Reviews

January 15, 2023 What a journey! This is a work of fiction centered around Sara, that daughter of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. While their teachings are there, and Mary Magdalene is often present, this is Sara's book entirely, it is not used for her parents to be the center of attention, she is. She has a certain gift and her destiny is, or is it?, to help a young Cathar girl save her mother's manuscript as her group's fortress is burned down. This being said, I appreciate greatly the immense courage the author had to release this kind of subject into the world. And I appreciate so much she gave Sara a voice. If your are looking for the Magdalene, though, you will find her here. The author's theatre background creates sometimes short and sketchy scenes, very rapid, and your attention is necessary to keep pace with Sara's many travels into other persons (yes, you read that right, this is her gift). However, among the many nuggets of wisdom there is so much poetry and and a sort of dreaminess, I really don't know how to name it better. I feel it is a big depart from the previous book in the series as the story unfolds softer, richer, in wonderfully described environments. The desert, the beach, the space under the trees and the mountains, all landscapes are beautifully depicted and a strong part of the story. I appreciate very much the complexity of the story and how the wisdom is written down. In the beginning I felt some characters explained too much with a modern voice the many details that had to be known to make the book develop. But then I reveled in the presence of key characters, with their eccentricity, like the Gipsy Queen, or in the historical encounter Sara has. I value how everything is seen with clear eyes, especially in this times when some people seem to romanticize too much what we believe was the Cathar faith. Plus, as its subject gets to see a glimpse of them, the book doesn't shy away from the many horrors history is known to feature. This story has extraordinary moments, like I have never encountered before in a book. How the Initiation in the Mysteries is felt, embodying Sophia, what it means to go beyond body and float as a spirit, there are some scenes here so surreal, so powerful, of such grace and beauty, they left me in awe. I could write so much about this book, of its so many layers. Yet, I hope, and tried, to be as objective as I could in this review, giving how close this subject and so many of the places and moments featured here are to my heart. My greatest hope for this book is that it is read with an open mind, beyond the inevitable political questions we, people of a certain faith, cannot get over. May this book find you where you are and give your what you need.

The second standalone entry in Martin’s Women Unveiled series declares its boldness of vision from the first line: “I should have assumed with parents known to the world as Mary Magdalene and Jesus Christ, I would be different.” In the vividly realized historical novel that follows, playwright/author Martin continues the striking storytelling of Dancing in the Labyrinth, exploring stories of women in history and myth pushing against the boundaries of patriarchal societies. This time, the setting is both Jerusalem, in the years of narrator Sara’s birth, and also 13th century Montségur as the French Royal Forces persecute the Cathars, a Christian sect deemed heretical by the pope. Sara may be “a swaddled babe in a hammock” in 34 AD, but her “memories are future moments yet to be lived,” she tells us. Born to visions, she often awakens inside others, throughout time. Eventually, she awakens in a young Cathar, Sarah-Marie. In both of the novel’s major time-settings, Sara and her loved ones face religious persecution. In rich, clear, and sometimes playful prose—Sara uses the word “ginormous”—Martin offers a heady meditation on belief and oppression, the strength it takes to persevere, and what Sara calls “the conspiracy of time” as the narratives pass through continents and millenia. Crucial themes center the origins of Christianity in older systems of belief and efforts throughout history to erase those origins. One gripping passage finds Sara awakened inside a young man during the canonization of the New Testament, privy to discussion about what other books were eliminated and why. While much of the novel is exploratory, with Sara feeling her way through stories and epochs and tribulations, the central thread of Sarah-Marie and her prescribed fate—“death by burning” in a massacre—generates welcome suspense, as Sara tries to find a way to save her. Perhaps what’s most remarkable about this layered, ambitious, poetic novel is its clarity and coherence, as Martin finds dramatic means to explore religious and historical complexities and spiritual connections between women through the ages. The Bringer of Happiness is occasionally challenging but more often illuminating. Takeaway: This time-crossed novel examines women, faith, persecution, and the establishment of religious canon. Great for fans of: Charmaine Craig’s The Good Men, Elaine Pagels’s The Gnostic Gospels.

For those lover's of the television series "Quantum Leap," this is a must read. Sara, being the daughter of Jesus and Mary Magdalene is enough to grab a reader's attention, but Martin offers much more. Sara travels inside and through time inside the bodies of other characters and with each leap you're brought to the point where you wonder what's next. Martin's prose is prolific as she describes scenery and surroundings. She also keeps Sara's character the main focus of the story. This is a fictional story that explores history, the spiritual world and time travel. A real complex plot, but still a page-turner. https://www.amazon.com/review/R1GI61OXQZLEC7/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

James Browne's Reviews > the Bringer of Happiness My rating: 5 of 5 stars the Bringer of Happiness (Women Unveiled, #2) by Karen Martin (Goodreads Author) James Browne's reviewDec 23, 2022 It was amazing Karen Martin's second book tells the story of Sara, daughter of Jesus and Mary Magdalene - Sara (Aramaic for "bringer of happiness", hence the title) can time travel and so sets out to save Sarah-Marie, a young Cathar girl in 13th century France. As with Martin's first book, it's a wonderfully told story built on lots of historical facts, making it as much educational as it is entertaining. Martin's prose is beautifully descriptive and immersive, drawing you into the sights, sounds and smells of the various stops along the way. The underlying factual aspects make for a really interesting backdrop - as a result, I've drawn up a list of books to procure and read to learn more - in particular the journey of Mary Magdalene and her gospel. As with the first novel, Dancing the Labyrinth, the narrative focuses on the female protagonist and experiences, making it a refreshingly new perspective for me (lapsed Irish Catholic) and learnings from my youth. First and foremost, however, it's a great story and a very enjoyable read - highly recommended and I look forward to the next book in the series.

5 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This story is based on a novel concept: if Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene had a child, what would that child's life be like? The Bringer of Happiness by Karen Martin follows the life of Sara, the daughter of Mary Magdalene and Jesus Christ. Sara's physical life is spent fleeing the Romans who persecute those who follow the teachings of Mary Magdalene. Her spirit, however, is able to leave her body and travel forward in time. She spends these travels trying to make sense of how both of her parents' teachings could be so distorted and used to promote hate and intolerance. Her journey is both beautiful and sad. From her early life in Jerusalem to her travels north in search of a safe place to practice their religion, Sara is surrounded by familiar biblical characters from the New Testament. She struggles to find her destiny as the child of such important and revered teachers. The teachings of Mary Magdalene described in this story are moving, and it's difficult to watch Sara try and ensure her mother's words are not lost. There is an urgency to Sara's mission as she works to control her gift for time travel without realizing that her destiny could lie in a different direction altogether. This book is filled with unfamiliar concepts that are well-explained. Sara's surroundings and storyline are also well-described. The writing is incredibly beautiful and paints a clear mental picture for the reader. There is a scene in the book while Sara is in spirit form where she comes across a field of butterflies that is especially noteworthy. There are also several poems and (for lack of a better term) sermons by Sara's mother that contribute to the beauty of the story. History tells us that the teachings of Mary Magdalene are not widely accepted and were mostly lost, but that does not mean that the reader will correctly guess the ending of the story. I loved everything about this book and therefore gave it the highest rating possible because of the overall concept, the plotline, and the writing. I highly recommend this story to anyone with an interest in the genre of ancient history, mysticism, and magic.

The Bringer of Happiness by Karen Martin is about Sara, the daughter of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene. The story is about Sara and her destiny to spread the light of happiness to the people. Martin tries to look at the plight of being a woman in a man's world since 34 AD. She does not base this on just Sara and her mother's encounters with ill-treatment by men they cross paths with but rather explains this from various perspectives, including that of men during that period. As Sara can 'float' through time into other people's bodies, she sees the real world for its cruelty and injustice. This treatment was evident in how men in one of her 'floating' experiences laughed at the thought of Mary Magdalene's efforts to impart knowledge of life. Since birth, Sara has been a curious child, inquisitive about everything around her. Martin brought out this child-like curious Sara aptly. When she writes about her experience as a host of a girl forced into getting married to a man who abuses her because she does not want to lose her virginity, she adds the sense of confusion and horror a child would have had to witness such a situation. Martin's writing is patient as she dives into Sara's emotions and explains why she feels the way she does. Currently, where everything can end up being controversial, especially regarding religion, Karen's book is courageous and revolutionary. The extensive research into giving an in-depth historical context and aligning it with the timeline is noteworthy. I recommend this book to those interested in retellings of myth and history. These retellings give the characters of a myth that have never been in the limelight a fictional platform to tell their side of the story; this book does that beautifully, making it a must-read.

DocMonster Reviewed in Australia 29 March 2023 Sara, the daughter of Mary Magdalene and Jesus Christ, travels with her mother while learning her parents’ teachings. Sara can also travel through time, where she sees the persecution of, and future bloody and violent massacre of the Cathars by the Romans. Sara believes she has a role to play, but what is it? A narrative of historical events, themes of personal growth, destiny, faith, and the power of religion explore Sara and her mother’s story. A strong premise throughout the novel is the original peaceful teachings of faith are often manipulated to serve those in power for their own greed and gain. As someone who enjoys history, I was in awe of the amount of research and events the author had referenced in the novel. Furthermore, the author has an ability to write in such a manner that is incredibly illustrative, this enables the reader to picture the events that are unfolding. Overall, a very intelligent and captivating novel.

The book "The Bringer of Happiness" by Karen Martin is a captivating and thought-provoking work of fiction that explores the intriguing idea of Jesus and Mary Magdalene having a child named Sara. The author's use of historical facts and religious mythology adds depth and richness to the story, making it both informative and entertaining. The descriptive prose immerses the reader in the sights, sounds, and smells of the various locations throughout the book, making it easy to visualize the scenes. The main character, Sara, is a strong and complex woman with a unique gift that allows her to travel through time. Her journey to save a young Cathar girl in 13th-century France is thrilling and emotional. The author's portrayal of the female protagonist and her experiences adds a refreshing perspective to the story. Overall, "The Bringer of Happiness" is a well-written and engaging novel that will appeal to readers who enjoy fiction with a historical and spiritual theme. The mythologies and fictionalized story creates a unique and powerful narrative that will leave readers pondering the ideas presented in the book. It's a must-read for anyone interested in exploring new perspectives on religion and spirituality. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5304440013

“Karen Martin attempted something risky and extremely difficult, but at the same time rare: To resort to a largely unexplored historical - and even prehistoric - period to draw material and performances and create a modern novel. The result justifies it.” Makis Petsas, (Chania, Crete)

It is hard and honoring to review a book with such a big charge. This is the story of Cressida, a young girl who moves for a summer on a Greek island, to escape the memories of her violent father and her never protective mother. Her journey starts just as she finds out she is pregnant, however, by no means is her journey than linear. Her path intertwines with an experience she has, the woman she befriends, and the visions she has of the last women to protect the cult of the Great Mother. I was attracted to this book because of the labyrinth, I imagined there would be some sort of Ariadne connection but this was so much more. A great gamble of shading light on the cult of Great Mother, the last days of the matriarchy and how patriarchy emerged to take its place and how all reverberated to this day. Like Angela's ways, it is all pictured in deep brushes, the visions are felt very powerfully by Cressida and their magnitude is the same. Strong, earthshattering moments well balanced with mundane scenes where our modern heroines try to make sense of them. There is an economy of details and the scenes are almost theatrical, the authors experience in this domain is obvious in the structure constructed. While you can read this book as simply a narration (and there may be some rituals and ideas that can be triggering, so be advised), I believe its power dwells in the past world it portrays and the bridge between the worlds it builds. On many accounts the story hit close home, and I believe Cressida and Angela's lives are very relatable. Also, I loved finding pieces of mysteries, Maria Gimbutas and ho'oponopono embodied in these pages. They just warmed my heart like meeting old friends. I cannot wait to see how the next story will take form! I thinks this is the kind of book that finds you where you're at. So it if finds you, answer its call.

Dancing the Labyrinth by Karen Martin is a story filled with myths, legends, and goddesses. Karen has woven a tale of the past connecting flawlessly with the future by covering the bridge with a vision of the priestess. Dancing the Labyrinth is a story that makes you question your beliefs. I love tales which makes you broaden your horizons and forces you to see and experience something different, something that changes your perspective. Cressida, whose life changed when she arrived in her dream country of Greece, stumbling into a tomb where she experienced the parallels of the world, the past and the future. The experience was divine, yet gruesome. Author Karen Martin describes the existence of a matriarchal society. Many religions claim it to be true, but Karen captures the essence of it. The transition that shifted society to a patriarchal and violent nature, the story tells this perspective through Pythia, Ashtar and Lydia. The Priestesses, the embodiment of the Mother, the Goddess. It’s a tale of time, conveyed to Cressida through her dreams. But the story doesn’t stop here. Instead, with the help of Angela, Cressida tries to understand and to decipher what happened to the civilization, the existence of the tomb. It is a harrowing story. With the suffering inflicted upon women, to the modern world. Greek mythology is famous all over the world, but the perspective on it in this book is unique and intriguing. The story continuously switches writing styles. The book starts casually and with contemporary language and then switches to old an older writing style. Along with this we also get switches in point of views. The story is also filled with Greek myth references that will definitely appeal to readers who are familiar with the mythology.

This book was a fascinating read. I loved every part of it. So here are my thoughts about the book. There are no spoilers ahead of any kind. The book was unique in the sense of story, plot, and characters. I have never read something so unique, slow, and fast at the same time. The story's main focus, the middle, and the ending just make me awe at the sheer talent of the author to sew together this utterly chaotic plot into a beautiful story that we can read. The characters are so well written. Their development is not at all rushed but by no means does this makes the book slow and boring. There are close to no fillers in the story and even if there are they are so good that they seemed an essential part of the story. Props to the author for writing such a great book for us to read and enjoy. At last, if you still are in the midst of deciding whether to buy the book or not. Just do it, it's a lifetime experience, and while doing it show the author some love and support. My utmost gratitude to the author for writing such a great piece of literature.

Worth reading 😎 This story of a modern young woman whose life is changed by visions of ancient priestesses is definitely worth a look. SYNOPSIS When Cressida falls pregnant, her overwhelming fear is that she will pass on her father’s violent DNA. It takes an ancient matriarchal culture to teach her otherwise. Dancing the Labyrinth is a young woman’s odyssey. It weaves a contemporary story of a young woman from an abusive background with the history of Europe’s most advanced civilization of the Bronze Age – the Minoans. It is a celebration of women’s history, courage, friendship and hope. Set in the transition between ancient Goddess worship to patriarchy, it is a timely expose of women’s history in the landscape of the #MeToo Movement and #EnoughisEnough. Cressida, a young Australian woman, comes to Crete fleeing an abusive family situation. She finds a job and somewhere to live, but there’s just one problem: she’s pregnant. Cressida is in emotional turmoil, but when she takes shelter in a cave from a storm, the women of ancient Crete step in to help. A series of visions of female struggles more than three thousand years before lead Cressida to a new friend, Angela, and to an understanding of her past that will help her make peace with her present. There is much here to admire. Martin has clearly done her research and this is a fascinating possible version of a culture – Minoan Crete – about which we still know frustratingly little. Her writing is evocative of Crete as a place, so much so that the setting is almost a character itself. The storm that drives Cressida into the cave to experience her first vision doesn’t feel accidental. It was also great to read a book that so thoroughly passes the Bechdel Test: two female characters get to discuss something other than men. Despite this, I didn’t quite manage to love it. This was in part because I found the historical characters of the Pythia and others less engaging than Cressida. The transition from a matriarchal to a patriarchal society is reasonably well-trodden ground in historical fiction, and I did myself making comparisons with Marion Zimmer Bradley and Mary Renault, as examples of where the emotional and personal struggles involved have been rather more convincingly done. Particularly in the second half of the book, the modern storyline also features a lot of exposition by Angela to Cressida of various theories, which I also found a little reminiscent of some of the more exasperating bits of The Da Vinci Code and its imitators. However, Martin’s message of female solidarity and the possibility of changing not events in the past, but how we feel and respond to them in the present is a positive one, and I was sufficiently interested in both Cressida’s story and the Pythia’s to keep reading. Come for the Cretan landscape, stay for the women’s history: if either of these interest you, this is definitely worth a look.

https://www.netgalley.com/book/236613/reviews aelat w. Reviewer Excellent story! Totally engrossing! Looking forward to reading more by this author! Could not put this down! Ioana M reviewer This book has left with so much! It is hard and honoring to review a book with such a big charge. This is the story of Cressida, a young girl who moves for a summer on a Greek island, to escape the memories of her violent father and her never protective mother. Her journey starts just as she finds out she is pregnant, however, by no means is her journey than linear. Her path intertwines with an experience she has, the woman she befriends, and the visions she has of the last women to protect the cult of the Great Mother. I was attracted to this book because of the labyrinth, I imagined there would be some sort of Ariadne connection but this was so much more. A great gamble of shading light on the cult of Great Mother, the last days of the matriarchy and how patriarchy emerged to take its place and how all reverberated to this day. Like Angela's ways, it is all pictured in deep brushes, the visions are felt very powerfully by Cressida and their magnitude is the same. Strong, earthshattering moments well balanced with mundane scenes where our modern heroines try to make sense of them. There is an economy of details and the scenes are almost theatrical, the authors experience in this domain is obvious in the structure constructed. While you can read this book as simply a narration (and there may be some rituals and ideas that can be triggering, so be advised), I believe its power dwells in the past world it portrays and the bridge between the worlds it builds. On many accounts the story hit close home, and I believe Cressida and Angela's lives are very relatable. Also, I loved finding pieces of mysteries, Maria Gimbutas and ho'oponopono embodied in these pages. They just warmed my heart like meeting old friends. I cannot wait to see how the next story will take form! I thinks this is the kind of book that finds you where you're at. So it if finds you, answer its call. Jeanne G reviewer What would Matriarchal life be like today if it had survived? In this book the author tells us that in Minoan culture a Woman was God (Goddess) and women and the Earth were connected. Women were celebrated for their power and intuition, prophesies, and ability to give birth and celebrate all the mysteries of their culture. I wanted to like this book, but I had difficulty following the unexplored histories of the two modern day characters through whom we experience this Minoan culture. The writing is disjointed and confusing, and frankly tedious. Characters appear suddenly as an important part of the story but were not mentioned before. The two women strike up an unlikely friendship, which just comes on quickly and is not fleshed out. One of them is pregnant, which seems to fade into the background for the central part of the stories and comes back as an ‘oh yes, that pesky pregnancy’ at the end. Dreams, visions, speaking as if controlled by ancient deities seem to affect both characters, not just the one who found the cave with ancient cave art and artifacts. I struggled to finish the book, and don’t recommend it. Mila S Reviewer This was an interesting book and I understand why it would appeal to someone who likes Ancient Greek history. Following Cressida who falls pregnant, she escapes to the Greek Islands as she fears that she will pass on her father's violent tendencies. This was an incredibly beautiful book and super interesting. I had a lot of fun reading it and the connection to Minoans was super cool.

I feel that centuries have passed since the last time I participated in a similar event, due to the dystopian conditions we experience in health, but not only. And I honestly think that, if something is missing, almost torturously almost, it is not so much the norms of everyday life or the most relaxing recreational element of life as that lively creative breath that the direct communication of creators and spectators-readers with the vehicle offers. speech and art, in all its forms. That liberating cultural activity that constitutes a refuge, but also a stubborn act of continuing life and expression directly, through life, mediated by the otherwise useful modern technological tools. And of course, Radamanthis publications ,always pioneers, they take care to remind us of this non-negotiable authentic communication. Karen Martin attempted something risky and extremely difficult, but at the same time rare: To resort to a largely unexplored historical - and even prehistoric - period to draw material and performances and create a modern novel. The result justifies it. The power of "In the Dance of the Labyrinth" is based on its originality, both in form and content, in the deep historicity it exudes, but also in the psychographic penetration that characterizes its ethnographic dimension. It is certainly a fascinating - although the word has been misused and misused - literary text. The special interest it arouses in the reader lies, in my opinion, in the following particular elements: -Fiction writing is intertwined with a number of historical, philosophical, psychological, anthropological and other extensions and implications. -It is impressive the careful and gradual construction of the character of the heroine on her anxious attempt, through the historical dive she attempts, the reflection and the search, to lead to self-knowledge and to the fundamental reconstruction of the essence of her life. -Although, of course, the goal is not the historiographical record, the historical approach of the text is excellent, with the necessary reductions in modern reality, and the regeneration of the atmosphere of the Minoan era, a period that for the most part experienced its dominance matriarchal organization of society, which, despite being scientifically substantiated, remains relatively unexplored, but also challenged by anti-historical interpretations. The main character of Karen Martin, Cressida, through her, in the tragic sense of the word, adventure, the abrupt reversal of fortune, finds the occasion that she subconsciously sought to confront her past and future. Through an extraordinary narrative trick, she falls on the prehistoric past of humanity, looks back at the entries in the collective subconscious from that time, to draw strength to exorcise the demons she has dragged since her childhood (hovering over the narrative - never to deliberately analyze the incidents - the figure of an authoritarian father and a submissive mother). Like an explosion, a world of revelation rises before her. The social roots of this world, its pedestals, its structure, its morals, its rituals push the heroine on a path of purification, purification of the soul, as she traces the causes of the racial and mental oppression she has experienced. The appeal to the collective subconscious, the immersion in the distant past, the consequent change of perspective towards the experiences and representations of life form the basis for the attempt to map and decipher the mind, the soul, the ambitions, the very existence of Cressida. Whether this is achievable on her part is left to the reader to discover, perhaps turning to himself. A weapon of the author, but also a coherent element of the text, become the exceptional narrative techniques that she masterfully treats: -The boxing of the historical narrative, which works in the context of the dream element. The historical memories have as a shell the dreamy escapes of Cressida. -The purely symbolic character of place and time. Evolution is structured on two time levels, that of the Minoan era and today, which are intertwined harmoniously, in a magical, fairytale way. The creative mixing of the myth, the apparition, the dream element with the modern reality embossed the timelessness of the distributions. -The utilization in imaginary terms of primordial separate female deities and forms. Mother Earth, a symbol of fertility, euphoria, but also of natural harmony, Pythia, placed in another place and time, the legendary Amazons. -The symbols of the Minoan era with a modern meaning (the labyrinth, the urovorous serpent, the catalytic role of blood, human sacrifice). -And of course an exquisite, evocative, mystical, without any exaggeration, description of the rites of the matriarchal era in the Minoan context. With a sharpness that certainly could not be rendered without the solid and expressive linguistic performance of Iosif Alygizakis. Of particular value in Martin's work is the extensive representation and recording of the social institutions and manifestations of the given social structure of the Neo-Palace Minoan Era, before and during the transition to the Post-Palace and the new conditions of social hierarchy. The special, positively distinguished and prestigious position of women during the matriarchy era was intertwined with a completely different, communitarian-type social organization. It was certainly not inversely exploitative, as some claim, it was not a product of inequality, but of the particular importance of dealing with the household as a public affair, as a central economic activity in the context of community coexistence. The overthrow of the matriarchy, as the great Friedrich Engels notes in his monumental work The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State, marked a world-historical defeat of the female sex, the beginning of the very class differentiation as the first manifestation, the inequality, the consequent humiliation, which passing through all the exploitative socio-economic systems reaches to the present day and takes expressions like those that stigmatize season and topicality. It was, therefore, economic-productive and not biological or abstractly patriarchal the reasons for this overthrow that accumulated the unbearable double oppression of women, socio-economic and racial, to this day. That is why getting rid of this deeply anachronistic situation presupposes radical economic and social upheavals and upheavals and not hollow declarations of equality, like the ones that are coming to the fore today, I consider this retrospection to the teachings and practices of the period of matriarchy to be a trigger, a call from the author to women, but also to all, to realize that it is not a natural phenomenon to cultivate stereotypes and oppressive patterns. The recourse to prehistoric roots, which Martin seeks, signifies the whole treatment of the issue of gender-based violence, of gender relations in general, and testifies that these distinctions are as deeply rooted as they are anti-social and anti-historical at the same time. And they non-negotiable require uprooting. Finally, I consider the book to be a triumph of redefining not only social relations, and the very relationship between man and nature, but also the true identity of each. The story of the women of the matriarchal era, the story of Cressida, as eloquently stated in the flow of the book, is the story of every woman, every man who wants to follow in the footsteps of the eternal search. Let us also seek this meaning by wandering through the pages of the novel and let us dare to walk in these paths. Good reading and thank you for your patience and attention. Karen Martin loves Crete and has studied it deeply. With her novel, she offers us a fascinating glimpse of history, in the era of Matriarchy on the island. The protagonist of her story, Cressida, travels to Crete on a course of self-knowledge. She is trapped in a cave, and there, unexpectedly, she will make a long journey through time, when the Great Mother was worshipped on the island. The author, with literary mastery, gives us incredible images and descriptions of the ceremonies and the daily life of thousands of years ago. At the same time, however, the narrative is not lost in the labyrinth, but holds the thread that leads back to the light… A truly fascinating novel.

Cressida is a young woman who visits the beautiful Greek Island of Crete to escape her troubled past, but her life takes an unexpected turn when she discovers she is pregnant. Now, Cressida fears that her father’s abusive traits and her mother’s dismissive, uncaring nature would pass down to her child. However, in her quest for answers and meaning, she uncovers the history of the Minoans —the most advanced civilization from the Bronze Age. Through the hidden history of Europe, she unveils ancient traditions and the shift from matriarchy to a patriarchal society. Learning from the wisdom of these women of the past and ingraining changes in her current life is the only way forward for Cressida. Dancing the Labyrinth by Karen Martin is a tale that highlights how past experiences of women have shaped the current dynamics of the world and led to the most recent #MeToo and #EnoughIsEnough movements on digital platforms. It brings the inequalities and injustices that women have faced through the centuries to the forefront and gives a message of tranquillity, unity, and the collective efforts required for a positive change in society. Today’s generation has much to learn from the current and ancient meanings of belonging and femininity and Karen Martin brings this message to readers with superior writing and storytelling that is not just strong but fascinating. She creates a protagonist that readers will love; she is genuinely flawed, resilient, and an embodiment of the frustrations and pains that most women have carried with them over centuries. The deeply rooted problems of the current dynamics are explored through a painful journey of the leading and secondary characters that are fully drawn and unforgettable. https://thebookcommentary.com/view-book.php?id=231&banner=no

Martin's dreamy, esoteric book of female empowerment, maternal love, and overcoming abuse is dark, breathtaking, painful, and lovely, all at once. With the interwoven settings of present-day and ancient Crete, the reader will be immersed in an otherworldly tale saturated in femininity. Keeping with its surreal quality, Martin's prose is melodious and lilting. She does not shy away from the grotesque, often supplying the reader with difficult-to-process imagery, coupled with the inherent beauty of the Grecian island on which the book takes place. Martin is able to harness complex emotions within a few sentences. Martin is excellent at writing heroines, lending a statuesque beauty to the women about which she writes. The men often seem to be caricatures of toxic masculinity, but overall the book is pretty to behold and moving to read. Dancing the Labyrinth is strange, beautiful, and riddled with pain and growth. The blending of past and present, myth and reality, feeling and concrete experience, makes for a highly unique read.

This was a really wonderfully written book. What a beautiful blend of greek mythology and feminist fiction. I so enjoyed the imaginings of a matriarchal society and the stories being told. Karen Martin clearly has a passion and it came across in her writing. Like a painting, Martin did a wonderful job at weaving the stories and characters together, never losing the thread. Bringing worlds together. This book, if I recall correctly, is the first in a thematic series--an intriguing concept where the books can be read separately, but all share the feminist, woman-centered theme. I really look forward to seeing where Martin goes next in this theme and what other stories she'll tell us.

“Dancing the Labyrinth by Karen Martin is a tale that highlights how past experiences of women have shaped the current dynamics of the world and led to the most recent #MeToo and #EnoughIsEnough movements on digital platforms. It brings the inequalities and injustices that women have faced through the centuries to the forefront and gives a message of tranquillity, unity, and the collective efforts required for a positive change in society.”