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Ahe'ey #3
Disillusion
EPISODE 3
SERIES "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
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 3 -
“You know, it would be much less trouble if you were willing to bat your magic eyelashes.”
“Where were you when we battled the Hu’urei for over twenty years? Where was the powerful prince of Ange’el as my warriors died in the battlefield, crushed by the dragons? Why would I risk the safety of Ahe’ey to respond to the whims of a spoiled coward? Go back to your rich city penthouse Ange’el. You don’t belong here.”
“She is a human Gabriel. She is not worthy of you. In the end, this infatuation will hurt her.”
EDITORIAL REVIEWS
"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
"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 - 5 Star Review
"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 - 4 Star Review
SERIES "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
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 3 -
“You know, it would be much less trouble if you were willing to bat your magic eyelashes.”
“Where were you when we battled the Hu’urei for over twenty years? Where was the powerful prince of Ange’el as my warriors died in the battlefield, crushed by the dragons? Why would I risk the safety of Ahe’ey to respond to the whims of a spoiled coward? Go back to your rich city penthouse Ange’el. You don’t belong here.”
“She is a human Gabriel. She is not worthy of you. In the end, this infatuation will hurt her.”
EDITORIAL REVIEWS
"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
"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 - 5 Star Review
"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 - 4 Star Review
45 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 26, 2016
7 people are currently reading
49 people want to read
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 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 22, 2018
Disillusion is an apt title for this one. I read it with hopes and felt the disillusion that the series would get any better. This is the end of my involvement with this series.
I'm borrowing this quote from Caroline's review because its an excellent example of why Jamie's writing has issues.
« His physical container didn’t leave much room for the being within it. They either craved or feared his looks, his genes, his blood. His body was the claustrophobic prison that isolated his soul. An unwanted privilege that took zero effort to attain. The body — objectified, sexualized, feared, hunted, worshiped — always the body; they adored him or hated him before they ever knew him. The body crushed him; he was its slave. He felt empty, reduced to a soulless thing. »
This is a powerful piece of text. Its the core of Gabriel's inner struggle and why he is so uncomfortable with Morgan, unwilling to allow the chemistry to react between them.
The problem? This is what you get. The text moves on. That kind of powerful description deserves more page space. This is the kind of scintillating detail that draws the reader in and pulls them into the character and their feelings. This could be pages of description that make you feel for Gabriel and the other members of the Ahe'ey and why they dislike being so closely involved with the humans. What's Gabriel's history? How did he know about this reaction? What could he do to overcome it? Why didn't he try for Morgan's sake to avoid this reaction? Does he think Morgan is thinking the same? A paralyzing fear entrapping him because of his physicality is a great vehicle to delve into the character and make us feel strongly about him. About Morgan. About the Hu’urei.
Instead, everything feels kind of rushed to fit it all in. With a long running series, you really want to take the time to develop these things early. Otherwise, you have to keep going at breakneck speed throughout the rest of the books, and it comes off as less than impressive. And that breakneck speed shows in this book. The typos from the previous books get worse, the feeling of the care in the writing goes away.
Reading Jamie's author bio, I believe she'll become a better writer along the way. This series isn't just it for me right away.
I'm borrowing this quote from Caroline's review because its an excellent example of why Jamie's writing has issues.
« His physical container didn’t leave much room for the being within it. They either craved or feared his looks, his genes, his blood. His body was the claustrophobic prison that isolated his soul. An unwanted privilege that took zero effort to attain. The body — objectified, sexualized, feared, hunted, worshiped — always the body; they adored him or hated him before they ever knew him. The body crushed him; he was its slave. He felt empty, reduced to a soulless thing. »
This is a powerful piece of text. Its the core of Gabriel's inner struggle and why he is so uncomfortable with Morgan, unwilling to allow the chemistry to react between them.
The problem? This is what you get. The text moves on. That kind of powerful description deserves more page space. This is the kind of scintillating detail that draws the reader in and pulls them into the character and their feelings. This could be pages of description that make you feel for Gabriel and the other members of the Ahe'ey and why they dislike being so closely involved with the humans. What's Gabriel's history? How did he know about this reaction? What could he do to overcome it? Why didn't he try for Morgan's sake to avoid this reaction? Does he think Morgan is thinking the same? A paralyzing fear entrapping him because of his physicality is a great vehicle to delve into the character and make us feel strongly about him. About Morgan. About the Hu’urei.
Instead, everything feels kind of rushed to fit it all in. With a long running series, you really want to take the time to develop these things early. Otherwise, you have to keep going at breakneck speed throughout the rest of the books, and it comes off as less than impressive. And that breakneck speed shows in this book. The typos from the previous books get worse, the feeling of the care in the writing goes away.
Reading Jamie's author bio, I believe she'll become a better writer along the way. This series isn't just it for me right away.
May 10, 2017
So good. So beautifully written. I think I’m falling in love with Jamie Le Fay’s writing, creativity, and imagination.
« L’essentiel est invisible pour les yeux. » — Le Petit Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
« His physical container didn’t leave much room for the being within it. They either craved or feared his looks, his genes, his blood. His body was the claustrophobic prison that isolated his soul. An unwanted privilege that took zero effort to attain. The body — objectified, sexualized, feared, hunted, worshiped — always the body; they adored him or hated him before they ever knew him. The body crushed him; he was its slave. He felt empty, reduced to a soulless thing. »
I loved it. J’ai adoré. I can’t wait to read the next episode.
Happy reading!
An addicted reader.
Follow my favorite books on Instagram@readonthedarkside
« L’essentiel est invisible pour les yeux. » — Le Petit Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
« His physical container didn’t leave much room for the being within it. They either craved or feared his looks, his genes, his blood. His body was the claustrophobic prison that isolated his soul. An unwanted privilege that took zero effort to attain. The body — objectified, sexualized, feared, hunted, worshiped — always the body; they adored him or hated him before they ever knew him. The body crushed him; he was its slave. He felt empty, reduced to a soulless thing. »
I loved it. J’ai adoré. I can’t wait to read the next episode.
Happy reading!
An addicted reader.
Follow my favorite books on Instagram@readonthedarkside
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews