The Queen & The King

Love and Fate #3

by Jeanette Rose, Alexis Rune

God of the Dead. King of the Underworld. The Unseen. The Renowned. A King without his Queen. They were at odds for what felt like months living together, and just when he finally felt they were on stable footing, she's again wrenched from his grasp. Is this their true destiny? To be torn from each other over and over again? Yet, Demeter could never count on their mental connection, one as tied to the Underworld as they are. Too powerful and too old for even Demeter to touch. Goddess of The Maiden. The Mistress. The Venerable One. The Queen without her King. It's another day on Olympus, as her mother's carefully guarded secret. Never seen. Never heard. Except for the dark, mysterious man who visits her dreams. One who keeps insisting they know each other. Not just know each other He states quite clearly, they're married. Destiny. Fate. Fortune. Kismet. Time's Up. Yet the lack of memory isn't their only problem, the Underworld is under attack. And the Titans are loose. Blood will be spilled. The Destroyer of Worlds will awaken. And nothing will be the same.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Greek Mythology, Mythology, Fantasy Romance, Retellings

360 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 27, 2024

About the author

Long time lover of Paranormal Romance, decided when I couldn't find a book that I was interested online to write my own! It spiraled from there. Degree in Classical Civilizations from Tulane University, missing New Orleans with a vengeance

Reviews

[Andrea ☾ [is inconsistently consistant] · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ The Queen and The King of the Underworld are done!
Thank you so much Net Galley for the eARC!

There will be no more cliffhangers, because with this one, one of my favourite Hades x Persephone retellings ever comes to a close. And, wow, I am so in love with this series.

This is the third and final instalment of this story (the series will continue with different MCs), and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I'm not ready to say goodbye to these characters! I completely fell in love with them from the very first book, and now the story is over and I'm so happy with the ending!

I'll admit that the beginning was a bit slow for me. I was so tired of the dreams, of the angst and the separation after so many obstacles. Still, these two authors manage to make a slow-burn(ish) romance feel as steamy as a sauna -in the best way possible- so that got me through. I also appreciate immensely that there's a warning at the beginning of the book letting readers know that there will be more triggering stuff happening in this book than ever before in the series. And it was bad. I mean, seriously, Adonis deserved worse, in my opinion. So did Demeter!

The love between Hades and Persephone is so incredible. It is, obviously my favourite part and my mind cannot compute. There are no words. I'm so, so happy to know this series won't end here because I can't wait to see what Rose & Rune come up with next -especially if it's anything like these last three books!

Ps. If you are a fan of the A Touch of Darkness Series, seriously, just read this series instead! It's so much better in almost every way - it's more adult and angsty too, so maybe check TW... Also, these authors haven't taken over 5+ years to finish telling their story! So, there, I said it... really, read this one!!

🌶🌶🌶.5 / 5 - The spice is amazingly written and there are lots of scenes. The first book was considered erotica, so yeah, this series has some kick to it. All lovely though.

[lex (samkiel’s version ⚡︎) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book broke my heart and then cradled me in its arms gently after. It hurt me and healed me at the same time. Idk what else to tell y’all.

The beginning of this was heartbreaking. Hades and Persephone have sacrificed so much already in such a short period of time. Every time they have a moment of happiness, a catastrophe occurs, but this one was raw and emotional for both in different ways, and just ouchie. My babies. But thank GOODNESS my girl P is a badass 🥹 I mean Hades too obviously, but watching Persephone overcome her insecurities and fight for not only her love, but herself, was epic. I’m so happy with this final conclusion to their story.

And special shoutout to Melios!!!! I wasn’t expecting to be this obsessed with them but here I am lmao.

[Ink · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why am I doing this to myself? Why am I putting myself through this torturous heartbreak because it's the end of a storyline arc in a series? Because Jeanette Rose & Alexis Rune are a flipping awesome writing team and there will be more in this series with different leads! Yip!

My heart aches, it actually aches. This installment came in light a wrecking ball to the chest and stuck fast, oscillating at high-speed and not allowing any respite

There are trigger warnings at the beginning to heed as this installment is of a different temperature to the other two books in the series (1. The Maid & the Unseen and 2. The Mistress & the Renowned) but it is all in context

It's all well and good knowing how the tale of Hades and Persephone goes in the classic sense, but Rose & Rune have created something exceptional with thei retellings. There is so much more colour, passion, brackishness brutality and so much more. I adore this series and I absolutely celebrate this duo. I am looking forward to more to come! Fantastic

Thank you to Netgalley, Rose and Star Publishing, LLC, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles and the authors, Jeanette Rose & Alexis Rune for this double-double 2Oh My Crikey!" epic ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

[Trinity · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶🌶🌶/5

TW - self harm (brief in the form of thorn pricking), violence, attempted SA, PTSD, anxiety, abuse (emotional and physical), episodes of insomnia, gaslighting (from a parent), body shaming (from a parent)

CW - spanking

Tropes - amnesia, greek mythology, fated mates, Hades x Persephone, who did this to you?, one horse (pegasus?), separation

please note that I read this as a tandem read with The Nightmare & The Daydream: A Love & Fate Novella which is likely to affect what I think about this book 💋

Demeter is sick and twisted. I really didn't understand her motives like the crux of why she is doing all of this because if it's JUST because she doesn't like Hades and she's trying to cheat fate, she needs to just go to therapy or something lol. Everyone knows that if it's fate, it's fate so is she wasting so much energy on something that she cannot change 💀??

All of the books in this series have gotten the same rating from me. They're not bad at all but they're also not something I'd rave about. This series is a good read especially if you’re into Hades x Persephone retellings.

One thing that grated on me is the amnesia and separation trope in this especially because this is the final book in this story. The MCs have hardly had any time throughout the series to just be together and be on the same page and the fact that this extended into this book via amnesia really annoyed me lol. There was one point where it seemed like Persephone recovered her memories but then it was just glossed over and I was like ????????????????? why has that just happened then lol? We spend just over half the book with one MC having no memories of them together and even more than that of them separated and I was over itttttt 😅

Another thing that I was confused about is everyone keeps talking about Hades not being able to leave the underworld so he's left to mope around but he literally leaves the underworld on SEVERAL occasions and it honestly left me very confused. Like if he can just leave, why are we even talking about it? If the time hasn't come for him to be trapped there, why are we making a point about it? I genuinely felt like I was missing something 😅

The war that is happening - I literally don't even know why they're fighting apart from Kronos is a dickhead but I'm chalking that up to the fact that I read the previous book a whileee ago.

🤷🏽‍♀️

Scale:
⭐️ - would've DNF'ed / continued out of spite
⭐️⭐️ - shit, but whatever
⭐️⭐️⭐️ - meh, could've been better
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - lit 👅
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - loved it, inject this shit into my veins 🤪

🫑 - no smut
🌶 - no point
🌶🌶 - mediocre at best
🌶🌶🌶 - standard smut, hot
🌶🌶🌶🌶 - 🥵 okay, some CW
🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶 - fuck me 🥵🥵 CWs / filthy with a side of filth - see Poison / Room Twenty-Two: Hide and Seek/ The Naughty List

[Natalie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for permitting this book to be a Read Now to help members develop their Feedback Ratio in exchange for an honest review.

Review Summary:
The final installment in the Persphone and Hades saga following straight on from the cliffhanger at the end of book two. The story is informally divided into two distinct 'parts', the first focusing on Hades, Persephone and her mother and the second on Kronos and the Titans. Throughout the book we see Hades and Persephone try to restore order to the pantheon and as a result, the Underworld and their tie to each other and their realm. There is a heavy focus on Hades and Persephone facing and trying to process the trauma caused by their respective parents.
Positives are that there is a genuinely interesting story forming the backbone of this installment The first half contained some romance elements that were missing from the first two books so this felt like a huge improvement. Because there was more focus on the story some of the more irritating aspects of prose were toned down which made it feel more readable.
The negatives are that the story still felt underdeveloped. The second half - the aspect that wasn't focusing on their relationship - was still very rushed in comparison to part one. Action scenes were underwritten and seemed to be resolved too quickly meaning the lack of convincing peril has persisted from the last book. There are still very repetitive scenes and elements of prose that detract from the storyline.

2.5 stars for being the strongest installment of Hades and Persephone's saga but still being let down by an inappropriate YA writing style. It is very much a missed opportunity for richer world-building with a more mature and complex plot, which definitely could have been done with the foundations provided in their trilogy. The series is apparently continuing, with a background plot being threaded through them but the main characters changing. I'm not sure how I feel about that plan as it means each God/pairing will not feel like true stand-alones. If the trend of my ratings are anything to go by we could have a 5 star by book 8!

FULL REVIEW BELOW - SPOILERS HIDDEN FOR DESKTOP USERS ONLY. APP USERS BE AWARE.

World-building:
In this book we see a little more of Olympus, the realm Persephone grew up in. However it is still very limited, which contradicted the fact that Persephone was supposed to have been 'introduced into society' at this point. It could have been a chance to see what day-to-day life in Olympus was like, such as the more bustling city-like areas that we envision in Ancient Greece and mythology. We did however get a sense of Demeter's reputation and influence in Olympus following events in book one. Generally we were kept to the rural areas where Persephone and her mother tended their gardens. Other deities with relevance in this book were the usual suspects - Mellie, Morpheus, Zeus and Poseidon but we are also introduced to Nyx and Erebus. The primordials had an indirect but important influence in this book too. The powers and political standing of Nyx, Erebus and the primordials felt a bit muddled and confused in this story and lacking explanation. In fact some of their powers seemed to contradict some of the lore that had been introduced earlier in the series, sometimes with 'consequences' that seemed to conveniently not come to fruition. Nyx and Erebus absorb Hades and Persephone's bond which is slowly killing Hades, which we see through the inky black vines making his way up his body. There is no explanation as to why they can do that and how they give this back to Persephone. They also say he's going to lose his hand as a result, as an exchange. This literally never happens. The primordials also apparently make it possible for Hades to visit Olympus during his time bound to the underworld because Demeter has advertised Persephone to be met by 'suitors'. Why is this allowed? Not sure. This is going to be developed further throughout the books in this series according to the author, even though it is moving on to other Gods and pairings, but it made it more difficult to understand some of the law and order in the pantheon and affected being able to read these first three books as a stand-alone trilogy due to the loose ends. There was also a vague introduction of other pantheons from different mythologies such as Norse or Mesopotamian and their inferred parallel existence. Again this was frustratingly unexplained.

