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indyandkikigoespaperback's review
3.0
After finishing The Maiden and the Unseen I had some hope that the second installment would be better. It started out well but soon felt monotonous. There were many good ideas, but the execution was not there, and everything just felt a bit slapdash.
We see more of Hades' past and Persephones childhood and experience the trauma both went through at the hands of those who were supposed to protect them through memories.
The relationship dynamic between Hades and Persephone, however, was so depressing. It was a jumble of miscommunication, passive aggresive behavior and childishness. Persephone's instant friendship with Cerberus was sweet at first but later became overkill as it felt like she was trying to use him to annoy Hades. I also had the question of how Persephone was battle trained when she had such a sheltered life. There were no prior mentions of her exercising, let alone being able to handle weapons of any kind.
The ending was a unexpected and ended similar to a book I read earlier in the year. Will be interesting to see how both resolve this grim situation.
We see more of Hades' past and Persephones childhood and experience the trauma both went through at the hands of those who were supposed to protect them through memories.
The relationship dynamic between Hades and Persephone, however, was so depressing. It was a jumble of miscommunication, passive aggresive behavior and childishness. Persephone's instant friendship with Cerberus was sweet at first but later became overkill as it felt like she was trying to use him to annoy Hades. I also had the question of how Persephone was battle trained when she had such a sheltered life. There were no prior mentions of her exercising, let alone being able to handle weapons of any kind.
The ending was a unexpected and ended similar to a book I read earlier in the year. Will be interesting to see how both resolve this grim situation.
adriftinaworldofwords's review
4.0
“‘I am Persephone. Goddess of Spring. Queen of the Underworld. And I am my own ruler.’”- The Mistress & the Renowned by Jeanette Rose & Alexis Rune
Rating: ✨✨✨✨
Spice: Less spice than in the first book, still a lot of spicy tension
The story continues! In the 2nd book, Persephone is whisked away to be Queen of the Underworld, but Hades is not by her side. Perturbed by her nightmares that echo with Hades voice and concerned something may have happened to him, Persephone sets out to find him, regardless of being told that he most likely is still in the mortal realm. Meanwhile, Hades is trapped in memories that he thought he locked away tightly and is crumbling away bit by bit. Will Persephone be able to find him? And if she does, will they be able to overcome Hades decision together?
Amidst all of the fighting and the spicy tension, THE BOOK GOT BETTER! I love where this story is heading, even though there are things I didn’t love about the storyline. I fell in love with the characters even more as they misunderstand, miscommunicate, and fight for each other and themselves throughout the book. I think the dual POV was really key in this story because I don’t think I would have understood Hades actions as much if I didn’t have that side of the story. Also the ending of this book had me IMMEDIATELY making sure I could get the next book and I think I would have stopped existing if it wasn’t readily available. I cannot wait to read the third book in the series and the novella that was written.
*SPOILERS*
What I loved:
-Hades’ character development: Okay, I LOVED Hades' character development!! It was just so human and relatable. He had never been in a relationship before Persephone and he kept making mistakes. He had almost no self-confidence when it came to their relationship and was always misunderstanding Persephone because he was so worried he was going to lose her. He was not the greatest at communicating either (I guess two millennia alone will do that?). But he learned from his mistakes and apologized when he needed to. His character was just so relatable and I loved it!
-Persephone’s character development: I loved Persephone’s character development too!! I love how she kept fighting to keep her autonomy, regardless of life-altering choices that always seemed to be made for her. She fought for her right to be able to discuss what had happened when SHE was ready to do so, not on anyone else’s timeline (even though Hades tried to push her before she was ready). She learned from her mistakes as well and was able to start throwing off the thought processes that had been conditioned into her by her mother. She became stronger and more resilient as the story went on, and I just loved it! And the way that she deals with her brother-in-laws is hilarious! Girl definitely has some steel in her and isn’t afraid to tell anyone what’s what!
-Cerberus and Persephone’s relationship: Just her calling him “Berry” and the fact it was Hades’ dog before Persephone, but Cerberus just started to ignore Hades was funny! Every time Persephone and Cerberus were together, it was just some wholesome moments amidst the chaos Persephone was experiencing. Honestly, it reminded me of the moments I have with my dog and it was just so cute.
-Relatable characters: I’ve already gone into detail above about Hades and Persephone being super relatable characters. But I also found some of the secondary characters, like Thanatos, relatable too even if they didn’t get as much page time.
