Alex, the inhumanely handsome Scottish boy.
I just love the setting of the book! An old Scottish castle? Count me in for the ride! Who wouldn't want to live where mystery and suspense is magnified?
The book in all was just a bit dull near the beginning, but once I got through the first few chapters, it progressed very quickly to an intricate plot with many scenes that hook the reader in. Miss Raedeke has certainly created a master piece! With the cliffhanger at the end that makes you want to JUMP off an actual cliff for the next in the series, I have to conclude that this book is epic!
My Take on the Cover:
I love how bunnies fit in to the cover! Most people who have not read this book would say this: BUNNIES?!?
Well, you gotta read the book to find out! Hehe...
Okay now for the actual thoughtout MTotC! I think that the ancient symbol truley brings the cover and the whole book to life! The symbols in the background also add the feel into the ancienty...is that a word?....and mysterious plot. The cover describes the book perfectly!
What makes this book different from all the others out there about the Mayan calender prophecy? Well, instead of the usual "the world is ending" this book contains another theory on what would happen on the date. This new type of theory includes that instead of the world just plain old ending, it will just start over again...in simple words...a new beginning.
Caity, the main character of the plot, is a incredibly smart and tricky girl that has to get the code made up of strange symbols deciphered. She usually gets help from her friend, Justine, back in San Francisco, throughout the book. Her love interest is Alex, the inhumanely handsome Scottish boy.
I just love the setting of the book! An old Scottish castle? Count me in for the ride! Who wouldn't want to live where mystery and suspense is magnified?
The book in all was just a bit dull near the beginning, but once I got through the first few chapters, it progressed very quickly to an intricate plot with many scenes that hook the reader in. Miss Raedeke has certainly created a master piece! With the cliffhanger at the end that makes you want to JUMP off an actual cliff for the next in the series, I have to conclude that this book is epic!
My Take on the Cover:
I love how bunnies fit in to the cover! Most people who have not read this book would say this: BUNNIES?!?
Well, you gotta read the book to find out! Hehe...
Okay now for the actual thoughtout MTotC! I think that the ancient symbol truley brings the cover and the whole book to life! The symbols in the background also add the feel into the ancienty...is that a word?....and mysterious plot. The cover describes the book perfectly!
June 14, 2010
Caity MacFireland's father has just found out that he has inherited a castle in Scotland, and moves their family from San Francisco to spend the summer there. Caity discovers that the mysterious castle has many secrets of its own, including a secret passageway from her room to a chamber with walls carved with strange symbols. What results is the discovery of a prophecy foretelling Caity as the savior of humanity in the year 2012. Caity goes on a quest to find out what she needs to do, and to race to do it before the Shadow Government stops her.
I think The Daykeeper's Grimoire could appeal to people who liked The Da Vinci Code. I, however, was not a fan of that book, for many of the reasons why I didn't much care for this one. The 2012 plot came across as very contrived. Characters are revealed to just happen to be the descendant of an older keeper of the Mayan prophecy, and the secret heir to the castle, along with having a secret evil twin. Every time a conflict came up, a solution would magically appear. Raedeke mentions a variety of esoteric ideas, such as the Hermetic Code, but tries to link too many things together. The story's heroine, Caity, was unbelievable as a person who could figure out the future of humanity. The character's voice came across as that of an airhead, and I got the feeling that Raedeke wrote the way she thinks teens speak, which made the character's voice sound awkward and ingenuous.
Like I said earlier, I do think there is an audience for this book. People who do not know much about esoteric ideas and societies will like "finding out" about them, but for me the book fell flat and was a disappointment.
I think The Daykeeper's Grimoire could appeal to people who liked The Da Vinci Code. I, however, was not a fan of that book, for many of the reasons why I didn't much care for this one. The 2012 plot came across as very contrived. Characters are revealed to just happen to be the descendant of an older keeper of the Mayan prophecy, and the secret heir to the castle, along with having a secret evil twin. Every time a conflict came up, a solution would magically appear. Raedeke mentions a variety of esoteric ideas, such as the Hermetic Code, but tries to link too many things together. The story's heroine, Caity, was unbelievable as a person who could figure out the future of humanity. The character's voice came across as that of an airhead, and I got the feeling that Raedeke wrote the way she thinks teens speak, which made the character's voice sound awkward and ingenuous.