Characterisation:
This may be terrible to say but Persephone is a much nicer character when she is under Demeter's influence and is the 'old' Persephone. Persephone has had her memory wiped and connection to Hades wiped by Demeter, who has stolen Gaia's powers. Yes she is under a tyrannical rule by her mother, is regularly physically and emotionally abused and is taught to repress her true self. Seeing their dynamic in the first part of this book does in many ways provide context to how the 'new' Persephone navigates the world and carries herself. But in many way she is sweeter and kinder. She has a more whymsical sense of naivety which made the first part of this book quite enjoyable to read because ironically she seemed more mature, down-to-earth and less child-like. As a result the first part of the book and the dynamic she had with Hades was a really nice read. It felt more organic and romantic and evoked a real sense of longing. 'New' Persephone does feel a little less unbearable as a result but I still find her inherantly unlikeable. Demeter still feels like a poor attempt at a villain to me, being too 'on-the-nose' with her controlling nature and in many ways just being straight-up awful to Persephone for no real reason. Her passive aggression, emotional manipulation and sense of authority does often have context behind it under the guise of trying to 'protect' Persephone and control her and I find her more intimidating during these moments. Sawing off Persephone's horns, to make her more 'desirable' to the other Gods was a genuinely harrowing scene, for example. But other times she is just straight-up evil, unabashedly abusive, for the sake of being evil. Her forcing Persephone's relationship with Adonis, for example, even though he has openly admitted he is going to rape her. Why would Demeter be okay with somebody raping her daughter when she says there are 'no lengths she wouldn't go to to protect her'. Trying to marry her off and create politicial allegiance, sure. But letting her be raped? Not convincing.. Mellie is still the token Gen Z character and her relationship with Helios is supposed to provide comic relief, but I mostly just find them both incredibly annoying and cringe. Hades has been a shell of himself since the end of book one, when he became a clingy wet blanket of a character. This doesn't change much unfortunately. The only time he shows any of his more masculine and hard-edged attitude from book one, which made him more endearing, is when he interacts with his brothers. These brothers also appear very little in this installment even though Zeus in particular is a pretty essential influence on events in the second part of the book. There is a scene which aims to develop Poseidon as a character and his relationship with Hades, but it feels very random and unneccessary and is never mentioned again making it feel misplaced and pretty pointless.Surprise! Poseidon is gay. It has no relevance whatsoever to the story and is never discussed again, but hey. It's there. Kronos is again a character that feels evil just for the sake of being evil. I never find myself feeling particularly afraid of him.

Story:
As mentioned I actually really enjoyed the story in part one of the book. Certain aspects of it didn't make an awful lot of sense, such as Hades' ability to dreamjump and enter Olympus when it's made pretty clear he's not supposed to be able to do that. The whole mechanism of the dreamjumping with Mellie and Morepheus makes so real sense at all to be honest. The most confusing part being Mellie's role, seeming Morpheus rules dreams and her nightmares. It also doesn't make sense how they can appear and interact in Persephone's dreams when Hades and Persephone's connection is supposedly broken. But generally I did feel a sense of desperation of treating 'old' Persephone with patience despite an overwhelming sense of longing and sadness and the panic of the Titans persisting in the background. Demeter and Kronos' scheming, and the consequences of their actions, was also an interesting element of the story. Persephone being entrusted by Gaia to solve the issue caused by Demeter's ambition was when everything started to feel rushed. This issue seemed to solve itself in minutes, with no real effort. She essentially just 'thinks happy thoughts' to restore the balance of Gaia's powers and then unleashes them into the world, even though it is supposed to be incredibly difficult to let them go as the temptation to harbour the power forever is supposed to be irresistable. This doesn't affect Persephone though, conveniently. Then when we get to the main story in part two versus Kronos and the Titans, we get a glimpse of some promising action scenes but again they feel rushed. A particular scene which sees Hades get out of trouble is also really poorly explained, with a solution that shouldn't have been able to happen and a 'consequence' of this solution never coming to fruition despite warnings. Hades dies, and is sucked into the void. The primordials decide to break their pact of being neutral and transfer their power to him to revive him. There is supposed to be a terrible consequence to this. No idea what that consequence is, or how they transfer their powers, or if Hades will somehow be different with a Primordial's power in addition to his own. No explanation whatsoever.. It just felt like lazy storytelling.

