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Brighid's Quest (Partholon #5)

by P.C. Cast (Goodreads Author)

4.11 of 5 stars 4.11 · rating details · 2,480 ratings · 117 reviews

"I will go."Rather than follow her family's restrictive rules, centaur Brighid chose to set out on her own to make friends and form relationships with humans as well as centaurs.

Now she's facing her toughest challenge yet. While helping guide home a grieving human—Cuchulainn, her friend Elphame's brother—Brighid finds herself beginning to care for him. An emotion forbidden...more

Paperback, 544 pages

Published February 23rd 2010 by Harlequin Teen (first published December 1st 2005)

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Jul 19, 2012 Lynne weir rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: p-c-cast, gods-and-goddesses

I loved Brighid's Quest but I didnt think it was as good as the other Partholon books. I don't know it just felt like there was something missing and I didnt feel the same attachment to the charactors as I did when reading Elphame's choice. Also once again as I mentioned when reviewing Elphame's Choice I can't help but notice that it seems too adult for the age group its in. As a teenage book its allowing teenagers from 11 years up to read it, and I personally don't feel comfortable on the thoug...more

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Jan 05, 2013 Sarah Sophia marked it as to-read

Of all Cast's books I think this has been the least powerful and most predictable... I'm betting Cast knew it too as she wrote it.

If you haven't read the rest of the series, you should, and you should read this too just to see things tied up - but don't pick it up if you have no background.

The mating in this book seems more forced, we're forced the whole way to accept the divine proposition and no matter how much I wanted to buy in, I couldn't. I kept waiting for the feeling of a fated match and...more

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Jan 15, 2013 Tintenmaedchen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

“Während sie sprach, ließ Cuchulainn den Blick über die Kinder gleiten. Sie erkannte den Moment, in dem ihre Worte die Wand aus Zorn durchbrachen, die er um sich errichtet hatte. Seine breiten Schultern sackten nach unten; unsicher wischte er sich über die Stirn.” (Seite 193)

Cuchulainn hat die MacCallan Burg nach dem grausamen Tod seiner Verlobten verlassen und sich auf ins Ödland gemacht um die geflügelten Kinder zu finden. Als Elphame sich zunehmend Sorgen um ihren trauernden Bruder macht, mac...more “Während sie sprach, ließ Cuchulainn den Blick über die Kinder gleiten. Sie erkannte den Moment, in dem ihre Worte die Wand aus Zorn durchbrachen, die er um sich errichtet hatte. Seine breiten Schultern sackten nach unten; unsicher wischte er sich über die Stirn.” (Seite 193)

Cuchulainn hat die MacCallan Burg nach dem grausamen Tod seiner Verlobten verlassen und sich auf ins Ödland gemacht um die geflügelten Kinder zu finden. Als Elphame sich zunehmend Sorgen um ihren trauernden Bruder macht, macht sich Brighid auf um ihn zu suchen und zusammen mit den geflügelten Kindern nach Hause zu holen. Doch Cuchulainn ist von der Trauer zerrissen und um ihn zu retten muss Brighid sich endlich zu ihrem schamanischen Erbe bekennen und in die Anderwelt reisen. Ein Schritt mit dem sie nicht nur Cuchulainns Leben verändert sondern auch ihr eigenes Schicksal besiegelt.

