Heirs of Prophecy by Michael A. Rothman
Published: March 20, 2012Publisher: M&S PublishingPages: 368Received: for review for blog tour (Kismet Book Touring)Buy Now: Amazon | IndieBound | B&NThe Riverton family had been enjoying a simple summer vacation when, through a fluke of nature, they found themselves in a strange new land.
The Riverton brothers quickly realize that in this world, they have gained unusual powers. Powers that their parents fear will attract the attention of Azazel himself - the mercilesswizard who brutally controls this world.
The two brothers soon learn that an ancient prophecy has finally been initiated by their arrival in Trimoria. As the heirs of this prophecy, they are destined to lead the armies of men, dwarves, elves, and even a misfit ogre against the prophesied demon horde.
Only one thing stands in their way.
The evil wizard who has learned of their presence, and has sent assassins to wipe them from existence.
I fell in love with the Riverton family and their new found friends of Trimoria. This middle grade book is filled with exciting action, lots of adventure, friendships being forged and even little hints of love. It reminds me of a combination of Harry Potter meets Lord of the Rings.
The Riverton's were somehow transferred to Tirmoria without knowing why or how they even got there. They learned that things were much different in their new surroundings and adapted quickly to all the changes happening to them - including finding out that they were now stronger than before or had magical abilities. Most people would be shocked by this, but the Riverton's take it all in stride and try their best to fit in. After finding out that they are part of a destiny that is bigger than anything they could have dreamed of, they work their hardest to use their new found abilities for the greater good.
During this time the Riverton's and the Lancaster's, the family that has taken them in, have forged an unshakable friendship. They become one fierce group when called upon to battle the evil wizard, Azazel. Though they are few in number, they make up for it with intelligence, magical abilities and sheer brute force. Ryan and Aaron both face different dilemmas in the story and learn quite a few morals along the way.
Throughout the novel, the families make friends with ogres, elves and dwarves alike and create one strong group to battle the upcoming evil forces that are looming just ahead. I think this grouping of the different races is amazing and it brings the groups together who would otherwise have either ignored one another or fought amongst themselves.
My favourite characters have to be the ogre named Ohaobbok, who only eats veggies; Silver the household cat that has come along for the magical journey and is not a gigantic swamp cat; and Sloane, the Protector-General's daguther, as I think there is more to her than we first see.
I am eager to jump into the second book, Tools of Prophecy, in the series to see what happens next with my favourite characters. This series is great for middle grade, young adult and adult as all age groups will find something to enjoy within the pages of this book. I highly suggest it to families who read together as it is quite and exciting read and gets your imagination going.
About Michael Rothman - Website | Goodreads | Twitter | FacebookI am an Army brat and the first person in my family to be born in the United States. This heavily influenced my youth by instilling a love of reading and a burning curiosity about the world and all of the things within it. As an adult, my love of travel allowed me to explore many unimaginable locations. I participated in many adventures and documented them in what will be a series of books, the first of which you have just read.
Some might put these books in the Fantasy genre, and I never had issues with this label. After all, the adventures were, without any doubt in my mind, fantastic. I simply quibble with the label of "Fiction" that some might put on these tales. These tales should be viewed as historical records, more along the lines of a documentary.
I've learned one thing over the years. Magic is real. Keep exploring, and you too will find your magic.
- Mike Rothman
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