The Oracle

Mirany is one of nine young women chosen to attend 'the god', represented by a scorpion, and his embodiment on earth, the Archon, in a Greek-inspired world where the framework is provided by Egyptian ritual. As the old Archon dies, he passes a message to Mirany warning her of the corruption and treachery at the heart of the regime. She sets out to find his true successor, and in doing so hears the god's voice speaking to her, along with finding courage, resourcefulness and an authority she has not possessed hitherto. Fisher's uncompromising style plunges us without explanation into a hot, arid, Mediterranean landscape; impressions of heat, light, weight, colour are very strong. The ultimately strong female lead is complemented by a range of other characters - complicated, flawed, unpredictable - and the tension endures until the last page. My four testers found aspects of the style confusing but were gripped and throughly engaged by the story. They recommend it to readers of either sex, and liked the cover - 'discreet and mysterious'. We want the sequel - soon!