Reviews and Comments

This book is fine, though the series still isn't grabbing me like others have. Not sure why... the world-building here is interesting, there are twists and enough spice to keep me reading. That said, not a fan of the constant miscommunication/ self-sacrifice... he tries to save her, she tries to save him, she constantly doubts he feels as strongly about her as he does (even though it's pretty obvious)... maybe the whole "as long as you live the world is ok, never mind about me dying" is a little much. 

Solid second book of a trilogy, recommended if you like MFCs who solve problems with sex. How is she 4,000+ years old, yet her very young (250 year-old) ex-fuckboy vampire lover is the one who communicates and does the work in the relationship? We love a responsible partner, but come ooooooon, Veritas. 

So this is the first book by this author that I've read (and I realize this is a kind of spin-off from a longer series). So I didn't have any background knowledge about the universe or the characters. 

I thought the world-building pulls you in, and there seems to be a lot yet to discover. Some novel ideas here (eg the super high age of some of the characters), and it mixes vampires, deities, demons etc. The story is pretty fast and I adored Ian (love a good slutty MC); the pairing with Veritas was a good match, though her internal thoughts are sometimes a bit eh (specifically: thinking this is just a fling for him when he's shown multiple times that he genuinely likes her). 

I found the pacing here good, though I wasn't as immediately addicted to the story as I've been with previous books. That said, I …

Good read, though I think that Pestilence might still be my favorite of the series. In this book, the relationship between Famine and Ana is a little more playful, and I'm really here for the bratty flirting and the chemistry between them. The horseman's journey here is a little less fleshed out (I thought that the change from hating humans to changing towards believing in saving them... was a bit sudden? But maybe that is because I've read all the books in one go.)

Enjoyable read, some spice (would say 2/5), the flirting is really enjoyable, and I also really liked the story here. 

Oh this book was something else... 

You get dropped into the story, and the first third of the book is savage - not to spoil, but it's not easy to like either of the characters then. Understand their motivation? Yes. But not like. 

I really enjoyed the setup here, and also the twists that really went against what I was expecting the story to be. Yes, tropes and the ending are as expected, but how we get there was particularly enjoyable here. I also liked the pacing (even if at times it went slower than others), but this worked well for me. 

I've since read the second book and am on the third, and I love that (so far) the journey is always different, and there is some food for thought in there as well (humanity and how we treat each other). 

Slight warning to heed the CNs, because this …

Hm, this was my least favorite of the series. There is too much going on here, too many threads and storylines, too many hints - it was hard to keep them all straight sometimes, and it felt a little convoluted, overall. This was the weakest book for me, though I admit that the solution to what exactly happened to her was good. Didn't like the storyline about Pride's wife though.

I still find it pretty spicy for YA (is this YA? No idea. Higher end of 2/5 for spice.) 

The ending is a little predictable, and I didn't enjoy the sacrifices she makes here.. <spoiler> it feels a little like she ends up as this wifey type woman, rather than the Goddess of Fury? Giving up her magic AND her house, why? Even if the curse requires one, she could still rule her own house instead of joining Wrath's? …

Update April 2023 (5)
I re-read this book and gave it a full 5 on the second time. It might be that after having finished all currently published books of the series (plus Wicked Villains) the depth and foreshadowing here just hit differently and made it even more enjoyable than on the first read. 
I have a feeling that this won't be my last re-read either, so can recommend this (again), even after reading 60+ dark romances in between. What a journey it's been!

Review Nov 2022 (4.75*)
I really loved this retelling of the old Hades/Persephone myth! It has a nice story like, and I really appreciated that the whole arch was one book, rather than - as so often happens now - a trilogy. That said, I wish it was longer! 
I particularly loved the representation: everyone seems to be casually queer (this is just given as …

It's a nice, short read, and I appreciate that this is a standalone novel. The story is not really here or there for me: It has a little spice (would say 2/5), it has some adventure, the premise is engaging. Good for spending a rainy afternoon without committing to a whole series, or as a palate cleanser. 

The writing itself is fine, pacing is ok (a little hurried towards the end). I liked the characters, but I'm not suffering from any hangovers. The story is novella-length though, so there isn't that much time and space to really feel a lot of connection with them. 

Another 5* in this series for me, mainly because I've really grown to love the titan of death, and have always had a weakness for Hecate. Really enjoying how the women are integrated into this inner-circle-like group and how they keep appearing. 

Hecate and Thanatos' story is well paced, and makes more sense than some of the others, I feel. <spoiler>As I mentioned in reviews for the previous books, sometimes the pacing is off and suddenly they are eternally in love, with little in terms of build-up. Here, we get a love story that is thousands of years in the making, or rather, has waited to be acted upon. Really enjoyed that take!</spoiler>

Spice level 3.5/5, really enjoyable but not super full on (compared to eg ACOSF); the chemistry between the two is described quite well though. Lovely way to spend an afternoon or evening!

