The first story is Hera's, or Calliope, as she is called in the other novels and later stories. Hera takes us back to the time right after she and her siblings defeated their father, Kronus. Headstrong and loyal, Hera is stuck in a marriage to the unfaithful king of the gods, Zeus, who controls her life, while she pines for someone else. Hera's story nearly left me crying. I was reminded of the Keira Knightley movie "The Duchess" about the Duchess of Devonshire. Both were married to men who treated them horribly, both were forced to take in their husband's daughters, both were in love with other men, both had tragic endings. It was also horrifying to read about how power-hungry Zeus (Walter) was. At first I was shocked that he was so bad, and even when I understood his character better (though only from afar) I still couldn't connect the desperate man who will do anything to stay in charge and get his way with the quiet and stately Walter in the other books.
Instead of the five stories being totally different entities, I was pleasantly surprised to find all five flowing into each other. Although each story had genuine endings, it was interesting to see what happened after the endings and how the events at the end of each story effected all the characters. Ava/Aphrodite had the next tale and hers was the one I was looking forward to the most. In the other books then Ava, the goddess of love, dallied with several of the gods but she also made it clear that she loved her own husband, Hephaestus, the most. I loved reading about how their love played out and it provided insight into what is probably the most open marriage ever. It was also beautiful to read about Ava's love of love, which is her greatest weakness.
Persephone got the third story, which told us from her perspective about her time with Hades and her love for Adonis. I didn't particularly love this story, and it was a little hard to think of her as the same self-absorbed Persephone as in Goddess Interrupted, but it was still good nonetheless. It also finally explained why she and Ava were fighting over James when it was pretty obvious that neither of them were currently in love with him. In Goddess Interrupted I took Ava's side in the fight, but after reading about Persephone and James, I saw that Ava was being her selfish old self and that Persephone is actually in the right. I found it interesting that neither Ava nor Persephone seemed selfish in their own stories, but that both were totally egocentric in the other books, yet only Persephone was extremely disliked and judged for it. And although I understand why-she treated Hades horribly-she was still forced into marriage at 16 to a guy she didn't love.
The fourth story was about James/Hermes. It was good but I didn't think it provided insight like the other stories did. What James' story did provide was an explanation for the name changes. There was also a goddess named Iris in his story who I am extremely curious about. Where did she come from and is she in the other books and I just don't remember? Or was she invented for only this story? (I know she wasn't invented because she's part of Greek mythology, I'm just wondering about her presence in this series.) Henry's story finished up the bunch. His only told of the time leading up to Kate's arrival and didn't tell a story as much as the others did. Henry's tale was more of a tiny introduction to The Goddess Test.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who read The Goddess Test and Goddess Interrupted and enjoyed them. The stories in Legacy are supplementary to the novels and can increase your appreciation for them by showing you how each god and goddess developed into their unique and seemingly random personas in The Goddess Test.
5 stars.
For millennia we've caught only glimpses of the lives and loves of the gods and goddesses on Olympus. Now Aimée Carter pulls back the curtain on how they became the powerful, petty, loving and dangerous immortals that Kate Winters knows.
Calliope/Hera represented constancy and yet had a husband who never matched her faithfulness….
Ava/Aphrodite was the goddess of love and yet commitment was a totally different deal….
Persephone was urged to marry one man, yet longed for another….
James/Hermes loved to make trouble for others;but never knew true loss before….
Henry/Hades's solitary existence had grown too wearisome to continue. But meeting Kate Winters gave him a new hope.
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