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The Goddess Binding
Epic Fantasy full of adventure for all from 10 to 100+
100 years ago they closed their doors. Now it’s time to open them and explore.
Alira, the daughter of a vagabond, has lived her entire life in the House of the Earth Queen, an isolated clustering of underground dwellings surrounding a single hot spring. She has never seen beyond Persephone’s realm; she’s never wanted to. All she’s ever wanted is to fit in.
When the scalding spring cripples the house professor, everyone feels lost. The spring is supposed to heal, but now it seems no less dangerous than fire. In the chaos, Alira sees a chance to restore balance, improve their lives and, most importantly, earn the respect she has always craved. In order to do so, she must leave her home and venture into houses unseen for almost a century.
Most are happy to see her go. To them, she’s just one less mouth to feed.
They’re less happy to see Clay leave. Their prized hunter, one of few that can handle fire, is intrigued by Alira’s mission. He offers to join her, hoping his service will earn him back the favor of a lost friend.
Will Alira succeed in earning a place among her people? Will Clay be able to protect her when it’s too late to turn back? Will they alone be able to restore balance?
Find out while falling in love with a cast of characters from all of the houses of Rhizole.
An epic fantasy full of adventure, action, mystery and some romance perfect for teens and adults.
Enjoy this book with your kids and family.
The adventure begins right now!
_____________________________________________________________________
About this
Epic fantasy, action & adventure, coming of age, fantasy with mythology & no magic.
Middle-grade, teen, young adult, adult.
Continent in quasi-medieval times, similar to Avatar, The Last Airbender
Reader 10+
Explicit Mild.
It is an ongoing series.
Similar/influenced Lord of the Rings, Percy Jackson, Avatar, The Last Airbender, and The Traitor’s Son. _____________________________________________________________________
The Underworld Rising
1. The Goddess Binding
2. Coming in 2025
3. Coming in 2025
_____________________________________________________________________
A trilogy that will keep you on your toes!
Epic fantasy for the whole family!
100 years ago they closed their doors. Now it’s time to open them and explore.
Alira, the daughter of a vagabond, has lived her entire life in the House of the Earth Queen, an isolated clustering of underground dwellings surrounding a single hot spring. She has never seen beyond Persephone’s realm; she’s never wanted to. All she’s ever wanted is to fit in.
When the scalding spring cripples the house professor, everyone feels lost. The spring is supposed to heal, but now it seems no less dangerous than fire. In the chaos, Alira sees a chance to restore balance, improve their lives and, most importantly, earn the respect she has always craved. In order to do so, she must leave her home and venture into houses unseen for almost a century.
Most are happy to see her go. To them, she’s just one less mouth to feed.
They’re less happy to see Clay leave. Their prized hunter, one of few that can handle fire, is intrigued by Alira’s mission. He offers to join her, hoping his service will earn him back the favor of a lost friend.
Will Alira succeed in earning a place among her people? Will Clay be able to protect her when it’s too late to turn back? Will they alone be able to restore balance?
Find out while falling in love with a cast of characters from all of the houses of Rhizole.
An epic fantasy full of adventure, action, mystery and some romance perfect for teens and adults.
Enjoy this book with your kids and family.
The adventure begins right now!
_____________________________________________________________________
About this
Epic fantasy, action & adventure, coming of age, fantasy with mythology & no magic.
Middle-grade, teen, young adult, adult.
Continent in quasi-medieval times, similar to Avatar, The Last Airbender
Reader 10+
Explicit Mild.
It is an ongoing series.
Similar/influenced Lord of the Rings, Percy Jackson, Avatar, The Last Airbender, and The Traitor’s Son. _____________________________________________________________________
The Underworld Rising
1. The Goddess Binding
2. Coming in 2025
3. Coming in 2025
_____________________________________________________________________
A trilogy that will keep you on your toes!
Epic fantasy for the whole family!
298 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 1, 2024
18 people want to read
About the author
Lydia Ruanna
3 books3 followersI am Lydia Ruanna, an American author of young adult fantasy keen on sharing the non-magical and yet fantastical world of The Goddess Binding with readers everywhere.
I've written stories and ideas down since I was able to hold a pencil, but imposter syndrome led me on a rollercoaster of false starts.
Throughout my life I have followed passion first. First, I followed my passion for nature, earning my bachelor's in wildlife ecology from the University of Maine in 2017.
After graduation, I pursued a post-graduate certificate in Geographic Information Systems, developing a passion for maps.
When Covid hit, I picked up a pencil again, spilling out my emotions into my poetry and escaping into worlds through fiction.
My debut fantasy, The Goddess Binding, is my first foray into being an author, but I have many plans for this series and I hope you, my readers, will join me for this exciting ride.
I've written stories and ideas down since I was able to hold a pencil, but imposter syndrome led me on a rollercoaster of false starts.
Throughout my life I have followed passion first. First, I followed my passion for nature, earning my bachelor's in wildlife ecology from the University of Maine in 2017.
After graduation, I pursued a post-graduate certificate in Geographic Information Systems, developing a passion for maps.
When Covid hit, I picked up a pencil again, spilling out my emotions into my poetry and escaping into worlds through fiction.
My debut fantasy, The Goddess Binding, is my first foray into being an author, but I have many plans for this series and I hope you, my readers, will join me for this exciting ride.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 3, 2024
The goddess Binding by Lydia Ruanna
Rating ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Book Overview
Alira, the daughter of a vagabond, has lived her entire life in the House of the Earth Queen, an isolated clustering of underground dwellings surrounding a single hot spring. She has never seen beyond Persephone’s realm; she’s never wanted to. All she’s ever wanted is to fit in.
When the hot spring scalds the house professor, everyone feels lost. The spring is supposed to heal, but now it seems no less dangerous than fire. In the chaos, Alira sees a chance to restore balance, improve their lives and, most importantly, earn the respect she has always craved. In order to do so, she must leave her home and venture into houses unseen for almost a century.
Most are happy to see her go. To them, she’s just one less mouth to feed.
They’re less happy to see Clay leave. Their prized hunter, one of few that can handle fire, is intrigued by Alira’s mission. He offers to join her, hoping his service will earn him back the favor of a lost friend.
Will Alira succeed in earning a place among her people? Will Clay be able to protect her when it’s too late to turn back? Will they alone be able to restore balance?
I honestly thought I was going to love this, it's not a bad book I liked the characters and I did enjoy parts of the story however it did fall a little flat for me.
I think I was expecting a bit more adventure and more to be popping off than what actually went down.
That being said this is just the first book in a sereis so the story will continue and I'm hoping that this book was just world building and getting to know the characters and book 2 will have more adventure and alot more going on.
Rating ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Book Overview
Alira, the daughter of a vagabond, has lived her entire life in the House of the Earth Queen, an isolated clustering of underground dwellings surrounding a single hot spring. She has never seen beyond Persephone’s realm; she’s never wanted to. All she’s ever wanted is to fit in.
When the hot spring scalds the house professor, everyone feels lost. The spring is supposed to heal, but now it seems no less dangerous than fire. In the chaos, Alira sees a chance to restore balance, improve their lives and, most importantly, earn the respect she has always craved. In order to do so, she must leave her home and venture into houses unseen for almost a century.
Most are happy to see her go. To them, she’s just one less mouth to feed.
They’re less happy to see Clay leave. Their prized hunter, one of few that can handle fire, is intrigued by Alira’s mission. He offers to join her, hoping his service will earn him back the favor of a lost friend.
Will Alira succeed in earning a place among her people? Will Clay be able to protect her when it’s too late to turn back? Will they alone be able to restore balance?
I honestly thought I was going to love this, it's not a bad book I liked the characters and I did enjoy parts of the story however it did fall a little flat for me.
I think I was expecting a bit more adventure and more to be popping off than what actually went down.
That being said this is just the first book in a sereis so the story will continue and I'm hoping that this book was just world building and getting to know the characters and book 2 will have more adventure and alot more going on.
Read
September 10, 2024The world building is so amazing! Each house feels like a different world. There are so many different ways to live life in this book, and Alira has made it her mission to figure out how her house can grow and learn from the others. I felt so close to these characters, and it broke my heart that as amazing as Alira is, she had always been an outcast just because she is different. She just wants to fit in and be accepted. After finding the map and someone to go with her, she is determined to make a name for herself. The journey has so many twists and turns. The amount of detail and effort put into this book blew my mind. I'm definitely a big fan and suggest this book for someone looking to go on an adventure while exploring the unknown world that is not what you would expect!
I love that this book is not full of spice and foul language. This book could be read by people looking for closed door romance.
