So this Kindle thing rocks, because I can buy books that I don't want to physically own (but want to read anyway) at a fraction of the cost. And I don't have to waste valuable bookstore time trying to remember the title of That Book I Told Myself I Would Not Forget.
Which brings me to The Nightwalkers series and its first book, Jacob (I'm really not reviewing the book or my problem with the fact that the title is a name. Not going there). In theory this is one of my favorite kinds of romance with my favorite kind of conflict. Jacob is a Demon (supernatural/magic: check), whose sole job it is to be The Enforcer, demonkind's own sheriff counteracting Violence Against Humans (male in natural protector/military role: check). Part of his job? To make sure that there is no demon/human sexing of any kind. You see it coming, don't you? One night he encounters a human female (heroine as excellent intellectual librarian: check) and falls madly into lust/love/pheromone/gene induced obsession (forbidden love: check check check). The writing is so-so (read better, read way worse), the sex is OK (read waaaaaay better. Actually, wrote better), and the strictures of the world created by the author are slightly unclear, but since there are at least 3 characters who will obviously have books of their own, we'll get there eventually.
And now we come to the source of this little post and the title thereof: Which came first, the plot or the prophecy? Jacob and His Woman, Isabella (I kid you not) are the subject of a prophecy about The Enforcers how their kids will start a new generation, etc. etc. etc. Here's the prophecy:
The Demon. The Druid. And all will be returned to the state in which it all began. Purity restored... An Enforcer will be born and reach maturity as magic once more threatens the time, as the peace of the Demon yaws toward insanity. The Enforcer will be born to hunt the Transformed, will have the power to destroy, to walk unscented... This Enforcer's thoughts will be sealed except to Kin and Mate, will walk the Demon path in body and soul, though never born to it.
Now, let's review: They meet and then she magically kills one of the Transformed when she is attacked. Jacob has just spent the past 78165 Kindle pages (they're really small on the iPod!) talking about how "Bella" (grrrrrr) is so pure, absorbs scents, and how they keep getting more and more mentally connected until they are... practically telepathic? But only with each other. Gee whiz, I wonder who the prophecy is about!
Call me crazy (go ahead... I'll wait) but to me a prophecy should not be written almost word-for-word to the characters and situation. Like, there should be enough ambiguity that it is at least possible that someone had misinterpretted something, somewhere along the line. I get it; if it's a prophecy then it's "going" to come true, and there will be people who fit it perfectly. But with the exact wording? Really?
I'd like to bring forth my friend J.R. Ward who at least hears what I'm saying. Two things: In Lover Eternal, V has a premonition that has something to do with Rhage and His Woman. I don't quite recall the context, but it has something to do with a virgin. Rhage's Woman (I mean, Mary) is not a virgin, so Rhage gets confused. Turns out Mary's mother named her after... All together now!... The Virgin Mary. Also, Lover Revealed has Butch and some scary Other recruit vying for position as the Ultimate Weapon of or against The Omega. Both of them are the same age, have the same(-ish) backgrounds, physical markings, etc. and the prophecy is ambiguous enough that it really could be either of them. Really. Except (SPOILER ALERT:) it's really Butch.
What have we learned today? Prophecies are great. And so are oracles. But for the love of Delphi, make it interesting, make it count, and don't make us think you just re-read your book to write them.
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