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sea_su's review against another edition
3.0
The story seemed a bit rushed. I wouldn't have minded a longer book because it probably would've made the story a bit better.
lilhoneybuns's review against another edition
5.0
I love this whole series too much, it was amazing.
moomin99's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review against another edition
4.0
De Griekse mythologie nerd die niet zo goed verborgen in mij leeft werd helemaal blij van dit boek. Alles wat in de voorgaande boeken was opgebouwd, uitgelegd en uitgespeeld kwam volledig tot bloei in de spannende finale van deze trilogie.
Wat ik vooral erg kon waarderen waren alle knipogen naar het originele verhaal van Troje, het spelletje dat de Goden speelden, hoe de meeste dingen precies zo gebeurden als in het origineel en hoe de vrije wil van Helen uiteindelijk het verschil maakte en de uitkomst beïnvloedde. Daarnaast hield ik heel erg van de korte terugblikken op de vorige versies van het verhaal en vond ik het werkelijk een geniale vondst om ook de legende van Arthur bij dit verhaal te betrekken op een volstrekt logische en begrijpelijke manier.
Ik denk wel dat er nog meer in dit boek en dit verhaal had gezeten. Alles ging in dit boek erg snel en er was weinig echt emotionele diepgang. Bij sommige relaties rest zelfs de vraag of deze echt opgebouwd zijn, of alleen maar bestaan omdat de Goden het nu eenmaal zo gewild hebben. Ik denk dat hier nog wel wat te halen viel.
Maar ik was wel erg te spreken over het semi-open einde, dat past bij een Griekse tragedie. Het is een einde dat voldoende opgelost voelt om bevredigend te zijn, maar ook meer dan voldoende overlaat aan de verbeelding, wat ik heel erg kan waarderen.
Al met al heb ik deze serie met heel veel plezier gelezen. Het is tot dusverre één van de betere urban fantasys gebaseerd op de Griekse mythologie die ik ben tegen gekomen.
Wat ik vooral erg kon waarderen waren alle knipogen naar het originele verhaal van Troje, het spelletje dat de Goden speelden, hoe de meeste dingen precies zo gebeurden als in het origineel en hoe de vrije wil van Helen uiteindelijk het verschil maakte en de uitkomst beïnvloedde. Daarnaast hield ik heel erg van de korte terugblikken op de vorige versies van het verhaal en vond ik het werkelijk een geniale vondst om ook de legende van Arthur bij dit verhaal te betrekken op een volstrekt logische en begrijpelijke manier.
Ik denk wel dat er nog meer in dit boek en dit verhaal had gezeten. Alles ging in dit boek erg snel en er was weinig echt emotionele diepgang. Bij sommige relaties rest zelfs de vraag of deze echt opgebouwd zijn, of alleen maar bestaan omdat de Goden het nu eenmaal zo gewild hebben. Ik denk dat hier nog wel wat te halen viel.
Maar ik was wel erg te spreken over het semi-open einde, dat past bij een Griekse tragedie. Het is een einde dat voldoende opgelost voelt om bevredigend te zijn, maar ook meer dan voldoende overlaat aan de verbeelding, wat ik heel erg kan waarderen.
Al met al heb ik deze serie met heel veel plezier gelezen. Het is tot dusverre één van de betere urban fantasys gebaseerd op de Griekse mythologie die ik ben tegen gekomen.
halynah's review against another edition
5.0
Exciting, eventful ending of the trilogy with intricate plot, plenty of awesome characters and an excellent ending. A real paradise for mythology fans!
lilith19's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
nadine_booklover's review against another edition
4.0
This took me actually by suprise! I think it's definatly the best of all three books and I did not expect to finish it so soon. But I just could not stop reading.
The story is an easy read. Although the most explaining one compared to the other two. I did not get bored once. It's like a very entertaining movie witch is over too soon and you've not realised how much time has gone in the meantime.
The story is an easy read. Although the most explaining one compared to the other two. I did not get bored once. It's like a very entertaining movie witch is over too soon and you've not realised how much time has gone in the meantime.
renuked's review against another edition
2.0
Umm what? That was a forced, last-minute, chaotic, rushed mess. I don't even know what to think. It ended well, but badly.
I think that as a whole, the series had real potential, but the pacing became slowly more awful as it progressed. Firstly, I suggest reading this series in succession. Otherwise (like for me), the characters and plot-lines get very muddled. But even then, it's disordered. There are a huge number of characters, many of whom are introduced belatedly. The story is often erratic and if you don't know Greek mythology....you're lost. The myths are pulled from everywhere, and barely any are properly explained.
Eventually everything becomes a huge turmoil of people and all the good guys and bad guys turned into each other. The different houses and genetics and parallels eventually got too difficult and I just gave up. Helen is a Mary Sue character. She's beautiful but she doesn't know she's beautiful and she's strong and smart and blah blah blah. Forbidden romance with Lucas. Love-triangle with the gorgeous Orion. Ugh.
And even at the end, where all the couples were eventually paired perfectly, it was all rushed and awful. Two of the couples especially made me gag at their ridiculous last-minute romance. They were literally SLAPPED together. Angelini took whoever was left and paired them up. The last battle was....not a battle. There was no climax to the story. I felt no tension or rush or excitement. It was all a big ball of confused OKAY.
I don't really know what else to say. Mostly everything was wrapped up (I think), but a lot was...weird. The POV was third person, but it was all over the place. It was forced and there was too much happening. It was just the wrong approach to something as wonderful as Greek mythology, but I wish I could have enjoyed it more.
I think that as a whole, the series had real potential, but the pacing became slowly more awful as it progressed. Firstly, I suggest reading this series in succession. Otherwise (like for me), the characters and plot-lines get very muddled. But even then, it's disordered. There are a huge number of characters, many of whom are introduced belatedly. The story is often erratic and if you don't know Greek mythology....you're lost. The myths are pulled from everywhere, and barely any are properly explained.
Eventually everything becomes a huge turmoil of people and all the good guys and bad guys turned into each other. The different houses and genetics and parallels eventually got too difficult and I just gave up. Helen is a Mary Sue character. She's beautiful but she doesn't know she's beautiful and she's strong and smart and blah blah blah. Forbidden romance with Lucas. Love-triangle with the gorgeous Orion. Ugh.
And even at the end, where all the couples were eventually paired perfectly, it was all rushed and awful. Two of the couples especially made me gag at their ridiculous last-minute romance. They were literally SLAPPED together. Angelini took whoever was left and paired them up. The last battle was....not a battle. There was no climax to the story. I felt no tension or rush or excitement. It was all a big ball of confused OKAY.
I don't really know what else to say. Mostly everything was wrapped up (I think), but a lot was...weird. The POV was third person, but it was all over the place. It was forced and there was too much happening. It was just the wrong approach to something as wonderful as Greek mythology, but I wish I could have enjoyed it more.
mbfeeney's review against another edition
4.0
I have to admit, after flying through the first two books in this series, I struggled to get into this one a little. While I felt that this story started out stronger than Dreamless, I still felt it didn't capture my attention from the get go.
I think what confused me were Helen's memories from past lives. Although they are explained much later in the story, they threw me slightly as they weren't clearly marked as a different POV.
As I read, the action was building and building, I hoped that this wouldn't end up the same as Breaking Dawn. Every Twilight fan I know personally, got frustrated with the fact that nothing actually happened. Thankfully, Goddess didn't fail that way. The battle that is inevitable, is contained. It works very well.
Helen once again is the back bone to this book, but some of the supporting cast of characters step up to the plate and really come into their own. Matt, Orion, Lucas, and even Daphne play pivotal roles in helping Helen save the scions. She struggles with her feeling for Lucas and Orion, as is natural for a teenager her age, special powers aside.
Lucas is also struggling. With the addition of new powers, he's unsure he's worthy of much. He also has jealousy issues about Helen and Orion. It's clear they care for each other, but it was very obvious to me that something is building between him and another character - something that felt much more right than the idea of Orion and Helen together. That coupling never rang true to me.
Overall, Goddess is an excellent ending to this trilogy, but I did find myself left with some unanswered questions.
I think what confused me were Helen's memories from past lives. Although they are explained much later in the story, they threw me slightly as they weren't clearly marked as a different POV.
As I read, the action was building and building, I hoped that this wouldn't end up the same as Breaking Dawn. Every Twilight fan I know personally, got frustrated with the fact that nothing actually happened. Thankfully, Goddess didn't fail that way. The battle that is inevitable, is contained. It works very well.
Helen once again is the back bone to this book, but some of the supporting cast of characters step up to the plate and really come into their own. Matt, Orion, Lucas, and even Daphne play pivotal roles in helping Helen save the scions. She struggles with her feeling for Lucas and Orion, as is natural for a teenager her age, special powers aside.
Lucas is also struggling. With the addition of new powers, he's unsure he's worthy of much. He also has jealousy issues about Helen and Orion. It's clear they care for each other, but it was very obvious to me that something is building between him and another character - something that felt much more right than the idea of Orion and Helen together. That coupling never rang true to me.
Overall, Goddess is an excellent ending to this trilogy, but I did find myself left with some unanswered questions.
klaragon73's review against another edition
5.0
Be sure to stop by Better Read Than Dead. I have a giveaway going on, which will end on September FRIDAY the 13th!
Inhales deeply and releases! Step one to overcoming LBS, AKA... Last Book Syndrome, has commenced, and boy did I pick the right book to begin the endings with. The Starcrossed Trilogy is everything Greek Mythology should be--passionate, twisted, tabooed, a perverse game board for the Olympus Twelve, and Goddess upped ratcheted up the action, the deceit, brought on some new players and pitted the Scions against the each other, forcing what could be an apocalyptic war.
In my humble opinion, Dreamless suffered from sophomore book syndrome, though all the information is useful and important to this trilogy. I think it just pulled my heart in so many directions it made me anxty, throughout the whole damn thing.
Now Goddess, I continually made notes so I wouldn't forget all the things I wanted to talk about. And man there are just so many. The book starts right where Dreamless leaves off, Zach is dead and he's left his trusty ancient dagger with Matt? Immediately I needed to know what that meant. But apparently my immediately and Ms. Angelini's immediately are two different things. Then Matt's body begins to fill out and not just in a "eh, he's growing up" way. The Delos' looking at him differently, wondering what's going on. They'll soon find out.
Helen, Ariadne, Jason, Lucas, and Orion are still recovering from the battle in which Helen, Orion and Lucas, not only sent Ares to Tartarus, but by becoming blood brothers, they combined the House of Thebes (founded by Apollo), the House of Rome (founded by Aphrodite), the House of Athens (founded by Poseidon), and the House of Atreus (founded by Zeus). This is the event in which the prophecy states that the Tyrant will be formed. A person who possesses powers from all four houses. This person is thought to be absolute power, and "absolute power corrupts absolutely." The Tyrant is to be killed.
Just a snippet of the prophecy:
The time has come. The children must overthrow the parents--or be devoured by them.
The Hero
The Lover
The Shield
The Tyrant--have taken the stage.
The Warrior waits in the wings, the last to join the battle.
The Tyrant shall rise up with power unlimited. On one choice will the fate of all be decided.
So, as you read through the prophecy, think about who you might place in those roles. Some, might be obvious, but others not so much.
One interesting twist that I absolutely loved is the Fates recast the characters from Helen of Troy until the actual outcome of the battle at Troy happens; therefore, there are a handful of Scions who look exactly like the gods who fought the battle. These Scions are meant to eventually replace the gods they resemble. It's such a cool angle and I feel sure my description is lacking, but I loved it anyway.
Then we have the Oracle, Cassandra. She's found a way to keep the Fates from prophesying through her and she may also be falling in just a little bit of love. This made me happy, because I hated seeing Cassie suffer so much. Those Fates are a bitch sometimes.
Overall, I loved the trip Josephine took me on. I loved how she twisted the mythology but managed to keep the same overall theme throughout the story. Balance is a must and the Tyrant's power must be checked, and it will be. I fell in love with all the characters in book one, hated a few in book two, then fell right back in love with them in book three. Some lived, some died, some were tricked and trapped for eternity.
My emotions flew all over the map: I cried when Helen realized her true heart, I laughed for joy when Cassandra realized she actually had choices, I cried again when beloved heroes died, and rejoiced for those who lived. My heart truly ached at the connived deceit between friends and family. But in the end, Josephine left me with an ending I can handle, maybe even love just a little... or more than chocolate!!!
