Review: Goddess Born by Kari Edgren

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goddess Born by Kari Edgren is a very interesting tale.  It has a lot going on between those pages.  First off it is a historical novel that takes place in Pennsylvania during 1730.  Our heroine, Selah Kilbrid, lives on her dying father’s plantation in a predominant Quaker community.  Her father knows he does not have long to live, so he sends Selah off to go meet her betrothed who is coming from Ireland and who is also her cousin.  This is not a spoiler, but she needs to marry her cousin as this family has a secret.  She is a direct descendent of the goddess Brigid.  So she is half mortal.  Now being a descendent of Brigid does not make her immortal but it gives her a gift, which is healing.  She also has rules she must follow in regards to this gift by the goddess.  Her mother and grandmother before her were also healers.   She was also taught to hide her gift so as not to be thought of as a witch. 

 When she goes to meet her betrothed she finds out from the ship’s captain, that her cousin died on his way over to America and was buried at sea.  Not knowing what to do, since her father really put a lot of faith in this plan to save her from an unwanted suitor, she happens upon an auction for indentured servants.  Getting into a bidding war with an unscrupulous merchant she bids and wins the indenture of a young gentleman who had caught her eye.

Needing to come back married to escape the advances and threats of Nathan (the unwanted suitor) who is also a prominent Quaker minister, Selah devises a most daring plan.  She decides to set up an elaborate lie that this indentured servant will become her cousin and indeed will be her “husband”.   After the town is convinced, he may have his freedom. 

We then have a love hate relationship between the two, and our so called “hero” has a good many secrets that he is keeping to himself. Some that are slowly revealed in the story.  I look forward to reading more by Kari Edgren and I hope she continues this story.  It did not end on cliffhanger so to speak, as this was more of Selah’s story and that wraps up nicely.  However, our hero has his own story to tell and I am curious. So if you like a historical with romance and a bit of paranormal fantasy, give this rather clean story a try.   I was given this book by the author however the opinions are my own.