Goddess

Percheron #3

by Fiona McIntosh

The city-state of Percheron is in crisis. Zaradine Ana has been captured by the mysterious Arafanz and his desert warriors and is being held in their isolated fort. It is also suspected that she is pregnant with Zar Boaz's son, the heir to the throne . . .

Though Lazar has made it out of the desert, his heroics in bringing the Valide and Grand Vizier to safety have cost him. Afflicted with the drezden illness that befalls him when he is weak, he is too sick to move from his bed, when help comes from an unexpected source . . .

Zar Boaz finds himself trapped by both his heart and his head. Though he can think of nothing but Ana, imprisoned in the desert, his country is on the brink of war and his Spur is helpless. Hatching a daring plan, he calls for Percheron's strongest to make one more pilgrimage into the desert, even as warships threaten Percheron's harbor, and the Goddess reaches the crest of her ascent, throwing all parties—mortal and divine—into a perilous battle for their hearts, their lives, and their souls.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Romance, Ebooks, Science Fiction

560 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2007

About the author

Fiona writes best selling historical adventure-romance alongside the heroic-romantic, often brutal, fantasy she built her career upon. She lives in Australia but frequently roams the world meticulously researching the locations and gathering material for her historical novels that have international settings. Her books are published worldwide and in various languages.
Her most recent historical fiction has gathered such a following that she is now hosting a tour in 2014 to Paris and Provence so eager readers can walk in the footsteps of her characters.


Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was really disappointed by this book. Throughout the whole series, I kept thinking that it had promise and could develop into something good. But it didn't. The ending was especially bad. I won't post any spoilers, but after finishing the book I was disappointed and angry that I'd spent so much time reading something that had such an unsatisfying ending. It's not just that I didn't like it--it was bad storytelling.

The characters were flat and I never really warmed up to them, but I kept thinking that I might. They babbled endlessly about the goddess Lyana and how wonderful and perfect she was and how much better she was than the current god (I can't remember his name and I refuse to look it up). However, Lyana treated her followers pretty shittily. Yes, Maliz did some awful stuff, too, but I don't think Lyana was that much better. She put her followers through the wringer so that she could come back and defeat the 'evil' god. Like I said, I kept waiting for something to happen where the characters decided to tell Lyana "screw you", or the followers of both gods teamed up, or they decided to get rid of the meddling gods altogether. Mostly, Lyana's followers hid, cowered, betrayed those closest to them, and were tortured. Then they somehow saved the day, just in the nick of time.

The idea for the series wasn't bad, but the way it was executed just didn't work.

[N · Rating 3 out of 5]

And then we are brought to the end of a series. This is, ladies and gentlemen - Goddess, the last installment in the Percheron trilogy by Fiona McIntosh.

In Goddess, this is really supposed to be the book where shit REALLY does go down. The impending war against Percheron from the enemy Galinsean is drawing closer, the Zaradine (wife) Ana has been kidnapped by religious extremist Afrazana and almost everyone, especially Maliz is drawing closer to finding out who is the next incarnate of Lyana, whose uprising is also coming extremely soon too.

Personally I thought this book was written to punish Lazar for being such a mopey git in the second book, however this wasn't what I had in mind. I mean seriously, I felt this book was essentially exploiting the Break the Cutie trope for Lazar, who was essentially the biggest Woobie character EVER. No, really - he seems to just embody that trope. I mean there are so many events and deaths of several people that he loves so dearly, especially characters we grew to love and care for - I cannot imagine how Lazar manages to cope with all of this, post-Goddess. I mean we find out about the suicide of his first love Shara, then his BFFL Jumo, Pez, Boaz, his mother Queen Angeline and Ana. Oh God, as much as I have problems with that couple, I still love it and reading their last ever scene together was just simply heartbreaking. Maybe because it just reminds me of Demi Moore in the ending of The Seventh Sign. Now that was just depressing.



Most of the problems I've had with the previous book isn't really improved or fixed in this one - not even when we're this far into the series. Yes, most of the characters are the same, one-dimensional people we know and love - although I make the argument that is most that Ana has fully gone into Relationship Sue territory. Yes, the author still uses telling rather than showing, and on her usual consistent repetitive pattern. Like Emissary, the supposed slow-build up for all the good action feels really long, tedious and just padding out for the more exciting stuff that happens in the latter half of the book. Like the confrontation with the fanatical leader (of Lyana) Afrazana - who was really there to be a Lazar subsitute for Ana, point out major plot twists, be a Plot Device and generally be a major pain in the butt for Lazar (and me).



