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The Goddesses #1
Love Underground: Persephone's Tale
Young Persephone is the most beautiful maiden in Hellas. But all the boys are scared away by her mother, Demeter, whose mysterious powers must have come from the gods. So Persephone keeps her distance, and spends her days living a sheltered life. Then one day, Hades--the dreaded lord of the dead--sees Persephone. Enchanted, he whisks her deep into his dark realm. At first, she rejects him--but Hades is wealthy, intelligent, and powerful. He courts Persephone as no man has ever dared before and reveals to her, in the rumored "land of the dead," a world more wondrous than she'd ever imagined--one where she may just discover a passion greater than life itself.
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 5, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 4, 2015
An engaging story, with well-written characters. I'm working on a Persephone retelling of my own, so this was useful for me to read. It didn't include some of the more troubling, negative aspects that other modern retellings have, so that drew me to it.
Likes: Fields gave all of the female characters agency and ownership of their choices. I really appreciated that aspect a great deal. Lovely writing. Fields can work with words.
Dislikes: Really wonky with the myths themselves (Triptolemus is Persephone's FATHER? WHAT?) A bit too heavy on the slut-shaming for my taste.
There was never a clear definition between who were goddesses and who were people, where powers came from, or what people did with them. Demeter clearly had power, but she also couldn't control it - even when she tried. She also didn't know where it came from. All of the mysterious forces and the mythos of the gods themselves remained terribly undefined. It was obviously a choice on the author's part to keep things foggy like this, because it was consistently and deftly done. But honestly, it was frustrating to read. I just wanted answers.
Overall, if I felt like the theology had been clearer or reasons for messing with the larger arc of the myths had been clear, it would have tilted this fun read closer to a 4 star rating.
Likes: Fields gave all of the female characters agency and ownership of their choices. I really appreciated that aspect a great deal. Lovely writing. Fields can work with words.
Dislikes: Really wonky with the myths themselves (Triptolemus is Persephone's FATHER? WHAT?) A bit too heavy on the slut-shaming for my taste.
There was never a clear definition between who were goddesses and who were people, where powers came from, or what people did with them. Demeter clearly had power, but she also couldn't control it - even when she tried. She also didn't know where it came from. All of the mysterious forces and the mythos of the gods themselves remained terribly undefined. It was obviously a choice on the author's part to keep things foggy like this, because it was consistently and deftly done. But honestly, it was frustrating to read. I just wanted answers.
Overall, if I felt like the theology had been clearer or reasons for messing with the larger arc of the myths had been clear, it would have tilted this fun read closer to a 4 star rating.
May 15, 2024
Every now and then I come across a book that tween-me would have LOVED, and this is one of them. Love Underground is a fun, if insubstantial, read. 3/5 stars, only because I read it thirty years too late and I know too much now.
August 4, 2010
I'm not normally one for the glorified Stockholm syndrome subgenre of romance stories, but I do have a weak spot for the Hades-Persephone myth. Her story is a struggle between two much more powerful entities until someone hammers out a compromise. Sometimes it's Zeus, or Athena, and sometimes it's Persephone herself. However it happens, once she goes from being a passive object pulled in two directions to dividing her time equally between those who love her, she grows into a great deal of power. Usually this is treated as a straight seasonal myth, but there's something of a fairy tale in it, for new wives I suppose. Back then a lot of girls got sold by their families to strange men and had to grow quickly from this passive child to the Lady of the House, the wife, the mother, a position of authority, and be a trusted companion to someone they may not have met before, or may not have been attracted to. I sometimes wonder if the Persephone stories was a way to tell young girls it could work out, you didn't have to completely abandon your old family (and that if your mother didn't let you go it would be punishing everyone around you, so not to resent your family), and you could make a place in your new house.
Or maybe I just give too much leniency to Greek Myths.
Whatever appeals to me about it, I find I have a very strange attachment to Hades in this story. He is comparatively one of the better behaved husbands in Greek Mythology. This book takes that into account, and gives us a rather appealing romantic hero in Hades. In Persephone, she gets a lot of agency to begin with, and the story captures that growing from a passive girl to a woman of power rather well.
