The Quest Of All Ages
Book 1 of the Series: ‘Within The Ocean Of Eternal Love’
5 stars – based on 6 reviews
Length: 259 Pages (paperback length)
Publisher: Ananda Bliss Consciousness Inc.
A spiritual love story of epic proportions, ‘The Quest Of All Ages’ tells the story of a mer-prince and a Magna Graecian princess who set out to overcome their differences to unite in the Heavens of the Olympian Gods, overcoming life-and-death challenges along their way during a time when the Roman Empire threatens to wipe out any remnants of Hellenistic culture and religion.
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The Quest Of All Ages:
Set against the background of Ancient Magna Graecia, in The Quest Of All Ages, the first book of the epic tale of Within The Ocean Of Eternal Love, Maha Devi Li Ra La explores and depicts the depths of a love so pure and infinite that it overcomes obstacles none would ever think to be within the human range to accomplish.
While the Greek colonies of Magna Graecia undergo the loss of their independence and cultural heritage at the hands of the imperialist city-state of Rome, an added dilemma hits the people of the region as Poseidon, the God of the Ocean, cast a curse on mankind that severely impedes any sea travel and trade. Violent sea storms and the loss of many lives and ships force the trade partners to give up and let the economies of the various kingdoms and city-states go to ruin. In this environment of desperation and hardship, however, blossoms the unlikely love between two royal adolescents, the beautiful Princess of Lucania, and the noble Prince of the Underwater Kingdom of Azuris.
Promised by their parents to marry other partners because of stringent circumstances, the lovers are faced with the impossible as they plan and begin executing a comprehensive solution to their challenges. They endeavor to not only convince their parents of their undying love for one another, but are also intent to do what it takes to overcome their physical differences, with him being a merman and her a human. Seeking the advice of a spiritual advisor and oracle, the two lovers and their friends are sent to the top of Mount Olympos and to the inner core of the Earth, respectively, to meet with the Gods of their ancestors and gain their help in getting access to the heavenly realms that hold the promise of eternal unification and spiritual mastery. For it is their dearest wish to not only be together for all of their lives, but to bring peace and prosperity back to their kingdoms.
The Quest Of All Ages is a masterfully written introduction to the lofty and elevating tale of a life’s journey that leads the protagonists beyond the confines of reality and into the realms of ultimate fulfillment and blissful unification. Maha Devi Li Ra La’s language brims with subtle poetry and ethereal beauty as she describes feelings so delicate and ravishing that our senses feel nourished from the emotional warmth and suspenseful descriptions of a time somewhere lost in history yet remarkably applicable to our present times as well. This epic novel might very well be transformational to the open-minded and allows the reader to submerse her/himself into an ocean of unexplored yet deeply sought after truths and Divine values we find seldom portrayed in an entertaining and enlightening fashion in today’s literature.
Maha Devi Li Ra La:
Having studied spiritual knowledge from various sources and practiced daily meditation for many years, Maha Devi Li Ra La decided to incorporate her wisdom into a fiction novel that appeals to the young at heart, conveying higher truths in a highly entertaining and easily accessible way. As a child she enjoyed listening to fairy tales and was always fascinated with the character developments of the main protagonists, the morale of the story, and the happy endings that would inevitably follow any good deeds.
Throughout her years of spiritual research, Maha Devi Li Ra La found that stories and analogies conveyed deep spiritual truth in all its simple and complex facets better than any factual explanations could often attain. As quantum physics realizes, the ultimate level of our physical universe exhibits characteristics of pure consciousness. It is established, as most ancient spiritual traditions have always emphasized, that our nature and world is transient and therefore mortal. Spiritual truth and practice, therefore, aim at ultimate realization or enlightenment in order to help the individual to reconnect with her/his immortal essence and awareness so as to not perish with her/his transient environment. Science nowadays acknowledges, as the powerful, timeless Vedic Knowledge System has always taught, that the outcome of any developmental process is altered according to the awareness and mental/spiritual focus of the onlooker or witness of such process. It is therefore of greatest importance to improve and enlighten the awareness of the aspirant of spiritual knowledge if fulfillment in all areas of life is desired.
