Are you a member of a book club or reading group? In the back of each edition of SONG OF LYRAN, there are questions you can discuss after reading. To make it easier to evaluate if this is a novel your group might enjoy, here are the questions. Feel free to add your own before discussing with your friends.
SONG OF LYRAN Reading Group Guide
- Song of Lyran is told from the perspective of five women—Sekhmet, Filoméla, Forach, Juana, and Honey. Whose story did you find most compelling, and why?
- Each of the women represents a new incarnation of the same Aspect of the One. How did the soul of Sekhmet’s line evolve as it moved from Sekhmet to Honey? What is one lesson each woman learned during her lifetime?
- Kristi Casey draws inspiration from history and terrestrial/extraterrestrial mythologies. Were you familiar with any of these elements before reading Song of Lyran? If so, which elements? Which elements were new to you? What did you learn? Which elements do you want to investigate further?
- In this novel, the Brotherhood of the Snake edits and promotes one-sided versions of the truth. Can you name a historical or religious story that might have a different ‘her-story?’ How would the ‘her-story’ version differ from the traditional story?
- The women of Sekhmet’s line live in different eras. What are some ways in which their lives were similar? What are some of the differences? How did the role of women evolve during the line’s evolution to present day? Do women have more freedoms now than they did in other eras? Why/why not?
- Why do you think this book is called Song of Lyran? Elements of music include rhythm, vocalization, patterns, repetition, and vibration. What are some of the ways Casey used these elements throughout this novel?
- Casey created a faux-religious text—Book of Lyran—for this novel. The contents of this ‘scroll’ are distributed throughout the book. What did you discover about the line of Sekhmet, their mission, and the Lyran people from reading it? What would have happened to those discoveries if you read it all at the beginning or end of the novel?
- Why do you think the Brotherhood of the Snake was so difficult to defeat? Chad says that everything comes from darkness, which is why they’re stronger than the light. Would you agree with this statement? Why or why not?
- Sekhmet possessed tremendous strength and the ability to channel energy. Mikha’el had the gift of flight and a flaming sword. Oya could control the weather and fashion bolts of lightning. Which two gifts would you like to have, if you were an Aspect of the One? What would you like your mission in life to be? If your life were to end tomorrow, what would the Answer you’ve discovered be?
- Song of Lyran told the story of one Aspect’s line. If we followed Mikha’el or Oya’s line, which historical figures could have been their incarnations? Who might have been in the line of Aron or Yeshua?
Special shout-out to Mary Ellen Cowan, pictured below, who pitched the Davenport Beach Book Club and got them to agree to read and discuss SONG OF LYRAN at their September 3 meeting. Because they like to do themed menus and refreshments inspired by the main character, I recommended they serve a quiche or frittata with Southern-style biscuits and honey with wine for their brunch meeting on the beach. Afterward, I’ll Zoom in and answer their questions. I’m so grateful that they’re willing to take a chance on an independent author like me.
Do you have a book club or reading group? Let me know if you’re interested in selecting SONG OF LYRAN. It’s available in hardcover, paperback and ebook versions–for a limited time the ebook is free to Kindle unlimited subscribers. An audiobook version will be available late August. And if my schedule permits, I’m happy to Zoom in at the end of your meeting so your club gets a personal meet and greet with the author. Leave me a comment if you’d like to talk further about this.
Thanks, and happy reading!
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