Goddess Crown

Kalothia, has spent her life in a remote part of the country, in what appears to be a West African environment.  She has been told that it is because her parents had displeased the king and her life is at risk.  Her life is then thrown into turmoil when her guardians are killed and an attempt is made on her own life.  It is only with the help of Nahir, her friend and bodyguard that she escapes, but then finds herself at the royal court; it is there that she discovers that she is the heir to the kingdom and that she is going to have to fight for her place on the throne.  What follows is a fantastic story of intrigue, double-cross and more than a hint of magic.

The first thing to say about this story is about the totally stunning cover, with its nod to West African costume and the gilded halo that surrounds the figure of Kalothia.   Whilst her country reveres a Goddess as their deity, this has not spread out into the general way that women are regarded.  In an extremely patriarchal society, women are not even treated as second class, so how is Kalothia going to gain the throne and be something other than just a figurehead, manipulated by the surrounding courtiers?  However there appear to be hidden enemies lurking in the background and the young heroine faces an almost impossible task in recognising who she can trust.  This story may be set in a fantasy world, but the issues that it raises are still too common in our own world today.  I have been writing this as we mark ‘International Women’s Day’ and it is a sad fact that women are still facing the age-old problems of being ignored, abused and unrepresented.  It needs stories like this to show strong female role models, who are not prepared to just give in to the prejudices and practices of the past.  This is a very readable story with a strong moral message and I strongly recommend it for the 12+ audience.

Cross M