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vexcrest_113's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
The second volume of Lore Olympus is hardly an improvement over the first except for the art. While keeping to the same style, I noticed far fewer glaring issues with anatomy or sudden switches to unfinished, uncolored sketches. However, the inconsistency with Persephone's character design remains a problem. The general shape of her body spontaneously flips from stick-thin with a large ass and tits to more realistically, thicker proportioned depending on the scene. The colors are still lovely and the art does shine when Smythe puts the time and effort in.
The worst thing about this is the age gap. It's not the simple fact that Persephone is 19 and Hades is over 2000, it's that the characters within the story repeatedly point this out and completely arbitrarily decide when that's no longer an ethical concern. Hera and Hecate both scold Hades and call him a creep for being attracted to someone who, from their perspective, is basically an infant due to how long she's been alive. Then, for no reason at all other than pitying Hades for not being married yet, they change their opinions and not only support him pursuing a barely legal girl with no life experience but actively try to get them together. This flip-flopping attitude shown by the adults makes them all appear enabling and problematic, as ultimately they only view Persephone as a prize for Hades to win. His own emotions are what matter and Persephone's perspective on him is an afterthought.
On top of that, Persephone's immaturity is frequently and deliberately highlighted to make the age gap and power imbalance even worse. The interactions she has with Hades look less like someone in their twenties flirting with someone in their thirties, but an actual teenager being hit on by someone who should be her grandfather. There is no sense of intellectual understanding and Hades appears irresponsible and reprehensible for sexualizing her as much as he does.
And don't forget that during all of this Hades is already seeing someone. So, great, not only is he a creep but he's disloyal as well. It's true that Hades and Minthe in this volume aren't exclusive, however they are still seeing one another and Hades actively keeps this a secret to make himself more desirable to Persephone. Gross. The other gods don't respect his relationship with Minthe, a lower class citizen, and take no issue trying to break them apart.
Persephone is also given a job at Hades' company which she is entirely unqualified for and is only getting due to nepotism. Not only that, but she's being paid for an internship despite no other interns at the company being paid. The favoritism is so blatant and disrespectful to the other workers it's a shock that only a select few complain. Of course, those who do complain are meant to be seen as mean by the reader. Hades being the boss of both Persephone and Minthe puts a strange light over his relationships with both of them because it's now a pattern of him having unfair power over the women he pursues. Can this man not be attracted to a woman who can reasonably challenge his authority? Demeter could do that for a time and he hated her for it.
When not counting conversations had over the phone, Hades and Persephone interact a shockingly little amount in this book. Despite being the advertised main feature of the story their romance takes an obvious backseat to instead focus on other characters merely talking -about- the romance. It's disappointing.
And this is not a serious criticism, but I do need to ask: What is the purpose of TGOEM? What is the purpose of goddesses declaring celibacy? What do they have to prove? They're gods. They can't have a religious moral failing for having sex when they themselves are gods. It's not for practical reasons, or religious reasons, or political ones- there doesn't appear to be any reason for it except to arbitrarily dictate what women can do. This is so strange to me and I can't fathom why an entire organization has been made amongst the gods specifically to prohibit sex. It's a bit stupid.
Dare I call it a plot contrivance to give Persephone a reason to not pursue Hades?
The worst thing about this is the age gap. It's not the simple fact that Persephone is 19 and Hades is over 2000, it's that the characters within the story repeatedly point this out and completely arbitrarily decide when that's no longer an ethical concern. Hera and Hecate both scold Hades and call him a creep for being attracted to someone who, from their perspective, is basically an infant due to how long she's been alive. Then, for no reason at all other than pitying Hades for not being married yet, they change their opinions and not only support him pursuing a barely legal girl with no life experience but actively try to get them together. This flip-flopping attitude shown by the adults makes them all appear enabling and problematic, as ultimately they only view Persephone as a prize for Hades to win. His own emotions are what matter and Persephone's perspective on him is an afterthought.
