Book #84 - Goddess Interrupted (Goddess Test #2)

Goddess Interrupted (Goddess Test #2), Aimee Carter
296 pages
urban fantasy
Started 7/26/12
Finished 7/27/12
4 STARS

It always seems as if people worry about the sophomore efforts of authors, especially those who have great success with a debut. Can lightning strike twice in the same place? Was the first effort just a fluke? How many times have we, as readers, found sequels less than fulfilling?

In my humble opinion, Goddess Interrupted was... much BETTER than Goddess Test (Goddess Test #1).

After taking the summer off, Kate Winters comes back to Eden Manor to reconnect with her new husband and to start her education on how to be a good queen in the Underworld. Things, however, are... well, interrupted. Henry seems less than happy to see her, and a new, very scary, enemy thwarts her coronation and threatens the lives of Kate's new family members. The only potential solution lies with Persephone, Henry's former wife, and Kate's current competition for his affections.

Now, I liked Goddess Test. It was good. It was just a little slow, is all. It wasn't very action-packed, and there seemed to be lots of time that passed without anything happening at all. By contrast Goddess Interrupted was go-go-go right from the beginning. I liked that Calliope remained a persistent threat - she's a really good villain with a healthy dose of crazy.

My favorite part of this book is the realism in Kate's and Henry's relationship. They don't know each other very well. They've only been married for six months, and they've been apart for that entire time. It's not enough time to even know what kind of toothpaste your mate uses, much less have a deep, abiding connection. Luckily, the two don't immediately get googlie-eyed. In fact, Henry is very distant and distracted, and Kate finds herself constantly obsessing over whether he really loves her or not. Whether he really wants her there or not. Whether he's still in love with Persephone or not. It's totally the way I would act. However, I will say that after awhile, it does get a bit old and annoying hearing Kate's inner monologue as she runs through her faults and Henry's behavior and whether she's fit to be not only his wife, but his queen. Gosh - do others find me as annoying when I go on and on about such things? Yikes.

There was a ton of action and fighting between the good guys and the bad guys, all of which is not even close to being worked out by the end. Although some situations were resolved more than others, the reader is left with a HUGE cliffhanger. So frustrating when you have to wait a year for the final installment in the Goddess Test series, Goddess Inheritance.