BOOK TOUR REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Tools of Prophecy by Michael A. Rothman

Posted by Carrie

Tools of Prophecy

by Michael A. Rothman

The Prophecies Series, Book Two

Book Description

The TOOLS OF PROPHECY is the second volume in an epic saga which describes a prophecy that has placed the Riverton brothers in the lead roles of a struggle to save their world from being overrun by unspeakable horrors. This destiny requires that they face off with the demons that nearly destroyed their world over five centuries ago.

In the first book, the population of wizards had been practically eradicated by the former tyrant. The Rivertons are now charged with creating an Academy of Magic, recruiting qualified students, and furthering their own training with secrets that have long been held by the reclusive elves.

Despite their youth, a mysterious spirit has engaged them in an epic struggle to gain mastery of their newfound skills, help raise and train two armies, and stay alive long enough for their final showdown with destiny.

The only things that stand in their way are the assassins hired to destroy them and the Demon Lord’s minion who holds a personal grudge and intends to witness the young boys’ deaths.

MY THOUGHTS: 4 OUT OF 5 FLEURS DE LIS

*Spoiler warning! This review is of the second book in a series and possibly will contain spoilers from the first book. You can find my review of the first book, Heirs of Prophecy, HERE. *

Tools of Prophecy by Michael A. Rothman

Two years have passed since the Riverton family arrived in Trimoria and acquired their magical powers. But a new threat is never far away, and dad Jared Lancaster knows his boys and everyone else close to him must be prepared when that threat nears.

So the boys are sent to train and strengthen their powers with the elves, and Jared opens a school where all citizens who show some magic potential can attend. New allies and old friends come together to face the latest evil Sammael has to offer.

Even though it had been several months since I read the first book in this series, I found it quite easy to slip back into the wonderful world Michael Rothman has created. The author does a fantastic job of refreshing the reader’s memory at the beginning of the book without repeating too much information.

I flew through reading this novel quite quickly. I really enjoyed seeing Ryan and Aaron get stronger, but I felt this book was a bit more lopsided on character focus than the previous one. I would have like to have seen more from the perspective of Aaron, especially, as his brother seemed to get more space in the book. I was used to being able to see what everyone was doing and thinking in the first book, so I kind of missed that here. We did, however, get a closer look into the wicked queen Ellisanethra and a brief look at the behind the scenes at demon lord Sammael’s world.

With the building of the magic school we saw the introduction of several new characters, and they all bring with them a distinct personality. A few already familiar characters get unexpected powers, as well.

I thought his book was quite a bit slower than the first–less outright action, and more suspense building. Where in the first book I could see several parallels to other fantasy series, I thought this book began to stand out and create it’s own unique niche.

Tools of Prophecy is a fantastic follow-up to Heirs of Prophecy. Both are clean, fun, fantasy reads that readers young and old will devour.

View all my reviews

About the Author

I am an Army brat and the first person in my family to be born in the United States. This heavily influenced my youth by instilling a love of reading and a burning curiosity about the world and all things within it. As an adult, my love of travel allowed me to explore many unimaginable locations. I participated in many adventures and documented them in what will be a series of books. Some might put these books in the Fantasy genre, and I never had issues with this label. After all, the adventures were, without any doubt in my mind, fantastic. I simply quibble with the label of “Fiction” that some might put on these tales. These tales should be viewed as historical records, more along the lines of a documentary. I’ve learned one thing over the years. Magic is real. Keep exploring, and you too will find your magic.

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5778499.Michael_A_Rothman

http://michaelarothman.com/

http://www.facebook.com/MichaelARothman

http://twitter.com/michaelarothman