The Bittersweet Conclusion | “Goddess Inheritance” Review (Goddess Test, #3)

Cynthia Ayala ’16 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

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 Kate’s 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. But even if she agrees, he’ll destroy Henry, her mother, and the rest of the council, and the consequences of her refusal are even more devastating. 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.
Goddess Inheritance, written by Aimée Carter, picks up nine months after the previous novel. Tricked by Aphrodite (Ava), she is held prisoner by Hera (Calliope) and Cronus and is very pregnant.  But her due date is coming closer as the Council of Gods plan their invasion and her rescue.  Published by Harlequin on February 26 of last year, this novel gives young adult readers and fans of the series a riveting and heart-wrenching conclusion to the Goddess Test series by combing paranormal romance and Greek mythology.
As with the previous novels in the series, Carter continues to breathe new life into the world of Greek mythology, giving young adult readers something worth reading that is not a rehash of a tale already told.  By capturing mythological characters perfectly, she is able to make the reader understand the important role each character has in the novel, especially Kate Winters, who is new in her role of being a goddess and immortal. Both of these make her a very naïve character, but they also serve to make her headstrong, giving her character the proper balance in personality so that she captivates readers and becomes down to earth.
However, there is the one thing about her character that will be incredibly irksome to fans and those knowledgeable of Greek mythology: Kate’s apparent lack of knowledge of Greek mythology. Even in the first novel, The Goddess Test, the main character has had very little knowledge of the world of Greek mythology. She does not know the story of Persephone and does not even know that Aphrodite had a son and a husband, who was none other than Hephaestus (known as Nicholas in the novel).  That is the main flaw in the novel, because even when Kate herself has those bouts of doubt and depression, given the events of the book, readers find themselves yelling at her to not give up. But Kate continues to rise to the occasion, and what makes her rise special is the fact that Hera and Cronus continue to push her down repeatedly, trying to tear down her hope and love. That willpower, the will that Carter has bestowed upon her character, makes her the hero readers want to vouch for, and her rage and strength makes her human and relatable to the audience.
Now, the story as a whole is thought out and gives the reader an easy understanding of the novel.  Hera is a vengeful, scorned woman and is seeking revenge by making deals with even the most dangerous of beings, the gods. Kate is trying to figure out ways to stop the pair of evil doers, but of course she meets challenge after challenge.
It’s a high stakes chess game, played by the gods, Zeus, and Cronus, and everyone is a pawn to them. Goddess Inheritance is a bittersweet end to a well-constructed series.  ★★★☆☆ (B)