Deity's Soulmate by Angelina Kerner is a second edition of the first book in the young adult fantasy series known as The Goddess Training Trilogy. This is a book that would appeal most to a young adult audience made up of those who do not mind reading about some implied sexual situations and who enjoy fantasy with a female as the main character. Gardenia is the daughter of Athena and has grown up surrounded by Gods and Goddesses. Gardenia is a Goddess of creation, yet she is unsure if the fate she was born with is one she wishes to embrace or not. When one of the Fates sends her to Earth to see the bad side of humanity, instead of just hearing about the good, it sets her on a path to create her own creation before she had obtained approval from Zeus. For her folly, Zeus punished Gardenia with a 13-fold creational lesson that should take her at least a century to complete, yet her punishment might be just what Gardenia needs to discover herself and her purpose.

Deity's Soulmate by Angelina Kerner was a well-written fantasy book that reminded me a bit of The Lightning Thief except that instead of half-blood main characters, the characters were instead Gods, Goddesses, and dragons. The addition of dragons as a race that was on par with the deities and Fates was an interesting twist that allowed the plot to deviate from other fantasy books. I personally loved how there were illustrations scattered throughout the book and that they were all done in the same artistic style as the cover. Gardenia was a character so very different from all of the other deities that I could not help but love her. I felt awful for her when she visited Earth and was chased by a man who wanted to rape and kill her; her fear was so realistic that in her terror she forgot at first that she could will herself away. That was the moment when I formed an emotional connection to the character that gave me a drive to find out what would happen to her.

Deity's Soulmate: Edition 2 by Angelina Kerner is Volume 1 of The Goddess Training Trilogy. Athena’s daughter, Gardenia, takes up a dare to see the worst of mankind and heads down to Earth. Not happy with what she sees and thinking that she can do so much better, she decides to reform the whole galaxy. The trouble is, she didn’t get permission from Zeus to do this and, as a punishment, she is given 100 years of coursework to complete on how to create a new world and subjects. Gardenia opts to complete the coursework by tracking down a race of dragons believed lost and, in the process, discovering ancient secrets. The last thing she needs to worry about is tracking across the universe to meet a dragon though; there are long-standing tensions between the deities and the dragons and Gardenia is at risk of attack. This doesn’t stop her and so she meets Ri, the dragon she has been seeking, the man of her dreams, or both. With Hera setting traps at every turn and the Fates plotting their own plans, what is Gardenia to do? Stay and fight or turn tail and run?

Deity’s Soulmate by Angelina Kerner is a unique tale, a completely fresh look at the gods and the goddesses. It was an amusing read, a modern twist on ancient history, and the way it was written makes it all feel so real. There is plenty of description in the book to bring things to life, but not so much that the story is overwhelmed. This was an interesting read, more of a coming-of-age style of story with an ancient touch. The character development was excellent, leaving me in no doubt whatsoever who each of the characters was and what made them tick. I found the story slowed down a little in the middle, but it soon picked up again. Looking forward to reading the next one in the trilogy! Highly recommended for any reader who wants an in-depth but light look at the deities, and the addition of dragons lends it an even more mystical air.

Deity's Soulmate: The Goddess Training Trilogy Book 1 - 2nd Edition by Angelina Kerner is the story of a young goddess by the name of Gardenia, daughter of Athena. She spent her life as a sheltered little girl living with gods and goddesses who think a little too much of themselves. She wants something better from her life; she wants to do something else that will give her fulfillment. When a dare sends her to Earth to see the true face of humanity, she vows to make a better creation.

In fact, she goes on to form an entirely new galaxy; however, she made one big mistake: she did not get the go-ahead from Zeus. And Zeus - being Zeus - gave her a lesson which will take a century for Gardenia to complete. But she is not giving up this easily; she is ready to take on her charge and create a better galaxy that will have a better mankind. So she gave Zeus her own choice; she will find the dragons who have the knowledge to help her with Zeus’s lesson. Finding the dragons is not easy, especially since dragons and gods and goddesses don’t get along. Gardenia can even lose her life. What will she do when she is faced with such a big challenge? Can she do it?

I love mythology and novels such as Deity’s Soulmate always make me very happy and satisfied. I loved Gardenia, she was strong, resilient, and her determination made her get in touch with her humanity and humility. Her reaction to Ri was fantastic and very convincing; she didn’t fall head over heels for him, but she didn’t just stay back. She was curious and so was Ri. They had a chemistry that was fully explored by Angelina Kerner and that is what made this novel even more interesting. Very well-constructed, believable characters and story line.

Deity's Soulmate is a spellbinding opening in the Goddess Training Trilogy by Angelina Kerner, an enchanting read for young adults who love mythology. Gardenia is the daughter of Athena with 100 years coursework of creating new worlds. But when she chooses to go to earth, defying the permission of Zeus, she meets a very harsh form of discipline. Zeus gives her a task that would take a century to complete, but to his great surprise, she offers to track down a race of lost dragons and to unveil the secrets they have kept for centuries. Watch a young goddess as she goes on an adventure of a lifetime, discovers the joys and perils of humanity, learns about love, while all the time having to deal with the deadly traps of the unforgiving Hera.

The story is told from the point of view of the protagonist and in a compelling first person narrative voice. The references to Greek mythology and the galactic setting make the work a perfect fit for readers who love gods and goddesses, nature, and dragons. Angelina Kerner knows how to make readers navigate different exciting worlds because of her awesome characters and her captivating setting. The writing is wonderful, punctuated by powerful descriptions and great conversations. Gardenia is a character that readers will adore and they will love her care-free attitude, her love of adventure, and her courage to even develop feelings for a mortal being. The pacing is fast, and each chapter ups the conflict, featuring dramatic moments that quicken the reader’s pulse and indulges them even more. Deity's Soulmate is a great fantasy, modeled after Greek lore and mythology; a fascinating read, indeed!