What do you think?
Rate this book
Scribe UK No Season but the Summer.
What happens when our oldest stories fail us? When all the rules have changed? The classic myth of Persephone — reimagined for a modern-day reader.
Persephone spends six months under the ground with her husband, king of the dead, and six months on earth with her mother, goddess of the harvest. It has been this way for nine thousand years. But when she emerges this spring, something is different. Rains lash the land, crops grow out of season or not at all, there are people trying to build a road through the woods, and her mother does not seem able to stop them. The natural world is changing rapidly and even the gods have lost control. While Demeter tries to regain her powers and fend off her daughter’s husband, who wants to drag his queen back underground for good, Persephone finally gets a taste of freedom. But what will this mean for her mother, her husband, and for the new shoots of life inside her?
Persephone spends six months under the ground with her husband, king of the dead, and six months on earth with her mother, goddess of the harvest. It has been this way for nine thousand years. But when she emerges this spring, something is different. Rains lash the land, crops grow out of season or not at all, there are people trying to build a road through the woods, and her mother does not seem able to stop them. The natural world is changing rapidly and even the gods have lost control. While Demeter tries to regain her powers and fend off her daughter’s husband, who wants to drag his queen back underground for good, Persephone finally gets a taste of freedom. But what will this mean for her mother, her husband, and for the new shoots of life inside her?
368 pages, Paperback
First published April 13, 2023
51 people are currently reading
3956 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
Read
October 25, 2024Matilda Leyser's novel is an ambitious one: taking the story of Persephone, Demeter, and Hades and altering it into a modern tale about these three characters in which they intermingle with mortals who do not know they are gods. The location is England, somewhere near Oxford. Demeter tends to her land, to her life, and to the life of her daughter. Persephone is bound to two worlds as in mythology: the world of her mother, which aligns with Spring and Summer and the world of her "husband", which aligns with autumn and winter. But into these worlds intrudes a band of ecowarriors bent upon stopping the construction of a road that is going to destroy a forest which is close to Demeter's land. These worlds don't collide as much as they coalesce.
The tale is imaginative; the characters are perfectly drawn; the stakes are incredibly high. There is drama aplenty and beautiful descriptions of the world of the ecowarriors and the underworld in which Hades lives and longs for a connection to someone, particularly to Persephone. This is largely Persephone's journey to self-actualization, a state in which she is no longer her mother's protected child or Hades' helpless victim but rather a fully realized individual who finally knows what she wants and is willing to fight for it.
The book isn't gripping in that I felt no need to fly through the pages. Rather, it's a narrative to be savored, penned by the intelligent hand of a writer who has done her research and used it beautifully.
The tale is imaginative; the characters are perfectly drawn; the stakes are incredibly high. There is drama aplenty and beautiful descriptions of the world of the ecowarriors and the underworld in which Hades lives and longs for a connection to someone, particularly to Persephone. This is largely Persephone's journey to self-actualization, a state in which she is no longer her mother's protected child or Hades' helpless victim but rather a fully realized individual who finally knows what she wants and is willing to fight for it.
The book isn't gripping in that I felt no need to fly through the pages. Rather, it's a narrative to be savored, penned by the intelligent hand of a writer who has done her research and used it beautifully.
July 23, 2023
⭐️4 Stars⭐️
No Season but the Summer by Matilda Leyser delivers stunning writing that’s engaging, lyrical and takes you into another world. I enjoyed this retelling of Greek mythology that is nothing like I’ve read before.
I’m rather addicted to Greek myth retellings and this one has a modern take on the myth with a theme of climate change, the environment, activists, a mothers life and female independence.
The story is set in present day England and is narrated by Demeter and Persephone both in the past and present.
Demeter Goddess of the harvest has endured nine thousand winters without her daughter Persephone. For those that don’t know the myth of Persephone, every spring and summer is her mother’s time the remainder is spent with her husband Hades, King of the dead in the Underworld.
This was a really different retelling of the Underworld setting, it was rather unique and absorbing and throws out the classic myth replacing it with a modern world that is changing and where the gods have lost control.
I loved Persephone’s character and the author did a magnificent job of Hades character, what a repulsive image I had in my mind.
A spellbinding read! This hardcover book was beautifully presented and I look forward to more from the author.
Publication Date 04 July 2023
Publisher Scribe Publications
Huge gratitude to Scribe Publications for a copy of the book.
No Season but the Summer by Matilda Leyser delivers stunning writing that’s engaging, lyrical and takes you into another world. I enjoyed this retelling of Greek mythology that is nothing like I’ve read before.
I’m rather addicted to Greek myth retellings and this one has a modern take on the myth with a theme of climate change, the environment, activists, a mothers life and female independence.
The story is set in present day England and is narrated by Demeter and Persephone both in the past and present.
Demeter Goddess of the harvest has endured nine thousand winters without her daughter Persephone. For those that don’t know the myth of Persephone, every spring and summer is her mother’s time the remainder is spent with her husband Hades, King of the dead in the Underworld.
This was a really different retelling of the Underworld setting, it was rather unique and absorbing and throws out the classic myth replacing it with a modern world that is changing and where the gods have lost control.
I loved Persephone’s character and the author did a magnificent job of Hades character, what a repulsive image I had in my mind.
A spellbinding read! This hardcover book was beautifully presented and I look forward to more from the author.