Der 5. Band der Partholon Reihe grenzt sich deutlich von den vorherigen Bänden ab. Ein Großteil der Handlung spielt nicht in den vertrauten Gebieten sondern im finsteren Ödland und es steht diesmal nicht die Reinkarnation einer Göttin als Protagonistin im Vordergrund sondern Charaktere mit denen man sich im 4. Band der Reihe bereits vertraut machen konnte. Auch die Sexszenen sind mittlerweile wesentlich mehr in den Hintergrund getreten so dass man sich voll auf die Geschichte und ihren Verlauf stürzen kann.
Vielleicht erwartet man nach 4 Bänden eigentlich dass nicht mehr viel Neues passiert und oberflächlich betrachtet ist das auch tatsächlich der Fall. Zentauren, Schamanen, Gestaltwandlungen, Formorianer das alles kennt man bereits aus den Partholon Büchern und doch hat P.C. Cast es geschafft wieder etwas Neues und Eigenes zu schaffen.
Man erfährt sehr viel über die geflügelten Kinder, die “Neuen Formorianer”, darüber wie sie entstanden und seitdem leben. Wie auch den Personen im Buch fällt es einem als Leser nicht schwer all diese kleinen Wesen schnell ins Herz zu schließen die so voller Neugier und Lebenslust stecken und jedem sofort ein Loch in den Bauch fragen.
Cuchulainn hat mir schon im letzten Partholon Buch sehr gefallen und war mir sehr sympathisch. Man merkt deutlich in welch schlechter Verfassung er sich befindet und wie sehr in die Trauer gefangen hält. Doch es wird auch deutlich dass der Wunsch nach Besserung da ist und nach Hilfe.
Brighid lernt man dagegen ganz neu kennen. Man erfährt einiges über ihre Herkunft und ihr Leben bevor sie an die MacCallan Burg kam.
Wie schon in den anderen Büchern gibt es auch in Beseelt wieder etwas bedrohliches. Irgendetwas das wartet und lauert. Immer dasselbe Konzept verliert langsam etwas an Reiz aber gehört vielleicht auch einfach zu Partholon dazu. Es ist auch nur ein kleiner Kritikpunkt über den man leicht hinweg sehen kann.
So gut mir Beseelt auch gefallen hat macht es auf mich doch den Eindruck als wenn die Geschichte als Ganzes langsam etwas an Dynamik verliert. Irgendetwas fehlte mir bei Beseelt was ich nicht genau benennen kann.

Beseelt schafft es 5. Band der Partholon Reihe ebenso zu fesseln wie schon seine Vorgänger. Die Geschichte hat jedoch ein wenig an Charme und Dynamik eingebüßt.(less)

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Feb 01, 2012 Bridgette Redman rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There’s something immensely satisfying about a light fantasy read—a read that entertains and delights in a simple and straightforward manner.

Too much of the fantasy that I’ve read of late has strayed toward the dark side. Some of them seem to be competing for awards of “goriest death” or “most revolting torture” or “bleakest outlook on life.” After too many course of that type of fantasy, Brighid’s Quest by P.C. Cast comes as a welcome and enjoyable relief.

Brighid’s Quest is a book that doesn’...more There’s something immensely satisfying about a light fantasy read—a read that entertains and delights in a simple and straightforward manner.

Too much of the fantasy that I’ve read of late has strayed toward the dark side. Some of them seem to be competing for awards of “goriest death” or “most revolting torture” or “bleakest outlook on life.” After too many course of that type of fantasy, Brighid’s Quest by P.C. Cast comes as a welcome and enjoyable relief.

Brighid’s Quest is a book that doesn’t make your head or heart hurt. It’s very much a feel-good novel where good is good, evil is evil, and love champions over all its adversity. It is a highly refreshing novel where characters are continually surprised by goodness rather than the more traditional fantasy fare of the protagonists getting tricked by hidden evil.

This book is the second in a series. The characters were first introduced in Elphame’s Choice. However, as someone who didn’t read that first novel, I had no difficulty jumping into the second book and immediately being able to understand who people were and what motivated them.

It is the story of a centaur named Brighid and her quest to save a warrior of her clan, Cuchalainn (Cu for short), from the overwhelming grief that has enveloped him since the death of his betrothed. The two of them are also helping a group of children descended from muses and demons to return to their homeland—a homeland which had once warred with their demonic ancestors and looked upon them with the greatest of suspicions.

Brighid’s quest is hampered by the fact that much of it takes place in the spirit world and she had rejected her shamanic calling in favor of being a Huntress, the calling of her heart. In order to be successful, Brighid must challenge her prejudices and make a choice between selfishness and happiness.

