The Prophecy of the Birds
Set in a reimagined Middle Ages, The Prophecy of the Birds is a poetic contemporary fable about a woman who silences her desires for the common good, until the day her city burns—a timeless and relevant allegorical tale exploring the place of women today.
When white sails appear on the horizon and the kingdom of Yernborg is suddenly attacked, Lady Elyria can't believe her eyes. Why is the King of Sassenia now breaking the peace that was concluded thanks to her efforts eighteen years earlier?
Over three days, as the attackers wage battle and advance to the fortress gates, Elyria ponders and organizes resistance. Her past comes back to her in fragments, sometimes chronological, sometimes disjointed, like so many pieces of a puzzle, allowing her to shed light on the apparent causes and the hidden reasons for this situation. Why this sudden attack? In this world of war-hungry sovereigns, has she, the pacifist, made a mistake somewhere? Has she been betrayed?
Little by little, the key scenes of her life paint the portrait of a solitary child who grows into a strong and ambitious young woman, resolutely committed to the peace of the kingdoms. Yet this woman of noble birth is not without flaws nor secret wounds, and has had to silence her deepest feelings (love, hate, trauma and shame...) to fit the space and the role assigned to her. Confronted with her shadows, Elyria understands that it is time to finally claim her true place in the world by seizing the reins of her own power – a power she had never previously dared to acknowledge – and embracing the impulses of her heart.
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FRENCH | Le Soir venu/Jouvence
Reviews
"A story filled with both light and darkness, a beautiful and essential tale…which speaks to our most desired and most feared realities." Bestselling Spanish novelist Rosa Montero
" The style is exquisitely intricate and elegant. The text is captivating. The world-building is brilliant... Above all, this novel is imbued with a poetry and resilience which truly moved me." Charlène Guinoiseau-Ferré, editor & co-director of Le Soir venu/Jouvence Publishing