I just finished Parris's Prophecy, about 3 minutes ago-- I have to say, it was an extraordinary read! So, naturally, I have to debrief about all of my thoughts.
First of all, I'm really glad to see that Parris's writing is fairly consistent. The tone of the overall series hasn't changed; it still has that adventurous thriller ring to it, but with a touch of intellectual and philosophical merit. It also stays true to the characters; if you feel that you've invested into the characters of Heresy (which I most certainly have), there's no reason to fret- Parris does an exceptional job with keeping the character delineation harmonious.
However, the one distinct change I did notice was in the use of verb tense. When I began reading this second book, it felt as if something in the manner of Parris's writing had changed, but I couldn't put my finger on what it could be. Then I realized; Giordano Bruno, as the narrator, speaks in the present tense, as opposed to past tense, which I find is the usual way in books. So for example: " 'Will you not be missed?' I gesture in the direction of the wedding feast." Instead of the typical, "I gestured." It's a small detail, but if you pay close attention to things of that sort, which English majors tend to do, it makes a great difference in the overall flow of the writing. I for one found it more personal, almost like a journal entry as opposed to a story telling. Eventually, throughout the course of the narrative, you hardly even notice.
Another slight change in the consistency is that this time around, we see a much more human side of Bruno. In her previous book, Bruno seemed an almost impenetrable, unwavering intellectual, who has steeled himself against emotions or affections, and who practically unnaturally never made a mistake in his investigations. Luck always seemed to be on his side, and he always managed to make the right decisions and know all of the answers. However, we see a much more faulty Bruno this time around. In Prophecy, we find Bruno struggling to keep himself distanced from his ambassador's beautiful wife, running through multiple theories of the mysteries, almost all of the time being wrong, and several times making mistakes that cost him dearly, as well as cost others. You may find yourself saying "Gosh, Bruno! Get it together!" But believe me, it makes for a more convincing, and therefore a more relative, character.
In terms of the overall story, it was SO intricately weaved and constructed; Parris has a talent for writing about conspiracies and intersections of lies and betrayals. She doesn't allow for one moment of dramatic irony; we follow as many twists and turns in the narrative as the protagonist, Bruno, does. One character, in particular, shows an immense display of betrayal at the end, though I will not divulge who it is :). Watch out! Prophecy was no disappointment to fans of Giordano Bruno's adventures, and I'm sure the next book in the series (which I will begin in about 5 minutes), Sacrilege, will not disappoint either. It leaves you hungering for more of the adventure, more of the historical mystery and drama, and definitely more of the courageous, yet searching and therefore loveable, character of Bruno.
Oh! And Parris's fourth installment of the series, Treachery, is due out this month! So naturally, I'll be reviewing that. If you want to follow my reading, I'll be diving into Sacrilege by S.J. Parris next.
Cheers and happy reading :),
Kayla
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