Review: Prophecy of the Most Beautiful (Oracle of Delphi #1) - Diantha Jones

  (Goodreads) (Colloquy by Diantha - author Diantha Jones' website/blog) (Amazon UK)

She has a destiny so great that even the gods fear her.

Constant hallucinations and the frequent conversations with the voices in her head, have earned eighteen-year-old Chloe Clever the not-so-coveted title of "Whack Job" in her home town of Adel, Georgia. With the onslaught of prescription medications and therapists threatening to push her over the edge, she wishes for a life far away from the one she has, a life where she is destined to be more than the butt of everyone's jokes and mockery.

Be careful what you wish for has never rung more true.

After living through an attack from her worst nightmare, she awakens to find herself far from home, surrounded by glorious riches and servants…and a few demigods who enjoy killing things. Upon learning that her favorite rockstar is an Olympian god, she is thrust into her new life as the Oracle of Delphi, the prophesier of the future, and the great Pythia that the gods have been anxiously awaiting to arrive for centuries. Setting out to fulfill the prophecy she has been given and to keep her family safe from a demigod Princess that wants her dead, Chloe learns of how great she is to become, all the while fighting mythical monsters, evading divine assassins and trying to outwit the ever-cunning Greek gods who harbor secrets of their own. In the hopes of discovering the Most Beautiful and the truth of her destiny, she strives to uncover the mysteries of the demigod Prince who has sworn to protect her with his life…and threatens to win her heart in the process.

My review of The Prophecy of the Most Beautiful: 

4.5/5 stars

This book was a completely unexpected fun roller coaster ride that I just devoured in a few days and enjoyed immensely. I love Greek mythology so this book really stood out for me. It is amazingly detailed and just full to the brim with original ideas and completely modernises Greek mythology and the famous Gods of myth. The level of accuracy in regards to some of the tales from mythology in this book just amazed me and really showed me how much work went into the story. It totally reflects the hard work of the author and her own interest in the subject of Greek mythology. The ancient myths are just fantastically depicted within this story and I was blown away by how the author weaved together and shaped the well known tales and put her own individual twist on them. The great mix of modern and myth just complements one another and the whole story was just one great adventure that merged together the present with history and myth whilst creating something original and enjoyable.

I must admit that I started the book with a little hesitation. I thought, here we go again with a girl in school blah blah blah and had almost decided there and then that I didn’t like the book. But oh boy, a few chapters in and I was hooked and I was telling my boyfriend all about it and how much I was enjoying it. Just like Chloe who is unknowingly swept up into a strange and exciting adventure so was I and I just went with the flow and completely enjoyed every minute of the journey. The storyline flowed brilliantly throughout the story and there was an equal balance of fun and adventure mixed in with some drama and bloody fighting scenes.

The characters were well fleshed out; full of personality and every single one brought something different to the story. We meet the main protagonist Chloe as she is returning to school from a suspension – one of many – and she is taunted by others for being a crazy freak that sees strange things and hears voices. What a way to introduce a character eh? But her craziness isn’t all it seems and we the reader are privy to her conversation with a strange boy who is invisible to all others at school. This incident in particular along with her nightmares serve as the catalyst for what is about to happen; Chloe waking up from a deadly attack and being made aware that she is the Oracle of Delphi, a powerful individual whom the Gods both admire and fear. She is thrust into her new role and must battle demonic demigods sent by Hades, deal with her new life as Pythia, struggle with her feelings for the sarcastic son of Apollo and come to terms with her destiny.

Strafford Law *swoon* is possibly the epitome of boy crushes and I can assure you all that you will instantly fall in love with him! He just has this irresistible bad boy attitude along with some very good looks. He is also a big softie and the softer side of his character slowly comes to light throughout the story. There is also a feeling of mystery that surrounds Strafford and his current circumstances making him seem even more irresistible (than he already is!). The romance in the story fits perfectly. Despite the book being one of magic, battles and gods the main part of the story is very much rooted in the lives of the characters themselves who, for the most part are all teenagers. Teenagers get crushes, fall in and out of love and admire those of the opposite sex. I found that the romance didn’t hinder the story in anyway but helped to flesh out the characters and unearth parts of their personalities that are not so obvious at first. It also gives the story a little suspense as the uncertainty of the outcome of the romance is unknown and gives those readers who love a little romance in stories something to enjoy. I personally don’t think too much of romances in stories unless they serve a purpose and I believe that this one in particular helped the characters reveal parts of their personalities that were previously unknown to us.

My favourite part of the whole story is the way the Greek gods are depicted. It is just so hilarious and such a brilliant idea. Throughout the ages the gods have reinvented themselves to help them blend into everyday life and society, producing some very funny tales. Currently, Apollo is spending his life on earth as a famous rock star who Chloe is obsessed with. I really did enjoy how the author depicted the Gods and really reflects her initiative and creativity as a writer. Cupid is portrayed as a spoilt little brat, who loves to go against his mothers wishes flirting and wooing his way into mischief. Aphrodite is portrayed as a beautiful man eater who loves nothing more than romancing handsome men for eternity. Hermes was my favourite God in this story, the immortal and magical equivalent of an everyday postman, who reminded me of a crazy old man who just loves to tinker with technology. I just loved how the Gods have “stolen” the idea of the internet from mortals and adjusted it to determine it worthy for them to use. It reminded me of how in Greek mythology the things invented by the Gods were stolen by the mortals to use, such as when Prometheus stole fire from the heavens to give to mankind. These small little details show how detailed this story is in portraying little bits of information from Greek mythology. 

This book had a great YA feel as it dealt with the lives of teenagers despite their divine qualities and spectacularly magical lives. Despite immortality, magical weapons and living in the heavens Chloe and the demigods are very much normal everyday teenagers (well maybe not quite normal!). The most obvious sign of teenage anxiety is evident in how much the demigods worry about their appearance! They have the perfect hair, abs and smiles plus they are kitted up with designer gear; an amazingly hilarious and clever idea! It just completes the whole modernisation of the mythology and makes it current, reaching out to new young readers of the genre.

I really do urge you all to read this fun filled book because it completely took me by surprise and took me on one crazy journey that I honestly was not expecting. I would definitely 100% recommend it to lovers of YA who enjoy reading fun books filled with a little bit of romance, adventure, mystery and drama. It also a great way to learn about Greek mythology especially for those who want to start reading about the subject. Like I mentioned earlier, it is very accurate in its portrayal of Greek mythology but has just revolutionised the tales by portraying them in a new, modern and fun context. I love Greek mythology so I would also recommend this book to lovers of the subject who want to read something completely different and have a little fun in the process.

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