Underworld's Daughter

The Chrysomelia Stories #2

by Molly Ringle

[BOOK 2 of the series that starts with PERSEPHONE'S ORCHARD...]

New immortals are being created for the first time in thousands of years thanks to the tree of immortality discovered by Persephone and Hades. But Sophie Darrow is not one of them. Nikolaos, the trickster, has given the last ripe immortality fruit to two others, the reincarnations of the gods Dionysos and Hekate: Tabitha and Zoe, currently Sophie's and Adrian's best friends.

While the disappointed Sophie struggles to remember Hekate and Dionysos from ancient Greece, she must still face her daily life as a mortal university freshman. Tabitha and Zoe have their own struggles as they come to terms with being newly immortal and their own haunting dreams of past lives and loves. The evil committed by Thanatos invades all of them in heartbreaking memories, and worse still, Sophie and her friends know their enemies are determined to kill again. And even the gods can't save everyone.

[Content warning: scenes of traumatic violence and death.]

Genres: Mythology, Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, New Adult, Paranormal, Greek Mythology

410 pages, Paperback

First published May 12, 2014

About the author

[Aug. 2022 note: I'm going dormant on Goodreads and moving over to Storygraph. Find me there! I'm under username mollyringle and would love to connect.]
Bio: Molly Ringle was one of the quiet, weird kids in school, and is now one of the quiet, weird writers of the world. She/her, demi, bi.

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Underworld’s Daughter is the second book in the Chrysomelia series. If you haven’t read the first one, the series is about the reincarnated Greek gods and goddesses, primarily Persephone and Hades. If you haven’t read the first one, quit reading this review and read that instead.
This book is amazingly fun and thought-provoking, and has a little something for everyone. If you are into mythology, this is the book for you. If you normally AREN’T into mythology, this is still the book for you. I find it hard to pigeon-hole it into one genre. It’s filled with mythology, suspense, love, angst, and hilarity.
I’m a picky reader, and normally I can go for years without every actually loving a new book. I might enjoy them but something is always missing (yes, I’m a huge book snob). When I hear someone rave about an upcoming book, I’m usually skeptical. I can’t help it. It’s very rare for a book to grab my attention and make me want to devour it in one sitting. When I find those books, I treasure them. This is one of them.
Molly Ringle is amazingly talented. She manages to intricately weave multiple stories and worlds by focusing on the past and present lives of her characters. It’s brilliantly told and elegantly crafted. The only downside is that the next few books I read are going to suffer poorly in comparison.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this book feeling nothing but soul crushing sorrow. Which is a good thing. A brilliant thing, actually, because it means that Molly Ringle accomplished her job in getting me emotionally invested in the story and the characters enough to feel their pain.

But let me not get ahead of myself.

Underworld's Daughter is the sequel to Persephone's Orchard, which if you read my review you know I loved. And I loved this one as well, but in a different way. As the author herself says in the afterword of the novel, while Persephone's Orchard (it will henceforth be referenced as P.O.) can be considered a retelling, Underworld's Daughter veers pretty directly into the Greek mythology fan fiction realm. Which I was totally okay with because I thought Molly Ringle handled it masterfully. Because she so vividly fleshed out the world of the Greek immortals in the first novel, Ringle went into this one with more freedom to expand on her world and characters in a way that allowed her to break free of the myths and instead use them for her own purposes. This may bother some die-hard Greek mythology fans, but I for one welcome ingenuity into the genre. If I wanted to read about completely accurate Greek myths I'd pick up Edith Hamilton's Mythology, not a paranormal romance novel.

The one change that did take some getting used to was the shifted focus of the narrative. Whereas P.O. focused almost solely on Sophie and Adrian and their past-selves Hades and Persephone, in Underworld's Daughter they took a backseat to Dionysus and Hekate, something that I wasn't so happy about when I realized they were going to be the predominant focus. What enchanted me most about P.O. was that I was watching two lives unfold at the same time and was totally invested in both with equal fervor and desire to see them snog each other senseless. Sophie and Adrian's story and relationship was just as capturing as Hades and Persephone's was.

However, this was not the case with Tabitha/Zoe and Dionysus/Hekate. I was thoroughly intrigued with Hekate and Dionysus and I did very much enjoy their story and the bit of debauchery our boy Dio brought to the table. But, Tabitha and Zoe's "sort of but not really romance" wasn't something I was particularly worried over. Mostly because of Tabitha being a bit of a jerk in the situation and I think Zoe deserved better than her. If Tab cleaned up her act and figured out what--and who--she wants instead of straddling the fence, I could totally get behind their relationship.

I did miss the focus on Sophie and Adrian, but I also truly commend the author for her ability to create a story that benefits from several different perspectives and expanding the world through the eyes of more people than just our protagonists. Creating such distinct voices is an amazing feat, especially when the same person is technically speaking from two different lifetimes (for example, I can always tell the difference between Hades and Adrian speaking.) While I do hope that the focus does go back to Sophie and Adrian next book, now that their Hades and Persephone story has fully been revealed, I do enjoy the looks into other character's heads. Actually, I'd love to know what's going on in Niko's mind. (Niko is the modern day incarnation of Hermes and one of my favorite characters, the sly devil.)

This is series is quickly gaining traction as one of my favorites. I'll reserve myself from proclaiming it's definitely my favorite until the series is completed and I can enjoy it as a whole, but if the next book continues to impress me like this I'm sure it will be. I did love Persephone's Orchard just slightly more, so while I gave P.O. 5 stars, I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 stars. I loved Underworld's Daughter and am so excited to continue this amazing series.

[Ray Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, the middle act of a trilogy.....if done right, is often the best (see 'The Empire Strikes Back'). It's also often times the most emotionally wrenching. Without giving away too much, I'd say that Underworld's Daughter delivers in all aspects. It remains to be seen if it will stand as the best of the trilogy, but it definitely improves on the already stellar Persephone's Orchard. No more comments lest I let spoilers slip.....let's just say that this is a definite recommend!

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an e-copy of this from Michelle Halket of Central Avenue Publishing in exchange for an honest review. This however did not influence my opinion of the book or of the author in any way.

I waited one year for this. And man was it ever worth it. Don't continue reading this review if you haven't read Persephone's Orchard. Spoilers might be present for that one.

Underworld's Daughter surely did surpassed Persephone's Orchard (for me so don't argue). Both are lengthy but I guess that's already a given. All the aspects I loved in Persephone's Orchard were the same things I loved in this sequel. The plot. The mystery. The drama. The magic. The mythology. The characters. The romance (or the lack thereof in this one). So what made this one even more special? I'll go with the story itself.

Underworld's Daughter focused more the underworld's daughter of course. That's obvious. Anyway, it also presented the slow-by-slow unveiling of the Greek Gods' memories and how whatever they have done thousand years ago still affect their lives in the present they were born in. It was both fun and painful to know what have happened to Sophie and others before. A lot happened. Both during their past and their present. Literally. A. Lot. Things were now understood as to why they were happening to them. Especially with Thanatos' existence. Can I just say that Thanatos is quite uhm scary? And violent, I can't forget that.

More lost souls were present here and their presence stirred up a bit of turmoil. Zoe and Tab were fabulous in learning their past lives. Things happened as they usually do because hey, Thanatos is always after the Greek Gods. I don't honestly understand Thanatos' issue. Especially with that "traitors" thing. I think they really have a different outlook on the Greek Gods. They do believe in the 'Gods' sense of them. And hey, Molly, that one surprise at the end was such a surprise. I wonder how Adrian and the others will handle that lost soul in the next installment.

Adrian and Sophie were having trouble in paradise. I didn't mind that a bit. As much as I want to swoon over them, I had my fair share already with Persephone's Orchard. I guess it's time to let the others shine. The problems were mostly Sophie's. And I just get her. If I were her, I'd probably think about how if I didn't eat that fruit and all. Maybe things were a little different for her and for the people around her.

Of all the minor characters I've met since PO, Niko or should I say Hermes, is the most endearing for me. I told you not to continue this if you haven't read Persephone's Orchard. See? Spoiler for you already. Anyway, Niko reminds me of Puck from The Iron Fey series. I guess it's because of the charm. So yes, I love Niko. His character can be very sarcastic at times but at least he was being truthful.

The story alternates between the past and the characters' recollection of their memories. I loved that part of the novel because it somehow shows how the present was quite the repeat of the past. Just thinking about it makes me sad as the way the things ended in the past and even in the present.

When the end was fast approaching, I wasn't surprised as to how it happened. I guess at the back of my mind, I know something like that was going to happen but that doesn't still make it any less sad.

Underworld's Daughter is truly an entertaining and amazing sequel that will leave you wanting for more (I swear I'd give anything just to read the next one.) Prepare to be mesmerized by the Greek Gods and their memories and by the absolutely thorough writing of Molly .

P.S. You're right, Michelle. It totally gave a soap opera vibes. I honestly think the plot of this series will be a good one for a TV show.

Originally posted at The Bookish Confections

[Jaclyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Thank goodness," he said. "I wasn't quite ready to face that risk yet."

I love Persephone's Orchard so much, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to read Underworld's Daughter. Though a great read, it's not as good to me as the first in the series.

The Good

One of the greatest things about this series is the jump back to Ancient Greece in the time of the Gods/Goddesses. Ringle's spin on their past and lives is enthralling and thought-provoking. Don't go into this story thinking it's a history lesson on the old myths. While a lot of it is based on what we've come to know of Greek Gods, there are certainly a lot of things that Ringle changed up to make the story fit together for her world in a way that makes me seek to absorb all the bits and pieces of the information.

While I adored getting to know Sophie and Adrian in Persephone's Orchard, this one is largely focused on Tabitha and Zoe. Their alter egos are fascinating and unusual. Oftentimes, I yearned for the switch back to their alternate lives. These character additions definitely add so much to the story. They have a large part to play in Sophie and Adrian's lives so it was fantastic to get to know more about them.

The action is well written. You get the sense that these characters truly feel the danger they are in. While a little ironic that the 'big bad' is an old lady, she is truly a terrifying foe for this group since she is a part of the larger evil organization Thanatos. It would be intimidating to go up against what they are faced. Also, there are a great number of twists which make Underworld's Daughter so engaging.

The Bad
The problem with this series where it stands now is that the Greek Gods overshadow the 'normal' characters by quite a lot. Their stories are intricately thought out and provided in a great way that doesn't hurt the narration of the book. However, the main characters are not nearly as well-rounded and often a few of them seem to do things that are out of character.

I feel like I'm really going to like Zoe and Tabitha later on, but they are both obsessed with what they know isn't going to work. It's the whole: this guy loves this girl, and she loves this other guy, but he loves another girl who will never love anyone. It's a huge mess, and I'm a fan of people in life and books learning from past mistakes. I hope they become a little less shallow in later books and make better decisions. This thread needs to be interrupted because currently they are miserable.

The Romance
It's a square. A legitimate square as mentioned above. The one relationship that I love (and isn't a part of the square thankfully) is Persephone and Hades. These two have an alluring and compelling relationship. There are some steamy moments for sure because they can't keep their hands off each other.

Sophie and Adrian can't seem to get things together even though there are amazingly sweet moments, their relationship is a bit awkward. They were so great in the first book so I'm very hopeful that things will look up for them in the future.

Conclusion
Ringle is a fantastic writer. She can weave the story together in a way that takes these fantastic ideas and have them make sense. The story is beautiful, impressive, and engaging. While the main 'normal' characters aren't as well rounded as the outstanding Greek counterparts, I still can't wait to soak up each chapter. Recommended.

[Vicki Trask · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you read a series that is so heavily drenched in one historic or mythological element, you can end up with one of two stories: you either feel like you’re reading a textbook, or the plot has nothing to do with the culture. I am always pleasantly surprised by Molly Ringle’s writing. This particular series is centred around Greek Mythology and the immortals who dotted their stories; and it’s never a dull moment. The story jumps back and forth between present day and ancient times and they always link back together in some unexpected ways.

In addition to awakening Sophie, our protagonist, we’re introduced to new gods who only add to the drama and excitement. More than that, we get to interact with the characters we’ve come to know and love in sexier and darker ways. I am particularly fond of Hekate and her transformation from rambunctious child to powerful witch. Although I haven’t teared up so much as I have reading her story. It is an emotional journey to be reckoned with.

Not to say I wasn’t torn apart by other characters. Persephone and Hades’ story always brings me such joy. It’s alarmingly passionate and loving to the point of madness. Oh, when they went…ugh. I can’t even talk about it. Don’t worry: you’ll kind of see it coming and it’ll still break your heart.

I ship Niko and Zoe so much it’s not even fair. I won’t say anything but let’s just say I was a puddle after one of his scenes.

The whole story is compelling because so much of it is a love story that has elements of fate and drama. And the rest of it is a thriller about a terrorist organization who resorts to extreme violence and death-defying measures to get their message across. I promise, you won’t want to put the book down.

It helps that it’s paired with some colourful and dynamic words strung together in just a beautiful story. The author’s words bring this world to life with specific imagery and word choice; a very well-crafted tale.

I think my Random Notes While Reading speak for themselves:
Secrets seem to be the trademark of these immortals
How are you surprised by Niko’s actions?
I know how you could make it up to her
Surprise!!
“Olfactory inspector” I love that
Oh. Cool. Just casually throw that out there
“The cold rope of dread”: I line I’m still thinking about. It’s that powerful
He’s…conscious…right? I don’t know what the protocol is here
I would absolutely use my immortal powers like that
I love the concept of sexuality in this world
Dude!
At least she cleaned up after herself
Oh gods, I can’t stop giggling
That is actually incredibly sweet
Persephone seems so much older in this book. Fascinating
Huh. Also, very clever. Well researched
I do appreciate that Aphrodite is always unapologetically herself
So it’s exactly like your favourite character dying – they come back
Aw. That’s hot
Oh boy, my heart was not ready for that
Come one, Tabitha, you let me down
WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!!!
No. No. No.


Sophie and her family’s story is incredibly engaging; so much so that I am running out of adverbs to describe how satisfied I am with the direction this tale is going. I look forward to reading the next chapter in the lives of these gods and I highly recommend that you read the first book: Persephone’s Orchard.

[Lee (Rally the Readers) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Also posted on Rally the Readers.

* An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.

3.5 Stars

My icy heart is not easily moved by swoony romances, but that’s exactly the effect Persephone’s Orchard had on me. I ended up loving the rekindled romance between Adrian and Sophie, the modern day reincarnations of Hades and Persephone. While there’s no shortage of sweet moments between the king and queen of the Underworld in Underworld’s Daughter, Sophie and Adrian’s relationship in the present hits a bit of a bump. She sometimes longs to just be Sophie Darrow, average college student without all of the baggage that accompanies being a Greek deity. Although this was a perfectly reasonable story development, the part of me that fell for Persephone’s Orchard because of the Adrian/Sophie pairing couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed.

Underworld’s Daughter expands its roster of characters, with the series shifting some of its focus to Tabitha and Zoe, friends of Sophie and Adrian’s who also featured prominently in the lives of Persephone and Hades. It’s not that Sophie and Adrian are totally forgotten, but you can expect to spend quite a bit of time getting acquainted with Tabitha, Zoe, and their previous incarnations. The flashbacks to their days in ancient Greece were absorbing to read about; their lives in the present—not as much. I would have liked Tabitha to have had a little more to her character than partying and chasing fame, even if those things were in total keeping with the lifestyle she led in the past. As for Zoe, I thought she let herself get too bogged down in her memories of who Tabitha used to be and how close they once were.

And I think that was my main issue with Underworld’s Daughter: I couldn’t get as invested in the present day lives of the characters as easily as I did their previous ones. There’s clearly a lot of love for Greek mythology here, and that love really shines through whenever the story returns to the past. Kudos also go to the storytelling technique that’s employed in the series; the narrative switches back and forth between ancient and contemporary times without ever causing confusion about where—or when—you are. I do wish that the contemporary plotlines had moved closer to the pace that the flashback scenes did and that my favorite character, Hermes/Niko, had made a few more appearances. Ultimately, Underworld’s Daughter was a satisfying sequel, though I did miss, and I sort of can’t believe I’m about to say this because it’s rather uncharacteristic for me, the sweeping romance of Persephone’s Orchard.

[Fred · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second volume in Molly’s Chrysomelia series, and it’s not a stand-alone, but rather a welcome continuation of the story that began in Persephone’s Orchard, the first book in the series. It begins, like the first book, in media res, only this time the “res” is one of sweet intimacy and tenderness, the culmination of the tentative and touching relationship between Persephone and Hades (the originals). And the narrative again moves between the remembered past of Hades, Persephone and their peers, and the story of Adrian and Sophie, the contemporary counterparts of their ancient incarnations. Things aren’t easy for Adrian and Sophie (relationship status: complicated) this time around. The story starts with Sophie feeling “betrayed, or at least left out,” when inveterate trickster Niko bestows the gift of immortality on two others by stealing and sharing with them the underworld orange Adrian meant for Sophie. And Thanatos, the deadly antagonist whose violence ended the first book, has stepped up its game in ways that rock the characters' stability and emotions. The addition of more characters and points of view make this a deeper and more rewarding reading experience than Persephone’s Orchard, in some ways. The character of Hekate (she’s the titular Underworld’s Daughter, btw) both in the past, and in the now, is richly imagined and endearing, full of mystery, grace, intelligence and emotion. She’s just a really cool person, and an awesome addition to the cast. Dionysos (and his contemporary counterpart) is a fun and kind of frustrating character, full of fun and frivolity but also fractured and flawed in ways that make him/her, real and relatable.

“The past is never dead, it’s not even past,” said Faulkner, and that would be a fitting epigraph for this series, in which the events of the past echo and resonate in the now. Molly’s artfulness in setting patterns of relationships and events in ways that illuminate each other, create foreshadowing and dramatic tension is an especially enjoyable element of the book (cf. Demeter confronting the newlyweds in the Underworld with Sophie’s dad discovering Adrian in her room over Thanksgiving break, just for one delicious example).

So just to be clear, I loved this book. But be forewarned, it is the second volume in a three book series (“Frodo was alive, but taken by the enemy,” remember?), and as such, there are unresolved story lines and emotions at the end. I can’t say I was disappointed exactly, but man, it is going to be a long wait till next June.

My full review, including some cool pictures and a lot of extraneous musing about Robert Herrick, is available over at my blog, Still seeking allies ..., at http://stillseekingallies.blogspot.co...

[Abbie Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Underworld's Daughter is dark, sexy, steamy and thrilling. I absolutely loved it - but be sure to read the first book in the series, Persephone's Orchard, in order to fully appreciate its sequel.

This book picks up where the first left off, immediately pulling the reader into the action. I would argue that its first line is one of the BEST I've ever read. Molly Ringle writes with such an engaging voice, describing the intriguing worlds she creates with vivid detail. Again, one of my favorite things about reading this series has been the reimagining of the Greek gods - I love "seeing" them through this novel.

Hades and Persephone remain at the center of the story and I have to admit they are my favorite couple in the novel (and their relationship is so incredible and so HOT, which I loved), although secondary characters become more prominent in fascinating ways in this book. The story takes you through such a gamut of emotions - I read the first one as quickly as I could, because I could NOT put it down, and it was the same this time around too.

I am so into the characters because Molly is an incredibly gifted and clever writer, that at times I was literally biting the thumbnail of my free hand (the one not clutching the book) in fantastic tension, at times laughing out loud, at times getting teary-eyed, and then as the end of the book approached I was on pins and needles - at the last page I said, "No!" because I already longed to continue reading.

I also love the ways in which the story has deepened in this second book, encompassing more characters in both time lines. The fearsome Thanatos - read: antagonist - becomes even more devastating to our characters' lives this time around. The story moves between past and present (with Adrian and Sophie as the modern-day counterparts for Hades and Persephone) and brings into play more characters. Thanks, magic orange!! Molly weaves together the past and present so cleverly - pay close attention as you read, because there is delicate, clever foreshadowing throughout.

All in all, a fantastic, riveting, action-packed, heated read!!

[Carla D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crítica em português no blog Pepita Mágica

I received a digital arc from the author in exchange for an honest review.

This book suffered from my sudden lack of reading time. Although, I couldn’t stop thinking about it even when I wasn’t reading it.

We can say Persephone's Orchard is a retelling of Persephone’s kidnap – which I loved the way the author choose the little details from the mythology and built a romantic, genuine and sensible narrative.

However, that’s not what happens in Underworld's Daughter, the second instalment of The Chrysomelia Stories series, since little mythology gets in it, but Molly Ringle managed to create a captivating, interesting, and full of magic type of story; we are glued to her words.

I have a special relationship with Dionysos, and who knows me knows why, and I thought it was really fascinating the way the author linked Adonis to Dionysos, but I didn’t like Tabitha – Dionysos’ soul in the present. She grew up at the end, and it seemed she’s going to become a good immortal, but in general she was a disappointment, and it saddened me. In contrast, I loved Zoe aka Hekate – it confused me the way this character goes so different from the mythology, though; and still does, to be honest. I just hope to see the three-faced Hekate in the future, but I don’t know. Doubtlessly, Hekate is my favourite character from this book; I just loved all the moments dedicated to her. (And between us, no one is listening, Hekate+Herme before Hekate+Dionysos!! – and this is not even the real love triangle!)

Even if, what remains from the mythology is, basically, the names (and a few small references), I loved this book. It’s well written – as the first one; it’s a captivating, interesting and gripping story. Because what matter, above all, it’s how the story is told and developed, and it’s not the fact if is close, or not, from where the idea was born.

[Holly Scudero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sophie Darrow is finally ready to embrace her heritage and become immortal… but unfortunately, the last ripe fruit of the tree of immortality has been given to others! Now Sophie is stuck as a mortal for a few more months, struggling with her “real” life and trying to come to terms with the direction her future seems to be heading. And life keeps getting more complicated. The evil members of Thanatos are still out to get Adrian, not caring who gets caught in the crossfire. They’re threatening Adrian’s family. They’re threatening Sophie’s family. And now, they seem to have caught wind of the newest immortals: Tabitha and Zoe, Sophie and Adrian’s best friends. No one is safe.

The second volume of Molly Ringle’s "The Chrysomelia Stories," "Underworld’s Daughter," is just as thrilling as the first. As the story jumps back and forth between Sophie, Adrian, and their friends in the present time, and Persephone and the other immortals in ancient Greece, it’s impossible to not get emotionally invested in the tangled relationships throughout. Ringle has taken the idea of these ancient deities and given them a whole new life, and readers will love every second of it. Book three is eagerly awaited!

Originally reviewed for San Diego Book Review.

[Kaitlin Bevis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Molly Ringle does an amazing job balancing multiple story lines spread across time and multiple characters. She also does an amazing job managing the impact those multiple sets of memories and roles would have on modern day characters. I see glimmers of the past within each of the modern characters but they are still very much their own people.

I was a little hesitant when new POV characters were introduced, but before long, I fell in love with each and every one of them. Molly describes this book's take on the myths more of "Greek mythology fan fiction" as opposed to retellings, but to me that made it more fun. I've read the Greek myths. I've read a thousand retellings, I've written my own. But done right, a retelling should be original to the author, and if it's original to the author, it's going to eventually leave the myth behind to tell the rest of the story.

The ending of this particular story was both heart wrenching and shocking. It immediately had me reaching for book three. I can't wait to see how it ends.

[Rich Mulvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Following up on last year's "Persephone's Orchard", Ringle expands her re-envisioning of Greek mythology by delving deeper into the backgrounds of the major characters from the first book and ramping up the action as Thanatos, the organization bent on their destruction, redoubles its effort to destroy them.

In "Underworld's Daughter" we see the history and evolution of the relationships between Hekate, Dionysos, and Aphrodite as Ringle alternates between their origins and their incarnations in the modern world. Sophie and Adrian are still front and center as well, and Ringle does a wonderful job with the joy and tribulations of their romance and leaves the reader wondering whether we'll get a storybook ending or a tragedy.

The blend of romance and action is perfectly balanced, the pace is just right, the characters are multidimensional, and the plot is entertaining and engaging--what more could you wish for?

The third book can't come soon enough for me!

[Nicki Markus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I struggled a little with the first third of Underworld's Daughter. So many new characters were suddenly given prominence and I'd not yet had time to connect with them as I had with Sophie and Adrian. However, by the halfway mark I was completely wrapped up in the story again and even shed a few tears at the sad moment (of which there are several, so have tissues handy). All in all, this middle part of the trilogy left me eager to get to the final book and see how it would all end.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book! So much drama and suspense. I was on the edge of my seat...especially at the end! I'm sad its over and now I have to wait for the third! Molly is an amazing writer! I love all the details and 'her take' on mythology. Very well done!

[Anne-Marie]

Ahhh, YES! The Cover is absolutely beautiful and I cannot wait to get my hands on this book. I so loved the first one, I'm pretty sure I'll like the sequel as much :D

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

**First, I have to say that I loved Persephone's Orchard SO much that I basically begged and pleaded with Molly Ringle for a copy of this. She very kindly gifted me this copy in exchange for my honest review.**

I knew I would love this book just as much as the first. Anything having to do with the Greek Gods is totally fascinating to me. Sophie is still an amazing and strong character. Determined to fight Thanatos. Who is a great "villain" by the way. I enjoyed reading about Zoe and Tabitha figuring out how to become the immortal gods they are. One of my favorite gods too...Dionysus, the god of wine, parties and pleasure! However, they all realize they are still in danger and its an awesome adventure reading about it!

It ends with...To Be Continued...Thank Goodness!!! I love this story and never want it to end! I can't wait for a third installment. Get ready Ms. Ringle cuz I'll probably be stalking you for that one too!

[Dean Mayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Underworld's Daughter, the much anticipated sequel to Ringle's 2012 "Persephone's Orchard", delivers what every great sequel should - a deeper exploration of the core characters that were established so well in the first book, a heightened intensity to the story telling - in which those characters are tested to their limits - and more kinetic adventure.

Molly Ringle deftly handles the cross currents between the mythical realms and our own present-day world, balancing them so that they feed off one another to drive the story forward.

As with Persephone's Orchard, the re-imagining of classic Greek mythology is a joy to get lost in. The freshness of the paranormal elements, the crispness of the action & the deepening love story between Sophie/Adrian/Persephone/Hades engages you and delights you.

Underworld's Daughter is a compelling and exciting sequel.

[Kkaui22yahoo.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the book. I really couldnt put it down. The only thing is sometimes i got confused when she was talking about the past then switch back to the present in the same chapter. But other then that i really liked the book. I cant wait till the next one comes out :)

[Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

it's funny, because I really think I want more mythology and less present day stories. which is opposite of what the books are supposed to be about, but the mythology she weaves is so much more intriguing than the present day story!

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am really enjoying this series. The world building is excellent, and I love how the concept of the memories unfolding is done.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

This novel is engaging and a great read. I love mythology and this story makes it accessible. Can't wait for the next one!

[mel. ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, I have a lot to say about this that I probably won’t remember all in one go, but I’m going to try my best to do it anyway.

I adored Persephone’s Orchard. I thought that it was phenomenal and it quickly became a comfort book for me, because I just loved Adrian and Sophie, so I was waiting for a time where I wasn’t feeling my best and wanted to read a comfort series to go onto Underworld’s Daughter.

And I don’t know if it’s whether I wasn’t 100% able to focus on it because my mood’s been pretty low or whether it was because of plots but I just found myself struggling to read this one, I really did. I loved Zoe and Adrian and Sophie’s parts, and towards the end I started falling in love with Niko’s, too, from Hermes’ devotion to Hekate, but I just found the others hard to get through. It may have just been my edition, but perspectives were changing paragraph to paragraph with no page breaks and it just didn’t gel with me too great.

And Tabitha?? Oh my gosh, I just, I didn’t gel well with her at all. When we started to find out about Zoe and Tab, I was so excited and ready to go with those two, but Tabitha’s actions just made her so hard for me to connect with, the constant party attitude in their current lives and the way that Zoe remained second priority. Even if Tabitha did begin to pull her weight in the end, I just wasn’t able to pick up that relationship with her, and Zoe deserves so much better than someone who still continues to properly acknowledge her. Zoe, honey, I very rarely say this, but I do think it’s the guy that’s going to treat you right in this one.

I’m not saying that the second book is bad, at all, I think I’m just personally more a fan of Sophie and Adrian’s story and therefore preferred their parts of it. I was in tears when Adrian went to sacrifice himself, and the emotions of the three of them as a family unit as Persephone, Hades and Hekate just made me an emotional wreck, I love the three of them so much.

I understand Sophie’s hostility towards Adrian, I do, but I also believe that he is what she needs to heal; if it was the other way around, I do believe that she have done the same thing and convinced him to eat the pomegranate, regardless of the danger, because of the love they have for each other.

I don’t think I’m emotionally ready for the angst of the two of them in the final instalment of this series, and I think I need to take a little break from the world again before peering back into it for the last time, but, Ringle, you truly know how to pull at my heart strings. I can’t stop thinking about Sophie’s reaction to Adrian in the last chapters! I just hope they make it through, because I’ve seen these two go through enough heartbreak to last a life time.

Famous last words, probably!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic sequel to Persephone's Orchard, Underworld's Daughter as a great book full of action the characters continue to develop as well as the plot line the author has sat for her take on the mythological story of Persephone and Hades.

The different stories and storylines of the characters are tied together and pulled in together really well since you're dealing with multiple life times for one character with mostly two main lifetimes that become the main focus: the Greek life time and the Modern life Time and the author does a fantastic job of smoothly and clearly uniting these two strands and bringing them along into a strong cord'also all while keeping the characters' core personality and traits along the parallels of time and history, including bending and defying gender roles andStandards.. It's also really nice to see that this author is obviously very LGBTQ inclusive, handling them like any other relationships.

This Book is about balance and is presented really well balancing at the everyday troubles along with the action balancing love with sacrifice. While I fandound the first book could have been a little bit shorter I found the information in this book was well-paced you had continually things happening between the protagonist and the opponent as well as the ongoing journey of learning that the protagonist was on between her old self and her new self and what that meant for her life.

Also the mini peaks into what the 'bad guys' are doingis a great touch and enhances the deeper reasoning for the actions and how when really considered, they might sound a little familar to the original group of gods with their black and white stones...

