A prequel to Cincinnati native Hieber's previous two novels, The Perilous Prophecy of Guard and Goddess takes readers back to the tumultuous events which lead to Percy Parker's arrival at Athens Academy and Alexi Rychman's installment as Leader of the Victorian "ghostbusting" squad known as the Guard.
In Cairo, Egypt, the winds of change blow--quite literally. When they do, Beatrice Smith's betrothed is blown out of her life, and she feels guilty for not missing him. But Beatrice has larger concerns now...the primary ones being that she can suddenly see ghosts, and that she is visited by a goddess.
The goddess has chosen Beatrice and five others to fight an ancient vendetta begun when Darkness, Lord of the Dead, murdered the goddess's love. Now, however, Darkness is poised to spread his poison across the mortal world, and Beatrice and her new friends must put the pieces in place so that the next generation will be ready when the Great War finds them.
For fans of The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker and The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker, this prequel helps fill in some backstory details only eluded to in the previous books. However, it is an engaging story in its own right, though its spiritualist overtones may discomfort some readers. There are also some odd scenes near the end of the book which make the goddess seem slightly power-abusive and selfish, but in the previous books, the goddess is neither of these things. In some ways, this heightens the message that self-sacrifice and starting over can lead to a better future and inspire a better person in the end--a strong contrast to Darkness, who has no concept of such things.
Another treat fans of the previous books can enjoy is watching some of the events from previous novels from a new perspective. In The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, the events are mystical to both the characters and the reader. This new book is a behind-the-scenes look at these events, and one interesting aspect of this novel is seeing how much worldbuilding Hieber had to do for her previous books which never actually appeared in the text.
The Perilous Prophecy of Guard and Goddess whisks readers away to an ancient, dusty land and then to London's dark, sooty streets, painting a vivid picture of the era and the locations. Block out a long, uninterrupted chunk of time for this one, for once you start, you may not want to put it down again.
Leanna Renee Hieber will be in Cincinnati in November to promote a new series, so bring your copy of Perilous Prophecy along to have it signed. There may also still be a few signed copies left at the West Chester Barnes and Noble.
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