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Retold: The Grecian Women #4
La regina degli inferi
La maledizione di Persefone
Dall’autrice del bestseller il segreto di Medusa
Demetra, la potente dea della natura, vive con la bellissima figlia Kore tra i mortali, a cui dona raccolti rigogliosi e campi fertili. Ogni giorno in suo onore si innalzano canti e si offrono tributi, e il mondo sembra destinato a un’eternità di abbondanza. Fino al momento in cui Kore sparisce nel nulla. A rapirla è stato Ade, il sovrano dell’Oltretomba, che l’ha condotta con sé sottoterra. Quando si rende conto che implorare Zeus è inutile, Demetra scatena la sua furia, facendo calare un inverno perenne. I raccolti avvizziscono, la terra diventa sterile e arida. Non ci saranno più musica né gioia finché ciò che le è stato sottratto non verrà restituito. Spaventati dalla fermezza di Demetra, gli dèi provano a convincere Ade a liberare Kore. Ma nel regno dei morti vige una regola: nessuno può andarsene se ha assaggiato anche solo un frutto di quella terra. Sei chicchi di melograno, fatti inghiottire con l’inganno, segnano per sempre il destino di Kore: per sei mesi all’anno potrà fare ritorno da sua madre e la terra si riempirà di nuovo di fiori e frutti. Nei restanti sei mesi la terra tutta dovrà piangere la sua assenza. E lei sarà Persefone, la regina degli Inferi.
Dall’autrice del bestseller il segreto di Medusa
Demetra, la potente dea della natura, vive con la bellissima figlia Kore tra i mortali, a cui dona raccolti rigogliosi e campi fertili. Ogni giorno in suo onore si innalzano canti e si offrono tributi, e il mondo sembra destinato a un’eternità di abbondanza. Fino al momento in cui Kore sparisce nel nulla. A rapirla è stato Ade, il sovrano dell’Oltretomba, che l’ha condotta con sé sottoterra. Quando si rende conto che implorare Zeus è inutile, Demetra scatena la sua furia, facendo calare un inverno perenne. I raccolti avvizziscono, la terra diventa sterile e arida. Non ci saranno più musica né gioia finché ciò che le è stato sottratto non verrà restituito. Spaventati dalla fermezza di Demetra, gli dèi provano a convincere Ade a liberare Kore. Ma nel regno dei morti vige una regola: nessuno può andarsene se ha assaggiato anche solo un frutto di quella terra. Sei chicchi di melograno, fatti inghiottire con l’inganno, segnano per sempre il destino di Kore: per sei mesi all’anno potrà fare ritorno da sua madre e la terra si riempirà di nuovo di fiori e frutti. Nei restanti sei mesi la terra tutta dovrà piangere la sua assenza. E lei sarà Persefone, la regina degli Inferi.
412 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 9, 2024
464 people are currently reading
25162 people want to read
About the author
Hannah M. Lynn
50 books928 followersHannah Lynn is a multi award winning novelist. Publishing her first book, Amendments – a dark, dystopian speculative fiction novel, in 2015. Her second book, The Afterlife of Walter Augustus – a contemporary fiction novel with a supernatural twist – went on to win the 2018 Kindle Storyteller Award and the Independent Publishers Gold Medal for Best Adult Ebook.
Born in 1984, Hannah grew up in the Cotswolds, UK. After graduating from university, she spent 15 years as a teacher of physics, first in the UK and then Thailand, Malaysia, Austria and Jordan. It was during this time, inspired by the imaginations of the young people she taught, she began writing short stories for children, and later adult fiction.
With over 30 publications spanning a number of genres and translated into a dozen languages, Hannah has proven herself to be both an accomplished and prolific author.
Now settled back in the UK with her husband, daughter and clowder of cats, she spends her days writing romantic comedies and historical fiction. Her first historical fiction novel, Athena's Child, was also a 2020 Gold Medalist at the Independent Publishers Awards.
Born in 1984, Hannah grew up in the Cotswolds, UK. After graduating from university, she spent 15 years as a teacher of physics, first in the UK and then Thailand, Malaysia, Austria and Jordan. It was during this time, inspired by the imaginations of the young people she taught, she began writing short stories for children, and later adult fiction.
With over 30 publications spanning a number of genres and translated into a dozen languages, Hannah has proven herself to be both an accomplished and prolific author.
Now settled back in the UK with her husband, daughter and clowder of cats, she spends her days writing romantic comedies and historical fiction. Her first historical fiction novel, Athena's Child, was also a 2020 Gold Medalist at the Independent Publishers Awards.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 733 reviews
July 15, 2024
4.75!
"I was a goddess, but you made me a queen. I had power, but you were the one who showed me how to be powerful"
This was such a complex book and such a well written story with morally grey characters that'll most definitely break your heart in two pieces 😭 its about sexual assault and the aftermath of it. its about a bond between a mother and a daughter and the lengths a mother would go through to protect her child. It's about friendship, It's a story about grief and loss and coping with it, it beautifully showed that you may never be rid of grief but you can always accept it and move forward. It's about betrayals and finding new paths and all of it in the words of Hannah M. Lynn, one can not ask for anything more 🤍
I am in awe 😭 the way this story delivered on every single frint!! The way it had me gasping and being torn and going from hating characters to loving them, all of it to make me fall in love with the world and piecing my heart back. Hannah M. Lynn out did herself with this novel because the writing style was so beautiful and I've always praised her for her writing style before but this one was so fucking beautiful. So immersive and ethereal, the way she describes everything with so ease without making you feel bored, you just go along with the flow of the writing and again I have said it before and I'll say it again, if her books are ever adapted, they'll be amazing because the way it's written makes you feel you're in an adaptation and its so beautiful. I honestly do not read that many Greek myth books, the most I've read are like 12-13 and it's not typically the genre that I go for but for this book I'm so glad that I requested and it got approved because this quite literally changed my life. It altered my brain chemistry and the way some of the moments are etched into my mind 🥺🙏🏻
Demeter, how I would give everything for you to live on a beach in peace with your daughter and your nymphs happily without a trace of any of your disgusting brothers 🥺 she tried, she always tried to be good and she showed love and compassion and purity and support and even when all of it got lost because of Zeus and what he did to her, she still tried to maintain and compose herself as she was and tried to love her children and she tried again and again to be good despite being tormented, loosing her loved ones and in grief until her daughter Core goes missing that would be her breaking point and all the actions that took place after that were justified (except for what happened to the nymphs) and the people who were to blame were Demeter's brothers and sisters.
Persephone, before she took that name, she was only Core a daughter who was loved dearly by her mother and who stood with her when she saw the unjustness of the Olympians, a woman who wanted to speak happiness, a goddess of life, a woman who wanted to love, I love how her love and grief was depicted and even when she went into the underworld and changed her name, I love how she processed her grief and was willing to move on. I also loved how she became the goddess of life and death.
Hades, this version of him is easily my favorite!! He wasn't some big asshole, possessive and one who'd growl or grunt. He was shy and cute 🤭 he was so different and I loved this take. He was respectful and treated Persephone like a queen, gave her time to process everything, gave her space, gave her his whole kingdom, allowed her to process her loss and was willing to give her up for her to be happy, for her to go back to the land of living and this is Hades that I fell in love with. He was understanding, smart and respectful and showed Persephone a part of her that she lost a long time ago, the part where she loved herself, where she felt strong and that was just beautiful.
Zeus, Poseidon and Hera, they can never make me love you. Y'all are for the streets. The things that Zeus and Poseidon did are the reason why women hate men these days because idk how a someone can do that to anyone and Hera is the biggest doormat ever and if she was in this world she would be the one who started 'pick me' culture. I hope they rot and burn in the deepest parts of hell.
The mother daughter bond was something in this book that I loved more than the romance because I loved how the books that was formed between the two was so strong and I loved where Zeus was ready to sell her daughter off, Demeter stood up and defended her, where Zeus was tormenting Demeter, Persephone stood up for her mother. The depiction of fear and trauma was so well done because the scene where Persephone goes into the underworld and is screaming 'rape' and 'help' hit me so hard it showed how deeply Demeter being abused by her brothers affected her and it showed how she thought that she would have the same fate 💔 and lastly I loved how Demeter tried to protect Persephone from the things that she faced.
The romance was so beautiful, I don't want to talk about Demeter' because it'll be spoilery or about Core's relationship before she became Persephone but her with Hades was beautiful ❤️ it was everything that I look for in a romance and they are easily the best Greek myth couple.
I've already talked about the plot and I loved how it was composed with the time jumps and part 1 being dedicated to Demeter and part 2 to core and how some things made sense as you read both of the point of views and how realistic the emotions described felt. One thing with the plot was, is that I felt that it resembled the problems in the real world and it depicts how unjust it is, how unreasonable it is and how thousands if women go through this and some are left without seeking justice. It was truly beautifully depicted.
Overall, I loved this book and I would honestly urge everyone to read this story.
__
A Persephone retelling in the words of Hannah M. Lynn with her gut wrenching endings is what I need right now 🤩
Thank you to Sourcebooks for giving me an E-Arc of this book in exchange for a review
"I was a goddess, but you made me a queen. I had power, but you were the one who showed me how to be powerful"
This was such a complex book and such a well written story with morally grey characters that'll most definitely break your heart in two pieces 😭 its about sexual assault and the aftermath of it. its about a bond between a mother and a daughter and the lengths a mother would go through to protect her child. It's about friendship, It's a story about grief and loss and coping with it, it beautifully showed that you may never be rid of grief but you can always accept it and move forward. It's about betrayals and finding new paths and all of it in the words of Hannah M. Lynn, one can not ask for anything more 🤍
I am in awe 😭 the way this story delivered on every single frint!! The way it had me gasping and being torn and going from hating characters to loving them, all of it to make me fall in love with the world and piecing my heart back. Hannah M. Lynn out did herself with this novel because the writing style was so beautiful and I've always praised her for her writing style before but this one was so fucking beautiful. So immersive and ethereal, the way she describes everything with so ease without making you feel bored, you just go along with the flow of the writing and again I have said it before and I'll say it again, if her books are ever adapted, they'll be amazing because the way it's written makes you feel you're in an adaptation and its so beautiful. I honestly do not read that many Greek myth books, the most I've read are like 12-13 and it's not typically the genre that I go for but for this book I'm so glad that I requested and it got approved because this quite literally changed my life. It altered my brain chemistry and the way some of the moments are etched into my mind 🥺🙏🏻
Demeter, how I would give everything for you to live on a beach in peace with your daughter and your nymphs happily without a trace of any of your disgusting brothers 🥺 she tried, she always tried to be good and she showed love and compassion and purity and support and even when all of it got lost because of Zeus and what he did to her, she still tried to maintain and compose herself as she was and tried to love her children and she tried again and again to be good despite being tormented, loosing her loved ones and in grief until her daughter Core goes missing that would be her breaking point and all the actions that took place after that were justified (except for what happened to the nymphs) and the people who were to blame were Demeter's brothers and sisters.
Persephone, before she took that name, she was only Core a daughter who was loved dearly by her mother and who stood with her when she saw the unjustness of the Olympians, a woman who wanted to speak happiness, a goddess of life, a woman who wanted to love, I love how her love and grief was depicted and even when she went into the underworld and changed her name, I love how she processed her grief and was willing to move on. I also loved how she became the goddess of life and death.
Hades, this version of him is easily my favorite!! He wasn't some big asshole, possessive and one who'd growl or grunt. He was shy and cute 🤭 he was so different and I loved this take. He was respectful and treated Persephone like a queen, gave her time to process everything, gave her space, gave her his whole kingdom, allowed her to process her loss and was willing to give her up for her to be happy, for her to go back to the land of living and this is Hades that I fell in love with. He was understanding, smart and respectful and showed Persephone a part of her that she lost a long time ago, the part where she loved herself, where she felt strong and that was just beautiful.
Zeus, Poseidon and Hera, they can never make me love you. Y'all are for the streets. The things that Zeus and Poseidon did are the reason why women hate men these days because idk how a someone can do that to anyone and Hera is the biggest doormat ever and if she was in this world she would be the one who started 'pick me' culture. I hope they rot and burn in the deepest parts of hell.
The mother daughter bond was something in this book that I loved more than the romance because I loved how the books that was formed between the two was so strong and I loved where Zeus was ready to sell her daughter off, Demeter stood up and defended her, where Zeus was tormenting Demeter, Persephone stood up for her mother. The depiction of fear and trauma was so well done because the scene where Persephone goes into the underworld and is screaming 'rape' and 'help' hit me so hard it showed how deeply Demeter being abused by her brothers affected her and it showed how she thought that she would have the same fate 💔 and lastly I loved how Demeter tried to protect Persephone from the things that she faced.
The romance was so beautiful, I don't want to talk about Demeter' because it'll be spoilery or about Core's relationship before she became Persephone but her with Hades was beautiful ❤️ it was everything that I look for in a romance and they are easily the best Greek myth couple.
I've already talked about the plot and I loved how it was composed with the time jumps and part 1 being dedicated to Demeter and part 2 to core and how some things made sense as you read both of the point of views and how realistic the emotions described felt. One thing with the plot was, is that I felt that it resembled the problems in the real world and it depicts how unjust it is, how unreasonable it is and how thousands if women go through this and some are left without seeking justice. It was truly beautifully depicted.
Overall, I loved this book and I would honestly urge everyone to read this story.
__
A Persephone retelling in the words of Hannah M. Lynn with her gut wrenching endings is what I need right now 🤩
Thank you to Sourcebooks for giving me an E-Arc of this book in exchange for a review
February 3, 2024
➺ 5 ★
— no spoilers !!
— tw: talk of sexual assault, abuse, death, and much more. Do not read if you are not comfortable!!
~ thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a copy in exchange for my honest review !!
🎧 — Labour by Paris Paloma
─────────────── THIS BOOK TORE MY HEART OUT, TOYED WITH IT, MASHED IT UP, THEN SOMEHOW MANAGED TO MOLD IT BACK. Needless to say, it was a painful and tear-inducing process. As soon as I saw that this book was a Greek mythology retelling, I immediately wanted to get my hands on it. It was probably the best decision ever because I fell so in love with it. I cried, laughed, and cried again along with the characters. It was like going on a life changing walk with scary truths that changed my perspective on so many things.
➼ the writing. was the thing that wove its way into my heart. It was so perfectly gorgeous and ethereal that I simply cannot describe to you how I felt reading this book. Everything was so vividly described that it felt as if you could see the image of it in your mind. You could see the things as they were. This book talked about so many things that others shy away from or justify, and the fact that it wasn't justified in this one made it so much better. Sexual assault, the loss of a loved one. It talked about the mourning of a mother, the after effects of rape and arranged marriages, a mother's rage and what extents she can go for her daughter, the mourning of losing someone you love, the acceptance of the fact that some people can simply never get over the loss of their loved ones. The raw weight that the words carried destroyed me. Hannah Lynn deserves an award for her talent in this book, because I turned in bed for about two hours after reading it. The retelling of the myth of Hades and Persephone was one of the best I've read, I'm not even going to lie. And the wlw touch as well!! The little details and the hints to everything that added up so splendidly made everything so perfect. I could go on and on.
→ ‼️‼️ this book talks about a lot of serious matters like death, child abandonment, toxic relationships, gaslighting, family issues, trauma, sexual assault, and much much more things.
➼ the romance. was something that had been on the edge. It was so beautifully written and so perfectly described, but Demeter falling for Iason in less than a day? It was a little on the line if I'm being completely honest. But how Core fell for Ione, how she knew her like the back of her hand and never once thought she dimmed of beauty. How she saw the good in Hades and how she re-met with Ione. How she let go of her and how she remembered again. it had me sobbing, screaming, and dying. I want to continue, but I'm opting for this review to be spoiler free so I'll wait until it's released to add on.
➼ the characters. were like seeing people grow up. It was looking at two goddesses evolving over centuries, seeing them realize things about themselves and accept parts of themselves they didn't want to. We saw Core angry at her mother for losing herself to grief for centuries on end before she herself landed herself in the same position. We saw Core realize how much more she could be. We saw Hades bringing out more from her. We saw what a messy family the Olympians were, how they would ruin their own to get what they want. We saw Demeter stand up for herself and we saw her grieve her daughter. Core's character is so dear to me, seeing her character arc from being her mother's daughter to a goddess. She was always a goddess of course, but it was her journey of realizing that she had her own right. She had her own powers and wants. Zeus and Poseidon were always hated by me solely from myths and pjo, but my hate for them only increased. I sobbed along with Demeter, felt the pain she felt at the utter betrayal that ruined her. There were things that were said that genuinely made me pause, I had to put down the book and take a deep breath before continuing.
I hold this book very close to my heart, it hit a lot of places that hurt. It's an ethereal piece of work that shocks me to my core. There are things from it that will never leave my mind. I genuinely cannot explain to anyone how much this book clicked with me, how the words struck me and how the parallels made me sob. It was like looking at things through clean glasses and seeing the true extent of disgusting things that happen. And the worse part is that so much of this happens in real life. Women go through this around the world and some of them never find relief, they love and die their whole lives filled with horrors. There were two things that stood out the most to me. First was the family relation between the gods. How terribly they treated others, from the women to the mortals. Hera, forced into a marriage with her brother, a man unloyal and abusive. Demeter, raped by two of her siblings. Demeter, who looked up to her brother as a savior and he took advantage of his hold over. Core, who was given off by her own father who was never her father, just her mother's rapist. Core who thought, for the beginning of the time she was with Hades, that he was going to rape her like her uncles raped her mother. Core who broke a vase and pressed the broken piece against her palm to keep herself awake in case Hades came to take advantage of her in her sleep. I could go on and on. Second was the relationship between Demeter and Core. A mother who wanted nothing more than to protect her child from the cruelty of the world that she herself had experienced yet causing the daughter's hate for her to grow in those years. A mother who wanted to keep her child by her side, yet was overbearing. It was such a parallel to the relationship of mothers and daughters in real life. Mothers who do things for their daughters purely due to their love for their daughters and yet they only manage to make their daughters hate them. It comes off as overbearing and overprotective, because they try their very best to protect them from the things they know of the disgusting world, but they fail so terribly because they have to let them deal with it on their own someday, and they can't do anything about it. Just as Demeter experienced loss and couldn't stop Core from reliving the same pain she spent centuries mourning.
💌 mitra. I want to dedicate this review to mimi 🫶🏻. If I'm being completely honest, Goodreads has been so dull for me these past few months and I'm in such a weird reading mood, but mitra has made it sooo much better. She's gorgeous, angelic, sweet, kind, and simply ethereal. The fact that I even got to writing this review was because of mimi 😭.
— no spoilers !!
— tw: talk of sexual assault, abuse, death, and much more. Do not read if you are not comfortable!!
~ thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a copy in exchange for my honest review !!
This is the story of a mother's loss and a woman so completely torn to shreds by her family that the whole Earth would suffer because of it. This is the story of the goddess, Demeter. This is my story.
🎧 — Labour by Paris Paloma
─────────────── THIS BOOK TORE MY HEART OUT, TOYED WITH IT, MASHED IT UP, THEN SOMEHOW MANAGED TO MOLD IT BACK. Needless to say, it was a painful and tear-inducing process. As soon as I saw that this book was a Greek mythology retelling, I immediately wanted to get my hands on it. It was probably the best decision ever because I fell so in love with it. I cried, laughed, and cried again along with the characters. It was like going on a life changing walk with scary truths that changed my perspective on so many things.
➼ the writing. was the thing that wove its way into my heart. It was so perfectly gorgeous and ethereal that I simply cannot describe to you how I felt reading this book. Everything was so vividly described that it felt as if you could see the image of it in your mind. You could see the things as they were. This book talked about so many things that others shy away from or justify, and the fact that it wasn't justified in this one made it so much better. Sexual assault, the loss of a loved one. It talked about the mourning of a mother, the after effects of rape and arranged marriages, a mother's rage and what extents she can go for her daughter, the mourning of losing someone you love, the acceptance of the fact that some people can simply never get over the loss of their loved ones. The raw weight that the words carried destroyed me. Hannah Lynn deserves an award for her talent in this book, because I turned in bed for about two hours after reading it. The retelling of the myth of Hades and Persephone was one of the best I've read, I'm not even going to lie. And the wlw touch as well!! The little details and the hints to everything that added up so splendidly made everything so perfect. I could go on and on.
→ ‼️‼️ this book talks about a lot of serious matters like death, child abandonment, toxic relationships, gaslighting, family issues, trauma, sexual assault, and much much more things.
➼ the romance. was something that had been on the edge. It was so beautifully written and so perfectly described, but Demeter falling for Iason in less than a day? It was a little on the line if I'm being completely honest. But how Core fell for Ione, how she knew her like the back of her hand and never once thought she dimmed of beauty. How she saw the good in Hades and how she re-met with Ione. How she let go of her and how she remembered again. it had me sobbing, screaming, and dying. I want to continue, but I'm opting for this review to be spoiler free so I'll wait until it's released to add on.
➼ the characters. were like seeing people grow up. It was looking at two goddesses evolving over centuries, seeing them realize things about themselves and accept parts of themselves they didn't want to. We saw Core angry at her mother for losing herself to grief for centuries on end before she herself landed herself in the same position. We saw Core realize how much more she could be. We saw Hades bringing out more from her. We saw what a messy family the Olympians were, how they would ruin their own to get what they want. We saw Demeter stand up for herself and we saw her grieve her daughter. Core's character is so dear to me, seeing her character arc from being her mother's daughter to a goddess. She was always a goddess of course, but it was her journey of realizing that she had her own right. She had her own powers and wants. Zeus and Poseidon were always hated by me solely from myths and pjo, but my hate for them only increased. I sobbed along with Demeter, felt the pain she felt at the utter betrayal that ruined her. There were things that were said that genuinely made me pause, I had to put down the book and take a deep breath before continuing.
I hold this book very close to my heart, it hit a lot of places that hurt. It's an ethereal piece of work that shocks me to my core. There are things from it that will never leave my mind. I genuinely cannot explain to anyone how much this book clicked with me, how the words struck me and how the parallels made me sob. It was like looking at things through clean glasses and seeing the true extent of disgusting things that happen. And the worse part is that so much of this happens in real life. Women go through this around the world and some of them never find relief, they love and die their whole lives filled with horrors. There were two things that stood out the most to me. First was the family relation between the gods. How terribly they treated others, from the women to the mortals. Hera, forced into a marriage with her brother, a man unloyal and abusive. Demeter, raped by two of her siblings. Demeter, who looked up to her brother as a savior and he took advantage of his hold over. Core, who was given off by her own father who was never her father, just her mother's rapist. Core who thought, for the beginning of the time she was with Hades, that he was going to rape her like her uncles raped her mother. Core who broke a vase and pressed the broken piece against her palm to keep herself awake in case Hades came to take advantage of her in her sleep. I could go on and on. Second was the relationship between Demeter and Core. A mother who wanted nothing more than to protect her child from the cruelty of the world that she herself had experienced yet causing the daughter's hate for her to grow in those years. A mother who wanted to keep her child by her side, yet was overbearing. It was such a parallel to the relationship of mothers and daughters in real life. Mothers who do things for their daughters purely due to their love for their daughters and yet they only manage to make their daughters hate them. It comes off as overbearing and overprotective, because they try their very best to protect them from the things they know of the disgusting world, but they fail so terribly because they have to let them deal with it on their own someday, and they can't do anything about it. Just as Demeter experienced loss and couldn't stop Core from reliving the same pain she spent centuries mourning.
💌 mitra. I want to dedicate this review to mimi 🫶🏻. If I'm being completely honest, Goodreads has been so dull for me these past few months and I'm in such a weird reading mood, but mitra has made it sooo much better. She's gorgeous, angelic, sweet, kind, and simply ethereal. The fact that I even got to writing this review was because of mimi 😭.
July 11, 2024
'I am the daughter of Olympians. I am the Goddess of the Underworld. I am Persephone. This is my story'.
I wasn't aware of the mythology around Demeter, her daughter Core and how Core became Persephone, Hades' wife. This story is told primarily in two parts, covering Demeter's story and then Core's POV. It is a story of love, grief and heartache. It reminded me of the two adages, 'better to have loved and lost' and 'if you love something, set it free'. Demeter's consuming, smothering love for Core ultimately leads her into danger. Whereas, Hades' love is unlimited and not corroded by fear, 'He loved me enough to let me leave'. I never would have dreamt of the God of the Underworld having such a heart but, it actually makes sense; he cares for everyone's souls.
You need to turn a blind eye to the ick of incestuous relationships and forced relationships - this is just Greek mythology. Once you do, you're sure to enjoy this very readable, descriptive and detailed story about finding your sense of self worth and inner strength.
'I was a goddess, but you made me a queen. I had power, but you were the one who showed me how to be powerful'.
I wasn't aware of the mythology around Demeter, her daughter Core and how Core became Persephone, Hades' wife. This story is told primarily in two parts, covering Demeter's story and then Core's POV. It is a story of love, grief and heartache. It reminded me of the two adages, 'better to have loved and lost' and 'if you love something, set it free'. Demeter's consuming, smothering love for Core ultimately leads her into danger. Whereas, Hades' love is unlimited and not corroded by fear, 'He loved me enough to let me leave'. I never would have dreamt of the God of the Underworld having such a heart but, it actually makes sense; he cares for everyone's souls.
You need to turn a blind eye to the ick of incestuous relationships and forced relationships - this is just Greek mythology. Once you do, you're sure to enjoy this very readable, descriptive and detailed story about finding your sense of self worth and inner strength.
'I was a goddess, but you made me a queen. I had power, but you were the one who showed me how to be powerful'.
October 28, 2024
This retelling fell flat in trying to bring a fresh, feminist perspective to the myth of Demeter and Persephone.
Greek myths are often ripe for reinterpretation, especially when exploring the agency and complexity of characters like Demeter and Persephone, but this attempt missed the mark for me in several ways.
I flew through this book just to be done with it.
The biggest issues I had with this include:
1. One-Dimensional Characters: Demeter, traditionally complex and powerful as a goddess of harvest, was reduced to a static figure, overly focused on sadness and sorrow.
For a goddess who was powerful, we do not get that.
Instead, we get a character that spends all her time crying for a person she knew for only 24 hours and a bad mother.
2. Unconvincing Love Stories: The rushed romantic developments, both for Demeter and Persephone, made it hard to invest in the characters' emotional journeys.
The rapid and shallow depiction of falling in love (especially in under 24 hours!) led to me laughing while crying.
It was at this point that I realized how stupid and ridiculous this whole book was.
And let's not even talk about the love story of Persophone with Hades cause I'll be ranting till morning.
3. Persephone’s Lack of Development: Persephone acted like a spoiled princess the entire time.
I hoped that she would grow up, but the character development didn't happen till the end, and it was poorly done.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but Hades deserved better, and he was a kidnapper.
4. Botched Themes: Since the myth of Demeter and Persephone deals with heavy themes—r***e, abduction, motherhood, transformation, and the cycle of life and death—it needs to be handled with care, which the author did not, in my opinion.
I had high hopes for a respectful, nuanced adaptation which this did not deliver.
This one didn't capture the essence of the original myth at all.
Greek myths are often ripe for reinterpretation, especially when exploring the agency and complexity of characters like Demeter and Persephone, but this attempt missed the mark for me in several ways.
I flew through this book just to be done with it.
The biggest issues I had with this include:
1. One-Dimensional Characters: Demeter, traditionally complex and powerful as a goddess of harvest, was reduced to a static figure, overly focused on sadness and sorrow.
For a goddess who was powerful, we do not get that.
Instead, we get a character that spends all her time crying for a person she knew for only 24 hours and a bad mother.
2. Unconvincing Love Stories: The rushed romantic developments, both for Demeter and Persephone, made it hard to invest in the characters' emotional journeys.
The rapid and shallow depiction of falling in love (especially in under 24 hours!) led to me laughing while crying.
It was at this point that I realized how stupid and ridiculous this whole book was.
And let's not even talk about the love story of Persophone with Hades cause I'll be ranting till morning.
3. Persephone’s Lack of Development: Persephone acted like a spoiled princess the entire time.
I hoped that she would grow up, but the character development didn't happen till the end, and it was poorly done.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but Hades deserved better, and he was a kidnapper.
4. Botched Themes: Since the myth of Demeter and Persephone deals with heavy themes—r***e, abduction, motherhood, transformation, and the cycle of life and death—it needs to be handled with care, which the author did not, in my opinion.
I had high hopes for a respectful, nuanced adaptation which this did not deliver.
This one didn't capture the essence of the original myth at all.
Read
October 19, 2024dnf
May 11, 2024
This book was so good! I finished it in 3 days, which for me is very fast. Once I sat down to read, it was hard to stop. I have quiet a soft spot for Demeter. So, when I found this book, I had to read it. I was not disappointed! This retelling of Demeter and Co0re/Persephone draws us into the love Demeter has for her daughter and how sometimes the need to protect can become suffocating. We are with the Goddess as she experiences loss and heart break, clinging to the one thing (Core) that she believes is all she has left. We see how her desperation to keep Core safe is slowly deny her a life to live. When told in this way, I found the story to be relatable. We get to see the darker side of Demeter, which I loved. It's not spoken about very often. We get to see Persephone come into her own power. This is the first book I have read by this author but will not be the last. I would read this book over & over again and I would certainly recommend it and/or buy for a friend.
August 12, 2024
DNF at 81 pages.
Now, you may think that 81 pages is really early into the book to DNF AND rate (usually I give myself 50% in order to rate a book if I DNF it). But this was just written so...bad isn't the correct word, but detached. All of the description was given on unimportant things--and the description wasn't really good, it was good vocabulary and that's it. Absolutely no personalities within any of the gods other than horny and bored. Demetra fell in love with a mortal within hours, HOURS, and we barely witnessed the conversation. We're simply told everything--not shown. I guess he told a really good joke and we heard the punchline only, I want the whole story. Because if the punchline is "and guess which goat we ate??? Yup! The that very one!" I want to know about that goat, did a god f*ck it (cause...those gods be horny) did you dress it up? did you let it loose in the kitchen?? I want to know!!! But nope, we're not even given that fun detail.
