Daughter of Prophecy (Paperback)

As the oldest child of Lord Tellan, Rhiannon cares nothing about girly things, preferring to train as a warrior. Her training stands her well when she and her family are attacked by Winged Horrors, horrible creatures that had descended into almost mythical status over the years since the establishment of the Eternal's Covenant of protection. Chanting "Kill red-haired girl," there is no mystery as to the target of their attack. With their leathery skin, the Horrors are almost impossible to kill - but Rhiannon unknowingly has new allies capable of taking on the evil on the spiritual plane. Only the strength of prayer weakens the creatures and makes them vulnerable. Rhiannon must learn a lot about herself and her relationship with the Eternal in order to fill the promise of her birth - she cannot do it alone.

When you begin a story filled with different clans with their own complex motivations, you worry that you may have trouble keeping all of the characters straight. That is not a problem here, though, as Miles Owens does a wonderful job developing secondary as well as primary characters, detailing the customs and traditions of each clan, and establishing the spiritual forces at work on a number of different levels. The economic ties established by Lord Tellan, Rhiannon's father, for instance, have a critical impact on events, and the schemes and manipulations of different clan leaders keep things very interesting. Perhaps nothing is as fascinating as the marriage rituals of the clans, and these prove crucial to the Eternal's plans.

I wish I could talk about all of the other wonderful characters, but Rhiannon and a young warrior named Harred stand head and shoulders above the rest. They, along with Rhiannon's foreign teacher and a newly repentant religious leader, must search their hearts, overcome their past stumblings and weaknesses, and place their lives completely in the hands of the Eternal if they are to survive and defeat the most powerful of human as well as demonic antagonists. But the story is even much deeper than that, as Rhiannon's prophecy has dimensions that will surprise even her as events continue to unfold.

As I said, the Christian message of the story is subtle but powerful. Even the strongest of characters is nothing on his/her own, especially when going up against the superhuman strength of those serving the evil Mighty Ones. The Eternal stands ready to help at all times, but that help can only come when individuals put away their own desires and fears and place themselves wholly under the Eternal's will. Daughter of Prophecy is an absolutely thrilling story told in the most compelling of ways. Miles Owens is the kind of writer that makes would-be authors shake their heads, wondering if they will ever be able to write in such an impressive, seemingly effortless narrative fashion.

I don't want any potential readers to be turned off by the Christian underpinnings of the story. This is not fantasy for Christians so much as it is Christian-inspired speculative fiction for all fans of the fantasy genre and lovers of well-told tales. Daughter of Prophecy is as good a work of fantasy as I've read in a long time.

Not till Rhiannon surrenders her idea of how her birth prophecy should play out to the Eternal, and bends her knee to him in complete submission, is she released to walk in that prophecy the way the Eternal intends--and she finds her life entwined with the swordsman’s in a way she never dreamed.

I was frankly expecting another run-of-the-mill medieval fantasy tale about a warrior maiden and dragons--but Miles Owens writes with so much intimacy and warmth, I was swept away almost immediately. His account of farm life is so vivid you can smell the hay, his characters are sympathetic and well-rounded, and as a research buff myself, I was delighted to find his warfare details and swordfights accurate and real without being overly self-conscious. I also appreciated the fact that Owens doesn’t try to make any kind of feminist statement with Rhiannon and her sword training, and neither is he condescending about the value of a woman’s role in the family.

The story is wide open for a sequel, or more--in fact, too many loose ends were left dangling for there not to be at least a second book. I look forward to reading more by this first-time author!