Praise for The Saga of Edda Earth
Interested in what other people have said about the series? Read on!
The Valkyrie
The Goddess Denied
Kirkus Reviews:
Diane Donovan,
senior eBooks reviewer,
Midwest Book Review:
"More than a mere adventure, the story succeeds in tapping into deeper ideas of religious tolerance and pluralism. Though some may find themselves lost in the vast sea of gods, rituals, violence, and beliefs, readers excited by a tour of this highly imaginative world will thoroughly enjoy the ride." --Kirkus Reviews
For full review, please see https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/deborah-l-davitt/valkyrie-davitt/.
Diane Donovan,
senior eBooks reviewer,
Midwest Book Review:
"The Valkyrie (The Saga of Edda-Earth Book 1) is a long, epic fantasy, suitable for readers who like their stories sweeping, their protagonists believable and compelling, and their fantasy worlds well-detailed and intricate. It's based on two historical concepts: what if Rome never fell, and what if magic was a real part of human experience?
. . . Be forewarned: this is no light, easy read. It takes a few chapters to fully absorb a cast of characters with different names and purposes, and a setting that is at once quite different from our world yet replete with similarities, right down to the blue jeans. . . . Within simple conversations are a wealth of insights into setting and characters which neatly set the stage for future motivation, actions, and reactions. . . .
Readers who look for sweeping sagas embracing political, historical and social change will welcome Davitt's approach to creating a more complex set of scenarios than the usual fantasy story offers. Think 'Tolkien' when placing her works into a similar category; because her attention to details of place, time, and the politics behind confrontations is just as well-wrought . . . .
The Valkyrie is world-building at its highest level: as such, its readers shouldn't be ones looking for a light fantasy adventure, but those who root out the few Tolkien-like epics in the fantasy genre, there to live amongst gods, monsters, and brave adventurers who traverse a dangerous world with purpose, courage, and visions of creation, recreation, and change.
It's this audience who will love what Deborah L. Davitt has achieved with The Valkyrie - and who will await further developments."
Full review at The Midwest Book Review and Donovan's Literary Services.
Book Two of 'The Saga of Edda-Earth' is just as multifaceted as its introductory predecessor The Valkyrie; so if it's casual fantasy and quickly-drawn worlds that are sought, move on. Unlike many a fantasy world, the story's time line is long and drawn out - but, in a good way. The action is based upon solid characterization and the focus on various gods at war with one another is injected with living, breathing fire that draws readers in and heats up the action.
Familiarity with the prior The Valkyrie is highly recommended; not for the usual reason (that a reader walking into the world of The Goddess Denied might be lost) but because characterization is so well drawn in its opening act that it would be a shame to walk into the show mid-performance and miss the highlights of its beginning.
Readers with this familiarity will find here all the elements of the prior book are expanded outward, like a big bang. . . .
This opener alone is quite extensively described, and forewarns of the depth and breadth of activity that follows; so once again: fantasy readers seeking light, fluffy reads should look elsewhere, while those who just can't seem to find enough of the "good stuff" (which translates to well-detailed plots, many characters, and layer upon layer of interaction and action) will find The Goddess Denied just perfect for a rainy day (or a series of them…).
The most powerful aspect of The Goddess Denied lies just in such depth, which is the driving force of a story replete with twists and turns. Prophecy, allies, enemies, and monsters juxtapose with the missing and the injured. Exotic spells (involving boiling the blood in a person's veins), sorcerers and sisters, stolen lives and fragile forms; all are interwoven into a world that is as well-detailed and absorbing as any Tolkien could have developed.
Even more notable are the human touches throughout which keep the characters grounded in reality and the action surrounding them a personal whirlwind of observation and emotion . . . .
Goddesses shorn of their wings. Mad gods and mankind. Curses, and legacies denied. All these elements are wound up in a story that is compelling, involved, and well-done: perfect for the fantasy reader who wants more of a literary work than the typical quick read affords.
Full review at The Midwest Book Review and at Donovan's Literary Services.
Joe Crowe of Revolution Science Fiction says:
"The story is complex and the details are the key. It's political intrigue mixed with alternate history mixed with mythology. Those are three good things when one doesn't overwhelm the other. Here, there is enough for fans of each one to come away thinking the book was all about their favorite."
http://revolutionsf.com/article.php?id=5734
Bekah of
Motherhood Moments:
Motherhood Moment blogger Bekah: has posted a review of The Valkyrie:
http://motherhood-moment.blogspot.com/2015/04/consumer-critique-valkyrie-block.html
And a review of The Goddess Denied, along with an interview with me!
http://motherhood-moment.blogspot.com/2015/03/consumer-critique-goddess-denied.html#comment-form
The Goddess Embraced
Diane Donovan,
senior eBooks reviewer,
Midwest Book Review:
The Valkyrie set this series in motion with a hard-hitting fantasy involving the modern Roman empire , a sorceress, murders of gods and mortals alike, and a plot that stretched through time to pit human people against the powers of the gods.
​The Goddess Denied continued the saga.
And now, there's The Goddess Embraced - a fiery saga of gods at war with one another, humans serving as collateral damage, and a struggle to avert the end of the world. With a large cast of characters, plenty of prior history, and a powerful story that picks up ten years after the last book ended, fantasy readers are in for an action-packed treat.
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Complex? Yes: casual readers need not apply. Accessible, satisfying, and thoroughly engrossing? Absolutely! Fantasy readers who like their stories wide-ranging, their protagonists numerous, and their fantasy worlds gripping and realistic will find The Goddess Embraced the perfect read.
Full review pending at The Midwest Book Review and Donovan's Literary Services.
Ave, Caesarion
Kirkus Reviews:
Diane Donovan,
senior eBooks reviewer,
Midwest Book Review:
"Davitt’s clever prose is historically and culturally informative . . . . She also writes politically grounded lines about Roman rule in an alternate past filled with dragons and magic, such as when Caesarion tells Alexander, “The problem, brother, isn’t conquering the world. It’s holding it.” Overall, Davitt marries a fantastic amount of detail to her irresistible wit and superior characterization, resulting in a winning series launch.
A scorching alternate-history adventure packed with romance and fantasy action."
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Full review (spoiler alert) at Kirkus Indie Reviews.
"Ave, Caesarion is Book 1 in 'The Rise of Caesarion's Rome ', and opens with a simple premise: what kind of world would evolve if Rome had never fallen? While Davitt's theme is part of her "Edda-Earth" series as a whole, it's particularly powerful in this book, where Caesar's survival and his son by Cleopatra has created an uncertain dynasty, a powerful political and psychic connection between Egypt and Rome, and two young people tasked with either supporting their world or challenging it.
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. . . That Eurydice often comes across as powerfully as the lead protagonist Caesarion is testimony to a wide-ranging attention to detail and psychological depth where individuals and society are well-drawn and their lives and influences much discussed.
Readers who enjoy alternate reality historical fantasies in general and depictions of early societies in particular will find
Ave, Caesarion as gripping, involving, and as real as today's modern world."
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Full review at The Midwest Book Review and Donovan's Literary Services.
You can also visit the Amazon.com page for reviews from readers in your own country. Edda-Earth has people talking from Argentina to Russia.
Join the conversation. And come live in my world.