a touch of darkness hades and persephone

Some were familiar to me, like Minthe, and while those plot lines are also well trod ground, I loved the way St Clair was able to get into Persephone’s head in an original way. St Clair has this amazing ability to craft fantasy setting romances that manage to build a unique world with nuance, as well as characters that live in said world. I am absolutely not knocking the steam factor though.

There is more to this story than Hades and Persephone falling in love, and those are the parts of the story outside the bedroom that made this shine. As she struggles to sow the seeds of her freedom, love for the God of the Dead grows-a love that is both captivating and forbidden. The bet does more than expose Persephone’s failure as a goddess, however. But nothing has ever intrigued him as much as the goddess offering him a bargain he can’t resist.Īfter her encounter with Hades, Persephone finds herself in a contract with the God of the Dead, and his terms are impossible: Persephone must create life in the Underworld or lose her freedom forever. Hades, God of the Dead, has built a gambling empire in the mortal world and his favorite bets are rumored to be impossible. All of that changes when she sits down in a forbidden nightclub to play a hand of cards with a hypnotic and mysterious stranger. After moving to New Athens, she hoped to lead an unassuming life disguised as a mortal journalist. Since she was a little girl, flowers have only shriveled at her touch. Persephone is the Goddess of Spring in title only. If you’re familiar with the myth, this offers a quite refreshing take on the traditional story while also having an engaging world built to hold these stories. The thought of investing time into a longer series following one couple with an untested author was a little daunting, and thankfully King of Battle and Blood got me hooked on St Clair’s writing. It did take a few cycles of borrowing and not reading before finally starting and finishing it.

Did I also read Neon Gods earlier this year? Also yes, though I managed to not review it here and will remedy that shortly. I have always loved the myth of Hades and Persephone, and my beloved Lore Olympus is returning later this month from its hiatus. I’m already planning a trip to my local book store to order myself the rest of this series.

It’s rare that I find a romance novel I want to reread after first devouring it, much less need to own for my shelves after reading as well.

A touch of darkness hades and persephone