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Daughters of the People #1
The Prophecy
Maya Bellegarde has spent her entire life searching for a way to break the curse that hangs over her and her People. When an anomalous burial is discovered at a Swedish archaeological dig, Maya hopes that the cache of documents found there will help break that curse.
Hope of another kind comes when Maya meets James Terhune, an attractive language expert who agrees to help her translate the documents. As the two race to uncover the secrets of the grave, their attraction grows, in spite of Maya's inability to trust James with her most sacred secret.
When an ancient enemy resurfaces, it threatens not just their deepening relationship, but the lives of the people they love, and sets in motion a chain of events that could save the People...or destroy them.
Hope of another kind comes when Maya meets James Terhune, an attractive language expert who agrees to help her translate the documents. As the two race to uncover the secrets of the grave, their attraction grows, in spite of Maya's inability to trust James with her most sacred secret.
When an ancient enemy resurfaces, it threatens not just their deepening relationship, but the lives of the people they love, and sets in motion a chain of events that could save the People...or destroy them.
242 pages, Paperback
First published February 10, 2014
56 people are currently reading
1071 people want to read
About the author
Lucy Varna
25 books140 followersLucy Varna is a former professional genealogist and a one-time astrophysicist-wannabe turned anthropology major. She's been a reader for as long as she can remember. As a child, after devouring every suitable book in her house, she moved on to newspapers, encyclopedias, and telephone directories, and finally to her grandmothers' home libraries.
In addition to reading, writing, and studying dead people, Lucy enjoys knitting, music, and long drives through the countryside during autumn. She lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of northeast Georgia, surrounded by a large, extended family, where she also writes Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Mystery under the name Celia Roman.
In addition to reading, writing, and studying dead people, Lucy enjoys knitting, music, and long drives through the countryside during autumn. She lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of northeast Georgia, surrounded by a large, extended family, where she also writes Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Mystery under the name Celia Roman.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 19, 2014
*SPOILERS INCLUDED*
*I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review*
This book was a very unique read! I loved the archaeology idea and setting. A few times when Maya or James went into detail about their job or the process/findings I became a bit lost and bored. I think maybe if we could learn more early in the story what the actual term "Daughters of the People" meant and what the whole "curse" was it would make the story better. I found I was a bit confused well through half the story until I read what it all meant. There was lots of archaeologist terms that made no sense and I skimmed past lots of them. I was confused when I was introduced to Dave the first time, wondering whether he was good or bad.
I thought James and Maya were excellent characters with powerful personalities. Their children were great, too. I absolutely loved Maya's relationship with her daughter Dierdre (did I spell that correctly?). India was interesting, too. And I fell in love with the scene where Maya and India fight. I experienced female pride for Maya because she was a strong, independent woman, and not a damsel in distress. The enemy in the story sounded like a beautiful monster— which I suppose he was. When Maya gets shot, that added great suspense. The sex was bangin'— literally. I thought James was a real sweetie, with him being shy and whatnot. But I'm with Maya in the hopes that he gets more bold and brave when it comes to their relationship. I was so glad that James's daughter and Maya's daughter became such good friends. And I sincerely hope that in the next book (which I'm about to start after this review) start something up between them because they have good potential to be another relationship in the story. I hope we get to see more of Indigo and also Maya's eldest daughter, too. Great ideas! I worship authors like this who can use their imaginations so well! I'm off to the second book now!
*I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review*
This book was a very unique read! I loved the archaeology idea and setting. A few times when Maya or James went into detail about their job or the process/findings I became a bit lost and bored. I think maybe if we could learn more early in the story what the actual term "Daughters of the People" meant and what the whole "curse" was it would make the story better. I found I was a bit confused well through half the story until I read what it all meant. There was lots of archaeologist terms that made no sense and I skimmed past lots of them. I was confused when I was introduced to Dave the first time, wondering whether he was good or bad.
I thought James and Maya were excellent characters with powerful personalities. Their children were great, too. I absolutely loved Maya's relationship with her daughter Dierdre (did I spell that correctly?). India was interesting, too. And I fell in love with the scene where Maya and India fight. I experienced female pride for Maya because she was a strong, independent woman, and not a damsel in distress. The enemy in the story sounded like a beautiful monster— which I suppose he was. When Maya gets shot, that added great suspense. The sex was bangin'— literally. I thought James was a real sweetie, with him being shy and whatnot. But I'm with Maya in the hopes that he gets more bold and brave when it comes to their relationship. I was so glad that James's daughter and Maya's daughter became such good friends. And I sincerely hope that in the next book (which I'm about to start after this review) start something up between them because they have good potential to be another relationship in the story. I hope we get to see more of Indigo and also Maya's eldest daughter, too. Great ideas! I worship authors like this who can use their imaginations so well! I'm off to the second book now!
