Light of the Oracle

Awards Publisher Marketing Citations Reviews Bryn is the daughter of a humble stonecutter, accustomed to being tagged the odd one, the strange girl, the shiftless creature. She is disturbed by visions of things no one else can see, sneered at because she talks to the wind and sky. Why, then, does the village priest think so highly of her? The day comes when a spinning thistledown leads Bryn to her destiny-to a place very different from the tiny village where she has spent her first fifteen years. She enters the famous Temple of the Oracle, and discovers that her innate gifts make her a terrifying threat to those who seek to abuse the Temple's power for their own glory. Though her desires are simple-friendship with other handmaids and gaining the love of Kiran, a remarkable horse-trainer-Bryn soon finds her path obscured by complex troubles. Struggling to keep the flame of her spirit pure and bright, Bryn must overcome more obstacles than she could ever imagine.
Awards
	2006-2007 Colorado Blue Spruce Award List 2006 Kallbacher Klapperschlange Award List (Germany) 2006 Lonestar Reading List --Try These Too 2006 Arlington Virginia Department of Libraries TAB Pick      2005 Infolink Book Evaluation Starred Review (Eastern New     Jersey Regional Library District) 2005 Colorado Book Award Finalist 2005 Teens Connect Great Read
Publisher Marketing
	Author:  Victoria Hanley Publisher: David Fickling Books  US SRP: $15.95 US Binding:  Hardcover Pub Date: May 2005 Ages: 7th Grade to 12th Grade
Citations:
	PW Notes and Reprints 04/18/2005 pg. 66 (ISBN 0385750862, Hardcover) Kliatt 05/01/2005 pg. 13 (ISBN 0385750862, Hardcover) Kirkus Review - Children 05/15/2005 pg. 589 (ISBN 0385750862, Hardcover) Ingram Children's Advance 07/01/2005 pg. 66 (ISBN 0385750862, Hardcover) Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 06/01/2005 pg. 441 (ISBN 0385750862, Hardcover) Voice of Youth Advocates 06/01/2005 pg. 148 (ISBN 0385750862, Hardcover) School Library Journal 06/01/2005 pg. 160 (ISBN 0385750862, Hardcover) Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/2005 pg. 334 (ISBN 0385750862, Hardcover)
Reviews:
	Children's Literature - Jean Boreen, Ph.D. KLIATT - Claire Rosser THE SCHOOL LIBRARIAN -Valerie Caless Hornbook Guide to Children (Friday, July 1, 2005) School Library Journal (Wednesday, June 01, 2005) Children Come First (July 05, 2005) Publisher's Weekly The Daily Camera
	Children's Literature - Jean Boreen, Ph.D.:
	Bryn, daughter of a lowly stonecutter, catches the attention of Renchald, High Priest of the Temple, when he notes her ability to "see what others miss." Chosen to come and live in the Temple of the Oracle, Bryn still faces a hard life as those who are from less highly-connected or poor families are taken advantage of by those with more likely connections. But Bryn has gifts that make her unique to the Temple, as does her friend, Kiran, whose ability to talk to animals makes him the Temple horse-trainer. But it is Bryn's courage to support the exiled Selid—a seer whose visions threatened Renchald's power—that forces her to choose between the Temple and her friends, between a sure future and one shadowed by doubt. As she struggles to find answers, she is further plagued by the Clea, whose power derives from the god of death. Clea's goal is to curse Bryn in order to control her. This is a strong fantasy novel from an author with a clear sense of her audience and a masterful control of where the plot and the characters need to go within the pages of the story. Recommended. 2005, David Fickling Books, Ages 12 to 16.
	KLIATT - Claire Rosser:
	An absolutely beautiful cover illustration of Bryn, the main character, will make this attractive to YA readers. It is a fantasy, set in a world not our own, yet it boils down emotionally to a boarding school story; okay, with psychic studies as the main curriculum. Bryn is a stonecutter's daughter (low class) and she is chosen to attend a special school where she immediately becomes the object of hatred from another new student, Clea, a princess. Yes, Clea is smart and talented (psychically), but Bryn is even better—more reason for Clea's jealousy and bullying. The headmaster (Master Priest of the Oracle) is being corrupted slowly, compromising his principles to retain power. He seeks to destroy any of his young students whose gifts of prophecy are strong enough to threaten his own position. Therefore, the story becomes a plot of rebellion as gifted students, including Bryn and Kiran, the prophet she loves, undermine the power of the Master Priest and rid the Temple of the Oracle of corruption. There are chases, a beautiful horse, a loyal dog, friends willing to die for the good of all, and ideas about dreams, meditation, and prophecy that are New Age compatible. I have not read the companion books, but looking over the reviews of those two volumes, there doesn't seem to be a strong enough connection that would prevent this book from standing on its own. (Companion to The Seer and the Sword and The Healer's Keep). KLIATT Codes: JS—Recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2005, Random House, David Fickling, 312p. map., Ages 12 to 18.
