Testimonials for
Molly O’Brien and the Mark of the Dragon Slayer
“Exploring the realm of Sophia with Molly will teach you more about Gnosis than many books! . . . Beyond the world we know is another realm. Kathleen Damiani unfolds the mysterious wisdom of Sophia with joyful exploration.”
- Caitlin Matthews, author of Sophia, Goddess of Wisdom
“Finally! What I’ve been wishing for – for so long! A story as enticing as J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings … and as compelling as Frank Herbert’s Dune – that bravely, yet accessibly, divulges Wisdom Knowledge discovered and recovered specifically from the Mysteries of the Heroine’s Journey! So fun to read – so profound to think about! What a thrill to experience, right along with Molly, the surprising antics and sacred rituals of the Women’s Dance. Who knew?!?! Certainly not J.R.R. or Frank… And that’s just the tip of the iceberg folks!
“I am very excited, not to mention honored, to have had the opportunity to read through this wonderful creation . . .”
- Crow Marley, songwriter (“Moon in the Blue Black Sky”), NY
“…extremely well written. … I think few words are wasted, very little is there to carry the story that doesn’t also move the symbolic material forward as well.
“Kathleen has a sense of humor. Her small heroine is very worried about several things, one of which is the tail of her new friend in the tree. I presume this is an intentional reference to the tale of the new friend as well, and perhaps future and additional meanings will become apparent….A good reader will need to be committed to tracking the underlying themes and ideas as well as the overt and manifest ones.
“Kathleen has, in my opinion, very wisely broken the book down into quite short chapters. I think the reader needs frequent breaks to think about what has just been said and to let it sink in before moving on to the next material….
“Students of English literature, philosophy and religion and the histories of each, and perhaps anthropology and psychology come to mind as people who would be interested … . –Don Killiam, pschologist, VA
“I just started your book and it is incredible!! I am only on page 25 and I think it is amazing!! Just wanted you to know!” – Katie, PA, teacher
“… how this book has helped me in daily life. Every time there is a crisis, it was synchronistic how I’d open to a page and find the answer. An example: I was blown away when Molly complains to Sophia, “but I’ve had no training” & Sophia replies that life teaches you…. all the bells & whistles went off — . . . This book HAS to be in a book club, cuz it has so many levels of meaning and I want to discuss it with people …. Nothing prepared me for the epilogue– I was delighted, surprised and shocked…. What will happen next? . Most of all, [through reading Molly]I feel affirmed in the choices I have been making in my life towards becoming awake, conscious, and mindful and living an intentional life.” – Caroline, NY
“I truly hope the best for the Molly O’Brien Series and am already awaiting the next installment of the series. . . . In today’s world, when there are few alternatives to lengthy manuals and how to books on the pagan faiths, it is refreshing to find a creative and truly entertaining story that sparks the interest of young adults and teenagers and starts them down the path to wanting to learn more about their own beliefs. Dr. Damiani has truly struck intellectual gold with the Molly O’Brien series as a gateway and corner stone for all young Pagan readers into the mysteries of the Divine Feminine. . . . With my greatest hopes for Molly O’Brien in the future and the graces of The Goddess.”
- Michael Sandoval, Pagan, Las Cruces, NM
“As a professor of philosophy, I was delighted to discover such an entertaining book that was so thought-provoking about the deepest questions people have about their lives. Deep philosophical questioning runs like a current through this tale of a young girl whose daemon is the enchanting queen of wisdom, Sophia, mother of philosophy. The characters are wild and startling, breaking the mold of conventional speculative fiction. The action is rapid, unexpected and alarming, venturing into parallel universes where time is stretched and nothing is what it seems, where even ‘god’ is possessed. I highly recommend it.”
-Michael F. Wagner, Professor of Philosophy, University of San Diego
“Molly O’Brien is an extraordinary book. It combines a deep understanding — even contemplation – of wisdom — into an exciting, colorful, magical tale. The characters are vivid, the story is exciting. It deserves a wide readership.
“Kathleen Damiani was my student when she obtained a Master of Arts Degree in Humanities . . . She was an extraordinary student with a deep curiosity and an ability to see beneath the surface. She made the study of Wisdom her own. Her curiosity about Sophia in all her aspects was impressive, especially because it wasn’t a mere hobby but a penetrating inquiry into the role of Wisdom in our human world.”
- Doug Greene, Professor of History, Old Dominion University, VA
“This work is vital, timely and daring. Blown away, remarkable, overwhelming, could not believe, extraordinary , Whaaat! she’s got more volumes? Liked best drums, drums, drums, and old Rametha’s dance of joy and complete abandon!”
- Glenna, VA
“I loved the book. I loved the description of the people, places and things in the Middle Realm. I could picture everything. I can see this series being as popular as the Harry Potter books. Sophia and the Middle Realm is an elegantly crafted tale of how we each have the ability to tap into the Divine thatís in each of us to change our circumstances for the better, that’s told with … immediacy and power, that is exhilarating, and (inspires us) to move onto the next level.
- Dorothy, VA
“Fun with meaning. I love the (Dragon) scar … how real world and middle realm interface in the Cuban Missile Crisis.”
–Susan, OH
“Love it! (I) loved Sophia, Molly … the creatures from Sophiaís tail, the references to Egyptian history and goddesses, Oannes’s message to create art and beauty not war, the juicy, daring scene with Thomas-Mephistopheles. I loved Sophia and the Middle Realm. Through her exciting adventures in another dimension, Molly grows as an individual and deepens her philosophic understanding.”
- Barbara, VA
“I’ve finished it and I don’t know how to verbalize the impact it has on my thoughts. Whew! you packed a tremendous amount into it. I’ll have to digest this for awile. I’m awed! . . . I can’t wait to buy a copy for a friend of mine who needs this right now.
- Lynn, NY
“I would love to give the book to my 12-year-old granddaughter, who reads everything she can get her hands on about dragons.”
- Jeanne, IA
“A romp of fantasy from a young girl’s drab and oppressive schoolroom into the danger and glory of mythology.”
- Wanda, VA
“I’ve been reading your novel each morning. It’s very intense. I’m enjoying it very much. Very Engrossing.
- Austin, MN
“Feminine emergence.” – Michelle, VA
“Unique – compelling – a good read- this YA fantasy is like no other you’ve read – and is sure to grab the attention of not only girls and boys, but adults interested in the esoteric. Magic, mythology, romance, and wisdom-teachings fill the book.
Molly’s adventures in the exotic Middle Realm continue include visiting an astral realm closet, flying in a dragon cart over hellish volcanic chasms and seeing the Great Dragon below, touring La Ville de Sophie–a city like Atlantis that yet exists in the Middle Realm—with its Mystery Temple Pyramid, Judgment Hall, and Women’s Temple. In this book Molly meets ghosts, Oannes the Chaldean mer-man deity, Dr. Faust and Mephistopheles, as well as Li, a young disciple of a sage. She witnesses the Sophia’s destruction of Ialdabaoth who has usurped the form of Great Dragon himself–thus saving Earth from annihilation in 1962 by nuclear exchange. A whole new imaginary world – that’s philosophically true. ”
- Juno, NY