The Goddess Legacy: The Goddess Queen\The Lovestruck Goddess\Goddess of the Underworld\God of Thieves\God of Darkness [NOOK Book]

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Overview




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 ...
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The Goddess Legacy: The Goddess Queen\The Lovestruck Goddess\Goddess of the Underworld\God of Thieves\God of Darkness

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More About This Book

Overview




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#151;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….

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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781459208872
  • Publisher: Harlequin
  • Publication date: 7/31/2012
  • Series: Goddess Test Series
  • Sold by: Barnes & Noble
  • Format: eBook
  • Edition description: Original
  • Pages: 304
  • Sales rank: 17,530
  • Age range: 14 - 17 Years
  • File size: 473 KB

Meet the Author


Aimée Carter was born in 1986 and raised in Michigan, where she currently resides. She started writing fan fiction at eleven, began her first original story four years later, and hasn’t stopped writing since. Besides writing and reading, she enjoys seeing movies, playing with her puppies, and wrestling with the puzzles in the paper each morning.

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Read an Excerpt




In all the years I'd existed, I'd never expected to be free.

I was the daughter of Titans, and as such, I'd always accepted it as fact that they would rule. They were without question the most powerful beings in the universe, after all. They controlled everything and everyone. They were our makers. They were our gods.

But after ten years of rebellion and war in an effort to protect humanity from our father's twisted games, we were the gods now. Still in our infancy compared to our creators, my siblings and I now ruled over the world and all her inhabitants. And as I stared out across the great expanse that was our domain only minutes after our battle had ended, I felt something I thought would end with the war: I felt fear.

It was unnatural. What did we, the captors of Titans, the new generation of gods, have to be afraid of? But the more I tried to picture the future, the clearer it became to me. We hadn't inherited just the Titans' thrones. We'd inherited their responsibilities, as well. And whether or not we were ready for it, the world was waiting for us. Humanity was depending on us to get it right.

Lightning lit up the sky, followed by a symphony of thunder, and I snapped out of my reverie. My youngest brother let out a giant whoop that echoed for miles. "Try to beat that," said Zeus, elbowing my middle brother, Poseidon.

Poseidon scoffed. "That's nothing. Watch this." And with a wave of his hand, the sea below us roared to life, swirling ominously and creating shapes and shadows that danced across the water. Rushing forward, the waves crashed against the cliff we stood on, shaking the very earth.

"Not bad," said Zeus. "But I've seen better."

Before I could blink, Poseidon tackled him to the ground, and the pair of them proceeded to spend the next several minutes trying to pin each other down. If humanity was depending on us to get it right, they were in for several eons of disappointment.

"Don't look so sour, Hera," said Demeter, my sister. She stood beside me, a smile playing on her lips as she watched our brothers wrestle. How she could find amusement in their lack of maturity baffled me.

"Humanity's going to crumble in a matter of weeks at this point," I said. "They need guidance. Protection. Order and help in establishing a life without the Titans' tyranny. Our brothers are not fit to rule."

"We are," said Hestia from the other side of Demeter. Both of my sisters watched them with their heads held high, and they looked every inch the queens the world needed. "As is Hades. Zeus and Poseidon will grow up soon enough, I suspect.

"Never!" cried Zeus, and his booming laughter echoed across the ocean as he managed to gain the upper hand in their wrestling match.

"See?" I gave my sisters a pointed look. "We're doomed."

"I wouldn't go quite that far yet." Our eldest brother, Hades, stepped beside me, his dark hair whipping across his face in the wind. He offered me a small smile, and his eyes glittered with intelligence. Something our other brothers sorely lacked. "You did well, sister. If it hadn't been for you, we would've never succeeded."

My cheeks grew warm. "You're too kind," I said with false humility. I knew as well as he did that by breaking the bonds of the Titans' loyalty to one another, I'd cinched our victory. But the war was over now, and the six of us were a unit that not even I could break. United we had proven to be stronger than even our father, and if we were to have any chance of success, we had to remain that way.

"Hardly. I dare say you should be ruling us all," said Hades.

On the ground, Zeus sat up and shoved Poseidon off him. "Hera, Queen of the Gods?" He chuckled and gave me an enormous wink. "Maybe if she had a king."

He was lucky I was exhausted and weary after battle, else I would've made sure he never had the chance to wink at me or any other girl again. "Are you saying a woman can't rule?" I said.

"I'm saying it would never work." Zeus stood again, offering Poseidon a hand. Once they were both on their feet, they shoved each other playfully and made their way over to the rest of us. "Humanity is used to a king, and Rhea never exercised her rights as queen. They need a leader right now, not a mother."

"I could be a leader," I snapped, and hot anger filled me. Zeus knew never to bring up our mother. The loss of her presence was still too fresh. "I would make a damn good one."

Zeus shrugged and raked his fingers through his golden hair. "Maybe so, but I was the one who led us all to victory. We can all be kings and queens in our own rights, and there's plenty for us to rule over. But as far as a supreme leader goes—"

"Hera won the war for us," said Hades in that quiet, measured voice of his. How he was able to stay so calm in the face of blatant arrogance baffled me. Zeus might have been responsible for the majority of the brute force against the Titans, but he was no more powerful than the rest of us. And he was the youngest and by far the least ready to handle the responsibilities of leadership.

"We all won the war," said Demeter. "We will all rule together, as a council. We will all have equal say, and we will all listen to and respect one another. It is the only way we will not fall victim to revolt, as the Titans did." She squeezed my hand. "Is that acceptable to you, Hera?"

As if I had any real say. But all five of my siblings watched me, waiting for me to yield, and I had little choice. I would not be the one to cut the ties that bound us together.

"As long as it is an equal rule, I can accept that," I said. At least that way the chances of Zeus and Poseidon wreaking havoc were considerably diminished.

Zeus grinned boyishly. "Then it's settled. Let's draw lots for the kingdoms."

"The kingdoms?" I said. "But there are only three."

"Yes," said Zeus with mock patience, as if I were a child who had to be spoken to slowly in order to grasp anything. "Like I said, humanity would never follow a queen."

The edges of my vision turned red, and I clenched my jaw so tightly that I could have shattered diamond between my teeth. But Zeus went on as if he didn't notice, and three gray pebbles appeared in his hand. "Poseidon," he said with a grand bow, as if he were doing him a favor, letting him draw first.

Poseidon narrowed his eyes and touched each of the three stones in turn. "I know which domain you want," he said.

"And you know which domain I want. So why don't you just tell me which one to pick?"

Zeus scoffed. "Where would be the fun in that?" But the middle stone began to glow, and Poseidon snatched it up. As he held it in his palm, a great crash of sea against rock echoed around us, and the stone exploded into a rush of water.

Poseidon grinned. "Perfect."

"Thought you might like that." Zeus turned to Hades next and offered him the remaining stones. "Brother."

Hades eyed him for a long moment, and it wasn't difficult to see what was going on underneath his mask of neutrality. Allowing Zeus to have the sky domain and ultimate rule over the living was dangerous at best. Zeus wasn't ready for it, but if this council was truly to be, then perhaps we could all temper him. Then again, forcing Zeus into the Underworld to mingle with the dead would kill the light inside him, the same light that had rallied us even when we thought all was lost. Zeus wasn't meant to remain among the dead. It simply wasn't his place in the world, and we all knew it. But that didn't mean he was ready to rule.

Without breaking his stare, Hades picked up one of the remaining pebbles and cradled it in his palm. I held my breath, and at last the stone burst into flame, an unexpected light in the dark. The Underworld. Of course Hades would sacrifice himself for our brother's happiness.

Before anyone could react, I snatched the third pebble from Zeus's hand, closing my fist around it. "I will rule the skies," I said. "When you are ready and have proven yourself worthy of kingship, then you may have this stone back."

"Hera—" started Demeter, but Zeus interrupted her.

"Is that what you want? Further anarchy and pain for humanity?" He drew himself up to his full height, thunder rumbling around him. In that moment, a flash of our father appeared on his face, and I took a step back. "You condemn us to another war if you insist on not allowing me my rightful place."

"Why is it your rightful place and not mine? Because of my sex?" I spat, sounding far more courageous than I felt in the face of my brother's crackling power. Though mine easily rivaled his, it was quiet, understated, the sort you didn't know was there until it was too late. I could never display my power in such an intimidating manner.

"Yes," said Zeus without preamble. "Because you had the misfortune of being made in our mother's image, and our mother chose to defer to our father. Because that is the example the Titans set for not only us, but for the world, and we must maintain some order. You will be a queen if you wish, Hera, but only second to one of us."

No one challenged him. No one spoke to support me. And as those eternal seconds passed, hatred unlike anything I had ever felt before burned within me. Not even for Cronus had I felt such disgust. "I will prove you wrong someday," I snarled. "And when that day comes, you will be cast out and fed to the wolves. Do not say I did not warn you."

Turning on my heel, I stormed off toward the center of the island. It would be a beautiful place to live if not for the scar of healing earth that led straight into the Underworld, where Cronus and the other Titans now resided. Perhaps it wasn't such a terrible thing that Hades had given up Olympus, after all. At least he could be trusted not to let Cronus escape from the depths of Tartarus.

"Hera!" called Zeus. "Don't be that way."

I ignored him. If he didn't want me there, then I wouldn't be there. But soon enough I heard footsteps behind me, and as they grew closer, I stopped and whirled around. "Can't you take a—"

I stopped. It was Hades, not Zeus, who followed me. In the darkness, he looked far too much like our father for my comfort, but we were all used to it by now. He could change his form, as the rest of us could, but I had no doubt he would keep his natural appearance, determined not to let Cronus dictate who and what he was.

"I am sorry for Zeus," said Hades quietly. "You do not deserve to be spoken to in such a manner."

I swallowed and held my head high. I wouldn't let Zeus get to me. He wasn't worth it. "I won't be anyone's second. I'm better than that. We all are."

He managed a faint smile. "You could never be anyone's second, because that would imply someone was more deserving than you. Never doubt that you are the reason we have won, Hera. You are our true power, and we all know it. It is simply difficult for some of us to acknowledge our own lacking."

A pause, and I deflated. "He'll ruin us."

"Maybe," he allowed. "Maybe not. Time will tell."

"I won't rule at his side."

"I do not blame you." He touched my shoulder. "You deserve better than how he would treat you."

Something tingled down my spine, and his hand felt warm and heavy against my skin. "I could go into the Underworld with you," I said. "You will need someone to help you sort through the souls."

For a split second, his understanding smile changed to one of pity, and I bristled. But before I could react, he said kindly, "Nothing would please me more. As much as I would enjoy your company, however, the Underworld would not suit you. I am fine with the darkness and the quiet, but you, sister, would wither without light. And I cannot do that to you."

"You don't know that for sure," I said. "It would be worth the isolation if I didn't have to be near Zeus."

He chuckled softly. "As I said, I do not blame you. But something better will come along, and in the meantime, you will have an equal voice on this council."

"What if that isn't enough? What if Zeus still finds a way to take over?"

"Then we will deal with that as it happens," said Hades. "I am on your side."

At least someone was. "You're sure I can't come with you?"

He pressed his lips to my forehead. "I would never forgive myself for what that place would do to you. But I will come visit you often, and I promise you will never be alone."

His words warmed me from the inside out, quelling the last of my frustration. "Why do you have to be so good, Hades? Why can't you be more like Poseidon and Zeus? It'd be easier to insist the lot of you weren't fit to rule."

He squeezed my shoulder. "Because if I were, we would be warring amongst ourselves, and we all know what would happen then. Go back to Olympus, Hera. Rest. I will see you soon, and in the meantime, try not to let Zeus get to you. He's overwhelmed with victory and relief, and that does strange things to men."

"He's not a man," I said. "He's a god."

"Then we can expect this to last much longer than it otherwise would." He embraced me for a brief moment before letting me go. "Do not forget your worth."

With that, he turned and walked toward the sealed crack in the earth, his footsteps leaving no trace in the dirt. I watched him disappear until darkness consumed him, and once he was gone, I took a shaky breath and returned to the others. I would never follow Zeus, but as long as Hades was there to introduce reason, perhaps this new life wouldn't be so bad, after all.

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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 38 )
Rating Distribution

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(24)

4 Star

(10)

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 38 Customer Reviews

  • Posted July 31, 2012

    more from this reviewer

    This was a good read--and it *almost* distracted me from the cr


    This was a good read--and it *almost* distracted me from the cruel cliffhanger book 2 left us with. Almost. ;-)

    What I liked about this collection is that it really gave us a lot of insight into the characters of the gods and goddesses involved in Kate's story--it was a great way to get background information to readers as part of another story rather than through a lot of info dumping. I especially enjoyed seeing where some of their "new" names came from, and these stories really did a lot to explain the characters' motivations and the relationships that we see in the rest of the series. Hera's story helped me to understand why she does what she does to Kate and Henry--or at least understand it better--though she's never going to have my full sympathy there. I absolutely loved Aphrodite's story (though it did make me wonder where Eros has been in the other books). Persephone's story just confirmed that I will never, ever like that woman--though I could perhaps be a tad bit biased. I enjoyed Hermes's and Henry's stories too, though I couldn't help wanting a bit more from each. Again, this could be my bias showing. All in all this was an excellent way to pass the time before book three comes out--which just can't happen soon enough!

    10 out of 11 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted August 8, 2012

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    So, walking into reading this, the beat way to put is I really w

    So, walking into reading this, the beat way to put is I really wasn't prepared. I received a copy in May of this year and had tried on a number of occasions to sit down and read this and was never able to get past the first 10-20 pages. I had almost given up hope, but thus far I have really enjoyed Aimee Carter's Goddess Test series so I decided to give it one last try. Glad I did...once I got past that first section, or what I refer to as jarbled mess (no, the writing is good, but it just takes a bit for everything to start making sense, at least it did for me) the stories are fantastic, hey and even slightly educational for our YA readers.

    THE GODDESS LEGACY is broken into five mini stories and each story flows into and builds on one another, so it is important that you read them in order. I am going to keep each a bit separate in my review though, so here is a small review of each story...

    The Goddess Queen: Hera (Calliope): This is the one I had a hard time getting through as it was a bit slow and I was really confused as to where we were at in the story for most of it. It wasn't until a couple pages till the end that everything clicked. Looking back (and re-reading) it is good but definitely is at the bottom of my list for this book.

    The Lovestruck Goddess: Aphrodite (Ava): Enjoyed this one, I mean, how could you not enjoy the story of Aphrodite? More than that, I love the character that Aimee built Aphrodite into. She's cute, childlike but yet she knows she's cute and knows how to work it. You'll be sure to fall into a love hate relationship with her through this story and the remainder of this book!

    Goddess of the Underworld: Persephone: I was really a bit weary when I started reading this section. So frequently I get frustrated with versions of the Persephone/Hades story rewritten for YA. Hell, even when I began reading the GODDESS TEST series I was concerned, but just like with the normal portion of the series I was really happy with what spins and twists Aimee put into this...though...end the end I will have to say, I kinda hate Persephone, I can't help it, Hades is just too sweet!

    God of Thieves: Hermes (James): As I have said, each story in this book builds on one another and Hermes/James is in a good portion of the other stories, but things changed for me during this story. I have never really connected with James during the other GODDESS TEST series, but oh my, I made that connection here, big time, and now I think it may actually be hard for me to read the next book because I have been rooting for Henry all along, but now, there is definitely going to be a voice somewhere in my head rooting for James.

    God of Darkness: Hades (Henry): Ahhhhh and now for the mini book that makes everything else here shrink in comparison. First, each mini book has had something to do with Hades/Henry, big or small, a piece of the background was revealed, but within the pages of this mini book the cover was torn off and all the secrets were laid out for us to cast judgment and pick sides. Each of the 14 original council has some part to play in Hades/Henry's future with Kate and we get to see how everyone worked for (or against) it to become what it is. I LOVED this chapter/mini book and it has even inspired me to pick up THE GODDESS TEST again to re-read to see what things make a little more sense!

    Review by SlicedOpenReviews(dot)com
    Received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

    6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted July 24, 2012

    Love it!!!!

    Love it!!!!

    3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted September 4, 2012

    Good read

    Cannot wait for next book in series. Not as goid as book 1.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted August 22, 2012

    This made me like the series better. My Rating: 4 out of 5 star

    This made me like the series better. My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
    Disclaimers: I received an e-galley of this book from the publisher via
    Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. My Overall
    Thoughts/Impressions: Wow! I wish I had read this before I read Goddess
    Test. I enjoyed Goddess Test and Goddess Interrupted, but I hated that I
    didn't know so much about what had happened to the other characters. I
    felt like Persephone might have been a flat character in Goddess
    Interrupted and I was dying to know more about James and Henry. This
    novel was everything I wanted it to be. I loved getting the back story.
    Suddenly Hera became understandable...even somebody you could pity.
    Persephone became dynamic. She came to live. James and Henry became
    even more compelling. Basically, this story opened up the story for me
    and made me excited to read the third one. Yes, the second one ended on
    a cliff-hanger and so naturally I have to read the third one. But this
    novel made me more excited to read the third one. I wish that more of
    this would have been included in her mainstream story, but I understand
    why it wasn't. The writing read similarly to her main stories. I think
    fans of the series will love this addition. To those who were
    disappointed with the series, this novel might help you view the series
    in a slightly better light. The pacing was slow in some areas, but on
    the whole I really enjoyed it. Each time I finished one of the five
    novellas, I was positive that I couldn't like the next one as much as
    the one I had just read. And each time, I was thrilled to discover that
    the new story had sucked me in. The stories are compelling, dramatic,
    and thoroughly enlightening. In Summary: Carter's addition to her
    series made me appreciate the series more than I had before. Each one of
    the stories was compelling and left me captivated. The Wrap-up: I gave
    this a four because like I mentioned the stories sometimes dragged on
    and there were some other minor things that bugged me. Also, I hate
    that this book was necessary in order for me to like Goddess
    Inheritance. But this addition was compelling and I'm glad I got to read
    it. Love, Danica Page

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted August 20, 2012

    Loooooooved it!!!

    OMG!!!! SOOOOOOOO loved it, almost felt bad for Hera! Loved the new clean spin on classic mythology!!! Of course anything Aimee writes is awesome!

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted August 7, 2012

    more from this reviewer

    ****Spoilers if you have not read The Goddess Hunt and Goddess I

    ****Spoilers if you have not read The Goddess Hunt and Goddess Interrupted. If you haven't read BOTH you will be reading spoilers*****

    Wow! When I started reading this, I thought it was going to be a novella. But this is 400 pages long and it is every bit or even more engrossing than The Goddess Hunt and Goddess Interrupted. It shows how things got to the point they are at now. If you had questions, any questions, about how the Gods and Goddesses of Olympus had come to the point that they are now at the end of Goddess Interrupted, this book explains it all.

    The story opens with just after the original six Olympians have defeated the Titans. They know they couldn't have defeated them without Hera and she wants to be leader. But Zeus quarrels with her over people not following a woman. The first story is Hera's and let me tell you, if you don't have sympathy for her at the end of it, then you're heartless. We all know what a cheating bastard Zeus has always been in mythology. But this story shows just how painful it is to her. Just what he does to her to keep her from being happy.

    There is a story from Aphrodite's point of view and how she comes to marry Hephaestus. And her affairs with other men.

    There is the story of Persephone and Hades, not quite like we've always known it, but close enough to the original that it is believable. She tries to love Hades, but there is always a wall between them and even though she's known she was always going to marry him, she can't seem to love him. You have to be asleep not to figure out why it isn't working out, but you do have to read the story to figure it out.

    Hermes has his own story which was interesting because I've never known a lot about him. It was different and makes sense with regards to his story in The Goddess Hunt series.

    And finally Hades has his story. We find out what happened before the Goddess Hunt started and what happened to the other girls. Why he let the test go on even in the wake of the murders. And what happened when he first saw Kate.

    I got so immersed in these stories winding them into the other two stories so that by the time I finished I feel like I am so ready for the next book. I know why Hera/Calliope is the way she is and I honestly don't blame her. I hate Walter! In fact, I hate most of the Olympians except Henry. They are all selfish and proud and jealous and really don't deserve any happiness. But God April can't come soon enough!!!

    If you enjoy this series, this is a must! You will be lost without it. It makes everything fall into place but don't read it first. Read it after the first two books. I don't know why it's called a .5 though. It's a full book with five really great stories in them. It makes a great addition to the series!

    I received an E-ARC from the publishers at Harlequin through NetGalley for review for which I thank them. I'll be buying my own hardbound copy though as I love this series and want it for my collection.
    Never too many books, right? The opinions expressed are my own and not compensated in any way.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted August 6, 2012

    more from this reviewer

    Aimée Carter’s Goddess Tests novels now have a comp

    Aimée Carter’s Goddess Tests novels now have a companion book in The Goddess Legacy. Inside she gives me five original novellas about her fabulous characters from the Goddess Tests novels. Meet Hera/Calliope, Ava/Aphrodite, Persephone, James/Hermes, Henry/Hades and see Kate Winters star of her Goddess Tests novels as a little girl too. She takes me deep inside her world building focusing on the original six over throwers of the Titans giving me documented myth and her own take on the legends, she goes beyond the stories of her series to the beginning giving me a glimpse of how it all came to be. It was such an engaging book that I read it in one sitting, she had me so engrossed in all her mini stories I couldn’t put it down and when I finished it all I wanted was to go back to the beginning and read them again while at the same time lusting for the one to come.
    In the beginning they were six, the children of Cronus, King of the Titans, they were tired of being pawns in their father’s rule so they overthrew him and imprisoned. They became known as the Greek Gods, they were Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Hades, Demeter and Hestia. But their rule was not without dissension as they fought among themselves for supremacy often inflicting cruelties that rivaled the reign they overthrew. But there were also among them stand outs, real heroes and heroines who deserved our fealty, who fought through the darkness and gave us light. And after eons of being revered and feared by humans they were also dying and now are on a quest to discover why. Will they persevere or will they fade into nothingness like so many before them.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted June 14, 2013

    A Must Read

    I bought this book for granddaughter. She loved the book! She wants the complete series.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted May 1, 2013

    Beware!!

    I liked that this book gave back stories on a few of the characters in the goddess series, and it was very well written. BUT... I assumed it was another book in the series. Its not labeled very well, that should be fixed. After buying and reading the entire series, I think this book should have been free. I loved the series but feel like I got ripped off with this book. So if you have read the series and love it, please understand that this book just contains back stories and info on some of the characters in the series ( Persephone, Hades/Henry, Adonis, Hera/Calliope, Zeus/Walter, Hermes/James, Aphrodite/Ava, & a few more). Its very interesting hearing about all of these characters, but its not a very big book at all and after buying the entire series I think this would have been a nice free gift to the fans. It shouldnt be labeled as a book, short story if anything. I think its very misleading! Now that I know what this was about, I would not have wasted my money - So keep this in mind when purchasing. Thanks everyone!

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  • Posted March 28, 2013

    Amazing

    I think that this series of Novellas book was just what the readers needed to read in order to see everyone elses side of the story. Just like in life, we don't know what people have gone through to make them who they are and Aimee did a fantastic job with that in this series. Loved them!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 27, 2013

    Cool

    A different twist to this series. One of my favorite series

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  • Posted February 9, 2013

    I don't usually read anthologies because I feel like I need more

    I don't usually read anthologies because I feel like I need more time than a short story to sink my teeth into a character and really get to know them and find out what makes them tick, but in this case I already knew the characters well from reading the previous books in the series and decided to give it a try. Boy am I glad that I did!! This wasn't just a short bit of fluff written to keep us invested in the characters until the next book comes out - it gave us the chance to look back and find out how our favorite gods and goddesses became the people that they are today. In other words, we got the chance to see how and why they act like they do, to go back in time and gain major insight into their motivations and to gain a much better understanding of them, to fall more in love with the characters that we love (Henry and James, and sometimes Ava), and to maybe soften a little bit towards those that we don't (Calliope and Persephone). I was blown away by how much I learned about all of the gods and goddesses involved, and how that information made me feel like I had peeked inside their very souls and come away with a deeper understanding of just how much they have experienced in their long lives. I now wouldn't wish immortality on my worst enemy! To have to go on after such deep disappointments and know that you are forever tied to the people who hurt you the most - it depresses me just to think about it! 




    I wish I had a favorite story to tell you about, but all five were amazingly written and heartfelt, so I can't pick just one. I think the two stories that broke my heart the most were Calliope/Hera's and James/Hermes'. If you never thought you would feel sorry for Calliope, I want you to read her story and then tell me you don't just a little bit. And poor James! Just because he always acts like not much bothers him, and he tells jokes to keep everyone else's spirits up , doesn't mean he hasn't suffered deep losses. 




    I don't want to give anything away (being short stories, any bit of info might do that), but suffice it to say, this book is a must read for anyone reading the Goddess Test series!! You'll go into book 3 with a whole new appreciation for all of the characters, and that's not something that you want to miss :D

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  • Posted February 4, 2013

    Review: Sometimes a book comes along that the only way it can b

    Review:

    Sometimes a book comes along that the only way it can be described upon completion is perfection. The characters, the story, the world, everything clicks. As a reader you want to devour the book, consume it even until every last bit of it becomes part of you. The Goddess Legacy was such a book.

    The story within the Goddess Legacy is so richly developed that it makes you forget that this is an interim book between Goddess Interrupted and Goddess Inheritance. I loved seeing more back story about each of the main Gods and Goddesses. Each story while heartbreaking offered redemption for each character in some way. Persephone, Hera, Hades, James, and Aphrodite became real on the pages. The struggles they went through monumental, each questioning their existence and what it means to be immortal.

    My favorite story was Persephone's. Her character questions everything and she proposes one of the biggest questions of them all. Is loyalty and fidelity more important than love and acceptance? It was hard not calling Persephone selfish when reading the original stories in The Goddess Test series but seeing her story fleshed out more it is easy to understand her actions. Yes, she went about them the wrong way. She was not infallible, she was flawed, mostly though she was a teenager girl thrust into a marriage she wasn't ready for. Who knows what would've happened had Demeter and Zeus not selfishly pushed her on Hades.

    I do not say this lightly but, the Goddess Legacy was one of the best books I have ever read. In fact, If Miss Aimee Carter chose to just write more stories following the Gods and Goddesses I would scoop them all up. While I loved the previous books in The Goddess Test series, The Goddess Legacy blows the other books out of the water. Stepping away from the character Kate was like a breath of fresh air. I never realized how much her self loathing tinged the series with a slight distaste until she wasn't involved in majority of the narrative (minus a brief mention in Hades story near the end). Hopefully the sheer perfection of The Goddess Legacy doesn't sully the final book in the series when I go to read it.

    In the end, I am highly recommending you pick The Goddess Legacy up and give it a go. I believe this book can be read as a stand alone, should you choose to skip the other books in the series (by all means don't just saying). As long as you at least have some basic knowledge about Greek Mythology I believe The Goddess Legacy will be easy to follow. I will be rating The Goddess Legacy by Aimee Carter ¿¿¿¿¿ for brilliant narrative, perfect pacing, and a world that keeps me coming back for more.

    *I reviewed this book through Netgalley. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated in any way for providing them.

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  • Posted February 1, 2013

    It was a good read. Honestly, I just enjoyed reading it. Nothing

    It was a good read. Honestly, I just enjoyed reading it. Nothing really popped out that I can say "Oh my god!" Amazing"
    Because to me there wasn't anything amazing about it. I just truly enjoyed reading it. It wan't bad, It wasn't amazing. It was good
    and  enjoyable.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 15, 2013

    Book Beauty

    I loved all the books. Theywer all awesome. I love the first one though. I would read it again. I wish the next book comes out sooner than march. I love this book!!!!

    -Book Beauty

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  • Posted January 3, 2013

    more from this reviewer

    The Goddess series has been one of my favorites from the get-go

    The Goddess series has been one of my favorites from the get-go. I love the author's perspective on the mythology and this installment took it a whole new level. It is a wonderful experience to see how the characters are developed in the series, let alone this opportunity to peer into the back story.

    The reader gets to know the ENTIRE set of events that eventually lead up to the first book in the series. There is so much information in each story that it is both a blessing and hindrance. It is an amazing ride learning all the little details in the gods and goddesses lives that have made them as they are to us today. The reader gets to experience the highs and lows, especially the betrayals, and gain a full perspective on the characters. A couple I could even say it changed my views on them because I understood why they have the personality that they do. However, it can be an overload of info at times and I did end up flipping through a few pages to get to the next section or story. Other than that, this is an excellent addition the series and should definitely be on your shelves!

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  • Posted January 2, 2013

    more from this reviewer

    I really wavered back and forth on if I really wanted to read t

    I really wavered back and forth on if I really wanted to read this. I finally decided that the back story on all these characters might make the story make more sense overall.

    I think I was most impressed with how Carter managed to integrate the original myths and legends into the story. We get a feel for it in the first two book, but it's really apparent here. I've always had a soft spot for Greek mythology, and I wonder how much today's teen know about it. If they haven't been exposed to it before, some of the interactions may come as quite a shock. Carter does not change around the details about who has been with who. I liked that.

    I also enjoyed how each story made me feel about certain characters. I don't think I could have loved Henry anymore by the end of this book. It's so odd to see Hades painted in this manor. But, he's been the outcast his entire existence. I didn't think much of Hera/Calliope before this book. But, I could really see how she came to view the world after all she has been through. I truly despised Persephone by the end. I know here is were the story defers a little from legend, but Persephone is portrayed as completely selfish. She cares not one little bit about others, but only focused on her own happiness or misery. I kept hoping that some part of her character might redeem herself at least a little. It never happened.

    In the end, I'm extremely glad I read this. The major gods and their actions made some more sense after this. And, it makes me super excited for the final book in the series.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted September 23, 2012

    Rip off

    There is another book that has the same thing and was so much better then this

    0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted August 9, 2012

    more from this reviewer

    I loved reading this. I almost wished this was published first.

    I loved reading this. I almost wished this was published first. It gave me a better understanding of all the characters and way things happened the way it did. In most books about Greek gods you're supposed to hate Hades and root for Persephone but in these books, it's quite the opposite for me. I love Henry and hate Persephone. I'm rooting for Kate the whole way! Can't wait for the next book, especially with the cliff hanger in the last book.

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