The Persephone Effect

Gunmetal Olympus #2

by Maria Ying

Zeus has been struck down, and Elysium stands on the cusp of destruction.

In this tumult, Persephone is wounded but not yet defeated. A presence grows within her that should not be. She has a chance at the goal she’s strived toward all godhood itself. But just as likely, she could lose everything. Now she must adapt—or drown.

Hades, head heavy with her sister's crown, labors to bring the gods to order and keep them united as a killer haunts the city, capable of dispatching mortals and gods alike. Twin gods Artemis and Apollo grow increasingly erratic, hinting at a scheme that may no longer align them with the survival of Elysium.

In the battle for Olympus, the gods must unearth the secrets left behind by their makers—who may not, after all, be entirely gone...

Genres: LGBT, Fantasy, Lesbian, Science Fiction, Retellings, Mythology, Dystopia

601 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 29, 2026

About the author

Maria Ying is both a fictional character and the joint pseudonym of Devi Lacroix and Benjanun Sriduangkaew, who have challenged themselves to write fiction with no speculative elements for once.

Devi Lacroix can be found at

Website: devilacroix.com

Twitter: twitter.com/DeviLacroix

Benjanun Sriduangkaew can be found at

Website: beekian.wordpress.com

Twitter: twitter.com/benjanun_s

Reviews

[Meishuu]

unhinged women doing unhinged things, and no men in sigth. My genre.

I do not care for the pairings here, I just want to see Perse doing what she does best.

[Sam]

A very well done follow up to "The Hades Calculus" that develops the story and characters well, reveals more of the world and still leaves the reader wanting for the next installment without falling into second-book-in-a-trilogy pitfalls.
Switching between a variety of persepectives, but often focussing on Persephone, Hades, Madalithea and Adrastus, this story examines what happens to Elysium after the fall of Zeus. Grief, anger, the fight of autonomy and desperation haunt this novel and its characters, while the dangers outside of Elysium become more and more pressing as something seems to have awakened in the wastes. I especially adored the various ways in which family was examined here, how shared blood can be a shackle, an infection that needs to be purged, but also a balm and a source of love and comfort.
I really enjoyed seeing all the different perspectives of characters and found them to be an incredibly important addition to the story. I didn't think I could care this much about Adrastus, but here we are. Having read many of the other works set in the Gunmetal Olympus Universe I also really enjoyed seeing the ways how those were woven into this story, without taking over the narrative.
Lesbian and trans sexuality also plays an important role in this novel again, which is lovely. If you're just looking for that, this book might not have enough for your enjoyment, but I liked what was there and found the scenes that were included to be very interesting.
All in all, a great follow up that dives deeper into character motivations, the day to day survival of Elysium and its inhabitants and still features some great Mecha fights. I am now especially excited to read the other stories set in this universe!

[Amber The Ninth]

This series has me in a chokehold. Did I know what was going on the whole time? No. But that's the Gideon of it all that scratches to good itch in my brain.

All hail Dread Persephone!

[Tris Husband]

Very strong candidate for my favorite book of 2026. It is very difficult to write a sequel that meets the expectations of your readers. Fans get all sorts of ideas in their heads and meeting with the reality of the authors' plans can lead to disappointment through no fault of their own. I've lost count of the number of times that the follow-up to a book left me missing some of the magic of the first.

If you liked the Hades Calculus, it will absolutely not disappoint.

Maria Ying manages to improve on practically everything from HC in ways that kept me turning the pages as quick as I could. +200k words and I devoured it in a matter of days, losing sleep in the best possible way. You should definitely pick this one up if you like lesbians who don't take shit, mecha and hardcore feminist retellings of greek myth.

[M. Sosotris]

WOW!

Rarely does a sequel live up to the original. But even rarer when a sequel outdoes the original.

This book is a massive epic work of art that dials everything up to eleven. The character interactions are messier and more emotionally resonant, the stakes are higher, the action is bigger, and the cliffhanger is just as WTF as the first one.

