Series: Goddess Test #2.5
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Source: Netgalley (Thanks!) || e-galley
[I received this book from the publisher. This in no way affects the opinions in my review.]
Calliope/Hera represented constancy and yet had a husband who never matched her faithfulness….Ava/Aphrodite was the goddess of love and yet commitment was a totally different deal….Persephone was urged to marry one man, yet longed for another….James/Hermes loved to make trouble for others, but never knew true loss before….Henry/Hades's solitary existence had grown too wearisome to continue. But meeting Kate Winters gave him a new hope….
(There are minor spoilers in this review.)
I'm the type of person who enjoys getting to know the characters in books, and this is why The Goddess Legacy really appealed to me. Aimee Carter provides readers of her Goddess Test series with an opportunity to get to know five of the key characters - Hera, Aphrodite, Persephone, Hermes & Hades. Though other people may find these stories to be simply filler in between the books, I really enjoyed reading them and gaining more insight into this crazy family of gods and goddesses.
The first story is actually probably my favorite of the bunch. It's about Hera, otherwise known as Calliope. Honestly, I totally despised her character, especially after the second book, but this story has given me a better perspective on her life. I felt so bad for her, and the fact that Aimee Carter was able to elicit that emotion from me definitely means that it was effectively written. Calliope is definitely misunderstood, and this story definitely shows you why she is, well, the way she is. The moral of this particular story, to me, is that you don't know what everyone's been through, and you can't judge them fairly until you do.
Aphrodite, Persephone & Hermes all had similar stories - theirs were tales of loss and love and having decisions made for them, and being unable to make their own. I like that Aimee Carter gave them each their own story - and it was wonderful to understand how things ended up the way they did at the beginning of The Goddess Test.
Henry (otherwise known as Hades) would have had my favorite story - if there had been more of it. But it basically just showed me Henry as he was in the series, sad, broken and feeling utterly alone. I still love him, still want to make things better for him and I love getting to know a little more of his story.
All in all, Aimee Carter effectively shared more about these key characters by returning into their histories, going back to a time way before The Goddess Test. I loved getting these minute details of their immortal lives through stories about a particular era or experience each of them had, and if you're a fan of the series, you'll probably enjoy it as well. The Goddess Legacy is a great companion to the series, and I highly recommend it.
I SOOO have to read this series! There's so much hype around it and I love mythology so I don't know what I'm waiting for. I don't always read the novellas included in a series but it sounds like this one is fun and worth it.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about books being filler but I'm glad these offered more insight into these characters! It really does sound like great companions to the series. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat review, Alexa! And thanks for the pingback. :)
ReplyDeleteI loved Hades's story and wish it was longer, too! I didn't mention it in my review (I forgot when I wrote it), but i noticed HIS story was the only one that wasn't in first person, which struck me as odd.
My least favourite was probably James's story -- I thought it started off too slow. BUT then I got what the story was about and it ended off pretty awesome. I loved how all of the stories set up certain parts of the series.
Now I can't wait for the third book!
I love mythology SO MUCH and really need to read this series. I even have some of these books. WHY can't I read a bazillion books at one time?
ReplyDeleteI felt the same way about Calliope's story! I don't like her in the least, but I did feel so sorry for her while reading everything she's been through! She's one nasty goddess, but she hasn't had an easy time of it.
ReplyDeleteI loved getting to know the characters better as well, with characters who've lived that long, it's nice to get to know a little of their background story, not just what happens in Kate's lifetime.