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Ahe'ey #2
Gravitational Pull
EPISODE 2
SERIES PRAISE: "A thoughtful look at empowerment for women." "A rollicking trip into a fantasy world complete with dragons, love and strength, and ideas that really get you thinking." "Highly recommended for all ages."
SERIES AWARDS:
- Reader's Favorite - Gold Medal Winner -Young Adult - Fantasy - Epic
- CIPA EVVY Book Awards - 2nd Place - Fiction - Mythology
SERIES DESCRIPTION:
Morgan is a dreamer, change maker and art lover. She is a feisty, slightly preachy, romantic feminist full of contradictions and insecurities. Morgan uncovers a world where women have the power, and where magic is no longer just a figment of her wild imagination. Sounds like a dream, but it may, in fact, turn into a nightmare.
The world of the Ahe'ey challenges and subverts her views about gender, genes, and nature versus nurture.
The strong and uninvited chemistry between her and the dashing Gabriel makes matters even more complicated. His stunning looks keep short-circuiting her rational mind.
EPISODE 2 - QUOTES:
"Debilitating guilt crushed Gabriel every time he interacted with Morgan. The Ange’el’s affection for the human was weakening his mandate to control her movements and influence her decisions. His task was, once again, to deceive and manipulate. He seemed destined to betray the confidence of those he held most dear."
"Manhood is, today, an uncertain, frail status that is easily threatened. Insecure men attempt to affirm their manliness physically and symbolically."
"His possessiveness unsettled her. It seemed contrary to his gentle nature. He used his body and arms as a barrier; she was so small compared to him that she felt engulfed by his body. Morgan was having a difficult time trying to ignore the sense of well-being, peace, and desire she experienced every time she came close to him. His glow, that glow he had, seemed to have an effect on her."
EDITORIAL REVIEWS - COMPLETE SERIES
"In this romantic tale, a champion of women's empowerment stumbles on a hidden--and seemingly perfect--society. A bracing mix of emotionally and intellectually honest fantasy." - Kirkus Reviews
"A compelling and creative work of paranormal romance. Le Fey takes her characters to places seldomly seen in fantasy fiction that readers will find empowering and prescient. Ahe'ey is a fairly polarizing book. As an example of feminist fantasy fiction, you won’t find much better than this. Ahe’ey is an impressively thought-out story, with many original touches and a fairy-like romance that will deeply satisfy readers of the genre." Self-Publishing Review, ★★★★
"This book is a thoughtful look at empowerment for women. At the same time, it's a rollicking trip into a fantasy world complete with dragons, love and strength, and ideas that really get you thinking. This book is highly recommended for all ages." - HUGEOrange
"They're flawed, real, and honest characters that can be easily related to. Ahe'ey is the kind of novel society needs to read, to create inspiration and to make people think. Ahe'ey is daring, complex, and honest. A must-read novel that tackles heavy and real topics with a mix of serious and humorous, charm and tragedy." - Reader's Favorite - ★★★★★
"Ahe'ey contains a richly imagined world that raises complicated and timely questions about our own. Jamie Le Fay's Ahe'ey is an action-packed love story that puts forth a nuanced vision of gender stereotypes, body politics, and the dark side of seeking perfection." - Foreword Clarion - ★★★★
OTHER PRAISE
"Jamie is a fine writer with a rich imagination and is able to convey her strong feelings about women’s rights, feminism, gender equality and other important matters of injustice, primarily because she keeps us involved with the characters of her strong story.” - Grady Harp, Amazon Hall of Fame Top 100 Reviewer, Vine Voice - ★★★★★
"As a liberal and committed feminist who is increasingly frustrated by the simplistic self-righteousness of my own side, and the belief that all that is needed is for a few smart people to start a revolution, I found "Ahe'ey" to be refreshingly multi-sided, while also maintaining its core beliefs.” - E.P. Clark, Author - ★★★★
SERIES PRAISE: "A thoughtful look at empowerment for women." "A rollicking trip into a fantasy world complete with dragons, love and strength, and ideas that really get you thinking." "Highly recommended for all ages."