I love that this book is not full of spice and foul language. This book could be read by people looking for closed door romance.
August 8, 2024
This was a very cozy journey, with a bit of action. I feel as if this is a book you can unwind with. I enjoyed the mythology references throughout. I definitely got Hobbit vibes from this, as our MCs were on an epic quest. Alira is very relatable and it is easy to root for her from the beginning. It is inspiring to see the change she wanted to make in her world. I would recommend this book if you like found family, quests, healers, and cozy fantasy.
August 14, 2024
"Books are hard to make, but finding one with a good story inside is even harder."
3.5 ⭐
I was initially drawn to this book by that beautiful cover art, and then very interested to read it when I heard it was influenced by Lord of the Rings and Avatar: The Last Airbender. The Goddess Binding follows Alira, a resident of the House of the Earth Queen, a place she has never felt completely at home in as she doesn't fit in with her lighter hair. She comes up with the idea to ask the Elders of the House if she can travel to the other House's as she realises there must be ways to make their lives easier, especially after a few horrible incidents befall the villages. One catch, she must take a companion with her, otherwise she won't be allowed to go. Her brother's estranged best friend and her best friend's ex, Clay, offers to accompany her and we follow them both as they set out on their quest to find knowledge, and also hope to teach people and each other what they know.
This was an enjoyable read, it felt very cosy and gentle, although there were a few times the stakes were pretty high and the story covered a few tougher subjects such as illness and undesirable lifestyles, if you have some triggers you might want to keep reading for a slight spoiler, but if not then skip ahead to the next END SPOILER tag, triggers:
END SPOILER. The storyline was truly unique and I was fascinated to find out about the cultures of each House and how they could all help each other work together. Their quest is fraught with dangers which provided a lot of action and kept the story moving at a fast pace, I was immediately hooked and rooting for both Alira and Clay to succeed in everything they did, and also suspicious about some of the mysteries that arose as well. Both of their characters were very lovely and I enjoyed following their adventure.
I do think that this book is very YA, tipping younger, even middle grade, and it might be a little bit basic and immature for more advanced readers - but if you're a reader who is able to overlook that then this book is definitely entertaining and has some really great messages. At some points the story did feel like everything worked out a little bit too easily for the main characters, they had a lot of bumps in the road to overcome but things always seemed to go their way eventually. I also think the plot meandered a little bit too much at points, it seemed to jump between directions and while I was definitely on the edge of my seat never knowing what was going to happen next, it also meant that the story seemed to wrap up very quickly at the end and it isn't easy to pinpoint exactly what the story aimed to achieve by the end.
Overall, I had a lot of fun reading this and thought Lydia Ruanna's writing was strong, I am excited to see where this series heads in the future, especially after that semi-cliff-hanger ending. I definitely recommend this story to younger readers who enjoy Percy Jackson or The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and for anyone who enjoyed the vibes of Hobbiton in Lord of the Rings. I would like to thank Lydia for giving me the chance to ARC read for her, my opinions are my own and completely honest.
3.5 ⭐
I was initially drawn to this book by that beautiful cover art, and then very interested to read it when I heard it was influenced by Lord of the Rings and Avatar: The Last Airbender. The Goddess Binding follows Alira, a resident of the House of the Earth Queen, a place she has never felt completely at home in as she doesn't fit in with her lighter hair. She comes up with the idea to ask the Elders of the House if she can travel to the other House's as she realises there must be ways to make their lives easier, especially after a few horrible incidents befall the villages. One catch, she must take a companion with her, otherwise she won't be allowed to go. Her brother's estranged best friend and her best friend's ex, Clay, offers to accompany her and we follow them both as they set out on their quest to find knowledge, and also hope to teach people and each other what they know.
This was an enjoyable read, it felt very cosy and gentle, although there were a few times the stakes were pretty high and the story covered a few tougher subjects such as illness and undesirable lifestyles, if you have some triggers you might want to keep reading for a slight spoiler, but if not then skip ahead to the next END SPOILER tag, triggers:
END SPOILER. The storyline was truly unique and I was fascinated to find out about the cultures of each House and how they could all help each other work together. Their quest is fraught with dangers which provided a lot of action and kept the story moving at a fast pace, I was immediately hooked and rooting for both Alira and Clay to succeed in everything they did, and also suspicious about some of the mysteries that arose as well. Both of their characters were very lovely and I enjoyed following their adventure.
I do think that this book is very YA, tipping younger, even middle grade, and it might be a little bit basic and immature for more advanced readers - but if you're a reader who is able to overlook that then this book is definitely entertaining and has some really great messages. At some points the story did feel like everything worked out a little bit too easily for the main characters, they had a lot of bumps in the road to overcome but things always seemed to go their way eventually. I also think the plot meandered a little bit too much at points, it seemed to jump between directions and while I was definitely on the edge of my seat never knowing what was going to happen next, it also meant that the story seemed to wrap up very quickly at the end and it isn't easy to pinpoint exactly what the story aimed to achieve by the end.
Overall, I had a lot of fun reading this and thought Lydia Ruanna's writing was strong, I am excited to see where this series heads in the future, especially after that semi-cliff-hanger ending. I definitely recommend this story to younger readers who enjoy Percy Jackson or The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and for anyone who enjoyed the vibes of Hobbiton in Lord of the Rings. I would like to thank Lydia for giving me the chance to ARC read for her, my opinions are my own and completely honest.
August 24, 2024
This was such an amazing adventure and quest! I loved every character and felt all of the emotions with Alira and Clay.
The world building was fantastic. I felt like I was on the road with Alira, navigating all of this craziness with her! She went through such a brutal physical and mental journey. From deciding to leave her village, to all of the obstacles she faced on the road, to all of the knowledge and help she gave and received. She's just so wholesome and I'm rooting for her 100%!
Clay had a ton of growth as well! He was the local flirty boy before, and now he's taken off that naive lens. He went through some tough shit though 😅 I felt so bad for him! He didn't deserve none of that.
I have so many questions about Arila! What the vagabonds mentioned and what happened at the end. I can't wait to see which house they visit next🖤
Thank you so much to the author for the ARC copy!
🌿Favorite Quotes🌿
To the one who seeks adventure. May you overcome all fear.
Her worldview makes me want to study the ways of the houses with her and maybe, just maybe, figure out if her kindness could be something more.
I secretly relish the thought of seeing her face when I find her. I want to see her recognition and relief turn into something more.
She knew Clara would need a lyrist. She knew she would be the one to play the hymn, and she made damn sure she knew how to play it just right.
The world building was fantastic. I felt like I was on the road with Alira, navigating all of this craziness with her! She went through such a brutal physical and mental journey. From deciding to leave her village, to all of the obstacles she faced on the road, to all of the knowledge and help she gave and received. She's just so wholesome and I'm rooting for her 100%!
Clay had a ton of growth as well! He was the local flirty boy before, and now he's taken off that naive lens. He went through some tough shit though 😅 I felt so bad for him! He didn't deserve none of that.
I have so many questions about Arila! What the vagabonds mentioned and what happened at the end. I can't wait to see which house they visit next🖤
Thank you so much to the author for the ARC copy!
🌿Favorite Quotes🌿
To the one who seeks adventure. May you overcome all fear.
Her worldview makes me want to study the ways of the houses with her and maybe, just maybe, figure out if her kindness could be something more.
I secretly relish the thought of seeing her face when I find her. I want to see her recognition and relief turn into something more.
She knew Clara would need a lyrist. She knew she would be the one to play the hymn, and she made damn sure she knew how to play it just right.
August 24, 2024
I received this book as an ARC reader. I am genuinely invested in the characters. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was at the beginning a villager gets hurt by the hot springs and Alira jumps into this super determined mission-like focus on how to help the village. Alira has told us that she and her family are kinda outcasts, but her more than her mother or brother because she looks physically different than everyone else. (People of each "House" has similar qualities to each other, differentiating the houses.) Following that confusing spark of personality, the book was quite captivating. There is a passage later in the book from a different character pov that describes Alira and creates more dimension and I love how she (the author) was able to really show the relationship between the two characters. I wish we'd had that at the beginning, getting some sort of pov from maybe her mom or best friend with a past event to support her sudden drive to help the House. My biggest indicator of a good book for me, is if I'll willingly reread it. I would reread it lol I can't wait for the next book.
