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aliendaydreamer's review
1.5
As most neurodivergent people do, I went through a mythology phase when I was around 10. I memorized pretty much the entire pantheon and every myth I could. I thought a Greek mythology based erotica would be awesome, but no. Every change they made to character backstory, family tree stuff, and character threw me the fuck off. I could not concentrate on the good parts because I was so distracted. Probably also why I hate AU fanfic tbh
badgersssss's review
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
popgoesbitty's review
1.0
A couple things:
First, I want to thank this book. Truly. It taught me what erotica really is and should be, by showing me what it's not. More on that in a minute.
Second, this is the first book ever that I'm giving a rating to without finishing. I knew it would happen eventually. I knew it would take a book just this bad to make me do it. But here we are.
So why am I thanking Neon Gods? It's quite simple, really. I read erotic romance a lot, but I always assumed its overall quality directly correlated with the quality of the smut scenes and situations. This book showed me that couldn't be further from the truth. Did Neon Gods have some really good smut? Sure. But NOTHING else clicked, and therefore those smut scenes fell flatter than flat. It showed me erotic fiction as storytelling is a complex art--one that can be executed very, very poorly.
I know now that good erotic fiction is a delicate balance of A LOT of things. Tension, plot, sex positivity, character development, word choice, taboo, pacing...balance, balance, BALANCE.
I don't have the energy to go into why Neon Gods was bad. Just know I've read a lot of GOOD erotica, and this wasn't it.
P.S. Also worth mentioning, for those looking for cover-to-cover action, there's no nooky in this book for over 150 pages...
First, I want to thank this book. Truly. It taught me what erotica really is and should be, by showing me what it's not. More on that in a minute.
Second, this is the first book ever that I'm giving a rating to without finishing. I knew it would happen eventually. I knew it would take a book just this bad to make me do it. But here we are.
So why am I thanking Neon Gods? It's quite simple, really. I read erotic romance a lot, but I always assumed its overall quality directly correlated with the quality of the smut scenes and situations. This book showed me that couldn't be further from the truth. Did Neon Gods have some really good smut? Sure. But NOTHING else clicked, and therefore those smut scenes fell flatter than flat. It showed me erotic fiction as storytelling is a complex art--one that can be executed very, very poorly.
I know now that good erotic fiction is a delicate balance of A LOT of things. Tension, plot, sex positivity, character development, word choice, taboo, pacing...balance, balance, BALANCE.
I don't have the energy to go into why Neon Gods was bad. Just know I've read a lot of GOOD erotica, and this wasn't it.
P.S. Also worth mentioning, for those looking for cover-to-cover action, there's no nooky in this book for over 150 pages...
zagecko's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
Spice x5
ericabailey004's review
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
etepper's review
4.0
Holy spicy
Overall, this book was a very good read and will really test your poker face if you dare to read it in public.
Likes
I really liked how the characters were fully realized. Persephone is Olympus' golden girl tainted by the mysterious dark lord under the bridge. However, Persephone herself turns out to be just as dark and deadly as Hades. Hades is a dark, brooding, traumatized man who is caring and kind to those around me. Both main characters flirt with perception and truth, and their dynamic makes for an amazing read.
The retelling of the myth of Hades and Persephone showed through the book but wasn't painfully clear and unoriginal. One thing I noticed about the reviews is that people felt the book lacked world building, but since this is a retelling, the world lives within the world we already know, just with a few tweaks. I felt the world building and the plot were easy to follow
Holy spice. This book is EXTREMELY spicy, but does a great job balancing the spice with consent, aftercare, and romance, making Persephine and Hades' relationship perfectly "wicked".
Dislikes
I felt that some of the conflicts that arose were resolved quickly and could have become a great plot point. For example, Demeter threatened to cut off all the food supplies with the Lower City if Hades did not return Persephone, but Hades reveals that he secretly has a deal with Triton to get supplies for his citizens should the problem arise. Maybe Roberts could have incorporated that into the book as an additional plot point for Hades to solve. This felt like a hasty solution that could have better turned out to reveal the conflict within the court.
Also, I felt the resolution of killing Zeus was hasty. Demeter suddenly agreed to allow Persephone to be with Hades following their deal and then quickly gain support for Hades to kill Zeus. I wish there were more communication and light brought to Demeter as a slippery power-hungry God.
Overall, it was a great read and extremely entertaining.
4/5 ⭐️
5/5
Overall, this book was a very good read and will really test your poker face if you dare to read it in public.
Likes
I really liked how the characters were fully realized. Persephone is Olympus' golden girl tainted by the mysterious dark lord under the bridge. However, Persephone herself turns out to be just as dark and deadly as Hades. Hades is a dark, brooding, traumatized man who is caring and kind to those around me. Both main characters flirt with perception and truth, and their dynamic makes for an amazing read.
The retelling of the myth of Hades and Persephone showed through the book but wasn't painfully clear and unoriginal. One thing I noticed about the reviews is that people felt the book lacked world building, but since this is a retelling, the world lives within the world we already know, just with a few tweaks. I felt the world building and the plot were easy to follow
Holy spice. This book is EXTREMELY spicy, but does a great job balancing the spice with consent, aftercare, and romance, making Persephine and Hades' relationship perfectly "wicked".
Dislikes
I felt that some of the conflicts that arose were resolved quickly and could have become a great plot point. For example, Demeter threatened to cut off all the food supplies with the Lower City if Hades did not return Persephone, but Hades reveals that he secretly has a deal with Triton to get supplies for his citizens should the problem arise. Maybe Roberts could have incorporated that into the book as an additional plot point for Hades to solve. This felt like a hasty solution that could have better turned out to reveal the conflict within the court.
Also, I felt the resolution of killing Zeus was hasty. Demeter suddenly agreed to allow Persephone to be with Hades following their deal and then quickly gain support for Hades to kill Zeus. I wish there were more communication and light brought to Demeter as a slippery power-hungry God.
Overall, it was a great read and extremely entertaining.
4/5 ⭐️
5/5
esjaysee's review
2.5
Why is it so repetitive- her throat is always bracketed! Where are the powers, the magic?!
amimafotak's review
dnf na 17%
ja nevim jestli je to jen muj problem ale proc jsou ty persefony v tech prevypravenich vzdycky tak ufnukany :')
ja nevim jestli je to jen muj problem ale proc jsou ty persefony v tech prevypravenich vzdycky tak ufnukany :')
gabsssss's review
3.0
The perfect book to get me back into Greek Mythology fiction after my Percy Jackson filled youth, but I can see how it would be boring to those that are deep into this universe already. By the end I felt that the imagery lacked detail in my mind. Still glad I read it! And loved the spice
spwholikesbooks's review
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Cute book a nice modern twist on Greek mythology. A good pallet cleanser. A bit of a buildup but up I expected a bit more in the culmination. I liked the main character very much all cute and funny with the dark side.