Goddess of the Rose

Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

 

Delving into mythology and reworking ancient myths is fun! In
Goddess of the Sea
I retell the story of the mermaid Undine—who switches places with a female U.S. Air Force sergeant who needs to do some escaping of her own. In
Goddess of Spring,
I turn my attention to the Persephone/Hades myth, and send a modern woman to Hell! Who knew Hell and its brooding god could be hot in so many wonderful, seductive ways?

From there we take a lovely vacation in Las Vegas with the divine twins, Apollo and Artemis, in
Goddess of Light
. Finally we come to what is my favorite of all fairy tales, “Beauty and the Beast.” In
Goddess of the Rose
I created my own version of this beloved tale, building a magical realm from whence dreams originate—good and bad—and bringing to life a beast who absolutely took my breath away.

 

“Outstanding . . . Magic, myth, and romance with a decidedly modern twist. Her imagination and storytelling abilities are true gifts to the genre.”
—Romantic Times

 

 

Praise for
Goddess of the Sea

“Suspense, fantasy, time travel, all topped off with a very healthy dollop of romance . . . The good news is that this is just the beginning.”

 

 

“Captivating—poignant, funny, erotic! Lovely characters, wonderful romance, constant action, and a truly whimsical fantasy . . . Delightful. A great read.”
—The Best Reviews

 

 

“A fun combination of myth, girl power, and sweet romance [with] a bit of suspense. A must-read . . . A romance that celebrates the magic of being a woman.”
—Affaire de Coeur

 

 

“[An] adult fairy tale . . . the audience will cherish.”

 

 

“Vivid and colorful . . . Splendid blend of fantasy, history, intrigue, and passion . . . Outstanding. Watch out for this author.”
—Rendezvous

 

 

“Most innovative . . . From beginning to end, the surprises in P. C. Cast's new page-turner never stopped. Its poignancy resonates with both whimsy and fantasy . . . I loved it!”
—New York Times
bestselling author Sharon Sala

 

 

“Sweet and funny.”
—Huntress Reviews

 

 

“One of the top romantic fantasy mythologists today.”

 

 

“As always, there's a dash of humor and lots of meltingly hot sex.”

 

 

“Enchanting . . . Lovely.”
—The Romance Readers Connection

 

 

“A veritable feast for readers who just can't get enough fantasy dished up with their romance. Mythology has never been so fun!”

 

 

“A charmer . . . Cast continues her unique brand of delightfully mixing a modern-day romance with a mythological legend . . . Creative.”

 

 

“Pure enjoyment . . . Anything can [happen] when gods and mortals mix.”

 

 

“A fanciful mix of mythology and romance with a dash of humor for good measure . . . Engages and entertains . . . Lovely.”
—Romance Reviews Today

 

 

“Sexy, charming, and fun,
Goddess of Love
is the fantasy romance of the year! You will fall in love with this book. (I did!)”

 

 

“Touching, clever, and an excellent heiress to the Goddess Summoning series. Cast's ability to subvert misogynistic mythology . . . and reaffirm what makes women wonderful, is always worth celebrating . . . I bestow my snarky blessings on this book.”
—Smart Bitches Trashy Books

 

 

“Scorchingly sensual, utterly delicious! P. C. Cast is a true master of her craft.”
—
New York Times
bestselling author Gena Showalter

 

GODDESS OF THE SEA
GODDESS OF Spring
GODDESS OF LIGHT
GODDESS OF THE ROSE
GODDESS OF LOVE
WARRIOR RISING

 

 

 

MYSTERIA
(with MaryJanice Davidson, Susan Grant, and Gena Showalter)
MYSTERIA LANE
(with MaryJanice Davidson, Susan Grant, and Gena Showalter)

THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

 

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

Copyright © 2006 by P. C. Cast.

 

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author's rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

BERKLEY
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SENSATION and the “B” design are trademarks belonging to Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

 

eISBN : 978-1-440-69988-7

 

PRINTING HISTORY
Berkley Sensation mass-market edition / February 2006
Berkley Sensation trade paperback edition / January 2009

 

The Library of Congress has cataloged a prior edition under LCCN: 2006576706.

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank Mark Stelljes, the rosarian I consulted as I researched this book. Mark, your information was invaluable! Any rose mistakes are mine and mine alone.

 

A special thank you to my goddess editor, Christine Zika, for understanding that the beast really did need to be a beast. (And thanks for that lovely horn scene, too!)

 

An adoring thank you to my amazing agent and friend, Meredith Bernstein.

 

A wink and a thanks to the fabulous “Lunatics” who helped brain-storm the personification of Dream Stealers.

 

And thank you to my high school students whose brains I picked for the dream-weaving scenes. See? Teenagers really do have brains!

Prelude

ONCE
upon a time, when men still believed gods and goddesses walked the earth, Hecate, Great Goddess of Night, was granted dominion over the crossroads of man. The dark goddess took her charge seriously, for not only did she stand watch over mortal roads and byways, Hecate guarded the crossroads between dreams and reality . . . between the corporeal and the ethereal. Her dominion was the place from which all dreams, and the magick they create, originated. Thus, the Goddess of Night became Goddess of Magick as well as Goddess of Beasts and the Ebony Moon.