What do you think?
Rate this book
Divine Assistance #1
Divine Assistance
When the Supreme Mother and Supreme Father separated Creation from the Void, they also created the gods, beings of incalculable power who wielded cosmic energies far beyond the petty comprehension of mere mortals. The gods were supposed to preside over Creation with unmatched wisdom and knowledge.
Well, that was the idea.
But what is Death – a god of terrible majesty and splendour – supposed to do when his daughter asks for a pony? Is he really supposed to just go out and get a mortal one? Like that’s going to work. It’ll keel over and die in a couple of decades. No, his daughter deserves something better, a pony truly worthy of her divine heritage, which means he’s going to have to get a little bit creative.
And then there’s Bureaucracy. The Supreme Mother and Supreme Father might have given rise to Creation, but Bureaucracy is the one who has to keep everything running smoothly. But that’s easier said than done when there are hundreds of gods and countless mortals to consider – none of whom understand the importance of filing paperwork in triplicate. Luckily, not even gods can escape the awesome power of divine paperwork.
And let’s not forget gods like Mayhem, Mischief, and Rabble. Their names speak for themselves. When the three of them take a holiday in the mortal world at the same time, trouble is right around the corner.
Divine Assistance is a collection of fourteen short stories about the gods and their attempts to manage Creation. There are souls to claim, mortals to woo, and even the occasional city to smite. After all, what’s life without a little divine assistance?
Well, that was the idea.
But what is Death – a god of terrible majesty and splendour – supposed to do when his daughter asks for a pony? Is he really supposed to just go out and get a mortal one? Like that’s going to work. It’ll keel over and die in a couple of decades. No, his daughter deserves something better, a pony truly worthy of her divine heritage, which means he’s going to have to get a little bit creative.
And then there’s Bureaucracy. The Supreme Mother and Supreme Father might have given rise to Creation, but Bureaucracy is the one who has to keep everything running smoothly. But that’s easier said than done when there are hundreds of gods and countless mortals to consider – none of whom understand the importance of filing paperwork in triplicate. Luckily, not even gods can escape the awesome power of divine paperwork.
And let’s not forget gods like Mayhem, Mischief, and Rabble. Their names speak for themselves. When the three of them take a holiday in the mortal world at the same time, trouble is right around the corner.
Divine Assistance is a collection of fourteen short stories about the gods and their attempts to manage Creation. There are souls to claim, mortals to woo, and even the occasional city to smite. After all, what’s life without a little divine assistance?
188 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 9, 2017
123 people are currently reading
222 people want to read
About the author
L.G. Estrella
35 books512 followersI'm a reader and writer with a keen interest in psychology, history, physics, and economics. I'm especially interested in the intersection of these different areas (e.g., the psychology behind the sub-prime mortgage collapse).
In terms of fiction, I enjoy reading horror, fantasy, science fiction, Westerns, and thrillers. I believe that every genre has its good points, and I want to be able to incorporate all of these strengths into my own writing.
I currently live in Australia. When I'm not writing, I'm busy trying to fend off all of the deadly wildlife.
If you're interested in my fiction, you can find it on Amazon here.
In terms of fiction, I enjoy reading horror, fantasy, science fiction, Westerns, and thrillers. I believe that every genre has its good points, and I want to be able to incorporate all of these strengths into my own writing.
I currently live in Australia. When I'm not writing, I'm busy trying to fend off all of the deadly wildlife.
If you're interested in my fiction, you can find it on Amazon here.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 2, 2019
Discovered L. G. Estrella’s books after a GoodReads recommendation. While they are not carried at my library, for the cost of an overdue library book fine you can own your own copy. “Divine Assistance” reads more like a folktale collection - only snarkier.
March 21, 2022
Fun Read!
This was fun humorous adventure from start to finish. Mixed that with some pretty tender and thought provoking moments, it was a joy to read. Loved it!
This was fun humorous adventure from start to finish. Mixed that with some pretty tender and thought provoking moments, it was a joy to read. Loved it!
January 13, 2022
As a fan of L.G.'s Unlikely Heroes series, I had a feeling I'd enjoy this book as well, and I did. This book feels like those old collections of Greek mythology I used to read as a kid, only with way more humour and a smattering of different takes of the expected (and unexpected) Gods and Goddesses.
Divine Assistance is a collection of short stories concerning various divine figures such as Life, Death, Day, Night, Mayhem, Annihilation, Torment, Bureaucracy and others as they go about their existence and dealing with the usual smitings, creations, destructions and rounding up of the deceased, alongside the unusual, such as what happens when Death's daughter (Young Death) decides she wants a pony, or when Ruin tries to learn poetry to woo a mortal librarian. I won't spoil what happens, but I will say the outcomes are quite entertaining.
All in all, an enjoyable read, and I look forward to the next one.
Divine Assistance is a collection of short stories concerning various divine figures such as Life, Death, Day, Night, Mayhem, Annihilation, Torment, Bureaucracy and others as they go about their existence and dealing with the usual smitings, creations, destructions and rounding up of the deceased, alongside the unusual, such as what happens when Death's daughter (Young Death) decides she wants a pony, or when Ruin tries to learn poetry to woo a mortal librarian. I won't spoil what happens, but I will say the outcomes are quite entertaining.
All in all, an enjoyable read, and I look forward to the next one.
March 21, 2024
3.5⭐️
I have been going through withdrawal symptoms for Timmy and the gang. And as Attempted Vampirism did not scratch the itch I hoped this would. And in a small way it did. I liked the collection of stories brought together under the umbrella of this book. It was great seeing Gods got through life and to see them work. Unlike some other book where Gods were humanized, here the Gods are still very powerful and set apart from the mortals. But they are not without kindness. I think I am just morbid considering Death has been my favourite character in this series and the Discworld series. I am unable to get my hands on the sequel for this book at the moment but hope to soon.
I have been going through withdrawal symptoms for Timmy and the gang. And as Attempted Vampirism did not scratch the itch I hoped this would. And in a small way it did. I liked the collection of stories brought together under the umbrella of this book. It was great seeing Gods got through life and to see them work. Unlike some other book where Gods were humanized, here the Gods are still very powerful and set apart from the mortals. But they are not without kindness. I think I am just morbid considering Death has been my favourite character in this series and the Discworld series. I am unable to get my hands on the sequel for this book at the moment but hope to soon.
July 11, 2017
Some Of the short stories are ok, most read like outlines
A couple of the stories we're ok, the two in the sample are probably the best. The rest seem unfinished, like the outline was written, but the actual story wasn't. It's like the author didn't take the time to flesh out the stories and decided stating the obvious would do. I have purchased other books by the author because of the writing, dialogue, and wit. This book lacks most of that.
A couple of the stories we're ok, the two in the sample are probably the best. The rest seem unfinished, like the outline was written, but the actual story wasn't. It's like the author didn't take the time to flesh out the stories and decided stating the obvious would do. I have purchased other books by the author because of the writing, dialogue, and wit. This book lacks most of that.
March 16, 2019
Oops!
This book is populated with gods and goddesses who may seem familiar. There is Life , of course who is in charge of creating the mortal world, and Death, in charge of gathering the souls of the dead. But we also meet Zephrya, daughter of the West Wind, siblings Mischief, Mayhem, and Rabble, Twinkles, the nightmare pony, and other assorted characters that make this an entertaining and very enjoyable read.
This book is populated with gods and goddesses who may seem familiar. There is Life , of course who is in charge of creating the mortal world, and Death, in charge of gathering the souls of the dead. But we also meet Zephrya, daughter of the West Wind, siblings Mischief, Mayhem, and Rabble, Twinkles, the nightmare pony, and other assorted characters that make this an entertaining and very enjoyable read.
September 1, 2020
While I enjoyed this, I still can't call it a five star read. The chapters are only tangentially related to each other, which also meant there was a lot of character introduction, not a lot of world building, and an awful lot of repetition. Having said all that, I did enjoy the writing style and the characters that were introduced, so I'm going to keep an eye out for more of this authors work.
March 19, 2019
A collection of fun but lightweight stories told in a chatty, conversational style. The universe these are set in is intriguing mash-up of mythologies mostly based on Greek god, but with amusing additions like Bureaucracy (she's the brother of Death, of course).
September 18, 2021
Great Gods
Estralla's Pantheon is splendid and some of their adventures are involving. In other cases you get the impression that all the effort has gone into creating the God and that the rest is cursory. But it must be hard finding difficulties for the omnipotent.
Estralla's Pantheon is splendid and some of their adventures are involving. In other cases you get the impression that all the effort has gone into creating the God and that the rest is cursory. But it must be hard finding difficulties for the omnipotent.
May 25, 2022
The stories are not bad, but I agree with other reviewers in that there is a lot of unnecessary repetition. Perhaps a book that would be better suited for someone who likes dipping in from time to time rather than reading all the stories one after the other.
August 4, 2022
Quirky
This book is plain fun if you like the unusual and a peek into the inner lives of gods and goddesses. I would call it ' The real lives of gods and goddesses'. Death, Life, Annihilation, Mayhem, Mischief and Rabble. They are all there.
This book is plain fun if you like the unusual and a peek into the inner lives of gods and goddesses. I would call it ' The real lives of gods and goddesses'. Death, Life, Annihilation, Mayhem, Mischief and Rabble. They are all there.
January 22, 2018
Loved this! Cannot WAIT for the next.
November 4, 2018
Pratchett light
There's some good writing and I enjoyed the vignettes but it felt like real-world fan fiction. I would have liked to see a deeper dive into world building.
There's some good writing and I enjoyed the vignettes but it felt like real-world fan fiction. I would have liked to see a deeper dive into world building.
January 15, 2020
beautiful book my favorite story is the muse and th painter thank you
August 22, 2020
Clever
January 1, 2021
Fun shorts!
I really liked this book. The background is easy to understand and the characters are pretty humorous and well thought out.
I really liked this book. The background is easy to understand and the characters are pretty humorous and well thought out.
April 15, 2022
Fun and unique collection of short stories about "the gods".
January 13, 2024
Such a phenomenal mythology. Incredibly well-written.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews