The Black Bird Oracle - Book Review

The Black Bird Oracle by Margot Anne Fleming is a magnificent young adult novel.

Introduction

“The Black Bird Oracle” by A. M. Kelleher can be undoubtedly classified as a fantastic novel that will give the readers a real possibility to get to know the world of magic and prophecy. This book was released in 2022 and is already attracting the interest of readers who appreciate a complex storyline, the detailed characters’ description, and the thoughtful narrative. Kelleher, who is also famous for complex world building and smooth and musical writing, does not disappoint with this grand exemplar of epic high fantasy that is, at the same time, intensely personal and highly philosophical.

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Narrative Style and Structure

Kelleher uses a very unique style of narrration that incorporates a poetic form of writing that resembled a fairytale in a way since it creates a fairytale world for the reader to get lost in. Her choice of words is rather appropriate and astringent as she manages to present the reader the reliable, familiar, yet rather surreal surrounding. The information is presented in the form of the two different narrations that differ from one another and complement each other in terms of the number of deployed components. This kind of approach creates a chance for the readers to read the story from different sides so that the element of mystery and suspense is highly developed in the narration.

Another feature in the novel’s plot is a slow uncovering of the overall big picture while maintaining a level of ambiguity. At the end of each chapter, there is a kind of a tease that makes the readers to continue to the next chapter. Foreshadowing and symbolism used by Kelleher in the novel are well-developed and help to create interesting and rather philosophical atmosphere of the story.

Plot Summary

The story in “The Black Bird Oracle” revolves around a prophecy that concerns the emergence of a mighty black bird which is supposed to become the new oracle and either save or bring destruction to the kingdom of Eryndor. The story follows three main characters: A young woman named Elara, that is to become an oracle ; Kael, a warrior, whose mission is to guard the chosen woman; Liora, a high priestess, who has her own plan.

Elara starts in a village in which she has been raised a normal non-remarkable girl with no clue about her future. Finally when she gets hallucinations of an evil future she is dragged into the world of politics and wonders of magic. Kael an honest soldier of the kingdom is detailed to guard her but he surprisingly discovers that than protecting she is much more than he expects. Liora, on the other hand, wants to dominate the power of Elara for her benefit, which creates a situation where both are playing the role of predator that ends in a battle.

Consequently, Elara, a character with increasing powers, has to face foes and friends on her path. The events are shaped and the outcome of the kingdom depends on her. Some of the characteristics of the plot include adventure aspect of the story, the romance between two main characters, and climax, which is the battle that will define the fate of Eryndor.

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Characters and Development

To be more precise, Kelleher has done a good job in developing the character of her play and creating fully-fledged personalities with the corresponding goals and worries. Elara is a very realistic girl with good main instincts, who turns into a believable oracle by the end of the story. Her character is developed intricately and her personal conflicts and processes of the character’s development are shown rather subtly and with understanding, making her a heroine readers can support.

Kael is much more than just the mighty, obedient warrior willing to fight for the benefit of the others. The protagonist’s experiences as a cop make him a pretty complicated character, which is underscored by his sense of responsibility; however, at the same time, he is presented as a feral figure as well. The quality of the main character’s interactions with the representative of the opposite gender, Elara, is one of the pluses of the novel; their characters start with hatred but achieve mutual understanding and respect.

Liora, the high priestess, is the outstanding antagonist. Her motives are never fully explained, and, again, what she does is a combination of being power hungry and being desperate. Personally, I think Kelleher does a good work in develop Liora as a character, both as a threat for the team of heroes and a sad antagonist.

Themes and Symbolism

The<|reserved_special_token_255|>, power, and the definitions of good and evil are some of the themes in the “Black Bird Oracle”. Among those the main symbolic meaning of the two first novels can be distinguished: the destiny and the free choice. The fortunes of Elara bring up the idea whether people are predetermined or they have the abilities to change their own lives. The theme of the relationship between the sexes is also explored by Kelleher but in a much more turn-taking manner since she shows the view of both male and female characters.

Power relations is the second main subject, whereby the main focus will be on the misuse of authority. Liora wants to use the power that Elara has in vain and cannot control as an instrument of her own scheme. This theme is reflected in the political current and resentment between characters present in the story.

Of course, the theme of good and evil is also present, though Kelleher does not believe in black and white. Instead, she offers a complex analysis of ethical or moral dilemmas and the show’s beings are all in moral ambiguity.

This is very much the case given the patron-client relationship upon which the symbolism staked up is heavily founded. For instance, the black bird portrays prophetic as well as the fatal aspects, since its occurrences are always followed by crucial events in the story. The marvelous engravings of the magical symbols and the old manuscripts Elara learns from give extra stylistic layers and organize the cinematographic material with richness and symbolic connotation.

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World-Building and Setting

Kelleher can be said to have manifested the Kingdom of Eryndor about which readers get a feeling of the realism when going through the book. The geography of the setting is well developed and includes everything from the markets and royal palaces to the forests and hermitages. Kelleher writes descriptions of the concepts that exist in the real world, and it is vivid.

Speaking of the magic system it must be noted that it is explained and plays an important role in the events of the story. The rules and limitations of magic as introduced by Kelleher are well developed and quite logical. The circumstances and history of the kingdom are incorporated into the plotline logically making for add-on immersion.

E ryndor’s political structure is also well elaborated and different groups working towards fulfilling their goals are also shown. Kelleher augments the court politics showing the shiftiness in the alliances and the rivalries and antagonisms therein, which makes the plot even more interesting.

Pacing and Tension

In regards to pacing, a strength of “The Black Bird Oracle” is that the plot is well evenly developed. Kelleher succeeds in writing episodes of fast pace and high tension followed by character development episodes. This takes a while to manifest, which keeps the readers interested without making them feel like they are battling an information war. Every chapter in the book contributes to the storyline’s progression while at the same time strengthening characterization and expanding the story’s settings.

The change of the focus to the different characters also contributes to the building of tension, since the readers learn more about their intentions and plans. It also helps to introduce the elements of surprise in the story, or in other words keep the reader guessing.

Still, Kelleher succeeds on one major account: he manages to keep the viewer in suspense. She continues to play with the reader, even until the narrative is approaching what may be considered its final stage: plot twists that are both shocking and, for what has been established within the work, logical.

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Critique and Reflection

All things considered, the author’s greatest misstep in this fiercely ambitious novel is that, in seeking to map out linguistically and culturally rich worlds, she has left little space for characters to dwell in. A few readers may have an issue with the fact that there are two different point of views and many different narrative strands do overlap at times. Like any other work of art, the complex nature of the novel would be both a strength and a disadvantage especially to those who would want a simple story to follow.

Also, the end part of-play is rather dramatic, but still some questions are left unclear, which can suggest the formation of a sequel. Some will like this because it is open-ended while to some others, they will feel that there is no conclusion or rather, the conclusion is not fully conclusive.

Nevertheless, “The Black Bird Oracle” is a truly captivating and organically built fantasy novel that could be appreciated even with the mentioned shortcomings. These tragedies bombard readers with gruesome images of the deaths and, combined with Kelleher’s writing, make it a thrilling read.

Conclusion

”The Black Bird Oracle” that was written by A. M. Kelleher can be described as an exceptional example of the fantasy, adventure and suspense literature genres. First of all, one should note that unlike many contemporary representatives of the detective genre, the novel is characterized by the complexity of the plot, fully developed characters, to say nothing about the themes which lie at the very heart of the work. The richness of the descriptions based on the life of the King and the overall setting of the kingdom of Eryndor show another masterful work of Kelleher both in the poem and the prose.

The themes that are frequent in the novel including fate, authority, and the mythos of the superior and the sinister characters enrich the storyline and create a deeper meaning. Symbolism and foreshadowing in Kelleher’s writing makes the story very enjoyable and at the same time; provoking the mind.

Yes, it might be multi-layered and the ending might be rather ambiguous – however, these are the aspects which can be considered as the novel’s advantages rather than the weaknesses. Thus, people have a picturesque view of the book which can be attributed to the creativity of Kelleher’s narrative style and elaborate characters – “The Black Bird Oracle” is proof of her prowess in writing fantastic fiction. Every reader interested in the genre of the fantastic, be it beginner or connoisseur, will hardly remain indifferent to this work.

In conclusion, “The Black Bird Oracle” is an excellent novel in the fantasy genre that gives the reader a great plot of a magical world prophecies and conspiracies. As a great storyteller Kelleher succeeded in interweaving big picture drama with the quiet intricacies of characters, making this novel perfect for lovers of fantastic literature and much else.

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