#Blogtour Goddess With A Thousand Faces by Jasmine Elmer

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Goddess With A Thousand Faces by Jasmine Elmer, published by Renegade Books - 12th September 2024.

About the Author

Jasmine Elmer is a straight-talking ancient world expert. Deciding her subject needed a 'glow up', she began her mission in 2020 to make the subject relatable and representative. Outside of writing, she spends her time bringing that energy to television screens, appearing on broadcast channels such as Channel 4, Channel 5 and National Geographic, as well as hosting and featuring on many podcasts. Her podcast Legit Classics has a mission to make everyone love the Classics as much as she does.

Her debut book Goddess with a Thousand Faces is a bold exploration of world goddesses, blending storytelling with historical fact. It follows years of research as a student at universities like UCL, Cambridge and Exeter and a career as a secondary school teacher of Classics. 

She is of dual heritage, Pakistani and white, and her mother was born in Canada. She grew up in East London but now lives in Exeter, Devon with her husband and son. She has five cats and is absolutely not ashamed of that fact! When she has some downtime, she loves spending time in nature, curling up with a good book and a hot choc, and having a laugh with her friends. She flits between meditation and being frazzled. Such is life. Follow @jasmine_elmer on X, more about Jasmine here: legitclassicist

About the book

Goddess with a Thousand Faces is the first of its kind, blending multiple genres to create an accessible read for everyone. It offers a fresh and necessary perspective on the ancient world, transcending culture, race and time.

Steeped in ancient magic, dark divinity and wild ways, Goddess with a Thousand Faces takes you on a historical journey like no other...

Blending mythological retellings with historical research, and stunning illustrations, Goddess with a Thousand Faces traverses the world and transports through time to bring ten formidable and inspiring ancient goddesses to life. Meet Artemis, the Greek goddess of the wilderness, never without her bow and arrow; Sedna, Inuit goddess of the ocean, guarding the icy waters and all its creatures; Isis, Egyptian goddess of healing, who dwells by the River Nile, just to name a few...

Jasmine Elmer explores these goddesses of our past, uncovering their truths, their rebellion and their freedom. For too long, they have been written out of history; lost to the sands of time and stamped into silence. Goddess with a Thousand Faces restores these women to their deserving glory.

Pour over this treasure trove of myths, legends and mighty goddesses. Hear the messages echoing through the ages and see yourself in the faces of these icons. For while their stories might be ancient, today they are more important – and more powerful – than ever.

A treasure trove of beautiful storytelling and ancient wisdom, perfect for fans of Love in Colour by Bolu Babalola and Storyland by Amy Jeffs. Goddess with a Thousand Faces will be available to buy from bookshops on 12th September 2024 ahead of a major TV project of Jasmine’s – yet to be announced – which is due to air next year.

Jasmine Elmer is an expert in the classics who wants the subject to be relatable and easily accessible for all to understand. She has directed much of her passion into widening participation in the subject for all.

Review

I'd love to know how other readers felt at the beginning of this reading journey and then towards the end, especially after reading the afterword. It really puts a different slant on things. I also think that is indicative of the general gist of this book. What we see, what we are told, where and with whom do we connect, why and what that says about our own experiences in life.

Not gonna lie, the first goddess we encounter, her story made me have a core reaction of anger. There is an element of control, choice and ownership - I'll give Freyja and the author that. My gut was screaming misogyny, patriarchy and the injustice of it all. Along the way the bigger picture becomes more evident.

In the end the book - and I'm sure opinions can differ on whether it is our perspective or the perspective of others - is a canvas of womanhood. A multi faceted kaleidoscope of the strengths, characteristics, personalities, experiences of the women - the goddesses, and how it relates to women of today.

I really enjoyed the read and highly recommend it, and also hope there will be more of this genre bending material from this particular author.

I can't leave a review without mentioning the stunning hardback cover and the art for each goddess. at the start of every chapter. It gives the story the other-worldly feeling it deserves, and yet simultaneously it is a story grounded with facts - which creates a reading experience like no other. The cover and the story stays with you. It made me want to shout - Awaken and Fight. We are all of them and they are each one of us.

Buy Goddess with a Thousand Faces at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Published by Renegade Books, pub date 12th September 2024 Hardback | £22.00. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour The Change by Kirsten Miller

It's an absolute pleasure to take part in the Blogtour The Change by Kirsten Miller.

About the Author

Kirsten Miller is an outstanding feminist author in the YA and children's space, who spent twenty-five years as a strategist in the advertising industry. During that time, she worked for some of the largest agencies in the world - including J Walter Thompson, DDB, Lowe, and Ogilvy & Mather - as well as boutique agencies and an eight-person start-up. 

She's proud to have quit a senior job at one of the most famous ad agencies in America over an ad that's described in The Change. The Change is her first adult novel. Follow @bankstirregular on Twitter

About the book

Nessa: The Seeker, Harriett: The Punisher, Jo: The Protector - with new-found powers the time has come to take matters into their own hands...

After Nessa is widowed and her daughters leave for college, she's left alone in her house near the ocean. In the quiet hours, she hears voices belonging to the dead - who will speak to her.

On the cusp of fifty Harriett's marriage and career imploded, and she hasn't left her house in months. But her life is far from over - in fact, she's undergone a stunning metamorphosis.

Jo spent thirty years at war with her body. The rage that arrived with menopause felt like the last straw - until she discovers she's able to channel it.

Guided by voices only Nessa can hear, the trio discover the abandoned body of a teenage girl. The police have written off the victim. But the women have not. Their own investigations lead them to more bodies and a world and wealth where the rules don't apply - and the realisation that laws are designed to protect villains, not the vulnerable.

Review

This has got to be one of the most interesting melding of genres I have read in a long time. It's a tale of empowerment, of sisterhood, and of being invisible in plain sight. It's also a tale of the biological monster that lurks within us and how easy it is to dismiss women when they hit a certain age, and of course how many girls and women sink into the pages of history without leaving a footnote behind. there's a reason for that of course, one that is ingrained deep into society.

Jo, Nessa and Harriett couldn't be more different, and yet there is a common denominator. The kind of bond that links all women, because although some elements may be different there is no escaping certain biological changes or womanhood in general.

Harriett is considered to be the betrayed woman, who has lost her sanity and acquired a bit of a reputation in town. Jo has always been at odds with the way her life has been controlled by her body, now it's time to channel the rage that burns within her. Then there is Nessa, the woman with a gift of bringing members of the sisterhood home, when they are lost.

If this is optioned for the screen, and it absolutely should be, then I hope that the powers that be cast women of an appropriate age-range, and not younger women acting said age. If not, the whole concept and story would be submerged in the industry norm, and it would lose the power it contains and emits.

I enjoyed it so much I have bought copies for women who need to read this - it hits a lot of the right notes when it comes to reaching a certain age as a woman, and indeed when they start to navigate the erratic and bountiful nuances of the change. Yes, I am being simultaneously polite and facetious when it comes to the great biological power of the menopause.

Even if this is a story filled with magical realism, built upon a foundation of women and their individual experiences, which are often similar in tone and nature, it is also a riveting story of mystery and murder. A crime read with the frank intensity of Blackwell's Sound of her Voice. The truth about the worth of girls, women and their lives, and how expendable they are. It gives this read the feel of an intense thriller.

The true intensity however is driven by the power within each woman. The comparison between the powers and the upheavals women go through during life and the change is really well written. Ah, were we but able to throw off the invisible chains of societal norms and misconceptions, to avert the labels of crazy, angry or vengeful.

I can't recommend this enough - it is an incredible read. 

Buy The Change at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com. Buy via Harper Collins.