Prose:
The smut is yet again largely identical to the scenes in book two. I could create a bingo of words and phrases that have been present throughout all three books repeatedly, and could probably guess every smut scene sentence by sentence before even reading it. One scene later on in the throne room could have been great and super erotic, but it was just the exact same events in a different setting. Even if it is absolutely outrageous that Hades transforms Persephone's... sign of arousal... that has gotten on the floor into diamonds to imprint it there forever. Just wild. It just adds to the YA feel and makes the writing feel very repetitive in parts. I am sick of the words 'growl', 'roar', 'tunnelled' and I have a visceral reaction every time Helios calls Mellie 'hellcat' or Mellie calls Hades 'demon daddy'.

[⚡eli⚡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

''It seems no matter the timing, no matter the aspect, I am meant to fall in love with her in every way. Memory or not. God or not. She is mine, and I am hers.''

Thank you Jeanette Rose, Alexis Rune and Rose & Star, for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts are my own and left voluntarily.

Actual rating: 3.5 (I knooow :/)

Note: read in tandem - The Nightmare & The Daydream novella review 🖤

The Queen & The King is the last book of the Hades & Persephone saga. We pick up pretty much right where we were left off in The Mistress & The Renowned: A Hades & Persephone Retelling (it had major cliffy). As the story unfolds, Hades faces the daunting task of winning back Persephone's heart, all while struggling with the difficulties wrought by the Demeter, Titans and his father.

Persephone has undergone a transformation, so to speak. She is changed and different, and the result of her mother's doing has affected not only her, but Hades and her closest friends. Maybe even the realm (-s) even? Hmm.. It took some time and many efforts, and when they finally and really met again, it was rewarding to see their happiness and love shine again. They are not the same as they were in the beginning. They are so much more.

Overall, satisfying conclusion with action, love, drama and self-discovery and acceptance. I did skip some mushy mushy dialogues etc. though.. Also: Adonis🔫

[Dino Queen · Rating 5 out of 5]

please note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
HEA: HEA
POV: dual 1st person POV
spice: many open-door spicy scenes
TWs: abuse, non-consensual body mutilation, emotional abuse, gore, manipulation, portrayal of mental illness, attempted sexual assault, torture, violence
Kinky Content: anal, biting, double penetration, “eyes on me”, grinding, marking, oral, praise, prehensile magic play, spanking, triple penetration
standalone: book 3 of Love and Fate series
final thoughts: this book broke my heart and put it back together. I love a morally dark MMC who would burn the world for his FMC while being soft just for her.
This was another huge twist and plot change from book 2 (just like book 2 was for book 1) that kept me guessing, nervous, and giddy.
Persephone is a badass who gets to know herself all while fighting an internal battle and falling in love with Hades all over again.
The side characters, once again, make this book amazing. I’m excited to read the novella of Mellie and Helios since it takes place during the same timeframe as The Queen & The King.
A great wrap-up but I didn’t want their story to finish!

read this book if you love
🤕 amnesia
🔎 adventure
⛓️ BDSM
🫡 big MMC
💵 billionaire
🤩 curvy FMC
🖤 dark romance
🥵 dirty talk
💬 epistolary
🍆 fancy peens
💞 fated mates
🎣 fish out of water
😳 forbidden lovers
🏝️ forced proximity
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 found family
🧑‍🤝‍🧑 great side characters
🤫 hidden secrets
🩹 hurt/comfort
😏 kinky
🗺️ long distance relationship
🪄 magic
💍 “my wife”/”my husband”
❓ mystery
🥰 nicknames
🔀 opposites attract
😜 jealous, possessive MMC
💖 paranormal romance
🌀 plot twists
🙏 praise
📖 retelling
👤 shadow daddy
🐺 shifters
💓 slowburn
🔮 supernatural creatures- gods, goddesses, demons
🤓 “teach me”
☠️ “touch her and die”
😠 “who did this to you?”
🌍 world building

[Aleksandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much Rose & Star Publishing for sending me this ARC!

The Queen & the King is the third book in Love & Fate series and the conclusion to Hades and Persephone’s story. I love this series and this third book definitely didn’t disappoint, I really enjoyed it and already can’t wait for next books about other characters!

The Queen & the King begins shortly after the ending of the previous book and after that cliffhanger, I couldn’t wait to see what happens next. The is so much happening from the first page, the plot is perfectly paced and I literally read the book in a few hours at night because I couldn’t put it down, we learn some new things and the confrontations with the villains were so satisfying to read. It was amazing to see Persephone and Hades again, after everything they went through in previous books I was rooting so much for them to find their HEA. Persephone is different here from who we met before and my heart was breaking at times for Hades, but I loved how they fell in love all over again and learned how to love the new pieces of each other, they both came a long way from who they were at the beginning of their story and I just love these two and how perfect they are for each other, I hope we will get to see them again in the next books in this series. And of course, it was great to see Mellie, Helios and Berry again (especially Berry, he is so cute!) and I can’t wait to dive into Helios and Mellie’s story next!