Really enjoyed this book as well! I really liked the characters, especially Hermes as a mad - and sometimes terrifying - god. As with the others, I wish the story was more fleshed out, but also really enjoyed that it was a quick read. Perfect for a weekend afternoon, and really entertaining! 

Spice level about a 3.5/5. Worth noting that all these books have spicy scenes, but the descriptions are comparatively tame (compared to ACOSF, for example). Doesn't mean they are less enjoyable, but in case you're looking for more smutty smut... you might be a little disappointed. 

This was really really good! 5*

I feel like the stories are getting better, which makes a lot of sense. Glad that Hades/Persephone wasn't the first in the series, as this one reveals some more info on the larger story arc across the books, and also makes a little more sense romantically (as in, how fast they fall for each other). Also gotta love opening a book with spice, yes. The spice is generally strong with this one (4/5), and I loved the chemistry between these two ( <spoiler>Especially Persephone's chaos colliding with Hades' need for control and order</spoiler> )

Somebody else also pointed out how adorable the triplets (Erebus, Thanatos, Charon) are here in how they are just immediately besotted with her - loved those scenes! Enough to likely re-read this book when I need a pick me up. Extra points for Cerberus just immediately adoring her. 

Generally also …

Read this in one day, (almost) one sitting, and really loved it! I really love the chemistry between the two main characters, especially the banter in the inner circle. I laughed out loud a lot, which is one reason I kept going. This is also deliciously spicy, would say 4/5. 

That said, I thought Poppy's actions are a little foolish sometimes, though she doesn't annoy me as much as Feyre did... so that is something. Maybe her actions feel a tad more relatable? Not sure. In any case, it's obvious that some of them are needed to push the story forward, so it's forgivable. 

Overall 5* because I would read this again for the sheer joy of giggling or smiling as I read, and the really nice increasing burn between the two lovers. Again, serving tropes that we love, but that is all fine. 
Also, hello Kieran. We do love …

Warning, I realized in the middle of book 3 of the series that this is not yet finished - #5 comes out in the summer, so... spare yourself the agony if you prefer to read completed series. 

With that out of the way: I really like this one! Would have been 5* if the first 130pp or so weren't soooo slooow. I get that we need to get to know this new world, but it felt excessive. I got seriously bored around page 100, and was really glad when things picked up shortly after. 

The world-building is pretty neat! So is the pacing (if you ignore said first 130 or so pages). It's a dark(ish) fantasy that really delivers on all the favorite tropes we love, though that also makes the first book's "big reveal" pretty obvious, and I had guessed this very early on. That doesn't make this any …

I heard a review about this somewhere, which was along the lines of "if you like enemies to lovers, this book delivers" - and I think that's exactly right. I've definitely read worse enemies to lovers: this was well-paced and I got in a really nice flow when reading; I also liked the world building a lot. Extra points for being a standalone novel (the others in the series share the world, but not the characters, I think). 

The writing flows really well, I read this in a day (it was a day off, but still), and 

Tropes: forced marriage, enemies to lovers, forced bed-sharing, broody MMC
Spice level: 1.5/5 (nice build ups but ultimately fade to blacks...)

Really didn't like this one. Coming right off another Hades/Persephone retelling, this really fell short for me. First off: huge TW for lack of consent and lots of kink. I don't mind kinky stuff (and dont mind it being pretty hardcore), but effectively having no consent anywhere (no discussion of, no description to assume even potential consent) really didn't work for me. 

The story itself is ok, though the pacing is off. Since this is relatively short, that's somewhat to be expected, but the character changes are often really sudden and don't make sense. 

All in all: a retelling you can skip imo. Read the Hades Trials series instead. 
1.5 rating for the interesting twist in her origin story (even if that deviates from usual lore)

A worthy finale to the series - and at almost 1000 pages, quite a deep dive. I am glad this wasn't split into books, and it combines the various stories and strands that the 5th and 6th books lay out; these both felt like they were setting up the final installment, and it turns out this is the case. That said: EDITING. We do not need to know every thought and feeling for every character... this could have been 20-30% shorter, easily.

Plot wise, some nice surprises in here as well, though a lot of the stories have been building towards a certain outcome for a while, so it was lovely to see those come to conclusion. Mostly happy endings, and overall good feelings once you're done. 

<spoiler>One thing I found a tad annoying is that the last 50 pages are basically just wrapping up stories, goodbyes, etc... not surprising, …