Parable of the Talents

Parable of the Talents

by Octavia E. Butler

4.6 (10,779)

4.6 stars from 10,779 reviews. One of the highest rated Literary Fiction books we track.

424 pages~7.1 hr readPublished by Headline Publishing GroupPublished 1998-01-01

$3.99Deal67% off peak

Last checked: Jun 11, 2026

Price history: $1.99 $11.99

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Fans of these authors will like this...

  • N.K. Jemisin
  • Becky Chambers
  • Margaret Atwood

Fans of these books will like this...

  • The Broken Earth trilogy
  • The Handmaid's Tale
  • Kindred

Perfect for you if...

  • You're drawn to speculative fiction that feels urgently relevant to current politics and identity.
  • You want to read thoughtful, character-driven sci-fi that wrestles with motherhood, legacy, and moral compromise.
  • You appreciate Butler's unflinching exploration of how systems of power crush individual dreams and communities.

Maybe not for you if...

  • You prefer plot-driven narratives with clear resolutions and tidy endings.
  • You're looking for escapist fiction rather than something that mirrors real-world injustice and institutional violence.
  • You haven't read The Parable of the Sower and prefer standalone novels, since this sequel builds heavily on the first book's foundation.

About this book

The sequel to The Parable of the Sower, this novel follows Lauren Olamina in 2032 as she leads a community based on her faith, Earthseed, which offers refuge to outcasts facing persecution under an ultra-conservative president's rule. Lauren's colony, a minority religious faction led by a young Black woman, becomes a target of the president's oppression and terror. Years later, Asha Vere discovers journals written by her mother, whom she never knew. Through reading these accounts, she seeks answers while grappling with her mother's legacy—a woman torn between her commitment to her chosen family and her mission to guide humanity toward a better future.

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Price History

Kindle price over time. Green zones = periods when the book was free.

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Free$6.00$11.99Apr '23Jul '23Aug '24Jan '26Jun '26
$1.99$11.99

Currently on sale at $3.99 — 67% off peak. Price has dropped 7 times over the last 3 years. Goes on sale roughly every 182 days.

Sales Rank

Amazon sales rank: lower number = better selling book. #1 is the bestseller.

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#996#59,804#118,611Apr '23Dec '24Oct '25Jun '26

Currently around #10K in the Kindle store — a steady mid-list seller. Sales have softened 20% recently.

Rating & Reviews

Purple line = star rating over time. Blue area = total review count growth.

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4.0★4.5★5.0★May '23Dec '23Aug '24May '26RatingReviews

Currently 4.6★ from 10,779 reviews

Gaining approximately 82 new reviews per month. Steady word of mouth growth. Rating has remained stable at 4.6 over the tracking period.

Sale Prediction

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Free$6.00$11.99Apr '23Jul '23Aug '24Jan '26Jun '26PredictedJun '26

Actual Predicted

This book is currently discounted at $3.99. It typically returns to around $11.99.

Prices shown in USD from Amazon US. We continuously pull new data to improve tracking. If dates look old, it usually means there has been no significant change since the last data point.

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Octavia E. Butler

1 book on Vagrant Press

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