SERIES AWARDS:
- Reader's Favorite - Gold Medal Winner -Young Adult - Fantasy - Epic
- CIPA EVVY Book Awards - 2nd Place - Fiction - Mythology
SERIES DESCRIPTION:
Morgan is a dreamer, change maker and art lover. She is a feisty, slightly preachy, romantic feminist full of contradictions and insecurities. Morgan uncovers a world where women have the power, and where magic is no longer just a figment of her wild imagination. Sounds like a dream, but it may, in fact, turn into a nightmare.
The world of the Ahe'ey challenges and subverts her views about gender, genes, and nature versus nurture.
The strong and uninvited chemistry between her and the dashing Gabriel makes matters even more complicated. His stunning looks keep short-circuiting her rational mind.
EPISODE 2 - QUOTES:
"Debilitating guilt crushed Gabriel every time he interacted with Morgan. The Ange’el’s affection for the human was weakening his mandate to control her movements and influence her decisions. His task was, once again, to deceive and manipulate. He seemed destined to betray the confidence of those he held most dear."
"Manhood is, today, an uncertain, frail status that is easily threatened. Insecure men attempt to affirm their manliness physically and symbolically."
"His possessiveness unsettled her. It seemed contrary to his gentle nature. He used his body and arms as a barrier; she was so small compared to him that she felt engulfed by his body. Morgan was having a difficult time trying to ignore the sense of well-being, peace, and desire she experienced every time she came close to him. His glow, that glow he had, seemed to have an effect on her."
EDITORIAL REVIEWS - COMPLETE SERIES
"In this romantic tale, a champion of women's empowerment stumbles on a hidden--and seemingly perfect--society. A bracing mix of emotionally and intellectually honest fantasy." - Kirkus Reviews
"A compelling and creative work of paranormal romance. Le Fey takes her characters to places seldomly seen in fantasy fiction that readers will find empowering and prescient. Ahe'ey is a fairly polarizing book. As an example of feminist fantasy fiction, you won’t find much better than this. Ahe’ey is an impressively thought-out story, with many original touches and a fairy-like romance that will deeply satisfy readers of the genre." Self-Publishing Review, ★★★★
"This book is a thoughtful look at empowerment for women. At the same time, it's a rollicking trip into a fantasy world complete with dragons, love and strength, and ideas that really get you thinking. This book is highly recommended for all ages." - HUGEOrange
"They're flawed, real, and honest characters that can be easily related to. Ahe'ey is the kind of novel society needs to read, to create inspiration and to make people think. Ahe'ey is daring, complex, and honest. A must-read novel that tackles heavy and real topics with a mix of serious and humorous, charm and tragedy." - Reader's Favorite - ★★★★★
"Ahe'ey contains a richly imagined world that raises complicated and timely questions about our own. Jamie Le Fay's Ahe'ey is an action-packed love story that puts forth a nuanced vision of gender stereotypes, body politics, and the dark side of seeking perfection." - Foreword Clarion - ★★★★
OTHER PRAISE
"Jamie is a fine writer with a rich imagination and is able to convey her strong feelings about women’s rights, feminism, gender equality and other important matters of injustice, primarily because she keeps us involved with the characters of her strong story.” - Grady Harp, Amazon Hall of Fame Top 100 Reviewer, Vine Voice - ★★★★★
"As a liberal and committed feminist who is increasingly frustrated by the simplistic self-righteousness of my own side, and the belief that all that is needed is for a few smart people to start a revolution, I found "Ahe'ey" to be refreshingly multi-sided, while also maintaining its core beliefs.” - E.P. Clark, Author - ★★★★
- GenresFantasy
30 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 7, 2016
About the author
Jamie Le Fay
12 books100 followersFrom as young as I can remember, I have soothed myself to sleep by imagining epic stories of heroes, heroines, sorceresses, dragons, angels, and demons. I based my stories on the books and movies I was watching and the narratives that moved and inspired me.
I was as excited and delighted with Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre as I was with Battlestar Galactica (the original TV series). The Mists of Avalon, an Arthurian legend retelling from the point of view of the female characters, had as much effect on me as Cosmos by Carl Sagan.
I imagined myself occupying the boots of the hero as much as I occupied the glass slippers of the damsel in distress. The first one was what I wanted to be; the second was what society wanted me to be, and I believed them, for a little while.
I am fascinated by my inner world when it comes to associating myself with the male hero. From childhood, I wanted to be him and marry him. He was my role model, the courageous, honourable, virtuous, humble, and sometimes conflicted hero that is so well expressed in Aragorn, Darcy, or Apollo from the original Galactica. I never had time for bad boys. I was always mesmerised by stories of brotherhood: two men that would honour and risk their lives for each other. How I wished at the time to see women portrayed in the same way.