Publication Date 04 July 2023
Publisher Scribe Publications
Huge gratitude to Scribe Publications for a copy of the book.
April 17, 2023
This is the retelling I've been looking for - it is excellent.
I love the resurgence of love for the Greek myths, but many of them seem to lose the spark of true brilliance and I had been getting a little fed up of them. Enter No Season But The Summer.
The author has taken her time writing and editing this book for over a decade and it SHOWS. The writing is that incredible kind where you forget you're reading. The world building and set up of these ancient gods in modern day Oxford is so believable that every time you meet one you're like 'yes, that's EXACTLY who you would be now'. The thought and attention to detail that has gone into the characterisation and the development of the sense of time and setting and place just makes this a joy to read.
Is it odd to think of Demeter planting a veg patch and feeding chickens in Oxford? Yes. Once Leyser introduces you to this idea of who she would be now, do you start thinking of similar women you've met wondering about their potential immortality? Yes. It works. It works because this book has clearly been written so carefully and passionately that the reader is fully pulled into it.
The book is something like Lore Olympus meets American Gods meets David Attenborough's A Life On Our Planet. Its a combination I didn't know I needed but could not put down. I read till 2am to finish it because I didn't want to look away. I felt like I was down in a hollowed out tunnel making a stand against Hades - how would I have gotten to sleep?
The thing I love most though is that this is a fully activist retelling. The words 'feminist retelling' get slapped on every cover when often what the book contains is...a story with a female narrator. They aren't the same thing. This book stands firmly and proudly as one which actually delves into, struggles with and tries to change issues of female independence, the growth of a person, the desperate need for environmental activism and the pain and love contained in the life of a mother.
This is the best retelling I've read in so, so long. Pick this one up, it's excellent.
I love the resurgence of love for the Greek myths, but many of them seem to lose the spark of true brilliance and I had been getting a little fed up of them. Enter No Season But The Summer.
The author has taken her time writing and editing this book for over a decade and it SHOWS. The writing is that incredible kind where you forget you're reading. The world building and set up of these ancient gods in modern day Oxford is so believable that every time you meet one you're like 'yes, that's EXACTLY who you would be now'. The thought and attention to detail that has gone into the characterisation and the development of the sense of time and setting and place just makes this a joy to read.
Is it odd to think of Demeter planting a veg patch and feeding chickens in Oxford? Yes. Once Leyser introduces you to this idea of who she would be now, do you start thinking of similar women you've met wondering about their potential immortality? Yes. It works. It works because this book has clearly been written so carefully and passionately that the reader is fully pulled into it.
The book is something like Lore Olympus meets American Gods meets David Attenborough's A Life On Our Planet. Its a combination I didn't know I needed but could not put down. I read till 2am to finish it because I didn't want to look away. I felt like I was down in a hollowed out tunnel making a stand against Hades - how would I have gotten to sleep?
The thing I love most though is that this is a fully activist retelling. The words 'feminist retelling' get slapped on every cover when often what the book contains is...a story with a female narrator. They aren't the same thing. This book stands firmly and proudly as one which actually delves into, struggles with and tries to change issues of female independence, the growth of a person, the desperate need for environmental activism and the pain and love contained in the life of a mother.
This is the best retelling I've read in so, so long. Pick this one up, it's excellent.
June 13, 2023
I received a proof copy unsolicited for review via my local indie bookstore.
2.5 stars.
T/W- Hospital scenes
I will be honest now and say that I don't think mythology retellings are my cup of tea. I really struggled to get myself through this one but kept going as I was intrigued by the climate change aspect. This Hades and Persephone retelling is set in present-day England but with a twist. Persephone herself spends half of the year underground with Hades, her husband, and the other half of the year with her mother on Earth. This is an arrangement that has stood for many years. Yet this time around, Persephone learns about the destruction of local woods and land where her mother lives and joins a group of activists who want to save nature. Hades isn't pleased and wants to keep her back underground forever which results in an explosion of decisions and actions from all parties that collide into a crazy ending to the story.
I didn't feel much character connection and by the end, I was feeling confused over why some of the characters behaved in the way they did.
2.5 stars.
T/W- Hospital scenes
I will be honest now and say that I don't think mythology retellings are my cup of tea. I really struggled to get myself through this one but kept going as I was intrigued by the climate change aspect. This Hades and Persephone retelling is set in present-day England but with a twist. Persephone herself spends half of the year underground with Hades, her husband, and the other half of the year with her mother on Earth. This is an arrangement that has stood for many years. Yet this time around, Persephone learns about the destruction of local woods and land where her mother lives and joins a group of activists who want to save nature. Hades isn't pleased and wants to keep her back underground forever which results in an explosion of decisions and actions from all parties that collide into a crazy ending to the story.
I didn't feel much character connection and by the end, I was feeling confused over why some of the characters behaved in the way they did.
April 9, 2023
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!
I love Greek myth retellings so when I saw this up for request on Netgalley I immediately wanted to read it! Told in dual POVs between Demeter and Persephone, ultimately this book is about a mother's love for her child, and it was really beautiful. There is also a strong theme of climate change and global warming, which I haven't seen touched upon in a Greek myth retelling before and thought was really powerful.
This story spans from nine thousand years ago to present day England, and I have to admit that I did find myself lost at times as to what timeline we were in - the story does jump about quite a lot which was confusing. I also found some of the side characters to be, for lack of a better word, annoying, particularly Snow, but I could see what the author was doing with that character.
I also found that the author retells the setting of the Underworld in a way that I haven't seen before; it becomes very claustrophobic and trapping in this story, entirely in the dark, entirely lonely, and so I thought the scenes set there were so interesting because you could really feel Persephone's anxiety at being there. I also really loved Persephone as a character; she's been living two lives for the past 9000 years, and now it is finally her turn to figure out what she actually wants out of life, and I loved going on that journey with her.
I think that Matilda Leyser is definitely going to be a new big name in Greek myth retellings and I can't wait to see what she does next!
I love Greek myth retellings so when I saw this up for request on Netgalley I immediately wanted to read it! Told in dual POVs between Demeter and Persephone, ultimately this book is about a mother's love for her child, and it was really beautiful. There is also a strong theme of climate change and global warming, which I haven't seen touched upon in a Greek myth retelling before and thought was really powerful.
This story spans from nine thousand years ago to present day England, and I have to admit that I did find myself lost at times as to what timeline we were in - the story does jump about quite a lot which was confusing. I also found some of the side characters to be, for lack of a better word, annoying, particularly Snow, but I could see what the author was doing with that character.
I also found that the author retells the setting of the Underworld in a way that I haven't seen before; it becomes very claustrophobic and trapping in this story, entirely in the dark, entirely lonely, and so I thought the scenes set there were so interesting because you could really feel Persephone's anxiety at being there. I also really loved Persephone as a character; she's been living two lives for the past 9000 years, and now it is finally her turn to figure out what she actually wants out of life, and I loved going on that journey with her.
I think that Matilda Leyser is definitely going to be a new big name in Greek myth retellings and I can't wait to see what she does next!
April 16, 2023
2.5 rounded to 3.
I love a Greek myth retelling and I was excited for a story on Persephone and Demeter but I have mixed feelings on this book.
The concept was really interesting and the decision to set the story in the present day was different to what I’ve seen in Greek myth retellings. As well as the decision to implement current issues such as climate change - this was a big one and the main theme of the novel alongside mother/daughter relationships. The execution of this didn’t really work for me.
I read Greek myth retellings for the mythological aspects and this novel was really lacking in that. It was too… human.
I’m also not a fan of any kind of pregnancy trope - I don’t relate to it and don’t care about it.
And SNOW, oh my god, why was he even a character? He was the worst! So self involved and self righteous. I did not care about the relationship there and there was nothing good about it? I would literally roll my eyes whenever Snow made an appearance.
Some good ideas and great themes in the novel but ultimately fell short of my expectations.
I don’t know if it’s the emo in me but I would die for Hades.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers Scribe UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I love a Greek myth retelling and I was excited for a story on Persephone and Demeter but I have mixed feelings on this book.
The concept was really interesting and the decision to set the story in the present day was different to what I’ve seen in Greek myth retellings. As well as the decision to implement current issues such as climate change - this was a big one and the main theme of the novel alongside mother/daughter relationships. The execution of this didn’t really work for me.
I read Greek myth retellings for the mythological aspects and this novel was really lacking in that. It was too… human.
I’m also not a fan of any kind of pregnancy trope - I don’t relate to it and don’t care about it.
And SNOW, oh my god, why was he even a character? He was the worst! So self involved and self righteous. I did not care about the relationship there and there was nothing good about it? I would literally roll my eyes whenever Snow made an appearance.
Some good ideas and great themes in the novel but ultimately fell short of my expectations.
I don’t know if it’s the emo in me but I would die for Hades.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers Scribe UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 2, 2023
This was simply not the retelling for me, but a random pick up choice from the library.
April 30, 2023
persephone and hades are one of my favourite mythological couples, and i love the myth of the seasons. when i picked this one up i had no idea it was a modern day retelling, and that wasn’t helped by the very traditional cover. for me this one didn’t land how i wanted it to, it felt odd having all the magic stripped away from the story and i found the characters feeling shallow. i wanted much more enthusiasm from the characters!
April 8, 2023
I enjoyed this take on one of the most well known myths in Greek mythology. The author lends her voice to an old myth and brings it back to life for a new modern world, and the issues we are facing today. We got dual POVs that switched between Persephone and Demeter, which for me made it more enjoyable having more than one voice for this story, and the book is set in present day England which made for an interesting read.
If you like Greek retellings and are looking for some set in present day then pick this up and give it a read.
Thank you to Scribe UK for sending me a proof of this one.
If you like Greek retellings and are looking for some set in present day then pick this up and give it a read.
Thank you to Scribe UK for sending me a proof of this one.
Read
April 12, 2023300+ pages full of disappointment. The writing style is loveless and clumsy, the story lacks of creativity and doesn't have any really strong characters.
They are naive, stubborn and have no real lifegoals.
The gods are all shabby, disgusting and old.
The idea with the climate activists sucks, if I want a book to save the world, I read something by real professionals.
This book shouldn't have used the Greek gods, it just doesn't fit at all.
If you want a book with characters who wans to save the world - ok do it.
But not with old gods.....
They are naive, stubborn and have no real lifegoals.
The gods are all shabby, disgusting and old.
The idea with the climate activists sucks, if I want a book to save the world, I read something by real professionals.
This book shouldn't have used the Greek gods, it just doesn't fit at all.
If you want a book with characters who wans to save the world - ok do it.
But not with old gods.....
