The Hidden Abbey by Jodine Turner
A fated love and a sacred destiny brought through time.
The Hidden Abbey interweaves the story of two lovers who must fulfill a fated mission that spans across centuries and two lifetimes. In sixteenth-century England, Marissa is a headstrong apprentice priestess of the mystical and legendary Isle of Avalon. She must learn to be a wise and responsible leader if she is to one day inherit the title of High Priestess. Her secret lover, Michael, is a warrior from a noble lineage. The two are charged with a grand and momentous task—to safeguard the Creation Bowl, the sacred vessel of the ancient Goddess tradition, imbued with the power to help heal the world. When King Henry VIII confiscates and destroys all of England’s abbeys, the Bowl is endangered. As Marissa and Michael fight to protect it, they are irrevocably separated, and their quest is thwarted.
When they are reborn and meet again in the twenty-first century as Sophie and Daniel, they are given a second chance. The story follows their efforts to remember—each other and their shared destiny.
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Theresa Crater –
I’m a big fan of Glastonbury and all things Avalonian and Arthurian. This novel satisfies that part of my soul. A young journalist tries to hold on to her skeptical, rational mindset, but her experiences at Glastonbury Abbey prove to be too much for that. The man she’s paired with to write her “no-nonsense article” just happens to be the reincarnation of her lover from her priestess days in Avalon. But romance is just the tip of the iceberg. These two have a bigger cosmic responsibility to save the world and return the Goddess to her rightful place.
Rea Nolan Martin –
Jodine Turner’s The Hidden Abbey is a rich saga straddling two inextricably entwined lifetimes, one that takes place during the sixteenth century protestant revolution in Europe, the other in present day England. The story in both lifetimes unfolds in and around the enigmatic Abbey of Glastonbury, England and the nearby Isle of Avalon where the priestesses of ancient Atlantian lore practice devotion to the benevolent Goddess of the Stars and the Sea.
I fell in love with Turner’s magical descriptions of the exquisite priestesses, Alianore, Vanora, Marissa, Ciara, and Shayla, including their esoteric traditions and healing rituals. This story treads delicately through the Faery Kingdom, as well, providing insight and dimension to its visionary themes. The fated love of Michael and Marissa in both timelines is well-executed and deeply felt. The supporting cast of priestesses, monks, faeries, soldiers, journalists, and family members are well-drawn, adding critical depth and verisimilitude to a story that walks fearlessly between fantasy and fact, causing the reader to question which is which. I felt completely grounded in both worlds at all times.
In The Hidden Abbey, Turner has created both love story and allegory. She has seamlessly elevated the ancient tradition of the feminine divine to its rightful place in today’s world, whose sore need of wisdom and compassion could not be greater. This lovely tale will deeply satisfy readers of Visionary Fiction as well as readers of any genre in search of a satisfying story.
Margaret Duarte –
My guess is that a lot of research went into Jodine Turner’s beautifully written novel, which combines history, myth, and legend in a way that readers can’t help but feel entranced. THE HIDDEN ABBEY shifts between ancient and modern Glastonbury, introducing the reader to the legend of Joseph of Arimathea keeper of the Holy Grail, Glastonbury’s connection with King Arthur’s tomb, Glastonbury Abbey’s medieval monks, and the mythic goddesses of Avalon. Plus, for those who enjoy a touch of romance, this talented author has woven in a love story, too.