Within the first 81 pages Demetra and her siblings are vomited out of their fathers stomach, Demetra falls in love with Zeus, Zeus marries Hera, Demetra gets r*ped by Zeus, has 2 of his kids (one of them a mere mortal and a total spoiled brat--nevermind that I looked up this so-called mortal son and he wasn't mortal, he was a minor diety--in this book he's completely utterly mortal--no powers. Lame.), Demetra's kids grow up (the mortal one dies because a long-long-long time has passed), Demetra falls in love, Demetra's love is killed by Zeus, Demetra has her love's kids (because goddesses are apparently EXTREMELY fertile). ALL of this happens in 81 pages. That is a LOT of action to happen in 81 pages, it shouldn't be boring! But it is because we're simply TOLD all of this, not shown. So yeah, this gets 1 star. Only reason I made it to 81 pages is that this was from Once Upon a Bookclub and I was determined to read up to the first present.
**the presents were pretty disappointing this month**
Now, you may think that 81 pages is really early into the book to DNF AND rate (usually I give myself 50% in order to rate a book if I DNF it). But this was just written so...bad isn't the correct word, but detached. All of the description was given on unimportant things--and the description wasn't really good, it was good vocabulary and that's it. Absolutely no personalities within any of the gods other than horny and bored. Demetra fell in love with a mortal within hours, HOURS, and we barely witnessed the conversation. We're simply told everything--not shown. I guess he told a really good joke and we heard the punchline only, I want the whole story. Because if the punchline is "and guess which goat we ate??? Yup! The that very one!" I want to know about that goat, did a god f*ck it (cause...those gods be horny) did you dress it up? did you let it loose in the kitchen?? I want to know!!! But nope, we're not even given that fun detail.
Within the first 81 pages Demetra and her siblings are vomited out of their fathers stomach, Demetra falls in love with Zeus, Zeus marries Hera, Demetra gets r*ped by Zeus, has 2 of his kids (one of them a mere mortal and a total spoiled brat--nevermind that I looked up this so-called mortal son and he wasn't mortal, he was a minor diety--in this book he's completely utterly mortal--no powers. Lame.), Demetra's kids grow up (the mortal one dies because a long-long-long time has passed), Demetra falls in love, Demetra's love is killed by Zeus, Demetra has her love's kids (because goddesses are apparently EXTREMELY fertile). ALL of this happens in 81 pages. That is a LOT of action to happen in 81 pages, it shouldn't be boring! But it is because we're simply TOLD all of this, not shown. So yeah, this gets 1 star. Only reason I made it to 81 pages is that this was from Once Upon a Bookclub and I was determined to read up to the first present.
**the presents were pretty disappointing this month**
April 8, 2024
I wanted to love this book more than I did, but the pacing was so slow for most of the book only for the ending to be rushed right when I felt like there was more I wanted to read.
Demeter’s story was a little too redundant and Core’s story repeated a lot of the same happenings that we’d already seen in Demeter’s. This book was separated into multiple parts, but I feel like a dual POV approach would’ve been a better fit for the entirety of this book.
I wish I would’ve gotten a little bit more of Hades and Persephone when things got more interesting and the problems “resolved” so I am very sad of the rushed ending.
Demeter’s story was a little too redundant and Core’s story repeated a lot of the same happenings that we’d already seen in Demeter’s. This book was separated into multiple parts, but I feel like a dual POV approach would’ve been a better fit for the entirety of this book.
I wish I would’ve gotten a little bit more of Hades and Persephone when things got more interesting and the problems “resolved” so I am very sad of the rushed ending.
August 13, 2024
Circe but for Demeter. Follow Demeter’s life and how Hades and Persephone came to be. All the romance and tragedy of the gods in a beautifully written tale that blends all of Demeter’s tales.
# Daughters of Olympus
# 8/9/2024 ~ 8/12/2024
# 5.0 / 5.0
# Daughters of Olympus
# 8/9/2024 ~ 8/12/2024
# 5.0 / 5.0
July 29, 2024
3.5 Rounded down.
I was looking forward to this book. I was excited to have Demeter’s side of the story and for the narrative to be more focused on the mother/daughter dynamic. Sadly, that is not what is in this book.
I almost stopped reading several times throughout the first 40% of the book, which happens to be the majority of Demeter’s POV. I was looking forward to finally seeing her as a mother and seeing the loving mother/daughter relationship. Nope. That is not the story we were given. Instead we are presented with a narcissistic goddess who barely spends time on page with her daughter and instead spends the majority of her POV grieving for her “true love” aka a man she met at a wedding, knew for maybe 12 hours, and Zeus kills because she slept with him. Nothing is ever her fault especially not when she loses her temper and acts out like a toddler. Honestly, her freezing the world and killing most of the humans comes off as a two year old upset that her toy was taken from her. She doesn’t refer to Core has a person. She uses language more akin to demanding her property be returned to her. This is also after centuries of Demeter essentially ignoring Core and Core doing whatever she wanted. So, not exactly the loving mother vibes I was hoping for.
When the narrative switched to Core/Persephone's POV I started to enjoy the story more. Demeter’s section was so incredibly slow with barely anything happening. At least with Persephone’s POV there was more plot. I enjoyed seeing Persephone experience life and love before she was taken to the Underworld. She was starting to become her own her person. I enjoyed the relationship with Hades and how it wasn’t just a sexual relationship. Hades was awkward with her and a bit of a stalker, but he at least came off as wanting the best for her. Demeter on the other hand never seemed to want the best for her daughter. She only wanted her possession returned to her.
Overall, this book was too long and slow. At times the writing was beautiful; however, at others the writing was repetitive. The first half of the book reads as if the author was trying to cram in as many mentions of lore as possible while also constantly saying “but that’s a tale for another time”. The second half was more original and moved the story forward.
Thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was looking forward to this book. I was excited to have Demeter’s side of the story and for the narrative to be more focused on the mother/daughter dynamic. Sadly, that is not what is in this book.
I almost stopped reading several times throughout the first 40% of the book, which happens to be the majority of Demeter’s POV. I was looking forward to finally seeing her as a mother and seeing the loving mother/daughter relationship. Nope. That is not the story we were given. Instead we are presented with a narcissistic goddess who barely spends time on page with her daughter and instead spends the majority of her POV grieving for her “true love” aka a man she met at a wedding, knew for maybe 12 hours, and Zeus kills because she slept with him. Nothing is ever her fault especially not when she loses her temper and acts out like a toddler. Honestly, her freezing the world and killing most of the humans comes off as a two year old upset that her toy was taken from her. She doesn’t refer to Core has a person. She uses language more akin to demanding her property be returned to her. This is also after centuries of Demeter essentially ignoring Core and Core doing whatever she wanted. So, not exactly the loving mother vibes I was hoping for.
When the narrative switched to Core/Persephone's POV I started to enjoy the story more. Demeter’s section was so incredibly slow with barely anything happening. At least with Persephone’s POV there was more plot. I enjoyed seeing Persephone experience life and love before she was taken to the Underworld. She was starting to become her own her person. I enjoyed the relationship with Hades and how it wasn’t just a sexual relationship. Hades was awkward with her and a bit of a stalker, but he at least came off as wanting the best for her. Demeter on the other hand never seemed to want the best for her daughter. She only wanted her possession returned to her.
Overall, this book was too long and slow. At times the writing was beautiful; however, at others the writing was repetitive. The first half of the book reads as if the author was trying to cram in as many mentions of lore as possible while also constantly saying “but that’s a tale for another time”. The second half was more original and moved the story forward.
Thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 28, 2023
Su due cose non posso essere oggettiva: Hannah Lynn e Ade e Persefone; sulla prima, perché mi sono innamorata dei suoi romanzi già al secondo capitolo de ‘Il segreto di Medusa’; sui secondi, perché – sebbene Ermes sia il mio spirito guida – quella dei Sovrani degli Inferi è sempre stata una mia ship per eccellenza, sicuramente la prima per quanto riguarda la mitologia greca.
Se nella trilogia ‘The Grecian Women Trilogy’ seguiamo le vicende di donne mortali e gli dèi rimangono delle figure di “contorto” che interferiscono in diverse misure in queste vite, condizionandole secondo i loro capricci, ecco che con ‘La regina degli inferi’ i protagonisti sono loro, i grandi Olimpi e gli dèi minori; ma, soprattutto, Demetra, divinità della natura, dei raccolti e delle messi, e sua figlia, Kore. Le due conducono una vita semplice e abitudinaria tra i mortali, ai quali promettono un’eternità di serenità e abbondanza. Questo, però, fino a quando la preziosa Kore scompare nel nulla, lasciando dietro di sé una madre sconvolta e determinata a riaverla a qualsiasi costo, anche se questo dovesse significare sotterrare il mondo intero sotto uno strato di gelo.
Lo sappiamo tutti che ci sono e sempre ci saranno un’infinità di versioni di qualsiasi mito, ma questo retelling ha esaudito qualsiasi mia più rosea aspettativa: l’ho trovato semplicemente perfetto.
Diamo, prima di tutto, uno spazio allo stile di scrittura dell’autrice, che era già riuscito a conquistarmi in passato e che si riconferma al suo posto, se non più in alto ancora; i romanzi della Lynn sono coinvolgenti, scorrevoli, semplici ma allo stesso tempo profondi, ricchi di descrizione, di introspezione e di passaggi capaci di restare nella mente e nel cuore del lettore; sono delle rielaborazioni che lasciano senza fiato e alle quali io mi sono affezionata in modi che nemmeno vi so descrivere.
