Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) Review

In the second book of the Prophecy of Days series, Caity and her totally trusty BFF, Justine, continue their quest to unite the world's young people to fight the Shadow Government. Enrolling in an exclusive private school as a cover, they travel to the Dunhuang Caves under the pretext of a research project to find Uncle Li and the Sanskrit texts now in his possession. Aided by hunky Alex and members of The Council introduced in the first book, Caity and Justine arrive in China only to find that many things are not as they appear and that the Fraternitas and Shadow Government are infinitely more powerful than Caity ever imagined. Conspiracies abound in the second book of the Prophecy of Days series, which, if possible, moves at an even greater pace than the first. Raedeke weaves together an impressive array of mysticism, ancient knowledge, and conspiracy theories while keeping the main plot, if not all the details, easy to follow. Caity's emerging romance with Alex is sweet and believable, but readers will certainly enjoy the brief love triangle with the addition of handsome but obviously sinister Jules D'Aubigne. While more literary readers may scoff at the idea that love and good vibes from the under-twenty set can conquer a worldwide secret government that controls everything from electromagnetic energy waves to the World Bank, they are missing the point. Do not bother worrying about plot holes or stereotypical characters; just sit back and enjoy this summer blockbuster of a book. 

VOYA is “the library magazine serving those who serve young adults.” Reviewer: Summer Hayes