Like I said earlier, I do think there is an audience for this book. People who do not know much about esoteric ideas and societies will like "finding out" about them, but for me the book fell flat and was a disappointment.
June 27, 2010
I love mysteries. I love conspiracy theories. I love Dan Brown-ish books with a mix of ancient mysteries combined with secret societies and their impact on today's world. I love them. This book has a young female protagonist for a change who discovers her sort of role in the whole Mayan calendar 2012 stuff. The story spans several continents, has a lot of puzzles, clues to piece together, and a little bit of danger and action. There is a cute boy with an accent which helps tremendously. I have a few issues. First, I think too much happened in a very short amount of time. And secondly, I think Caity, the main character was very calm and accepting of the whole situation way too soon. Lastly, I think the climax and the piecing together of information left me scratching my head, going, "that's it?"
It wasn't a terrible book. I liked it, but didn't love it. I think the pacing is a bit too fast, yet a bit too slow all at the same time. The character development needed to be expanded, and I can't yet see where the rest of the story is going if at the climax of this book the reader kind of gets let down.
It wasn't a terrible book. I liked it, but didn't love it. I think the pacing is a bit too fast, yet a bit too slow all at the same time. The character development needed to be expanded, and I can't yet see where the rest of the story is going if at the climax of this book the reader kind of gets let down.
December 29, 2012
This book was ambitious. The description mentions secret societies, strange symbols, and assassins which should make for an extremely satisfying ride.
Unfortunately I never made it on the ride.
I gave up. I admit it. It just didn't grab my attention at all, which surprised me. I also was not impressed by the main character Caity. She seemed a bit naive and silly. Normally that wouldn't have bothered me so much, but I just wasn't buying it. And if I couldn't buy into the character there was no way I was going to be able to buy into this plot. It was just TOO over the top and weird.
Things like...
1. A mom who is a safe cracker
2. A girl whose family inheriates a castle, and then moves into it to start and inn
3. A father who is a brilliant computer person and wants to live off the grid so much he even uses fake names.
4. A secret room off her bedroom in the castle.
5. A secret room full of secret symbols.
6. A FREAKING PET MONKEY WHO COMMUNICATES BY CREATING ORIGAMI SCULPTURES. WTF???
So yeah....I gave up. A couple of quirky and crazy things to make the story better is one thing, but having EVERYTHING be quirky and crazy is just silly.
Unfortunately I never made it on the ride.
I gave up. I admit it. It just didn't grab my attention at all, which surprised me. I also was not impressed by the main character Caity. She seemed a bit naive and silly. Normally that wouldn't have bothered me so much, but I just wasn't buying it. And if I couldn't buy into the character there was no way I was going to be able to buy into this plot. It was just TOO over the top and weird.
Things like...
1. A mom who is a safe cracker
2. A girl whose family inheriates a castle, and then moves into it to start and inn
3. A father who is a brilliant computer person and wants to live off the grid so much he even uses fake names.
4. A secret room off her bedroom in the castle.
5. A secret room full of secret symbols.
6. A FREAKING PET MONKEY WHO COMMUNICATES BY CREATING ORIGAMI SCULPTURES. WTF???
So yeah....I gave up. A couple of quirky and crazy things to make the story better is one thing, but having EVERYTHING be quirky and crazy is just silly.
August 10, 2010
Prophecy of Days takes a different spin on the Mayan Calendar. Instead of death, destruction and the whole world coming to an end in 2012, the story shows us the possibility of a rebirth of sorts. Caity Mac Fireland’s family just inherited a castle in Scotland and she is dragged away from her San Francisco home and friends. While in the castle she makes the discovery of a prophecy etched into the castle stone, this prophecy tells her that she is the one to lead the world to 2012. Once this prophecy is discovered a Mayan Elder comes to visit Caity to explain the Mayan Calendar and the true meaning of the prophecy. Caity is told that 90% of our DNA is classified as junk because scientists do not know what it’s for, but the reality is that this DNA is dormant and in 2012 it will be awakened. Through her journey Caity is met with some opposition from the Shadow Force who does not want the reawakening of the DNA to happen. Although this is the first book in the series it does not feel like it was only written to set up the series’ storyline. There is a clear mission for Caity in this book and the reader is able to follow it from beginning to end.
