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A review by wolfiegrrrl
Persephone: Hades' Torment by Allison Shaw
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
For a book wrapped in plastic at the bookstore, I had been bracing myself for something a bit more graphic than boobs and a sprinkle of tastefully censored sex, but this was just my speed. Persephone: Hades' Torment is yet another webcomic that was compiled into a physical volume, which is noticeable right away due to its episodic nature and rather abrupt ending. And yet, regardless of how it left me wanting more development, the art style is beautiful to look at and the story itself is very wholesome!
The world around the budding Persephone x Hades dynamic is inhabited by allusions to characters from other Greek myths that may confuse you if you don't happen to know them already, but the references aren't so obscure that you would get lost in the plot if you had never heard of them. If you frequent online spaces where people talk about Greek myths - particularly concerning the titular pair - you pretty much already know this adaptation and everything else is just a delightful bonus.
I personally appreciate that Persephone has friends she can rely on outside of the developing romance, that Hades makes a point of admonishing Apollo for using magic as an excuse for his lack of self-control, and that Demeter isn't portrayed as the one-dimensional "controlling mom" character she is so often interpreted as in other retellings. The original myth about Persephone's abduction reflected an all too common practice at the time, so it might have felt like an acknowledgment of women's pain to those who heard it. Rewriting the story to be about Persephone's choice, the importance of self-control, and respecting women's boundaries and autonomy works out surprisingly well here. Demeter isn't a helicopter mom who wants to control her daughter; she is a concerned mother who knows the dangers of the world they inhabit and how important her daughter's role in it really is... and maybe doesn't always choose the best way of keeping her daughter safe or informed. At the end of the day, she is still flawed, but she is given the dignity of nuance and I can respect that.
If any of that sounds good to you, I'd say this is a story that's worth checking out.
The world around the budding Persephone x Hades dynamic is inhabited by allusions to characters from other Greek myths that may confuse you if you don't happen to know them already, but the references aren't so obscure that you would get lost in the plot if you had never heard of them. If you frequent online spaces where people talk about Greek myths - particularly concerning the titular pair - you pretty much already know this adaptation and everything else is just a delightful bonus.
I personally appreciate that Persephone has friends she can rely on outside of the developing romance, that Hades makes a point of admonishing Apollo for using magic as an excuse for his lack of self-control, and that Demeter isn't portrayed as the one-dimensional "controlling mom" character she is so often interpreted as in other retellings. The original myth about Persephone's abduction reflected an all too common practice at the time, so it might have felt like an acknowledgment of women's pain to those who heard it. Rewriting the story to be about Persephone's choice, the importance of self-control, and respecting women's boundaries and autonomy works out surprisingly well here. Demeter isn't a helicopter mom who wants to control her daughter; she is a concerned mother who knows the dangers of the world they inhabit and how important her daughter's role in it really is... and maybe doesn't always choose the best way of keeping her daughter safe or informed. At the end of the day, she is still flawed, but she is given the dignity of nuance and I can respect that.
If any of that sounds good to you, I'd say this is a story that's worth checking out.