YA Friday: The Goddess Legacy by Aimee Carter

Title: The Goddess Legacy
Author: Aimee Carter
Series: Goddess Test 2.5
Genre: Mythology, fantasy, YA
Publisher: Harlequin Teen, 2012
Source: NetGalley
Read for: Review

The Goddess Legacy gives a more in-depth acquaintance with five of the gods and goddesses we met in The Goddess Test and Goddess, Interrupted. Before Kate arrived on the scene, Hera, Aphrodite, Persephone, Hermes, and Henry had millennia of history and experiences, many of which explain some of their behavior in the Goddess Test books.

I had a mixed experience with The Goddess Legacy. On one hand, I really enjoyed the background of the characters that are only touched upon as an ensemble cast in the main books of the series. However, some of the motivations and actions of the characters seemed really immature and one-dimensional, which decreased the enjoyment I derived from reading about their experiences.

Hera's story focused on how she became married to Zeus, her relationship with Henry, and how she subsequently became bitter and crazy. It was probably my favorite of the collection despite the fact that I really don't like her as a character. I think it was more enjoyable to me because she was a complex character and her situation was terrible. It explained quite a bit about how she became the person she was and her motivations.

Aphrodite's story was about her complex love affairs with Ares and Hephaestus. I enjoyed the aspect of Aphrodite's relationship with Hephaestus, because their mythological marriage was always confusing to me. However, I was bothered by her selfish attitude toward relationships and her claim that she has to be constantly seducing different men and being in new relationships because it is her "nature." I know that is part of mythology and that the Greek gods and goddesses are not exactly moral pillars; however, I think that is an awful message to portray to the teenagers reading this book. I can just see someone saying, "Oh, I had to cheat on my boyfriend because that is just the way I am; I can't be happy with just one guy." I also was extremely bothered by Aphrodite's voice. I know why Aimee Carter chooses to portray her as a flippant and silly girl, but she still irked me.

Persephone's story was another so-so experience for me. It described her marriage to Henry and her subsequent affair with Adonis. I enjoyed her voice -- possibly in part because it was a change from Aphrodite's annoying tone. She is a character that is much-discussed in the other books in the series, but we don't get a great deal of face time with her, so it was interesting to be inside her head. However, I felt that many of her motivations were shallow and her actions unreasonable. Everything seemed very abrupt with Persephone -- something would happen and she would have no patience for it, immediately drawing conclusions that were drastic and affected those around her. The plot movements seemed a bit forced to me for that reason. There was something slightly plastic about her tale -- it just didn't quite seem believable. And of course it is fantasy -- I'm talking about the believability of an individual reacting to situations the way Persephone reacted.

Hermes' story was probably my favorite. It had a sort of Robin Hood feel to it -- in trouble with Zeus for his part in Persephone's problems with Henry, Hermes goes off to find the reason why the minor god and goddess Selene and Helios have disappeared to. He feels drawn to a young English girl who leads a band of boys in the woods hoping for survival. As Hermes becomes close to Tuck and her friends, he gains a sense of family that has been missing from his life on Olympus for a long time. In addition, he gains the insight needed to protect the gods on Mount Olympus from fading into oblivion. I enjoyed Hermes' voice -- it seemed realistic for a male voice, not fixating on the same problems and annoyances that a female narrator would probably notice. I also loved the change in setting and Tuck's character. I thought this story was a unique and refreshing addition to The Goddess Legacy.

Henry's story was so-so for me. There was nothing in particular that bothered me about it, but I wasn't particularly interested in it, either. He discusses his emotions about his failed marriage with Persephone, as well as how he feels about the girls who do not pass "The Goddess Test," but most of this is summarized in the previous books in the series, and as Henry's story is the only one not told in the first person, it doesn't seem particularly informational. One aspect of the story that was a bit more interesting was when Henry's feelings toward Kate before meeting her are discussed, giving us a better idea of where he stands despite the fact that he can be cold toward her.

Overall, while there were certainly stories I enjoyed more than others, I think The Goddess Legacy contributes to this series by giving more background into pivotal characters and their motivations. I think any fan of the series will find this book important to read in addition to the main trilogy. However, certain of the characters irritated me, leaving me not 100% satisfied with the book.

3 stars

Warnings: Descriptions of affairs, a few un-detailed scenes of sensuality, moderate violence

Super Series Saturday: The Goddess Test and Goddess, Interrupted by Aimee Carter

                                                                          Titles: The Goddess Test and Goddess Interrupted
Author: Aimee Carter
Series: Goddess Test #1 and #2
Genre: YA, fantasy, mythology
Publisher: Harlequin Teen, 2011 & 2012
Source: Library and NetGalley
Read for: Review, Once Upon a Time VI

The Goddess Test
Kate's mother is dying of cancer, and she wants to spend her last days in the town she grew up in, Eden. Kate's life has revolved around her mother's disease for the last four years, so she doesn't feel as if she is leaving much behind when she leaves her hometown of New York. However, when she gets to Eden, strange things begin happening, starting when the most popular girl in school takes her to the mysterious mansion at the edge of town. Kate finds herself offered the safety of those closest to her if she agrees to risk her life to become the wife of the ruler of the Underworld, Henry. However, in order to become queen (and to get her reward), she must pass a series of tests that no one else has survived.

For me, this first book was interesting, but not stellar. It took some time for the mythology to appear other than veiled references to Persephone and the obvious fact that Henry was the King of the Underworld. I was disappointed that Kate's tests were not blatant -- she didn't even realize she was taking them at the time, instead simply blundering through the Underworld and trying to avoid whoever was responsible for all the girls before her failing the Tests -- and ending up in the Underworld permanently. I expected quite a bit of drama and suspense surrounding these tests and instead ended up with Kate being confused and trying to figure out why she was there.

With that said, the writing was good and the characters were likable. I would have liked more plot and more sense of organization of the story, but I liked it enough to move on to book 2.

3 stars

Warnings: One "scene," some language

Goddess, Interrupted
Kate is returning back to the Underworld after her six months of summer, and she can't wait to see Henry, despite the fact that she heard nothing from him the entire time she was gone. Unlike her sister, Persephone, who dreaded the six months spent in the Underworld, Kate is excited to see Henry and glad the summer is over. However, when she gets to the Underworld, everything is in chaos. Calliope, jealous and bitter that Kate managed to pass her tests, is working to release Cronus, a Titan that nearly destroyed the gods of Olympus before they managed to imprison him -- and that time, Calliope was on their side, helping them. To add to the trouble, Kate can tell that Henry is still fixated on his first wife, Persephone.

This second installment in the Goddess Test series was more enjoyable for me. First of all, there is much more mythology in Goddess, Interrupted. We get to meet Persephone and Adonis, and we learn more about the relationships between the fourteen main Olympians. The book also is significantly more action-packed. I remember looking down at my Kindle and being surprised that I was only 50% through the book, because the scene seemed so climactic, only to get to new and more exciting scenes later on in the story.

I also like the way Henry, Persephone, and Kate's relationship was presented. So often in YA literature, love is presented as a one-time, utterly exclusive thing. I'm not saying that it shouldn't be that way -- certainly now that I am married I am focused on my husband only, not diverted by anyone else past or present. However, before people settle into their commitments, I think there are often those conflicting, overlapping emotions that take a while to fade away. Henry still had feelings for his first wife, and it was difficult for Kate to deal with them, but those feelings didn't negate the way he felt about Kate. Hopefully as they get to know each other better and become more and more committed (after all, they did have an arranged marriage) he will eventually be completely immune to those former feelings for Persephone. I'm getting off on a tangent, but I guess what I am trying to say is that I thought the way the love situation was dealt with was very realistic, which I appreciated.

One complaint I have with this book was the CLIFFHANGER! I know it is a second book, and that trilogies make money on that kind of thing, but most books have some form of closure. This one was ruthless.

3.5 stars

Warnings: Language, violence, some references to bedroom activity

Overall, while this series is not absolutely electrifying me, I am enjoying it. The books are fun and the added taste of mythology is something I always enjoy. I will be reading the third book in the series.