An Accidental Goddess

Review after re-reading 2015:

In this book we meet Captain Gillaine Davré – a military adviser for the Khalaran Confederation who has a liking for pub-crawling. We also meet the Kiasidira; a great sorceress from a legendary people called the Raheirans. As it happens, these two are one and the same, though not necessarily friends. Gillaine wants to be “just Gillie”, but possesses powers that she never asked for. Powers that make her feel isolated even among her own people.

When an accident flings her, and her sentient crystalship Simon, three hundred years into the future she sees a chance to have people look at her and just see her. Not a captain, not a sorceress, just a person. She sees a chance to develop normal relationships show more with people, most especially with one Admiral Mack Rynan. But things are not quite so easy, because three hundred years ago she saved the Khalaran people, and in the centuries since they have made her into a deity, the titular accidental Goddess. When an old enemy re-emerges Gillie has to decide if she’s willing to destroy in order to save; destroy an integral part of her adoptive people’s culture in order to face their adversary as her true, sorceress self.

An Accidental Goddess is a science fiction romance, with some elements that are arguably fantasy, and it’s a balanced blend of all those things. It’s a good science fiction story, atmospherically reminding me of Babylon 5, with culture clashes and space battles in and around the space station Cirrus One. It’s also a good romance novel, where Gillie and Mack are believable characters, their relationship moves forward with realistic bumps along the way. There are sex scenes in here, but they are well integrated, tasteful and not the main focus of the story (a mistake made by many authors who try to write science fiction romance, but end up writing science fiction erotica instead).
It’s debatable if a religion such the Khalarans belief in their Lady Kiasidira would have developed in span of just three hundred years, but I know too little of actual religion history to speak with any authority.

I love this book. It’s not perfect, but it ticked off so many of my favourite feel-good elements that I can do nothing but adore it. If you are a romance reader, I say give it a try. If you are a science fiction reader, I’d also say give this a try. It’s fun and easy, but also thought-provoking and action filled.

Original review from 2014:

When I started reading this I expected it to be a good romance, and it was, but it was also a surprisingly good science fiction novel. I got some Babylon 5-vibes from the atmosphere and setting (and I love me some B5!), and I also really liked the theme about how people's perception and memory of your actions will change with time after your death (or disappearance and subsequent time-travelling, as the case might be). For our main character, Gillaine Davré, that has resulted in an unexpected Goddesshood. I'm not entirely convinced a religion, such as it is in the book, would have developed in a timespan of merely three hundred years, but it is an interesting idea nonetheless. Furthermore, I would have liked it if the author explored the cultural ramifications of Gillaine's reappearance more than she did, but I still feel the futuristic elements are sufficiently thought-provoking to appeal not only to romance genre fans, but also to a majority of science fiction fans. There were some sex scenes in the book, as is to be expected of a romance, but they were well integrated in the story and none were overly graphic or alienating to non-romance readers. Overall this is a very enjoyable book with likeable characters, exciting action scenes and some sweet moments in-between. show less

(SPOILERS) I enjoyed this, at the "guilty pleasure even for mind candy" level, but there is a huge gaping hole in the plot. Even an under-staffed admiral like Mack will have someone in charge of counterintelligence. If this person has any clue, they will look very hard at whoever the admiral socializes with. If the admiral suddenly becomes besotted with someone whose easily-blown _cover story_ is that they're a sketchy foreigner, well...

Fun, but not my favorite Sinclair. The setup is great and even makes sense (a very weird sort of sense, but sense), but...it gets a little too easy at the end, particularly after all her agonizing. And his turning out, barely seeded, to have powers of his own is...again, way too convenient. Still, I love Mack and Gillie - and Tobias is an amusing idiot. Probably normally a quite sensible man, though from Mack's comments he's a bit of a tech geek (low on social skills). And the silly parrots - again, a trifle convenient (I've never seen parrots fly in strict squadrons - one or two always seem to veer off on their own business. Even with the flute). The setting is fun, Gillie's people seem interesting (though it's hard to "see" them show more clearly through the Khalaran reverence).
Huh, and this is a sequel to another book I've never even heard of - I thought I had checked out all of Sinclair's books. Oh goody, more Sinclair to read! show less

As with Games of Command, I think that Goddess' new cover (the purple) has a very nifty looking space station pictured on it, but the original cover conveys more of what Gillie is like. Plus its what caught my eye and dove me into Sinclair's books. For some reason I thought it was Jem (as in Jem and the Holograms, that 80's rock cartoon) and bought it for that reason. A happy happenstance! And yes for some reason I've been convinced its 'The Accidental Goddess' not 'An Accidental Goddess'. I also think the new covers have less scifi to them and more romance (though they are now carried in the romance section, not scifi like when I got Accidental Goddess years ago).

The Accidental Goddess is fun. Pure and simple. Gillie is a sassy, clever show more and tough while Mack is the sort of guy girls fall over themselves for. Caring, hard working, witty, and passionate. Who doesn't want that? Their romance alternately made me laugh and sigh in exasperation as Gillie tried to work around what she couldn't tell him and he tried to work what she did tell him into a semblance of order. Simon was a welcome addition to the plight--definitely like an older brother who couldn't resist ribbing his little sister at every possible chance. I could easily see him regaling Mack with tales from Gillie's childhood that would embarrass her to no end.

For me I found it simply fascinating how the Khalaran evolved the myth of Gillie to such epic proportions. Obviously its not dissimilar to what must have happened back in the days of Ancient cultures for us. Gillie's response was perfectly understandable and what she said to Mack was true--what if in hundreds of years people are worshiping him for just doing his duty? How would he feel when faced with that?

I'd argue for a sequel/companion novel just to read about how this newest chapter in the Lady Kiasidira's legecy is effected. Gillie and Mack tried to do damage control, but there's no guarantee that it won't be taken the exact opposite way. Luckily it didn't seem as if there were any prophecies indicating that the Lady Kiasidira would return to the Khalaran people during their darkest hour. I'm not sure any amount of damage control could have helped her then!

I would have liked to see, or at least a mention of, the Raheiran's reaction to Gillie's deification and her resurrection. The end seemed to suggest they still had business with the Khalaran's even after her death, so I wonder at the fact they didn't halt the worship of her. That was their Prime Directive more or less--nurture not interfere, help don't command, wouldn't Gillie being revered as a Goddess go against those precepts? show less

My favorite Linnea Sinclair book. The h is smart, mouthy, kinda vulnerable, and totally capable. The H is likable, witty, more than a little conflicted. Sinclair almost always keeps her stories moving and light with easy humor. Even when bad things are happening.

Another fun read by this author who does a fine job of blending steam, romance, space opera and action together. This one puts a whole new meaning into 'age difference.'

I really liked this book because of the way Linnea managed the power balance between her heorine and hero. It was refreshing to have a female who had to basically hide her powers so as not to freak out a lover who actually worshipped the person she had been. A great example of Linnea's writing at her best.