A BookLife Reviews Editor's Pick

In the aftermath of a great war between the Greek gods, Persephone falls desperately in love with Hades. Their companionship seems blissful until Persephone is banished to the Underworld by the god of war, Ares, still lusting for violence and chaos. Ares has an ulterior motive: he knows that Hades will be lured to the Underworld to rescue Persephone, undoing the fragile power of Mount Olympus and throwing it into turmoil. As expected, Hades takes the bait, and, with his brother Zeus, travels to the Underworld for his lost love, testing the sands of fate for himself, Persephone, and the entirety of Mount Olympus.

Maurer’s debut imbues the gods of ancient Greece with palpable human emotion, evoking an innate tenderness in the relationship between Hades and Persephone. Here, Persephone is no damsel in distress; she is a goddess with agency, whose powerful connection to the world above brings a balm of healing to the Underworld. Hades, also, takes on a different shade in Maurer’s capable hands, a softening that is compounded by his intense grief at Persephone’s fate. Their romance feels genuine, moving in its tragedy, and a worthy catalyst for the changes it exacts on the world around them.

Flashbacks to an earlier age of the Titanomachy help set the stage for the story’s unfolding, though those scenes feel removed from the main narrative. The ending to this tale will seem a foregone conclusion to mythology fans, but Maurer builds enough tension to keep readers guessing until the denouement, crafting an intense setting and a beautiful transformation in Persephone, who finds her power through her experiences with her prison’s inhabitants—shades, harpies, and even the sinister Sisyphus, who crowns himself king of the Underworld and longs to make Persephone his bride. Even the most seasoned romantasy readers will be enticed by this contemporary retelling.

Takeaway: Passionate retelling of Persephone and Hades, with remarkable spirit.

Comparable Titles: Scarlett St. Clair’s Hades x Persephone Saga; Amelia Wilde’s Hades & Persephone.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B+
Marketing copy: A