“The Goddess Legacy,” by Aimée Carter, Harlequin Teen, July 31, 2012, paperback, $9.99 (young adult)
Aimee Carter burst onto the YA literary scene in April 2011 with her novel “The Goddess Test,” a retelling of the Greek myth of Persephone. She’s been building on that theme with “The Goddess Hunt,” an e-novella, and “Goddess Interrupted,” a sequel to her first work.
The final book in Aimee’s trilogy, “The Goddess Inheritance,” is slated for release in March 2013, but if you can’t wait that long for a new mythology fix, Aimee has another book ready and waiting for you.
“The Goddess Legacy,” which is now available in bookstores, highlights characters from the other Goddess books, telling their backstory.
The book opens just after the fall of the Titans, as the new gods of Olympus are figuring out their new roles.
Hera (who is later known as Calliope) wants to be a ruler, even though she’s told no one will accept a woman in that role. Aphrodite (Ava) loves completely, though commitment isn’t something she understands. Persephone does what’s expected of her and hates the position that puts her in. Hermes (James) is the class clown until he realizes what true loss is. Hades (Henry) is the glue that holds the family together, but they won’t allow him to do what he wants most — to fade away.
Each section of “The Goddess Legacy” is told by the main character, with one exception — Hades. This treatment really allows readers to get inside characters’ heads and allows for a better understanding of why they do what they do. In the case of Hades, having his story told from an outside viewpoint helps to further set apart his isolation and despair. It was an interesting choice on Aimee’s part, but it works.
“The Goddess Legacy” is very soap opera-e. There’s a lot of lying, infidelity backstabbing, etc. At times it feels a little teenage, but if you’re familiar with Greek mythology, then you shouldn’t really be surprised. Zeus has always been sleeping around and relatives marrying each other and then sleeping with another is kind of the norm. At least Aimee doesn’t go into detail, helping this remain a book appropriate for teens.
I enjoyed “The Goddess Legacy” quite a bit. It was nice seeing the gods take on a little personality and humanity. It’s a nice interlude between books in the series and makes for light weekend reading.
