INTO THE REALM

The Goddess of Chaos fights against her destiny as a wellspring of evil as she collaborates with other immortals to conquer her father, the devil himself.

Debut author Judilyn sets the stage for pandemonium and devastation when she begins her novel with the brutal rape of Ishtar, the goddess of War, in 2750 B.C. The rapist just happens to be Ishtar’s father, the devil, who is referred to as the Day Star. Determined to protect her daughter/sister from their caustic daddy at all costs, Ishtar magically creates her own offspring, the god of Vengeance, who will function as a principal in a future rebellion against the Day Star. Throughout Judilyn’s descriptions of the individualized tortures and more general mass destruction that the Day Star envisions, she introduces supernatural characters of every stripe. This overzealous saga includes vampires, werewolves, wraiths, shape-shifters, and gods and goddesses of varying strengths. After a lengthy introduction, the setting abruptly shifts to present-day New York City, where Xyens, aka the goddess of Chaos, finally meets Chase, aka the god of Vengeance, who is her key to defeating the Day Star. Throughout the novel, Judilyn offers many lengthy explanations about the “powers” and acumen of various beings, which create an unfortunate distraction. Similarly, much of the novel fastidiously details a tale that spans over 4,000 years. Despite its indulgent array of immortal characters and disappointingly slow start, the book builds to an exciting crescendo and suddenly becomes a page-turner about halfway through when Xyens and the God of Vengeance begin assembling an army of Immortals to battle the Day Star. Xyens’ struggles to rescue her mother, Ishtar, from the Day Star’s clutches in an alternate universe and to put an end to the devil’s abominable schemes serves as a riveting denouement.

A fantasy adventure with fodder for hard-core paranormal fans.