Muse & Malice

Echoes of Olympus

by Anna Hawke

No one worships the God of the Dead.

Feared by mortals and mistrusted by his own family, Hades has ruled the Underworld alone for millennia. When a prophecy ties the fate of the pantheon to a mortal woman, he has no choice but to bring her into his realm—and keep her close.

Persephone enters the Underworld with a secret purpose: steal Hades’ keyring and reclaim the son she lost. She expects a cold and merciless god. Instead, she finds a man worth protecting. If Persephone’s deception is exposed, it may destroy more than their fragile bond.

It may bring down the gods.

Echoes of Olympus is a non-explicit shared world of dark fantasy and paranormal romance reimagining classic Greek myths through shadow and desire. Each story follows different myths, different couples, and a different descent into danger—where gods and mortals collide.

201 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 4, 2026

About the author

Anna Hawke is a paranormal romance novelist dedicated to bringing to life the voices inside her head. With a degree in Journalism and a vested interest in grammatical perfection, Anna’s written works contain sarcasm, spark, and sexy alpha males too handsome for their own good.

When she isn’t busy wrangling her three young children, gorgeous husband, and an opinionated grey tabby, Anna enjoys reading romance novels, riding horses, and traveling to places where hiking boots are required. Writing, however, is her favorite pastime, and Anna loves nothing more than pouring herself a 24 oz mug of tea, wrapping herself in a blanket, and giving her imaginary friends a voice.

Reviews

[Tracey Tonkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this final book of Anna Hawke’s trilogy set within the shared world of Echoes of Olympus, we follow Hades and Persephone in their reimagined relationship. I admit I struggled at the start, found it a little less engaging and interesting than the last book, BUT then I settled into it by the 30% mark and loved it. I held my breath, gasped and shuddered, feeling all of the emotions and turmoil their journey entailed.

We see the final act of the evil Sotiras play out, find out who is behind it all, and enjoy fair justice. But also I am still left wanting more of this world, but particularly of Anna’s writing, because I just find it has a flow that I really enjoy, and helps me to keep me engaged, to the point of forgetting to adult 🤣. I will check out the other books set in this world, to see if they grab me as much as this trilogy did. Another fantastic read, that was over far too fast for me, only because I always want more 😎

[Yugie Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Greek mythology, my all-time favorite power couple has always been Hades and Persephone. Any author who produces a book with them as the main characters will always be something I will snatch up without question. That is why I was excited when Ms. Anna decided to come up with her own version of the story of this famous mythological power couple.

As I read the book, I was immensely pleased with Anna's portrayal of Hades. The version of Hades I love best is the one where he is severely misunderstood by both his fellow deities and humanity, where he is painted as the villain with an uncaring, callous heart, when in fact the truth is the total opposite. Ms. Anna had approximated that so well in this book, and I'm so glad of it.

On the other hand, I didn't like Persephone's role here - one where she is sent to betray Hades and had actually gotten to fulfill her purpose in coming to the Underworld. It upset me how she still pursued her objective, despite having already fallen for the god after finally getting to see the real side of him. Good thing Ms. Anna made it clear in the story why the betrayal had to happen, and how Persephone in the end rectified her sins.

I wish this wasn't just a trilogy. I would wish there was a story to be told, too, about Hephaestus and Artemis. Both these gods had played important roles in this trilogy (Artemis in Sunshine and Sin, Hephaestus in this book). I think they are two Greek deities with very little retellings of their stories, so I would definitely wish more contemporary romantasy authors take the challenge of coming with their own versions of these gods' stories. What do you think, Ms. Anna?

I was among the early readers of an advanced, free copy of this book. I offer this honest review voluntarily.

[Michaela (Reading in the Heartland) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

This no spice mythology retelling of Hades and Persephone was so different than what I was expecting. As this romantasy progressed, I was more and more immersed in their story. I wasn’t expecting to find light and balance and good character down in the underworld. Granted, reading mythologies as a Christian takes a suspension of reality as you immerse yourself in that storyline. However, this one really started to call to me.

In this enemies to sweethearts, forced proximity romance, Hades hears a prophecy about Persephone and decides to take her with him for protection. However, Persephone has been charged with getting his trust and betraying him. As these two developed true feelings for each other, the secrets between them caused tension and had me on the edge of my seat.

