Title: Sacrificed: The Last Oracle
Author: Emily Wibberley
Published: February 13, 2015
Publisher: Create Space Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 978-1505896787
Genre: Sci-Fi and Fantasy
Knowing the future can save her city – but not her heart.
Born to serve the merciless Oracle, Clio wants nothing more than to break free. But when her entire family is murdered by Mannix, the king's adviser, Clio inherits the Oracle’s power, a power she never wanted and doesn't understand.
Hunted by Mannix, Clio is forced to flee her home in Sheehan and seek refuge in a foreign city where oracles are forbidden. If she's found out, she will be sacrificed atop its great pyramid.
Clio has no choice but to win the trust of Riece, an enemy warrior. Despite the undeniable attraction between them, Clio knows that if he finds out who she really is, he won't hesitate to execute her.
Clio tries to hide her budding powers, but the Visions she keeps having of Mannix and his barbarian army slaughtering her people torture her conscience. She alone has the strength and foresight to stop him, but only if she can embrace her destiny and sacrifice everything.
Rating: ★★★★★
This book blew my mind.
I put this on my TBR list back in January because it looked like it was going to be a good read and then it was promptly buried under the sheer overwhelming force that is my TBR list. Then I came across it on NetGalley and, quite literally, jumped at the chance.
Clio is the youngest, and fourth, daughter of the Oracle of Sheehan. Clio has never been close to her Mother and one by one, the same is happening with her sisters as they all enter into the servitude of the Oracle. When, finally, Clio loses her sister Ali to their Mother and the Deities, she vows never to allow her mother to change her the way she has her sisters and runs away. That night, Clio's Mother and two older sisters are brutally murdered and her sister Ali is taken by the King's (very creepy) adviser, Mannix. As a result, Clio is forced to shoulder the burden that was once her Mother's: she becomes the Oracle.
Desperate to rescue her sister, and best friend, Clio sets out for Morak, a city in which being an Oracle is punishable by death, in hopes that she can get there before it's too late, but she makes it to the City just in time to witness her sister's execution. It is there, in the cells under the Pyramid of Morak that she meets Oracle-hating Commander Riece, whom she must learn to trust, and convince him to trust her, in order to survive and save Sheehan from the ambitions of Mannix.
I loved this book from the moment I started reading it, and once I had, I didn't want to put it down. I've already said that I spent the day at work with my Kindle hidden behind my computer screens just so I could keep reading it without my boss seeing me. There wasn't a dull moment in this book. Emily Wibberley seems to have mastered the art of weeding out unnecessary scenes which add nothing to the story and can often become boring. Every scene was carefully crafted and contributed to the overall plot and kept the story flowing wonderfully.
Clio's character is delightful to read, and she does't change so much as grows and matures through-out the book which is wonderful to watch. She grows from a cynical girl who sees her mother's calling as a bit of a sham into a powerful young woman who holds her own, saves the day and can fully accept her calling in life.
Derik and Riece, our respective love interests actually manage to step outside of the mold and to have a personality of their own and a role to play besides being in love with the main character. It's refreshing to see. In fact, a few of the minor characters are just as memorable: Riece's younger sister is a great motivator for his character but also provides great comic relief and a nice break from the action of the rest of the book.
The world building is great. We don't get to see much of the world in general, admittedly, as the story centers around Morak and Sheehan, but Wibberley throws out the names of a few places that I'm hoping we get to see in the next books. Besides that, she keeps it fairly simple which makes it much easier for you to immerse yourself in the world; it's easier to connect with a story when you don't spend half a book trying to get your head around the world, it's population and it's politics. The untouched were a wonderfully scary addition.
In the end, you're left wanting more. I know I certainly was and I cannot wait for the second book.
That ending, though! Talk about emotional overload!!
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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