I'm really excited to see what the third book holds; as it's the conclusion to this series. The author was clear author's notes portion that this is a diversion from the genera l Persephone myth and that as is her right as a fiction writer she tweets them things that had always inspired her and made her Wonder things like Hectate and the Adonis / Dionysus link and I think these were all really bold and Positive Choices to take eating too interesting reading and page-turning chapters. I can definitely say I'm a Molly Ringle fan, her writing is descriptive, realistic, her charin theacters are well-rounded including flaws and feel like people who could walk off the pages and into your room

As I said in my last review, this is one of my favourite Greek Myths and I am loving the spin this has been given! Not only in bringing it to modern day but also in asking the questions such as who are the gods? They themselves seen to have a goddess and going beyond just making them humanly relateable, but unsure about many things like their immortality etc.

[Maya De toro · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know a good book when you feel the emotions that the characters are going through. Although it may sound far-fetched, yes I cried at the end of this. I don't know what Molly Ringle wanted to get from her readers, but she made a great accomplishment here.

Daughter of the Underworld is the second book to the Chrysomelia Stories by Molly Ringle. This continues from the first book Persephone's Orchard, which I loved. So if you've read my first review on this series, ignore the negativity in that one. This book paved way more through what happened to the immortals. Compared to the retelling that happened in the first book, she didn't go too astray from the Greek myths that we know. Instead, she made it look flawless as she incorporated her own twist to the Greek mythologies.

Focusing on this book made it clear that the central figures of the story weren't Sophie and Adrian(Persephone & Hades), instead, it was on Zoe and Tab(Hekate & Dionysus). Albeit this was something that I didn't particularly like since I'm more attuned to the rulers of the Underworld. Yet the tidbits that Sophie and Adrian had me reading more and more- to see what they would further encounter.

Hekate and Dionysus interaction had me annoyed at some point in the story. The more imaginative a person is, the more they are invested in playing how each scenario look. And Hekate and Dionysus definitely had their own time to finally indulge in each other. As for their modern day reincarnations, Zoe and Tab's relationship had a more "friends and something more" approach. Some would agree that Zoe deserved better than what Tab was giving her since Tab was being a complete jerk and turning into an utter jackass.

I applaud Molly Ringle's ingenious ability to portray whose perspective we are reading. The feelings, the thoughts and the interaction everyone had were amazing. And I appreciate her efforts to bring forth new characters into focus. And while we're at it I've been wanting to see what she has in store for Niko's character. Here's to hoping on the last book that there'll be more of Niko's perspective and back to Sophie and Adrian's too.

Although this might not be one of my favorites, yet. I believe that it will take its place there soon. And it will be another Greek Myth that I would love in the near future.

[Jassicca · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book in the Chrysomelia Stories is just as captivating as the first! My favourite part is reading the past lives stories when they were first introduced as gods and goddesses.

Besides visiting Persephone's past lives, this book also delves into stories of Adonis, Dionysus, and Hecate, adding another colourful layer of entertainment to the narrative.

However, don't get me wrong, I also enjoy the present-day story! The Thanatos organisation are still causing headaches for Adrian and Sophie! Plus, I also get to read about Sophie's best friend, Tabitha, who is emerging as a modern internet star.

That said, the transition between the past life stories and the present day feels seamless, with a delightful twist on the myths we know, blended beautifully with Molly Ringle's unique creation. I couldn't ask for a better story when it comes to mythology retellings. I absolutely adore the clever twists and originality!

I'm now looking forward to seeing what happens next, especially how they plan to thwart Thanatos's operations in the present day and also how it happened in the past. How did Karberos, Hermes, Dionysus, and the other surviving gods and goddesses meet their ends in their previous lives? Additionally, I hope Quentin, who is serving her sentence in the underworld, will finally admit her wrongdoing!

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably closer to a 3.5 star rating. I really enjoy this story and seeing how it unfolds, the characters are well formed and pretty believable. The only bad part is that I could really care less about Adrian and Sophie's part of the story. I love the historical bits but the modern stuff...not so much. I really feel like I should care more, given that they are the reincarnations of the historical folks.

[Hikaru · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely some twists and turns I didn't expect. I wished there was more focus on the past life stuff and less on the present day stuff, and that Tabitha and Zoe's relationship didn't feel so...wishy-washy and annoying, but overall I enjoyed it enough to finish it and maybe pick up the sequel.

[LINDA BASS · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wished that I had read book one as I was both enchanted and confused with Sophie, why she wanted to be immortal and why she couldn't wait for more oranges to grow, why she felt the need to hide Adrian. At times the book lagged in action and I felt sleepy, but overall the book was enjoyable

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

this definitely took a bit to get invested in. it's taken me way too long to finish and he story deserved to be finished.
I enjoyed the story enough to look forward to the next one!