ARC Review: The Goddess Inheritance by Aimee Carter

Title: The Goddess Inheritance
Series: Goddess Test
Author: Aimee Carter
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Expected Date of Publication: Feb. 26, 2013
Source: received as a e-ARC from NetGalley
Pre-order your copy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository |

Book Synopsis: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.

My Thoughts:
I was looking forward to reading this that I couldn't stop thinking about it at all.  I would check Net Galley all the time, making sure they haven't released the galleys yet for it.  And when they did I was one of the first to put in to review it.  So when I got that special email telling me Harlequin Teen was nice enough to let me get an e-ARC of it-I was blown away.
And now I feel empty.

The story wasn't terrible; not at all.  There were parts that had tears spring to my eyes and laughter bubble up in others. Some of the scenes were intense and others very romantic but.....................
I still feel empty.

For one, we didn't get to really experience any of Kate's pregnancy at all.  When we open the book she is about to go into labor.  I would have liked to get to know the pregnant Kate, especially to see the torment that she has to go through waiting on Henry or the others to come for her, month after month, only to realize they are not coming.  I think that would have been a breathtaking chapter if it had been written.

Another is the name of the baby.  I hope I don't offend anyone because I swear I am not trying to at all but Milo for a god?  That just had me shaking my head.  I like the name Milo but I just wasn't feeling it for the baby's name.
One huge pet peeve that got on my nerves was the way Kate acted.  She really stood up in book 2, Goddess Interrupted, that I had this hope that she would keep this newfound respect for herself.  But alas, she turned right back into the whiny girl we met in the first books.

But like I said, the story wasn't terrible, it was just lacking.  I felt like there should have been something more but I am having a hard time putting my finger on it.

The conclusion to The Goddess Test Trilogy is much darker than the rest of the books, obviously because there is a war brewing.  But throughout this finally get to see how much Henry truly feels for Kate and his family.
I also loved the interpretation of Rhea, wife of Cronus, and when we meet her.  She is very peaceful compared to her husband and you can quickly see why she would be Mother Earth, so to speak.

I don't really have much to say negatively toward The Goddess Inheritance but I just wished it could have been different.   But all in all, the story was enjoyable and I did stay entertained throughout the story.  I just expected more of something too.
Of course though you should definitely read it to finish the series out and it does tie up loose ends.

I gave it 3 hearts.

ARC Review: The Lost Prince by Julie Kagwa {Book 1: Call of the Forgotten}

Title: The Lost Prince
Series: The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Expected Publishing Date: Oct. 30, 2012
Format: e-ARC
Source: Net Galley
Get It: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Don’t look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.
That is Ethan Chase’s unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he’d dare to fall for.
Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister’s world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten.
This novel is one of Julie’s books that will have you demanding for the second one as soon as you finish your read.-goodreads summary

My Thoughts:
I truly want to smack myself for not reading more of the Iron Fey books until now.  These stories are so good!  The Lost Prince is a combination of the Iron Fey series and a new series too.  And even though I am completely behind (this is the fifth book in the Iron Fey series) I could still follow the plot really well .  
Julie Kagawa's writing is amazing!  The world of Faery has so many complex areas to it, not to mention the different Fae creatures that live there, that I was constantly being surprised every few pages.  The Iron Realm was pretty darn creative too!  It was like Kagawa took the old stories of Fae and intertwined them with some steampunk to develop these odd and yet totally enjoyable characters.
Speaking of the characters, there are so many to choose from!  Of course, I really liked Ethan, although, there were a few times I wanted him to stop being a jerk.  My favorite trait of his, besides being super yummy, was that he stood up to the bullies.  Even though it was one of Them, he still had his morals.  I loved that about him! 
Kenzie was pretty cool except I could tell she was hiding something.  That made me wonder if I could trust her and then when I did find out what she was hiding, I felt really guilty.  She was the perfect fit for Ethan.  Where he was this "brooding", quiet bad guy persona type, she was this light, stubborn, funny and definitely smart girl that was his equal part.  The dialogue between these two was fun and I loved the flirty nature of each of them.  
Oh Todd was this cute nerdy little guy that I liked a lot.  It seemed like the more Ethan tried to stay away from Them, the more it seemed he was drawn to everything about Them. 
I was able to follow the main plot line very well, especially with this being my first book I have read from the series, and all the different minor threads didn't confuse me either. In fact, it added even more excitement to the story.  Can I just say that the small part Puck plays in has made me a fan for life?  I can't wait to start at the beginning to get to know these massively attractive guys!
I didn't get to read much about the Iron Queen, Ethan's sister, but I feel like Ethan holds so much hostility for her that it blurs the truth for him.  I see she has so much on her shoulders and I think I would really like her.  
It was hard not to get this creepy shiver going down my back when you think there is this unseen world in the shadows always watching.  The Fair folk are such a mesmerizing fantasy anyways, but then Kagawa adds this modern twists and Fae with darker desires too.  
We meet a lot of new characters in this story as well the well loved ones from the other books.  It helps to create this seemingly magical world where good and evil collide and lines between wrong and right get blurred for those you love.  I was deliciously terrified of the antagonists in the story and sickened from what they did just to be remembered; but it made you ask the question: how far would you be willing to go to stay alive?

I gave it five hearts.