Goddess

Title: Goddess (Starcrossed #3)

Author: Josephine Angelini

Genre: YA/Fantasy

Release Date: May 28, 2013

My Rating:
♥♥♥♡

After accidentally unleashing the gods from their captivity on Olympus, Helen must find a way to re-imprison them without starting a devastating war.  But the gods are angry, and their thirst for blood already has a body count.  To make matters worse, the Oracle reveals that a diabolical Tyrant is lurking among them, which drives a wedge between the once-solid group of friends.  

As the gods use the Scions against one another, Lucas’s life hangs in the balance.  Still unsure whether she loves him or Orion, Helen is forced to make a terrifying decision, for war is coming to her shores. 

 In Josephine Angelini’s compelling conclusion to the masterfully woven Starcrossed trilogy, a goddess must rise above it all to change a destiny that’s been written in the stars.  With worlds built just as fast as they crumble, love and war collide in an all-out battle that will leave no question unanswered and no heart untouched.

~ Goodreads

I'm so disappointed in Goddess!  I was expecting a humongous blast of awesomeness, and what did I get?  Just a wimpy splash.  This is definitely one of those books that you might want to freshen up on the characters before taking a stab at.  Oh my gosh, I had completely forgotten who was who, so I had to make a list of all the characters so that I could keep up and not be completely lost (I was pretty darn lost).  Leaving a series on your book shelf for more than a year will do that to you.

Super short summary of Goddess because I've completely forgotten what happened in the two preceding books: War is approaching.  Helen's powers are gaining in strength every day and are planting doubt in the hearts of those closest to her.  The gods are outnumbered by the scions, but not by their intelligence.  The sneaky, dopple-ganger gods are planning to take Helen's new world from her, no mater what the cost.  With Lucas and Helen's family by her side, she will take on the very beings that created her.

Three Reasons Why I Was Disappointed In Goddess

1. I hate love triangles.  I hate them with a fiery ball of burning passion, and do you know what's in Goddess?  A love triangle.  Lucky me.  Personally, I'm on team Lucas, mostly because Helen was with him first, and also because I imagine him being eons more attractive than Orion.  Helen's wavering attraction between the two drove me crazy.  Completely ballistic, actually.  I get how Helen would be freaked out by Lucas because they're supposedly cousins, but to try to have sex with Orion to get Lucas out of your mind?  Nuh-uh, honey.  You know it's not going to work because sex only lasts for a little bit and when it's over you'll just start bawling because you'll feel like you betrayed Lucas.  Common sense, right?
I'm definitely a hater of love triangles....

2. The beginning of Goddess was so slow!  The one thing I don't like about books is when it starts out weak; books should start off strong and then gradually become weaker so that you don't notice it as much.  But when it's right off the bat, you - unfortunately -  notice it.  I felt like I was just drifting through the first couple of chapters, aimlessly drifting in and out while nothing significant happens.

3. Goddess was dramatically weaker than Starcrossed and Dreamless.  I loved, loved, loved the first two books in the series, but I didn't even come close to loving Goddess, although I do love the cover.... The preceding books in the trilogy were memorable and quote-worthy, while Goddess is just like "Yeah, it was okay.  I'll probably forget about it in a week."  Or at least that's what I would say.  I think Goddess was weaker partially because it lacked romance.  There was barely any romance, and when there was, it was very sparingly described.  I love Helen and Lucas together and would've liked more romance scenes between the two, mostly because I didn't sense their connection.

Overall, I'm giving Goddess a 3.5/5 because I was expecting so much more.