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bryelle's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
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? No
4.0
Very cute polycule with Eurydice, Orpheus, and Charon.
Orpheus and trying to win his way back into Eurydice’s life. Charon is finally making his feelings for her known. They all fit together so well. 👀👀👀
Orpheus and trying to win his way back into Eurydice’s life. Charon is finally making his feelings for her known. They all fit together so well. 👀👀👀
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Gun violence, War, and Blood
Moderate: Abortion
briannagriffin567's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Sexual content, and Violence
Minor: Abortion and Gun violence
booklover97's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Gun violence, Gore, and Sexual content
Minor: Abortion and War
apirlroge's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Blood, Gun violence, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Murder, Pregnancy, Abortion, and War
frantically's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Fun addition to the series!
I'm impressed by how Robert managed to redeem Eurydice and Orpheus' relationship – never would've imagined I'd like them together again. This is a poly relationship with Charon, too, but Charon and Eurydice only start dating at the beginning of the book as well which makes it all a bit too unstable for me, there's a lack of foundation with Charon and Eurydice's relationship which makes it hard to believe that they're the stable couple here, the couple Orpheus yearns to be a part of. This was probably done to not copy the Patroclus x Achilles x Helen relationship but I don't think I would've minded a repeat of that! The latter seemed a lot more natural imo.
I've not been quiet about the fact that I'm primarily here for the romance, not for the politics. I still don't think it was necessary to turn a series that started as "Modern!Hades has a sex club lol" into "Here are the intricate politics and diplomacy involved in trying to run a Modern!Olympus". I love scheming just as much as the next person but please Katee, this isn't ASOIAF. All that to say, I've had my suspicions on who the Big Bad was for some time now and I'm both elated at the reveal and a bit disappointed that this is the route we're going for when this is supposed to be this great feminist retelling. Hope that resonates with someone and I'm not alone!
Loved seeing more of Hades and Persephone again, they remain the best couple in this series for me (with the best book as well) and it's great to see how Persephone's grown into her role as Hades' partner. With Charon as an MC we really return back to Hades' realm and it felt like coming back to my favourite dysfunctional home.
As much as the pet play was advertised for this book, it didn't play that much of a part! Didn't think I'd be into it (and I'm still not really lol) but it was fun and even if the actual play didn't have that many scenes there were loads of dog puns that I chuckled at.
Like other reviewers have said, I'm too far in to stop now – let's see how Roberts manages to fit BDSM into a more and more complex political story next...
I'm impressed by how Robert managed to redeem Eurydice and Orpheus' relationship – never would've imagined I'd like them together again. This is a poly relationship with Charon, too, but Charon and Eurydice only start dating at the beginning of the book as well which makes it all a bit too unstable for me, there's a lack of foundation with Charon and Eurydice's relationship which makes it hard to believe that they're the stable couple here, the couple Orpheus yearns to be a part of. This was probably done to not copy the Patroclus x Achilles x Helen relationship but I don't think I would've minded a repeat of that! The latter seemed a lot more natural imo.
I've not been quiet about the fact that I'm primarily here for the romance, not for the politics. I still don't think it was necessary to turn a series that started as "Modern!Hades has a sex club lol" into "Here are the intricate politics and diplomacy involved in trying to run a Modern!Olympus". I love scheming just as much as the next person but please Katee, this isn't ASOIAF. All that to say, I've had my suspicions on who the Big Bad was for some time now and I'm both elated at the reveal and a bit disappointed that this is the route we're going for when this is supposed to be this great feminist retelling. Hope that resonates with someone and I'm not alone!
Loved seeing more of Hades and Persephone again, they remain the best couple in this series for me (with the best book as well) and it's great to see how Persephone's grown into her role as Hades' partner. With Charon as an MC we really return back to Hades' realm and it felt like coming back to my favourite dysfunctional home.
As much as the pet play was advertised for this book, it didn't play that much of a part! Didn't think I'd be into it (and I'm still not really lol) but it was fun and even if the actual play didn't have that many scenes there were loads of dog puns that I chuckled at.
Like other reviewers have said, I'm too far in to stop now – let's see how Roberts manages to fit BDSM into a more and more complex political story next...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy and Sexual content
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Abortion, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Toxic relationship, Gun violence, War, Death, and Medical content
ka_ke's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Cursing, and Sexual content
Minor: War, Classism, Gore, Grief, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, and Pregnancy
singingshooter's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: War, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Abortion, and Gun violence
booksandteatime's review against another edition
dark
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content, War, Abortion, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, Blood, and Death
emmsbookshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
5.0
The Dark Olympus Series has been great fun for me from the beginning and thus far there has not been a single one of these books I haven’t liked, Midnight Ruin was no exception and was a wild ride from start to finish. Whilst the books in these series are technically interconnected standalone’s you can not fully appreciate the story without having read the other books in the series before reading Midnight Ruin.