My relationship with female characters was more complex, possibly reflecting my relationship with myself and mirroring the bare, deserted female landscape provided by the media at the time. My youth and my inner world were most influenced by Zimmer Bradley’s Morgaine Le Fay, the underdog, the magician, and the misunderstood and undervalued priestess of my childhood who painted a vivid picture that the world does not welcome powerful women, that they are rejected, vilified, and unloved. She was the character that made me want to be the powerful dark-haired, average-looking sorceress instead of the beautiful blond girl who got to marry the king.
As I grew into adulthood and discovered quite late in my life the welcoming arms of the feminist movement, I went through all stages of grief, including rage. Fortunately, rage does not last long in the body of a creative optimist.
As I gained the courage to write my own fiction, I was conflicted. I knew my imagination and power came from my truth, but I also knew I needed to honour the millions of voices that are screaming for better representation of minorities. I am one of those voices, dissecting each new book and movie, criticising the stereotypes, the common places, and the limiting depictions of gender, race, and sexuality.
This book was a great teacher that opened my eyes about how difficult it is to write engaging fiction and do justice to the people of the world. Can a Western, Caucasian, European woman really do justice to diversity beyond gender? Can she avoid creating stereotypical villains and heroes?
In the end, I have done my best to honour the world while being true to myself and to the characters and stories that inspire me. To be able to pour my heart out, I had to let go of what I should be feeling and writing. I had to embrace my flaws and my inner demons.
So that is all, what is left is a book that fully embraces everything I love: feminism, romance, friendships, social justice, environment, science, magic, and art. I found a big old pot, put in a few archetypes that have inspired people from the beginning of times, and mixed in the story lines and characters that have touched me throughout my life. I seasoned it all well with social consciousness and the life lessons that have made me grow as a human being. I fully embraced my geekiness and my romantic heart. I have submitted to my, sometimes overwhelming, idealism—the idealism that keeps my fire burning and gave me the courage to write Ahe'ey.
Much Love, Jamie
I was as excited and delighted with Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre as I was with Battlestar Galactica (the original TV series). The Mists of Avalon, an Arthurian legend retelling from the point of view of the female characters, had as much effect on me as Cosmos by Carl Sagan.
I imagined myself occupying the boots of the hero as much as I occupied the glass slippers of the damsel in distress. The first one was what I wanted to be; the second was what society wanted me to be, and I believed them, for a little while.
I am fascinated by my inner world when it comes to associating myself with the male hero. From childhood, I wanted to be him and marry him. He was my role model, the courageous, honourable, virtuous, humble, and sometimes conflicted hero that is so well expressed in Aragorn, Darcy, or Apollo from the original Galactica. I never had time for bad boys. I was always mesmerised by stories of brotherhood: two men that would honour and risk their lives for each other. How I wished at the time to see women portrayed in the same way.
My relationship with female characters was more complex, possibly reflecting my relationship with myself and mirroring the bare, deserted female landscape provided by the media at the time. My youth and my inner world were most influenced by Zimmer Bradley’s Morgaine Le Fay, the underdog, the magician, and the misunderstood and undervalued priestess of my childhood who painted a vivid picture that the world does not welcome powerful women, that they are rejected, vilified, and unloved. She was the character that made me want to be the powerful dark-haired, average-looking sorceress instead of the beautiful blond girl who got to marry the king.
As I grew into adulthood and discovered quite late in my life the welcoming arms of the feminist movement, I went through all stages of grief, including rage. Fortunately, rage does not last long in the body of a creative optimist.
As I gained the courage to write my own fiction, I was conflicted. I knew my imagination and power came from my truth, but I also knew I needed to honour the millions of voices that are screaming for better representation of minorities. I am one of those voices, dissecting each new book and movie, criticising the stereotypes, the common places, and the limiting depictions of gender, race, and sexuality.
This book was a great teacher that opened my eyes about how difficult it is to write engaging fiction and do justice to the people of the world. Can a Western, Caucasian, European woman really do justice to diversity beyond gender? Can she avoid creating stereotypical villains and heroes?
In the end, I have done my best to honour the world while being true to myself and to the characters and stories that inspire me. To be able to pour my heart out, I had to let go of what I should be feeling and writing. I had to embrace my flaws and my inner demons.
So that is all, what is left is a book that fully embraces everything I love: feminism, romance, friendships, social justice, environment, science, magic, and art. I found a big old pot, put in a few archetypes that have inspired people from the beginning of times, and mixed in the story lines and characters that have touched me throughout my life. I seasoned it all well with social consciousness and the life lessons that have made me grow as a human being. I fully embraced my geekiness and my romantic heart. I have submitted to my, sometimes overwhelming, idealism—the idealism that keeps my fire burning and gave me the courage to write Ahe'ey.
Much Love, Jamie
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 18, 2017
Wow its crazy how the beginning of this book sounded exactly like what had happened in the election this year, its like Jamie predicted the future.
August 22, 2018
As I mentioned in the previous review, I stuck with this through to the next one because others had posted it gets better as you go along.
The problem is, I think the author loses us here, and its three faults in the writing that particularly make this possible.
1, she continues to tell you what the characters are doing instead of showing you. Instead of telling us that Morgan was uncomfortable, explain Morgan's unease in her reactions to the sense at hand. A sense of well-being is something you tell us, whereas if Morgan feels his actions give her peaceful sensations of some kind and they are described, we understand the reaction and chemistry of the 2.
2, she adds in more to the love story. At this point, there's still a lot of world building going in. Frankly, we haven't had much character development and yet, there's now a new romance that doesn't add to the wholeness of the character. It just makes me groan that this is going to go the route of 50 Shades and not of good alt-universe fiction.
3, the world of the pure Ahe'ey doesn't necessarily come through with clarity. It needs to be developed more to understand. I'm still intrigued by the concept but rapidly losing my patience with the way its only haphazardly set up. We get glimpses of what the world entails in episode 1 and 2, but I almost feel like it would have been better to do episode 1 as all about the Ahe'ey world, and then introduce their cross-over with humans in episode 2 so that we can get a fuller picture of the cast of characters and the ways their worlds are different.
The problem is, I think the author loses us here, and its three faults in the writing that particularly make this possible.
1, she continues to tell you what the characters are doing instead of showing you. Instead of telling us that Morgan was uncomfortable, explain Morgan's unease in her reactions to the sense at hand. A sense of well-being is something you tell us, whereas if Morgan feels his actions give her peaceful sensations of some kind and they are described, we understand the reaction and chemistry of the 2.
2, she adds in more to the love story. At this point, there's still a lot of world building going in. Frankly, we haven't had much character development and yet, there's now a new romance that doesn't add to the wholeness of the character. It just makes me groan that this is going to go the route of 50 Shades and not of good alt-universe fiction.
3, the world of the pure Ahe'ey doesn't necessarily come through with clarity. It needs to be developed more to understand. I'm still intrigued by the concept but rapidly losing my patience with the way its only haphazardly set up. We get glimpses of what the world entails in episode 1 and 2, but I almost feel like it would have been better to do episode 1 as all about the Ahe'ey world, and then introduce their cross-over with humans in episode 2 so that we can get a fuller picture of the cast of characters and the ways their worlds are different.
May 9, 2017
There is really something special about this series. The author’s writing is absolutely flawless. Compelling. Enthralling. Enchanting. I think I just found my new addiction. I can’t wait to read the next episode.
« There was something so genuine and affectionate about this man. The effects she had on him was surprising to her. Most of the time, he appeared guarded and sombre, but beyond that invisible wall there seemed to be a great vulnerability. »
« He blushed. They both struggled to look into each other’s eyes, constantly playing a game of hide-and-seek—brief eye contact followed by swift escapes away from the electric charge that rushed through their bodies every time their eyes met. »
Happy reading!
An addicted reader.
Follow my favorite books on Instagram@readonthedarkside
« There was something so genuine and affectionate about this man. The effects she had on him was surprising to her. Most of the time, he appeared guarded and sombre, but beyond that invisible wall there seemed to be a great vulnerability. »
« He blushed. They both struggled to look into each other’s eyes, constantly playing a game of hide-and-seek—brief eye contact followed by swift escapes away from the electric charge that rushed through their bodies every time their eyes met. »
Happy reading!
An addicted reader.
Follow my favorite books on Instagram@readonthedarkside
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews