Warrior Rising

PRAISE FOR
Goddess of Love

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

—Susan Grant

“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.”

—
SmartBitchesTrashyBooks.com

“Cast is back . . . and the gods and goddesses have never been more sympathetic or amusing than they are in this truly delightful novel.”

—
Romantic Times
(4 stars)

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

“Ms. Cast has taken mythology, Cinderella, a bit of Shakespeare, and a dash of Shaw and mixed them with her own style of comedy for a winning read that is as heartwarming as it is funny.”

—
Huntress Reviews

“As always with Ms. Cast's Goddess sagas, the blending of mythology and the modern world feels smooth and effortless . . . delightful.” —
Midwest Book Review

Goddess of the Rose

"P. C. Cast [is] well-known for her blending of mythological tales and romance. . . . [A] beautiful adult fairy tale . . . Readers will be enchanted.” —
The Best Reviews

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

Goddess of Light

“A charmer . . . Cast continues her unique brand of delightfully mixing a modern-day romance with a mythological legend . . . creative.” —
Midwest Book Review

"Pure enjoyment . . . Anything can [happen] when gods and mortals mix.” —
Rendezvous
(Rosebud of the Month)

“A fanciful mix of mythology and romance with a dash of humor for good measure . . . engages and entertains . . . lovely.”

—
Romance Reviews Today

Goddess of Spring
A Holt Medallion Finalist

“One of the top romantic fantasy mythologists today.”

—
Midwest Book Review

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

—
Affaire de Coeur

“Gorgeous Technicolor detail.” —
The Romance Reader

“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!”

—
Romance Reviews Today

Goddess of the Sea

“Captivating—poignant, funny, erotic! Lovely characters, wonderful romance, constant action, and a truly whimsical fantasy makes Ms. Cast's novel hard to put down . . . 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

“Without doubt, one of the most innovative fantasy romances I've read. From beginning to end, the surprises in P. C. Cast's new page-turner never stopped. Its poignancy resonates with both whimsy and fantasy, leaving the reader with a childlike believability in the impossible. I loved it!”

—Sharon Sala,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Cut Throat

“Vivid and colorful . . . splendid blend of fantasy, history, intrigue, and passion . . . outstanding. Watch out for this author, she's sure to rise to the top of the romantic fantasy genre.” —
Rendezvous

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

—
Romance Reviews Today

Goddess by Mistake

“A witty retelling of the Beauty and the Beast myth with a dash of Celtic lore and a twist of ‘You go, girlfriend!' ” —
Bibliora.com

“A mythic world of humor and verve.” —
Publishers Weekly

“A high-spirited fantasy romp, wickedly funny and filled with action. P. C. Cast turns traditional fantasy elements inside out for a story you won't soon forget. Highly recommended!”

—K. D. Wentworth, author of
The Course of Empire

“I hated for it to end.” —
Romance Under the Rainbow

“A funny, sexy heroine . . . the story is well-written, rich with secondary characters, and peppered with humorous dialogue. In the battle of good against evil, modern conveniences against ancient culture, and a bit of Beauty and the Beast tossed in, readers will enjoy being transported into this fantasy world.” —
Romance Reviews Today

“If you like your fantasy novels tongue-in-cheek, you will enjoy
Goddess by Mistake
, the debut novel by an Oklahoma high school teacher with a vivid imagination and a wicked sense of humor.”

—
The Romance Reader

“Sassy . . . big points for originality, style, humor, and sheer exuberance of storytelling . . . a wild ride and a rollicking good time all around.” —
All About Romance

“A fun read.” —Christopher Moore, author of
Spirit House

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

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 © 2008 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 SENSATION is an imprint of The Berkley Publishing Group

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

PRINTING HISTORY
Berkley trade paperback edition / May 2008
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Cast, P. C.
Warrior rising / P. C. Cast. —1st ed.
p. cm.

eISBN : 978-1-4406-3927-2

1. Young women—Fiction. 2. Transmigration—Fiction. 3. Goddesses—Fiction.
4. Achilles (Greek mythology)—Fiction. 5. Trojan War—Fiction. I. Title.
PS3603.A869.W37 2008
813'.6—dc22 2007046579

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

As always I'd like to thank my agent and friend, Meredith Bernstein. Your consistent belief in me means more than I can express with these few words.

Thank you to my new Berkley editor, Wendy McCurdy, who made the scary process of changing editors practically painless. You are a pleasure to work with!

And a big THANK-YOU to all the fans of my Goddess Summoning series who have sent wonderful letters sharing with me how much my books entertain and empower you. Hope you enjoy this trip to my version of the Trojan War!

PROLOGUE

Thetis of the Silver Feet rose from the depths of the hidden cove. Her son was already there, awaiting her arrival. With that odd, almost preternatural sense of calm that had been his to command even as a babe, he stood on the beach staring with quiet intensity at the distant, watery horizon. He had not yet noticed her, so she took the opportunity to study him carefully.

Though he had barely lived sixteen summers he more closely resembled the man and warrior he would become than the child she'd held at her bosom what seemed but a moment ago. He was magnificent—her golden eaglet, her pride, her heart—her Achilles. And today her soul wept for what Zeus's oracle had revealed to her. Thetis wished she could deny the truth of it or even simply run from the choices the great god had revealed. But she, too, was a deity, born of the water, daughter of Nereus, an ancient sea god, and she knew all too well that the prophecies of the gods could not be avoided—that to run from them left only chaos and heartbreak and ruined lives in the wake of consequences. Fate could not be avoided, so it must be endured.

At least Achilles had been given a choice.

The small splinter of hope that thought gave Thetis was short-lived. It worked itself free of her heart as she continued to gaze at the wondrous man her son was becoming.

Before his conception the oracle had foretold that her son would be greater than his father—thus freeing her of the tiresome courtships of Zeus and Apollo. Neither god would ever have suffered a son to outshine him. She had eventually married Peleus, King of the Myrmidons. A slight smile touched her shapely pink lips. Peleus had desired her so desperately that compared to her smooth, white thighs the oracle's predictions were inconsequential. Thetis tossed back her silver-blond hair. She hadn't, of course, been able to settle permanently with a mortal, king or not, but she did think of him fondly and often. Perhaps she would visit him later that night. He always welcomed her joyously into his bed and she would need the distraction of passion after hearing Achilles' choice. Sadly she knew her son too well; what the oracle at Dodona had prophesied for him would, indeed, come to pass. Thetis drew in a deep breath and readied herself.