✨ Purity, Power, and Pissed-Off Elders: How Religious Deconstruction Drives The Chosen

If you’ve ever sat in a pew and wondered why does everything holy come with a control clause?—congrats, you’re already vibing with my book The Chosen: And The Price of Defiance. This story is less about magical sparkle glitter-wand battles (though, like, there will be some sans wands) and more about what happens when you rip the halo off a false prophet and realize it’s been a damn spotlight of manipulation all along.

Let’s dive into the divine drama, shall we?

Neoma: Raised in Religion, Reborn in Rebellion

Neoma is our girl. Trained, tamed, and teetering on the edge of expectation. Born into a society where being Chosen means perfection, purity, and playing pretend, she starts the story with a mask so tight it leaves spiritual bruises. She questions everything: her power, her role, her worth.

And guess what? That’s the whole point. Neoma’s journey isn’t just about rebellion—it’s about deconstruction. She starts poking holes in her doctrine, and suddenly the sanctuary she called home feels more like a glass prison. (Yes, glass. Transparent, performative, and shatterable. Poetic justice? I think yes.)

The Church of Control (A.K.A. The Chosen Elders™)

Let’s talk about The Sanctuary, the citadel of the “holy” Chosen. These Elders built their power on the premise of divine exclusivity: “We have magic because the gods love us more.” Barf. As the book unfolds, we see how religion becomes less about belief and more about branding. (Looking at you, Archon.)

Their rituals? Empty pageantry.

Their theology? Gatekept manipulation.

Their purity doctrine? Less about holiness, more about repression. Especially of women.

Neoma calling BS isn’t a villain arc. It’s a survival arc.

Water Magic & Washing Off the Lies

Neoma’s magic manifests as water—a perfect metaphor because what does water do? It flows. It adapts. It cleanses. Her power literally rejects the rigidity of her upbringing. Her family, bound to earth magic (stable, unmoving, rooted), can’t relate. And that tension? It’s not just elemental, it’s existential

Her body remembers what her brain’s been trained to ignore: that magic isn’t a gift from a controlling god. It’s something inherent. Something Quotidian.

Spoiler? The common people—the ones they call unworthy—might be the true magic-bearers. And that twist? It’s basically a middle finger to theological elitism.

Let’s Talk About Those Impure Thoughts

Okay but also? This book is steamy. Not pornographic, but let’s just say Neoma isn’t saving herself for some magical purity contract. Her desire for freedom includes bodily autonomy, and I made sure that’s loud. Flirting with Caius and Andreas isn’t just about love triangles—it’s about choosing. She’s unlearning that wanting something doesn’t make her wicked.

It makes her human.

The push-pull with Andreas? The sexual tension? The slow, aching realization that maybe love and desire aren’t antithetical to holiness? Yeah. That’s deconstruction too, babes.

The Real Gospel of The Chosen

Here’s the truth: The Chosen isn’t anti-faith.

It’s anti-false prophets.

It’s anti-spiritual abuse.

It’s about taking the bones of a belief system and rebuilding them into something more honest, more inclusive, more liberating. It’s about stepping into your power—not the kind handed down from on high, but the kind that rises from the deep inside.

In Conclusion: Burn the Gilded Cage

Religious deconstruction isn’t about being angry (though girl, get angry if you need to). It’s about clarity. It’s about daring to look through the stained glass and realize the light was inside you the whole time.

The Chosen: And The Price of Defiance is my love letter to everyone who’s ever whispered “This doesn’t feel right” in the back of a pew and wondered if they were the problem.

You’re not.

You’re the beginning of something better.

P.S. If this hit home and you’re nodding like “YES, GIRL,” you’re probably going to love the rest of Neoma’s journey. Grab the book. Highlight the spicy scenes. Send me your favorite quotes on Instagram. Let’s deconstruct together.