Damian's Oracle, Lizzy Ford (4.5 stars)

From Amazon: Caught in the war between the White and Black Gods, Sofia and her rare gift bring victory to he who grabs her first. Her difficult transition from human to oracle forces her into a new world, where she struggles in her role as Damian’s mate and to help a mysterious man who’s supposed to be dead

From GoodReads: Inspired by Slavic mythology, Damian’s Oracle is the entree into the ongoing battle between good and evil over the fate of humanity. The White God, Damian, and his Guardians protect the world from the Black God and his monsters while rescuing Naturals – humans with extraordinary paranormal gifts - from the Black God, who would kill or convert them.

Finally, a heroine with a special gift who shows strength and perseverance before coming into her own. Although I enjoyed the Twilight series, my biggest complaint was with Bella’s transformation in Breaking Dawn. It was too easy. Not so for Sofia, the main character in Lizzy Ford’s Damian’s Oracle, the first in the War of Gods series.

Sofia has to overcome a grueling physical transformation to embrace her destiny as the Oracle to the gods. We see her struggle and dig in her heels, determined to make it. Later when she has to face huge obstacles, we believe she has what it takes. The last Oracle to survive the transformation was weak and prone to the lures of the dark side.

Sofia enters a world with good and evil represented by original beings knows as the Black and White gods. She is immediately drawn to Damian, the clear leader of the White gods. But don’t expect an overly sweet and simple romance. Sofia and Damian need each other, but humanity needs them. A war is brewing between Damian and the Black god, Czerno, and Sofia’s powers as the Oracle are necessary for victory.

The last war between the gods almost destroyed mankind, so Damian and his brothers are prepared to go to whatever lengths necessary to avoid this. The author makes an interesting commentary on weakness and power, with gods no less susceptible than humans. The gods know that sometimes it takes extreme violence to protect humanity, and power isn’t achieved through unicorns and rainbows.

I was left with several questions, but I knew this was the first in a series. No gap felt too big, because the story moved forward at a thrilling pace and was far from predictable. The book can stand alone, but there are enough unanswered questions to create interest in reading future installments.

However, I did want more insight into Sofia’s relationship with Damian. Their more intimate moments together were the best parts of the story, yet the bond between the brothers was more clearly defined.

I’m looking forward to reading more in this series and to trying more novels written by Lizzy Ford. Her characters and story have depth, a bit of grit if you will. I hope future installments showcase Damian and Sofia’s relationship and explain more about the Grey God.

Rating: 4.5 stars

For more information on Lizzy Ford, please visit her Amazon Author page.

Note: I received this book free of charge as part of the WoMen's Literary Cafe Review team, but I was never asked to guarantee a positive review. My opinion is my own.

Review of the Movie, Breaking Dawn

I admit it. I was as sucked into the Twilight series as anyone, but I was late to the game. Before this series, I rarely read paranormal or fantasy books. I have always been drawn to real life stories and struggles and easily driven to nightmares. But my younger sister handed me Twilight at the beach one summer. I was hooked, reading all three books in a week.

Part 1 poster from Wikipedia

My biggest complaint through the first three books was Bella. I didn't appreciate a teenage girl in this day and age being so in love she overlooked all reason, all warnings. Plus, I found her downright whiny at times. Why were two men fighting over such a whiny, little girl? But she grew on me. At the end of New Moon, I was torn. Bella loved two men, and I could see the advantages of both.

When Breaking Dawn was released in 2008, I rushed to buy it the first day and read it in a weekend. I couldn't put it down. Finally I saw Bella as a strong, powerful female character willing to put her life on the line for her child, not just for Edward.

I knew the movie for Breaking Dawn would need to be split. Quite frankly, it should have been two books. My sisters and I went to a late showing over Thanksgiving. So much fun seeing it with them. It took me back to the days of being teenagers and going to the movies together.

Part of the fun of these movies is seeing all the books' fans coming out in droves. But I always wonder, what do the non-Twilight readers think of the movies? Breaking Dawn, in particular, left so much out. Having read the books, I filled in the background of Leah's pain from Sam dissing her, the unwavering determination Bella had to protect her unborn baby, why Bella chose Rosalie as protector, etc. It's hard for me to objectively review this movie when I can fill in so many blanks.

My gut reaction... people who don't know the books would have been lost and completely uninspired by Breaking Dawn. What a shame. I thought Bella's determination to save her baby was a turning point for the character. The one scene I thought the movie handled very well was Jacob imprinting. When I read this in the book, I thought it was hokey and just plain icky. But I must admit, when he fell to his knees before Renesmee, it was sweet and powerful.

So much was missing from the movie. Even though I could fill in the blanks from the book, it had been awhile since I read it. The movie seemed spotty and thin in parts. I wanted more of Bella's strong will and Jacob's decision to break from his pack. On the positive side, I thought the honeymoon was sweet, and the makeup artists should be commended for the amazing job they did making Kristen Stewart seem frail and almost lifeless.

If you loved the book, you'll want to see the movie, see the characters and story come to life. If you didn't like or read the book, skip it. I have higher hopes for the second part. The action should increase with the Volturi and Bella's transformation, and the filmmakers should want to go out with a bang.

Note: This movie is not for younger kids. The honeymoon and birth scenes are disturbing. I don't want any of my daughters thinking that's what either milestone is like. I did let my oldest daughter see the first three, but drew the line at this one. I'm glad I did.