On top of that, Persephone's immaturity is frequently and deliberately highlighted to make the age gap and power imbalance even worse. The interactions she has with Hades look less like someone in their twenties flirting with someone in their thirties, but an actual teenager being hit on by someone who should be her grandfather. There is no sense of intellectual understanding and Hades appears irresponsible and reprehensible for sexualizing her as much as he does.
And don't forget that during all of this Hades is already seeing someone. So, great, not only is he a creep but he's disloyal as well. It's true that Hades and Minthe in this volume aren't exclusive, however they are still seeing one another and Hades actively keeps this a secret to make himself more desirable to Persephone. Gross. The other gods don't respect his relationship with Minthe, a lower class citizen, and take no issue trying to break them apart.
Persephone is also given a job at Hades' company which she is entirely unqualified for and is only getting due to nepotism. Not only that, but she's being paid for an internship despite no other interns at the company being paid. The favoritism is so blatant and disrespectful to the other workers it's a shock that only a select few complain. Of course, those who do complain are meant to be seen as mean by the reader. Hades being the boss of both Persephone and Minthe puts a strange light over his relationships with both of them because it's now a pattern of him having unfair power over the women he pursues. Can this man not be attracted to a woman who can reasonably challenge his authority? Demeter could do that for a time and he hated her for it.
When not counting conversations had over the phone, Hades and Persephone interact a shockingly little amount in this book. Despite being the advertised main feature of the story their romance takes an obvious backseat to instead focus on other characters merely talking -about- the romance. It's disappointing.
And this is not a serious criticism, but I do need to ask: What is the purpose of TGOEM? What is the purpose of goddesses declaring celibacy? What do they have to prove? They're gods. They can't have a religious moral failing for having sex when they themselves are gods. It's not for practical reasons, or religious reasons, or political ones- there doesn't appear to be any reason for it except to arbitrarily dictate what women can do. This is so strange to me and I can't fathom why an entire organization has been made amongst the gods specifically to prohibit sex. It's a bit stupid.
Dare I call it a plot contrivance to give Persephone a reason to not pursue Hades?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, and Classism
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Violence, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment
dannothedino's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Grief, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Death of parent, and Alcohol
tyras_bookshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
(My review is for the series as a whole.)
The world building, the storytelling, how Smythe deals with trauma and the characters healing 👏🏾
The world building, the storytelling, how Smythe deals with trauma and the characters healing 👏🏾
I started reading in 2020 so it’s hard to sum up something that’s been running for so long but my favorite parts:
- Persephone’s arc; gaining confidence in herself, owning her mistakes, healing from her past, growing into a brave woman and (sometimes wrath-filled) queen.
- Their relationship; the pining and slow burn with a big payoff. (The age gap is uncomfortable, she’s 19 vs he’s like as old as time but the characters address it and it’s fantasy so you let it slide). There’s a lot of trust, respect and care in their relationship and it’s nice to see it grow.
- All the artwork is really pretty!
- Apollo and Kronos getting exactly what they deserve as terrible, violent beings.
I’d read it again in a heartbeat and wish I could start it over.
Very well done and it’s bittersweet to see it end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Toxic friendship
trashqwean's review against another edition
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Domestic abuse
kirathebibliophile_'s review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, and Gaslighting
crosberg's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Sexual harassment
melissalivanos's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Sexual assault
dlrosebyh's review against another edition
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
When Persephone departed the mortal realm for Olympus, she was eager to begin a new life. However, she rapidly found the dark side of her dazzling new home—from small rumors endangering her reputation to a realm-shattering violation of her safety by the egotistical Apollo—and she's still fighting to find her footing in the gods' fast-paced world. Hades is similarly off-kilter, battling his growing love for the child goddess of spring while preserving his lonely Underworld reign. As the two become closer, they must disentangle the tangled webs of their past and present in order to create a new future.
The cliffhanger is crushing me, but I enjoyed the book. Nothing very outstanding. I'm starting to loathe Hades, but each episode makes Persephone seem more and more relatable.
The cliffhanger is crushing me, but I enjoyed the book. Nothing very outstanding. I'm starting to loathe Hades, but each episode makes Persephone seem more and more relatable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Rape
sweaterweather_inmymind's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, and Sexual assault