What I didn’t love:
-Constant misunderstanding/miscommunication: I feel like this part dragged on in the story for much longer than it needed to be. Although it made sense for the story, I didn’t like how Persephone and Hades were constantly at war with each other (but I am a sucker for HEA, so maybe that’s part of the problem).
Rating: ✨✨✨✨
Spice: Less spice than in the first book, still a lot of spicy tension
The story continues! In the 2nd book, Persephone is whisked away to be Queen of the Underworld, but Hades is not by her side. Perturbed by her nightmares that echo with Hades voice and concerned something may have happened to him, Persephone sets out to find him, regardless of being told that he most likely is still in the mortal realm. Meanwhile, Hades is trapped in memories that he thought he locked away tightly and is crumbling away bit by bit. Will Persephone be able to find him? And if she does, will they be able to overcome Hades decision together?
Amidst all of the fighting and the spicy tension, THE BOOK GOT BETTER! I love where this story is heading, even though there are things I didn’t love about the storyline. I fell in love with the characters even more as they misunderstand, miscommunicate, and fight for each other and themselves throughout the book. I think the dual POV was really key in this story because I don’t think I would have understood Hades actions as much if I didn’t have that side of the story. Also the ending of this book had me IMMEDIATELY making sure I could get the next book and I think I would have stopped existing if it wasn’t readily available. I cannot wait to read the third book in the series and the novella that was written.
*SPOILERS*
What I loved:
-Hades’ character development: Okay, I LOVED Hades' character development!! It was just so human and relatable. He had never been in a relationship before Persephone and he kept making mistakes. He had almost no self-confidence when it came to their relationship and was always misunderstanding Persephone because he was so worried he was going to lose her. He was not the greatest at communicating either (I guess two millennia alone will do that?). But he learned from his mistakes and apologized when he needed to. His character was just so relatable and I loved it!
-Persephone’s character development: I loved Persephone’s character development too!! I love how she kept fighting to keep her autonomy, regardless of life-altering choices that always seemed to be made for her. She fought for her right to be able to discuss what had happened when SHE was ready to do so, not on anyone else’s timeline (even though Hades tried to push her before she was ready). She learned from her mistakes as well and was able to start throwing off the thought processes that had been conditioned into her by her mother. She became stronger and more resilient as the story went on, and I just loved it! And the way that she deals with her brother-in-laws is hilarious! Girl definitely has some steel in her and isn’t afraid to tell anyone what’s what!
-Cerberus and Persephone’s relationship: Just her calling him “Berry” and the fact it was Hades’ dog before Persephone, but Cerberus just started to ignore Hades was funny! Every time Persephone and Cerberus were together, it was just some wholesome moments amidst the chaos Persephone was experiencing. Honestly, it reminded me of the moments I have with my dog and it was just so cute.
-Relatable characters: I’ve already gone into detail above about Hades and Persephone being super relatable characters. But I also found some of the secondary characters, like Thanatos, relatable too even if they didn’t get as much page time.
What I didn’t love:
-Constant misunderstanding/miscommunication: I feel like this part dragged on in the story for much longer than it needed to be. Although it made sense for the story, I didn’t like how Persephone and Hades were constantly at war with each other (but I am a sucker for HEA, so maybe that’s part of the problem).
l4urenf13's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
nadine_read's review against another edition
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
booksbystarlightandshadows's review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
3.25
One of things I liked about the first book in this series was the modern setting of this Hades/Persephone retelling including the added spin of a workplace romance. Admittedly, Hades and Persephone have bigger problems right now but a single call to Minthe is really the only connection to that element this time round. This book felt completely different - it's really angsty and Persephone was a little hard to connect with. The miscommunication and lack of real communication in general is there for a lot of the book and although there is still plenty of spice, that flirty connection from book one wasn't as prevalent and instead it's a lot more serious. Hades is also working through some trauma in this and the overall tone is a lot heavier than book one. I didn't mind this but would have loved lighter moments to balance it out.
That being said I loved the introduction of the other gods; Zeus and Persephone's friction was a highlight and I really wanted to know more about Morpheus and Thanatos as well as Aphrodite and Hephaestus . I am also looking forward to the action kicking up in the next book now Demeter is making her final moves.
My interpretation of the star system;
3 stars - I enjoyed it; would read the author again
4 stars - I really liked it; I am invested and definitely want more from this author/series
5 stars - I loved it; I engaged with this book completely until I finished it and it is one I will re-read
That being said I loved the introduction of the other gods; Zeus and Persephone's friction was a highlight and I really wanted to know more about Morpheus and Thanatos as well as Aphrodite and Hephaestus . I am also looking forward to the action kicking up in the next book now Demeter is making her final moves.
My interpretation of the star system;
3 stars - I enjoyed it; would read the author again
4 stars - I really liked it; I am invested and definitely want more from this author/series
5 stars - I loved it; I engaged with this book completely until I finished it and it is one I will re-read
jeannethinks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
The Mistress & The Renowned
Love and Fate #2
By Jeanette Rose, Alexis Rune
There is so much to unpack here, I'm not sure where to start. One thing is for sure, the Underworld is sees more than you think. Persephone can hold a grudge. Hades learns to express himself. And there's some extremely graphic stuff that if you've made it to book two you're ready for more.
Battles, overbearing and deceitful parents, pretty things, and Berry. Enjoy.
Love and Fate #2
By Jeanette Rose, Alexis Rune
There is so much to unpack here, I'm not sure where to start. One thing is for sure, the Underworld is sees more than you think. Persephone can hold a grudge. Hades learns to express himself. And there's some extremely graphic stuff that if you've made it to book two you're ready for more.
Battles, overbearing and deceitful parents, pretty things, and Berry. Enjoy.
squids_can_read's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Hades is missing after he sends Persephone to the Underworld. But everything is not what it seems in the Underworld. It's breaking apart at it's seams. Can Hades and Persphone's love save the Underworld?
The writing style is pretty similar to the first book. The writing is mature, though I think it's defiantly more mature than the first book in certain places. I really enjoyed the discussions about trauma that were talked about in the book. The sex scenes were defiantly more described than the first book.
In this book, we got a lot more depth to the two main characters. The trauma that they went through actually made them more respectful of themselves and each other. I really liked how it seemed like Hades was trying to let Persephone make her own decisions which shows real growth from his character in the first book. We really don't see much of other characters in this book so I can't say much about them.
I did think that the plot was kind of everywhere in this novel. I can't go into it much without spoiling it but it seemed like this book contained plot points for about two or three books all smooshed into one. I think if the book was longer or split up it would be much better but as it stands, it was a little confusing.
The powers were much more explained in this book. It made much more sense to me despite the fact that the castle seems like a living thing with no explanation. Other than that, the powers made much more sense. Especially with the back story that we get.
Though one thing I wasn't a huge fan of was the large chapters of italics. It was just slightly hard for me to read and my eyes kept glazing over. I don't think it was a bad thing, especially since most of those chapters seemed fairly short but just something to keep in mind.
Overall, I liked this book much better than the first one and I am excited to finish the trilogy.
The writing style is pretty similar to the first book. The writing is mature, though I think it's defiantly more mature than the first book in certain places. I really enjoyed the discussions about trauma that were talked about in the book. The sex scenes were defiantly more described than the first book.
In this book, we got a lot more depth to the two main characters. The trauma that they went through actually made them more respectful of themselves and each other. I really liked how it seemed like Hades was trying to let Persephone make her own decisions which shows real growth from his character in the first book. We really don't see much of other characters in this book so I can't say much about them.
I did think that the plot was kind of everywhere in this novel. I can't go into it much without spoiling it but it seemed like this book contained plot points for about two or three books all smooshed into one. I think if the book was longer or split up it would be much better but as it stands, it was a little confusing.
The powers were much more explained in this book. It made much more sense to me despite the fact that the castle seems like a living thing with no explanation. Other than that, the powers made much more sense. Especially with the back story that we get.
Though one thing I wasn't a huge fan of was the large chapters of italics. It was just slightly hard for me to read and my eyes kept glazing over. I don't think it was a bad thing, especially since most of those chapters seemed fairly short but just something to keep in mind.
Overall, I liked this book much better than the first one and I am excited to finish the trilogy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Sexual content
nelliereadsalot's review against another edition
3.0
Whew, we live through the after effects of that cliffhanger for a while. Book 2 had a very different feel, but it had to be based on events. I liked the introduction of an animal sidekick 👀 and more time with Mellie!
Let's see where this goes!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book for an honest review.
Let's see where this goes!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book for an honest review.