Alpha Goddess by Amalie Howard (Review & Giveaway)

“People believe in a lot of different things, but at the core it’s all really the same—good versus evil, gods versus demons. But what people believe in may not be the whole reality; they could just be parts of one giant truth or versions of a single truth.”

In Serjana Caelum’s world, gods exist. So do goddesses. Sera knows this because she is one of them.

A secret long concealed by her parents, Sera is Lakshmi reborn, the human avatar of an immortal Indian goddess rumored to control all the planes of existence. Marked by the sigils of both heaven and hell, Sera’s avatar is meant to bring balance to the mortal world, but all she creates is chaos.

A chaos that Azrath, the Asura Lord of Death, hopes to use to unleash hell on earth.

Torn between reconciling her past and present, Sera must figure out how to stop Azrath before the Mortal Realm is destroyed. But trust doesn’t come easy in a world fissured by lies and betrayal. Her best friend Kyle is hiding his own dark secrets, and her mysterious new neighbor, Devendra, seems to know a lot more than he’s telling.

Struggling between her opposing halves and her attraction to the boys tied to each of them, Sera must become the goddess she was meant to be, or risk failing … sacrificing the world she was born to protect.

Book Links: Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

Personal Thoughts:

This is my first foray to Amalie Howard’s books. Though I’ve been getting a lot of positive things about her from other reader friends, I haven’t really got the chance to read any of her works until now.

The story follows Sera, a confess atheist who don’t believe in heaven nor hell. Soon she found out that she is a half Goddess and half demon and a reincarnation of an Indian Goddess. In her world there are three realm of existence – the Mortal world where human are living, the Illysia which is the counterpart of Heaven, and Xibalba the counterpart of Hell. Sera being half demon and half goddess is not only powerful but has a unique ability to travel on any world of existence. And with that ability she becomes the target of a powerful demon who wants to possess her to create hell on earth.

What I really like in this book is the Hindu mythology. I haven’t read much fiction stories that focus on it. Though I’m not that deeply familiar with Hindu itself, I still find their culture and traditions fascinating. I can’t vouch whether Amalie Howard’s take on Hindu myths in this book are true or not, but for a fictional world, I think Howard successfully delivered a believable story line in this book.

She did a successful job in balancing the mythology and fantasy aspects of the story. Not only the world is believable but also intricate and fascinating. If anything else, this book makes me want to read more about Hindu mythology or at least refresh my memory of the story of Ramayana.

Sera as a character was fierce and strong. It took a while for me to really care for her as lead but once she found out that she is a deity she become easily likeable, not because of the power she discover but because of the internal level of transition it made to her.

Nate, Sera’s younger brother is simply adorable. I love the kid! He is resourceful, witty, and smart. He add balance to this intricate world of gods, goddess, demons and hell by simply being more normal than the other.

Kyle, Sera’s best friend who possess an ability of his own is another interesting character. His struggle in doing good or evil is handle very well. It add complexity to his character and an interesting theme of choices and redemption for the story.

Another interesting character is Dev. Wish I could describe him more without giving too much details about his real identity, but since he is all mysterious let me leave it that way and let you find out on your own what he is really like. All I can tell for now is, I like his confidence and knowing answers that is surrounded with mystery.

“The evil that is in the world almost always comes of ignorance, and good intentions may do as much harm as malevolence if they lack understanding.”

With its rich mythology Alpha Goddess is a pleasing tale of a timeless love story that somehow raised an interesting questions about choices and beliefs. Amalie Howard successfully delivered a unique and intriguing take into an epic love story of Rama and Sita of Hindu mythology.

About the Author

A rising star among young adult writers, Amalie Howard developed a loyal following after releasing her debut book, “Bloodspell,” in 2011. Now, she is returning with five new books that are sure to excite her devoted fans and catch the attention of new readers.

A bookworm from the beginning, Howard grew up on a small island in the Caribbean with her nose buried in books. When she was just 13 years old, her poem “The Candle” was published in a University of Warwick journal, marking a sign of great things to come. Howard immersed herself into other cultures, globetrotting through 22 countries in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. After moving to the United States, she earned a bachelor’s degree in international studies and French from Colby College in Maine. She also holds a certificate in French literature from the Ecole Normale Superieure in Paris, France. Traveling around the world, Howard has lent talents as a research assistant, marketing representative, freelance writer, teen speaker, blogger and global sales executive.

Howard is a recipient of a Royal Commonwealth Society award, an international youth writing competition. She is also a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Howard’s first book, “Bloodspell” (June 2011, Langdon Street Press) earned rave reviews and was named a Seventeen Magazine Summer Beach Read. Readers will hear more from Howard as she releases a pair of two-book series, “Waterfell” (November 2013, Harlequin TEEN) and “The Almost Girl” (January 2014, Strange Chemistry), as well as “Alpha Goddess” (March 2014, Skyhorse/Sky Pony Press) over the next two years.

Howard lives in New York with her husband, three children and one willful feline that she is convinced may have been a witch’s cat in a past life.

Find Amalie

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

The Giveaway:

What’s up for Grabs?

Win the following books!

 

The Rules:

• Open to ALL / International
• Check the rafflecopter form for more details

To enter fill out the rafflecopter form

Good Luck!!!