Customer Reviews

Divine By Mistake (Partholon)

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

P.C. Cast writes with heart and humor. I laughed out loud reading this and was fully involved in the story as it unfoleded. I bought DBM and DBC at the same time. You won't want to wait to find out what happen next either.

The Goddess Epona has BIG! plans for 35 year old high school English teacher Shannon Parker. She's about to get a promotion of supernatural perportions. A promotion which includes benifits like... Living in a fabulously beautiful Temple, having her every wish and want catered to, an amy of people who's only job is to see to her needs, and a handsome Centaur/Shaman/Shapeshifter, to warm her bed. As well as, the protection of a Godess

Job Description.... Be living Godess,and spiritual leader to thousands and a conduit for Epona's will. Not to mention putting personal desires aside for the good of the people as a whole.

Comlpications, to win all these fabulous prizes, Shannon is unwillingly transported to another world through magical means to take the place of her evil twin, who ruled through fear intimidation and the use of dark magic. Add to that the threat of a legion of purely evil creatures who's lifes goal is to rape, pilage, and cause complete and utter devestation. This was not a part of her teachers training, but Epona has choson Shannon to stand and face these challenges. Now all Shannon cand do is follow her heart and hold on tight to the world she has come to love.

Devine By Mistake is a reprint of Goddess By Mistake corrected and with updated pop culture refrences. it is the first book in the summoning series, and is also the first chapter in the story of Partholon and it's people.

In Order:
Devine By Mistake
Devine By Choice
Devine By Blood(September)
Elphame's Choice
Brighid's Quest
Other Great P.C. Books I've read and really enjoyed:
Goddess of the Sea(see my review)
Goddess of the Rose

This is a fantastic stand alone novel. If you've enjoyed Cast's previous tales, or even if you've never read her, you'll find yourself drowning in the lush detail of her doppleganger world called Partholan. Here the Goddess Epona's (goddess of horses and warriors)incarnate or Beloved, a woman who rules in the goddess' stead, has decided to flee her responsibilties and continue her spoiled, somewhat evil life of indulgence. To this end she is able to cast a spell on a relic, send it to Oklahoma in our world and time, and trick her mirror immage, Shannon Parker, into taking her place.

Shannon wakes up in an entirely strange world with no clue what's expected of her. She's also engaged and about to be married any minute to a centaur, ClinFinton. But before you get any disgusting ideas like one other reviewer, Clan is High Shaman of the Centaurs and as is tradion can shape shift into human form, though it's quite painful. Due to a tragedy and a coming evil, Shannon (whom eveyone thinks is Rhiannon)and ClanFinton bond together quickly and fall in love. Which is good because they are up against a disease, self doubt, and an extremely evil and hard to kill enemy.

I won't ruin the surprise but the bad guys in this book are truly bad and make for a creepy but fulfilling enemy. And the love between ClanFinton and Rhiannon which you might think you would have trouble believing in, is actually extremely engaging. Cast takes her time with this story and weave's a tale well worth reading without rushing us off to any conclusions. I did happen to read this at the same time the follow up book Divine By Choice was coming out. As much as I adored this book and former Cast works, I don't think I will be reading the next book for fear of what happens in that to Rhiannon and ClanFinton's relationship. I prefer to remember them as they are in this one. Maybe my opinion will change in time, but for now I'll happily hold onto this book.

I have read many books by P.C. Cast and I have loved them all so far, but "Divine By Mistake" tops them all.
Shannon Parker's journey from Oklahoma high-school English teacher to Parthalon's High Priestess and Goddess Incarnate is an amazing journey not only for the heroine, but also for the reader.
I can only highly reccomend this book to fantasy and romance lovers alike.
And don't be daunted by the hero - a centaur.
I had doubts at first, never being able to imagine that a man/horse/whatever could be sexy, but ClanFintan is an amazing person who not only took Shannon Parker's heart by storm.
And don't miss the sequel "Divine By Choice"! These books are definitely must-haves and keepers.
Go on and read them, you wont't regret it.

I fell in love with The House of Night series, so I decided to go back and read other novels by the author. I have to say I was a bit disappointed. This book got off to a very slow start; it didn't start getting good until Part II. Once there, I was drawn in and couldn't put the book down. However towards the end, the book lost it's momentum and it was a task to try and finish it. The story material was great, but as a whole it took too long to start and close. I hope the second novel in the series will be better.

Thirty something high school English teacher Shannon Parker stops at an auction sale where she notices a vase containing a portrait of her on it. She wins the bid with a ridiculously low price tag due to a mysteriously appearing crack inside the vase. On her way home, Shannon is transported from her vehicle to a luxurious temple where her friend Suzanna calls her Lady. She soon learns that the vase was a portal that her "twin" the High Priestess of Epona Rhiannon used for them to switch places; Suzanna is actually Rhiannon's slave Alanna.

Centaur ClanFintan arrives with his "horsies" to demand Rhiannon complete the hand-fastening ceremony that would have them married for a year. Shannon goes through the ceremony, but refuses to take any lip (or other body part) from a man built at least down there like a thoroughbred. Instead she treats him and others the same way she taught teenage hormonal maniacs in Oklahoma. As the transplanted Shannon and the shapeshifting centaur fall in love, she tells him who she is while they team up to battle the malevolent Famorians, demonic vampire like evil creatures and to prevent the real Rhiannon from returning.

The first "Goddess" book contains the enjoyable ingredients that make these mythological romances fun to read because the different species of legend seem genuine and the strong heroine is ready to do battle; in this case on behalf of her new society, her beloved and against her "twin" and the Famorians using the techniques honed in teaching wars with teenagers. This tale is amusing mostly due to Shannon's observations and quips yet it has its' serious moments too (for instance the worshipped Goddess learns that teachers are treated with contempt (as those who can't teach and are paid accordingly). Though the heroine adjusts too easily, fantasy romance fans will cast about seeking the remaining delightful Goddess tales.

Harriet Klausner

I didn't realize this book was 500ish pages when I bought it, very long. It was still a highly creative, imaginative and unique novel! Shannon Parker is a high school teacher with a hobby of purchasing antiques n such at estate sells. She finds a unique vase that depicts a goddess that has an uncanny resemblance to herself. On the way home with her vase in tow she wrecks her car flames coming from the vase. Next thing she knows Shannon is in Partholon as the goddess incarnate of Epona. Trying to adjust to her new role as leader of the people, speaker for Epona and wife of Clanfintan a centaur, Shannon encounters several bumps along the way to contentment. She finds the faces of people she knew and loved among her people with different names, but a comfort nonetheless. It is a very good novel if you have the patience for a long one. It isn't all slow paced, neither fast somewhere in the middle. Nothing painful to read!! I will definitely read the next! I enjoyed all the characters in this book, and Shannons new powers. Her relationship with her best friend, husband and close servants were very entertaining. This is on an entirely different wave length than the house of night series, so dont expect anything similar.

I picked up Divine by Mistake because finally someone had decided to do the whole " ooh another world now let my save it style" and that hasn't been properly done for a while. The story and plotline are, to say the least fan-freaking-tastic. Shannons journey into Parthalon is both fun and exciting to read... for the most part. While I enjoyed the suspense and tension and general "what's going to happen here" moments, Shannons tendancy to talk to the reader was EXTREMELY annoying. I began to dread the brackets and the words " HE BITES" and " John Wayne." And for another thing P.C Cast is just... kinda a mediocre writer. Don't get me wrong I still think that she creates fantastic characters and settings, but her description is just okay at points and the speech is quite stunted, for example there's a line about 50 pages in that goes something along the lines of.
" What were you doing"
" I was out worshipping the brilliance of the moon"
I was like. No one would say that. Fair enough if she was actually from Partholan but she's been there a day. Unnatural speech was a frequent annoyance throughout the book.
However that is not to say that I did not LOVE the relationship between Shannon and Clanfinton, even if it did come on a bit quick. Again BEAUTIFUL storyline, so if you want to read something good get it. If you want to read something great. Don't.

Imagine waking up one day and finding yourself in a strange place far, far away from home. Then imagine the surprise when everyone refers to you as the goddess incarnate. Well how good does that sound? But what happens when you find out that along with the title and all its perks, you are also betrothed to a horse?