Early on in the novel, I couldn’t help but feel a certain amount of trepidation about the direction that the novel was taking. This was a book, after all, being put out by Luna, the fantasy imprint of Harlequin. There was bound to be a love interest (though C.E. Murphy’s series has so far avoided it) and I confess to being slightly queasy about the prospect of reading a human-centaur sex scene. It danced a little too close to bestiality for my comfort. I should not have worried, though. P.C. Cast handles even the sex scenes with a great deal of delicacy and class.

The paths of Brighid’s Quest are filled with highly likeable characters. Even the villains are offered opportunities for redemption—a choice that some of them are willing to make. Cast has drawn me into her world and I’ll gladly make return visits to this charming series. (less)

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Mar 06, 2011 Aleesha rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Very disappointing. I thought since this was billed as a book for young women that it would be "clean", at least MOSTLY anyway- ya know?
The book itself is marginally interesting. The story was compelling in a way, but I found myself just wanting to get to the end to know what happens...the "journey" along the way wasn't really very captivating....I was mostly reading it because I was bored and curious to see what happened in the end.
I do really like the ideas the book puts forward about us need...more

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Feb 01, 2011 Angela rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Again I have to share my praise for P.C. Cast. This book was fabulous! It had a different focus than some of her books, it went from pain, death and suffering to love, life and happiness. It shows you the experience and trials a person who has lost a loved one may go through (I was crying for a large portion of the book). It is deffinately a difficult thing to be able to express through a book but the story is written so that you can begin to at least understand it. The transition from dealing w...more

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May 14, 2010 Stacy/GirlsInTheStacks.com rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

see our Goddess of Partholon interview with PC Cast here.

This book just made me want to bang my head on the nearest wall…hard.

This book picks up shortly after where Elphame’s Choice ends. This book however is all about Brighid and her quest, or I should say quests. She has several; spiritual, emotional and physical.

Being the eldest daughter of the Shaman for the Dhianna centaurs, Brighid can feel the spiritual world, a pull towards being a Shaman herself. Brighid wants nothing to do with it. S...more see our Goddess of Partholon interview with PC Cast here.

This book just made me want to bang my head on the nearest wall…hard.

This book picks up shortly after where Elphame’s Choice ends. This book however is all about Brighid and her quest, or I should say quests. She has several; spiritual, emotional and physical.

Being the eldest daughter of the Shaman for the Dhianna centaurs, Brighid can feel the spiritual world, a pull towards being a Shaman herself. Brighid wants nothing to do with it. She loves her life with the Clan MacCallan and feels at home amongst the humans. However, a physical quest to bring home Cuchulainn leads her on an emotional and very personal journey where she learns that sometimes the plans you make for yourself are not always your destiny.

This is another character driven book. There were a few exciting (action) moments, but mostly it was a self-discovery story with a prevalent forgiveness theme throughout. I enjoy character driven stories, but I needed some more drama and action. I was bored…and mad.

Brighid, I really liked her character. She was a true and honorable friend who was hard on the outside and a little soft on the inside. Not only did she hide her emotions, she also hid them from herself. It’s when she starts to really open herself up to herself (and one other) you can see amazing character growth.

Cuchulainn was the other main character in this book. He suffered a tremendous loss and he becomes just a shell of himself, someone who is just going through the motions of living. I appreciated the deep sorrow that Cuchulainn felt for the loss of Brenna. However, I found it disheartening that his grief was lessened to the fact that his soul was shattered and in the otherworld, which could be whole again, it just had to be retrieved by someone, which happened to be Brighid. I found it a little to convenient, like an easy out. I see it as “hey I am sad, let me find someone to retrieve my shattered soul so I can be happy again.” See what I mean?

My biggest complaint is the relationship that forms between Brighid and Cuchulainn. After only two moon cycles, plus a few days (around 70ish) they become hand fasted. Really? How could someone that suffered a shattered soul, here it was Cuchulainn’s loss of his beloved Brenna, fall in love so quickly? I think it was dishonorable to Brenna. I could see purposefully written passages to try and persuade this new relationship with the readers, but I did not accede to it. I loathed it. When you hate something, it makes reading the book hard.