Addressing the intuitive mind and heart directly and powerfully with experiences and realizations the reader can identify with, stories are capable of triggering and accomplishing deep transformational processes where mere scientific facts often fail to convince the subconscious mind because of their fallible, transient nature that simply pale in the face of absolute, infallible truth. At some point in our history, scientists assumed the sun was supposedly circling our Earth; gradual progress in scientific realizations is reached in increments according to the level of collective awareness, whereas certain spiritual scriptures postulate unerringly what the ultimate truth looks and feels like, especially when a Divine Emanation happened to incarnate among us to teach us these eternal, timeless values. The legends of old that tell of such glorious and outstanding Emanations and their exemplary lives are timeless jewels in our historical literature and are revered amongst those who want nothing short of the highest truth. In her several volume comprising Grand Saga, Maha Devi Li Ra La aspires to express this ultimate truth with her portrayals of heroes and heroines who won’t be swayed from their paths of righteousness until the highest goals of enlightenment and unity consciousness are accomplished.
The authoress is a firm believer in the law of karma that gives feedback according to the quality of an action, but even more so she believes that any challenge can be overcome through the Divine law of mercy, if only the individual can feel deserving enough for such an act of Divine forgiveness. Individual purification and mind transcending, she believes and demonstrates in this epic tale, help attract this forgiveness and inner equilibrium, catapulting the individual from his compromised and limiting beliefs and behaviors to the states of lasting happiness and peace.
Maha Devi Li Ra La sees it her life’s purpose to create works of literature, music and art that reflect these truths and point her audiences in the direction of spiritual enlightenment and ultimate fulfillment.
Reviewed By Lucinda Weeks for Readers’ Favorite
“‘The Quest of All Ages’, Book One of the ‘Within the Ocean of Eternal Love’ Series is a beautiful, epic tale written by Maha Devi Li Ra La. Within this timeless fantasy novel, we meet a variety of characters. Heroes, heroines, mermaids and mermen, fairies and elves, kings, queens, gods and goddesses all comprise the incredible cast of characters. You’ll meet the human Lucanian princess who has fallen in love with a merman named Loriolan. However, Indirali is forbidden to marry him due to family and racial differences. Indirali is already engaged to Prince Hecto. Loriolan and Indirali set out on an exciting journey that tests, challenges and strengthens their love, with the hope of finding favor in the eyes of the Olympian gods that have the power to allow them to be together forever.
You won’t want to miss out on this exciting read! The vibrant characters, along with the delightful setting based in ancient Magna Graecia make this a splendidly hypnotic tale. Interwoven throughout the fabric of this incredible story is a theme of true love, spirituality, bravery and morality. These elements, along with exciting scenes, make this an unforgettable saga that will live long in the minds of readers and make them look forward to the sequel with a fervent, yearning desire to read more about these charming characters. This breathtaking tale is full of excitement, action and adventure. It is one that will captivate the hearts and imaginations of its readers. I highly recommend reading ‘The Quest of All Ages’; Book One of the ‘Within the Ocean of Eternal Love’ Series written by Maha Devi Li Ra La.”
Reviewed By Maria Beltran for Readers’ Favorite
“‘The Quest of All Ages’ is Book 1 of the series ‘Within the Ocean of Eternal Love’, written by Maha Devi Li Ra La. Prince Loriolan and Princess Indirali fall madly in love with each other and it would seem like a perfect match. But he is the son of King Hadores and Queen Lilliane of the underwater kingdom of Azuris, and she is the daughter of King Eurylochos and Queen Penelope of the earthly kingdom of Lucania. Princess Indirali is also set to marry Prince Hecto, crown prince of Neapolis, and the impending loveless marriage is designed to unite the two kingdoms during a troubled time in Greek history. The adventurous Prince Loriolan, on the other hand, is expected to marry a mermaid princess from a neighboring underwater kingdom. The lovers vow to defy their parents and reality itself and unite in the heavenly home of the Olympian Gods. Will they succeed in their individual quests?
In Maha Devi Li Ra La’s ‘The Quest of All ages’, a merman prince and a human princess fall in love. The story unfolds in 270 BC, in the Greek colony of Magna Graecia. As we follow the fate of Prince Loriolan and Princess Indirali, we get a look at the cultures of ancient Greece and Macedonia as well as at the Roman and Phoenician empires and the underwater world. Lyrical and poetic, the author’s creative writing style enhances the story that ends up with the lovers embarking on what seems to be an impossible quest – to go against all odds and achieve eternal and spiritual love. ‘The Quest of All Ages’ is a great love story that reminds one of the tragic Shakespearean drama Romeo and Juliet, where fate rules the lives of lovers. Prince Loriolan and Princess Indirali, however, decide to determine their destiny together by going on an ultimate quest that will take readers to a spiritual world inhabited by gods and goddesses.”