And ohh boy did this book jump right in! We get a taste of some of the juicy stuff between Orpheus, Charon and Eurydice really early on (considering the last few Dark Olympus books were a bit more slow burn this was a nice treat). From Book One we have been drip fed information about Eurydice and we have watched her character grow through the perspective of different protagonists who vary in their proximity to her (her sisters, mothers colleagues and general acquaintances) so it is very exciting to see this cut throat world through her eyes. Her self-exploration and growth was well rounded and her interactions with Orpheus and Charon had good flow.
While this story was majority character driven and led, the overarching plot continued to advance in this story. It has been a while since we have had a story anchored mostly in the Lower City and we continued to see additional layers in the city of New Olympus. This book continued to add elements to the political intrigue and built on the established dynamics. Katee Roberts writing is also so wonderfully considerate of its audience, there is complete transparency with trigger warnings at the start and the effort in ensuring balanced representation of all types of people of different backgrounds, identities and sexualities is something that the genre desperately needs, she does it well and without fanfare. Midnight Ruin showcased a very diverse cast of characters who just went about their business, it was fantastic.
My only criticism is the same as it has been with the last two Dark Olympus books, it needed to be just a little bit longer. I’d love for just a tiny bit more exploration at the end to make it a little less abrupt, but I know that this is a series of interconnected stories and I have complete faith that this series will be tied together with the right level of closure at the appropriate moment in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review, these thoughts are all my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Abortion, War, Violence, Pregnancy, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, and Gun violence
bangiebangs's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
5.0
5*
Spice: 5/5
I was extremely excited to read this book – huge expectations, and it did not disappoint. I think this hit the perfect balance between spice and the intricate politics of the larger arc, the threat to Olympus from outside, brought closer by Minos and his entourage.
The TL;DR is this: This book is PAINFULLY spicy, and it is full of political intrigue and a little heartbreak. It will keep you both on the edge of your seat or sighing softly as you relax back into the pillows. It’s a fantastic mix of politics and personal relationships, and features a budding switch, a surprise puppy, and the sexy glue that holds it all together (not THAT kinda glue, get your mind out of the gutter… for now, at least). It is exciting, well paced, really well written, and will leave you wanting more.
This book follows another one of Demeter’s daughters, Eurydice. In previous books we learned that her former lover, Orpheus, had betrayed her to the last Zeus and caused her serious harm in the process. She appeared here and there in the series, and we could see her get a little better: attending Minos’ party with Charon, meeting with Ariadne… and getting a mission from Callisto, the new Hera, that sets Eurydice on the path to carving out a new place in Olympus for herself.
Midnight Ruin finds her in Hades’ club where she regularly spends time. The story picks up where the last book ended, with her trying to set up a meeting with Ariadne. When that falls through, she is approached by Thanatos, breaking one of the rules she is supposed to follow, to watch but not engage. And – as will be the case repeatedly – Charon catches her and things get intense. The process of her learning to trust and also be trustworthy is a recurring theme in the book, which is echoed by other characters struggling with (and starting to overcome) their insecurities and metaphorical demons. Healing is very sexy indeed.
The book circles through more spicy and more political chapters as relationships form and change, and political events speed up. Charon is the fuel to Eurydice’s personal relationships and turns out to not only be a reliable and loyal friend, but a selfless lover in all possible ways. Without spoiling the story, we get to see Orpheus returning into her life and finding a space that makes the lives of all involved better. On Charon’s side, we can see him struggling with the baggage that this constellation brings and we get to enjoy the resolution that brings him a surprising new love. And finally, redemption for Orpheus – and he has to work for it (he loves it, and so do we)!
All in all, the dynamic between the three is so well done and was such a delight to read! Inventive, devious, surprising! I don’t often have such strong physical reactions to books, but suffice it to say that not only did this make me squeal with joy and giddiness but I’m pretty sure I left puddles on my seat because when I say that the spice was SPICY AF… it was ridiculously hot and tickled my brain in the most intriguing and devastating way.
Politics is pretty seamlessly woven into the story, and there is more of it in this than previous installments: the unrest after Hephaestus’ murder and the publication of the assassination clause has been growing. The Thirteen and all legacy families find themselves in increasing danger of being attacked, anytime, anywhere. Everything feels faster and more intense and it’s so well written you can almost feel the claustrophobia and growing feeling of hopelessness as no place remains safe and attacks increase not only increase in number but also hit closer and closer to home. Some things that happen had me gasp and just quietly beg that the worst case was not what was happening… mostly because I fully believe Katee Robert is fearless enough to kill off characters.
They certainly are devious enough to keep us guessing about loyalties and plans within plans. Is Hermes a traitor or not? Where even is she right now? We don’t know. What happens when the barrier finally breaks? Is there still time for diplomacy? We don’t know. Who will survive the larger attacks that are sure to follow? Is there maybe an even bigger villain behind the person who wields Minos and his family? So many questions!
Suffice it to say, I cannot wait for Dark Restraint, which I expect will give us more insight into the goings-on on the side of the attackers (and move everything forward, of course!). The way that future events are teased is another reason you should dive into this series if you haven’t already.
So, to sum up: Go get this book and a good bottle of your favorite beverage and settle in for a good night! Maybe put your phone on silent as well, just saying.
(This review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel with thanks to NetGalley.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Sexual content, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Death, War, Pregnancy, and Grief
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