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Cursed to be Queen
He was supposed to be a myth...
Ana never believed in monsters—until she met one. Dark. Large. Menacing. Hades is everything she feared… and nothing she expected. Trapped in his kingdom for a year, she can’t tell him why she’s there. She can’t leave either, or her sister dies. But the King of the Damned has no patience for unwelcome guests, and he’s determined to make her life a living hell to drive her out.
She is meant to be his ruin...
Hades has spent centuries in solitude, and he wants it to stay that way. The prophecy is clear—a mortal woman will be his undoing. When Ana steps through his gates, he knows she is the one. He should fear her. Destroy her.
Instead, he wants her.
The more he pushes her away, the deeper she pulls him in. And when their time draws to a close, can he let her go?
Some prophecies are meant to be broken. Some monsters aren’t meant to be tamed.
Ana never believed in monsters—until she met one. Dark. Large. Menacing. Hades is everything she feared… and nothing she expected. Trapped in his kingdom for a year, she can’t tell him why she’s there. She can’t leave either, or her sister dies. But the King of the Damned has no patience for unwelcome guests, and he’s determined to make her life a living hell to drive her out.
She is meant to be his ruin...
Hades has spent centuries in solitude, and he wants it to stay that way. The prophecy is clear—a mortal woman will be his undoing. When Ana steps through his gates, he knows she is the one. He should fear her. Destroy her.
Instead, he wants her.
The more he pushes her away, the deeper she pulls him in. And when their time draws to a close, can he let her go?
Some prophecies are meant to be broken. Some monsters aren’t meant to be tamed.
- GenresFantasy Romance
267 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 31, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 1, 2026
Amazing delivery!
This was the literal perfect blend between a Beauty and the Beast retelling and a Hades and Persephone retelling! I'm truly in awe at the delivery! The author immediately hooked me in and had me in a chokehold until the very end! The mystery, the journey of discovery, the chemistry, the urgency! Gah! So good!
This was the literal perfect blend between a Beauty and the Beast retelling and a Hades and Persephone retelling! I'm truly in awe at the delivery! The author immediately hooked me in and had me in a chokehold until the very end! The mystery, the journey of discovery, the chemistry, the urgency! Gah! So good!
May 4, 2026
Ana never believed in monsters, until she finds herself trapped in the realm of Hades, forced to stay for a year under threat of her sister’s death. Unable to explain her presence or escape, she becomes an unwelcome guest in a kingdom ruled by a god who would rather drive her out than tolerate her. Hades, bound by a prophecy that a mortal woman will be his downfall, immediately sees Ana as a threat he should eliminate. Instead, he finds himself drawn to her. As tension builds between them, both are forced to confront whether fate is something to fear or something to defy.
This was a solid Hades and Persephone retelling. It doesn’t follow the original myth beat for beat, but it keeps enough of the core dynamic to feel familiar while still doing its own thing. The writing is engaging, with enough action and momentum to keep things moving, and it does a particularly good job building romantic tension. Ana is easy to root for, and I appreciated that the story gives a clear reason for the miscommunication between her and Hades rather than relying on more frustrating, avoidable conventions. His physical design was also a highlight: distinctive and memorable in a way that adds to his presence on the page.
It works especially well as a shorter read, though it could have been tightened slightly more. The pacing is decent, and the story feels complete without becoming overly dense or drawn out. This book knows what it wants to be and delivers on it. While it may not stand out as the most groundbreaking take on the trope, it’s an enjoyable, well-executed version that’s easy to binge in a sitting or two. A great palate cleanser between heavier reads, and an enjoyable book overall.
4/5 A fun, quick trip to the underworld.
This was a solid Hades and Persephone retelling. It doesn’t follow the original myth beat for beat, but it keeps enough of the core dynamic to feel familiar while still doing its own thing. The writing is engaging, with enough action and momentum to keep things moving, and it does a particularly good job building romantic tension. Ana is easy to root for, and I appreciated that the story gives a clear reason for the miscommunication between her and Hades rather than relying on more frustrating, avoidable conventions. His physical design was also a highlight: distinctive and memorable in a way that adds to his presence on the page.
It works especially well as a shorter read, though it could have been tightened slightly more. The pacing is decent, and the story feels complete without becoming overly dense or drawn out. This book knows what it wants to be and delivers on it. While it may not stand out as the most groundbreaking take on the trope, it’s an enjoyable, well-executed version that’s easy to binge in a sitting or two. A great palate cleanser between heavier reads, and an enjoyable book overall.
4/5 A fun, quick trip to the underworld.
May 19, 2026
This was a solid 3 star book for me. I liked the story and the characters, but it wasn't super memorable. I will read anything that is a Hades and Persephone retelling, and I still liked the story, I just wanted a little more uniqueness. If you are a fan of Beauty and the Beast, this book is for you.
Ana wakes up with short term memory loss. She has no idea where she is or how she got there, just a vague sense that she is there for a reason. From there, the story very closely follows Beauty and the Beast with some Hades and Persephone nods thrown in. A book instead of a mirror, a sister instead of a father, a dog instead of a horse. I thought the story would be more "inspired by" and less direct retelling. I didn't love that some of the dialogue was almost a word for word match from the animated movie, despite it being an iconic scene. It made the book feel more like fanfic and less like its own entity.
That being said, I did like Doom and Gloom and the story that was building with the villagers. There were some great world building and character development, but the parts I liked most were pushed more to the background.
Ana wakes up with short term memory loss. She has no idea where she is or how she got there, just a vague sense that she is there for a reason. From there, the story very closely follows Beauty and the Beast with some Hades and Persephone nods thrown in. A book instead of a mirror, a sister instead of a father, a dog instead of a horse. I thought the story would be more "inspired by" and less direct retelling. I didn't love that some of the dialogue was almost a word for word match from the animated movie, despite it being an iconic scene. It made the book feel more like fanfic and less like its own entity.
That being said, I did like Doom and Gloom and the story that was building with the villagers. There were some great world building and character development, but the parts I liked most were pushed more to the background.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews