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Pomegranates
Pomegranates is a dystopian tale, where climate change is an all-too-real backdrop to the events of the novella. Persephone is in the Underworld, relating her family’s history to a human who’s found his way there. As events unfold, and we see the horror her anger has unleashed on the world, we’re drawn deeper and deeper into the heart of this amazing story. The author has drawn a vivid picture of the world’s decay set against the backdrop of the repercussions of a dysfunctional family. And what a family it is―the gods themselves, bringing destruction on us all.
108 pages, Hardcover
Published December 1, 2022
1 person is currently reading
274 people want to read
About the author
Priya Sharma
151 books243 followersPriya Sharma’s fiction has appeared venues such as Interzone, Black Static, Nightmare, The Dark and Tor. “Fabulous Beasts” was a Shirley Jackson Award finalist and won a British Fantasy Award for Short Fiction. Priya is a Shirley Jackson Award and British Fantasy Award winner, and Locus Award finalist, for “All the Fabulous Beasts”, a collection of her some of her work, available from Undertow Publications.
“Ormeshadow”, her first novella (available from Tor), won a Shirley Jackson Award and a British Fantasy Award. It was a 2022 Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire finalist.
"Pomegranates", her second novella (from Absinthe, an imprint of PS Publishing) is a Shirley Jackson Award, British Fantasy Award finalist and won a World Fantasy Award.
Her stories have been translated into Spanish, French, Italian, Czech, and Polish.
“Ormeshadow”, her first novella (available from Tor), won a Shirley Jackson Award and a British Fantasy Award. It was a 2022 Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire finalist.
"Pomegranates", her second novella (from Absinthe, an imprint of PS Publishing) is a Shirley Jackson Award, British Fantasy Award finalist and won a World Fantasy Award.
Her stories have been translated into Spanish, French, Italian, Czech, and Polish.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 27 reviews
July 29, 2023
I grabbed pomegranates because it's shortlisted in the 2023 World Fantasy Awards for Best Novella, and I'm glad I did. While the story didn't quite hit for me, it was still incredibly interesting and well written. Plus, it's a version of the Persephone myth that hasn't annoyed me.
It's hard to summarize this novella more than the official synopsis does, because doing anything more than that would give too much away. Essentially, massive climate change and the near end of the human race are a backdrop for the stories of Persephone, Demeter, and their fucked up Greek gods family. This novella plays around with interesting versions of the goddesses and their history, making for a pretty unique spin on the Greek gods. It's visceral in how it portrays female rage and how each character deals with it in their own way.
Priya Sharma is a very talented writer and that shines through. However, some of the choices made in the way the character narratives are told didn't quite work for me. I loved the interspersed Chorus sections, but I disliked how confusing it was jumping from Bear to Persephone (at times I couldn't tell who was narrating as we got back into it), and Demeter's storyline was alright.
There are some absolutely lovely, lyrical passages in this. The emotional heft and theming absolutely shines through despite my issues. I think this is worth a read, if sounds at all interesting. It may work for someone else much better than it did for me.
It's hard to summarize this novella more than the official synopsis does, because doing anything more than that would give too much away. Essentially, massive climate change and the near end of the human race are a backdrop for the stories of Persephone, Demeter, and their fucked up Greek gods family. This novella plays around with interesting versions of the goddesses and their history, making for a pretty unique spin on the Greek gods. It's visceral in how it portrays female rage and how each character deals with it in their own way.
Priya Sharma is a very talented writer and that shines through. However, some of the choices made in the way the character narratives are told didn't quite work for me. I loved the interspersed Chorus sections, but I disliked how confusing it was jumping from Bear to Persephone (at times I couldn't tell who was narrating as we got back into it), and Demeter's storyline was alright.
There are some absolutely lovely, lyrical passages in this. The emotional heft and theming absolutely shines through despite my issues. I think this is worth a read, if sounds at all interesting. It may work for someone else much better than it did for me.
November 18, 2023
Another powerful fable from Priya Sharma.
In this one she imagines the global climate crisis as a disruption in the cycle of Demeter Hades and Persephone. Demeter is lost, Hades is dead, and it falls to a scientist from the Global Seed Vault to convince Persephone she must leave the Underworld to find her mother and put things right.
There's a lot of sorrow and ache in this story, but there's also incredible joy and hope. Well worth seeking out (the hardcover print edition looks beautiful, but I was able to find an ebook through the Nook app)
In this one she imagines the global climate crisis as a disruption in the cycle of Demeter Hades and Persephone. Demeter is lost, Hades is dead, and it falls to a scientist from the Global Seed Vault to convince Persephone she must leave the Underworld to find her mother and put things right.
There's a lot of sorrow and ache in this story, but there's also incredible joy and hope. Well worth seeking out (the hardcover print edition looks beautiful, but I was able to find an ebook through the Nook app)
January 9, 2023
What a wonderful book. Atmospheric and cleverly constructed with exquisite prose and complex characters. I’ve no idea how the author conveys so much, and sucks the reader in so completely, in just a hundred pages. Highly recommended.
February 2, 2026
That's the second book I've read where the author decides to give Persephone some random OC love interest.
Pointless read to me 💔 Beautiful prose for sure, a very talented author, but the rest? The plot, the changes she made to the myths? Uuuh. Didn't get it, if there was anything to get at all.
Pointless read to me 💔 Beautiful prose for sure, a very talented author, but the rest? The plot, the changes she made to the myths? Uuuh. Didn't get it, if there was anything to get at all.
January 29, 2023
A brilliant tale of the world ending in an endless winter and trouble in the Underworld as Persephone takes over. Lyrical, smart and plays with the myths in many ways that should surprise I strongly recommend
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
April 27, 2023
The nitty-gritty: Greek gods meet climate change in Priya Sharma's latest, a short but memorable cautionary tale.
A few years ago I had the pleasure of reading Priya Sharma’s Ormeshadow, a dark story about family secrets. So when she asked me to read Pomegranates, I didn’t even hesitate. This time, the author has written a dystopian tale that weaves together themes of global warming and climate change with well known characters from Greek mythology. This was such a surprising story, beautifully constructed and written, and I can’t recommend it highly enough, especially if you are a fan of the Greek gods.
The story revolves around several main characters. First, we have Demeter, the Goddess of Crops, who finds herself in a mental institution undergoing therapy. There she recounts her story to Dr. Protheroe, explaining how she’s looking for her missing daughter, Persephone.
Persephone dwells in the underworld, stolen by Hades and forced to live there for three months every year. But Persephone is angry at humans, who are destroying the planet, so as punishment she’s brought down an endless winter on Earth and everything is starting to die off.
Finally, we meet a man named Dr. Ursa, also known as Bear, who is a scientist working to preserve seeds from every known species of plant in a doomsday vault called the Demeter Bank. When the horrible winter hits, Dr. Ursa tries to find shelter from the unforgiving weather and stumbles upon the entrance to the underworld. There he meets Persephone and tries to convince her to bring back Spring.
Interspersed among these narratives is a Greek chorus who interprets the story and explains the meaning of the pomegranate seeds that Persephone ate in the underworld. This is a deceptively simple tale about family, betrayal, revenge and ultimately forgiveness and acceptance. I thought the idea of modernizing the Greek gods was so clever, although in Sharma’s story they are gods through and through, even though the setting is contemporary.
Sharma adds layers to her story by fleshing out the backstories of her characters. As Demeter and Persephone tell their stories, they delve back into their bloody, drama-filled family history. Dr. Protheroe wonders if Demeter is delusional and really believes she and her family are Greek gods, or could she be telling the truth?
I especially loved the way the author used the idea of seeds throughout her story. Bear’s seed bank could bring the natural world back from the brink of death, and there is the interesting idea that humans and plants have much more in common at the cellular level that you would expect. And of course, pomegranate seeds are vitally important to Sharma’s story. They represent temptation, but also the promise of change. In this version of the myth, Persephone eats three pomegranate seeds in the underworld, tying her to that place for three months out of the year (winter). In this story, she’s punishing humans for the way they’ve ruined the planet by staying in the underworld indefinitely and not allowing the land to thaw.
This is one of those stories that seems disjointed at times, as each character has their own journey and experiences, but by the end of the story everything comes together beautifully. I loved the hopeful ending, which left me with a happy glow.
Big thanks to the author for providing a review copy.
