The Goddess Legacy (Goddess Test, #2.5)

Oct 01, 2012 Winnie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc

Wow! What an amazing journey! I am astounded. Sensational! Five great stories, heart –wrenching, exciting, wincing and cheering, though I can’t bring myself to feel too badly for any of the Greek gods, well …Er… except for Hades- Henry because they are psychos!
Aimee Carter is a very talented writer! Carter is just too much and I can’t wait for the next chapter of her writing career… after the Goddess test series because Carter tells stories that captivates and bring old tales back to existence a...more Wow! What an amazing journey! I am astounded. Sensational! Five great stories, heart –wrenching, exciting, wincing and cheering, though I can’t bring myself to feel too badly for any of the Greek gods, well …Er… except for Hades- Henry because they are psychos!
Aimee Carter is a very talented writer! Carter is just too much and I can’t wait for the next chapter of her writing career… after the Goddess test series because Carter tells stories that captivates and bring old tales back to existence anew. I never get tired of the way Aimee Carter portrays her Greek gods and it’s amazing to read about their actions and reactions to certain issues. Honestly, its just plain weird! And the Drama! OMG! Kate has a lot to fix in her new family, and I am glad she has the strength to take them on because after reading this book, I am certain she is what the gods need. The Goddess legacy was no different from Carter’s books it was enriching, fascinating, emotionally draining and I loved every minute I spent reading this masterpiece. I love how some of our questions where answered and I smiled at Henry’s reaction when he’d first seen Kate and hers to him! The only problem I had with this book, is that it was too short especially Henry/Hades tale, but no matter I would let my imagination go wild.
Okay… when they say “the gods must be crazy”, this book took that phrase literally! Take Hera/Calliope for instance, I understand everything she’d went through and I understand she didn’t get the life she’d wanted, but in the end… she became the worst of the lot! She is prideful and ruthless and bitter! I almost felt sorry for her… Almost. I didn’t! Serves her right! Zeus, well what can I say? He is the male version of his wife; the only difference is that she believes in fidelity in a way and Zeus not so much! The maddening aspect, in a good way … of this book, is seeing that the gods act like teens, and are ruled by their emotions, it was comical and I finally realized that each one of the gods doesn’t really merit to be called a god…. Er… Well… Hades does and Kate too. All I can say is that this book rocked! And I will read it over and over again despite how royally messed up and dysfunctional this family is... er… except for Hades …Agh! Henry. I can’t wait until the third and final book The goddess Inheritance! Well-done Aimee Carter!
A big thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin publishers for the Advanced Readers Copy of The Goddess Legacy expected publication date July 31st , 2012
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Jun 27, 2012 Eileen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, owned, young-adult, ebook

At first, I wasn't too excited for the Goddess Legacy, but I saw that many people were getting it from NetGalley so I thought "Why not?" and requested it. After reading it, I can say with confidence that I did not regret one second of reading the Goddess Legacy. It's only a collection of novellas, so I judged them all separately and all together, they made a fantastic collection of love stories that were all twined together into a wonderful romance novella that I really enjoyed reading.

It begins...more At first, I wasn't too excited for the Goddess Legacy, but I saw that many people were getting it from NetGalley so I thought "Why not?" and requested it. After reading it, I can say with confidence that I did not regret one second of reading the Goddess Legacy. It's only a collection of novellas, so I judged them all separately and all together, they made a fantastic collection of love stories that were all twined together into a wonderful romance novella that I really enjoyed reading.

It begins with Hera's (Calliope's) story, during that time when she fell in love with Zeus (Walter) even though every fiber in her body screamed against it. Hera was worried that Zeus was just playing her, but then later, she realized he wasn't, that when they ruled together, they would both be equals. However, Hera's suspicions at first were correct, and after a while, Hera was extremely unhappy with her life with Zeus and wanted to be with Hades (Henry) who she'd been in love with for a long amount of time.

I felt that Hera's story was really long and a little monotonous at times, but she had a lot to say. I really liked getting to know all these gods' and goddesses' love stories, and almost all of them ended in tragedy, except for Henry's, which, if you have read the Goddess Test and the Goddess Interrupted, the two major books in the trilogy, then you would know what happens with Henry (aka Hades in the Goddess Legacy novella). Every one of these novellas explained something in the main books, and I definitely felt "enlightened," you could call it, after reading the Goddess Legacy.

I would recommend this to anybody who wants to go into the Goddess Test trilogy more and experience the lives of the other gods and goddesses and how they fell in love, the turmoil they went through, everything. If you enjoyed the Goddess Test and the Goddess Interrupted, then you will enjoy the Goddess Legacy. No doubt about it, that is basically my argument to get you to read this book. Isn't that the point of reading a novella of a series? Because you liked the story and want to know more in between books? That is basically what the Goddess Legacy delivers.

Check out more of my reviews at ***Singing and Reading in the Rain!
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Jun 04, 2012 Lisbeth Avery {Assorted Insanity} marked it as abandoned

Shelves: never-again, netgalley, why-did-i-read-this, own-kindle, reviewed

How could she do this to me?

HOW IS THIS GREEK MYTHOLOGY? THIS IS A SOAP OPERA!

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Jul 23, 2012 Daphne (Winged Reviews) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-netgalley, mythology, young-adult

Originally published at Winged Reviews.

I am always hopeful (perhaps naively so) about the Goddess Test books, because I love mythology retellings. However, the first two books were disappointing due to poor characterisation and predictable plots. The latest offering, The Goddess Legacy, includes five short stories from the point of view of the other gods and goddesses and delves deeper into their histories and character. While I was frustrated by more of the same from Aimée Carter, some of the s...more Originally published at Winged Reviews.

I am always hopeful (perhaps naively so) about the Goddess Test books, because I love mythology retellings. However, the first two books were disappointing due to poor characterisation and predictable plots. The latest offering, The Goddess Legacy, includes five short stories from the point of view of the other gods and goddesses and delves deeper into their histories and character. While I was frustrated by more of the same from Aimée Carter, some of the stories made me feel emotions other than frustration, and I took that as a good sign.

The first story was about Hera (Calliope), her love for Hades (Henry) and how she reluctantly ended up married to Zeus (Walter) instead. It was predictable, falling for a man who committed to change himself but didn't, but I really sympathised with Hera, who only wanted to rule on her own terms as a daughter of Titans should. In fact, I liked her much more here as opposed to the outline of a villain that she was in the first two books. It was nice to see her as a strong personality who stood up for her ideals, instead of being motivated purely by unrequited love. One small detail did bother me, which was the fact that everyone seemed aware of her feelings for Henry, yet we're supposed to believe no one was suspicious of her as the culprit in the first book? You would think immortals have longer memory spans than that.

Both Aphrodite (Ava) and Hermes (James) were also portrayed well in their stories. Aphrodite learned something about the different types of love offered to her, caught in a love triangle with Ares and Hephaestus. Hermes, who hurt Hades by cheating with Persephone, learned about love and the pain of loss. His story also attempted to explain why the gods/goddesses now go by different names. Again, I expected a little more about the revelation, but it was another case of the concept being more interesting than the execution.

On the other hand, the other two stories were perfect example of why the series frustrates me—characters like Persephone and Hades (Henry). Persephone was whiny, self-righteous and utterly selfish. She judged Hermes and Aphrodite for 'cheating' on her, but seemed to forget that she did the same to Hades. Her immaturity and hypocritical behaviour (not unlike Kate) was unbearable and my distaste for her grew from the last book. On the opposite end of the scale was Hades, who, for a powerful god and ruler has absolutely no backbone. He is a coward, for choosing the easy way out and being unable to move on from Persephone. Man up Henry, get on with your reponsibilities and have some courage to try to find love, instead of fading and being a simpering idiot.

So all in all, I rated it slightly higher than the first two books because I liked some of the characters better as a result of these stories and probably because of the lack of Kate. A great read for fans of the series, but for those that didn't like it you could probably do without.(less)

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Sep 04, 2012 Ashelynn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: recommend

I'm reviewing all five novellas separately on my blog. I'll be updating this as I read and review the novellas. UPDATE: I was going to, but I ended up only reviewing two of the stories--I still highly recommend picking up this collection of novellas if you're a fan of The Goddess Test series!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Goddess Queen - Calliope/Hera's Story

So the first story in The Goddess Legacy is Calliope's, who is actually Hera. I h...more

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Aug 12, 2012 Nina rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am a huge fan of The Goddess Test series, and was really excited to get a glimpse of the stories that made the gods who they are in current times. I was especially excited to finally understand the dynamic between James and Henry, as it is so very important in both of their relationships with Kate in The Goddess Test and Goddess Interrupted. I actually ended up liking The Goddess Legacy so much that it’s my favorite in the series so far, and I just wish I had more time with each of the gods an...more I am a huge fan of The Goddess Test series, and was really excited to get a glimpse of the stories that made the gods who they are in current times. I was especially excited to finally understand the dynamic between James and Henry, as it is so very important in both of their relationships with Kate in The Goddess Test and Goddess Interrupted. I actually ended up liking The Goddess Legacy so much that it’s my favorite in the series so far, and I just wish I had more time with each of the gods and goddesses before returning to the real world.

Hera’s story is probably the most important one here, as it really explains why she has acted the way she has in the previous books. At the end of Goddess Interrupted I quite frankly thought she was a complete b*tch, but her actions make so much more sense now. The way Zeus treated her throughout the years pissed me off quite a bit, and I am now really hoping to see her get her own happy ending, preferably without destroying the planet while trying..

Aphrodite has always fascinated me, and her story was incredibly romantic while also explaining so much of her personality. Persephone’s story was probably my least favorite, as I just felt like she kept ruining things for herself, even if she was put in a difficult situation by her mother. Still it made me understand Hades even better, and I loved his part of her story.

I now see Hermes in a whole new light, knowing everything he’s been through, knowing that he truly felt he had a reason to try get between Kate and Henry/Hades. His story was just completely heartbreaking, and I felt so bad for him by the end. And then comes Hades’ story, bridging the gap between the old days and modern times, up until the day he meets Kate. The broken mess Henry is at the start of The Goddess Test? He is that way for a reason. A very, very good one. Reading his story made me understand why he always came across as cold and closed-off, and I am now completely cheering for him to get his happily ever after.

The Goddess Legacy provides the back stories to everyone important in this series, letting us know their dreams and fears, motivations and plans, and even if it is “just” a novella I would highly recommend reading it before the third full-length book, The Goddess Inheritance, comes out April 1st next year.(less)

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Apr 03, 2013 Laila rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: a-pleasant-surprise, achy-breaky-heart, color-me-angst, frustrate-much-but-in-a-good-way, i-did-not-see-that-coming

Now that I have read the back story of why some of these gods and goddesses act and feel the way they are I have learned to understand and even sympathize Hera's frustrations and disappointment and lifelong resentment. Same thing with Persephone, after ruling thousands of years besides Henry she did what she needs to do to give the freedom that Henry needed for the unrequited love he has for Persephone. Seriously do not force the issue if it is not happening, hurting him with her unhappiness is...more

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Mar 08, 2013 Sofia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: anthology

This collection of stories was not as good as I had expected. I love the actual books, but had mixed feelings on this.

THE GODDESS QUEEN: This book was told from the POV of Calliope/Hera, and I have no idea what Aimee Carter wanted me to feel about this. Was it suppose to make me feel bad? 'Cause I didn't. At ALL. She just proved herself to be whinny and desperate. And a little kick-ass, and rightfully so. 2.5 stars

THE LOVESTRUCK GODDESS: This story was told from Ava/Aphrodite's POV. Again, I fel...more

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Feb 12, 2013 Mr. Muesli rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Wow. Wow. Wow.

Need I say more?

F**KING WOW.

I will held Aimee Carter responsible for my chronic insomnia and altering my to-do-list to read this book instead of Principles of Finance. (God, I hope I'll pass my exams) It's...WOW.

Note: For the sake of your eyes when reading this review, from this point on I had replaced every swear words to "(LOL)" because... You'll see.

I bought this through Kobo because I just can't bother to go to the local bookstore after reading the cliffhanger at Goddess Interr...more

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Feb 09, 2013 Makii rated it 5 of 5 stars

Este libro es perfecto, porque la autora logro algo que pocas hacen. Haciendo un recorrido por los siglos desde que los Dioses derrocaron a los Titanes y asumieron el completo control, la historia que esta compuesta por The Goddess Queen, The Lovestruck Goddess, Goddess of the Underworld, God of Thieves y God of Darkness nos permite seguir un orden de los sucesos que desencadenaron todo lo que pasa en la serie y a la vez nos permite ver la historia contada por los diferentes protagonistas como...more

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Jan 28, 2013 Eva rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: library, read-2013

The Goddess Legacy features five short stories about Greek gods and goddesses. They were written as as companions for the Goddess Test series - which admittedly, I haven't read.

For the most part these stories focused on in the inability to be happy or fulfilled without a relationship. It's difficult to empathize with selfish characters with very little self respect. The majority of the relationships in this book weren't moderately healthy for either party.

What really bothered me was Aphrodite's...more

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Jan 04, 2013 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Surprisingly my favourite character is Hera (the antagonist), though prior to reading her side of the story I more than hated her. Now I can direct that flame of hatred towards Walter (muahahaha). Seriously! What kind of evil, wretched, manipulative guy/god/whatever he is! Tricks someone into marrying him then treats her as a possession to throw around as he wishes, goes behind her back with other women to produce 'offspring', twists her child's legs under the suspicion that the child isn't his...more

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Sep 22, 2012 Stéphanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, anthologies, kindle, mythology, netgalley, romance, novellas, supernatural-paranormal

I rarely read anthologies. I tend to stay away from them because most of the time, I only know one of the authors that have written the stories and I’m not interested in reading short stories or novellas from series I’ve never read before. However, reading an anthology like THE GODDESS LEGACY really appeals to me because it’s only written by one author, and all the novellas in the book are from the same series (of which I’ve read all the books).

THE GODDESS LEGACY was a good addition to THE GODDE...more I rarely read anthologies. I tend to stay away from them because most of the time, I only know one of the authors that have written the stories and I’m not interested in reading short stories or novellas from series I’ve never read before. However, reading an anthology like THE GODDESS LEGACY really appeals to me because it’s only written by one author, and all the novellas in the book are from the same series (of which I’ve read all the books).

THE GODDESS LEGACY was a good addition to THE GODDESS TEST and GODDESS INTURRUPTED. If it’s even possible, I think I enjoyed some of these novellas more than the previous books. The novellas add so much more information about the background of many of the characters. First, we meet Hera and we more or less begin to understand why she did those things in the previous books. Then we see Hephaestus and Ares fight for Aphrodite’s love. Persephone makes an appearance in her own novella and we truly learn why she left Hades. Hermes also has his own story in which he learns more about the mortals and explains to the other gods why they should take on new modern names. And of course, the anthology wouldn’t be complete without Hades’ story where we learn how hard it was for him to find his new queen.

Personally, I don’t find the stories are meant to be read individually. Combined, the five novellas tell one big story, with five different point of views. The flow from story to story is perfect and allows the reader to enter a new story without any problems.

One theme that is dominant in each story is love. Whether it’s a tragic love story or a heart warming love story, the main character of each novella face difficult issues as they deal with love and unfaithfulness. Not only was Aimée Carter able to give us more information about the individual gods and goddesses, she also found similarities in each of them by drawing out the human emotion out of each character. Fans of The Goddess Test series will enjoy this anthology because it answers so many questions about the mystery surrounding Persephone’s past and all the other gods that are so important in Aimée’s series. Also, it’s a good teaser as we wait for book 3 to be published!

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An electronic advance reader's copy was provided by the publisher

Also reviewed on Tynga's Reviews(less)

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Aug 25, 2012 Jess rated it 5 of 5 stars

'The Goddess Legacy' was not a book told from Kate's perspective, it is separated into different sections told from the perspectives of different Gods/Goddesses of their previous stories, before they met Kate. The different voices in this book includes Hera, Aphrodite, Persephone, Hermes and Hades. We see why they are the way they are in the main series, (especially Hera). In "The Goddess Legacy", we see how they became the character they've become in the main series, the troubles and pain they'...more 'The Goddess Legacy' was not a book told from Kate's perspective, it is separated into different sections told from the perspectives of different Gods/Goddesses of their previous stories, before they met Kate. The different voices in this book includes Hera, Aphrodite, Persephone, Hermes and Hades. We see why they are the way they are in the main series, (especially Hera). In "The Goddess Legacy", we see how they became the character they've become in the main series, the troubles and pain they've went through as well. 'The Goddess Legacy' uses the Greek God's original names, and in this book it also explains certain actions from "The Goddess Test' & "Goddess Interrupted". We share Hera's pain, all she ever wanted was equal power, to have a place herself, a family. She wanted Zeus's devotion, but she didn't exactly get it, as we all know in Greek history, Zeus had many offspring's. From Aphrodite, we see her struggle in choosing the right love, in Greek History, she was written basically, as a whore, as a women who cheated on her husband. However, I love the way Aimee Carter had interpreted Aphrodite, since she is the Goddess of Love, she can't be devoted to one person, however, who ever she was with at the beginning of the day, she always returned back to her husband. It is mentioned her husband is the foundation of her life. It is just who she is. In Persephone, we see the struggle she went through, how she struggled to do the right thing, to love Hades, but as we all know, even if we want to love someone the way they want us to, we usually can't do that. Persephone who found her true love with Adondis, and she who gave up her immorality for something she wasn't sure that would happen, I admire her bravery and courage. For Hades, we not only see the other side of him, the love, the pain, the struggle (from Persephone's story), but also hope. We see a back story when Hades met Kate for the very first time when she was very young. The hope, the love, and how he would do everything to protect her. How he would give up anything and everything for her. I love his devotion and his courage to stand back up after everything's he's been through.
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Aug 08, 2012 If it ain't good I don't read it ! rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book when I first picked it up I was really eager to read because I thought it would continue were the other left off. But to my utter and complete shock and disappointment it didn't but that was made up for after I read it. MIND BLOWING AWSAMNESS i could not put the book down I tell ya and it also made me look at the series from a hole different prospective . Cause now I don't view Hera as the jealous physic murderer but as the some what crazy jealous but deprived of her rights victim .......more

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Aug 06, 2012 Debbie rated it 5 of 5 stars

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, sh...more

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Jul 30, 2012 Jessirae rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: all-time-faves, netgalley, novellas

The Goddess Legacy was a wonderful addition to The Goddess Test series! I was thrilled that Aimee Carter decided to write these short stories. I was really able to fall more in love with all the amazing characters that Aimee Carter created.

I love the characters that Aimee Carter chose to write about and place into this book. What was so great was the fact that I was able to dive deep into the feelings and emotions of these characters. I was able to understand and even sympathize with them. Even...more The Goddess Legacy was a wonderful addition to The Goddess Test series! I was thrilled that Aimee Carter decided to write these short stories. I was really able to fall more in love with all the amazing characters that Aimee Carter created.

I love the characters that Aimee Carter chose to write about and place into this book. What was so great was the fact that I was able to dive deep into the feelings and emotions of these characters. I was able to understand and even sympathize with them. Even better, I really got to know these characters in a new light, understanding why they came to be what they are in The Goddess Test and Goddess Interrupted. Aimee Carter gave them real human emotions and made them into characters that I can relate to. Even though there is more than one POV, Carter wrote each character with a different voice, personality and feel. You really connect with these characters in a specific way and you may even have a change of heart for some.

Hera/Calliope’s story was very eye opening. I really got to see how and why she is the way she is. Although I still don’t condone or think what she did to Kate was right, I can understand why Calliope acted the way she did. I really felt her despair, resent, anger, betrayal and loneliness. I like that I got to see a before and after side of her and what really made Calliope lose it. In this story, there is more background with how the council came to be and I enjoyed reading about that. I also got to know more about Zeus/Walter in this story and I totally get why Calliope feels the way she does.

Ava/Aphrodite’s story was very heartfelt and happy. I liked her story because I also got to see a new side of her. A side that was vulnerable and loving (in a true way). Ava just wanted to think for herself, make her own decisions and be happy. I loved reading about how she saw the difference between wanting and needing and passion and commitment.

Persephone‘ story just made me hate her even more. While Aimee Carter developed her character and story well, I just couldn’t bring myself to feel sorry for her. I found her to be extremely selfish and hurtful. It was pretty painful to read her story because of the pain she put Henry through. However, I did see that she never wanted what was placed before her. Persephone had no choice and while I pitied her because she was unhappy, I was angry because she lacked such immense amount of insensitivity. Like with Calliope, I understood her and I get why she decided to do what she did.

James/Hermes’s story was everything I hoped it would be! It was adventurous, full of humor and it was just plain fun. His story was all about finding true love, family and acceptance. He learned about adaptation and humility.

And then Henry/Hades. His story really hit home. I never did understand why he loved Persephone, but I really felt all his pain, sadness, sorrow, grief and burden of living an eternity alone. I loved knowing why Henry decided to fade. I enjoyed knowing more about the decision to find him a new queen, seeing him with Ingrid and my most favorite, when he got to see Kate for the very first time. It was so great to read about. Henry is my favorite character and with this short story from him, I loved him even more.

Overall, The Goddess Legacy was an amazing read through and through. Fans of The Goddess Test series will rejoice and devour this collection of short stories. It’s a definite must-read!

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Jul 24, 2012 Tarah Schaeffer rated it 5 of 5 stars

If your like me, and you follow The Goddess Test series your anxiously awaiting book three which isn’t due out until April 2013. Just like between books one and two though, we have The Goddess Legacy which just came out yesterday! Yes this is a collection of short stories. (which I usually don’t like) This one, however, surprised me and I actually enjoyed it a lot.

The stories explain the lives of some of the gods and goddesses in more detail. For me it gave me more depth to the storyline I had r...more

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Jul 24, 2012 Shaheen rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review contains spoilers for those who have not read The Goddess Test and Goddess Interrupted, while those who have read the previous books in the series have nothing to fear.

A wonderful collection of novellas that together tell the story of the Greek immortals from their original defeat of the Titans to a few years after Kate’s birth. The stories begin with Hera, who doesn’t want to be defined by her relationship with a man and wants to be recognised as a Queen in her own right. Her betray...more This review contains spoilers for those who have not read The Goddess Test and Goddess Interrupted, while those who have read the previous books in the series have nothing to fear.

A wonderful collection of novellas that together tell the story of the Greek immortals from their original defeat of the Titans to a few years after Kate’s birth. The stories begin with Hera, who doesn’t want to be defined by her relationship with a man and wants to be recognised as a Queen in her own right. Her betrayal by Zeus and the horrible way he treats her made me very sad, and I began to understand why she is so bitter. The story continues with Aphrodite, who can’t deny her nature and while Zeus forces all his offspring to form marriage alliances, searches for love in all the wrong places. Again we can see Zeus’s controlling and manipulative nature, and I hated him even more.

Persephone’s heart breaking story of her marriage with Henry is probably the most enlightening of the stories, and while I sympathised with her I couldn’t really bring myself to like her very much. Most of this stems from her callous betrayal of Henry, but when she is in turn betrayed, she gets all ’woe is me’ about it. Then comes Hermes’ story of redemption as he tries to undo all the hurt that Persephone caused the council after her death – which I found I couldn’t really connect with but I can’t tell you why. Maybe my lingering feelings of resentment towards him coloured that one!

The final story is about Henry, his wish to fade and the subsequent decision by the council that he keep looking for a partner for a century. I love Ingrid – she is awesome!! It was so sad seeing Henry get more and more bitter, locking the hurt deeper inside himself each time one of the candidates died. When Kate came along it was like this little ray of sunshine for him, and I loved that. This story also finally gives us a glimpse into how Henry thinks and how he shows affection, which was nice.

I loved this book and am glad I had the opportunity to read it. It not only deftly chronicles everything that I, as a reader, had wondered about when reading the two Goddess Test novels, but gives us a look into the real nature of the Greek immortals and makes us realise how slowly things change for them and how resistant they are to those changes. Awesome stuff, hopefully it will tide me over until the release of The Goddess Inheritance.

You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic .(less)

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Jul 23, 2012 Angela ReadingCave rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I received this book via the publishers through NetGalley. That in no way influenced my review.

Never before have, I read a collection of novellas so beautifully intertwined. The Goddess Legacy is a collection of five novellas centered on members of the Olympic council. It is to serve as a prequel to the Goddess Test as well as the Goddess Interrupted. Any book that makes you want to cry for someone who you have previously thought of as evil is a best seller. The re-telling of the Greek Gods stor...more I received this book via the publishers through NetGalley. That in no way influenced my review.

Never before have, I read a collection of novellas so beautifully intertwined. The Goddess Legacy is a collection of five novellas centered on members of the Olympic council. It is to serve as a prequel to the Goddess Test as well as the Goddess Interrupted. Any book that makes you want to cry for someone who you have previously thought of as evil is a best seller. The re-telling of the Greek Gods stories from another perspective really does give the reader insight into their actions.

If your heart does not break for Hera is in book than you are made of stone. Hera, who knows that Zeus is not the man for her, continues to fight his suit. She only wants a true partnership in marriage and Zeus tricks her into believing that she can have that with him. No wonder she is bitter, for her own husband cannot give her what he promised her.

Aphrodite’s story is a little more difficult to find sympathy for. The goddess of love is unable to commit to a relationship because she loves too much and too many. Most loved of all her siblings by her father Zeus, she often comes off as a spoiled brat. In the end she does redeem herself, choosing stability over passion.

Persephone is a young goddess that has been groomed all her life to love Hades. Too bad her mother forgot about passion as well. She marries Hades thinking that passion shall follow- when it does not she breaks his heart. She falls passionately in love with her best friend. Only to have her own heartbroken while spying on him. Then she does the unthinkable, falls for a mortal willingly giving up her place as queen of the Underworld. Her story made me resent her even more than I already did. Although, her story also made me love Hades even more.

Hades story is heartbreaking as well. So many times did he love, to have that love thrown back into his face. While he insured that those he loved were happy, his happiness withered away. It seemed unfair. Will he ever be happy? When will he stop putting others happiness before his own?

Hermes was shunned by his own family for others actions. Instead of wailing in self-pity for too long he found another family to accept him. Only to have that family ripped from his as well. He does what he can to insure that the gods know why they are fading. Proving his loyalty to his family regardless of the heartache they brought him. Unbelievably amazing- will he ever have a happily-ever-after?

Speaking of happily-ever-after~ Hades has given up, and tells his family that he wants to fade. The family argues bargains with him- a century for them to find his mate. He allows this, with each gal that is suggested brutally ripped from his grasp by suspicious means. When he declares he has had enough his sister Demeter tries one more time. Will she be the one for him or will she die as well? Will she be able to love him as he deserves to be loved?

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Jul 23, 2012 roxtao rated it 5 of 5 stars

This novel was flawless! I don’t know exactly what I was expecting before I started reading it, but in the end, I was positive that it was a perfect reading. I already knew that the novel was going to show 5 stories of some of the characters. But I was surprised to discover that they’re not any kind of stories, but the ones that have a major influence in the characters and the plot’s evolution and in the same time, the ones that initiate the story line of the whole series. These 5 stories are pr...more This novel was flawless! I don’t know exactly what I was expecting before I started reading it, but in the end, I was positive that it was a perfect reading. I already knew that the novel was going to show 5 stories of some of the characters. But I was surprised to discover that they’re not any kind of stories, but the ones that have a major influence in the characters and the plot’s evolution and in the same time, the ones that initiate the story line of the whole series. These 5 stories are presented in chronological order, starting with the one that represents the origin of the Council and finishing with the period before the adventures from the first volume, The Goddess Test.
In the first story, Hera’s, we find out both the way the Council grew after the victory against the Titans, and the reasons why Hera becomes the villain, although she should’ve been a good goddess, the master of marriage, fidelity and home and also the queen of the gods. I liked the fact that the story is told in a very detached manner, and at some point, you almost forget that she is responsible for most of the problems that the main characters of the series have to deal with later. You are able to understand her involuntary transformation, determined by a joylessness existence, full of degradation, pride, pain, humiliation and shattered dreams.
Although as important as the first story, Aphrodite’s story is related in a lighter atmosphere and the effervescent presence of the goddess of love offers a playful feeling that brings a smile on your face while reading. Usually, Aphrodite seems to be a pretty superficial and capricious character, but in this story you see her true face, you find out what’s underneath that happy mask and under the continuous enthusiasm. Of course, there’s not an absolute revelation, the change is not extreme, because Aphrodite is still..Aphrodite. Only that she proves herself to be more that you see on the first sight. You discover a deeper perspective than you were expecting and the final choice she makes is wise, influenced by a lot of aspects and not just by a blind passion.
And we get to Persephone’s story.. I disliked her in the first book, but I finally got to like her in the second volume, Goddess Interrupted. And now I’m back at the same feelings I had for her in the first novel. I understand that maybe her actions were not intentioned and maybe her relationship with Hades didn’t really have a chance from the beginning. Indeed, the author shows us the story in this manner, but I couldn’t help disagreeing Persephone’s attitude. Despite all the so called attempts to make everything work, I had the sensation that she clenched to all the affairs she could, totally ignoring the way she was hurting others. I know that in the book we read again and again that she knew that her betrayals were hurting others and that she was sorry for the way she found her happiness. But I just can’t help seeing her as the main culprit and to consider that she chose an easy and unacceptable way.
In the fourth story, we discover Hermes’ secret. Similar to the first story, this chapter dedicated to Hermes has a double meaning. On one hand, we find out his love story and on the other hand, we get to know the way the gods managed to reinvent themselves, in order not to fade forever. Furthermore, we also find out the meaning of some of the new names that the gods had chosen and are using in the other books. The story shows a new Hermes and I’m sure that the readers are going to have a different perception of this character in the future books. We have again a more detailed and a deeper portrait than the one we saw in the previous volumes.
The last story is Hades’ and it’s the only one divided in more phases. The action develops from the period after Persephone’s leave until the moments before the first book’s adventures. This story finally explains Hades’ cold and distant attitude from the previous books and not only that you understand him, but you also wonder how was he able to resist like that, considering all the things he lived and his existence full of drama, disappointment and sadness.
Pros:
- One of the things I loved was the way the author managed to play with the reader’s feelings. At some point, you realize that your attitude regarding some of the characters is changing from a story to another and your feelings for them are very different from a moment to other. And I’m not talking just about differences between the previous books and this one, but about differences in the same volume. For example, if in the first story you actually like Hera, in another one you wish she never existed. I think the way you’re influenced by the characters points of view it’s absolutely intriguing.
Cons:
- The pride wars between the gods and the way they live their eternal lives are a little to similar to the human ones. I think I would’ve liked to see more detached and fairer attitudes. Indeed, some of their decisions are admirable, but unfortunately most of their decrees are influenced in a negative way by their own feelings.(less)

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Jul 11, 2012 Seanean rated it 4 of 5 stars

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Thousands of years before Kate Winters fell in love with Henry/Hades and married him, becoming the new Queen of the Underworld, the gods had just defeated the titans and had to set up their new council and figure out how to run things. The Big Six aren't exactly a solid team and there are problems from the start.

Zeus and his sexist ways (he blames his mother who let his father take the lead, so now humans will never follow a woman) decide to give the men t...more http://librarytalker.blogspot.com/201...

Thousands of years before Kate Winters fell in love with Henry/Hades and married him, becoming the new Queen of the Underworld, the gods had just defeated the titans and had to set up their new council and figure out how to run things. The Big Six aren't exactly a solid team and there are problems from the start.

Zeus and his sexist ways (he blames his mother who let his father take the lead, so now humans will never follow a woman) decide to give the men the three kingdoms of the sky, the sea, and the Underworld, while the women will be given smaller specialties like marriage, nature, love, etc... And Hera's not happy. She believes that the women, especially her since she was the one who helped the most in the war against the titans, should be equal to the men and Zeus's rules are unacceptable to her.

But what she really wants is to love and be loved. Though she is fond of Hades, he rejects her, so Zeus woos her and she finally consents to be his wife, as long as they are true equals. Things go well for a while, but then Hera notices a disturbing trend; Zeus is stacking the council. He's having affairs and bringing in his children, who are devoted to him, to help rule. Hera believes that he's trying to create a dictatorship and shove her out, so she tries, and fails, to take the leadership from him.

From there, all the other stories in this book take place. Hera affects all the others and their tales. From Aphrodite to Persephone to Hermes to Hades, she's never far. All of their stories intertwine and they are much different than the myths we learned in school.

Final thoughts: I liked reading these versions of the stories, especially Hades and Hermes. Hera started out being a little sympathetic, but mostly a pain. I've often felt bad for Hera in the past and Carter tried to make her honorable with good intentions at the beginning, but she really just came off as self-righteous, a little naive, and kind of whiny. Her story was interesting, but I got annoyed with how her story so infected everyone else's, setting up the "women ruin everything" plot. It's sad that it was a female author who perpetuated that idea. Overall though the book was well written and compelling.(less)

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Jul 07, 2012 BookHookup rated it 4 of 5 stars

**This book was obtained through Net Galley but that did not influence the review** You can also see the review here

Celeste's review: Goddess Legacy is a collection of novellas, but don’t fret, this is as long as a regular book! We have some time to wait until the 3rd book in the series, The Goddess Inheritance, is out (April 2013), so this was nice to tide me over. I adore this series and was more than happy to get some insight into the other Gods and Goddesses, well, even some more background...more **This book was obtained through Net Galley but that did not influence the review** You can also see the review here

Celeste's review: Goddess Legacy is a collection of novellas, but don’t fret, this is as long as a regular book! We have some time to wait until the 3rd book in the series, The Goddess Inheritance, is out (April 2013), so this was nice to tide me over. I adore this series and was more than happy to get some insight into the other Gods and Goddesses, well, even some more background on Henry (Hades). Even if it was with Persephone and not Kate. ;)

I love stories told from first person, and this book was fabulous since each story was told from someone’s point of view. Between that and Ms. Carter’s amazing writing style I felt like I could really connect with each God or Goddess in their novella. That is no small feat, and that is why this book will get such high marks from me.

I learned that Zeus is so manipulative-he really didn’t appear to be that way in the first two books, but clearly he is always pulling the strings…for everything. I actually didn’t care for him at all, but the fact that the author was able to make me feel that way, well it’s a win.

I also found that Persephone really is unhappy, she definitely acted like a brat. I would have to wonder if she ever really did find happiness with Adonis? I probably connected with her the least out of all the novellas, I couldn’t even see how Hades loved her since she was fairly awful to him. But…..that just shows how kind and gentle he really is.

Hera can’t win. She was definitely on the naughty list from the first book, but I got some serious insight into her character, and I actually felt sorry for her! Clearly all those years of being faithful and sticking to her word got to her by the time The Goddess Test was written. She had some serious pent up anger!!

Hermes was one of my favorite novellas, and the way his story tied in with Hades at the end was fabulous. I loved, loved, loved it!! I felt like that story was more of a happy ending. I look forward to him hopefully making some appearances in the next book.

Lots of betrayals, lies, jealousy, and affairs in this book = never a dull page! However, these Gods and Goddesses live for an eternity and these stories span over thousands of years. That definitely puts a lot of things in perspective. If you love this series, you definitely want to check out this book, it completes the series. (less)

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Jun 28, 2012 Christine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, ya, romance

Quite simply, this was the most entertaining back story I’ve ever read. :)

Disclaimer: I read this series out of order. I normally try not to do this, but circumstances conspired against me, and when I had a chance to read The Goddess Legacy before its release date, I jumped at it.

The Goddess Legacy is book 2.5 in Aimee Carter’s Goddess series, and if the book did nothing else, it did convince me to go get the first one straight away! It’s not what I expected — it’s actually five novellas that co...more Quite simply, this was the most entertaining back story I’ve ever read. :)

Disclaimer: I read this series out of order. I normally try not to do this, but circumstances conspired against me, and when I had a chance to read The Goddess Legacy before its release date, I jumped at it.

The Goddess Legacy is book 2.5 in Aimee Carter’s Goddess series, and if the book did nothing else, it did convince me to go get the first one straight away! It’s not what I expected — it’s actually five novellas that collectively serve as the prequel to the books. Hopefully, I haven’t spoiled anything by reading this first…I have a feeling that it did…but I’ll let you know for sure as soon as I know.

It begins with Hera, wife and sister of Zeus, who wanted to be a queen in her own right. Instead, she is tricked by Zeus into believing he would share power with her, and remain faithful. (Does anyone know exactly how many bastards Zeus has in Greek Mythology?) In this first novella, I basically knew the story, because it followed the myths very well, but it was interesting to think of it from Hera’s point of view. Despite knowing things would end badly for her, I felt bad for her that they did.

Aphrodite was up next — never my favorite goddess, she behaved like an immature child and somehow ended up getting married to a great guy who was okay with her screwing everyone else on the planet. This was my least favorite of the novellas from a pure enjoyment standpoint, but the story and viewpoint stayed true.

Persephone’s was, perhaps, the most difficult story. I had already fallen in love with Hades myself in the first novella, and I wanted to hate Persephone for not loving him. But can you force love?

The last two novellas set up the world and story that will begin in The Goddess Test. Hades is so sick of his life that he’s begging his fellow gods and goddesses to let him simply fade out of existence. They ask him to give them a century to change his mind by finding him the right woman, but they find 11 right women, and they all die…but who killed them? I have a strong suspicion, which I fear will influence my reading of The Goddess Test, but I am quite simply desperate to start reading, so here goes…

(Update: I’ve read The Goddess Test, and while reading the prequels first definitely influenced my reading of the first book in the series, I can’t say it spoiled it. Actually, it added a bit of perspective that may have been lacking, since Kate is the sole narrator of that book

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Jun 26, 2012 The Library Mouse rated it 3 of 5 stars

Calliope/Hera's Novella: It is no secret that I never much liked her. She'd been portrayed as the enemy and as the good obedient reader that I am I disliked her very much. But now... After reading her tale, a few hundred pages of her side of the story... I admit I have been swayed. I would almost compare it to finally watching Wicked after having endlessly heard only Dorothy's side of the story of the Wizard of Oz. I started it hoping I could get through it asap and move onto a character I liked...more Calliope/Hera's Novella: It is no secret that I never much liked her. She'd been portrayed as the enemy and as the good obedient reader that I am I disliked her very much. But now... After reading her tale, a few hundred pages of her side of the story... I admit I have been swayed. I would almost compare it to finally watching Wicked after having endlessly heard only Dorothy's side of the story of the Wizard of Oz. I started it hoping I could get through it asap and move onto a character I liked more. However as I proceeded I found myself siding with her, feeling her pain, outrage, loneliness and wounded pride. Don't get me wrong I'm still a Henry and Kate girl but she has earned my respect and I now see why she acts and feels what she does. Her tale was insightful to say the least.

Ava/Aphrodite: I always liked Ava, except for right at the beginning when she was being awfully mean and stuck up. For better or for worse she has been Kate's friend. She also well and truly proved herself to be the goddess of love. I had pegged her for the loveable character that can't settle down for anyone, and has the desperate need to "share the love". Consequently I liked her but didn't think she had that much depth to her, not when it came to falling for one and only person. But she surprised me. She demonstrated an understanding of love I didn't think she had whilst remaining true to her sharing nature.

Persephone: Her story was an interesting one that tried time and time again to sway me in to feeling sorry for her. Ever since reading The Goddess Test and Goddess Interrupted I cannot say I had much love or patience for her. Having now read The Goddess Legacy I have been a little softened, and truth be told it would have been hard not to. This said unlike with Calliope, Persephone did not earn my respect or simpathy. I should confess however that I am always very loyal to the main couple so my opinion is perhaps somewhat biased.

James/ Hermes: James's story took me a little by surprise. Although throughout the series he plays a fairly important role we don't know much about him, why he says and acts as he does. Until now. His tale is finally unveiled, grudges explained and events told. He really surprised me. He always appears as very lighthearted and blase' attitude, that only alters where Kate is concerned. In actual fact he revealed himself to be almost as attached to his family roots as Calliope was. Risking everything for them I was very impressed and surprised. There is definitely more to him than meets the eye of the reader, and I have a new found soft spot for him now.

Henry/ Hades: This was the story I'd truly been waiting for and I had imagined a lot of different scenarios as to what it could be. The tale that Aimee Carter narrated to me was nothing like what I had expected. In all honesty I was a little disappointed as I had hoped for some snippets of moments with Kate. This said his story was full of the beauty and kindness of a gentle soul. There was eternal sadness, agony and pain accompanied by the small but yet strong flame of hope. Although it was not the full fledged romance I had expected and wished for, it was almost better. Ending with an unspoken promise of more in the final to this fantastic series.

I enjoyed how each individual deity's character was taken apart and reassembled to show me a different picture, one I had not initially considered.
Aside from giving us the POV of each character and allowing us to get to know them better, I feel like the purpose of this novella was to give us a better and more complete idea of what lay behind the scenes of The Goddess Chronicles. Moving through each character's POV, Aimee Carter walked me through the ancient history of events that lead me to the situation encountered in The Goddess Test. With what I have learned from The Goddess Legacy I now feel wiser and more mature about the whole story. Aimee Carter has added yet another layer of depth and humanity to this series, making it all the more interesting.
Not every story gave me a case of "I can't put this down" but each in their own way were interesting and insightful.
They all stirred an emotional whirlwind challenging all my preconceptions and opinions.
If you really enjoyed The Goddess Test, The Goddess Hunt and Goddess Interrupted (as I did) and are now suffering from greek god withdrawal symptoms (as I am, sad but true) then I recommend you read this as a nice way of tiding you over whilst giving you a bigger picture of the whole story.(less)

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Jun 11, 2012 The Y.A. Bookworm Blogger rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Y.A. Bookworm Blogger

Goddess Legacy is the second novella in Aimée Carter's Goddess Test trilogy. Although this book is coming out after the release of Goddess Interrupted (Book Two) the contents of the novella take place way before the events of book one. Goddess Legacy is set for a release on July 31,2012. I want to take this opportunity to quickly thank Harlequin for a providing me with a copy of this book through NetGalley!

I'll have to start off by saying how surprised I was by Goddess...more The Y.A. Bookworm Blogger

Goddess Legacy is the second novella in Aimée Carter's Goddess Test trilogy. Although this book is coming out after the release of Goddess Interrupted (Book Two) the contents of the novella take place way before the events of book one. Goddess Legacy is set for a release on July 31,2012. I want to take this opportunity to quickly thank Harlequin for a providing me with a copy of this book through NetGalley!

I'll have to start off by saying how surprised I was by Goddess Legacy. I've had a pretty bitter experience with novellas in the past but Goddess Legacy did everything but disappoint! In fact, I think this is an absolutely essential read for anyone who has read the previous two books. Knowing characters' personalities from the present, make reading about their pasts that much more entertaining to read.

Goddess Legacy contains five mini novellas all wrapped up into one heavenly package. Each story gave me a deeper understanding for not only the characters, but their relationships with one another. I ended up liking a lot more characters that I had previously hated or looked at as evil. Being able to live through different perspectives definitely makes me feel closer to a wider range of characters in the story.

My favourite story out of the five had to be Henry's (AKA Hade's). Not only did we get the opportunity to see how life was really like with Persephone, but we we also experience his first immediate feeling towards Kate. I feel like Henry only really started "opening up" towards the end of Goddess Inheritance, so reading through his perspective was completely surreal.

Because this book hasn't been released yet I don't want to spoil anything for you guys. But I will say that quite a few things are explained through the course of each story- details that I found quite interesting. I think people will also be very surprised by how dramatic and heartbreaking the Gods' relationships are. You can almost look at it as a "sneak peak" into their scandalous lives- I loved each and every moment of it!(less)

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Mar 27, 2013 Patricia rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'm glad to have this book as part of the Goddess series because it really explains a lot about the characters in the series without bogging down the stories with too much background information. Of course the series is perfectly enjoyable without all these extra details, but loving so many of the characters and wishing I could know more it was nice to have this book to fill in the blanks.

My favorite stories in this anthology are the last two about James and Henry. Of course I enjoyed the others...more

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Jan 14, 2013 Lydia rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'll be honest, I was pretty darn close to not reading this. Short stories aren't my thing. After I finished Goddess Interrupted, I decided to do a little author stalking and read on Aimee Carter's website that this book was important for what's going to happen. So I bought it on my iPhone and read it in a day.

I am so glad I read this. I was very pleased as to how all the stories were linked together and the followed each other in order. It was very unique and refreshing.

After reading this, I f...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Kenley rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: research, persephone, young-adult, goodreads-authors, 2012

What to say about this piece of crap? How the author has tweaked the Greek myths in this book is almost as blasphemous as Disney's Hercules movie. Um, hello, Adonis wanted to be with Aphrodite not Persephone, for one, and for another, just as long as I'm bitching about Adonis, Aphrodite hid Adonis in a box after she decided he was the most gorgeous mortal she had ever seen and entrusted the box to Persephone; she then told Persephone to not look in the box, which she did, and decided that she di...more What to say about this piece of crap? How the author has tweaked the Greek myths in this book is almost as blasphemous as Disney's Hercules movie. Um, hello, Adonis wanted to be with Aphrodite not Persephone, for one, and for another, just as long as I'm bitching about Adonis, Aphrodite hid Adonis in a box after she decided he was the most gorgeous mortal she had ever seen and entrusted the box to Persephone; she then told Persephone to not look in the box, which she did, and decided that she didn't want to give him back. After much argument, they went to Zeus who decreed that Persephone would get Adonis for four months, then Aprhodite would get him for four months, and then the remaining four months of the year, he would go where he wanted, and he decided that he would stay with Aphrodite.

Oh, and another thing: while yes, you could say that the marriage of Persephone and Hades was an arranged marriage, Demeter knew nothing about the agreement made between Zeus and Hades. I feel the need to complain further about how the myths were tweaked in this book. Hera was never relieved of her duties as Queen, EVER! (Though I will admit, the author did a fine job getting Hera's personality down.) And in all the research I've done regarding the Greek myths, not once have I heard about Persephone having an affair with Hermes. (And I have done quite a bit of research on the subject.)

By telling the myths in this matter, people who read this book are going to think that this is the correct telling of these myths. While I do admit, there are different versions of the myths, what she has written here are too far off from the accepted versions of the tales.

My other huge complaint about this book centers around point of view. With the exception of the section centered around Hades, she wrote the book in first person. Then she decides that she need to switch to third person to tell Hades' side of the story.

Now while I loathed how the author tweaked the myths, I thought that with how she tweaked everything, she came up with a fine story. I give her credit for bringing up the correct elements of the myths. This is one of the reasons I'm giving it two stars and not one. The other reason I'm giving this book two stars and not one, I've recently read a book that I thought was much, much worse.(less)

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Aug 06, 2012 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

****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...more ****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.
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