The Queen & the King is the perfect conclusion to Hades and Persephone’s story, this series has everything I love in fantasy romance genre and I definitely recommend it, it’s amazing! I already can’t wait for more books in this series.

[Moony Luve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series so much.
From the first book to this one they are all so good.
The take the authors give on Hades and Persephone is one of my absolute favorites.
Now I adoreeee Greek and Roman god retellings, so I read them a lot, and this is by far my favorite retelling of any of them.
Persephone is a baddie. Not some timid thing that so many books make her out to be.
And hades is irrevocably obsessed with her.
Their love is amazing and the world building in every one of these books is perfection.
I can’t wait to read the next one!

[Mena Lajoie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stumbled upon this Persephone and hades retelling when I was looking at A Touch of Darkness fanart on Instagram, because I saw that the artist also made fanart of this Persephone and Hades, and it looked cute so I tried it.

This review will contain my entire reading experience of this trilogy series.

In the beginning I didn’t really like the story, because it had many many similarities to the last hades and Persephone retelling I read. And when I say similarities I mean in the authors adaptions to this couple, like not exactly the original story of these Greek gods. Though I do understand that because it’s the retelling of the same people so it would have very similar parts.

However later on I noticed that this story mainly focusing on the characters themselves. The author explored the characters to be more humane and the focus of the story was also surrounding more on the characters themselves instead of the world they lived in.

Hades and Persephone were definitely different in this one and we got to see them as more vulnerable people instead of almighty gods that had no weaknesses. Though it is nice, sometimes it felt like it was drifting of topic and made them a little annoying (difficult to explain)

I did love how in this story I got to see some of my favorite gods:
- Nyx
- Erebus
- Eris
- Thanatos
- Melinoe
Etc.

And I really love how this author made Nyx and her family to be so fulfilling together, it doesn’t feel like the exact Greek mythology but it’s a retelling and it’s good so F*** that.

When I was reading the second book, I went through a slump because I am a mood reader and I wanted ti read another trope of books, but then I forced myself to finish the second book and could wait to finish the third fast enough. The reason behind this is not because I really really wanted to know what happened next, but because I really really really wanted to read about Mellie and Helios!

So I can’t wait to read the novella!

Overall score for this series might be between 3.5-4 stars

[Dee Hancocks · Rating 3 out of 5]

A satisfying conclusion for Hades and Persephone! The start is slow-burn with angst and separation. I loved how the passion and how their love carries through and overcomes many obstacles, who doesn’t want to read about that kind of love! The spice is hot too!
I did feel that the sexual violence was a bit dark, it was like the characters that were bad had to be REALLY bad. I would have preferred morally grey with some competition for Hades to have to fight more - why not add in extra obstacles at this point when there’s already so more. Overall this series is a fun and quick read, you get spice and a brilliant depiction of love conquering all.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this series.
Began reading The Maiden and the Unseen on 26th June and binged all 4 books in 11 days. They got better and better with the opening book being the weakest (but still great and full of spice).
Highlight was the tandem read of The Queen and King alongside The Nightmare and the Daydream to finish the series.
Hit so many sweet spots, excellent story, well written characters, gorgeous romance, lots of spice AND mythologically accurate themes (love me a Greek retelling)
Highly highly reccomed.

[Lanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

i love a hades and persephone retelling as much as the next person but this one? yeah, i was underwhelmed. i was expecting so much more based on the cliffhanger that was book 2. but i was kind of disappointed with it. the writing wasn’t my favorite, the plot took a bit to get there, LOT of complaining and not enough action. the ending and the actual action and war of the book (the plot) felt so rushed. and that was like in the last 25% of the book. some part of the book could’ve been shortened while other parts could’ve used more focus. and don’t get me started on the whole “mommy and daddy and berry” thing. i couldn’t stand it. this was an okay, ending to this trilogy.

2.5/5

[Shauna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my god, I wish I could give this book a higher rating than 5 stars.

I only started it this morning and 12 hours later, I’ve finished it. It has been a long long time since I devoured a book like this but I just couldn’t put it down. The chapters are short which makes you want to read “just one more” when you think you’re going to take a break and the storyline just kept me hooked the whole way through and I already want to reread it!!

[Elizabeth O'Keefe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three books and it's the end of the series.

The first book I really enjoyed, the second book eh, this one was alright.

Book three picks up right where book two left off.

I will say Hades is super sweet and this is the man we have been waiting for to come out (first half of the book).

Eventually Persephone comes around and becomes the character that we were all hoping she would be.

Easy read, easy series.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for my DRC.

[Rowan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This trilogy has definitely subverted the Hades and Persephone myth quite a lot but I've really enjoyed it. The plot of this third book really captured my interest and it was such a quick read. I love it when the power of titans are explored so I loved that aspect of it. And it was all wrapped up with such a cute and happy ending.