February 9, 2012
The Daykeeper's Grimoire was well put together and thought out. Caity behaves like a "normal" girl or as close to normal as any girl could be I suppose. She has big wishes and dreams but never expects anything to happen, until one day it does. Her parents decide that it's time for them to move. She is heartbroken and crushed that everything for her will be changing. Even more so she is missing her best friend back home.
On thing that drove me absolutely up the wall was that she had never lied to her parents, YEAH RIGHT! I don't know about other sixteen year old girls out there but eventually we all lie. We have a lot of pride and secrets and we like to cover them up. Especially with adults who could ruin something for us.
This book put a whole different spin on books in a similar catagory, you will be shocked and amazed.
On thing that drove me absolutely up the wall was that she had never lied to her parents, YEAH RIGHT! I don't know about other sixteen year old girls out there but eventually we all lie. We have a lot of pride and secrets and we like to cover them up. Especially with adults who could ruin something for us.
This book put a whole different spin on books in a similar catagory, you will be shocked and amazed.
September 2, 2016
Caity Mac Fireland finds herself ensconced in a Scottish island castle after her parents inherit it from a distant relative and she's torn away from her friends and school. She finds pictographs which leads to a prophecy stating that she will play a huge role in the upcoming events in 2012. She now has to come to terms with her role as one of the harbingers of humanity’s destiny. This book is full of codes, symbols, Chinese, Mayan, and other cultural myths, secret societies, and an origami-making monkey.
This is a great book! I was quickly finished the book seemingly no sooner than I’d started. It’s a rich and complex story with great characters and a global mystery. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!
Prophecy of Days Series: The Daykeeper's Grimoire (1), The Serpent's Coil (2)
This is a great book! I was quickly finished the book seemingly no sooner than I’d started. It’s a rich and complex story with great characters and a global mystery. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!
Prophecy of Days Series: The Daykeeper's Grimoire (1), The Serpent's Coil (2)
July 24, 2010
I started this for the 2010 Debut Author Challenge, but I was not connecting with Caity, and the plot was not pushing me along. It did not work for me, but there is a lot of appealing elements that others may really enjoy. Ancient Mayan mythology and a prediction that involves a calamitous change in the year 2012. A young girl uprooted from America to an old castle that her family inherits in Scotland. She finds herself in danger. There is a little romance, danger and a lot of mystery. See, good stuff here. It simply was not coming together for me.
Maybe one day I'll pick it up again and we will be the best of friends. Or maybe book two will catch me. Hope so:)
Enjoyment: 2
Writing deserves at least a 3. Thus: 3 stars
Maybe one day I'll pick it up again and we will be the best of friends. Or maybe book two will catch me. Hope so:)
Enjoyment: 2
Writing deserves at least a 3. Thus: 3 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2010
What great adventure story with a terrific main character! I love all the strong, brave girls in Prophecy, and Raedeke has done an admirable job of research. I think it could easily have been longer, since the middle seemed a bit tight on information and lighter on action, but the second half is a runaway train of excitement.
Christy, one minor complaint. I finished the book last night at 11:30, and spent the next two hours online playing with Mayan calenders. You owe me a few hours of sleep-time!
Seriously, I loved it and can't wait for the second book. And I don't believe that Li is with the Secret Society. You'll have to prove that one to me in book II. His note to Caity was mysteriously vague. (Hooray for mysteriously vague notes!)
Christy, one minor complaint. I finished the book last night at 11:30, and spent the next two hours online playing with Mayan calenders. You owe me a few hours of sleep-time!
Seriously, I loved it and can't wait for the second book. And I don't believe that Li is with the Secret Society. You'll have to prove that one to me in book II. His note to Caity was mysteriously vague. (Hooray for mysteriously vague notes!)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2010
Prophecy of Days #1 The Daykeeper's Grimoire is a interesting read. I picked this book up from the Library yesterday (8-10-10) and finished it today. Its a nice short read. The book is differnt in ways that you could possibly learn from this book. This book shows how young people can stand up and make a difference also how a person can become a leader when that person as no faith in herself or himself. Tihs book as secrets inside of secrets and gives the reader a chance of actully thinking throughout the book and woundering what would become of the main characters. I would reccomed this book to someone who wants a quick read but also who is up to a challange of figuring out whos side the characters are on also the meaning behind the prophecy. It a real mind graber. Great Read.