Questo libro, come penso abbiate capito, rivede il mito di Persefone e la sua discesa nell’Oltretomba, ma il racconto di questa parte della storia si limita a una piccola porzione del testo, perché Hannah Lynn ha deciso di partire dalle origini, dalla prigionia di Demetra e dei suoi fratelli nello stomaco di Crono, dallo scontro tra gli Olimpi e i Titani, dalla nascita di Kore e Iacco… per arrivare al rapimento della divinità minore solo dopo aver narrato i segreti più oscuri di Demetra, di un’eternità assalita da sofferenze e soprusi che finiranno con il portare una divinità della vita e dell’abbondanza a scatenare una distruzione alla quale persino Zeus dovrà arrendersi.
‘La regina degli inferi’ si divide in tre parti: la prima è dal punto di vista di Demetra; la seconda da quello di Kore; e la terza di entrambe. A quella di Demetra, segue la storia di una dèa involontariamente obbligata a rivestire il ruolo di un’eterna fanciulla, di una ragazzina indifesa che sembra destinata a restare al fianco della madre e a cogliere fuori per sempre. Ma anche un fragile bocciolo può nascondere dei segreti. All’insaputa di Demetra, Kore vivrà, amerà e soffrirà terribilmente, fino a quando la terra non si aprirà sotto i suoi piedi e, quella che pensava sarebbe stata una violenza, una reclusione obbligata, sarà invece ciò che le permetterà di scatenare tutta la sua forza, di brillare e di essere una sovrana, Persefone.
Io impazzisco per le spiegazioni mitologiche ai fenomeni naturali, c’è poco da fare; quindi quanto è meraviglioso poter dire che, ora che è iniziato l’Autunno, la figlia di Demetra ha dovuto lasciare il suo ruolo di Kore, di ragazza devota e innocente, per tornare da suo marito Ade negli Inferi ed essere la parte più forte e oscura di sé, la Regina Persefone?
"Al mio ritorno sarò la tua regina. In tutti i sensi. Ma desidero una cosa da te. Lealtà. Non mentirmi. Non nascondermi mai nulla. E se devo governare, devo farlo come tua eguale.”
Se nella trilogia ‘The Grecian Women Trilogy’ seguiamo le vicende di donne mortali e gli dèi rimangono delle figure di “contorto” che interferiscono in diverse misure in queste vite, condizionandole secondo i loro capricci, ecco che con ‘La regina degli inferi’ i protagonisti sono loro, i grandi Olimpi e gli dèi minori; ma, soprattutto, Demetra, divinità della natura, dei raccolti e delle messi, e sua figlia, Kore. Le due conducono una vita semplice e abitudinaria tra i mortali, ai quali promettono un’eternità di serenità e abbondanza. Questo, però, fino a quando la preziosa Kore scompare nel nulla, lasciando dietro di sé una madre sconvolta e determinata a riaverla a qualsiasi costo, anche se questo dovesse significare sotterrare il mondo intero sotto uno strato di gelo.
Lo sappiamo tutti che ci sono e sempre ci saranno un’infinità di versioni di qualsiasi mito, ma questo retelling ha esaudito qualsiasi mia più rosea aspettativa: l’ho trovato semplicemente perfetto.
Diamo, prima di tutto, uno spazio allo stile di scrittura dell’autrice, che era già riuscito a conquistarmi in passato e che si riconferma al suo posto, se non più in alto ancora; i romanzi della Lynn sono coinvolgenti, scorrevoli, semplici ma allo stesso tempo profondi, ricchi di descrizione, di introspezione e di passaggi capaci di restare nella mente e nel cuore del lettore; sono delle rielaborazioni che lasciano senza fiato e alle quali io mi sono affezionata in modi che nemmeno vi so descrivere.
Questo libro, come penso abbiate capito, rivede il mito di Persefone e la sua discesa nell’Oltretomba, ma il racconto di questa parte della storia si limita a una piccola porzione del testo, perché Hannah Lynn ha deciso di partire dalle origini, dalla prigionia di Demetra e dei suoi fratelli nello stomaco di Crono, dallo scontro tra gli Olimpi e i Titani, dalla nascita di Kore e Iacco… per arrivare al rapimento della divinità minore solo dopo aver narrato i segreti più oscuri di Demetra, di un’eternità assalita da sofferenze e soprusi che finiranno con il portare una divinità della vita e dell’abbondanza a scatenare una distruzione alla quale persino Zeus dovrà arrendersi.
‘La regina degli inferi’ si divide in tre parti: la prima è dal punto di vista di Demetra; la seconda da quello di Kore; e la terza di entrambe. A quella di Demetra, segue la storia di una dèa involontariamente obbligata a rivestire il ruolo di un’eterna fanciulla, di una ragazzina indifesa che sembra destinata a restare al fianco della madre e a cogliere fuori per sempre. Ma anche un fragile bocciolo può nascondere dei segreti. All’insaputa di Demetra, Kore vivrà, amerà e soffrirà terribilmente, fino a quando la terra non si aprirà sotto i suoi piedi e, quella che pensava sarebbe stata una violenza, una reclusione obbligata, sarà invece ciò che le permetterà di scatenare tutta la sua forza, di brillare e di essere una sovrana, Persefone.
Io impazzisco per le spiegazioni mitologiche ai fenomeni naturali, c’è poco da fare; quindi quanto è meraviglioso poter dire che, ora che è iniziato l’Autunno, la figlia di Demetra ha dovuto lasciare il suo ruolo di Kore, di ragazza devota e innocente, per tornare da suo marito Ade negli Inferi ed essere la parte più forte e oscura di sé, la Regina Persefone?
"Al mio ritorno sarò la tua regina. In tutti i sensi. Ma desidero una cosa da te. Lealtà. Non mentirmi. Non nascondermi mai nulla. E se devo governare, devo farlo come tua eguale.”
April 11, 2025
This was definitely not for me, and I love Green mythology.
I love the idea of giving voice to mythological beings that don't typically get to have one. However, the story of Persephone and Hades is probably the most frequently adapted, and this book did not provide anything new to the sea of these retellings. It seemed as though the author was trying to make this a female empowerment story, but unfortunately she fell short.
The two woman we focus on, Demeter and Persephone (called Core for FAR too long), are victims. They get basically nothing more, but we're sympathetic to them. All other female characters with one exception are perfect. Demeter is reduced to being a victim and a mother to Persephone and nothing else. I love when books are open and honest about trauma, and how personal the healing journey can be, but we got nothing from Demeter. Considering she is a Goddess of immense power, we rarely get to see it, and her entire world revolves around the two brothers who raped her, the insta-love she had for one whole day, and the one child she kept and basically trapped with her.
Persephone is given a sapphic love story that I wish was better written. We basically got her loving Ione and being with her here and there with no connection. We just keep getting told that Persephone loves her and Ione being tender and loving without being shown which is probably my biggest pet peeve. We have first person narration and I never believed in this love story which is such a let down. When it came time for the Hades story, she falls in love with him in less book space than it took Demeter to cry that Persephone was missing. She maintains her love for Ione and then seems to drop it in favor of Hades with hardly any character change, growth, or struggle. The only way the author gave her a growth story was being brave enough to name herself Persephone since her mom just called her Core. Outside of that, another flat character.
Every male character is either a love interest and therefore unnaturally perfect, or comically evil. There are no degrees or variations to any of the male character. Persephone's twin is human and he feels inadequate so he just rapes women. This is a huge deviation from mythology so I struggle to see the point of this. He gets mentioned for a bit and then never again once he dies lol Zeus and Poseidon are of course evil. But Hades who kidnaps Persephone is charming and sweet and tender. Mmkay.
The writing in general did not do it for me. It was SLOW and most of the time I was bored. I love character driven novels, but the writing and characters didn't make up for the lack of plot which are usually the best part of character driven novels.
And an odd issue that I can't believe made it past editing or at least review of the audiobook - Demeter has two sets of twins. During the delivery of the third pregnancy she says her fourth child is born. Except that it was her fifth. So that math wasn't mathing.
Bottom line, there are far better Greek retellings.
I love the idea of giving voice to mythological beings that don't typically get to have one. However, the story of Persephone and Hades is probably the most frequently adapted, and this book did not provide anything new to the sea of these retellings. It seemed as though the author was trying to make this a female empowerment story, but unfortunately she fell short.
The two woman we focus on, Demeter and Persephone (called Core for FAR too long), are victims. They get basically nothing more, but we're sympathetic to them. All other female characters with one exception are perfect. Demeter is reduced to being a victim and a mother to Persephone and nothing else. I love when books are open and honest about trauma, and how personal the healing journey can be, but we got nothing from Demeter. Considering she is a Goddess of immense power, we rarely get to see it, and her entire world revolves around the two brothers who raped her, the insta-love she had for one whole day, and the one child she kept and basically trapped with her.
Persephone is given a sapphic love story that I wish was better written. We basically got her loving Ione and being with her here and there with no connection. We just keep getting told that Persephone loves her and Ione being tender and loving without being shown which is probably my biggest pet peeve. We have first person narration and I never believed in this love story which is such a let down. When it came time for the Hades story, she falls in love with him in less book space than it took Demeter to cry that Persephone was missing. She maintains her love for Ione and then seems to drop it in favor of Hades with hardly any character change, growth, or struggle. The only way the author gave her a growth story was being brave enough to name herself Persephone since her mom just called her Core. Outside of that, another flat character.
Every male character is either a love interest and therefore unnaturally perfect, or comically evil. There are no degrees or variations to any of the male character. Persephone's twin is human and he feels inadequate so he just rapes women. This is a huge deviation from mythology so I struggle to see the point of this. He gets mentioned for a bit and then never again once he dies lol Zeus and Poseidon are of course evil. But Hades who kidnaps Persephone is charming and sweet and tender. Mmkay.
The writing in general did not do it for me. It was SLOW and most of the time I was bored. I love character driven novels, but the writing and characters didn't make up for the lack of plot which are usually the best part of character driven novels.
And an odd issue that I can't believe made it past editing or at least review of the audiobook - Demeter has two sets of twins. During the delivery of the third pregnancy she says her fourth child is born. Except that it was her fifth. So that math wasn't mathing.
Bottom line, there are far better Greek retellings.
June 20, 2024
As usual, Hannah Lynn delivers!
Demeter is the WORST. Like, just under Zeus in my ranking of which God/Goddess is the worst. But this retelling actually really made me feel sorry for her, at least for a bit. Why? Well....because Zeus is the worst. When reading Greek mythology, it's a pretty safe to assume that if something tragic happened to a character, there's an 80% chance Zeus is the reason why. Unfortunately, Demeter is no different--all of her struggle and loss results from her brother, and all she ever wanted was to be left alone in peace.
Similar to her other works, Hannah Lynn's prose is absolutely beautiful. The descriptions of the scenery, the emotions of the characters, the inner monologues--all are absolutely beautifully written and I'm a huge fan of her writing style. It works particularly well for the stories she tells, and I think this may have been my favorite of hers in terms of writing.
I've read just about Hades/Persephone retelling known to man, and it was really refreshing to get the backstory to Demeter and why she became the monster she was when it comes to defending Persephone. I still think she's awful, but the insight into her that the author provides gives a whole new layer to the myth that folks who aren't familiar with the source material may not know.
This book is incredibly emotional, and touches on a lot of tough subjects (sexual assault, abuse, death of loved ones, etc), so be prepared to be in your feelings for this one. Athena's Child may still be my favorite, but this is a close second. I loved this one SO much and will continue to read anything Hannah writes.
If you're a fan of Jennifer Saint or Natalie Haynes, you'll LOVE these books!
Thank you SO much to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for the oppotunity to read this ahead of publication! I'm already on the edge of my seat for the next one.
Demeter is the WORST. Like, just under Zeus in my ranking of which God/Goddess is the worst. But this retelling actually really made me feel sorry for her, at least for a bit. Why? Well....because Zeus is the worst. When reading Greek mythology, it's a pretty safe to assume that if something tragic happened to a character, there's an 80% chance Zeus is the reason why. Unfortunately, Demeter is no different--all of her struggle and loss results from her brother, and all she ever wanted was to be left alone in peace.
Similar to her other works, Hannah Lynn's prose is absolutely beautiful. The descriptions of the scenery, the emotions of the characters, the inner monologues--all are absolutely beautifully written and I'm a huge fan of her writing style. It works particularly well for the stories she tells, and I think this may have been my favorite of hers in terms of writing.
I've read just about Hades/Persephone retelling known to man, and it was really refreshing to get the backstory to Demeter and why she became the monster she was when it comes to defending Persephone. I still think she's awful, but the insight into her that the author provides gives a whole new layer to the myth that folks who aren't familiar with the source material may not know.
This book is incredibly emotional, and touches on a lot of tough subjects (sexual assault, abuse, death of loved ones, etc), so be prepared to be in your feelings for this one. Athena's Child may still be my favorite, but this is a close second. I loved this one SO much and will continue to read anything Hannah writes.
If you're a fan of Jennifer Saint or Natalie Haynes, you'll LOVE these books!
Thank you SO much to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for the oppotunity to read this ahead of publication! I'm already on the edge of my seat for the next one.
May 22, 2024
Daughters Of Olympus by Hannah M. Lynn is a Hades and Persephone (Core) retelling. What makes it unique to most other retellings is that it brings in the perspective of Persephone's mother, Demeter, as well as the story of her lover, Ione. This adds so much to the story.
I love Hannah M. Lynn's books and this one is no different! Check it out!
Thank you, NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for an advanced readers copy of Daughters of Olympus by Hannah M. Lynn. I was super excited to read it and I already told my mythology book friends to add it to their lists!
I love Hannah M. Lynn's books and this one is no different! Check it out!
Thank you, NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for an advanced readers copy of Daughters of Olympus by Hannah M. Lynn. I was super excited to read it and I already told my mythology book friends to add it to their lists!
August 6, 2024
Again, I went into a mythology retelling without being g familiar with the original stories and loved it! This entire series has been so enjoyable. This one left me confused throughout due to the main character’s name change and I wish the heavy topics had been explored better, but it was a satisfying read!
January 26, 2025
Should really do better job at checking for typos and misplaced words.
Read
October 3, 2023DNF ma quello che ho letto mi è bastato per agghiacciarmi.
Sarò un po' cattiva, avviso.
La colpa è mia per due motivi, fondamentalmente perché vivo di speranza : 1.devo smetterla di leggere le cagate della Newton Compton e non me lo ficco in testa, perché ogni volta che becco un libro della casa editrice si rivela una ciofeca per vari motivi ma spero sempre che sia la volta buona che vengo smentita (un paio di libri non così terribili ogni tanto capitano ma sono comete e io evidentemente ho una passione per l'astrologia) 2. la scrittura di Hannah Lynn non mi piace, ho già testato le acque con la trilogia delle The Grecian Women ma tentata dal fatto che fosse una drammatizzazione del mito di Persefone mi ha comprata a darle una seconda chance.
Speravo in un miglioramento anche come scrittura ma evidentemente tutti gli elementi che non mi erano piaciuti della trilogia sono invece a maggior richiesta del pubblico tra cui la vittimizzazione delle donne, e non intendo che bisogna eliminare la parte abusiva dei miti greci ma di scriverla bene: Medusa e Clitemnestra prima e Demetra adesso non sono che vittime impotenti, tutte e tre con lo stampino. Donne devastate dalla violenza sessuale la cui unica personalità è essere una vittima.
Badate molto, molto bene: non nego che sia devastante ma pretendo che non sia più l' unico modo di descrivere una donna vittima di violenza, specie se da una scrittrice. Lo pretendo perché di caratterizzazioni del genere (donna remissiva che viene abusata e diventa ancora più remissiva, ritrovando la gioia di vivere solo nei figli e non riacquista potere manco per sbaglio) la letteratura ne è PIENA; se nei libri di intrattenimento la descrizione delle eroine è passiva, figlia di un retaggio stantio di rappresentazione per colpa di una scrittura pigra, è il segnale che si vive di precisi immaginari che accettiamo ancora altrettanto passivamente e forgiano anche la mente delle nuove scrittrici che la danno in pasto ai lettori sapendo che verrà accettata e sottovalutata.
Liberissima di scrivere ciò che le pare ma io di una storia in cui le parti attive sono Demetra, potente dea dell' Olimpo che non esercita neanche una volta il suo potere e non ha una personalità manco per sbaglio, e Persefone, la solita ragazzetta buona come il pane che non ha una personalità manco per sbaglio, non me ne faccio niente.
Non voglio donne forti a tutti i costi: voglio donne forti E deboli, potenti E fallibili, contraddittorie E volitive. "Eh ma si legge senza pretese".
E allora fatemi una strong female character piuttosto, almeno tiene in piedi la baracca.
L'unica scrittrice che è riuscita a scrivere un personaggio più passivo che attivo ma estremamente affascinante è stata Madeline Miller con Circe: finché non si tocca quel livello o almeno si fa un tentativo in quella direzione non accetto di meno.
Sarò un po' cattiva, avviso.
La colpa è mia per due motivi, fondamentalmente perché vivo di speranza : 1.devo smetterla di leggere le cagate della Newton Compton e non me lo ficco in testa, perché ogni volta che becco un libro della casa editrice si rivela una ciofeca per vari motivi ma spero sempre che sia la volta buona che vengo smentita (un paio di libri non così terribili ogni tanto capitano ma sono comete e io evidentemente ho una passione per l'astrologia) 2. la scrittura di Hannah Lynn non mi piace, ho già testato le acque con la trilogia delle The Grecian Women ma tentata dal fatto che fosse una drammatizzazione del mito di Persefone mi ha comprata a darle una seconda chance.
Speravo in un miglioramento anche come scrittura ma evidentemente tutti gli elementi che non mi erano piaciuti della trilogia sono invece a maggior richiesta del pubblico tra cui la vittimizzazione delle donne, e non intendo che bisogna eliminare la parte abusiva dei miti greci ma di scriverla bene: Medusa e Clitemnestra prima e Demetra adesso non sono che vittime impotenti, tutte e tre con lo stampino. Donne devastate dalla violenza sessuale la cui unica personalità è essere una vittima.
Badate molto, molto bene: non nego che sia devastante ma pretendo che non sia più l' unico modo di descrivere una donna vittima di violenza, specie se da una scrittrice. Lo pretendo perché di caratterizzazioni del genere (donna remissiva che viene abusata e diventa ancora più remissiva, ritrovando la gioia di vivere solo nei figli e non riacquista potere manco per sbaglio) la letteratura ne è PIENA; se nei libri di intrattenimento la descrizione delle eroine è passiva, figlia di un retaggio stantio di rappresentazione per colpa di una scrittura pigra, è il segnale che si vive di precisi immaginari che accettiamo ancora altrettanto passivamente e forgiano anche la mente delle nuove scrittrici che la danno in pasto ai lettori sapendo che verrà accettata e sottovalutata.
Liberissima di scrivere ciò che le pare ma io di una storia in cui le parti attive sono Demetra, potente dea dell' Olimpo che non esercita neanche una volta il suo potere e non ha una personalità manco per sbaglio, e Persefone, la solita ragazzetta buona come il pane che non ha una personalità manco per sbaglio, non me ne faccio niente.
Non voglio donne forti a tutti i costi: voglio donne forti E deboli, potenti E fallibili, contraddittorie E volitive. "Eh ma si legge senza pretese".
E allora fatemi una strong female character piuttosto, almeno tiene in piedi la baracca.
L'unica scrittrice che è riuscita a scrivere un personaggio più passivo che attivo ma estremamente affascinante è stata Madeline Miller con Circe: finché non si tocca quel livello o almeno si fa un tentativo in quella direzione non accetto di meno.
March 3, 2024
I am always here for a mythology retelling centering women's perspectives!
The book follows Demeter, one of the Olympians birthed from the Titans, who wants nothing but to enjoy the beauty of the earth in bloom with her daughter at her side. The other Gods, especially her brother Zeus, may be cruel and callous, but they have underestimated what the Goddess of spring is capable of. The story alternates between the perspectives of Demeter and her daughter Core, and looks at the pain of motherhood, as well as the choices a daughter are forced to make between two worlds.
This is a great addition to the contemporary mythology retelling genre, with a story that has so much space to explore complex relationships, the mistakes made out of love, the grief of loss, and the meaning of free will. Lots of very interesting conversations to be had here!