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me loving a Hades and Persephone retelling--name a more iconic duo.

You can't.

This book is split into two pretty distinct parts--Hades helping Persephone find herself again and regain her memories, then the war unfolding in the underworld because Kronos is the worst. Well, second worst--Demeter wins gold in that competition.

This is the third book in the series, so if you loved the first two, you'll love this one too. The writing style, spice level, and plot structure is very similar to the previous books in the series. I really enjoyed the way the authors went about handling Persephone's memory loss and using that to give us more insight into who she was before she broke free of her mother. Hades being vulnerable and showing emotions that we usually don't get to see men experience was also a nice touch, although I do think that it was played up a tad more than it needed to be to the point it borders on being too much.

I did fell the ending was a little rushed and abrupt--everything was tied up very neatly, very quickly, and in a way that didn't 100% work for me. But this is the last book following Hades and Persephone in this world, so I do understand the need to close some loose ends. Given the couple the next set follows, I do wish we had used the last few chapters to set it up for them and have some loose ends to indicate where the story would go.

Still love Hades. Still love Persephone. Still devoured this in 2 days. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book! I cant wait to see where the series goes next.

[Emm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Rose and Star publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Queen and the King is the last book (following Persephone and Hades) in the love and fate series. It was truly an adventure to read this version of the love story between the two.

Synopsis: Torn apart by her mother, Demeter, Persephone has been stolen from the Underworld and from Hades. All memories of been swept from Persephone leaving Hades to try and find a way not only to bring her back to the underworld, but to remember him and their life together. While their love is at stake, the titans pose another threat.

Opinion: I overall enjoyed reading this series.

I liked that even though there were elements of the human world, it didn’t make the Gods/ Goddess super, obnoxiously human. (Hopefully that makes sense). That being said, still didn’t like that they used cellphones to communicate.

I liked Persephone much more in this book than I had in the previous two. Her character development felt more natural and right. Hades feels slightly awkward being soft, but I didn’t mind it too much.

I’m not sure how I feel about the war that happens and the outcome of it. It felt rushed for me.

Again, I did enjoy reading this! 4/5 stars ⭐️

[Chelsea Robichaud · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best of Hade’s and Persephone’s story- loved the battle scene, the new power but wish we knew a little more about it and the tandem read with The Nightmare and the Daydream was fun!



Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy for a honest review.

[Eman · Rating 2 out of 5]

The third book is probably the best, but as someone who is really into Greek mythology, I'm not satisfied with this retelling. I won't go to the extent of saying that I was disappointed, though, because I honestly didn't have high expectations going, only curiosity.
Not bad on its own as a star-crossed lovers story, but definitely, not my Hades and Persephone's story.
The saving grace for me was properly the Multiverse plot, as it implements this as not the true story but one of possibilities (not a canon even if I might say)

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this series so much, I know I will go back to re-read it again in the future. My only issue with this book is that it tended to tell you what happened instead of showing you at times, but it was a fun read and a satisfying ending to the series.

[kreadsoften]

The Queen & The King is the third book in the Love and Fate series and cannot be read as a standalone.

This was much more angsty than the other books, as Hades fought hard to find Persephone and bring her back home.

Persephone went through a lot, and she showed her strength mentally and with her powers.

There was action, suspense, spice, and so much love.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's 'ok'. At least the series has finally been wrapped up. It's very sex-heavy, to the point of being a little cringy in places. It's also in DIRE need of an editor. But I think it did a decent job of bringing many people's hidden fantasies to life. It's an ok quick read.

[Alexandria Boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t believe one of my favorites Hades and Persephone retellings has come to an end. It’s a bittersweet feeling that although we leave these characters behind, we are still going to get so much more from this universe.

What To Expect:
•Book Three in the Love and Fate series
•Hades and Persephone retelling
•Fated Mates
•Mid Size FMC/Rep
•Family Dynamics and the drama that comes with that
•Fantasy Romance
•Adonis I want to ☠️ you. And not in a sexy way lol
•Trigger Warnings ⚠️ (may contain spoilers)
*Attempted SA (not done between MCs)
*Violence
*Emotional & Physical Abuse
*Mental Health themes including but not limited to
- Depictions of PTSD
-Anxiety disorder
*Sexually explicit scenes
•HEA
•And More……

Jeanette and Alexis has once again done it. They have captured my heart with their storytelling. After The Mistress and the Renowned’s cliffhanger I was salivating for more. And they did not disappoint. I don’t want to go into heavy detail as to spoil the other two books in the series….. just know that this retelling has been my favorite by far. The way Hades and Persephone love each other and overcome all their obstacles is so commendable and real and gives you all the feels, even frustration at times. 🤣 I can’t wait for what Jeanette and Alexis have in store for us next!