I think my reason as to why I had a great dislike, probably even more than my irritation for Emissary was because of how the Lyana subplot gets resolved. As I have said in my previous reviews - this plotline was the most interesting for me, and I really did like how it became such a bigger deal and practically took the forefront of the other plots in this book. However, as I've said in my review for Odalisque - I never understood the main reason as to why it was so important for Lyana to rise again. As much as I felt some sense of victory that Lyana did prevail and destroy Maliz in the very end - I still felt like I was being cheated. Considering that Percheron seemed to function well, with or without the worshipping of Lyana again - I didn't see why this was made into such a big deal. I mean we are told that Lyana's opposing deity, Zarab is meant to be all for patriachy and all that - but I found that his supposed influence weren't THAT damaging. I mean, here's a quote from Afrazana's motivation behind bringing the rise of Lyana and her religion once again into Percheron:

"I despise all that Percheron has become, Ana. Fat, lazy, carnal and without a guiding faith that means something. The Perhcerese have become soft. Crime and sin are rife. Have you seen the moneylenders and marketers selling their wares outside the temples? Do people pray any more? Do they hold true to a faith that guides them, inspires them, ensures they look behind them and offer help to someone who has fallen down?"

- page 216

My problem with this is that we never see the extent of damage worshipping 'Zarab' has done to the overall city of Percheron. I think that because we spend most of our time within the Stone Palace and in the world of the harem - we hardly ever see what life is life for the common people and so, we are just taking this with a grain of salt really. Had the people of Percheron been living in a more dire, desolate, highly violent, misogynistic and dystopian-esque world because of the influence of Zarab - I would've understood why it was so important to bring back Lyana once again as a beacon of hope of some kind and to save us from the apocalyse or something. But it's not - Percheron seems to be fine whether or not they worship Lyana, Zarab, whoever. As horrific it is the world and societal norms of the harem - I never really 'got' how horrible it was that people weren't worshipping Lyana again. But really, what was so important that she had to rise against all costs? So what - the people of Percheron will follow their ancestor's footsteps and worship her again? Like Ana had told Afrazana mulitple time - this could have easily been done with Zar Boaz teaching his people about the ways of Lyana, because he wanted to bring change and modernize the "traditions" of his people - or just force it upon the people as the dominant religion because he is their ruling monarch.

In the end, I felt that this was supposed to give me the conclusive, epic and satisfactory ending that the likes of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows brought me - but unlike that book, I felt the multiple deaths in this book were all written for nothing and those characters simply died in vain.



Recommended: fans of this series
Rating:I gave this book 3/5 stars.

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was an enormously disappointing finale to the series, indeed there were a couple of times when I nearly decided not to finish the book. The amazing story promised by book one just never materialised and the book finished with the deaths of pretty much everyone that you had been made to care about in the first two, and so utterly pointlessly and meaninglessly too.

A real cop out.

[JHM · Rating 1 out of 5]

I gave this book only one star, despite the fact that I found the characters as wonderful and the plot as gripping as the previous two books in the series.

What upset me about the book, and ultimately left a bad taste in my mouth, was the way the author sacrificed so many wonderful characters for the sake of a cause that in the end seemed to matter little. Yes, the goddess wins in the end, but her ascendence seems to make little difference to the realm. Those who loved her and were faithful to her and died for her were sacrificed for little more than the fact of her victory over Maliz. The society in which they lived probably would have seen equally positive changes if Boaz had lived and instituted the reforms to which he seemed very much inclined.

[Lowed · Rating 5 out of 5]

spoiler alert


PEZ DIED! PPPeeeezzzzz Diieed!! AAAAAAAAAAaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!.......
Oh well, he did his job. And I'm just too sad to make a review now. :(

[Tucker · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little bit more of the evil eunuch. I blogged about Salmeo's stereotypical character with spoilers for all three books in this series. More fast-moving, improbable machinations, some of which do not entirely make sense.

[Corline · Rating 1 out of 5]

woww, now I wish I had never started with this series. The first book was oke, but the last was truly terrible. The end is the worst Deus ex Machina ever invented and doesn´t make sense at all. It seems as if the writer did not really know how to end it all, so she just opted for the implausible and ill prepared. None of the endings make sense. Please do not start with this series. When I started I thought I could forgive Fiona for her average writing style, but if also the plot is severely lacking...

[Lauren Auty · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is one of only three books I've never reached the end of. Slow, clunky and just didn't flow. The ideas were there but they weren't developed and this book felt like it was dragging with events not connecting and just feeling disjointed. I have enjoyed other works by this author but this book felt to me like a bad day at the office.

[Jess · Rating 1 out of 5]

I loathed the ending.

[Giselle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read all three back to back. Regret is what I feel.
The characters throughout have been annoying.
Plus I could see the book plots coming from a mile away.
All the way through I kept thinking ‘faced with all the evidence and the ‘slap you in the face’ warnings, why would you still not get it, be on alert, be suspicious, simply believe!’.
They just came over, almost always, as wildly dumb.
The only character that developed in the slightest was Herezah. (Sp?)

I think the basis of the storyline is a good one and that’s why I kept reading, hoping it would develop, but boy! the ending was disappointing and weak and distinctly unsatisfying! It felt like a cop out just to hurry up and finish the book.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

Goddess is the third book in the Percheron in series by Fiona McIntosh. This series has a bit of a 'middle eastern' vibe to it- the setting and world building is richly woven, coming to life in vivid detail. It is an action-packed fantasy adventure with all the 'touches' I have come to expect from Ms. McIntosh. Her cleverly woven a story made for a fantastic read.
One of my go-to authors as I am always guaranteed of a great read.
Well worth the read!
Buddy Read - 2025
Happy Reading...

Thank you, Fiona McIntosh!

[Chris Lindert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having finished Emmissary (Book 2 Percheron) I was keen to start Book 3 - Goddess. Initially, I was enjoying it as much as the first two books in the trilogy. However as one by one so many characters were killed off in the quest for the Goddess Lyana to be allowed to arise and destroy the devil Maliz, I started to just want the book - all 659 pages - to end. The end was satisfying but perhaps reminded me that fantasy is no longer my favourite genre.

[Soho_Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having been captivated by the first two parts of the Percheron trilogy, "Odalisque" and "Emissary", I was eagerly awaiting the third and final part, "Goddess". Fiona McIntosh has created a world full of intriguing characters and having written the first two parts like a chess game, the end game was irresistible.

We pick up the story approximately three months after the events of "Emissary". Zaradine Ana, the wife of the Zar of Percheron, has been captured in the desert whilst travelling to the neighbouring state of Galinsea in an attempt to prevent war. Her captor, Arafanz, is determined to keep her safe as he and his army believe she is vital in the fast approaching war between the gods, believing her to be the incarnation of the goddess Lyana.

Spur Lazar, who is head of the Zar's army, but also vital to the Galinseans, sets out across the desert in an attempt to rescue Ana. He too believes that she is vital in the struggle between the gods, but she is also vital to him in a far more personal way. Travelling with him are the Zar himself and the Grand Vizier, in who lives the demon Maliz, who is to be Lyana's opponent in their battle. Maliz is confident of victory, believing he has already despatched Lyana's messenger Iridor. This, in turn, has also upset Lazar, as the human version of Iridor, Pez, was a very close friend of his.

They all wish to save Ana for their own reasons, but there are other concerns back at home. The Galinseans have made good their threat to invade Percheron and the Zar's mother, Herezah, has been left behind as Crown Valide to try and broker peace. It seems that there could be a war between the regions to match the war between the gods, with the best person to stop them both being nowhere close at hand.

This makes it sound like there is an awful lot going on and, believe me, there is far more to it than this. McIntosh builds a story like she's making a lasagne out of it - there is layer upon layer of things that are tasty enough in their own right, but when you put them all together and heat it up, the whole is simply mouth watering. Indeed, this is an even larger helping than there was before, as whilst the political intrigue of those in the palace and the underlying beginnings of the war between the gods was present in the first two parts of the trilogy, McIntosh has added the extra story of the Galinsean threat to the mix and has fitted it in so beautifully it's as if it was always there.

As if this wasn't enough, the story had so many twists and turns that it was almost dizzying. Part of the tale mentioned the Samazen - a desert wind that swirls and makes it impossible to see what is in front of you. Parts of the story were written in much the same fashion. Maliz especially was always on the move, looking to improve his position and status for the battles to become. Even when I thought we'd heard the last of him at one point, he still had some moves left in his portion of the game, most of which were completely unexpected.

However, it's not just Maliz who is making moves in unexpected ways, although he is the one who seems to be thinking more steps ahead of everyone else. As is usual for McIntosh, there is intrigue and action and jostling for position, both actual and political, in every turn. As is also usual for McIntosh, it's almost a chess game, but it's as beautifully choreographed as any dance and it's so difficult to tear your eyes away from, to the extent that I was very short on sleep for the few days I was reading the book.

McIntosh plays to all her strengths here, once again. She has created such vivid characters that you can't help but become involved in their story. It is obvious where the reader's sympathies are supposed to lie although for the first time there are characters who aren't quite so obviously on one side of the line between good and bad. For the first time, the situation is manipulating some of the characters in much the same way as the characters are trying to manipulate events and each other and it's a delightful change of pace.

If there is a slight down side to the book, it's that the ending seems a little rushed. Admittedly, everything came together and even the ending had some final twists that I hadn't expected and hadn't seen coming, which made the whole thing incredibly enjoyable, but the final confrontations that the whole trilogy was seemingly building up to seemed to be over remarkably quickly. Still, McIntosh has written the whole trilogy like a chess match and check to checkmate is only one move, so perhaps it is more in keeping with what has gone before than is immediately apparent.