March 27, 2019
The Prophecy is the first book in the Daughters of the People series. This can be read as a standalone, though it is clear from the book ending that the story continues. There is some violence and sex. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more of this series. This storyline combines both PNR Suspense as well as Archeology. I hope the rest of the series is as good as this book was.
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March 24, 2020🎁 Books 1 -3 in the series are FREE on Amazon today (3/24/2020)! 🎁
June 27, 2016
This was a great start to the series. I was captivated by the story of the People and how the mythology was weaved with history. As I mentioned in my review of “The Enemy Within”, Varna cleverly layers romance and mystery on top of an adventure without detriment to any of the genres. As adventure novels alone, I would have loved the series.
Packed into the “The Prophecy” we learn about the curse the People live with and how each woman must struggle with their challenge individually. Maya is endearing, strong and a wonderful role model with her managing her daughter as a single parent. I love her interaction with her daughter; such a good portrayal of a precocious 13-yr old. I’d highly recommend this series to folks looking for a little of everything in a fun and modern mythological tale.
Warning: Contains repeated sexual content and some violence.
Please note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review courtesy of the Enchanted Book Tours promotion for “The Enemy Within”.
Rating: 5 stars!
Who should read it? Folks who enjoy fantasy, mystery and romance rolled into one!
See all my reviews and more at www.ReadingToDistraction.com or @Read2Distract
Read for the First time in Jan 5, 2015
Packed into the “The Prophecy” we learn about the curse the People live with and how each woman must struggle with their challenge individually. Maya is endearing, strong and a wonderful role model with her managing her daughter as a single parent. I love her interaction with her daughter; such a good portrayal of a precocious 13-yr old. I’d highly recommend this series to folks looking for a little of everything in a fun and modern mythological tale.
Warning: Contains repeated sexual content and some violence.
Please note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review courtesy of the Enchanted Book Tours promotion for “The Enemy Within”.
Rating: 5 stars!
Who should read it? Folks who enjoy fantasy, mystery and romance rolled into one!
See all my reviews and more at www.ReadingToDistraction.com or @Read2Distract
Read for the First time in Jan 5, 2015
October 21, 2014
Having a passion for PNR I was thrilled to find this book added new and intriguing elements to the paranormal genre. An enjoyable read that really got better as the story progressed. Daughters of the People! Strong female characters nothing wrong with that.
I liked the concept that they consider their immortality a curse and what the author wrote as a way for the Daughters to break it..
The dialogue between James and Maya did get a little slow in places, but with the addition of other characters including two teenage daughters, a little romance as well as the developing story of Dani and Dave( which I'm hoping to read more about)made that easy to over look.
What is the Prophecy?
I'm not one to give things away so would suggest reading it.
The story with many interesting developments has left me asking what will happen next.
Looking forward to reading the next book.
*I received this book in exchange for an honest review*
I liked the concept that they consider their immortality a curse and what the author wrote as a way for the Daughters to break it..
The dialogue between James and Maya did get a little slow in places, but with the addition of other characters including two teenage daughters, a little romance as well as the developing story of Dani and Dave( which I'm hoping to read more about)made that easy to over look.
What is the Prophecy?
I'm not one to give things away so would suggest reading it.
The story with many interesting developments has left me asking what will happen next.
Looking forward to reading the next book.
*I received this book in exchange for an honest review*
December 26, 2015
I received The Prophecy as an ARC (advance reader's copy) book from Reading Deals. The gifting did not determine the review/rating, which reflects my honest opinion. I had a hard time getting through this story. Too many characters introduced for it's complex story line, and I never really grew to like Maya too much, so I was impatient to finish the story. The concept was excellent, although I'm not sure how immortality would be a curse. It might have been more understandable to the reader, if the author explored why the women weren't enjoying their long lives.
January 17, 2015
This book caught me by surprise. I really enjoyed it.
September 29, 2016
Good story, but can be a little confusing. The prologue grabbed me fairly quickly, but then jumps to the future and it takes a while to understand that not much of what happened to the sisters would be told in this book. I really wanted to know what happened to them and it isn't until about 3/4 of the way through that we learn more of their fate. That isn't to say that I did not come to quickly enjoy reading about Maya and Dani. I have to admit, I liked them both for very different reasons. Maya was intelligent, strong, and level-headed, whereas Dani was independent, tough, and yet fun. When the story jumped between them, I actually enjoyed it. There are times when jumping around seems to happen during really good parts so I resent those leaps, but these were both interesting women and what they were doing tied into the overall story so I looked forward to both. James was sweet rather than nerdy or overwhelming male. I liked knowing she was so strong, but he was still a good match for her when he was obviously a little outside of his comfort level and in some ways, she was more dominant. It wasn't in an obvious way and their interactions, along with their families really worked.
A very good intro to the series and I can't wait to continue with the next book. I'm definitely interested in seeing Dani meet her match (although I suspect she has), and the storyline itself has become quite intriguing with the awakening of the oracle, the mysterious woman, and the details of the prophecy.