September 21, 2024
“People are killing it. Killing themselves. The seas are rising, lands sinking. The forests are burning, crops failing, animals dying. There is not long left, my love. But I will give you shelter, under the earth.”
3,5/5!
For 9000 years, Persephone has split her years between the Underworld and the land of the living, spending half of her time with her mother, the goddess of the harvest, and the other half with her husband Hades, lord of the dead. But when she emerges this Spring, something is different. Nature and the world are out of her mother's control and her godly powers seem diminished. Hades sees this as an opportunity to demand Persephone back for good. What emerges is a tale of environmental disaster, the endless love of a mother, a woman's quest for freedom and the foolishness of humanity.
No Season but the Summer was an interesting reading experience. In some ways, I really enjoyed it. For example, the writing was evocative and unique with each word feeling thought-out and purposeful (Leyser's use of nature metaphors, sometimes even borderline disturbing imagery, the motif of light and dark and just overall her use of language was impressive) and the story itself was an interring blend of ancient mythology and modern crises. But at the same time, something kept me from fully investing myself in the characters and the story. The best way I can describe my feelings is that, at times, I respected the book and what Leyser was trying to do more than I enjoyed it. It is definitely also a story less about a plot and more about vibes and emotions, which I do like sometimes. This time I perhaps needed a bit of a stronger plot. I also feel like apart from the central three gods, the characters weren't that well-developed, which was a shame.
But now, let's dive deeper into my thoughts and feelings. First of all, I really enjoyed the way the author wrote Persephone, Demeter and Hades. All three gods were complex and nuanced, capable of horrible actions and moments of kindness (some more than others, of course), and Leyser definitely didn't try and make them easily likeable, which I appreciated. They are gods, they are not meant to be likeable. Even though this is set in the modern world, there is a sense of age and eternity in their words and narration, marking them as not quite part of this modern reality. They feel old and mythical, as they should. I also appreciated that Leyser didn't imbue them with contemporary morality: they do not, for example, ever remark on the fact that Hades is Persephone's uncle on both sides, or that Demeter had sex with her brother, Zeus. They are immortal, mythical beings who live in a world of their own, one in which these kinds of things were not rare or weird. I like that they do not seem to think there's anything wrong with any of it. Leyser also captured the extremity of the gods in all things: Demeter loves so hard it is stifling and Hades desires so desperately he is ready to force Persephone to be with him. Persephone is an interesting goddess, as she is stuck between two worlds, not quite a regular god or queen, but someone who is always torn apart. This too was explored in a nuanced, intriguing way. I liked her journey of understanding that
Demeter and Persephone, the two narrators of the book, were a wonderful pair and great as individual characters. The idea of Demeter as this old woman who lives in a small house, tending to her gardens, making things grow, still feeding people but also losing her power and her control over nature, was really cool. Persephone was an interesting one, as I already mentioned, and I liked her fierceness and her vulnerability, as well as her search for independence. I would agree with people saying this is a feminist retelling as it is a book all about complex women, their experiences with power, independence, autonomy and abuse, and their layered but moving relationship. Mother's love is at the heart of this book, and Leyser spends a long time exploring the strained love between mom and daughter, the way they do not always know how to love each other or relate to each other, and how motherhood is not something that comes naturally to women as it is often portrayed. There is love between them, but I'd say they do not always like each other, nor do they know how to show their emotions or connect. Their differences are beautifully explored through the motif of light and dark – Demeter has spent her life bringing light and trying to avoid ever being stuck in the dark again, while Persephone yearns for the dark and tries to escape her mother's light. Their relationships with light and dark change, as they change as people. I loved how they both developed and grew and realised where they went wrong. Seeing them I love a complex mother-daughter dynamic, especially since Greek mythology tends to focus, above all, on fathers and sons.
Hades and Persephone were written wonderfully in this book. They are neither romanticised or made into a clear-cut horrible pairing: they are given complexity I rarely see them explored with. I both felt for Hades – he is painfully lonely, clearly carrying a lot of trauma from being swallowed as a child by his dad alongside his siblings, and desperate to have someone share the pitch-black darkness of the Underworld with him – but I also despised him. His love for Persephone feels more about ownership than true affection, and the way he I think this exchange between Demeter and Hades perfectly encapsulated their dynamic: “Let her go.” – “I cannot. I love her too much.” – “If you love her, you would not trap her in the dark against her will.” Persephone's feelings for him were a nice mixture of love, lust, companionship, anger, bitterness and a love that she cannot help but feel cause even though he has mistreated her, he is the only one who can understand a huge chunk of her life.