The thing that bugs me about this book is this version of Hermes. All of the characters are taken down a notch. Hades is a semi-mystical eccentric merchant rather than a full blown terrifying god with throngs of zombies at his command. Cerberus only has the one head. Demeter is a gardener who seems to have some emotional control over the weather, but she doesn't direct it or actively reign over the earth. Zeus is mentioned as a god, but seems embodied in his priest Aristippus as well (down to a jealous wife who resembles Hera). Hermes is a know-it-all country boy who sleeps around and can't be trusted to tell the truth or love one woman. He's superstitious, possessive, cowardly and small-minded in this. Not only does he pale in comparision to the epic Hermes ability-wise, but he is infinitely less likable and interesting. I have a thing with Hermes, where I immediately take a work's grade down a few points if the writer doesn't manage a worthwhile portrayal.
But I suppose that's the problem of using romance conventions for a sweeping myth like this. You have the innocent girl, the world-weary and protective mother, the dark stranger who whisks her away against her will and charms her, and the unworthy rival who comes to bring her home thinking to rescue her. Hermes, being the messenger who came to collect the missing daughter and being named in a list of suitors in some old poem, gets the role of unworthy rival come to tear the two true loves apart. So Hades gets contrasted against a vain, selfish fearful boy, and it makes him look damned good. Hades offers her a choice (after y'know, freaking kidnapping her) between leaving to live in the village with her mother or being a Queen in the Underworld, and seeing the rest of the world whenever she pleases with him. Hermes mentally grumbles and blames Demeter (for not marrying Persephone off to him two years earlier) and Persephone (for not screwing him when he asked) for the situation they're all in. He sees Persephone as rightfully his, and figured that if he hadn't been interrupted in bothering her she would've eventually given in and slept with him or married him. He refuses to seek her in the Underworld unless Demeter promises her as his wife, and even then he doesn't want to do it and is angry with Persephone for it. He feels entitled to her, while Hades at his worst is merely desperate for the opportunity to make his case and treats her like a perfect gentleman the second they get too far into the caves for her to find her way out again.
This makes for a pretty shitty choice, and it just serves to shove an unnecessary conflict between men in a story that has more than enough conflict to be explored within the main character. It's a notch down from the source material, which is often presented as a difficult choice between two appealing options (she loves both Hades and Demeter, and would be a careful child aboveground but a powerful woman below). Throwing any character as a Gaston-style rival into the mix makes it simply a story of angsting because you want a different boy from the one Mama found for you.
Or maybe I just give too much leniency to Greek Myths.
Whatever appeals to me about it, I find I have a very strange attachment to Hades in this story. He is comparatively one of the better behaved husbands in Greek Mythology. This book takes that into account, and gives us a rather appealing romantic hero in Hades. In Persephone, she gets a lot of agency to begin with, and the story captures that growing from a passive girl to a woman of power rather well.
The thing that bugs me about this book is this version of Hermes. All of the characters are taken down a notch. Hades is a semi-mystical eccentric merchant rather than a full blown terrifying god with throngs of zombies at his command. Cerberus only has the one head. Demeter is a gardener who seems to have some emotional control over the weather, but she doesn't direct it or actively reign over the earth. Zeus is mentioned as a god, but seems embodied in his priest Aristippus as well (down to a jealous wife who resembles Hera). Hermes is a know-it-all country boy who sleeps around and can't be trusted to tell the truth or love one woman. He's superstitious, possessive, cowardly and small-minded in this. Not only does he pale in comparision to the epic Hermes ability-wise, but he is infinitely less likable and interesting. I have a thing with Hermes, where I immediately take a work's grade down a few points if the writer doesn't manage a worthwhile portrayal.
