Elphame's Choice by P.C. Cast is a book that brings with it a long awaited return to the world of Partholon.

Over a hundred years have passed since the events which took place in Goddess by Mistake.  The vampire like race of Fomorians were defeated and driven away and the world was restored to how it once was.  But it is not exactly the same as it had been as Elphame, a descendant of Rhiannon and ClanFintan finds out when she decides to restore MacCallan Castle which has remained deserted since the war.

Elphame has was different from the day she was born.  With her human mother and centaur father she is born with the goddess Epona's touch clearly leaving its mark.  From the waist upwards Elphame is a normal woman.  But for the other half of her body she has that of a horse.  Set apart from her people Elphame is treated as a goddess but has never heard Epona speak to her as her mother does.  Nor does she feel any power as a goddess incarnate should. 

Only her family treat her as a normal person, which is all that Elphame really wants.

Deciding to break away from her family and travel to MacCallan Castle to restore it she is accompanied by her brother Cuchulainn (Cu) who is all human but with the shaman powers of his father making themselves known.  Unlike his sister who wants to embrace the magic of their world, Cu rejects his shaman heritage and ignores the visions and feelings as much as he is able to do so.

They arrive at MacCallan Castle and set about restoring it to its former glory with the help of those who would like to make it their home as well. 

But they find not only the ghosts of the past but victims too. 

Descendents of the Fomorians and the human women who had been kidnapped.  These people are, like Elphame, a mixture of two races and they are struggling not to give into their dark heritage.  The leader of those people is Lochlan and he is determined to end the suffering of his people as foretold by the prophecy of his mother whose faith in Epona had never wavered.

Leaving his people in the Wastelands Lochlan seeks out the goddess foretold, Elphame, believing that only through her death can his people be rid of the darkness that eats away at them.  But when he finds the flame haired goddess he is unable to deny his feelings for the woman he has watched through his dreams for the whole of her life.  And now he must make a choice between the woman he loves and the people he must save.

Things are brought to a head when some of his people follow him to MacCallan Castle and decide to take matters into their own hands with tragic results.

This book is wonderful with well drawn out characters including a host of secondary characters that the reader will come to love as much as the hero and heroine of the story.  And the reader will find out just how much this is true by a decision of the author to do something that very authors are brave enough to do in a novel of this genre. 

A powerful return to Partholon in a book that once again brings this vibrant world to life.  P.C. Cast has once again delivered a winner in this book. 

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Also by P.C. Cast:  Goddess by Mistake, Goddess of the Sea, Goddess of Spring and Goddess of Light

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