I absolutely adored this book, and cannot wait for the next one.

I will also say, if you haven't, please read Cirice Gray's Flower of the Underworld before this, as the protagonist of that book features heavily in this one.

Is it safe to say this is now one of my all time favourite sci-fi book series ever???

[Lucy]

I really didn't think that a sequel could stand up to how perfect The Hades Calculus was. Every character was exceedingly well done and their characterizations held through the first book as well as this one. Obviously there was character growth, sometimes for the better and sometimes not, but no one completely lost what was built through the first book.

The biggest win about The Persephone Effect was the fact that this didn't feel like a second book in a series. So often they are wont to dragging while setting up for a potential sequel. It's far too common for there to be nothing significant to happen while we're stuffed full of needless world building and relationships that mean nothing to the grand scheme of things. Thankfully, while there is more world building and more relationship building between Persephone and others as well as relationships budding between secondary and tertiary characters.

The pacing to this is much like the first book. It's a slow build up to the climax. The tension and anxiety continues to ratchet up throughout this. No one is safe as we continue through the story which doesn't help to prevent that sick feeling you'll get as the end draws closer and closer. Obviously, this ends on a cliffhanger and now I'm feral for the next book. I need a resolution.

[Alice]

I really loved the first book, and I think this was a good sequel; Hard to follow up, though, on *the hades calculus*, and I think some elements kept me from going quite as feral over this. I didn't consume it in the same way I did the first book.

I still really like Persephone's story, her character, her Lords, the other gods and pilots. I care less for Adrastus, and I think the middle of this book could have been more succinct to keep the focus on Persephone. I had the experience, reading, of feeling like there wasn't anything interesting going on, as i waited - with Persephone and the gods - for Adrastus to finish his business.

Still a wonderful read, and I'm excited to read more, and to continue to be very normal about the bloodier elements of this universe.

[Gabrielle]

Writing the middle book in a trilogy is probably very very hard. It by default does not have its own beginning nor its own ending, and is almost always judged after the fact on its role as the in between, and held against trope expectations like "the dark middle chapter". The Persephone Effect, however, manages to fulfill both its role as the follow-up to a first book and standing alone as a great book in its own right. This book is so remarkably well crafted that it should shine in the eyes of anyone who appreciates a great novel, even for those outside the target demographic of sicko lesbians.

[Harper Maitland]

Do you like stories about cannibal lesbians in giant robots? Of course you do, its why you're here!

The Persephone Effect is a fantastic sequel to Hades Calculus, every bit as unhinged and well-written, and then some. Almost every chapter had at least one moment where I had to put the book down and pace about for a while, or stop reading and stare into space. Page after page of being emotionally devastated, breathless with trepidation, or so happy I cheered out loud.

An amazing return to the queer dystopia of Gunmetal Olympus, definitely a worthy read.

[Ace Hall]

I am flabbergasted. Shook, even. I waited a year for this release and it exceeded my high expectations. Brutal, hungry, grief-stricken, horny. Am I describing the characters? The book? Myself? Yes! I cried, I laughed, I felt frustration towards sci-fi Greek gods as if they were real people in my life. Truly I love this series

[Autumn Lanning]

Done. The Persephone Effect is yet another triumph of narrative labyrinth. The stakes are high. My heart broke so many times reading this book.

The world-building is just so fucking brilliant and ever expansive. The prose are fruits fresh from the garden.

5/5 A perfect hellstorm of loving pain.

[Aerin Cho]

i know this says 3 but the other one is really a 1.5, so this 3 is actually 2 and im now waiting for 3

am i more confused? yes. did i still enjoy? also yes. for my friends, i think this series is really cool! love when theres like ONE named male presenting character and everyone else is female presenting or on the gender spectrum. yall gotta get real cool about gender and sex and neopronouns if you want to read though—it adds a lot of depth to the plot :)