"Unusual beginning is saved by the story's end"
On her way to a special assignment in Iraq, Sergeant
Christine (CC) Canadys' plane crashes into the ocean.
Without fully understanding what was happening to her, she
changes bodies with a mermaid, Princess Undine. It is
only after she has become a mermaid that CC understands
why. Soon she finds herself swimming to escape from
Sarpedon, who is a malevolent merman obsessed with
possessing Undine and now CC! Unsure what to do she calls
for Gaea, the mermaid's Earth Goddess mother and agrees to
become human but has to return to the sea and her mermaid
body every third night. The only way to remain human
permanently and away from Sarpedon is to find true love;
which turns out to be harder than expected once she meets
Dylan, a merman. This was an awesome story. The beginning of GODDESS OF
THE SEA is a little strange as you are watching CC
celebrate her birthday all by herself when she decides
that women have magic and to release hers by summoning the
Earth Goddess Gaea, while intoxicated. By doing so, she
creates a new destiny for herself as a woman. As a reader
you don't get to know what everyone around CC is thinking
(for the most part), which helps add to the confusion and
fear she is feeling starting with her next day's hangover
and continuing though the rest of the novel. Generally
following someone's daily events isn't very interesting
however, Ms Cast has woven her tale so well, that every
detail of her day is an adventure; whether she ! in a
human body on land or Undines true form of a mermaid. CC discovers living in the 1100's isn't easy and doesn't
like the submissive roll of women, which makes falling in
love with Dylan all the more touching. Dylan is very
interesting as well. He and the real Undine were
childhood friends, so he knew almost instantly that CC
wasn't Undine. Because CC is now Undine, I would
generally have a problem with this type of relationship
(CC being interested in a friend of Undine who Undine
herself was not interested in), CC makes it know up front
she isn't the real Undine and while Dylan agrees, it
becomes clear while watching the relationship develop that
he is in love with CC. I didn't have to wonder if maybe
he is really in love with Undine and sees this as a way to
h! ave her. Besides this, he performs a couple of
selfless acts that are so touching! (Can't elaborate as
it would spoil the surprise!) So I really liked him as a
hero. When Sarpedon finds her on land and starts to
possess Andras, the knight who rescues her from the ocean
and thinks she is the survivor from a shipwreck, CC
realizes that in order to be safe on either land or the
sea, she must confront Undines fears. Ms Cast really knows how to heat up the intimate moments
between CC and Dylan. I was reading this book on an
international flight, and wow! So as a word of warning,
while this is a book that will suck you in, it's very
steamy. I loved the last several chapters of the book --
especially the end; unfortunately to say much more would
give stuff away, SO READ THE BOOK!
Reviewed by Cynthia Eckert
Posted April 3, 2004
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There's a little goddess in every woman. And a lot of passion...
On the night of her twenty-fifth birthday, alone in her
apartment, Air Force Sergeant Christine Canady wished for
one thing: a little magic in her life. After drinking way
too much champagne, she performed, of all crazy things, a
goddess-summoning ritual, hoping that it would somehow make
her life a little less ordinary...but she never believed
the spell would actually work!
When her military plane crashes into the ocean, CC's
mission overseas takes an unexpected turn. She awakens to
find herself in a legendary time and place where magic
rules the land--occupying the body of the mythic mermaid
Undine. But there is danger in the waters and the goddess
Gaea turns this modern, military gal into a beautiful
damsel so that she can seek shelter on land. CC is soon
rescured (literally) by a knight in shining armor. She
should be falling in love with this dream come true, but
instead she aches for the sea and Dylan, the sexy merman
who has stolen her heart.
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