"A Marvelous Twist in Urban Fantasy, Well-plotted and HOT!"
Reviewed by Diana Troldahl
Posted June 24, 2011
Romance Paranormal
Like most of her Etruscan co-deities, Tessa, Goddess of the Dawn, does not have the level of power she used to. It is to be expected what with the lack of temples and worshipers these days, but lately she has a bigger problem. The ruler of Hell is pursuing her in her dreams and when she is caught, she will cease to be. Immortality may have begun to pall a bit, but that doesn't mean she's willing to give it up without a fight. The one being who may be able to keep her safe is a Cimmerian warrior who has little interest in helping anyone, least of all a minor goddess. Caligo thought life was rough when Robert E. Howard published the Conan books, leaving every Cimmerian warrior open to ridicule as well as revealing a few well-guarded secrets. It got worse when Schwarzenegger did the movies. These days he tries to keep his head down. His weakness is a woman in distress, but after being kicked in the teeth by spoiled goddesses like Aphrodite and Venus he has sworn to never put himself on the line for an immortal again. Until he sees Tessa. Stephanie Julian has put together a fairly unique premise, full of humor and a solid sense of what it would be like to live as an ancient deity in the modern world. And did I mention the love scenes? It's a wonder my fingers didn't melt right to the cover of the book. I had a marvelous time reading WHAT A GODDESS WANTS, not only because I love a new take on urban fantasy but because Julian has a gift for tossing in intriguing twists and turns in the plot. I can hardly wait for book two in the Forgotten Goddess series and in the meantime I plan to back track a bit and get my hands on her other books to keep me happy while I wait. SUMMARYItโs OK no one remembers Etruscan Sun goddess Tessa.
But when a demon threatens her life, she must turn to
mythologyโs darkest warrior for protection...
Caligo of the Cimmerians has never met a woman as
warm, sunny and inviting as Tessa. Their sizzling mutual
attraction quickly sweeps the two of them into a love
story thatโs worthy of the gods...
EXCERPT"My name is Tessa. Salvatorus sent me here to seek
protection. He told me youโd provide."
"Huh." The manโs mouth twisted in a smirk. "Now, I know
thatโs not right because Salvatorus should know better than
to send your kind to me."
"Special circumstances. Please, I need you."
Some emotion crossed his hard face, something she didnโt
understand, so she pushed on.
"My name is Thesan, but I go by Tessa now." She paused,
waiting to see if her name struck any chord at all with
him, but his expression never changed.
She sighed. So much for being a formerly beloved
goddess. That and five bucks would get her a Starbucks
mocha latte these days.
"Your nameโs supposed to ring a bell?" He crossed his
arms over that deliciously perfect chest.
She shook her head. "Itโs okay. Itโs been several
thousand years since anyone worshipped me on a regular
basis. Of course you wouldnโt know my name."
His gaze narrowed. "Worshipped you?"
She stood a little taller and pointed her nose into the
air. "Thesan, Goddess of the Dawn, at your service."
"Yeah, right," he grunted. "Goddess, my ass. The deities
donโt live down here with the common people, babe. And the
only Goddess of the Dawn I know is Aurora, and you ainโt
her."
She held her smile though she had to grit her teeth to
do it. "No, I am not Aurora, for which you should be
grateful. Sheโsโฆ" a worthless, ugly cowโฆ "not worth talking
about. And most of the Etruscan pantheon still lives in
this time and place."
His gaze never faltered. "And thatโs what you are?
Etruscan?"
She nodded, unsure if her affiliation would help or
hinder her cause.
He grunted again, but in response to what she couldnโt
tell. "That still doesnโt explain why you need me for
protection. Arenโt you deities supposed to be all powerful
and shit like that?"
Absently, she rubbed at a raw spot on her wrist from the
ropes and saw his gaze arrow in on it. "Not really. I was
never all powerful, but I very much enjoyed what I did."
And then that bubble-headed, Barbie-doll bitch Aurora
took my job andโ
Okay, deep breath. No need to hash all that out again.
Itโd been centuries. She should be over it. Really.
"When the Roman pantheon usurped our roles, some of us
becameโฆ obsolete." She truly hated that word. "Thereโs only
one sun, after all, and, wellโฆ" She forced a
smile. "Anyway, I retained my midwifery duties, but over
the years, some of us have become mostlyโฆ forgotten." And
that really sucked. "Some of us still serve the magical
races of the Etruscans, the Enu and the Fata. But mostly,"
she shrugged, hating the hollow feeling her chest, "we
merely exist."
Was that pity she saw in his eyes? Damn him, thatโs not
what she wanted. Her back straightened, but he spoke before
she could say anything else.
"That still doesnโt explain why you need me."
No, it didnโt, and she could only hope that when she
told him, he didnโt kick her out on her butt.
"Charun hasโ"
He held up one hand. "God of the Underworld, right?"
She nodded. "We call it Aitรกs, but yes. Heโs one of the
gods who has retained his position through the millennia,
and heโs not very happy about it. Heโs been stuck in Aitรกs,
trapped there, really, and heโs decided he wants to be
released from his service."
"And what does that have to do with you? And me?"
"He plans to consume deities and absorb their powers,
which will make him more powerful." She shuddered just
thinking about it. "I believe heโs trying to break free of
Aitรกs and is tracking Etruscan goddesses through their
dreams. I believe heโs already taken one and has decided
Iโm next."
His expression remained unchanged. "I can see why you
might have a problem with this, but why should I care?"
"If Charun is released from Aitรกs, the dead will follow
him out, and then everyone on earth will have a problem."
His eyebrows lifted. "So? Iโm not the police, lady. Iโm
not a god. I donโt have an infinite lifespan, and I donโt
like to do dirty work for deities. They tend to fuck you
over. Iโm just a guyโ"
"No, I know thatโs not true. I know what you are, Caligo
of the Cimmerians."
BOOK SERIESForgotten Goddesses WHAT A GODDESS WANTS
#1.0
โข July 2011
 HOW TO WORSHIP A GODDESS
#2.0
โข December 2011
 GODDESS IN THE MIDDLE
#3.0
โข July 2012
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