I have seen people highlight this book as a feminist retelling but I would say that while it has feminist themes and a feminist tone, it is more than that a novel that highlights the importance of environmental activism and the crisis humanity has driven its nature and environment to. A central theme of the book is Demeter losing her power over nature and no longer being able to control it, because humans have made themselves - through their machines and the knowledge they had garnered - more powerful, the new rulers of the natural world. Humans have gone from seeing nature as something to have a healthy respect and fear for, from living in something more like symbiosis with it, to exploiting it and destroying it in the name of development. We are no longer able to feel the kind of kinship with it as Demeter does, we no longer sit and listen to what it is trying to tell us. The idea of the goddess of the harvest being overpowered by climate change - the misdeeds of humanity - is chilling as well as captivating. Demeter and Persephone get to know a group of climate activists, who are desperate to save a forest from being cut down to make room for yet another road. I like how this book focuses on mostly just this one battle and how even that feels impossible, because the ones with all the money and power and backup are the ones doing the cutting and destroying – the activists trying to preserve nature, even though backed up by two immortals, are doing whatever they can and often treated horribly by people in charge, such as police officers. I think this book captured really well the harrowing reality of how brutally protestors are often treated. In Demeter's mind, this exploitation of her nature is strongly tied to the history of violence brought down upon her and her daughter by the men in their lives: “What else can we do but scratch and screech, in the face of the greed of gods and men? They call it madness, but I’m not mad. I’ve not lost my reason – I can count them, my reasons: my father ate me; my first brother stole my child; my second raped me; my third refused to help. Meanwhile, the men on earth cut down my trees and built their roads across my land, and now they want to drive me away from my home.” All of this was really intriguing, although I do hope we would've gone perhaps even deeper into the environmental themes and discussions of activism. I, for example, would've loved to learn more about what led the main activists in the story to this work, and perhaps get more of a sense as to what
I would recommend this to people looking for a nuanced exploration of the Persephone-Demeter-Hades -story or a book about nature and humanity's relationship with it now compared to what it used to be. Don't go into this story expecting a plot-driven tale, and don't pick it up if you don't like very contemplative, slow and often very poetic writing that sometimes seems to take priority over the characters and the story itself. As I said, I did not always enjoy reading it, cause it felt perhaps a bit too slow and because, while the characters were wonderfully written, I always felt somewhat detached from them (perhaps because of the writing style?), but I always respected and appreciated Leyser's take on this well-known myth and how she used it to explore acute contemporary issues.
3,5/5!
For 9000 years, Persephone has split her years between the Underworld and the land of the living, spending half of her time with her mother, the goddess of the harvest, and the other half with her husband Hades, lord of the dead. But when she emerges this Spring, something is different. Nature and the world are out of her mother's control and her godly powers seem diminished. Hades sees this as an opportunity to demand Persephone back for good. What emerges is a tale of environmental disaster, the endless love of a mother, a woman's quest for freedom and the foolishness of humanity.
No Season but the Summer was an interesting reading experience. In some ways, I really enjoyed it. For example, the writing was evocative and unique with each word feeling thought-out and purposeful (Leyser's use of nature metaphors, sometimes even borderline disturbing imagery, the motif of light and dark and just overall her use of language was impressive) and the story itself was an interring blend of ancient mythology and modern crises. But at the same time, something kept me from fully investing myself in the characters and the story. The best way I can describe my feelings is that, at times, I respected the book and what Leyser was trying to do more than I enjoyed it. It is definitely also a story less about a plot and more about vibes and emotions, which I do like sometimes. This time I perhaps needed a bit of a stronger plot. I also feel like apart from the central three gods, the characters weren't that well-developed, which was a shame.
But now, let's dive deeper into my thoughts and feelings. First of all, I really enjoyed the way the author wrote Persephone, Demeter and Hades. All three gods were complex and nuanced, capable of horrible actions and moments of kindness (some more than others, of course), and Leyser definitely didn't try and make them easily likeable, which I appreciated. They are gods, they are not meant to be likeable. Even though this is set in the modern world, there is a sense of age and eternity in their words and narration, marking them as not quite part of this modern reality. They feel old and mythical, as they should. I also appreciated that Leyser didn't imbue them with contemporary morality: they do not, for example, ever remark on the fact that Hades is Persephone's uncle on both sides, or that Demeter had sex with her brother, Zeus. They are immortal, mythical beings who live in a world of their own, one in which these kinds of things were not rare or weird. I like that they do not seem to think there's anything wrong with any of it. Leyser also captured the extremity of the gods in all things: Demeter loves so hard it is stifling and Hades desires so desperately he is ready to force Persephone to be with him. Persephone is an interesting goddess, as she is stuck between two worlds, not quite a regular god or queen, but someone who is always torn apart. This too was explored in a nuanced, intriguing way. I liked her journey of understanding that
Demeter and Persephone, the two narrators of the book, were a wonderful pair and great as individual characters. The idea of Demeter as this old woman who lives in a small house, tending to her gardens, making things grow, still feeding people but also losing her power and her control over nature, was really cool. Persephone was an interesting one, as I already mentioned, and I liked her fierceness and her vulnerability, as well as her search for independence. I would agree with people saying this is a feminist retelling as it is a book all about complex women, their experiences with power, independence, autonomy and abuse, and their layered but moving relationship. Mother's love is at the heart of this book, and Leyser spends a long time exploring the strained love between mom and daughter, the way they do not always know how to love each other or relate to each other, and how motherhood is not something that comes naturally to women as it is often portrayed. There is love between them, but I'd say they do not always like each other, nor do they know how to show their emotions or connect. Their differences are beautifully explored through the motif of light and dark – Demeter has spent her life bringing light and trying to avoid ever being stuck in the dark again, while Persephone yearns for the dark and tries to escape her mother's light. Their relationships with light and dark change, as they change as people. I loved how they both developed and grew and realised where they went wrong. Seeing them I love a complex mother-daughter dynamic, especially since Greek mythology tends to focus, above all, on fathers and sons.
Hades and Persephone were written wonderfully in this book. They are neither romanticised or made into a clear-cut horrible pairing: they are given complexity I rarely see them explored with. I both felt for Hades – he is painfully lonely, clearly carrying a lot of trauma from being swallowed as a child by his dad alongside his siblings, and desperate to have someone share the pitch-black darkness of the Underworld with him – but I also despised him. His love for Persephone feels more about ownership than true affection, and the way he I think this exchange between Demeter and Hades perfectly encapsulated their dynamic: “Let her go.” – “I cannot. I love her too much.” – “If you love her, you would not trap her in the dark against her will.” Persephone's feelings for him were a nice mixture of love, lust, companionship, anger, bitterness and a love that she cannot help but feel cause even though he has mistreated her, he is the only one who can understand a huge chunk of her life.
I have seen people highlight this book as a feminist retelling but I would say that while it has feminist themes and a feminist tone, it is more than that a novel that highlights the importance of environmental activism and the crisis humanity has driven its nature and environment to. A central theme of the book is Demeter losing her power over nature and no longer being able to control it, because humans have made themselves - through their machines and the knowledge they had garnered - more powerful, the new rulers of the natural world. Humans have gone from seeing nature as something to have a healthy respect and fear for, from living in something more like symbiosis with it, to exploiting it and destroying it in the name of development. We are no longer able to feel the kind of kinship with it as Demeter does, we no longer sit and listen to what it is trying to tell us. The idea of the goddess of the harvest being overpowered by climate change - the misdeeds of humanity - is chilling as well as captivating. Demeter and Persephone get to know a group of climate activists, who are desperate to save a forest from being cut down to make room for yet another road. I like how this book focuses on mostly just this one battle and how even that feels impossible, because the ones with all the money and power and backup are the ones doing the cutting and destroying – the activists trying to preserve nature, even though backed up by two immortals, are doing whatever they can and often treated horribly by people in charge, such as police officers. I think this book captured really well the harrowing reality of how brutally protestors are often treated. In Demeter's mind, this exploitation of her nature is strongly tied to the history of violence brought down upon her and her daughter by the men in their lives: “What else can we do but scratch and screech, in the face of the greed of gods and men? They call it madness, but I’m not mad. I’ve not lost my reason – I can count them, my reasons: my father ate me; my first brother stole my child; my second raped me; my third refused to help. Meanwhile, the men on earth cut down my trees and built their roads across my land, and now they want to drive me away from my home.” All of this was really intriguing, although I do hope we would've gone perhaps even deeper into the environmental themes and discussions of activism. I, for example, would've loved to learn more about what led the main activists in the story to this work, and perhaps get more of a sense as to what
I would recommend this to people looking for a nuanced exploration of the Persephone-Demeter-Hades -story or a book about nature and humanity's relationship with it now compared to what it used to be. Don't go into this story expecting a plot-driven tale, and don't pick it up if you don't like very contemplative, slow and often very poetic writing that sometimes seems to take priority over the characters and the story itself. As I said, I did not always enjoy reading it, cause it felt perhaps a bit too slow and because, while the characters were wonderfully written, I always felt somewhat detached from them (perhaps because of the writing style?), but I always respected and appreciated Leyser's take on this well-known myth and how she used it to explore acute contemporary issues.
September 8, 2025
This book is my 13th reason.
May 24, 2023
This was a very clever take on the Persephone and Hades myth. Set in modern day in Oxford and told through dual POVs, switching between Persephone and her mother Demeter, and their out of kilter relationship.
I loved Leyser's writing about the countryside and the seasons.
Her description of Hades and the underworld was visceral.
Thought provoking about climate change and how activists go about trying to stop road building and how the Gods have lost their power over humans.
Overall a good reimagining and one I would reread.
I loved Leyser's writing about the countryside and the seasons.
Her description of Hades and the underworld was visceral.
Thought provoking about climate change and how activists go about trying to stop road building and how the Gods have lost their power over humans.
Overall a good reimagining and one I would reread.
August 26, 2024
Dunno where Snow came from, but I wish he’d go back to whatever hole he crawled out of.
September 11, 2024
Bon je sais pas j’ai aimé ou pas 🤣 en tout cas je ne m’attendais pas pas beaucoup de choses lol.
D’un côté on a Demeter et Persephone, qui ont une relation mère fille compliquée. Leur vie est rythmée depuis des siècles par les allers/retours de Persephone entre le monde souterrain et la surface. A notre époque, elles vivent dans une maison dans la campagne anglaise.
Le récit est assez mystique, poétique, la description du royaume sous terrain d’Hades est en même temps littérale et métaphorique.
Et puis d’un coup on a une histoire d’activistes écologiques qui veulent empêcher une route d’être construite dans la campagne proche de la maison de Demeter. Et Persephone va se joindre à eux. Et là ça m’a perdu 🤣 même si je comprend le rôle de cette intrigue, ça m’a fait ni chaud ni froid.
On mélange une histoire de personnages surnaturels (deux déesses qui vivent clairement sur un autre plan) avec du concrets de nos jours : les humains les considèrent comme des marginales voir des gentilles frapafingues, à aucun moment se pose les questions de croyances. À la limite elle aurait remplacé les activistes par des hippies j’aurais trouvé ça plus logique bref 😅
Donc voilà j’ai pas adoré ce bouquin mais je l’ai pas détesté non plus. Mais ce sera pas dans mes réécritures favorites d’Hades et Persephone 🤣
D’un côté on a Demeter et Persephone, qui ont une relation mère fille compliquée. Leur vie est rythmée depuis des siècles par les allers/retours de Persephone entre le monde souterrain et la surface. A notre époque, elles vivent dans une maison dans la campagne anglaise.