Meet Shannon Parker, a thirty-five-year-old high school teacher whose life is about to be turned upside down when she purchases a vase from an auction - a vase depicting a Celtic goddess that eerily resembles her. Unbeknownst to her, it is the very image of Rhiannon, the goddess Epona's Chosen. Shortly after winning the auction, she finds herself sucked in a black hole, waking up to the realization that Rhiannon has switched places with her. To make matters worse, it appears that the goddess incarnate has an attitude to boot - and we're talking real attitude...

With no choice but to step into Rhiannon's shoes, Shannon does her best to settle in and win the love of her people. But what astounds her the most about her new life is how she has finally managed to score herself the man of her dreams even though Clanfintan walks... or trots... on four legs most of the times. Maybe this Celtic city isn't so bad after all - if not for those blood-sucking Formorians who are threatening her people.

DIVINE BY MISTAKE (originally published as GODDESS BY MISTAKE) is a fantastic and hilarious story that had me laughing from the start. Shannon was an absolute riot! I enjoyed her antics and adored reading about her and Clanfintan. Cast has done an incredible job in depicting the mythical city that you would almost feel transported as you read about Shannon's adventures. As for those centaurs, they are not the brutal creatures that the modern times paint them to be. Here, they are the protectors of the helpless and they are absolutely delectable (with a capital D!).

Let P C Cast take you on a wonderful journey where fairy tales come true and dreams and magic linger long after you read the last page. I cannot wait to read the two other books in the series - DIVINE BY CHOICE and DIVINE BY BLOOD.

I never read Goddess by Mistake, I had seen it before but passed on it because I really though it was just another romance novel about a woman who is magically transported to another world and gets her dress ripped open and ravished by the sexiest man alive, who just so happens to be in love with her and they romp happily ever after. I also think it was because of the old cover, it didn't grab my attention. P.C.Cast took Goddess, renamed it Divine by Mistake, updated the pop references inside, and made a new cover. I picked it up again and took a chance, it was a good thing I did because I immediately fell right into the story and fell in love with the characters and Author. To me this isn't a romance novel, it's a Fantasy novel. Her writing is very similar to Piers Anthony in my eyes. We have two worlds, two women, one a goddess and the other a normal woman. The goddess Rhiannon is a selfish cold blooded ruler and the other Shannon is a snarky fun loving teacher.
Rhiannon is bored with her world, and as we find out later she can see the future of her world and it doesn't look to rosy, so she switches sides with Shannon whom she thinks lives in a world of technology and limitless power. Shannon adapts quite quickly to a land filled with servants and centaurs and being the incarnate of the Goddess Epona. She is the type of gal who reads Shakespeare and Diana Gabaldon, so she isn't really freaked out by the outright craziness she is confronted with. Her friends are mirrored in looks within her subjects and friends and that is familiar to her, making her adaptation smoother. Throw in a Centaur husband, a sweet horse, great clothes and pampering and she is in heaven.
Shannon, or Rhea as she is now known, has the power to dream and astral project, she also has all the blessings the Goddess wanted Rhiannon to have but never deserved. The people she is surrounded with quickly learn that she is not the woman they feared, now she is truly their beloved and trust her completely. Shannon cusses, and loves her wine, but she doesn't just sit around all day and get foot massages, she reacts to a great threat and gathers her minions together to face the coming storm like a pro. P.C. Cast can write romance without it being that squelchy bosom heaving grossness, with her it's straight up real feelings and emotional bonding and I appreciated that. Heaven knows what a lesser writer would have done with Clanfintan considering his...assets.
I lost myself in this book, isn't that what we all hope for when we open the pages? I finished it reluctantly and will now go onto the second part gladly!!!!

PC Cast let her imagination run wild for this book, and that's the reason I gave it three stars instead of two. I wish the story and her world building was a bit better thought out than it was. As it is it lacks depth and felt a little immature.

The same is true for the heroine, Shannon. Her perkiness and sense of humour (I use the term loosely) felt forced to me and occasionally got on my nerves. I wanted to like her but just couldn't. She never felt real to me.

An additional gripe is that I constantly found myself jolted out of my suspension of disbelief by little (or not so little) details that didn't add up. And that's a shame because I wanted to believe. I loved the centaurs, but I just don't see them sitting on settees. Shannon is outraged and horrified that Alanna is her slave, but this fact is treated as a mere technicality that is of no great consequence for the rest of the book.

This book, this world and this story could have been so much more.