A few years ago I had the pleasure of reading Priya Sharma’s Ormeshadow, a dark story about family secrets. So when she asked me to read Pomegranates, I didn’t even hesitate. This time, the author has written a dystopian tale that weaves together themes of global warming and climate change with well known characters from Greek mythology. This was such a surprising story, beautifully constructed and written, and I can’t recommend it highly enough, especially if you are a fan of the Greek gods.
The story revolves around several main characters. First, we have Demeter, the Goddess of Crops, who finds herself in a mental institution undergoing therapy. There she recounts her story to Dr. Protheroe, explaining how she’s looking for her missing daughter, Persephone.
Persephone dwells in the underworld, stolen by Hades and forced to live there for three months every year. But Persephone is angry at humans, who are destroying the planet, so as punishment she’s brought down an endless winter on Earth and everything is starting to die off.
Finally, we meet a man named Dr. Ursa, also known as Bear, who is a scientist working to preserve seeds from every known species of plant in a doomsday vault called the Demeter Bank. When the horrible winter hits, Dr. Ursa tries to find shelter from the unforgiving weather and stumbles upon the entrance to the underworld. There he meets Persephone and tries to convince her to bring back Spring.
Interspersed among these narratives is a Greek chorus who interprets the story and explains the meaning of the pomegranate seeds that Persephone ate in the underworld. This is a deceptively simple tale about family, betrayal, revenge and ultimately forgiveness and acceptance. I thought the idea of modernizing the Greek gods was so clever, although in Sharma’s story they are gods through and through, even though the setting is contemporary.
Sharma adds layers to her story by fleshing out the backstories of her characters. As Demeter and Persephone tell their stories, they delve back into their bloody, drama-filled family history. Dr. Protheroe wonders if Demeter is delusional and really believes she and her family are Greek gods, or could she be telling the truth?
I especially loved the way the author used the idea of seeds throughout her story. Bear’s seed bank could bring the natural world back from the brink of death, and there is the interesting idea that humans and plants have much more in common at the cellular level that you would expect. And of course, pomegranate seeds are vitally important to Sharma’s story. They represent temptation, but also the promise of change. In this version of the myth, Persephone eats three pomegranate seeds in the underworld, tying her to that place for three months out of the year (winter). In this story, she’s punishing humans for the way they’ve ruined the planet by staying in the underworld indefinitely and not allowing the land to thaw.
This is one of those stories that seems disjointed at times, as each character has their own journey and experiences, but by the end of the story everything comes together beautifully. I loved the hopeful ending, which left me with a happy glow.
Big thanks to the author for providing a review copy.
March 17, 2024
In many ways this is a brilliant novella. Actually, know what, it's a brilliant novella in every way.
The author doesn't attempt a retelling of a myth, thereby making the most horrible mistakes like so many others do (I'm looking at you, Madeleine Miller, but takes mythical characters and -by placing them in a modern setting and directing them through present-day problems with just a few elements from the myth- nails every major problem we still face today: from climate change and our loss of respect for nature and each other; from total misogyny [and why do all the professional male reviewers (you there, BFSA and SFBOOK; I'm talking about you) carefully throw this aspect under the rug??] to the abuse of power and makes you really feel it all - in just a few pages and with a prose that borders on poetry.
Priceless, absolute recommend. I'd like more, please.
The author doesn't attempt a retelling of a myth, thereby making the most horrible mistakes like so many others do (I'm looking at you, Madeleine Miller, but takes mythical characters and -by placing them in a modern setting and directing them through present-day problems with just a few elements from the myth- nails every major problem we still face today: from climate change and our loss of respect for nature and each other; from total misogyny [and why do all the professional male reviewers (you there, BFSA and SFBOOK; I'm talking about you) carefully throw this aspect under the rug??] to the abuse of power and makes you really feel it all - in just a few pages and with a prose that borders on poetry.
Priceless, absolute recommend. I'd like more, please.
April 18, 2023
"Pomegranates" is a wonderful and harsh re-interpretation of the myth of Persephone. Drawing on its ancient Greek predecessor, the story tells the tale of an encounter between the goddess Persephone and a human, with a climate catastrophe she provoked as a backdrop.
The human wants to understand the goddess's wrath that brought a lethal ice-age to the world, she wants to free herself from her fate and her family. Through their dialogue Persephone reminisces her pain, but also achieves her own redemption.
Priya Sharma is a virtuoso storyteller, and the subtle construction of the text, an interconnected fabric of monologues, dialogues and chorus creates a mesmerizing effect of familiarity and uncanniness.
Both a love story and a disturbing tale of family sexual violence and abuse, "Pomegranates" is an incredibly subtly woven tale of womanhood, oppression and liberation.
The human wants to understand the goddess's wrath that brought a lethal ice-age to the world, she wants to free herself from her fate and her family. Through their dialogue Persephone reminisces her pain, but also achieves her own redemption.
Priya Sharma is a virtuoso storyteller, and the subtle construction of the text, an interconnected fabric of monologues, dialogues and chorus creates a mesmerizing effect of familiarity and uncanniness.
Both a love story and a disturbing tale of family sexual violence and abuse, "Pomegranates" is an incredibly subtly woven tale of womanhood, oppression and liberation.
November 30, 2023
This award-winning dystopian novella deals with the issue of climate disaster through the eyes of Gods – or more accurately Goddesses; specifically, Persephone and Demeter, shifting between the underworld of Greek mythology, and a bleak future of world destruction, using a Greek chorus, scientific fact and a narrative monologue that cannot fail to leave the reader breathless and awestruck. A stark, beautiful and unmissable read.
February 23, 2023
A harrowing and chilling prologue because of the foretelling of a future we are racing towards. One of disaster and death caused by our own hands and getting to the point that we have destroyed our own existence and the existence of future generations all for greed.
A beautiful dream that pulls me thru a nightmare of loss and pain thru joy and sorrow and a longing for pomegranates.
A beautiful dream that pulls me thru a nightmare of loss and pain thru joy and sorrow and a longing for pomegranates.
January 15, 2024
Although this story didn't fully resonate with me, I found it to be compelling and skillfully crafted. It offers a contemporary take on the Persephone myth, and presents a visceral portrayal of female rage and the diverse ways in which each character copes with it. However, I personally found the narrative approach to be somewhat challenging to connect with.
January 21, 2023
A great little read / full of Greek Mythology and Sharma’s wonderful prose - an interesting book and I very much enjoyed the morphing of Greek Mythology into the here and now - and the structure / varied and different from the norm - and Sharma can write it all… you’re in good hands!
September 8, 2023
An inventive take on the Persephone and Hades myth. Reflections on trauma, intrafamilial abuse and climate change modernise the dark heart of the myth and provide a chilling view of a future where humanity has failed to learn from its mistakes.
December 19, 2023
A wondrously strange and gorgeous book, reinventing the myth of Demeter and Persephone in surprising ways for our time. I don't want to give too much of the plot away, for that would be a great disservice, so I'll just say: read this!
June 6, 2023
Eloquently written. A must read!
April 15, 2024
From now on, for me, this is the only canonical version of Persephone's myth.
Read
September 4, 2024A wild ride!
November 20, 2025
Gorgeous. I loved Priya’s fable of humanity’s place in the world and our relationship with the divine through myth and story telling. A story of hope and resilience. Beautifully written.
December 8, 2025
I'm a sucker for a Persephone/Hades tale, and this one doesn't disappoint. It's strange, but effective.
(Guess at the dates read, didn't keep good records.)
(Guess at the dates read, didn't keep good records.)
March 29, 2024
This is a variation of the Persephone myth, told in a modern context. Bear Ursa, a mortal man, has somehow found his way into the underworld where he encounters Persephone. Her uncle Hades is dead, her mother Demeter is missing and she has retreated from the world which she believes has forgotten her. She is angry, extremely angry and as a result the Earth has undergone massive climate-change with everything frozen solid. We learn all of this as Persephone explains herself to Bear. There is a lot to like about this story but it is very hard to follow as it shifts narrative perspective unexpectedly and is interspersed with Chorus sections. I suspect you would get a lot more out of it if you are intimately familiar with the original legend.
R: 3.1/5.0
R: 3.1/5.0
December 17, 2023
I love stories that play with mythology. This does that and so much more. The characters of Demeter and Persephone are beautifully realised to make them essential in this tale. I love the way the mythology exists in all ages, modern takes on epic horrors. Add to that Sharma's delicious prose, and you've got a fabulous read.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 27 reviews