But I suppose that's the problem of using romance conventions for a sweeping myth like this. You have the innocent girl, the world-weary and protective mother, the dark stranger who whisks her away against her will and charms her, and the unworthy rival who comes to bring her home thinking to rescue her. Hermes, being the messenger who came to collect the missing daughter and being named in a list of suitors in some old poem, gets the role of unworthy rival come to tear the two true loves apart. So Hades gets contrasted against a vain, selfish fearful boy, and it makes him look damned good. Hades offers her a choice (after y'know, freaking kidnapping her) between leaving to live in the village with her mother or being a Queen in the Underworld, and seeing the rest of the world whenever she pleases with him. Hermes mentally grumbles and blames Demeter (for not marrying Persephone off to him two years earlier) and Persephone (for not screwing him when he asked) for the situation they're all in. He sees Persephone as rightfully his, and figured that if he hadn't been interrupted in bothering her she would've eventually given in and slept with him or married him. He refuses to seek her in the Underworld unless Demeter promises her as his wife, and even then he doesn't want to do it and is angry with Persephone for it. He feels entitled to her, while Hades at his worst is merely desperate for the opportunity to make his case and treats her like a perfect gentleman the second they get too far into the caves for her to find her way out again.
This makes for a pretty shitty choice, and it just serves to shove an unnecessary conflict between men in a story that has more than enough conflict to be explored within the main character. It's a notch down from the source material, which is often presented as a difficult choice between two appealing options (she loves both Hades and Demeter, and would be a careful child aboveground but a powerful woman below). Throwing any character as a Gaston-style rival into the mix makes it simply a story of angsting because you want a different boy from the one Mama found for you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 8, 2025
this book should be a classic for Book tock. an FMC that thinks for herself and a MMC that is top 10 book boyfriend material. I love this book! it's perfect for mythology lovers ❤️
January 15, 2014
This was an interesting read, particularly as I'd just finished reading The Dark Wife by Sarah Diemer. I was dubious about this book due to the back cover's rather shallow description of the story, but I was pleasantly surprised by the actual story, which is not nearly as focused on the unpleasant "sexy bad boy" trope as the back cover would have you believe.
Honestly, the back cover does such a disservice to the actual story, which has very little to do with "the startling revelation that bad boys can be fun" and much more to do with a lot of different women recognizing the complications of love and coming to understand the power of their right to choose or reject love.
I really loved this book for the way in which it deals with romance: it doesn't portray it as this typical, one-dimensional thing, but shows how nuanced and complex love can be and how different women respond to it. Persephone's story is of course the most detailed and interesting: her interactions with Hades are great, and both of their characters have solid depth that makes them a pleasure to read. Persephone shows a strong interest in learning things and exploring the outside world and matures so much as the story moves on. She also draws a distinction between wanting sex and wanting to be married - something that all too often isn't recognized. Sex and marriage usually go hand in hand in books like this.
But it isn't just Persephone who struggles with love. Persephone's friend Echo struggles with watching all of her friends be married off while trying to decide if marriage is right for her. Her other friend Narcissa marries and finds the burden of duty and loss of her autonomy so horrible she ultimately can't survive it. Even Demeter gets a complex love story, where she felt betrayed by her young lover and came back bitter, but finds him again and reconciles with him slowly over what happened in their youth. And while I was uncomfortable with Clytie being labeled a "slut" (I am definitely not here for slut-shaming), we even come to understand Clytie's perspective by the end, as she tells an old man who she is sleeping with that she gets the sex she desires while keeping her independence and personal wealth, and when her looks go and she is old she'll have her goats and her farm and her money and not have to deal with another person, as she knows she would become bitter and painful to be around as she ages.
The writing can get a bit dull at points - I found myself glossing over paragraphs on a pretty regular basis - but the characters definitely make this book a worthy read. I'm interested to read the other book I picked up in this series, to see if it maintains the complex narrative of women in relation to love.
One more point of contention: it's extremely difficult to tell whether this take on the Greek myths is actually portraying the characters as gods. The question is never really answered, and maybe it was never meant to be; but I for one found it extremely annoying trying to guess whether these characters were genuinely human or whether they were something more. Demeter is called a witch but isn't believed to be a goddess; Persephone certainly isn't a goddess, though she *might* have some kind of power; Hades is probably a god but refuses to say so; Hermes is supposedly lying about his god status. I just would have preferred it if the lines in this matter were clearer (though Hades' dubious nature is a little more acceptable than the rest.)
