Chasing the Prophecy

Chasing the Prophecy (Beyonders #3)
By Brandon Mull

I stayed up late last night to finish this book. I wish I could say this was a book that I couldn't put down. However, I have to be honest and say I just wanted the book to end and to be done with it.

I have reviewed all five of Mull's Fablehaven books (see my reviews to the right) and really enjoyed them. Mull is a great writer. However, something just fell flat in the Beyonders series. I didn't enjoy the second book, Seeds of Rebellion, because it felt like Mull was just stretching the story to get to the final book. I suppose I then had high hopes for this one. But I have to say I felt like most of the book was filler. It was as if he had a good story but was being paid for so many pages. Therefore, he spent pages and pages on the characters trying to guess if the prophecy they were following was true or if there was any hope to what they were doing. Yawn. So, another stretched storyline.

And don't get me started on how many characters died in this book. Or the abrupt and unhappy ending.

Turns out that the first book, A World Without Heroes, was actually the first book that Mull ever wrote. After his success with Fablehaven and The Candy Shop Wars, Mull decided to publish his first book after some editing. Well, it needed more editing. Lately it seems that popular writers are above being truly edited and they are paid by the amount of pages. I think he could have written just one book in this series rather than a trilogy. Again, Mull is a terrific writer but I think he needed more guidance before publishing this series.

What did this book have to do with my faith? The characters in this book struggle with having faith in a prophecy that doesn't hold much hope for their success. So, they wrestle with having hope. Is what they are doing pointless? Why should they even try? I think the only thing that keeps them going is that slight possibility that they might succeed and the fact that the oracle told them everyone on the team had to stay on track or it was all over. Most Christians struggle with having faith. Some have faith in what God will do for them after death but little faith in what God is accomplishing in the here and now. Others don't see any point in acts of kindness and mercy for others and simply wait instead for Jesus to come back. What keeps us having hope? Where is our faith when things don't seem to turn out right (or how we think they should go)? What promises has God made for us and our lives that we don't see turning out for the better? My number one spiritual gift is faith, so maybe I don't struggle as much as other Christians but I have and do have doubts. Following through and keeping with "the team" is sometimes the hardest thing to do.

I don't recommend this book unless you want to finish the series.

Happy reading!

Amelia