There were truly heart melting moments and gut wrenching moments. This book actually moved me to tears with the aspect of her having lost her young son to cancer 2 years prior. My momma heart ached! I’m sad to see this trilogy end but it was fun to dive into mythologies for a few books and I’m looking forward to continuing on with her other books. The romance is just kisses, intimacy level 2. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Content Warnings: Child Loss, Cancer, Death, Murder

I received an eARC of this book from the author and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic conclusion to this series! I loved it so much! This story was very fast-paced and had me completely invested from beginning to end.

I was surprised by just how much I ended up liking Hades. He was completely different than I expected, which I loved! I felt for Persephone right off the bat. She was grieving her son and would do anything to get him back, even take on the god of the Underworld. I was so curious to see how that would turn out!

This was my favorite of the series. I’m sad it’s over, but what a wonderful trilogy! I can’t say enough good things about it and highly recommend it!

I received a copy of this book and voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.

[Mrs A M Brookes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hades, Lord of the Underworld, is obsessed with order and balance and doesn't play well with others. Persephone, driven by grief, has been tricked into doing the unthinkable - getting close to Hades so she can steal from him. What happens next is a story neither of them could have predicted, which could change the world forever.

I loved this story, the characters are wonderful and I really enjoyed their interactions. This story concludes the trilogy that began with Sunshine and Sin, and continued in Roses and Rage and is a perfect end to the story.

My favourite quote?
"Hades may look big and bad, but on the inside, he's really a fluffy little kitten who's a bit hangry"

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story of Hades and Persephone.

This story portrays a version of Hades that is misunderstood and treated an outcast. I loved seeing him being vulnerable and open his heart to Persephone. On the other hand, Persephone has lived some harsh moments and found herself with the task of deceiving him. It was lovely seeing them both falling for each other.

Also, I enjoyed how everything around the Sotiras wrapped up. You can really see the difference in the gods between the first and last book.

* This is a closed-door romance
* No language
* Thanks the author for this E-ARC opportunity. All the opinions expressed are purely my own.

[Alura Heindel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has me feeling all the emotions! I loved watching Hades and Persephone’s relationship and understanding of each other grow! Plus the mysteries from the previous two books come to light. The tension. The emotion. The betrayal. All brought to a brilliant conclusion. And the ending is the perfect bow to wrap up this trilogy. If you love Protective MMC, Wound Tending or Greek Mythology retellings, you don’t want to miss this epic story!

My favorite quote from this book:
“Neither of us is whole, Hades,” she continued. “We’re both broken. But that doesn’t mean we have to be alone.”

I received an ARC from the Author. All opinions are my own.

[Tegan Brady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could not put this book down! This was one of those I had to stay up late reading to see what happened. Every book in this series just gets better. I definitely have a new favorite Greek god, Hades. How can he be so selfless and kind while also being hardcore and a shadow daddy? Watching Persephone bring out his emotions was my favorite part. Broke my heart how he just expected everyone including his family to hate him. I won't give too much away but if you love greek mythology like I do, you need to read this book. *Just swoony kisses romance*

The author gave me this book and all opinions are my own.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This retelling of Hades and Persephone was the perfect ending to Anna Hawke’s Echoes of Olympus series. Anna has a gift for creating characters that truly captivate. I appreciate romance and emotional depth while keeping it clean. It’s refreshing to read a heartfelt fantasy that doesn’t rely on explicit content.

This story had me completely invested and I couldn’t put it down. I loved the themes of sacrifice and redemption. If you're looking for a clean mythological fantasy, this is well worth the read!

Although I read this book as an arc, my review is freely given.

[__boundbybook__ 🥀Shaunie🥀 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it so much! I couldn’t put it down, this book was a perfect addition to the series and I am a massive lover of hades x Persephone retellings so this story just hit all the right spots!

The storyline was perfect it was original and yet still a perfect retelling I loved the writing itself it was smooth and pulled me in instantly! And the chemistry between the MC’s were perfection also I loveee how hades was portrayed here!

I truly recommend this story!

[June McKibben · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a good Persephone and Hades story and this one had its own unique spin on their tale. I loved the characters and the development of their relationship. Each of these books suck me in and I can't stop devouring them. Great job.

[Cari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who doesn’t love a good Hades and Persephone story. This third book in the Echoes of Olympus, will have you falling in love with the Lord of the Underworld.