I also really enjoyed the vivid imagery of nature, flowers, fields of wheat, mountains and seas. Because the story centered around two Goddesses of spring and harvest, this beauty was present throughout. Also, the way that life and growth was presented reflected the changing moods of the characters in a way I thought worked very well. Different flowers and plants, even thorny vines and frost, reflected the tone and setting of the story in a way that highlighted how connected the main characters were to the natural world, setting them apart from the other Gods of Olympus.
The beginning of the book was fast-paced and I couldn't stop turning the pages as I learned more about how Demeter's cruel family shaped her. And the last quarter of the book was exciting and action packed, keeping me on the edge of my seat as the pieces I knew about this mythology story all fell into place. I do think there was a bit of a lag in pacing in the middle, though. I will caveat that by saying that was when the themes of grief are most deeply explored, and I don't personally find myself so interested in reading about grief -- so, that may say more about me than about the book!
3.75 stars, rounded up
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC to read and review
The book follows Demeter, one of the Olympians birthed from the Titans, who wants nothing but to enjoy the beauty of the earth in bloom with her daughter at her side. The other Gods, especially her brother Zeus, may be cruel and callous, but they have underestimated what the Goddess of spring is capable of. The story alternates between the perspectives of Demeter and her daughter Core, and looks at the pain of motherhood, as well as the choices a daughter are forced to make between two worlds.
This is a great addition to the contemporary mythology retelling genre, with a story that has so much space to explore complex relationships, the mistakes made out of love, the grief of loss, and the meaning of free will. Lots of very interesting conversations to be had here!
I also really enjoyed the vivid imagery of nature, flowers, fields of wheat, mountains and seas. Because the story centered around two Goddesses of spring and harvest, this beauty was present throughout. Also, the way that life and growth was presented reflected the changing moods of the characters in a way I thought worked very well. Different flowers and plants, even thorny vines and frost, reflected the tone and setting of the story in a way that highlighted how connected the main characters were to the natural world, setting them apart from the other Gods of Olympus.
The beginning of the book was fast-paced and I couldn't stop turning the pages as I learned more about how Demeter's cruel family shaped her. And the last quarter of the book was exciting and action packed, keeping me on the edge of my seat as the pieces I knew about this mythology story all fell into place. I do think there was a bit of a lag in pacing in the middle, though. I will caveat that by saying that was when the themes of grief are most deeply explored, and I don't personally find myself so interested in reading about grief -- so, that may say more about me than about the book!
3.75 stars, rounded up
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC to read and review
August 2, 2023
“«Dici sul serio? Vorresti dimenticarmi?».
Scosse la testa. Una risata triste gli sfuggi dalle labbra.
«Mai, Persefone. Mai».”
Dear romantic readers, essendo il mio mito preferito, appena ho visto “La regina degli inferi” come nuova pubblicazione della Newton, non ho potuto far altro che comprarlo. Il libro fa parte di un ciclo di storie di eroine greche scritti da Hannah Lynn (ho apprezzato ogni volume).
Come sapete sul blog potete trovare moltissime recensioni su questi due, che siano in chiave moderna o retelling, stavolta la Lynn ci porta alle origini del mito. Il libro è diviso in tre parti, e come nell’originale, nella prima parte troviamo la presentazione di Demetra, la dea della natura. Avete presente la classica mamma siciliana iperprotettiva? Ecco, quella è Demetra. Mi è piaciuto molto leggere il suo punto di vista prima di entrare nella storia della mia preferita: Kore/ Persefone. Ade/ Persefone in ogni rappresentazione sono nel mio cuore e il loro amore è sempre una certezza (tralasciando il fatto che lui l’ha rapita). Mi è piciuto leggere la storia sotto questa sfumatura della Lynn, e se Ade rapendo Persefone le avesse finalmente donato la libertà e la possibilità di crescere, credere in se stessa e nel suo potere?
Quante volte ci troviamo ancorati a persone che sono solo in grado di “buttarci giù" e sminuirci? Ebbene liberiamoci di chi ci tiene in catene e non ci da la possibilità di crescere.
Faremo degli errori? Ovviamente, ma questa è semplicemente la vita. Quindi in conclusione, non lasciatevi sfuggire questo libro, perché ne vale davvero la pena.
…. recensione sul blog!
Scosse la testa. Una risata triste gli sfuggi dalle labbra.
«Mai, Persefone. Mai».”
Dear romantic readers, essendo il mio mito preferito, appena ho visto “La regina degli inferi” come nuova pubblicazione della Newton, non ho potuto far altro che comprarlo. Il libro fa parte di un ciclo di storie di eroine greche scritti da Hannah Lynn (ho apprezzato ogni volume).
Come sapete sul blog potete trovare moltissime recensioni su questi due, che siano in chiave moderna o retelling, stavolta la Lynn ci porta alle origini del mito. Il libro è diviso in tre parti, e come nell’originale, nella prima parte troviamo la presentazione di Demetra, la dea della natura. Avete presente la classica mamma siciliana iperprotettiva? Ecco, quella è Demetra. Mi è piaciuto molto leggere il suo punto di vista prima di entrare nella storia della mia preferita: Kore/ Persefone. Ade/ Persefone in ogni rappresentazione sono nel mio cuore e il loro amore è sempre una certezza (tralasciando il fatto che lui l’ha rapita). Mi è piciuto leggere la storia sotto questa sfumatura della Lynn, e se Ade rapendo Persefone le avesse finalmente donato la libertà e la possibilità di crescere, credere in se stessa e nel suo potere?
Quante volte ci troviamo ancorati a persone che sono solo in grado di “buttarci giù" e sminuirci? Ebbene liberiamoci di chi ci tiene in catene e non ci da la possibilità di crescere.
Faremo degli errori? Ovviamente, ma questa è semplicemente la vita. Quindi in conclusione, non lasciatevi sfuggire questo libro, perché ne vale davvero la pena.
…. recensione sul blog!
September 2, 2024
i think this is the first time i've read something this in depth of demeter's backstory and i can absolutely see why she is the way that she is with persephone. once again, ancient greek women were treated like absolute shit! and they are not the crybabies, the men are!
May 26, 2024
4.5
Sapphic Persephone retelling. It's also about Demeters backstory and what their mother daughter relationship is like.
Persephone is a badass as always <3
I really enjoyed this book!
Sapphic Persephone retelling. It's also about Demeters backstory and what their mother daughter relationship is like.
Persephone is a badass as always <3
I really enjoyed this book!
Read
December 19, 2025I'm really not sure how to rate this one. It was a good story and mostly well-written, but some parts were repetitive or dragged for me. It is a pretty depressing read and I think that slowed me down with reading it. I could have put it down at any point and easily moved on to the next book without finishing, but I also didn't dislike it while I was reading. I think I was starting to feel like I was getting into a little slump towards the end and had to pick up something else to change my mood.
Overall, I'm not sure if I was just not in the right head space for such a depressing book or if it's really not the right book for me. I'm still left with with the feeling that if you enjoy mythology, particularly the story of Persephone & Hades, you may really enjoy this one. It was just the wrong book or the wrong time for me.
Overall, I'm not sure if I was just not in the right head space for such a depressing book or if it's really not the right book for me. I'm still left with with the feeling that if you enjoy mythology, particularly the story of Persephone & Hades, you may really enjoy this one. It was just the wrong book or the wrong time for me.
October 30, 2025
I hate to say, but as tragic as the story of Demeter is, I have always had a hard time sympathizing with her. A large part of that, I'm sure, comes from the fact that she was willing to sacrifice the lives of innocents to get her way. I understand it was her daughter, but it never seemed to quite balance the scales.
December 14, 2023
Greek mythology and the retellings of it are among my favorite things to read. This story, of hades and Persephone, is one that I've read retellings of countless times. Their story is one of my favorites in Greek mythology. However, Hannah Lynn gave me a new perspective. In so many retellings of this tale, Demeter is painted as a villain. A controlling, overbearing mother that refuses to acknowledge that Core (also seen as Kore, Persephone's first name) is a grown woman who should be allowed freedom to live her life. But what Hannah Lynn does by telling this tale first through Demeter's eyes, along with backstory on how her brother Zeus killed her husband, then how both Zeus and Poseidon assaulted her, resulting in Core, is give life to the guttural fear that Demeter has. Yes, she is over protective and smothering of Core, but she has seen the truly evil side of this life. She knows the horrors her brothers and other gods are capable of. By giving me Demeter's perspective, I can honestly say that I look at this tale completely different now. The pain and anguish she felt when Core is abducted and then learning that none other than Zeus is behind it and responsible for it? I can't imagine her pain and fear.
Then the book switches to Persephone's point of view. This is the part of the legend I'm all too familiar with, having read so many of the retellings. Hannah Lynn's story telling and prose makes this one stand out, though. In the beginning Persephone is terrified, rightly so, but she finds that Hades isn't a dark monster after all. She beings to have freedoms unlike she's never had. All the while, Demeter is fighting tooth and nail to be reunited with her daughter.
Will Demeter burn the worlds down to get her daughter back?
Will Persephone remain in the underworld forever?
Find out in Hannah Lynn's dynamic and enthralling Daughters of Olympus
I would like to thank Netgalley, SOURCEBOOKS Landmark, and Hannah Lynn for giving me the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts are my own.
Then the book switches to Persephone's point of view. This is the part of the legend I'm all too familiar with, having read so many of the retellings. Hannah Lynn's story telling and prose makes this one stand out, though. In the beginning Persephone is terrified, rightly so, but she finds that Hades isn't a dark monster after all. She beings to have freedoms unlike she's never had. All the while, Demeter is fighting tooth and nail to be reunited with her daughter.
Will Demeter burn the worlds down to get her daughter back?
Will Persephone remain in the underworld forever?
Find out in Hannah Lynn's dynamic and enthralling Daughters of Olympus
I would like to thank Netgalley, SOURCEBOOKS Landmark, and Hannah Lynn for giving me the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts are my own.
May 15, 2025
As much as I love a retelling of Greek Myth, this one fell pretty flat for me. The characters lacked depth. Not only were they written superficially, but they were also unrelatable.
I never felt connected to any of the feelings like grief, rage, fear, etc that the characters were experiencing. Moments that should have packed an emotional punch just … didn’t.
The first half, told from Demeter’s perspective, was a bit of a slog. It did pick up a bit once when we get more of Persephone’s perspective from Hades. But the end was anti-climatic.
Final gripe: There were just a ton of grammatical errors. So many it became a game to find them. (Kind of like reading my own emails, which I refuse to proofread until after I hit send 😳)
I never felt connected to any of the feelings like grief, rage, fear, etc that the characters were experiencing. Moments that should have packed an emotional punch just … didn’t.
The first half, told from Demeter’s perspective, was a bit of a slog. It did pick up a bit once when we get more of Persephone’s perspective from Hades. But the end was anti-climatic.
Final gripe: There were just a ton of grammatical errors. So many it became a game to find them. (Kind of like reading my own emails, which I refuse to proofread until after I hit send 😳)
August 6, 2023
Un libro coinvolgente, una pagina tira l’altra mentre ci sembra quasi di sentire l’odore di prati in fiore e il lacerarsi di un cuore sotto il peso di un dolore. Consigliato ✨
January 1, 2025
You KNOW I had to read this the second I found out it was inspired by Hades and Persephone! If there’s one thing I love it’s Greek Mythology!!
This story follows Core (later known as Persephone) and her mother Demeter. The first half is Demeter’s POV then switches to Core’s. Lynn does a great job weaving a well-known story with new fresh perspectives.
This is a story about mother-daughter bonds, love, loss, and personal growth. This is one of the first times that I’ve read a book from Demeter’s perspective. Please read all the trigger warnings before reading this book, there are quite a few of them. Overall a great read that definitely checked all the boxes for me with a mythological retelling.
A huge thank you to this book’s publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.
This story follows Core (later known as Persephone) and her mother Demeter. The first half is Demeter’s POV then switches to Core’s. Lynn does a great job weaving a well-known story with new fresh perspectives.
This is a story about mother-daughter bonds, love, loss, and personal growth. This is one of the first times that I’ve read a book from Demeter’s perspective. Please read all the trigger warnings before reading this book, there are quite a few of them. Overall a great read that definitely checked all the boxes for me with a mythological retelling.
A huge thank you to this book’s publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 2, 2025
Due punti di vista, uno di Demetra e l'altro di Persefone, che si intrecciano raccontando e combattendo per i loro desideri.
La forza di due dee, di una madre ed una figlia, di una vedova e una compagna, di due donne che si ribellano tardi, ma mai troppo.
La forza di due dee, di una madre ed una figlia, di una vedova e una compagna, di due donne che si ribellano tardi, ma mai troppo.
June 22, 2025
When it comes to tales about the Greek gods, the expectation is dark and dysfunctional all the way if one sticks close to the original. Hannah Lynn first caught my attention when I noticed this title, Daughters of Olympus sharing the tragic tale of Demeter and her daughter, Persephone. I’ve read one other of her books and her empathetic, but clear-eyed take on her women characters made me certain she’d handle these female goddesses’ stories with care.
Daughters of Olympus is a dark tale, but there are light notes of love and hope as well. The book is written in three parts and told in first person point of view drawing the reader deeply into the mindset of Demeter and Persephone. Demeter tells the first part and her daughter, Core, later to be called Persephone has the second and third portions.
Outside of a book of Greek Myths, I’d never read a book telling Demeter’s story from her point of view. I didn’t remember much more than her name so I was all agog when the tale started with her birth when her cruel and crazy father, the Titan Chronos and her suffering mother, Rhea set in motion her story and that of the other Olympians. My heart broke for Demeter who was abused by her father, thought she found freedom, and then was cruelly sexually abused by Zeus and treated badly by others. She chose to live apart from the others for centuries having love and children. When Core is taken, she is a mom on a mission and finds her agency to act like a goddess.
Core’s life was protected when living apart with her mother, but eventually her conniving father Zeus’ manipulations and dirty dealing affect her and she is taken. She is plenty angry and bitter about this, but Hades, god of the Underworld has more light and goodness in him than the gods in the above realms. He wisely gives her time, shows her respect, and wants her for a partner. Slowly and painfully, she comes to realize this and a powerful goddess emerges.
Daughters of Olympus stays close to the original painful stories of these goddesses, but through all they are forced to endure, they come out stronger and stand tall among the Olympians, finding love as well as their place. I ended up hating Zeus and Poseidon so hard even while adoring Hades. So, not a light tone, but triumphant, all the same. A heavy hitting mythological tale from the female perspective. Those who appreciate fiction set in the classic myths should give Daughters of Olympus a go.
I rec'd a print copy from the author to read in exchange for an honest review.
My full review will post at Books of My Heart on 6.4.25
Daughters of Olympus is a dark tale, but there are light notes of love and hope as well. The book is written in three parts and told in first person point of view drawing the reader deeply into the mindset of Demeter and Persephone. Demeter tells the first part and her daughter, Core, later to be called Persephone has the second and third portions.
Outside of a book of Greek Myths, I’d never read a book telling Demeter’s story from her point of view. I didn’t remember much more than her name so I was all agog when the tale started with her birth when her cruel and crazy father, the Titan Chronos and her suffering mother, Rhea set in motion her story and that of the other Olympians. My heart broke for Demeter who was abused by her father, thought she found freedom, and then was cruelly sexually abused by Zeus and treated badly by others. She chose to live apart from the others for centuries having love and children. When Core is taken, she is a mom on a mission and finds her agency to act like a goddess.
Core’s life was protected when living apart with her mother, but eventually her conniving father Zeus’ manipulations and dirty dealing affect her and she is taken. She is plenty angry and bitter about this, but Hades, god of the Underworld has more light and goodness in him than the gods in the above realms. He wisely gives her time, shows her respect, and wants her for a partner. Slowly and painfully, she comes to realize this and a powerful goddess emerges.
Daughters of Olympus stays close to the original painful stories of these goddesses, but through all they are forced to endure, they come out stronger and stand tall among the Olympians, finding love as well as their place. I ended up hating Zeus and Poseidon so hard even while adoring Hades. So, not a light tone, but triumphant, all the same. A heavy hitting mythological tale from the female perspective. Those who appreciate fiction set in the classic myths should give Daughters of Olympus a go.
I rec'd a print copy from the author to read in exchange for an honest review.
My full review will post at Books of My Heart on 6.4.25
September 20, 2024
There is so much incest and rape in this story, it was at times hard to handle, but that's one of the bugs, so to speak, with Greek myths. One really has to be able to look past it, somewhat, to appreciate other features of these stories. Hannah Lynn doesn't shy away from these things, but doesn't, thankfully, dwell on the acts of violence, instead showing us these incidents affect the subsequent actions of the two characters at the heart of this retelling: Demeter, sister of Zeus, and Core/Persephone, daughter of Demeter and Zeus.
Demeter begins the novel just amazed by all the beauty and wonder around her. Zeus' selfish and monstrous (or should I say godly) acts of violence against Demeter send her and several nymphs away from Olympus, where Demeter eventually raises her daughter Core. Demeter's perception of everything around her has been damaged by violence, and she smothers Core, unwilling experience life away from the island. Wise words by a dying nymph help Demeter see she is harming Core, but she accepts it when Core begins exploring the world, and falls deeply for a human woman, whose death devastates the young goddess. Core is kidnapped later by Hades, and repulsive as this act is, along with Zeus' highhanded decision that prompted this, Hades does his best to treat Core with respect and kindness, giving her time to truly discover who she is and what she wants. Demeter, infuriated by Zeus and her daughter's kdnapping, goes to tremendous lengths to find Core, who eventually takes on the name Persephone and reunites with her mother. It's ironic, that terrible acts are what make the somewhat naïve Core into the powerful goddess that Persephone is.
I loved Hannah Lynn's take on Hades, whose kidnapping is awful, but whose subsequent actions did a lot to redeem him in my eyes. I still think that falling for your kidnapper as a story is horrible, but Lynn does a lot to distinguish Hades from the terribleness of the other gods on Olympus, who indulge their every whim and desire without consequence.
The bond between Demeter and her daughter was great, and only became better once Demeter learned to let her daughter Core go to make her own choices, which ultimately led to an even deeper relationship, and Earth experiencing spring each time Persephone returned from the Underworld.
I enjoyed this retelling, with its complicated mother daughter relationship, and the author's sensitive handling of the most terrible parts of this myth.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC in exchange for my review.
Demeter begins the novel just amazed by all the beauty and wonder around her. Zeus' selfish and monstrous (or should I say godly) acts of violence against Demeter send her and several nymphs away from Olympus, where Demeter eventually raises her daughter Core. Demeter's perception of everything around her has been damaged by violence, and she smothers Core, unwilling experience life away from the island. Wise words by a dying nymph help Demeter see she is harming Core, but she accepts it when Core begins exploring the world, and falls deeply for a human woman, whose death devastates the young goddess. Core is kidnapped later by Hades, and repulsive as this act is, along with Zeus' highhanded decision that prompted this, Hades does his best to treat Core with respect and kindness, giving her time to truly discover who she is and what she wants. Demeter, infuriated by Zeus and her daughter's kdnapping, goes to tremendous lengths to find Core, who eventually takes on the name Persephone and reunites with her mother. It's ironic, that terrible acts are what make the somewhat naïve Core into the powerful goddess that Persephone is.
I loved Hannah Lynn's take on Hades, whose kidnapping is awful, but whose subsequent actions did a lot to redeem him in my eyes. I still think that falling for your kidnapper as a story is horrible, but Lynn does a lot to distinguish Hades from the terribleness of the other gods on Olympus, who indulge their every whim and desire without consequence.
The bond between Demeter and her daughter was great, and only became better once Demeter learned to let her daughter Core go to make her own choices, which ultimately led to an even deeper relationship, and Earth experiencing spring each time Persephone returned from the Underworld.
I enjoyed this retelling, with its complicated mother daughter relationship, and the author's sensitive handling of the most terrible parts of this myth.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC in exchange for my review.
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