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The Oracle Betrayed: Book One of The Oracle Prophecies Hardcover – Bargain Price, March 16, 2004

by Catherine Fisher (Author)

4.7 20 ratings

Book 1 of 3: Oracle Prophecies

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They might not know what the future holds,
but they know they hold it in their hands.

Mirany, the newly appointed attendant to the Speaker, is untested, in fear for her life, and keeper of the god's secrets.

Seth, an ambitious scribe toiling in the shadow of the pyramid, has discovered the secret labyrinths and underground passages to the tombs.

Hermia, the Speaker, interprets the words of the god and twists his wishes to suit her treachery.

General Argelin, the cunning leader in league with the Speaker, intends to dictate the choosing of the new ruler Alexos, the quiet boy, is fated to rule the land -- unless his enemies succeed in their plot.

Oblek, the foolish musician, may be the only person who can keep Alexos alive.

The Jackal, the black-market tomb raider, will strike like a scorpion if anyone interferes with his scheme to rob the sacred catacombs

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

After wowing kids and critics alike in the UK, this smart and suprisingly gritty historical fantasy from award-winning Welsh author and poet Catherine Fisher finally arrives in the US. Fisher grabs readers quickly with a convincingly imagined Greco-Egyptian setting and characters that defy quick classification. Our heroine, Mirany, begins the story as a timid teen serving the High Priestess, the masked Speaker who discerns the wishes of a god through a mysterious island oracle. When the current Archon (the sequestered God-on-Earth) passes a secret note to Mirany just before he's sacrificed, the story throws intrigue onto intrigue with a murder plot, a drunken musician, a conflicted scribe, a slick tomb robber, an offended Rain Goddess, and no shortage of mystic burial rituals and dusty tombs.

Fisher's biggest accomplishment is that for all the page-turning action, she still manages to raise some pretty heady ideas about death, ambition, and the nature of faith. Expect both kids and grownups to be reaching for Fisher's follow-up. (Ages 9 to 12) --Paul Hughes

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-9--There's trouble in the Two Lands, a desert country imagined as an amalgam of ancient Egypt and Greece. Parched by drought, its poor and starving people look to their god to find the Rain Queen who will bring them water. Embodied in generations of mortal men called Archons, the god is served by nine young women. Foremost among them is the Speaker, who is corrupt, in love with a power-hungry general, and plots to betray the Oracle by installing a puppet Archon. Before the old Archon dies, he enlists the help of the meekest, newest member of the Nine, mousy Mirany, to foil the Speaker's plans. As the plot twists and turns, suspense is ratcheted up by the use of one-sentence paragraphs and cliff-hanger endings. Mirany grows quickly (and rather improbably) into a tough, wily conspirator, aided by a group of companions, each of whom has a personal agenda. The scribe Seth wants to help his sick sister. Oblek, the musician to the old Archon, wants to meet his beloved master reincarnated in a new body. Both Mirany and Oblek hear the god speak through Alexos, a 10-year-old destined to be the true Archon. Can they defeat the powerful forces against them? Will the Rain Queen ever visit the Two Lands? The answers lie deep in the unknown tunnels and tombs of the City of the Dead. Action trumps character development in this page-turning fantasy, while an open ending paves the way for subsequent volumes.--Margaret A. Chang, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000F6ZAP4
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Greenwillow Books; 1st edition (March 16, 2004)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 13 years and up
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.35 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.13 x 9 inches

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4.7 20 ratings

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Catherine Fisher

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Catherine Fisher is the New York Times best-selling author of Sapphique and Incarceron. She is "one of today’s best fantasy writers," according to the London Independent. An acclaimed novelist and poet, she has written many fantasy books for young people, including The Oracle Prophecy series, Corbenic, Darkhenge, The Snow-Walker Trilogy, Darkwater Hall, and The Relic Master series.

Her recent series The Chronoptika Quartet mixes folklore and dark fairies with time travel and sf.

Catherine's new adventures for 7 up are The Clockwork Crow, The Velvet Fox, and The Midnight Swan, published by Firefly Press. The trilogy is a mix of magic and folklore, set in Victorian Wales, telling the story of the orphan Seren Rhys and herb adventures with the tetchy, brilliant and powerful Clockwork Crow. It was shortlisted for the Blue Peter Prize and the Carnegie Meday and won the Tir na n'og Prize.

Catherine has recently published The Red Gloves and Other Stories (Firefly Press), a collection of nine spooky and dark tales for children.

Catherine's latest poetry collection is The Bramble King, Seren 2019

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anne s.

Great book.

Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2014

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This book was very interesting, though a bit unclear as to what was happening in the very beginning. Once you discern what is going on, it makes for a great story--lots of adventure and intrigue. Although a kid's or young teens book, I enjoyed it very much too. (I'm old.)

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Msgt George C. Murray

Loved it.

Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2016

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I loved it, I couldn't put it down. It was right up my alley of ancient Egypt.

Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2018

No complaints.

Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2010

I decided to read this after I read Incarceron. I enjoyed this book more, but I have to admit that it has some of the same problems that Incarceron had. First, the setting. I do not usually like long winded, overly descriptive novels that tell you what city is north of what body of water, but the setting seemed almost nonexistent in The Oracle Betrayed. From what I understood it is an ancient Egyptian or ancient Greek type of setting. It is certainly set in a desert environment, but I would have liked to have more information on the society as a whole instead of just the palace area. My second issue was the characters. The Oracle Betrayed is full of action, and there always seemed to be something going on. That doesn't leave time for character building and lots of introspection. Neither of those issues ruined the novel for me though. The reincarnation of the Archon was an interesting idea, and the plot is what redeemed this book. I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next at every turn. Each chapter it seemed like the plan might be blown, or that something bad might happen. When bad things happened, I was biting my nails hoping everything would be ok. I think the storytelling is well done and it certainly kept my attention. It is obvious that everything will not be sunshine and rainbows in the next book, though some of the characters don't seem to realize it at all, and that makes me thankful that I picked up the entire series at once. A quick, easy, exciting read that is worth giving a try. I'm glad I read it and plan to continue the series.

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Pop Bop

Surprisingly bland and generic

Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2012

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I like Catherine Fisher's books - the Relic Master series, the Incarceron series, the Snow -Walker sequence, and stand alones like Corbenic and Darkhenge. I like the use she makes of Welsh and Norse legends. But I just can't see the appeal of the Oracle series. It could not be more generic or more by-the-numbers. Young girl suspects treachery, aided by charming scamp boy and grumpy old man. Mystic hero and plotting male and female villains. Magical solutions to the cliffhangers. Absolutely predictable from page one with not a single unique twist or even an interesting digression. Anyone who has read many children's/YA fantasy quest adventures could dictate this book half asleep.

The prose is workmanlike if not memorable. The characters are completely devoid of personality apart from what is usually assigned to characters playing their roles. (That is, grumpy old man drinks too much wine, scamp boy has crisis of conscience, hero maiden is timid but grows stronger.) None of this is bad, but it has been done over and over, usually with more excitement and flair.

So, this is a perfectly fine book for a new fantasy adventure reader. Not the best, but fine. But for a seasoned reader it will be old hat. And even for a new reader there are a lot of more exciting and rewarding choices.

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Rose M Ackley

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2014

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Good transaction! No problems.

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M. S. Handley

This is a terrific new series

Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2005

I've started reading this series after having gone through the Edgewater series. "The Oracle Betrayed" already promises that this series will be much better and more satisfying. The characters are well rounded, the dialogue is believable, and while there is a lot of action, it all flows together as part of an overarching plot, rather than as individual episodes. This book will appeal to both girls and boys.

Catherine Fisher does a great job of making the world of this story come to life. The brutality of life in the ancient world is made evident. As she describes the crowded city streets, details such as rotting garbage and the odor of dead animals make it extremely vivid and realistic. And then this is contrasted with the sumptuous City of the Dead, where the high ranking inhabitants lack for nothing, even precious water while the poor are reeling from the effects of the long-lasting drought.

The two main characters, Mireny and Seth, are flawed which makes them more believable than they would have been if they had been gung-ho, able-to-do-everything types. Mireny is priestess but she doesn't believe the in the existence of her god, and by nature she is shy and uncomfortable around people. Over the course of the book her faith changes and she gains confidence. Seth begins as an arrogant scribe who gets drawn into the plot initially as a means of achieving his ambitions, but he too grows and his motives change.

A previous reviewer complained that the meaning of everything is not spelled out at the beginning. That's actually what makes for sophisticated storytelling, and makes this a book that will appeal to various ages. As you read on the various layers of the the mystery are revealed and the various threads of the plot come together.

For parents who are evaluating this book there are a couple of things to be aware of. Although this is listed as book for 9 yr olds, it probably is more appropriate starting at 11 to 12 year olds due to some more mature elements. There is a scene of ritual sacrifice, and while it is not graphic it might be disturbing to some kids. Also there is a brief scene that takes place in an opium den. Otherwise I highly recommend this book. It's enjoyable for anyone who enjoys a mix of mystery and fantasy.

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