A very good intro to the series and I can't wait to continue with the next book. I'm definitely interested in seeing Dani meet her match (although I suspect she has), and the storyline itself has become quite intriguing with the awakening of the oracle, the mysterious woman, and the details of the prophecy.
April 1, 2016
This is the first in the series, Daughters of the People.
Maya Bellegarde works for the Institute of Early Cultural Studies. She is also a Daughter, one that is an immortal. She and the rest of the Daughters are wanting to break the curse of immortality and also to be able to have a son, since immortals are only able to have daughters. She is called to an archeological site where a body with an arm band and other artifacts have been found. There she meets James Terhune and they both feel an attraction to each other. But the artifacts have been stolen and it's up to the Daughters and Terhune to find them. Will they find the artifacts and also who is behind it, and will they find how to break the immortality?
I like how this book gives you the background of the seven daughters and the beginnings of the Amazon women. The idea of being immortal may be something that some people could want but I doubt I would be happy with it, watching people grow old before my eyes while I didn't. So I can understand why these women would want to break the curse. Ms. Varna knows how to layer the romance, mystery, history and adventure to make it a great story. One that I think others would find appealing and one to follow. I'd like to read the rest of the series.
I won this book on a Goodreads giveaway.
Maya Bellegarde works for the Institute of Early Cultural Studies. She is also a Daughter, one that is an immortal. She and the rest of the Daughters are wanting to break the curse of immortality and also to be able to have a son, since immortals are only able to have daughters. She is called to an archeological site where a body with an arm band and other artifacts have been found. There she meets James Terhune and they both feel an attraction to each other. But the artifacts have been stolen and it's up to the Daughters and Terhune to find them. Will they find the artifacts and also who is behind it, and will they find how to break the immortality?
I like how this book gives you the background of the seven daughters and the beginnings of the Amazon women. The idea of being immortal may be something that some people could want but I doubt I would be happy with it, watching people grow old before my eyes while I didn't. So I can understand why these women would want to break the curse. Ms. Varna knows how to layer the romance, mystery, history and adventure to make it a great story. One that I think others would find appealing and one to follow. I'd like to read the rest of the series.
I won this book on a Goodreads giveaway.
February 23, 2016
This standalone series opener lays the groundwork for Daughters of the People, about a race of Amazons descended from seven sister's. Maya Bellegarde, a Daughter, works for the Institute for Early Cultural Studies. She has been called to an archeological site where the bodies of several ancient women have been discovered. James Terhune is an expert in obscure ancient languages, also consulting on the site. Before artifacts can be secured and transported, however, they are stolen from the site. Traveling to IECS and working from pictures of the artifacts, James begins to piece together fragments of text that lead to secrets that Maya isn't ready to share. Because they will initiate what she's sure will send James running from a truth that he won't be able to accept. Including the reemergence of an enemy set on destroying three Daughters.
April 17, 2015
Science and faith. Believing all things are possible
This book had all the qualities of a good read.
Action, suspense, mystery and of course love. Strength of the Women was wonderfully designed to where it didn't seem false or egotistical. More like matriarch of righteous goodness. Mystical in power. Necessary to make the story believable.
I'm not keen on sequels. With that said at the end of the book I didn't feel it left you hanging. But a possible promise of something just as entertaining with the next story.
This book had all the qualities of a good read.
Action, suspense, mystery and of course love. Strength of the Women was wonderfully designed to where it didn't seem false or egotistical. More like matriarch of righteous goodness. Mystical in power. Necessary to make the story believable.
I'm not keen on sequels. With that said at the end of the book I didn't feel it left you hanging. But a possible promise of something just as entertaining with the next story.
November 1, 2016
This book introduces you to an interesting series about a race of women who struggle with their curse. They are strong women who work hard to break the curse and keep their secrets at great cost. In addition to the great mythology and strong, female characters, you also get a very good romance. It is a creative storyline that hooked me in and left me eager to read more.
April 10, 2016
Great Book
I enjoyed the book immensely and the author is very creative. The characters were awesome, full of surprises and lot of action to keep you on your edge of your seat. A must buy and keep them coming.
I enjoyed the book immensely and the author is very creative. The characters were awesome, full of surprises and lot of action to keep you on your edge of your seat. A must buy and keep them coming.
February 28, 2017
Loved It!
I thoroughly enjoyed this different take on the Amazonian women's mythology and the inclusion of the Native American history as well. The book was well written and original. Other than that I won't say as I hate to spoil a good book!
I thoroughly enjoyed this different take on the Amazonian women's mythology and the inclusion of the Native American history as well. The book was well written and original. Other than that I won't say as I hate to spoil a good book!
June 10, 2015
Great read!! It does end abruptly!!
Want to read
April 5, 2024Prch Amz March 24, 2020
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews