Review: The Goddess Inheritance by Aimée Carter

The Goddess Inheritance
The Goddess Test #3

Author: Aimée Carter

Publication Date: February 26, 2013

Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Thank you Harlequin Teen for the review copy via NetGalley

Genre: Fantasy/Mythology

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Synopsis:

Love or life.
Henry or their child.
The end of her family or the end of the world.
Kate must choose.


During nine months of captivity, Kate Winters has survived a jealous goddess, a vengeful Titan and a pregnancy she never asked for. Now the Queen of the Gods wants her unborn child, and Kate can't stop her--until Cronus offers a deal.

In exchange for her loyalty and devotion, the King of the Titans will spare humanity and let Kate keep her child. Yet even if Kate agrees, he'll destroy Henry, her mother and the rest of the council. And if she refuses, Cronus will tear the world apart until every last god and mortal is dead.

With the fate of everyone she loves resting on her shoulders, Kate must do the impossible: find a way to defeat the most powerful being in existence, even if it costs her everything.

Even if it costs her eternity.

My Thoughts: This is one of my favourite series.  I love it and I think that this was a good ending to a series that has enraptured me from the first page.

The last book (Goddess Interrupted) left off at a massive cliffhanger for the readers and this novel picks up almost nine months later.  I wish I had seen more of the time in between those nine months, but for the flow of the novel and the series I could see how it was skipped.

This book was full of action, even more so than the previous ones had been.  I felt as though the romance in it was a little less consuming than the first and second one and kind of left me hanging for more, but nevertheless there were a lot of sweet scenes for everyone involved.  Plus, I understand why you wouldn't have time for romantic gestures and cuddling with all that was going on.  It really left you relieved at the ending when everything was finally in it's place.

The characters in this series are wonderfully developed - each and every one of them.  If you read this series and haven't checked out The Goddess Legacy a short story between Goddess Interuppted and The Goddess Inheritance you definitely should.  It made me look at the characters in this final book in a light that I never would have when reading it.  So, I enjoyed every character good and bad in this series.

The reader gets to see a new side of both Kate and Henry in this final novel.  Kate becomes more fiercely protective than she had ever been before and you get to (finally) see exactly what Henry can do and why he is so fearsome.  These two have been through so much together and if there is any reason to be glad an amazing series is over, it is because the characters you adore finally get some peace in their lives.

I did, however, really really miss the Underworld in this one.  I wish I had seen more of it!

Overall, I loved this book just as much as I loved the other ones.  I wish a few things had turned out differently, but that happens with almost every series people read.  I am pretty satisfied with the ending and I feel like all loose ends are tied up marvellously   If you haven't read this series yet, I highly suggest that you do.  It isn't something you would want to miss!

Waiting on Wednesday (39)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly awaiting.

The Goddess Inheritance
(Goddess Test #3)

Author: Aimee Carter

Expected Publication Date: February 26, 2013

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Synopsis:

Love or life.

Henry or their child.

The end of her family or the end of the world.

Kate must choose.



During nine months of captivity, Kate Winters has survived a jealous goddess, a vengeful Titan and a pregnancy she never asked for. Now the Queen of the Gods wants her unborn child, and Kate can't stop her--until Cronus offers a deal.

In exchange for her loyalty and devotion, the King of the Titans will spare humanity and let Kate keep her child. Yet even if Kate agrees, he'll destroy Henry, her mother and the rest of the council. And if she refuses, Cronus will tear the world apart until every last god and mortal is dead.

With the fate of everyone she loves resting on her shoulders, Kate must do the impossible: find a way to defeat the most powerful being in existence, even if it costs her everything.
Even if it costs her eternity.

Words cannot express how excited I am for this book to be out - especially after the cliffhanger Goddess Interrupted (#2) ends with. Eagerly awaiting this one guys!

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What are you waiting on?

Review: The Diviners by Libba Bray

The Diviners
(The Diviners #1)

Author: Libba Bray

Publication Date: September 18th 2012

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Genre: Historical Fiction / Paranormal

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Synopsis:

Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies." When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first.

My Thoughts: This was my first Libba Bray book and I have to just say, it was great! There were a lot of characters in the book, but once I figured out who was who, it easy to follow along. This book is based in the 1920's and was actually my first historical fiction taking place in this era. I really enjoyed it. I felt like my mind was in the 1920's the whole time that I was reading. Libba Bray does and excellent job setting the background and tone of the book. While I really liked this book, I wasn't attached to it to the point  that I was unable to put it down, it actually took me a week of picking it up multiple times to finish it (although I did have a very busy week, so that could be it too!). It was fairly easy to pick up on where I was left off and get back into the mindset of the era.

As I said, there are multiple characters in The Diviners. My favorites would have to be Evie (of course), Theta, Sam and Jericho. Evie was a character that I liked right away. I loved her snark and attitude and she just made me laugh from the beginning. Then she grows as a character and really starts becoming more responsible and thinks more of others. Theta is impossible not to love, especially after you find out her story. I felt so bad for her, but through it all she is a strong, independent female character. Sam is the good "bad" boy of  the book, how can I not love him? Jericho is a complicated  character and it took awhile for me to like him. He's another character who has been through a lot and knows that he could lose everything at any time. He's a great guy and clearly loves Evie! There are also many other characters, but it's really not that confusing once you meet them all!

Overall, The Diviners is a great story that just pulls you into the era. It's a bit disturbing in some parts (the murders are a little gross) but Libba Bray brings the 1920's to life for you. There is just the right amount of mystery and the romance isn't right in your face (it's barely there even). There is a paranormal aspect, but it's not overdone like it sometimes can be. It was a refreshing read for me that left me wanting more. Although it's a little slow to start out, it's necessary to know the characters individual stories. It's a great read that I will definitely be recommending to others!  If you like historical fiction with a touch of paranormal and mystery, this one is for you!

Review: The Goddess Legacy by Aimee Carter

The Goddess Legacy 
Goddess Test #2.5

Author: Aimee Carter

Publication Date: July 31, 2012

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Genre: Mythology/Fantasy

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Synopsis:

For millennia we've caught only glimpses of the lives and loves of the gods and goddesses on Olympus. Now Aimée Carter pulls back the curtain on how they became the powerful, petty, loving and dangerous immortals that Kate Winters knows.Calliope/Hera represented constancy and yet had a husband who never matched her faithfulness.
Ava/Aphrodite was the goddess of love and yet commitment was a totally different deal.
Persephone was urged to marry one man, yet longed for another.
James/Hermes loved to make trouble for others but never knew true loss before.
Henry/Hades's solitary existence had grown too wearisome to continue. But meeting Kate Winters gave him a new hope…

My Thoughts: Let me just start by saying that The Goddess Test series is worth the read! The novellas are also incredible - The Goddess Legacy being no exception.  This book rocked how I viewed all of the characters in the series, giving them more depth and dimensions than I ever thought possible.  Just thinking about it makes me want to re-read the series with this deeper understanding.  I believe it would change the way I look at everything.

The Goddess Legacy starts at the beginning.  I mean the very beginning - immediately after the Gods won the battle with the Titans and were deciding what they were going to do next.  Who had jurisdiction in which area?  And how would they be ruled and rule the mortals.

Hera (aka Calliope) is the first character we learn about.  Reading Hera's story made it hard for me to remember just how bad she was.  I feel as though I completely understand where she was coming from, and it freaks me out a little because she becomes pretty psychotic later.  Poor Hera, Zeus treated her so poorly no wonder she went so sour and twisted.  In Hera's mind, almost everything she did was to help.  As soon as I had finished her section of the novel, I knew that I was going to re-read the series before the next book is released.  It was very moving.

We also learn about Aphrodite (aka Ava), Persephone, Hermes (aka James) and Hades (aka Henry).  All pivotal characters in The Goddess Test series and whose pasts had been hinted at, alluded to and slightly explained upon occasion, but never had the opportunity to explore and expand upon.  I loved all of the stories and just knowing what happened before Kate came around makes me love the series more (even when I didn't think it was possible).

By far, my favourite story was Hera's.  Followed very closely by Persephone.  We got an intimate look into the relationship and marriage of Hades and Persephone, which had always been a slight mystery to me.  Both Hades and Persephone explained it to Kate as best they could, but actually reading it through Persephone's point of view really gave us an in-depth look about what happened and what went wrong.

Overall, all of the stories were remarkable and touching in their own way.  I feel more attached to all of the characters now than I ever have before.  This book is an amazing read and I highly recommend it if you are a fan of The Goddess Test series.  If you haven't read the series yet, I suggest you do! It is brilliant.