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3.38 AVERAGE
3.38 AVERAGE
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An f/f Hades and Persephone dark romance? Of course I ate this shit up!
2.5 Stars
I so wanted to love this one, as a Hades-Persephone retelling and also because it was a dark FF romance. But alas. A. I should not have read it so soon after ACOMAF, and B. Maybe I went in with all the wrong expectations? I don’t know. Because I didn’t feel the romance coming off the page at all. Is it just me or do authors shy away from writing actual, searing chemistry in FF romances? I mean they’re enemies who turn lovers with great reluctance, at least on Persephone’s part, so I’d expect loads of tension, but they’re just...boring. Their relationship just fell flat for me, neither living up to its dark promise nor to its fantastical tension-y yearning. They just didn’t seem that into each other, all said and done.
The setting is appropriately dreary yet evocative, and the writing is poetic and beautiful, but none of it could hold my attention. There was very little character development, we especially hardly get to know Hades even though she’s the more interesting of the two. I suppose it’s in trying to stay true to the myths, but Persephone’s naïveté and innocence, to a fault, gets annoying real fast. I was tired of her by the end of it.
I so wanted to love this one, as a Hades-Persephone retelling and also because it was a dark FF romance. But alas. A. I should not have read it so soon after ACOMAF, and B. Maybe I went in with all the wrong expectations? I don’t know. Because I didn’t feel the romance coming off the page at all. Is it just me or do authors shy away from writing actual, searing chemistry in FF romances? I mean they’re enemies who turn lovers with great reluctance, at least on Persephone’s part, so I’d expect loads of tension, but they’re just...boring. Their relationship just fell flat for me, neither living up to its dark promise nor to its fantastical tension-y yearning. They just didn’t seem that into each other, all said and done.
The setting is appropriately dreary yet evocative, and the writing is poetic and beautiful, but none of it could hold my attention. There was very little character development, we especially hardly get to know Hades even though she’s the more interesting of the two. I suppose it’s in trying to stay true to the myths, but Persephone’s naïveté and innocence, to a fault, gets annoying real fast. I was tired of her by the end of it.
3,5
Ha sido toda una experiencia abierta y gratificante leer un historia basada en Hades y Perséfone siendo ambas mujeres.
No entendía esa actitud de rapto y secuestro hasta que en el libro Cronos explica que antiguamente se cortejaba así, y por ello, justifico la actitud de la pobre Hades que siempre ha estado marginada de los demás dioses. Además, no podemos pedir que un libro con la temática sobre este mito no tenga cosas moralmente reprochables.
Ha sido toda una experiencia abierta y gratificante leer un historia basada en Hades y Perséfone siendo ambas mujeres.
No entendía esa actitud de rapto y secuestro hasta que en el libro Cronos explica que antiguamente se cortejaba así, y por ello, justifico la actitud de la pobre Hades que siempre ha estado marginada de los demás dioses. Además, no podemos pedir que un libro con la temática sobre este mito no tenga cosas moralmente reprochables.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Captive In The Underworld is a dark Hades/Persephone retelling, with Hades being a woman. This book came reccomended to be on tiktok.
I love the Hades and Persephone myth, and their love. Persephone being the goddess of spring and the underworld?! Iconic. I have read several rerellings - a Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair, Neon Gods by Katee Robert's and now this one. I was interested because this was a Dark Romance version of this story, and I haven't been able to get into Dark romances.
I... still don't like Dark Romances. This had a happy ending, but I struggled to get through the dark scenes. The author was talented, and the scenes were enticeing.. but I couldn't get over my original feelings for the subject matter.
In this book Hades is caring, but she goes about it in a very disgusting way. She eventually finds her place and is able to make the right decisions, but not until after Persephone has suffered. Demeter in most retellings is an over protective, bad dmom. In this retelling she is completly unhinged.
The writing of this book was excellent. I felt such strong emotions during this book, from disgust to frustration, to helplessness. It was a Rollercoaster of emotion.
I would never rate a book badly because I didn't enjoy the subject matter. Just because it's not for me doesn't mean it's a bad book, hence the 5 stars on good reads.
Please check out trigger warnings ⚠️
I love the Hades and Persephone myth, and their love. Persephone being the goddess of spring and the underworld?! Iconic. I have read several rerellings - a Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair, Neon Gods by Katee Robert's and now this one. I was interested because this was a Dark Romance version of this story, and I haven't been able to get into Dark romances.
I... still don't like Dark Romances. This had a happy ending, but I struggled to get through the dark scenes. The author was talented, and the scenes were enticeing.. but I couldn't get over my original feelings for the subject matter.
In this book Hades is caring, but she goes about it in a very disgusting way. She eventually finds her place and is able to make the right decisions, but not until after Persephone has suffered. Demeter in most retellings is an over protective, bad dmom. In this retelling she is completly unhinged.
The writing of this book was excellent. I felt such strong emotions during this book, from disgust to frustration, to helplessness. It was a Rollercoaster of emotion.
I would never rate a book badly because I didn't enjoy the subject matter. Just because it's not for me doesn't mean it's a bad book, hence the 5 stars on good reads.
Please check out trigger warnings ⚠️
Rape/Non-consent
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault
Delightful!!
This was a solid 4⭐️ for me!! I really enjoyed Tan’s writing, I LOVED Hades, the story was v compelling, & as a fashion history buff the fact that the historical garments are accurately described/named was ~so incredible~ omg
This was a solid 4⭐️ for me!! I really enjoyed Tan’s writing, I LOVED Hades, the story was v compelling, & as a fashion history buff the fact that the historical garments are accurately described/named was ~so incredible~ omg
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Violence, Murder
Minor: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts
dark
emotional
slow-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