Reviews with content warning for Injury/Injury detail - Neon Gods

I realize most people probably aren't reading this book for the plot and character development but I found Hades in this to be the much more interesting and fleshed out character over Persephone. Persephone felt really under-developed as a character. I couldn't understand Persephone's desire to have sex with Hades as it really seemed to come out of left field. I get she agreed to it as a way to prevent her from marrying

Zeus

but her very quick pivot to "please have sex with me I want you" was quite abrupt. This is definitely not the worst Hades and Persephone retelling I've ever read.

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mattiedancer's review against another edition

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fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

Writing: 3.25⭐️/5

I think the writing – while lacking some qualities I look for – was consistent throughout. While it didn’t add to the depth of either the characters or the story, it also didn’t pull me out of the story.

Characters: 2.75⭐️/5

I wanted so much more from the characters. I feel like they fall flat as both regular people and “gods,” with their powers vaguely (if at all) explored. The characters also felt secondary to situations. It felt like the most important fact was to position characters in certain spots for pivotal scenes, but beyond that, they lacked depth.

Plot: 2.75⭐️/5

While I’m a sucker for a Hades-Persephone story, this one fell short. The premise sets up a Mafia-romance read, which in and of itself is fine, but is replaced by Greek gods. The gods live in Olympus, which is a normal city but also not, for reasons we’re never clearly given. The fantasy elements fall short because it’s never really explained how they work. The overarching plot, while somewhat following the myth of Persephone and Hades, isn’t clearly told. If you’re looking for an easy read without too much attention to plot (and more on the spice factor) then it might work, but it didn’t stand out for me.

Who Should Read This Book?

Someone looking for spicy sex scenes
Those who like fantasy erotica
Readers looking for a preference for spice over plot

Content Warnings?

Sexual content, sexual harassment, sexism, injury, death, misogyny

Post-Reading Rating: 2⭐️/5

Meh. I feel more confused why I kept reading.

Final Rating: 2.75⭐️/5

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maidmarianlib's review

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dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Love how the mythology is twisted to a more more context, quite explicit.

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withlivjones's review against another edition

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dark 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

3.5

This is a really interesting retelling of the myth of Hades and Persephone. I adore the worldbuilding aspect of the novel - Katee Robert has managed to create such a vivid image of a city that feels modern while still abiding by ancient laws and customs.

The characterisation of the main pairing is good, particularly Persephone - I love that she is a complex, stubborn, independent, sexually liberated young woman who still manages to be a ball of sunshine, and I’m glad that she gets the space to voice her thoughts and opinions. Hades’ characterisation as a tall, dark, and handsome man of mystery who secretly has a heart of gold has been done to death but hey, if it’s not broke don’t fix it. At first, I hated the characterisation of Demeter as I thought she would be villainised like so many modern adaptations do in order to make Persephone a trapped, controlled daughter who finds freedom through her marriage with Hades. However, as soon as I found out that Zeus was the only real villain all along and Demeter was actually plotting against him, I grew to enjoy the more ruthless aspect of her character being brought out, an aspect we see clearly in the original myth when Demeter causes the famine. I also really enjoyed a lot of the supporting characters, particularly the bromance between Hermes and Dionysus.

I didn’t particularly enjoy the smut, however. While it wasn’t completely unbearable, there were many moments that made me cringe and I ended up being glad that Hades and Persephone got separated towards the end of the book so that more actual plot could occur.

Overall, I think the world that Katee Robert has created has so much potential and I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

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Reviews tagging 'Injury/Injury detail'

Neon Gods by Katee Robert

daley_weekly_monthly's review against another edition

notsobinaryart's review

wrensreadingroom's review against another edition

icy_queen's review

kateped's review against another edition

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kimmag92's review

mattiedancer's review against another edition

maidmarianlib's review

withlivjones's review against another edition