Heirs of Prophecy by Michael A. Rothman

Heirs of Prophecy by Michael A. Rothman

Completion Date: June 17, 2012
Reason for Reading: TLC Book Tour.

The 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 merciless wizard 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.

If someone had offered this book to me a couple years ago I never would have considered it. I didn't really enjoy books for 'younger' readers and basically avoided them like the plague. Then, I started reading them and enjoying them thanks to blogging. The only thing is I am getting tired of the predictable storylines. It is making me cranky! So, I am always on the look-out for something different or outside my normal reading zone. I find that shaking things up a bit can have a positive effect on my overall reading. In March I read Alan Stratton's The Grave Robber's Apprentice. The age range for these two books was similar and I thought I would give Rothman a try as a result.

The book follows a family that finds themselves thrown into an entirely different world from the one they are familiar with. The place is known as Trimoria. It is a land of magic, wizards, elves, dwarves, and even ogres. The Riverton family were on a camping trip in modern day Arizona. They had all the modern conveniences. They now have to learn an entirely different existence. The mother was never very domestic back home, but now she is responsible for cooking and cleaning for her family. Her husband had a hobby as a blacksmith back home and now it is his profession. Their two sons are his apprentices. They quickly learn, though, that changes in convenience are not the only thing they are going to have to adapt to, though. This is a very different world they have landed in and they are not the same people they were before.

Overall, this was a fun book. It is the authors first book from what I can tell and that means it wasn't always perfectly crafted, but it kept me interested the entire time. I enjoy the world he has created and it has been a while since I read a conventional (in my opinion) fantasy novel with adventure and things that are not considered paranormal. The author manages to take ideas that have been explored before and put his own spin on them. The idea of the prophecy, the history of the world, etc are all well-thought out. The different races come together in believable ways that work for the story. I am interested how everything will come together in the next book because this book was more of a meet-and-greet. I believe it will really come together in the next book.

Bottom line: Fun read. I do recommend it if you think it sounds like something your young reader (or even yourself) would read. I look forward to seeing how the author progresses as he writes more books, though.

I reviewed this book as part of a TLC Book Tour. If you click here you can see the rest of the schedule.