[Kira · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a conclusion, I found it to be a bit lacking. It seemed at times to have a lot stuffed into a short time in order to make sure all the points were completed. But overall an enjoyable read, and I 100% recommend doing the tandem read with Mellie’s story, it adds a whole new level of clarity. Doing it that way also reads as one large book, which honestly I feel like could’ve also been done.

[Jillsbooknook · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"I'll find you, my spring. I'll bring you home."

The Queen & The King is the third novel the the conclusion of the adult fantasy romance series, Hades and Persephone. Now, while this concludes their story, the world will continue with different characters. After the bitter betrayal that has one again forced the two lovers apart, Hades must find a way back into Persephone's heart all the while the Titans and his father wreak havoc. For Persephone, she struggles at the control her mother has on her but while she may appear meek at first she feels an urge to fight...especially when she dreams of a tall dark man that sparks something with in. Will these two lovers finally find their destiny or will their love be a tragedy of Greek proportions?

This was a perfect conclusion to the series!

I loved Persephone finding herself in this book. I loved see her come into her own and regain her power. I loved seeing her push hades to embrace his destiny. She truly embraced the queen she is meant to be...and more.

Hades is devastated at the beginning of this book and you can see the trauma he feels at the loss. Watching him find his footing and take hope in the glimpses he uncovers tugged on my heart strings again and again.

Now we also get glimpses of Melinoe and Helios' story...but there is a whole book dedicated to them I will be devouring momentarily. You can tandem read both books (they even let you know when to do so) but I decided to be traditional.

Also, there was this little moment with Poseidon that has me feral for his book next...so PLEASE!

This book is spicy. I would say about 3.5 spicy peppers out of 5 spicy peppers. While their characters may be separated they still feel connected so sparks fly between them pretty soon into their coming back together and it will happen throughout. I felt the spicy was on fire and I added the .5 because of the shadow qualities to the spice...

"I'm truly honoured that fate chose me to be yours..."
"I will never deserve you..."
"You already do, demon."

In terms of story and world, oh man! I felt we picked up right up after the events of book 2. I enjoyed the building to a battle as well as the unveiling of Demeter and her powers. This book had a romance and relationship nailed down so well that even through the angst I felt so much for these characters and the struggles to find each other. I loved the sweet moments in the chaos like with shadow Berry as it reminded us what these characters are fighting for. I do recommend checking your triggers as Adonis is a a-hole...so is Demeter. This book also has graphic violence which I felt was appropriate for what was happening. The ending provides us with a delightful HEA we needed for these characters while also offering tidbits for the future.

I am both happy and sad that Hades and Persephone's journey is over but eager to continue in this world!

Thank you so much Rose and Star for this arc!

[Fedythereader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to both authors for sharing an ARC of this book with me!!!

“I love you. I will come for you.”

“The vines continue to dance with my shadows. It is an eternal dance of life and death. Of a Queen and a King.”

“It seems no matter the timing, no matter the aspect, I am meant to fall in love with her in every way. Memory or not. God or not. She is mine, and I am hers”

There are words to describe the emotions and feelings this entire series put me through. There are no words to describe how special this is to me. But I will try anyway. This version of Hades and Persephone touched something in my soul I didn’t know was there but needed a gentle hand. Their love, their loyalty, their family, their powers, their soul, their bond is something that leaves you speechless from the very first moment you catch a glimpse of it. The action in this book, the war, the trials, the struggles, the obstacle and the pain they both have to face to come back to one another is terrible but somehow they find a way and it melts your heart. In this last instalment in the Love and Fate series we see a version of Hades and Persephone that is fragile but also strong, it’s obsession but also respect. Their love transcends worlds and is as powerful as their connection to the Underworld!!! I loved this book so deeply and Mellie and Helios … oh, so many fun times !!! I can’t wait to get to their book to experience what has happened to them all throughout the story !!! But once again Persephone is a badass woman. She is the one I feel inspired by. She is the one I look up to. She is fierce and sometimes fearless and she is a woman!! There is nothing not to love in her. As for Hades … he is the only one for me. No matter the universe, no matter the version, he is the one. His powers, his fragility, his fear and his love for her are unmatched and he lets nothing standing on his way to the people he loves. I loved it !!! I’m so overwhelmed right now that I can’t say more but let me just add one thing. If I could give this book my soul, I would. But as for now, it only has my entire heart!!

“Hades looks away. “You’re my strength.”
I shake my head because that absolutely isn’t true. “Hades, I am your wife. I am your queen. You
are your strength.”

“She thinks you are porcelain, Persephone. You are steel.”

“I am Persephone Prosperina Plutus. Wife of Hades. Goddess of Dark Spring. Queen of the Underworld. Destroyer of Worlds. Hades and I are inevitable, and we are forever.”

[Aimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 Stars

Thank you to Good Girls PR, Rose & Star Publishing, Jeanette Rose and Alexis Rune for providing me with a digital arc.

I read this and The Nightmare and The Daydream as tandem reads and I highly recommend it. If you are worried it is going to be extra work or just take a lot of time, it won’t. Alexis Rune and Jeanette Rose planned these two to work as individuals and as tandem reads so due to that they put footnotes in both books of where to switch back and forth making it insanely easy to read. Start with The Queen and The King and then when you hit a footnote switch books and repeat until your done. This is the third and final book in the Love and Fate Trilogy for Hades and Persephone and then The Nightmare and The Daydream is book 4 and is a novella following Melinoë and Helios during the same time period of The Queen and The King. I love this series and I can’t wait to continue reading whatever these two authors write as I love it a lot.

Spoilers ahead for the first two books.

Hades is left the King of the Underworld without his Queen after she handed herself over to her mother to protect Hades and the underworld. He is left feeling lost and will do anything to get her back but when he finally manages to make contact with her, he learns she doesn’t remember who he is and even what the underworld is. Persephone is a secret her mother held close to home until now where Demeter wants Persephone to marry. But when Persephone starts getting dreams with a dark mysterious and familiar man who insists they know eachother, she realizes something isn’t quite right. Hades is willing to do anything to get her back and Persephone wants to learn everything she can about this man who seems to know everything about her.

I love hades and persephone retellings and this series is one of my favorites. Persephone is very powerful and learns how to use that power instead of being a weak damsel like some series. Hades is rightfully obsessed with her and Persephone also loves him. I love the dynamic between them in these books and I am so happy they finally get their happy ending. I also loved how Hades takes the time to get to know Persephone again while she doesn’t have her memory.

I do recommend this series and I also say if you can do the tandem read do it. It is so good and adds a whole new experience to this series that just feels right.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

I write this review as someone that adored the first two books and gave both of them 5 stars. This book… oof. I had to fight to finish it out of respect for the other two. I’ve detailed why below:
-The trauma is honestly just too much for a romantasy book. 90% of the book is the FMC in a very traumatic living situation after she was forced to forget everything about the MMC. One of the very few spicy scenes felt very weird and out of place because of her established anxiety and fear of her mother, and it being inside her home while she is there?? It doesn’t make sense.
-There are plot holes that are never addressed.
-Sudden solutions come from Gods that are extremely well-established to not help or be involved, and at the last possible second.
-I love Melinoe, but holy sh*t, she abuses Helios. I get her being the god of nightmares and I do believe she’s written very well in her role, but the book romanticizing them after her constant physical abuse towards him is weird???
-The final battle scene was a constant barrage of (paraphrasing) “I got stabbed 5 times and kept going without breaking a sweat” and “I literally died but nope I didn’t” and “The Underworld can’t heal me as fast so I need to be careful, and then I practically explode, and I’m still fine.” It didn’t feel like there are any high stakes when every good-aligned character lives and takes fatal blows with ease, in an environment that can’t support them. I had to put down this book, read a different romantasy book, pick this back up, put it down an hour later, read ANOTHER romantasy book, then pick this one back up again to get through this battle scene.
-We finally get them married, they’re FINALLY at the throne scene, and the smut on the throne is fast and then done. I waited the whole book for this y’all, why?????????
-And lastly, I’m sorry, because this is a MAJOR spoiler, so read at your own risk. But Persephone becoming destroyer of the worlds was just like, what? Why? How?? And why in like the last 20 pages of the final book in the series?!?!?

[Katie Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨ARC Review✨

Honestly I’m just sitting here trying to figure out how to put into words how utterly amazing this entire series is. If you have not started this series, you are by god missing out on an amazing story🫶🏼

This is the final book and conclusion to Hades and Persphone’s trilogy and honestly in my eyes it is just so bittersweet. I enjoyed every second of being on this journey with Hades, Persephone, Melinoe and Helios. I especially enjoyed watching Persephone grow as a character and transform into the remarkable woman she was always capable of becoming😭

I want to keep this review as spoiler free as possible because honestly I just don’t want to ruin the experience for anyone who wants to read but this final book is a rollercoaster, this book made me feel absolutely everything . The pain we feel from Hades is a dominant feature in this book and if you finished the mistress and the renowned you will definitely understand why..

The love between Hades and Persephone was as strong as ever and I loved it. I mean even this quote alone 😭
“It seems no matter the timing, no matter the aspect, I am meant to fall in love with her in every way. Memory or not. God or not.  She is mine, and I am hers.”

A favourite quote of mine throughout this book has to be this:
“Darkness is not inherently evil, just as light is not inherently good.”
It is just spitting absolute facts if I’m honest.

Additionally our two authors Jeanette and Alexis have also blessed us with a novella of Helios and Melinoes own POVs of this book and personally I felt their POVs made the story much more enjoyable as we got to witness their budding relationship grow and develop also. The authors have it highlighted in each book when to switch over which makes it Swift and easy to enjoy.

Again I am so sad for this series to be ending but thank you Rose & Star Publishing this e-arc.

Jeanette and Alexis you absolutely smashed it🖤