Goddess of the Rose by P.C. Cast

Mikado Empousai grows roses. All roses. Beautiful roses. And her secret isn't that she has a green thumb, but that her family's blood can cure any rose disease, bring to life any flagging vine. It almost seems like magic. Maybe it is.

But lately, Mikki has been troubled by dreams. Dreams of making love to a man, who, when she touches his head, is also a beast. And she's been hearing animal sounds as well. But when she encounters a woman named Sevillana who gifts her with a strange perfume, her next ritual in the park ends up taking her to the Kingdom of the Rose. There, she learns that an Empousai is not just her last name, but also a priestess of Hecate, Dark Goddess of Magic, an Empousa.

Hecate has called on her, the last living descendant of an Empousa who still practices the old magic, to bring back life to the sleeping Kingdom of the Rose, which has suffered from two hundred years of neglect. But Mikki won't be alone in her efforts, as Hecate's handmaidens still exist and will help Mikki in her quest, along with all the elements. But there is another guardian of the Realm as well, known only as "The Beast".

Asterius was made with both man and beast in him, and was horribly tricked by the last Empousa, who was the one who ran off and left him after convincing him that she loved him. His heart is hurt, and that has allowed the beast in him to come to the fore. But as Mikki works with him, and has come to care for him, she goes much, much further than the last Empousa. She not only comes to love him, but ends up in bed with him.

Free to love him, she and Asterius work on the gardens and grow closer. And the gardens are not without dangers, like Dream Stealers that even ensnare her, at least until Asterius rescues her. But the troubles of the Realm cannot be contained by just small doses of her blood. To truly save the place she has come to love, Mikki will need all the blood in her body to make the Roses, and the Realm, bloom again. Can she leave Asterius behind to do her duty to her Goddess? Whatever she chooses, the choice will not be easy, but perhaps at long last, the damage to the Realm of the Rose can be undone, and Mikki can find a life filled with love with the man/beast of her dreams?

While not as personally affecting as "Goddess of Light" or "Goddess of Spring", I really enjoyed this book, and it was nice seeing the chosen of another Goddess of the Greek Pantheon, in this case, Hecate, Goddess of Night, Magic and the Crossroads. Although I never knew that Hecate was also Goddess of Roses (or at least that Roses were included in any of her domains, this book was still a treat to read, and those who love growing flowers, gardens or roses, will especially love this book, as it goes into a lot of that topic.

Mikki has always lived for the roses she grew, so it wasn't hard to see her making the choice she makes near the end of the novel, but soon we find out that while past empousa's may have sacrificed themselves, it was only out of duty. Mikki does it out of genuine love and respect for the Realm of the Roses, and because of that, she completely changes the Realm she once looked after. She said when she arrived that she was going to change things in the Realm of the Rose, and her words are eerily prophetic in light of the ending.

It didn't make me cry, but I still really enjoyed this book, and I would certainly recommend it to everyone I know, especially those who enjoy romances. And for those of you who've read the other books in the series, you'll see mentions of characters and sites from past stories. "There is a Goddess in every woman" or so the saying goes, and this series shows how true that is, and how women can grow into that role. Become a goddess on your own. Read these books, and enjoy the most wonderful romances I've read. Highly recommended.