The Seer and the Sword, by Victoria Hanley

A beautiful young princess, with a stone that enables her to (sometimes) see the future. A prince without a kingdom, wandering anonymously in the world, trying to combat evil without killing anyone. A good king. A bad, really bad, guy. It must be a fairy story! Well, it is. The only thing lacking is an evil witch, or wizard. I found The Seer and the Sword (New York: Holiday House, 2000), by Victoria Hanley, on the Young Adult shelf of my local library. The book is substantial enough to be read comfortably by an adult. In fact, if you like fantastic fiction, you should read this one.

It's been a while since I posted on any type of fantastic literature. Here's one to make up for that lack.

I won't give away the plot, except for what I've already given away.

I will muse about two aspects of the book, which, I believe, are related.

First, the characters seem to believe in God. On several occasions, all when in dire straits, they pray, in supplication or thanks. Here's the first example I noticed:
She prayed to God for help, asking for a sign that her daughter lived. (p. 152) There are a few other examples.

Second, there is a measure of forgiveness in the book, and, I must say, forgiveness for some serious wrong-doings:
"I should thank him," Torina mused.
"King Dahmis?"
"No. Yes -- but I meant Vesputo. Without him, I'd still be the headstrong, spoiled girl I used to be. . . ." (p. 336. Torina is the princess. Vesputo is the bad guy, really bad.)

Thanks for reading.