December 30, 2024
this review is sooooo overdue bc I kept forgetting to write one! right after I finished it, I wanted to take the time to actually sit and write a review of my thoughts and feelings of the book but I kept forgetting and it's now been well over 2 months after I finished... anyways... I started reading this while I was quite busy and it was considered my commute current read. as I kept reading though I started to get into it and actually snuck a little reading time during work. I was on the edge of my seat while reading all the obstacles Alira went through. I was rooting for her soooo hard and was so heartbroken and lost along with Alira when Clay was left behind. AliraClay was so cute tho like I have my suspicions and I can't wait to find out what happens in the subsequent books but it was also really nice to read in Clay's POV. overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and am looking sooo forward for the next ones!
thank you to the author for giving me an ARC even though this review was months late!
thank you to the author for giving me an ARC even though this review was months late!
August 9, 2024
What a phenomenally unique story!
Alira is very different from the rest of her village but wants to help them so she sets out on a journey of discovery to other villages, but not without a partner.
Clay, her brothers best friend and her traveling companion. He will protect her at all cost, even if that cost is his feelings.
I really enjoyed the background and all the details, the uniqueness of the plot and how it always kept you guessing! I can not wait for the second book for so many reason but because I need clay to set torin straight.... possibly with a punch to the nose lol
It is a peculiar, rare, and eccentric and one I've never come across storyline and hooked me from the start
Alira is very different from the rest of her village but wants to help them so she sets out on a journey of discovery to other villages, but not without a partner.
Clay, her brothers best friend and her traveling companion. He will protect her at all cost, even if that cost is his feelings.
I really enjoyed the background and all the details, the uniqueness of the plot and how it always kept you guessing! I can not wait for the second book for so many reason but because I need clay to set torin straight.... possibly with a punch to the nose lol
It is a peculiar, rare, and eccentric and one I've never come across storyline and hooked me from the start
September 2, 2024
The Goddess Binding is a perfect adventure for all ages, and was an absolute pleasure to read. It is well-written and easy to follow, and one is quickly swept away alongside Alira in her quest. I shared Alira's fascination in learning about different cultures in the wilds and different houses, and look forward to learning more in future novels. This story is a lovely balance of cozy adventure, action, found family, and fantasy (with just a touch of romance). All in all, The Goddess Binding is a beautiful book that is perfect for all to unwind with as the nights grow longer and fall approaches. I can't wait to see where Lydia and Alira take us next!
August 13, 2024
So, I’m usually fan of darker books, fantasy, romance, but I was intrigued with blurb and wanted to read it.
So glad I did.
Comfort, cozy book, easy to read, sucked me in from the first chapter.
Feel like this one was a kind of introduction into something bigger so I’m definitely looking forward to next book in this serie, as I’m hooked on very loveable main characters, their journey and all the adventures they come by.
So glad I did.
Comfort, cozy book, easy to read, sucked me in from the first chapter.
Feel like this one was a kind of introduction into something bigger so I’m definitely looking forward to next book in this serie, as I’m hooked on very loveable main characters, their journey and all the adventures they come by.
August 20, 2024
A coming of age type adventure - where two young adults leave the safety of their community to try to find new ways to improve the community’s lives.
I enjoyed reading The Goddess Binding! The main characters were endearing and I found myself easily traveling their world with the descriptive writing. The dangers they faced left me tense and hoping they can return to their home safely.
Some questions were left unanswered, it makes me wonder where we’re traveling in book 2!
I enjoyed reading The Goddess Binding! The main characters were endearing and I found myself easily traveling their world with the descriptive writing. The dangers they faced left me tense and hoping they can return to their home safely.
Some questions were left unanswered, it makes me wonder where we’re traveling in book 2!
December 19, 2024
I think this is a good adventure book for middle grades. Alira is knowledge seeking. She knows there must be more in the world outside of her small village. There are some great friendships. She faces some peril along the way but also meets wonderful people. It is an easy read. I'm interested to see where the story goes next.
August 23, 2024
What a cute story. Overall a cozy feel but there are definitely moments where your heart rate rises and you feel a little stressed *ahem, cannibalism*.
Overall I enjoyed this story so much and look forward to book two. I adored Alira (and Clay) and her journey on a quest for knowledge from all of the houses. I love the lore and the way mythology plays into the story. A great YA fantasy read!
Overall I enjoyed this story so much and look forward to book two. I adored Alira (and Clay) and her journey on a quest for knowledge from all of the houses. I love the lore and the way mythology plays into the story. A great YA fantasy read!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews