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misszierose's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-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? It's complicated
4.25
alrightieaphroditie's review against another edition
5.0
four point five stars! ❀ god, despite this taking me two weeks to get through, i absolutely ADORED this book. the writing was literally some of the best i’ve ever read, and i am very, very intrigued to pick up some of virtues’ other works! i love all things hades and persephone, and this was probably one of the better renditions of the myth that i’ve read. i loved every second of it (except for the twist at like the 90% mark :/ it felt a bit rushed to me ngl but it was still pretty good) and i am so excited to read about aphrodite and hephaestus next!! i think it’s gonna be just as good
30something_reads's review against another edition
medium-paced
3.25
This is a t4t, all Black, spicy Hades/Persephone retelling and the first in a series of interconnected standalones in this worlds.
The thing I always struggle a bit with is the world building in modern mythology retellings like this. Nothing is ever quite explained well enough- the power structures, the relationships. So you have to go in knowing it's a little confusing in that regard.
What I did love about this was Hades and Persephone as characters. Persephone is such a strong main character in this one. She has fought for her life and she is unrelenting in pursuing her dreams. Hades also had a well developed backstory that gave weight to the dark character he is always portrayed to be. I loved the fragility in Hades that Persephone got to see and how she gave him strength in her own ways.
And the spice was top tier.
I'll definitely be digging into the rest of the series.
The thing I always struggle a bit with is the world building in modern mythology retellings like this. Nothing is ever quite explained well enough- the power structures, the relationships. So you have to go in knowing it's a little confusing in that regard.
What I did love about this was Hades and Persephone as characters. Persephone is such a strong main character in this one. She has fought for her life and she is unrelenting in pursuing her dreams. Hades also had a well developed backstory that gave weight to the dark character he is always portrayed to be. I loved the fragility in Hades that Persephone got to see and how she gave him strength in her own ways.
And the spice was top tier.
I'll definitely be digging into the rest of the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Gun violence, Stalking, and Violence
edalvie's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
chance_celestialnateart's review
dark
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
4.0
zarelaeda's review
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.0
Mild spoilers
This was a recommended book from someone I follow and I walked into it knowing 2 things: it was Hades and Persephone and that the author wasn't white. I normally stay away from this particular pairing for retellings because it usually doesn't go well. This book changed my mind. To find a queer, Black and Brown, modern retelling with compassionate men who aren't afraid to show their love was not what I expected. I also didn't believe the sex scenes were going to be as detailed and delicious as they were, but here we are. I've been suggesting this book since I hit page 100 to everyone who will listen and I cannot wait to read the rest of the series.
This was a recommended book from someone I follow and I walked into it knowing 2 things: it was Hades and Persephone and that the author wasn't white. I normally stay away from this particular pairing for retellings because it usually doesn't go well. This book changed my mind. To find a queer, Black and Brown, modern retelling with compassionate men who aren't afraid to show their love was not what I expected. I also didn't believe the sex scenes were going to be as detailed and delicious as they were, but here we are. I've been suggesting this book since I hit page 100 to everyone who will listen and I cannot wait to read the rest of the series.
thehaikubandit's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
arkwen452's review against another edition
The author clearly put a lot of thought in the world structure that the story is based in. I find that it is very dense, which is not a bad thing, but the third person I feel may have been the bad might've been the wrong choice for the book. The character dynamics, and the character connections feel Lost and disconnected. I don't feel or am able to connect to the characters in the three chapters that I've read so far. There is a lot of the myth around Hades that people are saying that he is not like the myth but I'm not seeing him be anything that objects to this to these statements, or Reinstate these statements either. Hades is just in my mind who characters around him say he is. And if I'm supposed to connect her empathize with the plate of Hades, then I want to see his character do things say things that contradict the myth, or the myth that everyone else Believes. But overall, I think I am not into Greek mythology, or Greek retellings as I thought I would be just based off of the premise of this book. Perhaps I would come back to it in the future.