Book Review: Brighids Quest by P.C. Cast
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.
Here is what others had to say…
“Brighid’s Quest is a fantastically heartwarming story about making a choice between the life you choose to live between the life you were born to lead. Brighid’s Quest pulls you into an entirely different world filled with hope, imagination, love, and power.” Taylor from A Snarky Space.
“Overall I think Brighid’s Quest did a good job of continuing the story of Partholon but was a bit slow and sometimes forced. I heart Cu.” Jaimie at Goodreads.
STACKGirl Stacy, who was not happy reading this book
FYI: the ending was left open, I wonder if P.C. Cast intends to write another book in this series?
Great review!! And I love how you add other reviewers in as well — like Taylor and Jaime. It certainly gives you more opinions of the book.
Thanks! Our sole reason to add other reviews for these books was to give voice to other opinions than our own, because we knew we were not in love with a couple of the titles.
I refuse to read this book because of Brighid’s relationship with Cu, it really angers me that he can love someone after Brenna. It just doesn’t make sense to me.
i love this book dont hate it Grace love it!!!!!!
I loved these books this one in particular… as for the fast development of the relationship between Cu and Brighid i see it as he was fashioned to be her lifemate… and it explains as you read about Brighid trying to retrieve his soul that they started out as friends and built a mutual respect for one another and it grew from there and and if the short period of time they had bothers us, when you think about it Brenna and Cu were only together one night…. so it is not that bad that he loved again 2 months later… thats one part that bothered me.. one night and his soul shattered??
@Faybear Yea, you’re probably right, but I bought the love between Cu and Brenna.