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The Children’s Book Review | August 30, 2019
Written by Alane Adams
Illustrated by Jonathan Stroh
Age Range: 8-12
Paperback: 216 pages
Publisher: SparkPress (October 15, 2019)
ISBN: 978-1943006984
What to Expect: Mythology, Fantasy, Magic, and Action
The Rubicus Prophecy is the second installment in author, professor, and literacy advocate Alane Adams’ Witches of Orkney series. This series delves deeper into the lives of characters from her Legends of Orkney fantasy mythology series for tweens.
In the prologue, a historic battle takes place between Hermodan, King of the Orkney Islands, and Catriona, the most hateful witch alive. The battle has the potential to end mankind but thanks to the power of Odin’s Stone, a magical shield made of granite and bronze, a tentative peace appears to have been reached. However, there have been many causalities and Odin, a god, declares that in order to protect mankind magic will no longer be allowed.
Chapter One finds Abigail preparing to begin her second year at the Tarkana Witch Academy—a school year that will be filled with potions, hexes, alchemy, and a curiously wicked spell book that whispers to her, labeling her a dark witch and attempting to lure her to the dark side of witchery. After many centuries, the witches have been waiting for a witch to break Odin’s curse over them. Could Abigail be the Curse Breaker? When a sign appears, there is much talk of the Rubicus Prophecy, and when a ship from Orkney arrives, Abigail and her friends get caught up in a search for a missing item. There is certainly something threatening at play here.
Fantasy and mythology collide with a varied cast of characters and an intriguing, developing storyline. Adams uses a wonderful array of language that will appeal to precocious readers and those ready to expand their vocabulary with words such as ominous and imbued. Full-page black-and-white illustrations with a strong visual impact are scattered throughout, allowing the reader to pause for a bit amid all the action.
Best read in succession of book one, The Rubicus Prophecy: Witches of Orkney: Book Two is a fast read that will likely appeal to fans of Harry Potter or the Septimus Heap series.
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About the Author
Alane Adams is an author, professor, and literacy advocate. She is the author of the Legends of Orkney fantasy mythology series for tweens and The Coal Thief, The Egg Thief, The Santa Thief, and The Circus Thief picture books for early-grade readers. She lives in Southern California.
Read our exclusive interview: Alane Adams Discusses the Witches of Orkney
AlaneAdams.com | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Alane’s Literacy Foundation
Dedicated Reviews allow authors and illustrators to gain prompt visibility for their work. This non-biased review of “The Rubicus Prophecy: Witches of Orkney: Book Two” was sponsored* by SparkPoint Studio. Learn more about getting a book review …