Stacy, who was not happy reading this book
(less)

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Apr 01, 2010 Taylor rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was predetermined to not actually like this book. However, as you all know I am a fan of P.C. Cast and thought it was only fair to give this beautifully written story a try. The last month I would walk past this book in bookstores and would pick it up and read the back and put it back down. Finally I gave in and read it, and thankfully I did because I pleasantly surprised how this book overtook me. I’ve been noticing that Cast tends to write books based on Goddess and empowering women, which I...more I was predetermined to not actually like this book. However, as you all know I am a fan of P.C. Cast and thought it was only fair to give this beautifully written story a try. The last month I would walk past this book in bookstores and would pick it up and read the back and put it back down. Finally I gave in and read it, and thankfully I did because I pleasantly surprised how this book overtook me. I’ve been noticing that Cast tends to write books based on Goddess and empowering women, which I can of dig especially since all of her characters seem to make me laugh when I least expect it.

Brighid is an amazingly loveable character who can’t help but root for. The whole time I was reading the book I felt apart of Brighid (which in my experience means the book is smirk worthy of at least 4 stars) and I wanted her help people and be snarky all at the same time in her own time. I guess there are really no magical words to describe the feelings this book left me with. I want to know more about Brighid and her hunky side man, Cu, and I just want to immerse myself in another story involving the two of them. It’s almost like being drawn to a light that only you can see, you can’t describe it even though you try. I’m actually quite nervous to read anymore of P.C. Cast’s other series novels for fear I will never be able to do my homework again. I think this author has a way of drawing in a crowd and though her books might only touch a few, the power cord to those few is very strong.

I want to gush about the story of the “quest” Brighid takes but I can’t formulate the words of the magical journey this heroine takes you on. I cried like 4 times while reading it, which is also another key factor for me to know a book is good. I gave Brighid’s Quest 5 stars because this book really just over takes you and plummets you into an entirely different world filled with hope, imagination, love, and power. P.C. Cast’s world building in this book is amazing, when I finished reading I was like, “What? I’m back to reality, where I have to go to class and study?" (less)

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Aug 09, 2010 Bewitched Bookworms rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: review-posted

These books are in the YA section. I know that it can range from 12 year old age appropriate books to, say, 21 year old age appropriate books (and beyond! I’m 33!). But my main gripe about these books revolves around the fact they were written for the reading level of a 15 year old, as well as including moral lessons (“Believe in yourself!” “It’s ok to be different!” “Don’t have sex until you’ve hand fasted, I mean married a stranger you have only seen in dreams and met twice in real life!”) and...more

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Jul 06, 2010 Monica rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

This book in the Parthanon series felt very different than the rest of the series for some reason. It was sort of slow and it jammed all the action in the last tiny bit. Ms. Cast stays true to totally and brutally exposing her characters to emotions, which is a great thing, it makes them feel way more real.

The story line is good but as I said, starts out slow and then it packs the action to the end of the story, I couldn't get a feeling about where I was in the story and the climax wasn't obviou...more

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Feb 19, 2013 Lucinda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Spellbinding and enchanting this dazzling Young Adult fantasy is truly magical, wherein your dreams become reality!

Having herd P.C Cast highly praised for the bestselling ‘House of Night’ novels, I felt compelled to discover her work and so I jumped at the chance to delve into a Goddess of Partholon novel. As an avid reader of both fantasy and the Young Adult genre, I was fascinated by how the author cleverly combined magic with myth & legend to create a refreshingly original paranormal phe...more Spellbinding and enchanting this dazzling Young Adult fantasy is truly magical, wherein your dreams become reality!

Having herd P.C Cast highly praised for the bestselling ‘House of Night’ novels, I felt compelled to discover her work and so I jumped at the chance to delve into a Goddess of Partholon novel. As an avid reader of both fantasy and the Young Adult genre, I was fascinated by how the author cleverly combined magic with myth & legend to create a refreshingly original paranormal phenomenon. Beautifully dreamlike this otherworldly creation had me glued to the pages as I lost myself within a remarkable world where Clans of Centaurs, archaic prophecies and divine begins merged. Delicately interwoven and multi-layered, as you begin to read deeper into Brighid’s story you uncover astonishing revelations that add to the depth of detailed world-building. The main protagonist’s heritage is not only fascinating but which also carries certain obligations, as no one can block-out their past no matter how you try.

Torn between the possibilities…Brighid decides to leave behind the Centaur clan and find peace and acceptance within the human race. However, as she tries to look towards her future she cannot forget that the Shaman blood runs through her veins and that one cannot ignore her past or her heritage. As tragedy strikes Brighid must make that ultimate choice between what she was born to be and what she is avoiding, due to the love of her human friendships and strong feelings for a particular person. This is a story of self-discovery and fulfillment amid a magical feast that takes creativity to a whole new level…together with a lush purple cover that stands-out on any bookshelf.

This thoroughly gripping tale was really enjoyable and which certainly impressed me, as I was unsure of whether I would like this novel or not. I can see why P.C Cast is a popular author within this genre, as she captures in essence those strong emotions that all teenagers and young adults feel when faced with tough challenges in life – love, loss, acceptance and confusion. Able to connect with Brighid and her inner struggles as she comes to terms with her powers, I lost myself within an exceptional otherworldly creation that is truly inspired and very magical. Mythological references entwined within a concoction of imaginative vision, well-written narrative and colorful characters make this a real ‘treat’.

I would highly recommend “the Goddess of Partholon” novels and Divine Trilogy to all who love creepy creatures subtle romance and suspenseful, page-turning narrative.

3.5 stars! (less)

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Jul 17, 2011 Char rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: centaurs, fantasy, goddess-of-partholon, p-c-cast, read-in-2011

For my full review please visit my blog: Brighid's Quest review @ From the Shadows I Review

***This is an adult book and not YA as is suggested on P.C. Cast's website.***

I have a confession, I approached this book with dread, the previous efforts had left me frustrated and annoyed but I really liked this one. The plot had a nice pace and I didn't find myself getting bored after a few minutes. In fact I was comfortably reading this for hours at a time (something my attention span doesn't always a...more

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Mar 20, 2010 Jaimie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of P.C. Cast

Shelves: y-a, paranormal, romance, series

P.C. Cast continues her tales of Parthalon in this follow up to Elphame’s Choice and I love her all the more for it. Brighid’s story is full of great supporting characters that reveal more sides to Brighid. While the love connection is fairly obvious from the beginning as it developed I found that it had more to it. Cu's grief just makes him more sexy. The banter between him and Brighid is fun to read and lends some comic relief to the story. Sometimes I found that as a reader I was lead a littl...more

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Jan 18, 2013 Isshi69nikkei rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Książka mi się nie podobała. Autorka uparła się na stworzenie arcynudnego, ckliwego, żenującego romansu, a klimaty fantasy są tam równie 'istotne' jak klimaty wampiryczne w Zmierzchu. Całość rozbija się o drętwe dialogi o emocjach głównej bohaterki, którą z przyczyn mi nieznanych otoczenie uważa za "logiczną osobę". Autorka cierpi na to, na co cierpi wielu współczesnych pisarzy - zamiast pokazywać charakter postaci przez ich działania, OPISUJE go przymiotnikami, co do tychże działań mają się śre...more Książka mi się nie podobała. Autorka uparła się na stworzenie arcynudnego, ckliwego, żenującego romansu, a klimaty fantasy są tam równie 'istotne' jak klimaty wampiryczne w Zmierzchu. Całość rozbija się o drętwe dialogi o emocjach głównej bohaterki, którą z przyczyn mi nieznanych otoczenie uważa za "logiczną osobę". Autorka cierpi na to, na co cierpi wielu współczesnych pisarzy - zamiast pokazywać charakter postaci przez ich działania, OPISUJE go przymiotnikami, co do tychże działań mają się średnio.

Główna bohaterka jest bezbrzeżnie wkurzająca, słodkopierdząca Ciara powodowała mdłości, a żaden z pozostałych bohaterów nie był w stanie mnie zainteresować; opisów dzieci jest za dużo i drażnią, ale to chyba i tak najlepiej dopieszczona pod względem sensowności opisów grupa (co tym gorzej świadczy o autorce, skoro przerosło ją przedstawienie cech bardziej dojrzałych niż dziecięca niewinność i rozbrykanie).

Z kwestii... hm... estetyczno-seksualnych - wyobrażenie sobie bohaterów z 'końskim' lub 'półkońskim' dołem w związkach z ludźmi sprawiało, że żołądek podchodził mi do gardła z obrzydzenia. Łączenie nietypowych istot humanoidalnych jest dla mnie w porządku, ale - na litość! Główna bohaterka była od pasa w dół KONIEM, całkowitym KONIEM!!! Co za masakra... No i wracając do głównej bohaterki - gdy już zaczyna się coś kroić między nią a Cohuhuhuhucośtam (uwielbiam takie imiona), nagle jak za
dotknięciem czarodziejskiej różdżki, zmienia się ona w bezmózgą amebę Bellę. Wzdycha, czerwieni się, drży i aż czekałam jak powie "jego zapach owionął ją" lub "zaparło jej dech w piersiach".

Na koniec dodam, że polska edycja miała fatalnego tłumacza, bo niektóre zdania są pozbawione ładu i składu i nie chodzi w nich o nic, a czasem słowa wręcz ŹLE przetłumaczone (tłumacz nie rozumie chyba różnicy między określeniem "psychicznie" i "fizycznie", albo też nie rozumie go sama autorka, tak czy inaczej - aż sie miejscami krzywiłam). Zdania jak "próbowała pohamować drżenie duszy" dopełniły obrazu nędzy i rozpaczy.

Ogólnie czytało się strasznie, ostatnie 80 stron tylko przebiegłam wzrokiem i wiem, żeby omijać wszelkie twory P.C.Cast szerokim łukiem i odradzać je każdej osobie, która ma tendencje do nabierania się na określenie 'fantasy' i potem trafia na jakieś shity kojarzące się, zdecdyowanie negatywnie, z najgorszymi pozycjami Andre Norton. Nie jestem w stanie podać jakiejkolwiek grupy docelowej tej pozycji, oprócz psychofanów centaurów i ugrzecznionej wersji zoofilii.(less)

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Sep 08, 2012 Catia Santos rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Just finished reading this book... and with it I come to the end (for now) of Partholon's (hi)story.
I have enjoyed each of the novels. It's one of those series that I can truly say i was not in the least disappointed by any of the books.
About this one in particular: I enjoyed the development of Brighid's and Cuchulainn's characters and of their relationship. When Brighid first appears in "Elphame's Quest" I thought she was meant to be with Cu and I wasn't wrong...!
The writing is very fluid; the...more

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Feb 06, 2013 Wai rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

You're probably asking why some as diligent at reviewing books that I have read appears to have skipped over a book in a series without giving it a review. The answer is because whilst I did give Elphame's Choice a five star rating, I didn't feel I could give it an honest review without having finished Brighid's Quest. I regard the two merely as two halves of one book, despite the switch in the protagonist.

That's not to say that Elphame's Choice ends on a cliff hanger. Rest assured that it doesn...more You're probably asking why some as diligent at reviewing books that I have read appears to have skipped over a book in a series without giving it a review. The answer is because whilst I did give Elphame's Choice a five star rating, I didn't feel I could give it an honest review without having finished Brighid's Quest. I regard the two merely as two halves of one book, despite the switch in the protagonist.

That's not to say that Elphame's Choice ends on a cliff hanger. Rest assured that it doesn't but its ending is very much a bitter sweet happy ever after because the romantic conclusion is overshadowed by what I regarded as another needless death of a great character by P.C. Cast. As it turns out in Brighid's Quest, it wasn't needless and whist it hurt, it turns out to be fundamental to romance of the pair in the second book.

In case it's not clear, Elphame's Choice and Brighid's Quest are the fourth and fifth books, respectively in P.C. Cast's Goddess of Partholon series. Elphame is the grown up daughter of Etain, the current Chosen of Epona. The same Etain who was born in Divine by Blood, the third book. So quite a few decades have passed since then. In fact, it states that Formorian war that Shannon Parker fought in Divine by Mistake occurred around 150 years ago.

