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Thousands of years ago, the gods told a lie: how Persephone was a pawn in the politics of other gods. How Hades kidnapped Persephone to be his bride. How her mother, Demeter, was so distraught she caused the Earth to start dying. The real story is much more interesting.
So Persephone needs to get married because apparently that's all that matters to gods (why have we gone down this road?) and she has a controlling mother, Demeter, who has told her how to act and how to be all of her entire life. Persephone decides enough is enough and manages to escape to the Underworld so she doesn't have to marry (though she still does, she has just delayed it a bit because she didn't think things through). I liked how she had a plan and took control and she utilised her power over flowers to achieve this. The beginning was promising.
Diaries & Calendars
She spends the majority of the novel talking about how she doesn't want to get married and how she doesn't want a man to touch her. Again, that's fair, I'm all for body autonimity. But. She voices this on multiple occasion, takes offence at the slightest implication, at the first chance a man even looks in her direction - but then! she is utterly confused and hurt even that when she actually wants it, a man is scared she's gonna call r3pe on him. I mean girllll! How is he supposed to know you now want it if you don't explicitly consent? Or even better, how is he supposed to know when all she does is lie to everyone and be proud of it, but the first instance she doesn't get told something, she is outraged and threatens to burn the world down. Boys/men, if you ever read this, and find a woman who fits this description irl, do not walk, RUN! This is a huge red flag and Hades should have ran too. He deserved better. I know my mother will never understand because what it comes down to is this: safety isn’t enough for me. I’d rather perish, rather be another tragic tale for a mother to use in warning than become a long drawn out sigh in a hymn, an immortal life spent in misery. You cannot stay a girl on an island forever.’ At least we agree about one thing. ‘I know you’re scared but I’m the goddess of vegetation. There is no place on Earth you could go where I will not be able to find you.’ I know that too. ‘You won’t be leaving us forever.’
Of course. I’m going to find you a good match, and with an Olympian you’ll still be a part of this court. Besides, I don’t trust anyone under the rule of Poseidon to be the sort of man you marry.’That was before the goddess of marriage became queen of the gods. Rivers of Hell, I might not like Hera but at least she gained power somehow, made marriage mean something to bind even her own husband.’ Now all she has to do is convince the Underworld's annoyingly sexy, arrogant and frankly rude ruler, Hades, to fall in line with her plan. A plan that will shake Mount Olympus to its very core.
LoveReading4Kids exists because books change lives, and buying books through LoveReading4Kids means you get to change the lives of future generations, with 25% of the cover price donated to schools in need. Join our community to get personalised book suggestions, extracts straight to your inbox, 10% off RRPs, and to change children’s lives. I loved it, I loved it, I loved it, I loved it (sung to the tune of the all time classic, 'These Words' by Natasha Bedingfield) But regardless of my age, it was my Amphidromia, the day a child received their name. And as I was a goddess, I would also receive my domain – the aspect of the world that I would be responsible for. She does end up of inconveniencing Hades a little in the process, but the enemies to lovers dynamics that we see in their first encounter was utterly delicious. And the achingly romantic, slow burn tension that develops between Hades and Persephone (taking them from enemies- to friends and beyond) was beautifully written and really gave us a chance to explore the nuances of the trust, respect and love that gradually grows between them. Go with her to the river, but if the girls here start corrupting her I’m counting on you to stop them.’You’re a woman now.’ What an arbitrary word. I don’t remember much of a transformation on my birthday but apparently the whole world saw one. ‘You’re too old for these tantrums. Promise me you won’t be like this when your father gets here.’ Persephone wasn't taken to hell: she jumped. There was no way she was going to be married off to some smug god more in love with himself than her. Well,’ I feign consideration, the naïve little girl role I slip into for self-preservation. ‘If they did then no one would want to marry me. Maybe I would like that freedom.’ I liked how both Persephone and Hades had broken the streotype in this book. Its somewhat the fluidity in accepting that toxic masculinity and female oppression has made society had not be able to express what they like in the first place. I love how Hades was portrayed in here (soft Hades made me swoon) and Persephone was potrayed to be a stronger but is still feminine. I liked that the author had shown that it doesn't make you less of a man or less of a woman for liking something that didn't approve to the society's standards. Persephone's hang-up over sex = rape might be slightly justified (thanks Demeter etc) but it's boring as hell to read.
Which I suppose means if she’s forcing me to bind myself to a man I’ve never met then stopping me from talking to my friends is the moral line she’s unwilling to cross. So many people, all watching me. Two of the three courts gathered, gods from Olympus and Oceanus surrounding me. None from Hades, of course. I hadn’t been near that many people before, and I haven’t since. Now, in a matter of days, I’ll be married to one of them – and I can’t even remember them well enough to imagine who might be waiting for me at the end of the aisle. Persephone has way too much 'candy' in narrative terms and the plot does not offer her enough hardship to compensate.
Featured Reviews
Zeus is an interesting character but we don't see much of him and there is just a glimpse of the other gods, though Styx makes more of an appearance than most. Demeter is annoying because she just wants what's best for her daughter though she never once actually listens to her daughter and what she wants, and then Persephone goes through a rebellious phase, all the while coming to terms with how she has been treated by her mother which gets mentioned. A. Lot. But my dress cinches my stomach so tightly that the very thought is nauseating. My fingers fumble, trying to loosen the strands that tie it all together.
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