If you're a teenage girl and really love horses, you might enjoy this, if you do not have much taste. ( )

I have never been more in love with characters than with this book. Just love it!

Summary: Going . . . Going . . . Gone!

The most excitement teacher Shannon Parker expects on her summer vacation is a little shopping. But then her latest purchase -- a vase with the Celtic goddess Epona on it -- somehow switches her into the world of Partholon, where she's treated like a goddess. A very temperamental goddess . . .
It seems that Shannon has stepped into another's role as the Goddess Incarnate of Epona. And while it has some very appealing moments -- what woman doesn't like a little pampering now and then? -- it also comes with a ritual marriage to a centaur and the threat of war against the evil Fomorians. Oh, and everyone disliking her because they think she's her double.
Somehow Shannon needs to figure out how to get back to Oklahoma without being killed, married to a horse or losing her mind . . .

This book, even having read thousands of books, is one if my absolute favorites. The characters are very well developed and you begin to fall in love with them as soon as you meet each one. Especially Clanfintan, he is the hottest thing on 4 legs. The plot had the vast amazingness you see in epic fantasy stories and the steam of a sizzling romance. I love Shannon through this whole book, she is absolutely hilarious and I laughed out loud at her modern jokes through the entire book, she is so funny. The emotions in this book were real, when people died in the pages I wept with the characters in the book for each and every one of them; when people fell in love I fell in love too. This book is so wonderful from beginning to end, a must read for the romance reader.

For information or for ordering visit P.C. Cast's webpage.

EXTRA: Get a free copy of the ebook Divine Beginnings (the prequel to this book) from
eharliquen.com

EXTRA: This series was just re-released with beautiful new covers.

Also posted: http://www.bibliophilicbookblog.com/2... ( )

Shannon works as a high-school teacher and finds herself at an estate sale and attracted to an urn with a depiction of Epona that looks very much like her. Shortly after buying it she finds herself in another world where she's the high priestess of Epona, about to marry a centaur and finding that there's a war brewing with the evil, vampiric Formorians.

It's not bad but there are places where it just didn't gel properly for me. For the most part I was very interested in finding out what happened and what happened next but there were some places that I just had to wonder why that scene or battle was there as it didn't really seem to serve a purpose.

Not a bad read but felt a bit weak in places. ( )

I picked this book up thinking it would be a harmless read. I enjoy many of the cast away in time, another world, etc. type books and this one looked like it could be entertaining. Boy I was wrong. The characters were cardboard, the storyline was mediocre, but the worst was the action. It was terrible. If you are going to write a fantasy, sword and bow kind of adventure at least know what you are talking about.

Ms. Cast has her centaurs using crossbows a bizarre choice of weaponry for a half horse people (longbows would have been bad but I could have dealt with it that, compound horse bow would have made actual sense) and then had the centaurs shooting those crossbows so rapidly, I thought they must have had clips.

Maybe its because I wasn't expecting a romance novel (I didnt realize Luna was a romance print) but the action components were so bad it just drove me crazy. Further the romance itself was crappy. If I didn't force myself to finish everything I start, I would have never finished this book.

All in all a bad book that I could not recommend to anyone. ( )