One thing Jesse Sisken didn’t do in his book was provide a cast of characters. So, until he publishes a more formal list on his website, (www.minoangold.jessesisken.com) which he promised he’d do, I will do it for him, but in my own way. Normally, such a list would start with the most important actors, so I’m going to start off with myself. Well, maybe my role isn’t as big as some of the other characters in the story, and I’m supposedly just an inanimate object but, hey, it’s my blog and I can do what I like with it. So here goes.
The Gold Bull: That’s me. A beautiful likeness of a bull in the act of vanquishing an enemy. I was fabricated to appease Poseidon, the god of the Seas and the Great Earth Shaker, and to entice people into becoming more worshipful of that god. Did I actually accomplish that? You’ll have to read the book to find out.
Cavanila: The heroine of the story. A beautiful, young, Minoan priestess who is awakened one morning by an earthquake that threatened far more destruction than any of the others so common in her part of the world. From then on, her life becomes a series of burdens and complexities that neither she nor anyone else could have predicted as she struggles to help her people survive the effects of those events. Along the way, she takes a liking to me. And who wouldn’t, given my beautiful form, glistening body and heroic form?
Rhadamantis; Cavanila’s father, the regent and high priest of Thera. He reigns from the coastal town of Akrotiri where the story begins. I could tell you a lot about this no-goodnik but won’t. I didn’t have much to do with him which was just fine with me. If you read the story, you’ll understand why.
Bardok: The commander of King Minos’s navy which some have believed was a major force in the eastern Mediterranean at that time, protecting Minoa against outside threats and supporting its trading fleets, the source of that civilization’s wealth. A good guy and strong supporter of Cavanila. I can’t tell you any more without giving away a lot of the story.
King Minos: The ruler of all Minoa. His birth name was Devterex. The appellation Minos, in this book, is passed on from ruler to ruler. He was a well-meaning but flawed monarch (aren’t they all?). But I shouldn’t be too critical of the guy. Without him, I wouldn’t have existed.
Jenora: The high priestess of all Minoa, a beautiful, powerful and scheming lady who, under Minos’s direction, controlled the priesthood that pretty much ran Minoa. She was the one who suggested I be made. At times, she had a special relationship with me, or at least thought she did. As you might expect, she didn’t turn out to be one of Cavanila’s best friends.
There’s more to tell, a lot more, but that would make this blog too long. So tune in again in a week or so to learn about some of the other characters in Cavanila’s Choices: A Novel of the Minoan Cataclysm.