The Art of Prophecy: A Novel (War Arts, 1)

The Art of Prophecy is the very best novel of sword and sorcery that I have ever read. Set in a modernized, westernized China vs. the Mongol hordes society teaming with mythical war-artists whose warrior skills are added to and exemplified by fighting magic, this thriller is not a book to miss. The main character, Wen Jian, the Prophesied Hero, and his teacher, Taishi, one of the greatest grand-master war artists of all time, are fully fleshed out characters, with flaws and skills that make them realistic and well developed.

The book makes for marvelous recreational reading, and it makes a great buy for middle-school to college students who love epic fantasy and sword and sorcery, such as The Wheel of Time. Every library needs a copy or two or three of The Art of Prophecy, and I am exceedingly excited to read the sequels when they come out.

The book does have some deep themes, however, in general, The Art of Prophecy is a pretty casual book. School libraries should have a copy, although I would be worried about students not doing their homework due to endless distraction by the story. In general, The Art of Prophecy is a great book to read for fun if you enjoy deadly battles of the sword.