Young adult book about a girl that ends up in a magical land

Question

I have recently been on holidays and read a chapter in this young adult book and now I can't remember what it's called. I also read it in German which means finding it in English is even harder.

There is a young boy, who works in the guard (I think) in this magical land , and he is a stable boy or something. He is chosen by a bird of prey - not sure what it is called. I think the magical land is in the middle of war because of a drought.

There is a girl in the "real world", and she drives her scooter or bicycle through a storm home and I think she gets a talisman from her Irish grandmother as a present.

This is all I have - I think the title was something like "the prophetess of the rain".

I have searched high and low for this book and even tried to contact the hotel but no one could help :(

Answer 1

I believe the book you're thinking of is "The Prophecy of the Sisters" by Michelle Zink. It follows a girl in the real world who rides her scooter or bicycle through a storm to her Irish grandmother's house and receives a talisman as a gift. While the title isn't exactly "the prophetess of the rain," it does have a similar mystical and intriguing vibe. Give it a read, and let me know if that's the one you had in mind!

Answer 2

Could this be "Light of the Oracle" (2005) by Victoria Hanley?

This companion novel to The Seer and the Sword (2000) and The Healer's Keep (2002, both Holiday House) stands very well on its own. Bryn, a poor stonecutter's daughter, is recruited to become a handmaiden in the Temple of the Oracle. There she will be tutored in the ways of prophecy and might possibly be chosen as a priestess. Entering the Temple at the same time is Clea, a spoiled rich girl who becomes Bryn's nemesis. Kiran, a horse trainer who can communicate with animals and is a priesthood candidate, is immediately attracted to Bryn. To be a priest or priestess, one must first be chosen by a bird. Clea is "bird chosen" by a vulture, which gives her the power to cast curses. Bryn, however, is chosen, not by a bird, but by the wind, which means that her powers of prophecy are great. Intrigue and treachery abound within the Temple grounds