In this book by Kevin Anderson we see a kingdom who have "godlings" that are solely created by the aspirations and the dreams of the people. A "priestlord" then accesses the power of this created "god" supposedly for the highest aspiration of the people it serves.
Note that this entity, this "godling" is solely the product of either the fears, hatreds and dramas of the people, or its love, faith and dreams.
It could not exist otherwise.
I think about our religions and how each of them claims to know "the truth" and to have "god" on their side.
And not just religions. Corporations, governments, tech companies, military organizations, some of them also claim to be "gods". And those who give them their power are entrapped by them completely, as no one can have power over you unless you give them permission.
But let's get back to the novel and the godlings. Which "god" are they creating? How have they created this god? God, the Ultimate, the Pure and the Divine, exists beyond these "gods" for God never chooses sides, and we are equally loved.
But the created "godlings"? Why, we could call them demons or Lucifer, or Satan. For if a people, or a person, shows rage and arrogance and destruction, their energies, carried into the ethers, will create a "god" that will also show rage and arrogance and destruction.
And their energies, the energies of their prayers, will always come back to them.
For what we create, at the end of the day, is our own personal reality.