Title The Prophecy Series --- Author Hilari Bell Cover Art Debra Lill Publisher HarperCollins - 2006 First Printing HarperCollins - 2006 Category Middle Grade Warnings --- Main Characters Perryn, Lysander, Prism, Sam, Cedric Main Elements Unicorns, dragons

Perryn is a hopeless prince.

His drunken father scorns his love of books, the master of arms ridicules his swordplay, and someone in the castle may be trying to kill him.

But Perryn's books are his best weapons to stop the dragon that is destroying his kingdom - and his one hope of earning his father's respect. When he unearths a prophecy on how to kill the dragon, Perryn sets out to find the three things he needed to make it come true: a unicorn, a true bard, and a special sword. But in a world where magic is disappearing, the only thing more absurd than pursuing a prophecy is believing any of these legends might still be found.

With the king's men on his trail and time running out, Perryn learns that a scholar's job is not merely to seek the truth but to understand its worth - and that the power of the prophecy lies in his own hands.

A new fantasy from acclaimed author Hilari Bell, The Prophecy unfolds with wit, wisdom, danger, and discovery, as any unforgettable adventure should.

I will admit I thought this was an indi published book when I first saw the cover, so my expectations were low. But in fact it's a major publisher (which doesn't guarantee it's good) but I found myself enjoying it. I love characters who love books, and of course a unicorn and a dragon don't hurt. Perryn has a prophecy to fulfill, he doesn't consider himself a part of it, seeing as he isn't mentioned, but he does the work of gathering all that is needed and convincing everyone to go along with his crazy plan to kill a dragon even his father's army couldn't handle. But prophecies may not fulfill themselves in the way we expect, and never tell the whole story, or sometimes they are just the ramblings of a madman looking for attention, who can say if a prophecy is a true vision, or just the motivation someone needed to solve a problem on their own. We'll never know.

The characters were fun, Perryn is a prince who's father has little time for him and whose swordmaster actively mocks. Lysander is a bard who is also a thief. Prism is a unicorn in love of her pure white coat and a tendency to faint when things get dangerous. Sam longs of the good old days and longs to go out in one last glorious battle. And of course there's the dragon, with scales of steel, breath of fire, and a tendency to snack on humans. Most of the book is about Perryn trying to gather what he needs for the prophecy while at the same time avoiding his father's men who are looking for him, of course there's also one that wants to kill him to complicate matters. There's humour, suspense, and a surprising gritty and gruesome scene at the end.

It's a quick read that I enjoyed.