Le récit est assez mystique, poétique, la description du royaume sous terrain d’Hades est en même temps littérale et métaphorique.
Et puis d’un coup on a une histoire d’activistes écologiques qui veulent empêcher une route d’être construite dans la campagne proche de la maison de Demeter. Et Persephone va se joindre à eux. Et là ça m’a perdu 🤣 même si je comprend le rôle de cette intrigue, ça m’a fait ni chaud ni froid.
On mélange une histoire de personnages surnaturels (deux déesses qui vivent clairement sur un autre plan) avec du concrets de nos jours : les humains les considèrent comme des marginales voir des gentilles frapafingues, à aucun moment se pose les questions de croyances. À la limite elle aurait remplacé les activistes par des hippies j’aurais trouvé ça plus logique bref 😅
Donc voilà j’ai pas adoré ce bouquin mais je l’ai pas détesté non plus. Mais ce sera pas dans mes réécritures favorites d’Hades et Persephone 🤣
July 26, 2024
This started off veeeery promising. I loved the beautiful, lyrical prose at the beginning and the premise of examining climate change and urbanisation through the perspective of mythology (the antropomorphisation of the issue being an excellent opportunity to impress the urgency of the matter in an effective and refreshing way). But after a while the prose started feeling repetitive and unfocused and the plot started falling apart, losing the strong connection to the plot it needed in order to remain gripping. By the end, I was just very bored and I could not wait for this to be over.
June 24, 2023
The writing style wasn't really my taste personally and at some points during the story the direction it was taking was a bit unclear to me. Somehow it was hard to put this book down however.
I enjoyed the complexity of the various characters, though Hades is still a complete mystery to me, as is the relationship between Hades and Persephone.
Nice book overall, but definitely has some points of improvement.
I enjoyed the complexity of the various characters, though Hades is still a complete mystery to me, as is the relationship between Hades and Persephone.
Nice book overall, but definitely has some points of improvement.
August 16, 2025
2.5 ⭐️s. Zeus was in a threesome at a music festival and Persephone learns her way around a harness to hook up with a garbage climate change activism bro. Need I say more?
October 13, 2025
this took me way too long to finish it. it was a nice thought of connecting greek gods with modern world, but it felt so disconnected.
December 18, 2024
I’ve never cried this much while reading a book ever
July 6, 2023
I felt a little misled by the classical cover art as this story takes place in modern day. While this is a compltely unqiue retelling of the Persephone story I found myself not really caring (and she is my favourite myth). While the writing had pretty descriptions of nature I found myself confused when the narrative would suddenly switch to the past and back to the present, causing me to pause so I knew where we were in the timeline. The inclusion of activicm and environmental change was again a unique idea, but I felt irritated by this part of the story and didn't like the activits it introduced. Leading to the characters. There were good ideas (Demeter being an old vegetable garden lady & Zeus being a gross aged rockstar/groupie?) but the execution wasn't engaging. Effort went into Persephone and Demeter, but I still don't get them as characters due to the shifting narratives. THe other characters wer just empty talking shells to me with one track on their mind, particularly Snow.
I feel cheated that this great idea didn't fuful what I expected from it. A fun fast pace Ancient Greek story in the modern day. Instead I got a slow sluggish book about characters with Greek myth names but nothing fantastical about them.
With thanks to NetGalley for the advanced didgital copy in exchaneg for a review.
I feel cheated that this great idea didn't fuful what I expected from it. A fun fast pace Ancient Greek story in the modern day. Instead I got a slow sluggish book about characters with Greek myth names but nothing fantastical about them.
With thanks to NetGalley for the advanced didgital copy in exchaneg for a review.
March 17, 2023
Description:
Persephone and Demeter are living in modern-day England. Persephone gets back from her habitual six months in the underworld to find roadworks threatening her mother's house and land, and campaigners in the trees nearby.
Liked:
The exploration of motherhood was fairly nuanced. There's some nice imagery - Leyser's take on the underworld, in particular, was much more claustrophobic than others I've encountered. It was interesting to learn more about the specifics of environmental protest.
Disliked:
Thought the English slang and pop-culture references were laid on a bit thick. Was not a fan of Snow as a character and really couldn't see the appeal. I'm also just not personally bought in to the whole 'having a child really saves you' angle in general, so this book was always going to find it a little hard to win me over, I think.
Would recommend for the novelty and some of the descriptive language, but maybe give it a pass if you’re not that fond of kids.
Persephone and Demeter are living in modern-day England. Persephone gets back from her habitual six months in the underworld to find roadworks threatening her mother's house and land, and campaigners in the trees nearby.
Liked:
The exploration of motherhood was fairly nuanced. There's some nice imagery - Leyser's take on the underworld, in particular, was much more claustrophobic than others I've encountered. It was interesting to learn more about the specifics of environmental protest.
Disliked:
Thought the English slang and pop-culture references were laid on a bit thick. Was not a fan of Snow as a character and really couldn't see the appeal. I'm also just not personally bought in to the whole 'having a child really saves you' angle in general, so this book was always going to find it a little hard to win me over, I think.
Would recommend for the novelty and some of the descriptive language, but maybe give it a pass if you’re not that fond of kids.
March 5, 2024
I wanted to be on board with this due to my LOVE of greek mythology but wow this was really not it! Every character was really unlikeable and the plot that was genuinely laughable at times and not in a good way (cough Demeter wondering where to find Persephone and the protestors and going to Download festival??? cough)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2023
Interesting premise, decently executed.
August 25, 2023
2.75/5
rtc
rtc
June 9, 2024
None of the characters are likeable. It is a strange retelling.
August 11, 2024
i’m sorry, did an immortal goddess just die?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2024
Offensive to geek mythology
April 17, 2023
This is interesting spin on the current Greek myth retellings trend. It sets the characters in the present day world, as they join in with protestors, trying to stop a road being built through the woods near their home, and save their house from demolition, as it also lays in the path of the planned road.
To start with - I have let the Greek retellings mostly pass me by. Not purposefully, I just haven’t gotten around to sitting down with most of them, despite them being on my radar. There’s also a fear of starting them, as my knowledge of the Greek myths is shabby, to say the least. I think this was a good way to start off though, setting these ancient immortal gods in the modern day world. The story mainly revolves around Persephone, her husband Hades, and her mother Demeter, with her father Zesus occasionally popping up. Her time is divided - six months are spent under ground, alongside the dead, with her husband, and the other six months are above the ground, in the summery Oxfordshire countryside, with her Mother.
When she emerges at the start of the book, it’s to learn of the sudden threat to their home, and her mothers refusal to acknowledge it. Persephone gets involved with the protestors, and grows closer to one in particular, a tall, bearded, tattooed man, called Snow, and finds herself more split than either between life above ground, and the months spent below.
I think the writing in this book was beautiful - particularly the descriptions of the seasons. This book starts as spring unfurls, and it’s been lovely to read as spring starts to show itself in real time. It’s definitely a book for our times as well, the constant fight between humans, and the Earth we live on. I did feel like the book started to drag somewhat in the middle, but thankfully it picked up again by the end.
To start with - I have let the Greek retellings mostly pass me by. Not purposefully, I just haven’t gotten around to sitting down with most of them, despite them being on my radar. There’s also a fear of starting them, as my knowledge of the Greek myths is shabby, to say the least. I think this was a good way to start off though, setting these ancient immortal gods in the modern day world. The story mainly revolves around Persephone, her husband Hades, and her mother Demeter, with her father Zesus occasionally popping up. Her time is divided - six months are spent under ground, alongside the dead, with her husband, and the other six months are above the ground, in the summery Oxfordshire countryside, with her Mother.
When she emerges at the start of the book, it’s to learn of the sudden threat to their home, and her mothers refusal to acknowledge it. Persephone gets involved with the protestors, and grows closer to one in particular, a tall, bearded, tattooed man, called Snow, and finds herself more split than either between life above ground, and the months spent below.
I think the writing in this book was beautiful - particularly the descriptions of the seasons. This book starts as spring unfurls, and it’s been lovely to read as spring starts to show itself in real time. It’s definitely a book for our times as well, the constant fight between humans, and the Earth we live on. I did feel like the book started to drag somewhat in the middle, but thankfully it picked up again by the end.
Read
August 15, 2023No Season But the Summer is a slow, sad, emotionally complex story about a woman who has spent nearly a millennia being infantilised and coveted by both her overbearing mother and her abusive husband. Told in dual POV between Persephone, Queen of the Dead and her mother, Demeter, Goddess of the Harvest, it follows the final year of the deal between Demeter and Hades, broken as the seasons slip from their ancient patterns and the power and immortality of the gods leave them at last. Which means that, after ten-thousand years, Persephone finally gets to make her own choice.
I really loved what Leyser did with this story. We get a proper Hades, Persephone and Demeter retelling via the memories of mother and daughter alongside a progression of the story set in modern-day Oxford.
This is both a coming-of-age story and a story about motherhood. Persephone and Demeter's relationship is complicated and strained, and Leyser explores the psychology that might have pushed a troubled young goddess with no particular powers or responsibilities of her own away from a universally beloved goddess of light, feasting and laughter toward a possessive god of darkness and death. I loved the way Leyser linked the breakdown of the seasonal agreement with climate breakdown, and seeing Persephone and Demeter come out of the emotional stasis their deal put them into by the approach of a demolition order, a road, and a group of environmental activists.
This book isn't going to be for everybody and it certainly isn't going to be for the Hades x Persephone crew, but it was definitely for me.
CW: Rape, eating disorder, violent force-feeding, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, sexual harassment, sexual assault
I really loved what Leyser did with this story. We get a proper Hades, Persephone and Demeter retelling via the memories of mother and daughter alongside a progression of the story set in modern-day Oxford.
This is both a coming-of-age story and a story about motherhood. Persephone and Demeter's relationship is complicated and strained, and Leyser explores the psychology that might have pushed a troubled young goddess with no particular powers or responsibilities of her own away from a universally beloved goddess of light, feasting and laughter toward a possessive god of darkness and death. I loved the way Leyser linked the breakdown of the seasonal agreement with climate breakdown, and seeing Persephone and Demeter come out of the emotional stasis their deal put them into by the approach of a demolition order, a road, and a group of environmental activists.
This book isn't going to be for everybody and it certainly isn't going to be for the Hades x Persephone crew, but it was definitely for me.
CW: Rape, eating disorder, violent force-feeding, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, sexual harassment, sexual assault
Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews