Sometimes within a series, I can't choose a favorite, or refuse to do so. With Alyssa Roat and Hope Bolinger's work though, Dear Hades is easily my favorite. It's another case of the authors "saving the best for last." I was heartbroken to learn Dear Hades marked the end of Hope and Alyssa's collaboration (at least for now), but this was a more than worthy ending I'd give dozens of stars if I could.
Hope and Alyssa do a great job of respecting Greek mythology and the roots of their characters, while bringing these deities and their world into our century. Dear Hades reads a bit differently from the Hero/Villain duology, in a good way, because the deities are supposed to be eons old but must maintain a young, contemporary "cover." Thus, they sound current but lament or snark about slang or customs they don't understand, and it 100% works. Humor is present, and believe me, I'll get to it. But the idea of these gods and goddesses being out of their element lends Dear Hades some great background gravitas.
That gravitas carries over to the characters' personalities and interactions, as well as the depths of each character's journey. What starts out as a retelling of Hades and Persephone with a dating app thrown in, soon becomes an entire pantheon of new heroes and villains trying to figure out, who fits where? Are they "destined" to be on one side or the other, or can you in fact "change fate?" Each character has his or her own personal arc that speaks to these themes. Tiberias, or Ty, for instance, has one that eventually hinges on an unexpectedly tragic choice. Persephone and Hades must work together to save what they have, yet are also forced to figure some things out on their own. And by the time the story's over, I doubt any reader will look at Greek mythology the same way again. (I certainly do not)!
Within my discussion of the characters, I want to give Arachne, Medusa, Echo, and Scylla a shout-out. These goddesses struck me as particularly well-written, and yes, I wanted to be part of their "squad." I realize that might sound strange considering they are Gorgons or monsters--in other words, villains. For me though, these "monsters" in particular had a lot to say about whether we as humans always pick the right villains, or whether we gravitate to certain ones because they're different or "scary?" And even if someone does start out choosing the "correct" heroes or villains, what happens when a true force of evil--real, irredeemable villains--show up, because they will? That plot arc had me turning pages at a breakneck pace, but also slowing my brain down to savor the story.
Speaking of that arc, well, maybe I'm going too deep with this. It's okay if you think so; I've been accused of such before. But in Dear Hades, I caught some still subtle, yet slightly more prominent spiritual threads that hadn't been in Hope and Alyssa's other novels. Don't misunderstand me. Dear Hades is not a "Christian" book. It almost cannot be because of the characters and the mores of their world and underworld. Yet, discussions of concepts like memory, forgetting, peace or the lack thereof, forgiveness even after it's "too late," and the like, do point back to a Person who rises above the pantheon of Greek mythology and human mythos, period. Of course, you could use "Christian myth" as a descriptor for that; "myth" does not equal "lie." But whatever else they were trying to say, I definitely caught the authors' nods to how mythos works, the stories we tell ourselves, and how humans cope with the "underworlds" of this world and the next. So, intended or not, brava.
Finally yes, Dear Hades is hilarious. My favorite funny scene probably revolves around Scylla's job interview, but I found several others, such as Hades' Jungle Cruise and Achilles and Odysseus drowning their sorrows in eyeliner and ice cream. (Seriously, I'll *never* look at Odysseus the same way again. He's arrogant in The Odyssey, but good Greek feta! Here, he is downright insufferable)! Particular mention to Ty trying to cover his real identity at the Annie rehearsals, and kudos for the references to one of my favorite childhood musicals.
I don't recommend reading Dear Hades without the benefit of its companion books, Dear Hero and Dear Henchman. However, this one is slightly separate, so if you have to pick one, Dear Hades is the one I'd recommend most strongly. However, all three books deserve places on your actual or virtual keeper shelves.