In fact, in both these books, events come full circle because the consequences of that war still have a profound impact upon Partholon of the present. This is one of my favourite things about series like this in that there is continuity. Events that happened in one book are not forgotten and are referred to from a different perspective.

On to the characters. Elphame was interesting not only because she was the half-human, half-centaur daughter of Etain (think 'satyr' without the horns) but how she just wanted to be normal instead of being treated like a goddess. What with Epona being a Goddess of horses amongst other things, you can see why Elphame would be so worshipped. Cuchulainn, her slightly younger brother who accompanies Elphame on her quest to fit in and rebuild Macallan Castle was quite the charmer. His story is in fact the one that binds the two books together even though it is the same cast through them both. Finally, there is Brighid, the centaur Huntress who arrives at Macallan Castle in Elphame's Choice and becomes the protagonist in the second book.

These, like the previous books in the series, are very much character books in a fantasy setting so the action, what there is, is brief and towards the end. Whilst Brighid's Quest resolves a story, there is certainly a strong enough opening for a continuance in the series so we shall see what happens in the future.

Good, solid fantasy reads set in a matriarchal world. Neither quite attains the same level set by Divine by Mistake but still worth reading.(less)

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Feb 24, 2012 Liz Filippone rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-stuff

A fun, fantastical fantasy book. Of course, I bought this at a used book store on a whim, but read this author's stuff a lot. I didn't realize it was the 5th book in a series; however I could still follow it. I love all P.C. Cast's books and I want to read this series to give it a chance. Lots of different beings of species in this one: centaurs, winged demons, but also humans with high intuitive powers such as Shamans. Also, there's always some romance thrown in P.C.'s books, so if you like fan...more

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May 08, 2010 Angela Wiebe rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This one started out awesome. I loved Brighid as a character and her mission was fabulous. She is a deep and thoughtful 'person' and she wants to help her friends succeed. My favorite character in the book was Liam, he is so wonderful and cute!! I wish he had had more parts in the book. I love Cuchulainn and Brighid opinion of children too, I am way more extreme then them, but it was neat to see things from their prespective on kids.

The magic part of the story was a little odd, because there was...more

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Aug 06, 2011 joyce rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I hated it.They repeated the same things over and over again" were a different species but we still want to be together...".Then there was all that junk about the guys first love... YAWN. I didn't read the first book, so maybe that was important but, I still thought it was boring and then in the book it says he was pretty much a player(like, the worst kind)before his first girlfriend and he was changed by love. what kind of lesson is that? The writer has talent but I just hated... well, it was G...more

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May 10, 2013 Maggie Faire rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I liked this better than Elphame's Choice. Even though I did end up liking Elphame's choice in the end. In this book I thought the character of Brighid was more real and I really liked how she developed throughout the novel. I also liked that both Brighid and Cu had big issues to overcome. In many ways this book wraps up the stories of the new Formorians reintegration into the world. But of course, it leaves the door open for other books too. The only reason I'm not giving this a 5 star is becau...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Jodes rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: any fans off P.C Cast

I am a huge fan of P.C Cast, her goddess summoning books have to be some of my absolute favorites.
As much as i enjoyed this book i felt that something was missing. The story was interesting enough and kept me reading but Cu and Brighid's relationship felt rushed and not as well developed as it should have been. There wasn't much bonding time, Cu didn't have time to woo her it just sort of happened and the mating felt seriously rushed and Brighid seemed strangely withdrawn from Cu at the beginnin...more

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Jul 15, 2010 Jessi rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, teen

Summary: Centaur Brighid Dhianna has found peace and acceptance among humans but is forced to leave them to guide the brother of the centaur clan's chieftain home. On the journey, she discovers the long dormant Shaman blood running in her veins and, as seductive powers beckon, she glimpses an unimaginable future. Soon she must make a challenging decision affecting not only her friendship with the humans, but the centaur herd and the world.

Why I couldn't finish it: I kept reading and reading expe...more

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Dec 02, 2012 Tina Sharp rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A great addition to the previous book Elphame's Choice. The original characters are all there, with a switch to who is the main male and female protagonist. You discover further depth and knowledge to the characters' backgrounds, enriching the story. Once again the tail is filled with romance, action, hope, foreboding and destiny. The ending leaves the option for further books to continue from this one with the same land and people. But this story was published in 2005 and so for the authors pur...more

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May 23, 2010 Jenny rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, fantasy, young-adult

Brighid’s Quest starts where Elphame’s Choice ended. Brighid is the centaur huntress of MacCallan Castle and has become good friends with Elphame. She volunteers to travel to the Wastelands to look after Cu and to bring him back to Partholon along with the New Fomorian children. Heartbroken over Brenna’s death, Cu has become a shadow of what he used to be. He’s still grieving for Brenna and it seems like he won’t be able to go on without her. At first it wasn’t too clear, but as I kept reading I...more

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Aug 22, 2012 Laurie Bok rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

I think I liked this one the best in the Partholon series! I think it's because I have read all 5 books within a short time, so I was able to keep the characters & entire full story in mind.

The only disappointment I have in the series is that there were holes in the stories of some of the characters. I'd like to know more about Etain's childhood and early adulthood life. I guess it must have seemed inconsequential to the upheaval that rounded out the other books' plots.

I definitely recommend...more

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Jun 03, 2010 Bethany added it

I found this book to be slightly more acceptable for the teen demographic than its predecessor, Elphame's Choice. Some sex, but not nearly as explicit. Probably not any worse than what's on tv, though, I suppose! But as with the that book, I feel like the ending was rushed. The entire book except the last 10 pages or so lead up to the climax of the plot. It simply doesn't do the story justice. The story itself was mostly enjoyable. But when I closed the book I was not really moved to watch for t...more

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Dec 03, 2010 Maggie Jaimeson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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Apr 21, 2010 Darcy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010

With this book we pick off very close to where the previous one left off. One of the first things that we get to see is the New Formordians and what a surprise they are. Every time they are described in the book meeting a new group of people it is the same and you can just picture all of the kids and their happy faces, you know they would win you over just as they have everyone else they meet. I guess it shouldn't be such a surprise at how "normal" they are as they stayed to their humanity and E...more

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Jun 07, 2013 Saturnus rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-ve-read-in-swedish, books-that-exist-in-sweden, harlequin, in-a-serie, paranormal, svenska-swedish

Brighid, kentaur och bästa vän till prinsessan och och nästan gudinna-lika Elphame är en jägare.
Förutbestämd att bli shaman i hennes flock flydde hon från den rollen och rakt i famnen på Elphame, som då höll på att bygga sin borg.

Två månader tidigare så bestämde sig folket i Partholon att för första gången i århundraden ta med en formie i deras land.
Formierna kom och bodde ett tag i Elphames borg.
Tills dagen då dom dödade Elphames brors trolovade.

Cuchulainnhar nu varit borta i flera månvarv oc...more

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Aug 12, 2011 Solace Winter rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had hopes for this one, hopes that it would be better than Elphame's Choice. In the beginning I thought it would be, but like many of PC Cast's books this just had too much dragging and not enough of anything happening. She can tell a story, and yet she fails many times. I think I might have to give up on this author for awhile, at least until she can learn that things need to happen in a story to keep them interesting, and the things happening should bring me to a conclusion I feel is worth t...more

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About P.C. Cast

P.C. Cast was born in the Midwestern United States, and grew up being shuttled back-and-forth between Illinois and Oklahoma, which is where she fell in love with Quarter Horses and mythology (at about the same time). After high school she joined the United States Air Force and began public speaking and writing. With her tour in the USAF completed, she taught high school for 15 years before retirin...more

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Quotes from Brighid's Quest

“She frowned at him. "That sounds vaguely like a threat."

"It's not vague and it's not a threat. It's clearly blackmail.” — 13 people liked it

“No, my young apprentice. You said the exact right thing. Again. I'm just laughing at life."
"Why?" he asked, opening both his eyes.
"Because sometimes it's either laugh or cry. I prefer laugh. How about you?” — 13 people liked it

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Brighid's Quest (Partholon #5)

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