The Matriarch Messiah
by Maxime Trencavel
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GENRE: Sci-Fi
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BOOK BLURB:
Zara Khatum, a woman haunted by ancient visions, finds herself drawn deeper into the heart of a perilous quest. Guided by a mysterious voice, she seeks to fulfill an ancient prophecy and find the cavern of blue light - a sanctuary rumored to hold the key to saving humanity. But the path to salvation is fraught with danger, and Zara is torn between her destiny and her heart.
A shadowy organization, known as NiQihs, seeks to exploit the power of the legendary black object, the source of Zara's visions, for their own sinister ends. They are not alone. The world's superpowers, driven by greed and ambition, race to control the artifact, threatening to unleash unimaginable devastation.
Joining Zara in this dangerous pursuit is Rachel Capsali, a brilliant Israeli archaeologist driven by a personal quest to uncover evidence of Asherah, a forgotten goddess who held a pivotal place in ancient Israelite faith. Unbeknownst to them, both women are bound by a shared destiny - a prophecy foretelling the cavern of blue light and a final, heartbreaking truth: two women will fight to the death, and only one will save us all.
Adding to the complexity, a passionate triangle forms as Rachel vies for Peter Gollinger's affection, a man deeply entangled in the ancient mystery. Zara, torn between fulfilling her destiny and her own feelings for Peter, finds herself caught in a web of conflicting desires.
As Zara and Rachel navigate a treacherous landscape of hidden agendas, betrayal, and relentless pursuit, their rivalry for Peter's affections intensifies. Can love survive the forces that threaten to tear them apart? Will the quest for salvation lead to a heart-wrenching sacrifice?
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EXCERPT TWO:
"So, what's so special about some random legend?" says Rachel. "My safta raba Ariella said, 'She said one day Nearat and her daughter will return. Humanity will wane and wobble. And the woman who will save humanity will bring peace from the blue light. But to return, one must overcome one's fear of death. Two women will fight so that one will die. For only in the death of life as one knows it can she be in the light. Until then, Inanna awaits.'""
With a light chuckle, Mei combs through ground-penetrating radiation scans as she says, "Be thankful you only had to memorize seven sentences. That guy from California with the Kurdish woman had to memorize four times that much. His grandfather made him say it backwards, even. As random as your safta raba's saying may seem, it isn't to Murometz, and even Jean-Paul, who's aggregating oral traditions like yours with thousands of others he's collected, including those from the Vatican archives. They are far from random now."
Slowly walking in concentric circles from the black box MoxWorld loaned her, Rachel views the real-time scan images as she says, "I wish I could have met Mr. Murometz when you and Jean-Paul screened me. Not that I didn't relish our time together."
"Come on, Rach. You wouldn't wear that dress I made for you, much less the vamp shoes and makeup we designed," says Mei.
"I didn't mean to meet him in 'that' way," says Rachel as she runs her hand along her braids. "If I'm not worthy enough minus my lady bits, then he isn't worthy enough for my time, I say."
"I never said you had to wear those simply ravishing clothes for him," says Mei.
"Well, certainly it wasn't for Father Sobiros, I assumed. And you said Murometz was fascinated that my safta raba's words included a reference to a Sumerian goddess whose priestesses were known for prostitution. I only assumed he was hinting he wanted the same out of me, as all the rumors would suggest," jests Rachel. "Wait. Do you see what I see?"
"Hold on, Rach. I have an incoming call from the president of China."
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GUEST POST:
Fierce Female Lead Characters
In the Matriarch Matrix, reviewers cite the portrayal of Zara Khatum favorably as strong female protagonist. Here’s an AI consolidation of reviewer impression of her character:
• Strong and complex: Reviewers consistently emphasize Zara’s strength and complexity. They see her as a multifaceted character who’s not just a warrior but also a devout Muslim, a survivor of trauma, and a woman deeply invested in the future of the Kurds.
• Resilient: Zara has suffered greatly, but reviewers acknowledge her resilience and her ability to overcome adversity. They see her as a powerful force for good, even in the face of immense hardship.
• Devout and fierce: Reviewers appreciate the blend of Zara’s faith and her fierce spirit. She’s both a devout to her faith and a formidable warrior, demonstrating that these qualities aren’t mutually exclusive.
• An inspiration: Zara’s strength and determination inspire many reviewers, particularly those who see her as a positive role model for women.
So, how did Zara’s character get created and molded and refined? I found role models in the top female executives around me. All of them leaders in their functions. All smart, talented, and deployed various means to manage those around them—down, up, and laterally. I was in a privileged position to truly understand their means and methods, which many readers would not have the same learning access. So, in embodying their best into Zara, I hope those share top level female leadership to those without such access.
I admired these leaders so much, I asked three to be alpha readers on The Matriarch Matrix, to which they provided exception insight into the storyline, plot, and importantly, to the characters.
Early beta readers commented on the directness and forwardness of Zara. That I modeled from a leader who took no gruff, tolerated no nonsense, and keep the game on track, on time, and on budget. One can see this trait in the first half of The Matriarch Matrix when Peter trembles in fear of Zara who does not take well to his immaturity and perceived nonsense ultimately calling him “Little Boy”.
In dealing with the monstrous world puppet master, the head of MoxWorld, Alexander Murometz, she is a master negotiator. A female head litigator provided the inspiration for Zara’s verbal logic and dueling skills. These debating styles show up in Zara’s inner dialogs as well as with her interactions with her foil, Rachel Capsali, who ultimately is part of the love triangle in The Matriarch Messiah.
A C-suite female executive provided models for Zara’s leadership techniques. To save her people, she has to manage up, down, sideways across genders and cultures in both books. In particular, Zara’s logic and frustrations in the political meetings in The Matriarch Messiah showcase these executive leadership skills. Her inner loneliness reflects the isolation top leaders can feel as they must maintain a certain space with others.
A great leader has heart. Zara’s compassions were inspired by a leader of highly female staffing. This person was not an executive, but took on the role of leading non-exempt staff. As such, she knew the heart and soul of the group. Feelings, concerns, family needs. Her decisions were guided by her ethical and faith foundations. And so Zara did the same.
The specificity of the hardships Kurdish women have endured and survived came from extensive research of autobiographies, biographies, news articles, and most important, the hiring of a Kurdish editor who has spoken at the United Nations about women’s rights in Iran. Thus the emotional burden, inner wound of Zara is anchored in the reality of real Kurdish women. In the Matriarch Matrix and The Matriarch Messiah, the crimes against Kurds is reflected raw and brutally, which some reviewers found problematic. I could not hold back smoothening over the violence committed against these people, especially the women which would be an injustice in and of itself not to portray. In the end, Zara represents their strength, their courage to persevere.
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AUTHOR BIO:
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Maxime has been scribbling stories since grade school, from adventure epics to morality plays. Blessed with living in multicultural pluralistic settings and having earned degrees in science and marketing, Maxime has worked in business and sports, traveling to countries across five continents and learning about cultures, traditions, and the importance of tolerance and understanding. Maxime's second novel, The Matriarch Messiah, was conceived, outlined, written, and edited in different locations in Belgium, including the Turkish and Kurdish neighborhoods of Brussels, in various islands of the Caribbean, in Colombia, in Madrid, Malaga, Mallorca, Spain, London, UK, and on the two coasts of the United States.
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Thanks for featuring THE MATRIARCH MESSIAH today.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing. Sounds really interesting.
ReplyDeleteSounds like an interesting read.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like such good book.
ReplyDeleteFantastic cover
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