Even a Goddess Can't Escape Troy

No one is more petulant and used to getting their way than the Greek Gods. When a prophecy tells of a group of Scions or demigods overthrowing the gods, they can't stand to let that happen. But all Helen wants is to protect the ones she loves. In the stunning conclusion to Josephine Angelini's Starcrossed series, Goddess, the gods finally get a taste of their own medicine.

While the four houses of Scions have always remained divided and bitter, but their battle to find Atlantis and become immortal has reached new levels of violence. The prophecy of the Tyrant who will be their undoing has got everyone scared, even the gods. But Helen, Lucan, Orion and the other Scions know the house division is not something they can stand by and let happen anymore. They must come together in order to keep from repeating the same story over and over again. 

The Fates have recycled the story of Helen of Troy since it first began with the intention of changing the ending. When that doesn't happen, the story begins again in new Scions, hoping they will finally be the ones to overthrow their parents, the Greek Gods. Helen and the others are the next in line for those roles, but they refuse to let the cycle continue and let the gods win again. Instead, their teamwork and refusal to bow down to history might be the one thing that can change it. As the first Scions to bring all four houses together, they finally have a chance, but fighting a battle with the gods means great stakes and great consequences if they lose. They aren't willing to risk each other or their loved ones, but in a battle this great, that seems to be the only solution.

I have to say, this was a really fabulous series. And one of the most amazing character transformations had to be Helen. I always liked her, but the Helen by the end of the trilogy was so strong and powerful, yet not corrupted by her awe inspiring power. As the Scion who seemed to be more powerful than even she understood, it would have been all too easy to fall corrupt, but she never lost sight of those who mattered- her family and friends. And there is nothing more important to Helen than protecting innocent mortals who don't deserve to die as casualties of an ancient war they know nothing about. She was a fabulous leading lady, and I really enjoyed reading about her journey. 

This final book is very, very myth heavy. It delves heavily into historical and mythological stories, such as those of Helen of Troy all the way to Lancelot and Guinevere. Personally, I loved the historical flashbacks Helen experienced as she dreamt, but I can see where they might bog the story down for an unfamiliar reader. Still, they made the plot development so much more than just the story of a couple of kids in Nantucket. Instead, it became this large, almost mythological experience all on its own. I am sad to see the end of this great series, but I loved living through it over the past couple of years. I hope Angelini is writing furiously as we speak with an equally amazing new series, because I need something of hers to look forward to!

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

Love at First Sight. Now be honest, your first instinct is to be cynical. "What nonsense... love at first sight. It's not possible!" You want to blame it on attraction, on pheromones, on anything but kismet, fate, serendipity. But then there is that little voice inside, that optimistic, romantic person inside of you who wants to believe in Love at First Sight. It is the stuff of all those books we read and movies we watch. Jennifer E. Smith lets you answer the question, what is The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight?


Hadley hates small places, so the idea of flying to London is like the seventh layer of hell for her. Add to the hours long ride in a metal tube thousands of feet in the air that she is going to her father's wedding and you have a perfectly miserable trip on your hands. In retrospect, there are many things that made Hadley miss her original plane by four minutes, and without them all happening, she would have caught her plane and never met Oliver. Instead, she misses the plane. And she meets Oliver. And her whole world changes.


Oliver makes the plane ride more than tolerable. He and Hadley talk all night. They tell each other things they haven't told anyone else because they have a connection both can feel but neither fully understands. They are drawn to one another and feel like they have known each other forever, but they have only known each other for hours. When the plane lands, Hadley feels an overwhelming sense of loss knowing they must both go their separate ways. But do they have to? What are the chances of anything working out between two people who just met on a plane? But then again, would she be able to forgive herself if she didn't at least try?


Oh it was love at first sight alright. I saw this book and knew I would love it, and by golly, I was right! Hadley and Oliver are just so perfect together. They might not admit it right away, but you know it the minute they speak to each other. Neither lives the perfect life, and both have their own skeletons in the closet, but when they are together, those skeletons don't seem quite as scary as the used to. You will find yourself just as in love with this couple as they are with each other... it is kismet!


This is a great book for any middle school through high school student, although probably more likely to appeal to girls. The story is just ridiculously adorable, as are the two main characters. The subplot of Hadley's parents' divorce and her father's remarriage is handled really well. It shows the resentment Hadley feels along with the supreme sadness of no longer knowing her father. It also shows how Hadley has become the support for her mother and how that changes their relationship. This is a great story on so many levels, but the love at first sight is what will make you smile. The beauty of this book is that it catches you with the title and keeps you with the sweetest, most adorable story.

Old Mythology with a New Twist

Thought you knew Medusa? Mean, old hag who wanted to turn people out of stone out of anger for being romantically spurned? Not so much. As Tera Lynn Childs has done in the past, Sweet Venom takes an old story and makes it exciting again. You won't want to miss the new take on Medusa and her gorgon offspring!


Gretchen accepts her fate in life. She is a huntress, descendant of Medusa, the first huntress. Mythology was tainted by vengeful Gods and Goddesses who wanted the history books to portray Medusa as an evil monster, but in reality she hunted monsters, keeping mortals safe. And her legacy lives on through her generations long after her death. Medusa and her two sisters' children carried their talents and their need to kill monsters. And so Gretchen kills monsters. But when her mentor, Ursula, goes missing, and Gretchen bumps into a girl who could be her twin, she knows something is up... that is besides the fact that all of a sudden there are a lot more monsters on the street.


When Gretchen sees Grace, she is taken aback. But when Grace reacts to the monster Gretchen is trying to finish, she knows Grace is a huntress as well. She takes off with Grace, saving her from the venomous claws or fangs it is trying to sink into the unsuspecting new huntress. At first Gretchen just wants Grace to go away, but when it becomes clear the monsters are not going to stop chasing Grace, Gretchen agrees to train her. In the midst of their training, they realize they are part of something bigger than they both could have imagined- even bigger than all of newly realized Greek Mythology. And the scariest part is they aren't twins... they are triplets.


Tera Lynn Childs usually writes fun, witty, silly books that make you giggle and you enjoy just because they are so fun to read. They aren't the deepest stories in the world, but they certainly entertain. But this book is different. Interesting and exciting, yes, trivial and silly, no. I was surprised by the new tone Childs wrote in, but I liked it! I liked it a lot! And the story was really interesting with the three girls separated at birth to protect their legacy from being destroyed by their deaths. Plus, who could possibly dislike the kooky monsters skulking about the city?


The story is a little darker than her previous novels, but this could be a good transition from the obvious middle reader books into more young adult titles. If readers liked Childs' previous books, but they are growing a little immature for them, pass this on! Plus it is clearly going to be a series (Thanks, by the way Tera Lynn, for leaving me TOTALLY hanging!), and can keep them hooked for much more reading to come!