“It’s snowing ashes,” Ela repeated. “I’m going up to the wall to look for the fire.”
What happens when the responsibilities and struggles of a prophet of the Lord are transplanted into fantasy? This book is built around that very premise. Seventeen year old Ela knows that a silver-haired prophet has failed. The Infinite even told her she would die young if she agreed to be His prophet. Yet once she heard His voice, she knew she could never live without it, and so she agreed. Her “yes” launches her into a life of knowing the future. She spends her days pleading with hardened people to change their ways and trust the Infinite before it’s too late. For all her foresight, Ela doesn’t know if they will heed her warnings in time.
I couldn’t tell from the synopsis of this book if I would like it or not. Two of my friends gave it good reviews on Goodreads, so when I saw it at a homeschool conference for a good price I decided to give it a try. I’m glad I did! I regret not buying book two while I had the chance. There is a (very) light love element, but it’s not at all offensive. I found Ela to be a relatable main character. Kien was roguishly loveable. And Tsana, Ela’s little sister, was adorable. Best of all, it made me appreciate Old Testament prophets and the Spirit of God on a deeper level.
P.S. I was a little concerned that a female prophet would come off as feminist, but she doesn’t at all. The author does a great job of focusing on “The Infinite” rather than fussing over a girl prophet.
Leah E. Good 
I can think of two women prophets off the top of my head, Miriam and Deborah. But the thing is, prophets in the Old Testament were rarely associated with new revalation, they were associated with proclaiming what God already revealed. So many people focus on the more visible prophets who gave new revalation that they never notice the hundreds who simply proclaimed the law and pronounced judgement based on it. For that reason, I believe that there are still gifts of prophecy in the Church. Just not for new revalation.
Ah, yes. I tend to think of those people in the Old Testament as judges rather than prophets. I’m trying to remember if they’re actually called prophets, though…