Gods of Inthya by Effie Calvin is a wonderful addition to the Tales Of Inthya series. In this one we discover the gods of the world with nineteen short stories and each one is a perfect little jewel.
Each story captures a moment in one of these deity’s lives in such a way that you understand them and their own hopes, dreams or fears. It is done in such a way that it is really clear how far removed they are from being human themselves.
Some of the tales are sweet and make your heart swell, others bring back characters you loved from the books and some are sad and touching.
Wring and Story
I love the way Effie Calvin writes. Each character is drawn with care and no two are the same. It takes incredible skill to manage that depth of character in such a short space of time.
Pros
The book’s dedication is adorable. Go read it and see why.
Heads up
One scene of rape – you get a content warning before hand and can skip the chapter if you like.
The Conclusion
This is a collection of stories of hope, wishes, what ifs.
I am normally not a fan of short stories because it’s difficult to really make them matter. But I am happy to say that is not the case with this collection.
One of the things I appreciate most about Effie Calvin’s writing is that her characters are so clearly drawn out. Every word that Calvin writes matters to the character and you are taken on a small journey into each of the worlds of gods that are featured.
Each short story is a moment in time, captured in such a way that we get to know each of the gods. And if you enjoyed the series so far then there are small nuggets in here that compliment the original stories. Having said that, you can probably read this one as a stand alone too. The tie-ins are not critical to the enjoyment of the story.
Excerpt fromGods of Inthya by Effie Calvin
Fathom
MERLA’S PLANE, SALIS, is not so different from Inthya—or at least the parts of Inthya that Merla frequents. Sometimes she forgets where she is. It is easy to get mixed up, for the parts of the ocean she likes best are lightless and icy.
As the goddess of the sea, she spends much of her time with the Mer. But her favorite places are too cold for them, and the pressure too great. She frequently drifts alone and yet not alone—there is so much life down here, sometimes gathered around the warm places, sometimes glowing bioluminescent, usually singing.
The statues that Men construct of Merla tend to depict her as a Mer. Sometimes, if the region is landlocked, she will be a woman. Occasionally she is some nightmarish fusion of the two, a distinctly mammalian woman with a Mer’s tail. Iolar tells her not to take offense; Dayluue murmurs that it is a compliment. Merla is not convinced, but she does not exact revenge. She knows the difference between stupidity and malice.
The Mer are not inclined to build statues. Webbed fingers and long claws make such enterprises difficult. Besides, if they wish to look at her, they know where she lives. She wonders if any of them have tried to tell the Men that their statues are wrong, and the paintings and mosaics as well. Not just the ones where she is a pink half mammal. All of them.
But maybe it is for the best that nobody does. The truth would only upset them.
Merla does not need Men’s prayers, not really. The Mer are enough to sustain her on their own, and she does not only have the Mer. There are other creatures in her oceans. They cannot speak, but they sing.
Sailors know to leave her dolphins in peace, but sometimes she has to frighten them away from her whales. In the coldest places, where Men have little else, she relents. The ocean is hungry, but Men are hungry, too.
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Series: Tales of Inthya
Gods of Inthya (can be read anywhere in the series but I recommend reading it here)
Bits and Bobs
Publisher: NineStar Press
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