Divine By Mistake

Divine By Mistake
By: P.C Cast

 Write up:


The only excitement Shannon Parker expects while on summer vacation is a little shopping. But when an antique vase calls to her, she finds herself transported to Partholon, where she's treated like a goddess. A very temperamental goddess…

Somehow Shannon has stepped into another's role as the Goddess Incarnate of Epona. And while there's an upside—what woman doesn't like lots of pampering?—it also comes with a ritual marriage to a centaur and threats against her new people. 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….

I picked this book up because I really liked the premise: regular modern girl gets sucked into a fantasy world. Kind of like A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. The descriptions promised some good laughs and serious culture class, and for the first half or so of the book that was the case.

I found the initial stages, when Shannon first arrives in Partholon the most enjoyable and well written.  She is a typical modern day female, clever and snarky and full of pop culture references, and she finds herself in a world where creatures are walking around that she previously believed were make believe. But, the good thing, her personality is one where she responds to stress by being dry and cracking wise and that makes her introduction to the world and the people in it very enjoyable. The first day there she finds out not only is she a Goddess, and a spoiled rather bitchy one, but she is due to be married to a Centaur. Or as she sees it: a horse. And their meeting and marriage are a blast. Her doppelganger in that world was apparently not a nice person—and kind of loose---so she is met with hostility by most everyone including her soon to be husband. He can barely hide his contempt during their ceremony, and Shannon has a good time surpassing his low expectations of her---much to this surprise.  But eventually people being to notice that she is different and her cover is blown. During this period she begins to realize by the Goddess allowed her to be taken to this world. There is a threat forming from a race of vampire like bat people that she must fight and lead the people from, and if she had not switched, the world would have been left with the spoiled brat that Shannon replaced. So Shannon begins to see that she was brought to that world for a reason and not only due to chance and the whim of her doppelganger... -------

But as I mentioned the beginnings when Shannon and the readers were being introduced to the world were the most enjoyable. But about halfway through the novelty wore off. Soon, the never ending pop culture references and snarky comments become a bit stale and get in the way of the reader connecting with the characters. I felt after a while that the book was just trying too hard to be cute and hip and different...rather than it happening organically. A lot of things happened in this book, but I did not feel the emotional connection to much of it. The only character you get any kind of understanding or connection with is Shannon...which is fine as she is the main voice...but the secondary characters all seemed kind of like paper cutouts just there to decorate and tell you how great the main character is. You don't feel them, so when all these terrible things start happening...it seems so removed.  Even the main love story...I was told so many times how much Shannon loves ClanFintan, and how epic their love is...but I never really felt it, because I never really felt like I got much insight into ClanFintan or why he would love her besides his usual comment: “I was made to love you”. Nor did I see much development in their romantic relationship, at least to my satisfaction. They hate each other and are strangers one day, and in the course of 24 hours...they are declaring each other soul mates for life. It is the classic case of what my English teacher used to tell us: show, don't tell. This book did a lot of telling, but not enough showing. So ultimately my enjoyment started to fade after a while. It had a lot of potential...I don't think it reach it. -------

But this is me. My friend loved this entire series. So, eh, we all look for and enjoy different things. A lesson of life.

Grade: C+