Review on Prophet by R. J. Larson

Riddle me this. What if God asked you to leave your family, all that you know and become his prophet- to bring truth and prophecy to people that really don’t want to hear it, don’t want to obey it and oh yeah, the kicker, being in His service will mean that your life will be cut short. It doesn’t sound like a job that most would sign up for. But Ela Roeh of Parne a young 17 year old girl somehow with her close relationship with “the Infinite” just can’t refuse. She is a most remarkable girl with many of the insecurities of most 17 year old girls feeling inadequate and unworthy of the task ahead of her most of the time. Yet Ela perseveres and gets better and better throughout the story in hearing the Infinite’s voice, seeking Him at every turn and doing what He tells her to do.

  Along the way she meets a young handsome Traceland ambassador named Kien who is seeking justice and help for his downtrodden people. Ela and Kien’s paths cross and the Infinite is working in both of their lives to bring about His plans for all people involved in this war filled time.  In Ela’s mind, Kien can’t be a part of her future because she is a prophet for the Infinite. And yet they are thrown together time after time. Could the Infinite’s plans for them both be different than what she thought? 

This story does well by the Christian Fantasy genre and it is fun to see a new face on the scene in R J Larson.  I thought the characters were engaging and relatable and enjoyed the addition of the trusty steed “Scythe” of “Pet” and the humor that he brought to the story.  I liked the pacing with Kien being a total   non-believer at the beginning of the novel, but as the story progresses and he starts seeking out the Infinite, how He is finally able to hear his voice. It wasn’t instantaneous and I like that, it had a ring of truth to it.  I am looking forward to the next book in the series titled Judge.

4 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review- all opinions expressed are honest and my own.