The Prophet (The Graveyard Queen, #3)

by Amanda Stevens

"My name is Amelia Gray. I am the Graveyard Queen, a cemetery restorer who sees ghosts. My father passed down four rules to keep me safe and I've broken every last one. A door has opened and evil wants me back. In order to protect myself, I've vowed to return to those rules. But the ghost of a murdered cop needs my help to find his killer. The clues lead me to the dark side of Charleston where witchcraft, root doctors and black magic still flourish and back to John Devlin, a haunted police detective I should only love from afar. Now I'm faced with a terrible choice: follow the rules or follow my heart."--P. [4] of cover.

• ISBN10: 0778313395
• ISBN13: 9780778313397
• Publish Date: 24 April 2012 (first published 1 January 2012)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: CA
• Imprint: Encyclopedia Britannica Publications Ltd
• Edition: Original ed.
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 352
• Language: English

Reviews

[jesstheaudiobookworm]

After discovering the series in October and finishing the first two installments that same month, it took me nearly 8 months to return to The Graveyard Queen. I loved The Restorer, but The Kingdom wore my patience thin enough that I needed a break from the series.

But the Summer always brings me back around to the Southern Gothic genre. I didn’t have the energy to search for a new Southern Gothic series (they can be hard-to-find), so I picked up The Prophet. Luckily for me, each installment in this series centers around a new (episodic) mystery. I was glad to see Amelia return to Charleston and even more glad to see her get away from Asher Falls. I’m glad she didn’t spend another book there. I appreciate the importance of The Kingdom to the series since it essentially functions as Amelia’s origin story, but for me it was more an installment to “get through” rather than to enjoy.

The Prophet dealt more with the Lowcountry’s version of magic, which is exactly my style. It showed flashes of what I loved about The Line and it was enough to whet my appetite for more of the series. The Prophet renewed my interest and my faith in Amanda Stevens and The Graveyard Queen. By the time I finished it, I was determined to finish out the series in quick succession.

[kimbacaffeinate]

Stepping back into the creep-tastic world of the Graveyard Queen once again sent shivers down my spine! Every time I crack open one of Stevens' books I am immediately sucked into Amelia Gray’s world and do not emerge until I have read the last page. The Prophet brings us witchcraft, malevolent spirits, and a fascinating look at root doctors. Amanda Stevens has become an auto-buy author for me and this series is one of my personal favorites.

Amelia is back in Charleston, where synchronicity plays a large part in the events that are about to unfold. A return walk from the grocery store, a bird and ghost lead her to bump into Devlin. The Prophet is back and needs Amelia to help him solve a murder. Devlin’s daughter keeps asking Amelia to, “find her” and a witch doctor has entered her dreams. From malevolent entities to hot kisses this tale was action packed and kept me reading late into the night.

Amelia is braver and beginning to question all that her father has taught her. Since her return to Charleston she has lost weight and has dark circles under her eyes. It is becoming quite clear that something is feeding off her. She begins to question her father’s teachings and confronts issues. Her feelings for Devlin are clear but she needs to figure out how to handle his ghosts. We see character growth as she becomes quite crafty and gets herself into some difficult situations. Devlin is still haunted by his deceased wife and daughter and we learn more about both of them. There is movement in their relationship as we get some clarity, a little heat and some angst. John Fremont; the prophet needs Amelia’s help and it was interesting learning about the circumstances surrounding his death. Devlin is keeping secrets and trying to protect Amelia but it creates complications and misunderstanding for them. Other character’s return and their threads and involvement in the plot were brilliant, chilling and captivating! Darius Grey is introduced to us and his storyline and interaction with Amelia freaked me out, he is a man I do not want to meet. He was was creep-tastic!

Stevens tells stories that give me goosebumps, and despite all the paranormal woo-woo involved she makes it all seem REAL. Creepy, scary, things that go bump-in-the-night REAL! I think part of what makes it feel so genuine is the factual information she weaves into her tale; from gravestone care to the use of roots as witch doctors. I was completely swept up in the beliefs, the crafts and the rituals discussed throughout the novel. Each book works as a standalone but the overall arc development of the series is fantastic and Steven’s has tight control of it. Amelia is steadily developing and we are clearly beginning to see kick-ass moments. From book one I was not interested in the romance but it has become a believable and intricate part of the plot. The ending was solid and we are clearly seeing a shift in Amelia’s thinking and I am very excited about the direction this is taking.
Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer