"The Light of the Oracle" by Victoria Henley

Rating: 4.5

Description: Bryn, a grubby, carefree stonecutter's daughter, is awed when she's chosen to become a handmaiden at the Temple of the Oracle by the Master Priest himself. And at the Ceremony of Birds, when the fate of the students are revealed by whether a bird choses to gift a male acolyte or female handmaiden with a feather, Bryn is wind-chosen, a gift so rare that none know its full potential. But when rich, haughty Clea, the daughter of one of the realm's most powerful lords, places Bryn under a curse, she may never feel the wind again. And there are problems even more pressing than Bryn's dwindling prophecy skills, as the health of the realm's ailing princess fades and hope for a cure becomes more and more distant. When Bryn and her friends unearth a plot being aided by the Temple of the Oracle itself, it will be up to them to make sure it's stopped, at any cost.

Review: "The Light of the Oracle" is one of the best fantasies I've read in a very long time. The book is suppodedly a companion to Hanley's "The Seer and the Sword" and "The Healer's Keep", but the connection is distant and reading the other two books is by no means necessary to fully enjoy this one (in fact, unless you know the other books well, you may not notice the connection at all). Bryn is a sweet character, and the others are unique and interesting as well. The plot is slightly obvious, but the twists and turns Bryn takes as she studies at the Temple of the Oracle make up for general knowledge of what the evil plot is from the beginning. However, what really makes this book great is its fantasy elements. The prophecies and bird-gifts are thought out and work well together. I enjoyed discovering this new magical world right alongside Bryn. My review can't do this book justice. Go out and read "The Light of the Oracle" for yourself, right now!