The Reluctant Goddess

A. F. Firebird

Synopsis:

Ellena Ripley is a bookshop owner from a rural town in the south of England - or so she thinks. But lately, she has a growing sense that life is not as it seems. At night, she dreams of a serene man who appears to be trying to tell her something; In the day, she can't shake a feeling of expectation. But of what?
Meanwhile Hector, servant of LIFE and the man from Ellena's dreams, has a dilemma. How do you tell someone they are a goddess? His previous attempts have met with disaster so he must be cautious, particularly when his new trainee, Boudica, formerly Queen of the Iceni tries to help. The question is can they succeed before it is too late?

Author interview responses for Reluctant Goddess:

Why is she a goddess? Bloodline or just selected?

Neither bloodline or selected. The Reluctant Goddess takes a different view of what it means to be a goddess. In the book, Quan Yin, the goddess of compassion, is trying to incarnate on Earth. In order to do that, the host she is born into must realise her true nature and in doing so manifest the virtue of compassion on Earth. Quan Yin has attempted incarnation many times at the start of the book, but even with Hector's help she has yet to succeed.

What is LIFE? Is it life in general that Hector is a servant of?

LIFE is a consciousness that is everything in the world, solar system, galaxy, universe and multiverse and beyond. It is everything in time and outside time, which makes being its servant a very difficult job.

Are there paranormal books in her bookstore that she can read for enjoyment and/or use as a resource to learn about herself?

Yes, the bookstore has a very eclectic mix of fiction and non-fiction, and Ellena reads everything and anything. We don't see her picking up a paranormal book but we do see the books trying to talk to her even if she can't hear them.

What will happen if Ellena can not be convinced?

If Ellena is not able to realise her goddess self, then Quan Yin and her helpers will have to start again. It will also mean that the world will continue to suffer. For Hector, since this is the forty-second attempt, it may mean he will succumb to the despair that he has battled for so many centuries. If that happens he could begin to use his limitless powers to punish humanity for their unwillingness to evolve.

Also, Hector will certainly be found guilty of incompetence by the Multiverse Council. Once convicted he could be sent to some pre-sentient backwater in the multiverse, far from Earth, where his job will be looking after single celled organisms as they begin to evolve. That is if someone from the council can capture him, while he is on a despair fuelled rampage!

What would you like my readers to know?

The follow up to “The Reluctant Goddess” is in progress. Readers that would like to receive excerpts from the new novel as it progresses can send me an email here:

http://www.posegroup.org/books/trg/forms/contact.html

My Review:

This was a different take on reincarnation. The fate of the world depends on the Hector's success. I also liked that she had dreams of who she is supposed to become. Ellena works in a bookstore, and has no idea what is happening to her. She dreams of strange men and has weird feelings during the day. Will she be able to accept her fate? When will she finally let her inner goddess come out?

Hector is depending on Ellena to save everyone, including himself. He does not want to face the council.

I liked this book, and I would love to buy books in Ellena's book store. The characters were fun to watch and I really enjoyed the way Ellena progressed in the book. The ending was enjoyable, but not really surprising for me. I am giving this book a 3/5. I was given a copy to review, however all opinions are my own.

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