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The Sword and The Prophet (Syren #1)

by Missy LaRae (Goodreads Author)

4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 · rating details · 28 ratings · 17 reviews

Fifteen year old twins Lily and Tyler are on a mission. Escape from their abusive mother, hop a train to Charleston, South Carolina, and don't get caught. They've been kept in virtual seclusion their entire lives, and in one night make a break for it and succeed. However, something isn't right with their new Aunt and Uncle, and they realize they've escaped one nightmare an...more

Paperback, 268 pages

Published March 27th 2012 by Create Space

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May 14, 2012 Maria rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book has been given to me by the author to review it.

That was an unusual book! “The Sword and The Prophet” by Missy LaRae is the first book in the Children of Syren series and I have to admit that it was an interesting read! I didn’t know what to expect from this story and it was nice to realize that this book kept my interest from the beginning. I’m not used to such kind of stories but the author managed to create a unique world-building and interesting characters.

The story begins with the...more

4 likes · like · see review

Aug 15, 2012 Fangs for the Fantasy rated it 1 of 5 stars

Tyler and Lilly are free for the first time in their 15 year old lives. The twins have lived with their abusive mother who has controlled their every action, constantly beat them down and denied them any interaction with the outside world. Finally, they’ve had enough and are running away to the only relative they know of – their unknown father’s sister.

Everything seems to go to plan, their aunt is considerably kinder than their mother. But then the revelations start to pile up. Not least of whic...more Tyler and Lilly are free for the first time in their 15 year old lives. The twins have lived with their abusive mother who has controlled their every action, constantly beat them down and denied them any interaction with the outside world. Finally, they’ve had enough and are running away to the only relative they know of – their unknown father’s sister.

Everything seems to go to plan, their aunt is considerably kinder than their mother. But then the revelations start to pile up. Not least of which is that no-one they know is human – and they are caught between two powerful warring factions of aliens. Even that seems easier to grasp than the idea that their mother was the good one.

At this point the revelations tear in fast and furious as Tyler and Lilly must flee from the hunters, all the while dealing with massive transformations of their bodies and strange manifestations of new powers. They have no idea who to trust or what is real any more, but their true family is out there.

The world and story are both intriguing in many ways. Normal, human children not realising they’re not only special but not even human? They have to deal with transformations, their entire world being turned upside down. The world is rich and odd – with lots of unique, interesting elements even with its clichés. It has a lot of potential for excitement, emotional impact, epic battles and massive realisations as two abused children discover so much more.

But this book has some severe pacing issues. I’ve read books before where I’ve felt like I’ve been thrown in the deep end, because the book has been going so fast and throwing so much at me so quickly. This book doesn’t just throw me in the deep end, it ties weights to my feet and then throws things at me. It was utterly overwhelming for the first 40%.

It starts fairly standardly, we follow Lilly and Tyler fleeing their abusive mother and heading to their unknown aunt’s home. Nice and simple.

Then we get aliens. And different kinds of aliens. And the mother’s an alien and the uncle and aunt and then we’re with this alien on another planet telling us about 4 hemispheres and I have no idea where she fit, now the twins are becoming vampires then we’ve got yet another set of aliens and this alien is that one’s son and that alien is a sister-in-law , now back to the twins who have been kidnapped apparently and there’s soldiers… maybe alien soldiers? Then there’s living hair and mega screams and more aliens and pods and elements and some yet more aliens running to help…

I had to put it down several times. I felt vaguely beat up and out of breath trying to keep up. There then follows this mad race, a much more sedate reasonably paced part of the book that is full of info-dumping. All of the info-dumping makes sense since Lilly and Tyler are being educated in their nature by Talon. But it would have been nice to spread some of that information around – I actually skipped back and re-read the first part with the new knowledge, which helped a lot.

After this we then get 20% of rather slow pacing. There’s lots of threat but not much action as they gently move towards really inevitable meeting up with the aliens.

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Jun 26, 2012 Ivana rated it 3 of 5 stars

-- review originally posted on Willing to See Less

Missy LaRae delivers a fresh and unique sci-fi YA novel with a very interesting world building and Syren lore. It was great to read about something that hadn't been done to death already in YA, no matter how interesting a spin the author puts on it. The world of LaRae's making is teeming with possibilities, even though the first book just sets the stage for what I hope will grow into an epic space battle in the books to come.

The Sword and The Pro...more
-- review originally posted on Willing to See Less

Missy LaRae delivers a fresh and unique sci-fi YA novel with a very interesting world building and Syren lore. It was great to read about something that hadn't been done to death already in YA, no matter how interesting a spin the author puts on it. The world of LaRae's making is teeming with possibilities, even though the first book just sets the stage for what I hope will grow into an epic space battle in the books to come.

The Sword and The Prophet captures your heart early on. The beginning of the book is heartbreaking. Two kids are escaping the "home" in which they were subjected to various forms of abuse and humiliation by their Mama. The author provides an explanation for her cruel deeds later on to show how targeted that abuse was. Missy has found a way to give details without overdoing it or dumping too much information. The abuse is often referred to many times later as well, and this way it gains more weight and gives more depth to the characters.

The story picks up pace after the kids escape and from that moment on, I was glued to the screen to the action-packed (and sad) finale. We are introduced to the basics as we watch the world unfold through the eyes of the main characters, Lily and Tyler. We meet many new characters, all of them interested in seizing Lily and Tyler, but for very different reasons. The connection between Lily and Tyler is very strong; to each other they are all they have in the world. The love they share, and the love they find later was overwhelming. Syrens can communicate feelings by touching each other. Needless to say, there are places in the book that are exploding with emotion, and Missy does a great job capturing those moments.

It is a book about twins and the new abilities they discover in themselves, but the spotlight is mainly on Lily. I liked her as a character. Though deeply wounded by the treatment she received from her Mama, she remains strong-willed and able to give and receive love. Still, I would have liked to see more of Tyler's thoughts.

The POV shifts frequently without identifying the speaker. It is confusing at places, but nothing that would detract too much from my general impression of the book.

I feel like Missy didn't use all the potential of her story. I wanted to see more of the villain, not just a fleeting name or one close(er) encounter. I love well-formed, complex villains in fiction, because good villains make for a good conflict. And the Sa'Chaelle...well, it was not one of them for me, mainly because all I got from it is a weak, generic motivation: "I want them for their powers."

Overall, I liked the book, but feel like it could be much more (and Missy certainly has the talent it takes). I imagine the series will only get better and will be on the lookout for the sequel.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

May 15, 2012 Juana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: extremely-recommend, fantasy-supernatural, paranormal-fantasy, young-adult, paranormal-romance

This novel was given to me by the author of the book, Missy Larea . It is the first book I have read about syrens. I was soo engrossed into the story, the main characters were easy to like from the moment that they are introduced in the story. The author created a great story that makes you imagine it all by just putting a few details of it. I really liked the whole story. Tyler and Lily are the best charecters besides Talon who I think I am going to love lol.

I loved the bond that Rory has towar...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 19, 2012 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 12x12-challenge, 2012-challenges, abc-challenge, author-review-requests, ebooks, family, i-own, science-fiction, young-adult

This review was originally posted on Melissa's Midnight Musings on August 17, 2012. Click Here to Read it on my Blog

I have to admit that when I was first reading this book, I didn't like it all that much. I was set to give it a two star review until about half or three quarters of the way through, but then it started to grow on me, and so I increased the rating.

One thing that was somewhat off putting was the main characters accents. The characters were from the south and the accents were written...more This review was originally posted on Melissa's Midnight Musings on August 17, 2012. Click Here to Read it on my Blog

I have to admit that when I was first reading this book, I didn't like it all that much. I was set to give it a two star review until about half or three quarters of the way through, but then it started to grow on me, and so I increased the rating.

One thing that was somewhat off putting was the main characters accents. The characters were from the south and the accents were written into the story with a lot of " woulda, coulda, happenin, threatenin" etc. I think that the author was trying to use the dialogue to get us to more readily identify with the characters by doing this but I feel that it would have been more powerful if the dialogue had been more proper and we could have just imagined the accent for ourselves.

A great thing about this story is the fast pace. There's always something happening, or something new going on, but not too quickly in terms of the action. There are also not very many spots where the action lulls or there's too much over explanation.

That being said, I have to admit I felt a little blindsided by the alien twist to this story. At first it's just a couple of kids who are trying to escape their cruel mother. Suddenly there's the introduction of an alien pod and all these sorts of powers and a different world. I have to admit that I don't read much science fiction or fantasy so I'm not sure if this type of segue is normal or not, it just seemed fast and a bit out of place to me. It could have been transitioned better.

Once you do get into the alien world and through the explanation of that world, it's a very interesting story. I like how one of the Kingdoms is the Kingdom of Dreams and members of the Kingdom of Dreams get their power from the moonlight. I've always loved the moon and stars so that was a personal plus for me. I also enjoyed how the people of this species could push their feelings into one another, and be able to sense feelings, that way it's nearly impossible to tell lies. I think it would be interesting to be able to do that, although it might be hard to deal with sometimes.

One other sticking point for me though were the names. They seemed so "normal" that it was strange. They're supposed to be on some other world faraway in the galaxy and they have names like Tyler and Lilybelle, and a ruler named Jackson? That seemed odd to me. I would think that given where they are the names would be more, I don't know, exotic, I guess.

Overall, I grew to enjoy the story. I would recommend it to anyone who's looking to try out something new in the fantasy genre.

*I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.*(less)

1 like · like · see review

May 17, 2012 Tough Critic Book Reviews rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Where the magic happens: http://toughcriticbookreviews.blogspo...

So here's the good, the bad, and a little bit of the ugly...

The first half of the book was a beat down. I kept having to put the book down, come back, put the book down, come back, put the book down, come...you get the point. Yes captain obvious, it got off to a rough start.

By the time the alien theme is introduced, it seems totally misplaced and completely random. We go from the abusive, troubled youth of two teens to pods and spa...more Where the magic happens: http://toughcriticbookreviews.blogspo...

So here's the good, the bad, and a little bit of the ugly...

The first half of the book was a beat down. I kept having to put the book down, come back, put the book down, come back, put the book down, come...you get the point. Yes captain obvious, it got off to a rough start.

By the time the alien theme is introduced, it seems totally misplaced and completely random. We go from the abusive, troubled youth of two teens to pods and space crafts. I think the book would have definitely benefited from a prolgue giving us a small glimpse of the alien world instead of it smacking us right in the face several chapters in. The story's prose were also too technical for my taste. It reminded me of a book on my junior high/high school required reading list. My english teacher would have loved it, but I wish it would have had a more natural flow to it; key word being flow.

One of my personal quirks is prose that are written in accents. I love The Demon Trapper's Daughter, but Beck's dialect completely distracts from the story. It's the same with Lilybelle in The Sword & The Prophet. I prefer author's to tell us about the accent, but leave it to our imagination instead of trying to write it into the story; it's just so distracting!

I was dazzled and impressed with the author's ability to alternate the point of view, but there were too many POV's. I got to the point where I would skim over parts that were not Lily, Tyler, or Talon. I understand the need to explain some of the plot using alternate character views, but I wish the author would have found other ways to incorporate it into the story instead of deviating into another POV then another one and another and another...

What finally snapped me out of my mediocre daze was the addition of Talon in chapter 9!! The plot picks up, the flow does more flowing, and finally we get a hint of romance!! Just a hint, but at this point I'll take what I can get!! From this point on, the book was three star worthy with some four star potential. I was just starting to get into the book and then well, it ended.

I really hate to dislike a book especially when I think the world of the author, but I help no one by lacing a review with sugar!!! I saw something in this series that could be great. Hell, it still has that potential! The heart of a good story is there; the author just needs to find a way to get it beating! Will I read the sequel? Perhaps.

(less)

1 like · like · see review

Apr 16, 2012 Leslie Ferdinand rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Twins Lilybelle and Tyler are determined to escape their abusive mother. Despite the years of terrible abuse they've suffered at her hands, they don't realize that if they make good on their escape their lives will be in much more danger than they could've ever imagined.

The Sword and The Prophet is filled with surprises and pulse-pounding moments. The depiction of the twins' strong bond is very believable after having only one anoter to rely on in the face of their mother's brutality for so many...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 07, 2012 Archer added it · review of another edition

Shelves: should-be-better, sci-fi, urban-fantasy, young-adult

DNF

Review to come

Well, hello there!

This book, was very much, a tale that showed a lot of promise. It started out as a very well crafted story about two children, with possible extra sensory perception, who were running away from an abusive mother… and then after a fair chunk of text, and no warning… BOOM FUCKING ALIENS EVERYWHERE! (And they weren’t just aliens… they were aliens who looked human until they lost their temper or “bathed” in the moonlight. OK so they’re vampires? No, definitely alie...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jun 01, 2012 Nancy (The Avid Reader) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: missy-larae, review-request-from-author, read-in-2012

Tyler and Lillybelle are twins who just wants to know why their mother would love them one day and then right out of the blue just stop loving them. One day their mother was very loving and kind. She would sit and hold Lillybelle and brush her hair for hours. Then she started to hit them and scream at them all the time for no real good reason. At the age of fifteen they left their mother's house in search of their Aunt and Uncle on thier fathers side.

When they find their Aunt and Uncle, Tyler an...more

1 like · like · see review

May 22, 2012 Chuck Barrett added it · review of another edition

Let me preface this review with this: I'm a thriller reader and writer and never thought I'd like a YA story. Missy LaRae changed that. The beginning grabs your attention as Lily and Tyler struggle to escape an oppressive life. That changed quickly and the reader (me) was cast into a mystical world of enchantment as Lily and Tyler are forced to discover who...or what...they really are.

And Missy is no stranger to suspense as she builds the conflict and ever mounting peril that lurks around every...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 02, 2012 Nic rated it 4 of 5 stars

Lily and Tyler once felt loved, happy, and safe, but that was a long time ago The inseparable twins realize that this is their only chance to escape their abusive mother so they storm off in the dead of the night, seeking relatives in Charleston.. They soon find out that their mother was the least of their worries. The twins must look for each other’s trust in order to unravel the mystery behind their own identities, in order to stay safe and fulfill their destinies.

I enjoyed the first half o...more Lily and Tyler once felt loved, happy, and safe, but that was a long time ago The inseparable twins realize that this is their only chance to escape their abusive mother so they storm off in the dead of the night, seeking relatives in Charleston.. They soon find out that their mother was the least of their worries. The twins must look for each other’s trust in order to unravel the mystery behind their own identities, in order to stay safe and fulfill their destinies.

I enjoyed the first half of this novel. The author did a great job to captivate her audience in the first few chapters, as well as keeping the storyline smooth and intriguing. I enjoyed how she focused a lot on the characters and kept the readers on edge. I thought that the pace might have needed a bit of tuning but that was fine as I liked getting to know the characters and their surroundings thoroughly.

One of Missy's strong points was that she used a lot of emotions to get the storyline going. Throughout the novel we knew what the characters were feeling and what caused this. I thought she did a nice job adding that aspect to the book but in a very discrete manner. It didn't stand out much or bothered me in any way but helped drive the story along very well.

The universe in The Sword and The Prophetwas fascinating. I liked how the author made it simple yet it still had that taste of fantasy/sci-fi world, where you want to discover every region and aspect of it. It was also nice to see a glimpse of powers that go along with this strange world, but I would have liked to see the full extent of those powers. Some fangs and super strength is nice but it's not that original.

The second half of the novel was what pushed the novel from a great book to a meh.. Ok novel. The author didn't seem to have a hard time bringing that alienish world into scene and it did seem very out of the blue. It did not work well with the first half and there weren't many clues leading up to this.

Finally, what really disappointed me was that as we headed off to part two of the novel, the author focused too much on the science fiction part and not the basics. The characters lacked the feel they had in part one and I lost the bond they had. The flow of the story was very unsteady and it looked like the author was trying to get some action in the novel when it wasn't necessary. Everything in part two was dull in comparison to part one and if the author would have kept focusing on the basics the novel would have been excellent. There is a lot of room for improvement but this doesn't mean that book two can't be extraordinary. The series has a lot of potential and I am looking forward for book two!(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jun 19, 2012 Melanie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

4.5*s
Loved this !!!!
Review posted here
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbi...

1 like · like · see review

Jun 27, 2012 Ivana rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

-review originally posted at Willing to See Less

Missy LaRae delivers a fresh and unique sci-fi YA novel with a very interesting world building and Syren lore. It was great to read about something that hadn't been done to death already in YA, no matter how interesting a spin the author puts on it. The world of LaRae's making is teeming with possibilities, even though the first book just sets the stage for what I hope will grow into an epic space battle in the books to come.

The Sword and The Proph...more -review originally posted at Willing to See Less

Missy LaRae delivers a fresh and unique sci-fi YA novel with a very interesting world building and Syren lore. It was great to read about something that hadn't been done to death already in YA, no matter how interesting a spin the author puts on it. The world of LaRae's making is teeming with possibilities, even though the first book just sets the stage for what I hope will grow into an epic space battle in the books to come.

The Sword and The Prophet captures your heart early on. The beginning of the book is heartbreaking. Two kids are escaping the "home" in which they were subjected to various forms of abuse and humiliation by their Mama. The author provides an explanation for her cruel deeds later on to show how targeted that abuse was. Missy has found a way to give details without overdoing it or dumping too much information. The abuse is often referred to many times later as well, and this way it gains more weight and gives more depth to the characters.

The story picks up pace after the kids escape and from that moment on, I was glued to the screen to the action-packed (and sad) finale. We are introduced to the basics as we watch the world unfold through the eyes of the main characters, Lily and Tyler. We meet many new characters, all of them interested in seizing Lily and Tyler, but for very different reasons. The connection between Lily and Tyler is very strong; to each other they are all they have in the world. The love they share, and the love they find later was overwhelming. Syrens can communicate feelings by touching each other. Needless to say, there are places in the book that are exploding with emotion, and Missy does a great job capturing those moments.

It is a book about twins and the new abilities they discover in themselves, but the spotlight is mainly on Lily. I liked her as a character. Though deeply wounded by the treatment she received from her Mama, she remains strong-willed and able to give and receive love. Still, I would have liked to see more of Tyler's thoughts.

The POV shifts frequently without identifying the speaker. It is confusing at places, but nothing that would detract too much from my general impression of the book.

I feel like Missy didn't use all the potential of her story. I wanted to see more of the villain, not just a fleeting name or one close(er) encounter. I love well-formed, complex villains in fiction, because good villains make for a good conflict. And the Sa'Chaelle...well, it was not one of them for me, mainly because all I got from it is a weak, generic motivation: "I want them for their powers."

Overall, I liked the book, but feel like it could be much more (and Missy certainly has the talent it takes). I imagine the series will only get better and will be on the lookout for the sequel.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Aug 12, 2012 Vincenza rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Lilli and Tyler are running away from their abusive mother, or the woman who they think of as their mothers. From the time they leave her house, their lives are never the same and the changes keep coming.

I finished Missy LaRae's "The Sword and The Prophet" in a few hours. Every time I thought the twins, Lilli and Tyler, were safe at last, something new would happen and the revelations would keep coming.

If this is Missy's first book, I can't wait to see what characters she creates for us next. I'...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 09, 2013 Izzy99 ~* The Pirate Princess *~ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: boy-lead, girl-lead, magic

Wow. Just......Wow.

I'm not sure if that's good or bad yet. The main character in this book are Lily and Tyler, and they're about to break out of their house. This book, The Sword and the Prophet, takes place in Florida and.....OUTER SPACE?!

This book has a plot that I enjoyed reading. Tyler and Lily are breaking out of their house, to get away from their mother. But things don't go quite right. >:) And I won't tell you what went wrong. Mwuahahaha!

So, now I have to say this. The plot..Was just...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 22, 2013 Linseybdavisgmail.com rated it 4 of 5 stars

What a great start to this series! There is so much potential here.

By 40% into the book I was having a hard time putting it down.
I can't wait for book2!

1 like · like · see review

Nov 18, 2012 Ceri rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow it sounds so good I think I'm going to ask my mum to buy it!

1 like · like · see review

Mar 02, 2013 Edna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Interesting plot, would be amazing if it was written in a way that made you feel like you were there. Still enjoyable

like · see review

May 22, 2013 BK marked it as to-read

May 19, 2013 Megan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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Apr 10, 2013 Jennifer marked it as to-read

Shelves: books-i-own, e-book, young-adult

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Shelves: blp

Apr 09, 2013 Iroulito91 marked it as to-read · review of another edition

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Mar 26, 2013 Vinothasoni Yesumony rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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About Missy LaRae

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If you're on my page checking out my author profile I give you two thumbs up and a high five.

Here's a brief run down of who I am, and why you should read my books and be my fan (I know voodoo).

I'm 32 years old and was born in Portland, Oregon, and was raised in Longview, Washington by my seriously awesome Grandma. I went into the running start program in HS and graduated HS just shy of...more

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