German: Der Preis der Ewigkeit, trans. Freya Gehrke, Hamburg: Darkiss/Mira, 2014.

Prequels:

• Aimée Carter, The Goddess Test. The Goddess Test, 2011.
• Aimée Carter, The Goddess Hunt – A Goddess Test Novella 2012.
• Aimée Carter, The Goddess Interrupted, 2012.
• Aimée Carter, The Goddess Legacy – A Goddess Test Novella, 2012.

After Aphrodite betrayed her in the second volume of the Goddess Test series, Kate has to remain captive held by Cronus and Hera and gives birth to her son Milo in the fortress of Tartarus. Cronus offers her several times to rule the Underworld at his side, because he considers this solution as the only one allowing Kate to keep the baby with her. Kate is very much against this proposal, but she wants to prevent Cronus from attacking the Pantheon. Shortly afterwards Kate is rescued by the Olympians, but Hera badly injures Henry who lapses into a coma. Soon the Titan Rhea emerges; she hates her husband, because he devoured all their children afraid of the prophecy that one of them would take his throne. Rhea heals Henry with her magical healing power. Soon the final battle begins: the Olympians fight against the Titan Cronus, Hera, and Aphrodite. Rhea banishes Cronus again to the fortress of Tartarus by means of her blinding light. Kate defeats Hera on the rooftop of the fortress using as weapon a knife. Finally, Henry locks Cronus up in Tartarus and seals the doors forever. After the evil side is vanquished, Kate rescues Milo from the Underworld and returns to Henry’s mansion, where they reunite as a more traditional family.

The Greek myth about Hades and Persephone, as well as the mythical Titanomachy are combined with Christian themes in this romantic fantasy for teens. The novel creates a continuation of the myths in our times through mythological means and on mythological premises. A divine child is born – a strong Christian echo – the child’s mother fights for his survival and well-being, all noble forces join to defeat evil and they eventually triumph. The world of Greek gods is presented as morally questionable and its loose morals as cause of its decline. There is a rift between the Olympians themselves, old conflicts with the Titans revive, sinister new alliances are forged. Christian values, as required by the teen romance, prevail and the marriage of Henry and Kate bears little resemblance to Hades’ first marriage to Kate’s sister, Persephone, after many reversals, it becomes a happy traditional family deeply caring for their child. Kate, a quasi-Marian figure, full of compassion, visits even the convicted Cronus in his prison, displaying again Christian virtues, she has demonstrated from the outset, when she was passing her goddess test. Like all teen romances, this one has a happy ending and leads from revolt against expected behaviour through many exciting and amazing adventures to a traditional moral conclusion.

Stierstorfer, Michael, Antike Mythologie in der Kinder- und Jugendliteratur der Gegenwart. Unsterbliche Götter- und Heldengeschichten? [Ancient Mythology in Contemporary Literature. Immortal Stories of Gods and Heroes?], Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang, 2017, 128 pp.

Zinn, Laura and Otmar Kampert, "Lehren, Lernen und die neu-imaginierte Antike des 21. Jahrhunderts", Der Altsprachliche Unterricht. Latein Griechisch 1 (2017): 24–35.

Zinn, Laura, "Camp Half Blood, Mount Olympus Academy & Co. – Die Inszenierung der Schule in Mythenadaptionen des 21. Jahrhunderts", Markus Janka, Michael Stierstorfer, eds., Verjüngte Antike. Griechisch-römische Mythologie und Historie in zeitgenössischen Kinder- und Jugendmedien, Heidelberg: Winter, 2017, 99–115.