A review by bribreez
Lore Olympus: Volume Four by Rachel Smythe

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad fast-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

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Back with the latest volume in the world of Lore Olympus. (Sigh) I love this series so much, and again having the physical copy in my hands always makes me happy. Crazy to think that just a few years ago, I stumbled upon this story randomly and became obsessed like many others. This volume was still somewhat in the early stages of Persephone and Hades story. From Hades dealing with his insecurities, his toxic relationship with Minthe to Persephone still adjusting to her new life among everyone. Plus, the added bit of awkward yet sweet and funny moments between Persephone and Hades.

Within the first few pages, I was reminded of why I hated certain characters such as, Minthe. In case you missed or forgot, Minthe once upon a time “dated” Hades. I say “dated” with quotations around the word since it was more along the lines of Minthe and Hades hooking up and being on again/ off again especially with Minthe being so wishy washy. Minthe wasn’t a character I liked especially in the beginning and the way she treated Hades was not only unfair, but downright despicable! With the panels showing Minthe in a very unflattering light, you could see just how much of a toxic character she was and unkind towards Hades. Made me mad seeing that panel when Minthe slapped Hades, but thankfully Hecate stepped in!

Aside from the whole Minthe thing at the beginning, there was still the sweet shared moments between Persephone and Hades. The beginning of this story, mainly of Persephone and Hades focused on them continuing their friendship but also their mutual attraction towards each other. Hades, feeling unsure if Persephone could ever see him as more or whether or not his feelings were worth mentioning later on to her. For Persephone, she never expected to have feelings for someone let alone the king of the Underworld. Alas, Persephone and Hades had a budding friendship bordering on the lines of flirtatious that had me smiling and wishing for them to fast forward to where we’re currently at in the WEBTOON series! I liked the conversations between Persephone and Hades, how they both acknowledged their attraction but also tried to maintain some boundaries especially since Hades was still seeing Minthe (ugh). The wheels were still going in this romance and it reminded me just how much of a long road ahead in the books we have to seeing Persephone and Hades finally reaching their happy ending together. 

This volume had a lot of depth once again, diving deep into the characters and exploring their stories. Obviously, Persephone and Hades are the main characters of the series, but getting to see the other characters such as, Hera, Zeus, Ares, and Eros let me see what they had going on. Zeus being Zeus was once again being unfaithful to Hera, and it was an ongoing problem especially since Hera believed that maybe Zeus would try not to cheat on her anymore. With Ares coming into the fold of the story, it allowed some backstory on how he met Persephone and why he just loved pushing her buttons. Sorry Ares, but the only God in Persephone’s eyes was, Hades. I also loved seeing Eros coming in strong to help Persephone out against Apollo and just being there for her. Eros is and always will be a great friend to those closest to him, love him! 

Overall, with each new volume, I’m thrusted back to the beginning parts of the story that I may have forgotten, but not completely. In a way, reading this volume was like a refresher for me, getting to go back and see some key moments within the story that hold significance specifically in the way the art was drawn to further reveal some tantalizing details! From the scenes that revealed Persephone’s red eyes to past moments that highlighted memories for Demeter or Persephone, etc. Even though I know what has happened in the beginning of this series, it’s always a joy to go back and read the story from the beginning and be reminded of how Persephone and Hades got to where they currently are in the ongoing series. A must read for fans of Greek mythology/ reimagining, plus humor, depth, beauty, and a variety of amazing artwork to captivate you all while following along Persephone and Hades’s story! 
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