Reviewed By Gisela Dixon for Readers’ Favorite
“‘The Quest of All Ages’, Book 1 of the ‘Within The Ocean Of Eternal Love’ series by Maha Devi Li Ra La, is essentially a love story, but with spiritual and supernatural elements to it. ‘The Quest of All Ages’ explores and intertwines a story of soul mates with themes such as the meaning of our existence, cosmic unity, life beyond mortality, law of karma, and even life on earth as we know it and psychic phenomena. The story is set against a fictionalized background of Ancient Greek mythology and Greek gods and goddesses. Indirali is a princess about to be wed to a man for political and social reasons, a man chosen by her father, the king. A chance encounter results in a meeting with Loriolan, a prince of the Mer-people. However, each is bound to their own customs and duties and they are not free to marry whom they choose.
Will these lovers unite against all odds? Or are they destined to be apart in this life to perhaps meet in the next one? These are the kinds of questions the novel evokes and forms the heart of the story. The Quest of All Ages (Within the Ocean of Eternal Love, Volume 1) by Maha Devi Li Ra La is written in a simple, direct manner. The book is infused with themes of other-worldliness and mysticism. For someone who enjoys and is interested in these things, it is an enjoyable, engrossing read and one that I would recommend.”
Reviewed By Tracy A. Fischer for Readers’ Favorite
“In a highly unique and creative entry into the genre of fantasy, ‘The Quest of All Ages’, Book 1 of the ‘Within the Ocean of Eternal Love’ series by author Maha Devi Li Ra La, readers are exposed to the beautiful world under water. When a Lucanian princess and a merman prince fall in love and decide to follow their oracle and the advice of their spiritual advisor, rather than marry from their own kind, their choice will lead them on a journey unlike any other. Needing to gain the support of the Olympian gods and goddesses in order to meet the major goal of any person – to completely master themselves as well as to join completely with the other half of their soul – the couple’s quest inspires all others around them to great and more powerful things.
I so enjoyed ‘The Quest of All Ages’. Author Maha Devi Li Ra La has done a fantastic job in creating an underwater world in which her readers will feel completely engrossed. Her characters, while fantastic, are also so realistic that her readers will easily be able to connect with them and relate to them, and will continue to think of them long after the story is finished. If that isn’t a hallmark of a wonderful author, I don’t know what is. Any reader who enjoys a great work of fantasy should absolutely read ‘The Quest of All Ages’. I am pleased to recommend this book, and look forward to reading the next installment of author Maha Devi Li Ra La’s promising new series as soon as it is available!”
Reviewed by Aaron Marshall for Amazon.com
“I really enjoyed this epic tale. It was written with a Joseph Campbellian depth. The descriptions of the underwater world were vivid and detailed. They say a picture is worth 1000 words. The way this describes an ancient underwater fantasy world, it’s in full motion. The characters are rich and well drawn. One of my favorite moments was the rise to action where they journey away from their comforts and familiarity and begin their quest. The pages flew by in this work. It seems thoroughly researched like an Anne Rice novel. That’s one thing I appreciate is the historical color becoming pillars to an imaginative world. Overall the story taps into an essence one might call true love — sacrificing for the ones we care about to achieve deeper harmony. I highly recommend it.”
Reviewed by Kerry for Goodreads.com
I found The Quest Of All Ages to be a real gem and a wonderful, highly entertaining read for a number of reasons. It contains many elements that contribute to a very rich, uplifting, and very well-written novel: true love, action, fantasy, heroes, Gods and Goddesses, a highly engaging and intelligent storyline, and great character development. This is a beautiful and fascinating story in which the author did an excellent job weaving together the paths of the two main characters. One aspect that stood out for me was the deep wisdom found throughout the book—wisdom very apropos to our time and age. Maha Devi Li Ra La is a very gifted and talented author who excels in description and creating quite the ambience for the different parts of the book. Her book was not only fun and highly enjoyable to read but also very inspiring. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.