Book Review: The Goddess Inheritance

The Goddess Inheritance (Goddess Test #3)

By: Aimee Carter

Published By: Harlequin Teen

Publication Date: February 26, 2013

Page Count: 384

Buy it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or IndieBound

Source: ARC Kindly Provided by Publisher via NetGalley

Audience: Young Adult - Fantasy, Greek Mythology

Review of Book #1: The Goddess Test

Review of Book #2: Goddess Interrupted

Review of Book #2.5: The Goddess Legacy

I love this series; the wait between Goddess Interrupted and this installment was brutal! Goddess Interrupted ends on a HUGE cliffhanger and I was terrified of how things would go for Kate and Henry. I had extremely high expectations for this novel since it would be the conclusion of a beloved series. Perhaps those expectations are to blame, but in the end, this novel fell short of the mark for me. In my opinion, it is the weakest of all the novels within the series. I won't talk too specifically about details because I don't want to spoil this novel or the previous ones for readers.

One thing I loved about this series was Kate Winters. Her strength and compassion have always been something I admired. In this novel though, Kate's strength and compassion morph into life threatening idiocy. You would think at this point she would have learned her lesson and would be more forthcoming with Henry. Nope - she continues to try to solve problems on her own and throws tantrums when the other Olympians don't listen to her. How can she expect beings with thousands of years of experience to stop in their tracks to listen to her ideas when she acts like a spoiled brat? I was appalled by her behavior. Furthermore, I was so tired of her whining and name calling, that I considered putting this novel aside for other something else. In the end, my desire to see the resolution of the series won out over my irritation with Kate. Many readers have seen this annoying side of her all along, but I was always able to look past her whining because I felt like I understood where she was coming from and often it was justified. The Kate that showed up for The Goddess Inheritance is a different girl - she's selfish, whiny, stubborn, and impulsive.

My second biggest complaint is the plot. The second novel is jam packed with action and there was never a dull moment, but The Goddess Inheritance felt more stagnant. I honestly didn't become enthralled with it until I was 80% done. I'm fine with books needing a little effort on my part, but this one tried my patience. There is a lot of tedious waiting and planning as everyone chews on their nails debating how to attack Cronus. I also was hoping for a little more Kate and Henry time, but in this novel they are constantly apart for a variety of reasons. The romance was almost nonexistent ; I found myself longing for its return. There were moments it cropped back up and those elements were some of my favorite parts. There was far too little of Henry in this novel.

One thing I did enjoy about this novel was the epic battle between the Olympians and Cronus. It was adrenaline laced and tragic. I won't comment too much on the battle, but I was surprised by some of the events. 

All in all, this was a decent way to end the series, but it didn't meet my expectations. If the entire book had read like the last 20%, this could easily have earned a spot on my favorites shelf.  I just couldn't connect with the characters this time which kept me from experiencing the book on the same emotional levels as its predecessors. I would still recommend it to all fans of the series as it provides closure. It is worth noting that the ending does leave open the possibility of more books while providing a solid resolution to this portion of the story.

One Last Gripe: I get that Calliope is a bitch. It's been pretty apparent throughout all the novels so I didn't need to hear Kate say it over and over.

My Favorite Thing About This Book: The epic battle

First Sentence: Throughout his eternal life, Walter had witnessed countless summers, but never one as endless as this.

Favorite Character: Henry

Least Favorite Character: Kate

Summary:

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.