Ashes & Bloom

by C.L. York

Every year, the gods demand a sacrifice.
Every year, Kore burns to keep her village safe.
And every year, she survives.

But when two gods witness her deception, her secrets shatter. Dragged into the Underworld, she faces a realm where nothing grows, nothing heals, and a god who rules with a deadly touch.

But darker forces lurk beyond the crimson sky and bone-dusted afterlife. As truths unravel, Kore must decide who she’s willing to become to survive. And who she’s willing to protect.

Because some gods are not what they seem... and she has to consider that the most dangerous monsters may not be the ones dwelling in the Underworld.

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Ashes & Bloom is the first instalment in the captivating dark fantasy series The Hollow Gods. This breathtaking retelling of Hades and Persephone is a tale of sacrifice, defiance and unexpected love, in a world where gods walk among mortals and true power lies in questioning everything you've been taught to believe.

Genres: Fantasy

512 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 4, 2025

Reviews

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

And I thought I was in a reading slump before I read this book… sigh

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Not everything wicked comes with fangs..”

3⭐️

Really enjoyed the FMC, the plot was intriguing but a little repetitive. Could have been cut by probs 100-150pgs if I’m honest, but i was entertained so.

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have devoured this book in one go, and I can't wait to start on book 2. This Hades and Persephone retelling has all the things one can possibly want from a dark romance - layered characters who suffer and love and whose backgrounds make them just a little bit toxic; sweet moments; darkness and deaths you don't see coming; hot scenes that are both sizzling and meaningful; a cute doggo; high stakes; and banter that grows bolder with how the romance progresses. And of course a cliffhanger that makes you grateful that book 2 is out already. I did not expect to read this book so fast, but I just couldn't put it down. The thing I adore the most is how C. L. York describes Hades's curse and touch deprivation. It is so sweet it just makes you want to hug him and hold him. Definitely a must read!

[Ruby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed but…

This could have been a 5* rating and I don’t normally leave reviews. This is an enjoyable read, a bit predictable if you know basic mythology, but all in all the characters are likeable and the book is well-paced. I couldn’t in good conscience give it a 5* rating because the book is riddled with grammatical errors. For me, the odd error wouldn’t necessarily cause a rating drop if the story was as enjoyable as I found Ashes & Bloom… however, the errors in this book are incessant. At points it really pulled me out of the action- and there’s definitely a lot of action to enjoy- but the constant misuse of pronoun, wrong punctuation, and wrong/missing words are a huge drawback and distraction. I would just be warned about how many there are, still an enjoyable story and I will read the next, it could just do with a good edit.

[Jasmine ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You make me want impossible things," he confessed. "You make me want to forsake every duty, every vow. You don't understand what I would do... I would burn this realm to ash. I would watch Olympus crumble. I would face Kronos and all his fury." His eyes met hers. "Just to be... chosen. By you. Just once."


Ohhh my god, I absolutely devoured this book! The world & character building was 10/10 i am obsessed! When I wasn't reading this book it was all I was thinking about.

I am going to be recommending this book to everyone! I am obsessed with Kore & Hades and let's not forget ash & fluffy!

This book ends on a HUGE cliff hanger so i am RUNNING to read Thorns & Ruin.

“I've existed for millennia in... nothingness." His eyes closed briefly. "Completely alone. Until you."

[Michaela Schaal · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, but the writing quality just could not carry it. It needed an editor.

There were some instances of modern language that broke my immersion (lose your cool, for example. Lose your temper would have been better.)

Lots of echoing. Lots of repetitive sentence structure. Fragments that don’t make sense. I made it halfway and it definitely needed some cuts to the beginning, 25% of the way and the MCs have interacted once? It just felt like it dragged.

I liked the concept and I liked the excepts, but as a whole the work just became painful to read. I couldn’t do it any more.

[Caitlin Salter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this. The FMC is strong and intelligent, the MMC is brooding and damaged in all the right ways. There's lighter moments with side characters that made me chuckle and character development for both main characters, overall enjoyable and ready to jump into the next one!

[Natalie Hough · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was amazing I loved the fmc she was badass and the broody mmc it was all round good retelling of Hades and Persephone that had everything I love in a story. Going right in for book two now.

[Simone Werner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this!! I loved the story and the characters. It does have a lot of typos and mistakes but it was still throughly enjoyable! Can’t wait to read the next one!

[anamontana]

“they still reach for each other”😩😩😩😩