	THE SCHOOL LIBRARIAN -Valerie Caless:
	Bryn is a dreamer, and as a girl, has no value. Until that is, Renchald, the Master Priest from the temple rides by, and recognizes instantly her potential to be trained as a handmaid and possibly a priestess of the Oracle in distant Amarkand. She travels to Amarkand with high hopes, but even on the way there are signs that all is not what the Master Priest wishes it to seem. While at the temple, Bryn has to go through rigorous training, which is not made easier by the enmity of some of her fellow trainees, in particular Princess Clea. Gradually, a story of plots and danger emerges, and Bryn comes to understand more than Renchald would like. Bryn has a friend in Kiran, a boy with a particular skill with horses, and his loyalty and that of her small group of friends carry her through adventures and perils to an end in which some of them have died. Renchald proves to have been a false friend, though the reader is forced to respect him. This story is full of mysterious language and customs. In the timeless otherworld in which they are set, they seem quite natural. What appears to be yet another run-of-the-mill fantasy story turns out to be quite a gripping tale of loyalty, treachery, fortitude, a search for truth, and love.
	Hornbook Guide to Children (Friday , July 01, 2005):
	When Bryn becomes a student at the Temple of the Oracle, she discovers that she has a powerful gift of prophecy, but her abilities are curtailed by a malicious curse cast by a rival student. Tension builds as the fate of the kingdom depends upon her and her friends. The fantasy elements and political intrigue are woven expertly together. (Copyright 2005 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
	School Library Journal (Wednesday, June 01, 2005):
	Gr 6-9 -This companion novel to "The Seer and the Sword" (2000) and "The Healer's Keep" (2002, both Holiday House) stands very well on its own. Bryn, a poor stonecutter's daughter, is recruited to become a handmaiden in the Temple of the Oracle. There she will be tutored in the ways of prophecy and might possibly be chosen as a priestess. Entering the Temple at the same time is Clea, a spoiled rich girl who becomes Bryn's nemesis. Kiran, a horse trainer who can communicate with animals and is a priesthood candidate, is immediately attracted to Bryn. To be a priest or priestess, one must first be chosen by a bird. Clea is -bird chosen - by a vulture, which gives her the power to cast curses. Bryn, however, is chosen, not by a bird, but by the wind, which means that her powers of prophecy are great. Intrigue and treachery abound within the Temple grounds. Characters are fully good or evil; the bad guys are mean and hateful just because they can be. In the landscape of this kingdom, there is an extensive pantheon of gods that ally themselves with the mortals and intervene in earthly events. Dreams and visions symbolically reveal the complex inner workings of the characters' minds. When an exiled priestess finally unravels the evil plotting of the Master Priest and his henchmen, the story builds to an exciting climax. This is a fast-paced, well-written fantasy in which adventure and suspense take center stage, with just a touch of romance for good measure." -Bruce Anne Shook, Mendenhall Middle School, Greensboro, NC" Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
	Children Come First (Wednesday, June 01, 2005):
	There's something to be said about a straight forward wondrously told tale of adventure, magic, good vs evil, curses, and more! Without taking us off-stage, Hanley manages to weave through her long-ago tale scenes that would resonate with today's teens...cliques, snubs, self-important folks wanting to have the power of the universe centered on them. Hints of the Cinderella-type story are to be found here along with reluctant heroe and heroine. It really does have all you'd need to make it a hard-to-put-down book [read more].
	Publishers Weekly:
	The Light of the Oracle by Victoria Hanley centers on 15-year-old Bryn. This stonecutter's daughter finds that she has certain talents that threaten evildoers who would put the Temple of the Oracle in peril-and she predicts the demise of Lord Morlen, last seen in The Healer's Keep. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
	The Daily Camera:
	Hanley's novel (The Light of the Oracle) lays out the story of the simple but honest emotions of a young girl growing into her teenage years. Teenage friendships and enmities play out. Some of the girls from wealthier families are snobby and mean, while others are kind. In short, the characters are believable and true. Bryn usually acts in a benevolent fashion, but even she is subject to such human folly as jealous and despair. She earns the title of heroine not because she is poor and odd, but because she overcomes the challenges of pride and shame. As she grows into a young woman, Bryn learns to trust her friends and her dreams. Hanley's storytelling is colorful and consistent. Read and enjoy "The Light of the Oracle." Let yourself be drawn into the land of Sorana with its prophecies and magical gifts, the kindness of friends and the challenges of becoming as good as you can be. Fantasy is meant to waken the imagination and create a lively world. Victoria Hanley knows this well. Copyright 2005, Boulder Publishing LLC