The International Writers Magazine: Review

The Prophecy by Gill James Red Telephone Books ISBN:978-0-955791-08-6 • Amanda Donovan The Prophecy takes you on a futuristic journey to the Planet Terrestra.   Through the eyes of Kaleem we are transported via vivid virtual reality journeys to other planets as he learns their language.

We are taken on an exciting and eventful journey to the Planet Zandra where we see Kaleem fulfil his role as the Peace Child.  It is a fast paced, easy to read children’s story with page turning tension in all the right places.

The prologue successfully sets the scene for the rest of the story.  Kyle and Neilson pilot a scouting vessel over the blue planet Terrestra.  They discuss the poison cloud that hangs over it and how this planet will not let anyone in due to the risk of bringing in disease.  As they fly over Terrestra Kyle notices a flash of green lightening and a cascade of sparks.  This is the poison cloud dissipating.  Life begins to change on Terrestra.

Marijam meets an unusual looking boy called Gabrizan and falls in love with him.  She goes outside for the first time with him.  She realises she is pregnant even though she has had the Stopes treatment and decides to move to the Z Zone.  The Z Zone is an area of poverty where misfits and outsiders live.  It is hidden from normal society.  Marijam becomes an outsider once she arrives in this zone.   

Later we meet Kaleem who is the main protagonist in this story.  He is different to the other children on the planet because he has browner skin and his hair is blonder.  He is picked on in class.   Suddenly, he receives an unusual file on his dataserve computer called the Peace Child Project.  Razjosh the Elder comes to train Kaleem as his replacement.  He is the current Peace Child. 

The central theme of the book is the Babel Prophecy.   In the beginning a tower was built as high as the heavens.  People started to climb it while chatting and telling stories to each other.  God was not pleased.  He thought they were trying to play God.   At that time there was only one language, but God decided to topple the tower and send the people to the four corners of the earth.  Different languages were created.  The reason Kaleem has been chosen to be the Peace Child is because of The Prophecy.  It was said that a mother would have a natural birth and this child would become the Peace Child who would save everyone from the damage caused by the tower.

A mysterious virus hits Kaleem who quickly recovers. The virus quickly spreads to his mother who is sent to medical centre for a long recovery.  The virus continues to spread and a boy dies. Kaleem has to spend every waking moment learning languages in order to save Terrestra.  

Although I found the explanations of the Babel Prophecy quite repetitive I would still recommend this book to children. One of my favourite scenes is an action packed adventure where Kaleem fights to save the Babel Prophecy book. 

The Prophecy is about being different and not fitting in.  It’s about the importance of learning different languages, to communicate between different planets so that new knowledge can be shared.  It’s about saving the planet Terrestra who need a cure for the virus epidemic.   Finally, Kaleem finds out who he is and fits in at last.
© Amanda Donovan Feb 2010
Amanda is studying for her Masters in Creative Writing at a South Coast University

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