"Goddess" is not the place to be starting with this trilogy, as there is far too much that has gone before to be able to follow it as a newcomer, but it's certainly a fitting end to what has been a wonderful trilogy. If you've read any of the previous books, this is not to be missed. Any fans of Trudi Canavan, Kate Elliott and Karen Miller should take a look at Fiona McIntosh and anyone who is already aware of her is going to have to wait impatiently for her next book, as to know her work is to love her work.

This review may also appear, in whole or in part, under my name at any or all of www.ciao.co.uk, www.thebookbag.co.uk, www.goodreads.com, www.amazon.co.uk and www.dooyoo.co.uk

[Leslea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written with a lovely twist at the end. Some sadness in this last book but such great writing and such a richly woven tale keeps you turning the pages until the end. I had to wait for 2 days after finishing before I felt I could read another book - I just wanted to savour this whole series.

[April Stoby · Rating 2 out of 5]

So disjointed and confusing at times. Too many crazy things all happening at once made the deaths which should have been meaningful fade into the background. Worst, the end of Maliz and Salmeo were too peaceful when other characters died violent deaths.

[Moraa Wordstar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it and loved the fact that Maliz was killed. However, I felt sad about Ana and Pez and poor Boaz. But it is a good read!

[Emily Wragg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably the most disappointing ending to any book I have ever read. The story had highs and lows and I was really hoping for a well crafted ending to wrap up everything but the book finished without resolving any of the plot lines and then rushed it in a few page epilogue that was totally unbelievable.

[Josephine · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favourite so far, easy to read, interesting storylines and quirks, love the ending!!

[Elias D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Umm… Basically everyone but Lazar died? Lol, pop off I guess.

Still a good story ending and I loved this entire trilogy. To see Lazar become a father was nice, but Boaz and Ana and Pez… So sad 😭

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good trilogy. Fiona McIntosh is one of my favourite authors.

[Angelika Belko · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am torn by this ending. I was expecting a lot more, but regardless this author keeps me engaged all the time! I will definitely read some more of her books.

[Joy Norman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book some parts even brought me to tears. I'm so relieved that the evil got killed even if this is
Fantasy I found it encouraging that in the end good wins out

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intense, exciting, dramatic, and sweeping are just some of the words that describe this trilogy. This is the last book and it gives a great story up to the very last page!

[Valery Seeber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Percheron Tribology

I loved these books it kept me spellbound from the beginning of the first page of the first book to the last page of the third book.

[Claude · Rating 3 out of 5]

good story however took too long to tell it

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the ending I expected.... the pace of the story felt erratic through this final installment and I didn't think the ending particularly satisfying

[January · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good series! I thoroughly enjoyed it. I feel kinda silly for not seeing the ending, but I'm glad I didn't - it was a good way to end the series.

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my least favourite series by Fiona McIntosh.

[Marianne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read the 3 books with hope it will get better, but it didn't. It is overall a sad story, but I really disliked the fact that the whole story is mentally twisted and sadistic. And in my opinion, the end had nothing to do with the whole story, like it was from another story.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Out of all three Percheron books I enjoyed this last book the most. I enjoyed that there was more action, more story development, and more explanations. Much less of the pining, although I was getting a little tired of the love pentagon going on with everyone wanting everyone else. Hezerah I actually enjoyed through the end not because she was a nice person but because she was the only character that developed over the book and grew into something more.

The writing, as with the other two, was easy to read and the book as a whole was quick to get through. However I was disappointed in some areas at the authors lack of focus. The author wants us to believe so strongly in the romance and love story that she misses several opportunities for description and emotion through surroundings. For example, the author can spend several pages about how Lazar and Ana pine for each other. But in Ana's time in the desert, she is introduced to a cave so beautiful it beings a tear to her eye, but we only get a less-than-an-inch long description of this supposedly magnificent place. Man, I wanted more.

I can't say I was terribly pleased with the ending. Everything wraps up decently, but it felt a little disjointed. Lots of characters die, some rather unnecessarily I might add, as if the price to help Lyana was high but no one was ever really told. Kind-of makes one feel as if the goddess used the means justifying the ends. The ending tied things up but the whole ethereal Lyana confused me quite a bit, and how Lazar was brought in at the very end ... did he know all along? Was he told? No explanation there. Maybe an afterword was due to explain that bit and maybe give a better glimpse at the future other than a few detached words on how everything seems to be doing to an outsider.

Overall it was a nice story, with unique fantasy elements and interesting political situation in an exotic world. But because of the authors incessant focus on forbidden love (which don't get me wrong I enjoy but not to the extent where it detracts from a good story), the lack of character development, and writing aspects that kept the story moving forward, it got three stars from me. I do not say do not read, but know what you are getting into!