We've made no secret of the fact that there will be new deities from all around the world coming into our future books. Book 3 (in progress), for example, will be pulling from Mediterranean and Far East traditions... and there may already be some lurking around under the radar!
But if you're looking for a little variety now, we've got a couple of young upstarts in the Owl's Flower universe. We've talked about them before on the blog, but if you're new here, this is your chance to catch up!
Each of the two stories in question is in a different publication, so you'll need to travel past our site to find them. And in one case — at least for now — you'll need to be quick!
Clare ("Clarity," Relics)
Clare was our first venture outside Herne and Iris's circle for an Owl's Flower universe story. She's also our first look at how deities are born, following her beginning as she comes into being and attempts to search out her purpose.
Like other new and inexperienced deities, Clare looks like a youngster. But, as we learn in her story (and as Herne has told Iris), a deity's physical age is generally relative to their experience and knowledge. Also, not everyone who runs around in this pantheon is benevolent; and the idea of nabbing a fresh deity with no idea what her purpose is would be appealing to some.
You can read Clare's story in Relics from Red Ted Books.
Masudah ("Kill the Cat," Unearthed)
There are two ways deities can come into being in the Owl's Flower universe. Like Clare, they can pop into existence when a need for them arises. Or, like, Masudah, they can be ascended mortals. Masudah was a seemingly unimportant boy in Ancient Egypt who, through an unfortunate accident and surprising circumstances, was elevated to the position of a god of curiosity.
Masudah's story also brings into play something the main series of books will be addressing before long: red tape. We all deal with it, and deities are no exception. Masudah's problems are exacerbated by his willingness to not play along when offered an opportunity to protect his position. Who makes that offer?... They'll be coming around in a later book.
Masudah's story is currently available in the charity anthology Unearthed from Altrix Books... but only for a little while! Unearthed will soon be going out of print to make way for Altrix's next charity title. However, we might (read: probably will) include Masudah's story in a later publication.
Will there be any further look-ins from gods on the fringe? We'll let you know as soon as we do!
