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dogoodwithbooks'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Closed Door Mod: Chapter 14, Chapters 16-19, Chapters 22-24, Chapter 27
I don’t know what Scarlett St. Clair put in this book because I simply could not get enough of it.
From the very first page, I was drawn into the modern retelling of Hades x Persephone and the intricately created world St. Clair designed. St. Clair’s writing captivated me, drawing me in deeper and deeper as Hades and Persephone’s relationship developed. A Touch of Darkness made it so easy or me to get invested in this story, from Persephone’s desires to become her own person to the growing and complex relationship between Persephone and Hades, I had such a hard time putting this book down. Both charming and dark at the same time, this is the kind of book that will leave you thinking about it for a long time.
I read this book as an immersion read and I think this is the best way to go since I didn’t have to spend five minutes internally debating how to pronounce a character’s name as well as the fact that it made the book come to life in this way. Sylvan did a good with the narration, keeping a consistent pace and matching their voice to the emotions conveyed in the text. While some of the characters (specifically with the side characters) had similar sounding voices, it wasn’t so bad to the point where I couldn’t tell which character was which.
This is definitely a series I will be continuing and it’ll be interesting to read the books from Hades’ POV to see how things compare from the books featuring Perspephone’s POV. If you’re looking for a dark romantasy with a writing style you cannot get enough of and you’re a fan of the “who did this to you?” trope, I feel like you would enjoy reading A Touch of Darkness.
I don’t know what Scarlett St. Clair put in this book because I simply could not get enough of it.
From the very first page, I was drawn into the modern retelling of Hades x Persephone and the intricately created world St. Clair designed. St. Clair’s writing captivated me, drawing me in deeper and deeper as Hades and Persephone’s relationship developed. A Touch of Darkness made it so easy or me to get invested in this story, from Persephone’s desires to become her own person to the growing and complex relationship between Persephone and Hades, I had such a hard time putting this book down. Both charming and dark at the same time, this is the kind of book that will leave you thinking about it for a long time.
I read this book as an immersion read and I think this is the best way to go since I didn’t have to spend five minutes internally debating how to pronounce a character’s name as well as the fact that it made the book come to life in this way. Sylvan did a good with the narration, keeping a consistent pace and matching their voice to the emotions conveyed in the text. While some of the characters (specifically with the side characters) had similar sounding voices, it wasn’t so bad to the point where I couldn’t tell which character was which.
This is definitely a series I will be continuing and it’ll be interesting to read the books from Hades’ POV to see how things compare from the books featuring Perspephone’s POV. If you’re looking for a dark romantasy with a writing style you cannot get enough of and you’re a fan of the “who did this to you?” trope, I feel like you would enjoy reading A Touch of Darkness.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Sexual harassment
Minor: Addiction, Death, and Violence
nonotyoshi's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Torture, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
literarymary95's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Persephone's character is a bit annoying and immature, but I guess that's normal for a girl in her early 20's. I really enjoyed Hades character though.
If you're interested in a Hades-Persephone retelling, I recommend Neon Gods by Katee Robert. It's a bit better.
If you're interested in a Hades-Persephone retelling, I recommend Neon Gods by Katee Robert. It's a bit better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Addiction, Death, and Violence
lizgom's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I read another retelling of Hades & Persephone and as much as I love the story, I’m not sure if it was the writing that lacked or the narrator. I can’t be sure. But I found myself skimming a lot and that was disappointing considering I love retellings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Addiction, Death, and Violence
sioxricky's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Violence and Alcohol
princess_marie's review against another edition
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Addiction and Violence
yarisbooksandbevs's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
medium-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
3.5
Doing the tandem is so much better than reading this alone. I still fine Persephone a bit annoying sometimes but the Hades pov helps balance it out
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Violence, and Alcohol
Moderate: Addiction and Sexual assault
Minor: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Mental illness
emilywemily6's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This was a very easy adult read that I got through extremely quickly. Many (many many) spicy scenes and lusty comments/thoughts. There wasn’t a lot of plot or backstory in this book, and Persephone annoyed me with how deliberately she distrusted Hades even when he answered her questions. And her jealousy towards Minthe was ridiculous and very contrived. This book was a fun time, but not a well-written time (though it wasn’t poorly written, it was just average). Bumped up to a 4 because I couldn’t wait to read the next book and absolutely devoured this one. I did really enjoy the world of this book- a modern day Greece with gods/goddesses being the famous people of the world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Torture, Violence, and Medical content
phangirl's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
C - 7
A - 10
W - 10
P - 7
I - 9
L - 8
E - 9
60/70
A - 10
W - 10
P - 7
I - 9
L - 8
E - 9
60/70
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Violence, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Addiction, Infidelity, and Religious bigotry
Sexual harassment, emotional abuse, and the violence do not occur between the main characters. Minor tags are for brief mentions or depictions that occur throughout.kcfedy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-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
4.75
The writing here is not superb but dang is it addicting. I was drawn in right away and could have read the whole book in one sitting.
I found this adaptation of Greek mythology to be a really fun break from other fantasy / romance books. If you know the stories about the gods discussed then you likely know what is to come in this book, to an extent. If you don’t know Greek mythology and want to be surprised, don’t research the characters beforehand. Despite my previous knowledge I ate this up and really enjoyed the read.
Key themes:
I found this adaptation of Greek mythology to be a really fun break from other fantasy / romance books. If you know the stories about the gods discussed then you likely know what is to come in this book, to an extent. If you don’t know Greek mythology and want to be surprised, don’t research the characters beforehand. Despite my previous knowledge I ate this up and really enjoyed the read.
Key themes:
- Rule breaking and forbidden relationships
- Conflict between mother and daughter
- Secret identities
- Changing perceptions
- Discovering your own power
- Journalism
- Relationships amongst characters - friendships and romantic relationships
- Greek mythology, of course
- Magic
It’s a smutty one so if you’re not into that, this isn’t your book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Torture, Violence, and Abandonment