Greek gods + dark romance? I don't even know what that means, but sure, sign me up!
So, I don't know about you guys, but I almost never read blurbs thoroughly before picking up books. I don't want to be spoiled, so I usually peek at the first sentence or two, vaguely recognize some key words, and call it good.
In this case, I saw something about Persephone being forced into an engagement with Zeus, and thought I got the gist. Well, I almost had a heart attack when Zeus was introduced as an old guy with white hair, and I thought I had signed up to read a steamy romance between him and Persephone. At that point, I decided to give the blurb a more thorough purview, and was never more relieved to find out that they weren't the pairing. Phew! It's actually supposed to be Persephone and Hades, who she runs to for help. Ahh.
With this book, I think it's important to set correct expectations right off the bat. This isn't a Greek mythology retelling of any sort. Most of the similarities it has with Greek mythology are around the naming of places and characters, along with their approximate positions of power. That's about it. To think otherwise would lead straight to disappointment.
However, the little that it does draw from mythology, I really enjoyed and wished there was more of. Are the gods in this world just regular people or magical/supernatural beings? Why is there resistance crossing the River Styx? Where is the city of Olympus? The book seems to hint at many possibilities, but retreated before exploring them further.
Another thing I enjoyed is the development of the relationship between Persephone and Hades. They seem like an interesting pairing, with her being the carefree socialite and him being the serious leader of the shadow world. It's your typical grumpy/sunshine trope, and I just can't get enough. And the premise is so interesting, with Hades offering Persephone refuge during her time of need and her slowly thawing his frozen heart. I can totally get on board with that. But there just wasn't enough of it.
Instead, it feels like the majority of this book is taken up with LOTS of sex. I enjoy an appropriately-placed, well-done sex scene as much as the next person, and they can add much sizzle and spark to a romance. But the ones in here seem to come out of nowhere, with hardly any setup. At times, every other scene is a sex scene, and they're so over-the-top that it feels like I'm being whacked in the face by them. After a while, they start to blend together, becoming repetitive and almost mechanical, as if the author was trying to fulfill a sex scene quota before being able to call it good.
I spent a while debating between 3 and 4 stars for this book, and settled on a 3 in the end. While I thought it was a fast and diverting read, there just wasn't enough of the parts I enjoyed the most. I found the beginning and end chapters to be the most fascinating because those are the ones that most advanced the story and the couple's relationship.
Since I already grabbed the next book in the series, I guess I'll continue with it. I'm really hoping to see this version of Olympus and its gods built out a bit more. It certainly is an interesting interpretation.
Readaroo Rating: 3 stars
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