The Oracle's Current

The Oracle #6

by Mell Eight

Lichen grew up dreaming he was going to test into the Earth Caste. But when he walked out of the testing chamber with the brown hair of Earth and the blue eyes of Water, he knew something had gone terribly wrong. Instead of his dream, he tested into the elusive Ether Caste, which made him both a cherished wonder and a pariah. Unable to handle the strange mixture of adoration and abhorrence from his peers, Lichen leaves the Monastery with the hope of finding some sort of happiness.

But, when tragedy strikes the Monastery, Lichen fears he won’t be of much help. He still wants to lend a helping hand, or at least a shoulder to cry on, but the quest the Oracle sends him on instead is much more important—so important, in fact, that dying to ensure the success of his mission is a real possibility.

Genres: Fantasy, M M Romance, Dragons

72 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 25, 2022

About the author

When Mell Eight was in high school, she discovered dragons. Beautiful, wondrous creatures that took her on epic adventures both to faraway lands and on journeys of the heart. Mell wanted to create dragons of her own, so she put pen to paper. Mell Eight is now known for her own soaring dragons, as well as for other wonderful characters dancing across the pages of her books. While she mostly writes paranormal or fantasy stories, she has been seen exploring the real world once or twice.

For more information on Mell’s stories and future writing plans, visit her website.

Reviews

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: The Oracle’s Current
Author: Mell Eight
Publisher: NineStar Press
ISBN: 978-1-64890-567-4
Buy Link: https://ninestarpress.com/product/the...
Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel
Blurb:
The Oracle 6
Lichen grew up dreaming he was going to test into the Earth Caste. But when he walked out of the testing chamber with the brown hair of Earth and the blue eyes of Water, he knew something had gone terribly wrong. Instead of his dream, he tested into the elusive Ether Caste, which made him both a cherished wonder and a pariah. Unable to handle the strange mixture of adoration and abhorrence from his peers, Lichen leaves the Monastery with the hope of finding some sort of happiness.

But, when tragedy strikes the Monastery, Lichen fears he won’t be of much help. He still wants to lend a helping hand, or at least a shoulder to cry on, but the quest the Oracle sends him on instead is much more important—so important, in fact, that dying to ensure the success of his mission is a real possibility.
Total Score: 5/5

Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel

Summary:
All Lichen ever wanted was to be a member of the Earth cast, but after his testing everything changed. He was gifted or cursed with both Earth and Water placing him as the only other member of the Ether Cast. After having difficulty dealing with how he was treated by other cast members, The Oracle sent him on a quest to protect protect the Crown Princess and Prince on their journey to the Monastery.

Years ago twins were born into the Water Cast. The girl tested to be the new Dragon of Water with her brother just a cast member. The turbulence in the Monastery was too much for her to deal with leading to tragedy where her only release was death. Her brother was forever scared making him break ties with the cast branding him as the Sea Witch.

As life unfolds, Lichen finds his charges in danger forcing him to take action causing his life and the Sea Witches to intersect changing their lives forever.

While seeming unrelated, The Oracle is manipulating the stands of time hoping that Lichen is strong enough to understand the strengths of The Ether cast are.

[Shelby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lichen always expected to be a part of the Earth caste, instead he finds himself ultimately meant to be a bridge between to castes Earth and Water as part of the Ether caste. Only the second to be designated that way in generations. Slowly he's come to accept that part of himself that identifies with the water even if the rest of the Monastery doesn't always treat him well. But the Oracle has a critical mission for him to protect the heirs of Alonia, one that has more risk and danger than he ever expected.

I don't know why but I loved this little short. Probably because we already knew Lichen and seeing him grown up was lovely. I felt for him as he adapted to the new circumstances in his life, a path he never expected to walk. But a path ultimately that would let him be just what the world needed. This story wraps up nicely the dangling threads of the undercurrents in the Monastery as Lichen's protection of the prince has them both survive but farther out to sea than they expected. Meris hasn't had it easy and is disillusioned with the Monastery after his sister's suicide, but he has kept safe the knowledge of what she left to him. Together Meris and Lichen can root out the last of the self-centered power hungry blight in the Monastery. Of course this is again pretty much instalove, but I liked these two. I was satisfied at the end of this story with how everything wrapped up.

[R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lichen, of the Ether caste, born to bridge two caste’s, Earth and Water. He was both special and an outcast. Not comfortable in his own skin. Meris couldn’t stop his sister’s suicide and took to the oceans depths to grieve. They are brought together saving a young princes life. Putting both of their lives in jeopardy.

Peopled with incredible dragons and all the various elementals. Some bad, some unintentionally cruel, and some clueless until they are shown another path by the Oracle.

Another book added to this very interesting series. I love this author and her vivid imagination. It’s very easy to sink into her books and get lost. As always, the book was just to short but it packed a punch.

Review Copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably the shortest installment, this short story goes about wrapping up the fixes that the Oracle has been making to ensure the Monastery gets set back to rights. With most of the castes on board with that with the recent changes that means setting eyes on the Water Caste, with its missing dragon and cruel members. It doesn't actually take much for this fix, mostly just finding the water dragon and giving them reason to come back. That reason is of course a person, and of course the Oracle sets them in each others paths (through some slightly underhanded methods). Pretty much it is just saying that the bad things get rooted out and the good finds a way to stay. It was a very simple ending, but it was an easy and sweet read that capped the series nicely.

[Nix Buttons · Rating 2 out of 5]

It wasn't bad, but it was a rather lame final instalment to this mediocre series.

[Relly · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 Stars

Thanks Snowdrop Nightspirit

And we are back in the Oracle world and we finally get Lichen's book. I loved seeing Lichen all grown up and found it interesting to see how the reemergence of the Dragon of Earth changed the way he was treated within the Castes.
The Castes have a lot to answer for in this series. While the oracle was looking elsewhere the castes ran amok and got above themselves. Most of the castes have fixed themselves with the dragons coming forward but the Water caste still has work to do.
I loved Lichen and his disappointment when he tested into the Ether Caste. it made sense to me and I loved watching him work out how to use the water talent.
I also loved Meril with how he came to Lichens aid and then returned to the monastery with them.
I do feel that while this one the story was fine and answered most of the questions, I feel like it skimmed the information and could have gone further in, but it was a short easy read so there was only so much that could be done in the timeframe.
Great addition to the series