November 29, 2012
This book and the sequel are A-MA-ZING!!!
I grabbed this book at the library thinking it would be cute at best, and I was so blown away, I even contacted the author to tell her how great it was. The plot is meticulously researched and very believable for a fantasy (aside from the obvious magical aspects and a little bit of ridiculousness), and although I read it a year ago, I think I'll be reading it again soon as December 21 approaches.
Although I'm not a teen girl, I still feel like this book was written just for someone like me - into conspiracy theories, secret societies, and ancient knowledge. Also, after reading this series, a bunch of weird coincidental things happened to me that related to themes from the book...totally cool!
In lak'ech.
I grabbed this book at the library thinking it would be cute at best, and I was so blown away, I even contacted the author to tell her how great it was. The plot is meticulously researched and very believable for a fantasy (aside from the obvious magical aspects and a little bit of ridiculousness), and although I read it a year ago, I think I'll be reading it again soon as December 21 approaches.
Although I'm not a teen girl, I still feel like this book was written just for someone like me - into conspiracy theories, secret societies, and ancient knowledge. Also, after reading this series, a bunch of weird coincidental things happened to me that related to themes from the book...totally cool!
In lak'ech.
June 3, 2010
(Won from Goodreads)
I don't really read that much realistic fiction because I don't think that real life is really all that interesting. The Daykeeper's Grimoire was amazing. For starters: I just want to say how awesome the cover is. It's so pretty but contains a lot of important symbols to the book. I didn't really like the middle of the story that much but LOVED the ending. Full of a really exciting ending, and then ending in a cliffhanger. Also, I loved the characters. After reading this, I wanted to get a monkey named Mr. Papers. = ]
I don't really read that much realistic fiction because I don't think that real life is really all that interesting. The Daykeeper's Grimoire was amazing. For starters: I just want to say how awesome the cover is. It's so pretty but contains a lot of important symbols to the book. I didn't really like the middle of the story that much but LOVED the ending. Full of a really exciting ending, and then ending in a cliffhanger. Also, I loved the characters. After reading this, I wanted to get a monkey named Mr. Papers. = ]
May 25, 2010
Thoroughly enjoyable--far exceeded my expectations. Caity is a winning heroine, and the story line of Mayan mythology and ancient prophecies was a welcome change from the typical paranormal romances of late. The close friendship between Caity and Justine was also nice to see. I have to say, I'm currently quite intrigued by the idea of the Mayan calendar, Tzolk'in, and am looking forward to the sequel!
July 3, 2010
Not sure if I would classify this as mystery, adventure, or what but it was a lot of fun to read- only the first book of a series that begins on a Scottish island and ends up being about Mayan prophecies about 2012, and includes a cast of entertaining characters, including a handsome Scot, a wise & ancient monkey who communicates through his origami creations, a feng shui advisor, & a mother who cracks safes for a living - and many more...
January 14, 2014
Very intriguing mystery mixed with fantasy and everyday topics. I really enjoyed this book. It kept my attention every second I was reading it and I couldn't help but think about what was happening with the characters when I wasn't reading it. I only regret not getting the second book while buying the first because now I have to wait a while before I can begin reading the story again. Very good book, I definitely recommend it.
September 14, 2011
Loved it and its sequel! It has just enough basis in reality that you can believe that most of it is true (but specific details are...y'know, too specific, but what the hey). There are so many things that seem so believable that I have to remember to go back and look those up online or something. Kinda secretly wish this was true though...
September 30, 2012
hurá, konečne dočítané :) bolo to dobré, aj keď som sa na tom trochu zasekla :) ale autorka tam prezentovala veľa zaujímavých myšlienok, s ktorými sa stotožňujem, čo dosť vyvažovalo miestami príliš jednoduché riešenie situácií a nadmierne inteligentnú opičku, ktorá bola síce milá, ale niekedy múdrejšia ako všetci ostatní naokolo :)
July 13, 2010
This started out as a normal figure-out-the-mystery/code kind of book, but it got weird quickly. The main character has to spread the Mayan calendar and help usher in a new stage of mental evolution. It was bizarre in my opinion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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