Goddess by Josephine Angelini

Goddess by Josephine Angelini
Release Date – May 28, 2013
Publisher Website -  Harper Collins
Publisher Social Media - Twitter/Facebook/SavvyReader
Pages - 432 pages
My Rating- 4.5/5
**obtained for review from publisher**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

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.

Josephine Angelini ends her twist on Greek mythology with a thrilling ending that both delivers action and romance in equal measure.

Greek mythology on a whole, but especially a fairly well known story of this mythology, provides the inspiration behind this installment of Helen's story. Each character has a specific role to play, and seeing it all fall into place rather magical.

This novel shows the planning, and forethought that went into the series. It's like Josephine set up this intricate set of dominoes, and when the time was right, let them tumble. Each thing fell into place perfectly. Every single little detail was tied in somewhere. Things you may not have realized would have a huge impact on the story end up being important.

Helen's transformation because staggeringly apparently in this novel. She's changed from the shy, timid, and unsure girl in the first novel into a strong, smart goddess. I love that she uses not only her power, but her intelligence to over come things. There are numerous scenes where it's her fast thinking that comes in handy, and it's a wonderful nod to the trickery of the gods themselves.

Orion's back story is revealed in full heartbreaking detail. It made me love his character even more. He quickly won my affection in Dreamless and I fully rooted for him to get the girl. I was satisfied by Orion's ultimate fate, and what destiny had in store for him.

Fans of Lucas will delight in knowing that the brooding, destructive boy from Dreamless is mostly gone. He's a different person, and is ready to step into the role of soldier in this war. His story, and path, take an interesting twist that I did not see coming. The impact of some of his choices is huge.

The gods appear in full force in this novel. They are everything you would expect them to be. Ruthless, and deadly, they present a true force to be reckoned with for Helen and her family/friends. This war, sadly, has causalities, and they are heartbreaking. One in particular is crushing because once you figure things out, it's obvious that it's coming..

I couldn't think of a more perfect way to end this series. It was a ending that was satisfying without having everything too nicely wrapped up. There are things left unexplored that could be a fantastic jumping point for another series if Josephine wanted to continue on, which I hope she eventually does. This is a world I would be glad to return to.

 Romance, action, and a delicious unveiling to all the secrets that have been building up since the first novel await. A stunning ending to an amazingly constructed series.