The Goddess Inheritance (Goddess Test #3) by Aimee Carter

February 19, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The Goddess Inheritance by Aimee Carter
Release Date: February 26, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Source: NetGalley
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Buy It: Amazon
Love or life.
Henry or their child.
The end of her family or the end of the world.
Kate must choose.

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

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

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

Even if it costs her eternity.

Review
So this is a series that I’ve read from the very beginning and although I enjoyed the first novel – Greek gods and romance! – the second was kind of off the mark for me. The mythos was a little too in-depth and there was just too much time lapse between the first and second novel for me to truly remember what was happening. One of the series’ biggest downfalls is that it has far too many characters – I could never keep them straight except for the main few, Kate and Henry specifically. Even as I write this, having just read the book a few days ago, I couldn’t name more than two more characters probably because there are just TOO many. I think that’s part of the problem with the disconnect. That being said, the third and final book in the series starts off with a bang – Kate’s giving birth! – and it doesn’t let up until the very end.

Unlike the second novel, I could follow what was going on because I didn’t necessary have to know who the characters were and their relationships with each other to get it. I just had to know that Calliope was bad and working with the Titan Cronus. The world’s going to end unless all of the gods and goddesses can ban together and take him down. The problem? They barely took him down last time and that was when Calliope was on their side. There’s no way they’ll be able to gain control of him this time. So even though there are a lot of characters and the entire book is like a giant game of chess, it’s kind of easy to follow after a while. Most of the characters are pawns while Kate and Henry are obviously the king and queen. I believe Kate even makes the comparison herself in the book. It’s a good comparison because it’s true. Sometimes big plots like these bother me because they don’t end up paying off in the end and you’re sitting there wondering why you just read a series for three years to get to THIS but it wasn’t like that at all. There were other parts that I didn’t necessarily agree with, but Carter was smart in her plot devices, that’s for sure.

One of my biggest problems throughout the series is Kate’s behavior and that doesn’t change much in the third novel. You’d think it would especially after becoming a mother! But no. She never grows a spine and she never stands up to Henry or her mother or (who we find out to be) her father. Even at the end of the novel, she doesn’t get to take a stand – she’s outsmarted by Henry – and then they compromise when push comes to shove. All of her whining gets to be pretty grating. Not to mention there’s not much character growth throughout the entire novel. But what do I know? All in all, I liked this better than the second in the series but nothing can stop the intrigue and mystery of the first one for me.

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Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter

June 25, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter
Release Date: March 27, 2012
Publisher: HarlequinTeen
Source: Library Copy
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Buy It: Amazon
KATE WINTERS HAS WON IMMORTALITY.BUT IF SHE WANTS A LIFE WITH HENRY IN THE UNDERWORLD, SHE’LL HAVE TO FIGHT FOR IT.Becoming immortal wasn’t supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she’s as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he’s becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate’s coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans.As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future.Henry’s first wife, Persephone.

Review

Oh this book. I waited patiently for it, even though I just read the first book. This book picks up six months after the last one ended, with Kate going back to Henry and the Underworld. Things of course stand in the way of Kate and Henry’s happiness. Mostly Kate and Henry! But there is also fighting, other people, and more fighting. Lots of fighting, which was actually nice in a YA book. I’ve read too many fluffy YA books lately, and Carter can write an awesome fight scene.

Clear pet peeve of the book: Kate and her need for Henry’s attention and affections. Stop being Bella Swan, Kate! You’re a kick-ass woman who is slowly finding her way! I get that you want him to state how much he loves and adores you but things don’t always work out that way. (And now Tina, is laughing at me) Yes, things work out and I’m happy for Kate and Henry, but when she was whiny? Man, I wanted to slap her, or throw the book across the room. Of course this was a library book and I couldn’t throw it without fear of damaging it.

No really, I spent most of the book wanting to shove Kate and Henry in a room and go  “WORK OUT YOUR ISSUES.” They did work out their issues of course, but it took awhile (90% of the book.) In the meantime however, Kate went on an underworld journey with two of her friends that ends up shaping herself in the long run, which was nice.

Even with my pet peeve of the book, I still recommend it, especially if you’ve read the first now. Now, I’m waiting for the third and final book in the series (not just because there was a cliffhanger with this book)

I am also torn on how many stars to give the book. I’m a believer in the half star and this is one I think that needed it.

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The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

February 24, 2012 by 3 Comments
The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter
Release Date: April 19, 2011
Publisher: Harlequin
Source: Library Copy
Rating: ★★★★☆
Buy It: Amazon
In a modern-day take on the myth of Persephone, 18-year-old Kate Winters is thrust into a mythical world, where she must pass seven impossible tests and outsmart a spiteful god in order to save the life of not just her mother but of her captor as well.

Book three for 2012 TBR Challenge

Review

I hated this book. I resisted it for so long. I was recommended this book a good six months ago and could not get past the first 20 pages. Finally however, I was able to get back those first 20 pages and you know what happened. The book finally got good! It turned into one of those I actually started to care about. If you would have asked me at the beginning of the book, I would have given you an evil eye. It seems that evil eye would have been wasted. I want more of this book! I can’t wait for the next in the trilogy to come out!

This book was, however, easily predictable, had a handful of plots that were murky at best and I can see why the people on goodreads had issues with it.

But here’s the thing. I read this book in the middle of midterms week when I needed an escape from my head, and you know what, it provided that and it was lovely. The book also took place in a small town in Michigan. Seeing as I am from Wisconsin, I have a soft spot in my cold-bitter-black heart for anything Midwest.

This book is about Kate and her mom, but her mom’s dying. Kate and her mom are uber close and she will do anything to keep her mom alive; even though every year her mom’s doctors tell her “this is her last year.” Kate does not want to let her mom go. Which is where Henry comes into play. To say Henry is mysterious is an understatement. An understatement of understatements actually. He is willing to help Kate’s mom stay alive until Kate is ready to say goodbye.

Of course there is a price, but to Kate, it is worth it. She’s not ready to say goodbye to her mother. Will she ever be? When Kate agreed to Henry’s deal, she agreed to live with him for six months out of the year and be his wife. Oh, she also has to pass some tests. Doesn’t that sound lovely?

But in its own way it is quite lovely. I recommend it as a light read.

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I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

December 27, 2011 by Leave a Comment
I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
Release Date: April 1, 2007
Publisher: Hyperion
Source: Personal Copy
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Buy It: Amazon
The Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women is a fairly typical all-girls school, that is, if every school taught advanced martial arts in PE, the latest in chemical warfare in science; and students received extra credit for breaking CIA codes computer class. So in truth, Gallagher Academy might claim to be a school for geniuses, but its really a school for spies. Cammie Morgan is a second generation Gallagher Girl, and by her sophomore year she’s already fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways (three of which involve a piece of uncooked spaghetti.) But the one thing the Gallagher Academy hasn’t prepared her for is what to do when she falls for an ordinary boy who thinks she’s an ordinary girl. Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, and track him through a mall without his ever being the wiser, but can she have a regular relationship with a regular boy who can never know the truth about her? Cammie may be an elite spy in training, but in her sophomore year, shes beginning her most dangerous mission; she’s falling in love.

Review

I’ve had this book on my bookshelf for awhile now, but you know how it is books get moved around and you lose place of them. But recently I rediscovered this book. The book was a little more middle school than young adult than I was expecting; however, I was still drawn in to the story that Ally Carter told.

Cammie is a student at Gallagher Academy, a school that claims to be for geniuses, but instead is for spies. Cammie’s mother is also headmaster of this school which makes her life harder than it already is. Her father died mysteriously and although the family has moved on her relationship is still strained with her mother. But at the same time she is a teenage girl, she isn’t going to tell her mother everything no matter how close their relationship is. This isn’t the Gilmore Girls relationship.

The Gallagher Academy is in a small town and is known as “the school.” One day on assignment Cammie meets a boy. Something that is almost unknown at Gallagher Academy not counting the professors who the girls have known for years. However, not wanting to tell the boy about “the school.” She tells him that she is homeschooled and spins a whole web of lies to him to try to make him like her, even though it wouldn’t be liking her for her. It would be liking her for a fake version of her. Cammie is so excited about liking a guy and having him like her she just continues to push through with this plan.

There is more to this book however than just boys and parents, at the heart of the book there is Cammie and how she grows and changes and her friendships around her evolve with that fact.

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