Domna, Part One: The Sun God's Daughter

Domna #1

by Tammie Painter

Available FREE on most retailers.

As a realm teeters on the verge of rebellion anything is possible, except one woman’s freedom to choose her fate.

Sofia Domna has her future planned. She’ll follow in her father’s footsteps and lead the Temple of Apollo. She’ll marry her childhood love, Papinias. She’ll have respect, status, and power.

So when her father bitterly forces her betrothal to a stranger and orders her from the life she’s always known, Sofia is thrown into a new world where any wrong move could mean her demise.

Refusing to give up her home, her future, and her love, Sofia immediately plans her escape, but she soon learns exactly how cruel destiny and the people surrounding her new husband can be.

Set in a world brimming with political turmoil and violent ambition, Domna is a six-part serialized novel that tells the tale of Sofia Domna, a woman whose destiny is abruptly changed when she reprimands the wrong man.

As Sofia's life moves through the trials of a forced marriage, motherhood, and yearning temptation, she learns that destiny isn't given; it's made by cunning, endurance, and, at times, bloodshed.

If you like the political intrigue, adventure, and love triangles of historical fiction by Philippa Gregory and Bernard Cornwell, and the mythological world-building of fantasy fiction by Madeline Miller and Simon Scarrow, you'll love Domna.

Grab your copy of Domna, Part One: The Sun God’s Daughter to begin this highly-anticipated tale of passion, ambition, and betrayal today.

Domna is a six-part serialized novel. The titles include:
Part One: The Sun God’s Daughter
Part Two: The Solon’s Son
Part Three: The Centaur’s Gamble
Part Four: The Regent’s Edict
Part Five: The Forgotten Heir
Part Six: The Solon’s Wife

Genres: Fantasy, Ebooks, Historical Fiction

126 pages, ebook

Published January 9, 2019

About the author

THE RAMBLING BIO AND OFFER OF FREE STUFF
Many moons ago I was a scientist in a neuroscience lab where I got to play with brains and illegal drugs. Now, I take wickedly strong tea and turn it into comic fantasy whodunits full of mythical misfits and magical mishaps that I hope give you a giggle.

My tales run the gamut from the ever-expanding  Cassie Black Trilogy with its wryly humorous paranormal mysteries to the comical fantasy whodunits in The Circus of Unusual Creatures , and from light-hearted novellas celebrating my love of books to short fiction in which I really flex my myth-loving and humor-craving muscles!

When I’m not creating worlds or killing off characters, I can be found gardening, planning my next travel adventure, concocting some sort of mess in the kitchen, or working as an unpaid servant to three cats and a guinea pig.

Want to learn more and get free stuff? Then be sure to pop by TammiePainter.com to see everything I'm up to and to grab your free copy of "Mrs. Morris Meets Death," a humorous tale of mortality, time management, cruise ships, and romance novels.



THE QUICK AS YOU CAN STORY BEHIND MY BOOKS...
My fascination for myths, history, and how they interweave inspired my two historical fantasy series, The Osteria Chronicles and my second series, Domna (you can grab your free series starters for those HERE and HERE).

But all those ancient myths and angst-ridden heroes got a bit too serious for someone with a strange sense of humor and odd way of looking at the world. 

So, while sitting at my grandmother’s funeral, my brain came up with an idea for a contemporary fantasy trilogy that’s filled with magic, mystery, snarky humor, and the dead who just won’t stay dead. That idea turned into The Cassie Black Trilogy, which has turned into a fan favorite.

Then, because writer brains are weird, a simple elephant story I had in mind somehow morphed into a "hilarious" cozy fantasy series featuring a detecting dragon. So, if you like comic fantasy whodunits that mix in laughs with murderous mayhem, mythical beasts, and a staggering variety of omelets, you’ll want to check out my Circus of Unusual Creatures mysteries!


IF ALL THAT WASN"T ENOUGH, YOU CAN...
* Sign up for my monthly newsletter to get free stuff, exclusive bargains, and insights into my writing world,
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Reviews

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (12/4/2019)! 🎁

[Todd Glaeser]

This novel is being published in installments, similar to how Dickens novels were done and more recently how Stephen King released The Green Mile.
This is the first part and introduces the main character and a number of possible conflicts that can, and probably will be, explored in the next parts. A romantic triangle, political intrigue, and a destiny foretold all color Domna's Life so far. I'm looking forward to the next installment!
Set in the same world as the author's previous novels, The Osteria Chronicles.

Thank you to the author for the pre-release ebook in exchange for an honest review.

[Weekes]

This book is highly entertaining and, I think, even more successful than Painter's previous instalments of the Osteria Chronicles. This series follows the POV of one strong female character, and the writing is therefore more streamlined, direct, and exciting. Here, Painter has created a fantasy world in great and consistent detail. That said, it is also a quick and fun read that won't leave you scratching your head. I can't wait to get on to Part Two, as Part One has presented so many interesting possibilities and openings!

[Ken]

Tammie Painter has developed an interesting serialized format to present her story about Sofia Domna. Sofia is the daughter of the chief priest of Apollo, and she (incorrectly) believes that she has her life all planned out. In this first volume of the story, we meet Sofia and her friends, and those who are not so friendly to her. She gets the shock of her life when she turns 16, and plans are made to send her off for her arranged marriage. Along the way, she learns information that may help her to survive in a world and lifestyle that she never expected to experience.
As someone who read (and enjoyed) the Osteria Chronicles series, this new series starts off strongly, and provides a very interesting look at a different part of Osteria’s history. I am very much looking forward to the next volume of the story. Highly recommended for fans of Osteria!

[Sarah]

I'm loving this story! It's the first of a serialized novel and I can't wait to continue. Some romance, some intrigue, a fair bit of danger and an intriguing balance between history and fantasy. This is a unique and imaginative work.

[Brandy {The Review Booth}]

To be honest I initially got this book because the description and cover were interesting. This first installment is free on Kindle so I didn't really have anything to lose by trying it. I really actually liked this book. Sofia is caught between being true to herself and what is expected of her. From the description I would not have expected for the book to include mythical creatures but indeed it does.

It is a fast paced read and I look forward to completing the series to see where Sofia ends up. The only thing that struck me as odd was the tweezed eyebrow line towards the beginning of the novel *shrugs* just seemed out of place for the era. I recommend this novel to those who like Greek mythology, fantasy & strong female characters.

[Beastie Helen]

A great start to this new series from the author of "The Osteria Chronicles"! Although I've enjoyed her previous books, this one comes across stronger... Possibly because we're following the story from the viewpoint of just one character, who I found very well-rounded and likeable.

This first installment is engaging and you'll find yourself rooting for Sofia, the narrator, from the outset - especially since we meet her just before life throws her a series of curveballs! It makes for plenty of drama and intrigue, and it's a cracking beginning to this six-part serialised novel. Definitely worth a read!

[Lavelle]

I really enjoyed Domna Part 1, the story has already lured me in so I am eagerly awaiting for Domna Part 2. The characters are very believable with a satisfying mix of fantasy and history. I find this book very enjoyable since it gets you interested in what is going to happen next..

[Larissa Lee]

I appreciated the finely balanced societal expectations on women versus the desires of the women in question. Often, we see a female character either made powerless by others or at least unable to truly struggle against their lot without assistance.

[Jonathan Pongratz]

Original Review at Jaunts & Haunts

4.5/5

I give this book four and a half fantastical stars!

I've become quite the fan of Painter's short stories and simply had to give this series a shot. I'm very glad I did!

In this premiere installment to the series, we meet Sofia Domna. She's a bright young woman who knows what she wants in life. To please the gods, to be married to her young lover Papinias. But when a random event breeds tragedy, Sofia's world is turned upside down. Can she figure out a way out of this, and if not, what will happen to the wonderful life she's known?

Hands down, this book was great.

I think what instantly drew me into it was the concept. I've had a deep love of Greek Mythology ever since a took a class on it in seventh grade. The world of Osteria is mysterious, fantastical, and promises to give us many, many great adventures. I enjoyed the little tidbits of mythology thrown in there. Gods, monsters, I loved all of it. Yes, this book wasn't centrally focused on the mythology, but I think we can expect some crazy journeys in this series.

I really enjoyed being in Sofia's POV. She's intelligent, headstrong, and determined, something that is hard to reel in when social standards dictate that women take the back seat more often than not. I think this constant tension helped draw me in further into the story. Sofia was easy to root for, and given the circumstances she's in her feelings are very easy to relate to.

The plot was riveting. I enjoyed getting to know Sofia, and when things take a turn for the worse I got even more into the story. I had to know how things were going to work out for her because I cared about her plight, and that really made me blaze through the pages. The concepts of gods and monsters was a key element to this world and can't be understated. I will admit that the first chapter or two didn't completely blow me away, but once I got to know Sofia a little better I was hooked and couldn't stop.

Overall, this was a great introduction to the world of Osteria filled with mystery, heartache, and fantasy, and I can't wait to continue!

[Wayne Scace]

**** SPOILER ALERT ****
This is my first "taste" of Painter's work and I look forward to "tucking into" more of the author's work.
Painter has a deft touch at world building in this part of Sofia's adventures. I look forward, eagerly, to exploring this realm.
This story teaches Sofia a bittersweet lesson, namely that you don't always get what you want, or expect.
Will Sofia find love, happiness and fullfillment? Grab this book and find out.
In the interest of transparency: I was given a copy of this book. This is my own honest opinion.

[Victoria]

One chapter a book! No way!

And I fell for it. This book was a very long first chapter of a book. Don't fall for it!