A Couple of My Favorite Quotes:
"The prophecy has been fulfilled. The Houses are one, Helen." Hades took her hands between both of his, cradling them in warmth. "You will raise Atlantis, or Avalon, or Helena--whatever you wish to call it--and once your world is made you can decide who may enter, who must stay or go, and how each inhabitant experiences your land. It really is all up to you." - Page 135
That's the thing about walls, Matt thought. The men on either side of them sometimes have nearly everything in common--except for the one detail that they are willing to kill each other over. - Page 220
~Kristin A
Inhales deeply and releases! Step one to overcoming LBS, AKA... Last Book Syndrome, has commenced, and boy did I pick the right book to begin the endings with. The Starcrossed Trilogy is everything Greek Mythology should be--passionate, twisted, tabooed, a perverse game board for the Olympus Twelve, and Goddess upped ratcheted up the action, the deceit, brought on some new players and pitted the Scions against the each other, forcing what could be an apocalyptic war.
In my humble opinion, Dreamless suffered from sophomore book syndrome, though all the information is useful and important to this trilogy. I think it just pulled my heart in so many directions it made me anxty, throughout the whole damn thing.
Now Goddess, I continually made notes so I wouldn't forget all the things I wanted to talk about. And man there are just so many. The book starts right where Dreamless leaves off, Zach is dead and he's left his trusty ancient dagger with Matt? Immediately I needed to know what that meant. But apparently my immediately and Ms. Angelini's immediately are two different things. Then Matt's body begins to fill out and not just in a "eh, he's growing up" way. The Delos' looking at him differently, wondering what's going on. They'll soon find out.
Helen, Ariadne, Jason, Lucas, and Orion are still recovering from the battle in which Helen, Orion and Lucas, not only sent Ares to Tartarus, but by becoming blood brothers, they combined the House of Thebes (founded by Apollo), the House of Rome (founded by Aphrodite), the House of Athens (founded by Poseidon), and the House of Atreus (founded by Zeus). This is the event in which the prophecy states that the Tyrant will be formed. A person who possesses powers from all four houses. This person is thought to be absolute power, and "absolute power corrupts absolutely." The Tyrant is to be killed.
Just a snippet of the prophecy:
The time has come. The children must overthrow the parents--or be devoured by them.
The Hero
The Lover
The Shield
The Tyrant--have taken the stage.
The Warrior waits in the wings, the last to join the battle.
The Tyrant shall rise up with power unlimited. On one choice will the fate of all be decided.
So, as you read through the prophecy, think about who you might place in those roles. Some, might be obvious, but others not so much.
One interesting twist that I absolutely loved is the Fates recast the characters from Helen of Troy until the actual outcome of the battle at Troy happens; therefore, there are a handful of Scions who look exactly like the gods who fought the battle. These Scions are meant to eventually replace the gods they resemble. It's such a cool angle and I feel sure my description is lacking, but I loved it anyway.
Then we have the Oracle, Cassandra. She's found a way to keep the Fates from prophesying through her and she may also be falling in just a little bit of love. This made me happy, because I hated seeing Cassie suffer so much. Those Fates are a bitch sometimes.
Overall, I loved the trip Josephine took me on. I loved how she twisted the mythology but managed to keep the same overall theme throughout the story. Balance is a must and the Tyrant's power must be checked, and it will be. I fell in love with all the characters in book one, hated a few in book two, then fell right back in love with them in book three. Some lived, some died, some were tricked and trapped for eternity.
My emotions flew all over the map: I cried when Helen realized her true heart, I laughed for joy when Cassandra realized she actually had choices, I cried again when beloved heroes died, and rejoiced for those who lived. My heart truly ached at the connived deceit between friends and family. But in the end, Josephine left me with an ending I can handle, maybe even love just a little... or more than chocolate!!!
A Couple of My Favorite Quotes:
"The prophecy has been fulfilled. The Houses are one, Helen." Hades took her hands between both of his, cradling them in warmth. "You will raise Atlantis, or Avalon, or Helena--whatever you wish to call it--and once your world is made you can decide who may enter, who must stay or go, and how each inhabitant experiences your land. It really is all up to you." - Page 135
That's the thing about walls, Matt thought. The men on either side of them sometimes have nearly everything in common--except for the one detail that they are willing to kill each other over. - Page 220
~Kristin A