Overall, an unexpected pleasure and a good read.
Honestly, the back cover does such a disservice to the actual story, which has very little to do with "the startling revelation that bad boys can be fun" and much more to do with a lot of different women recognizing the complications of love and coming to understand the power of their right to choose or reject love.
I really loved this book for the way in which it deals with romance: it doesn't portray it as this typical, one-dimensional thing, but shows how nuanced and complex love can be and how different women respond to it. Persephone's story is of course the most detailed and interesting: her interactions with Hades are great, and both of their characters have solid depth that makes them a pleasure to read. Persephone shows a strong interest in learning things and exploring the outside world and matures so much as the story moves on. She also draws a distinction between wanting sex and wanting to be married - something that all too often isn't recognized. Sex and marriage usually go hand in hand in books like this.
But it isn't just Persephone who struggles with love. Persephone's friend Echo struggles with watching all of her friends be married off while trying to decide if marriage is right for her. Her other friend Narcissa marries and finds the burden of duty and loss of her autonomy so horrible she ultimately can't survive it. Even Demeter gets a complex love story, where she felt betrayed by her young lover and came back bitter, but finds him again and reconciles with him slowly over what happened in their youth. And while I was uncomfortable with Clytie being labeled a "slut" (I am definitely not here for slut-shaming), we even come to understand Clytie's perspective by the end, as she tells an old man who she is sleeping with that she gets the sex she desires while keeping her independence and personal wealth, and when her looks go and she is old she'll have her goats and her farm and her money and not have to deal with another person, as she knows she would become bitter and painful to be around as she ages.
The writing can get a bit dull at points - I found myself glossing over paragraphs on a pretty regular basis - but the characters definitely make this book a worthy read. I'm interested to read the other book I picked up in this series, to see if it maintains the complex narrative of women in relation to love.
One more point of contention: it's extremely difficult to tell whether this take on the Greek myths is actually portraying the characters as gods. The question is never really answered, and maybe it was never meant to be; but I for one found it extremely annoying trying to guess whether these characters were genuinely human or whether they were something more. Demeter is called a witch but isn't believed to be a goddess; Persephone certainly isn't a goddess, though she *might* have some kind of power; Hades is probably a god but refuses to say so; Hermes is supposedly lying about his god status. I just would have preferred it if the lines in this matter were clearer (though Hades' dubious nature is a little more acceptable than the rest.)
Overall, an unexpected pleasure and a good read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 16, 2022
This is the first book in the Goddess series, but I ended up reading it last. The three have nothing to do with each other so it doesn't really matter much, but there is definitely something to the saying "the first book in the series is usually the best."
I really got so into this book that I couldn't put it down. I still don't know if Hades was human or not. This book did have a more supernatural feel. The time underground was different than the time above ground. Demeter somehow was controlling the weather. And visions of the dead ended up in the relief sculpture in the wall of the cave. This all points to the fact they may already be god-like, but I'm fairly certain everyone was still human.
The thing I didn't like was that it ended so abruptly. It caught me completely off guard. I just turned the page and there was an exert from Fatal Attraction
I really got so into this book that I couldn't put it down. I still don't know if Hades was human or not. This book did have a more supernatural feel. The time underground was different than the time above ground. Demeter somehow was controlling the weather. And visions of the dead ended up in the relief sculpture in the wall of the cave. This all points to the fact they may already be god-like, but I'm fairly certain everyone was still human.
The thing I didn't like was that it ended so abruptly. It caught me completely off guard. I just turned the page and there was an exert from Fatal Attraction
August 8, 2014
This is another spin on the tales of Persephone and her mom Demeter. I happen to love this version. It's a more down to earth version, seen through the eyes of Persephone. It;s about their lives and how they live in a village and what leads up to her wondering into Hades home.
In this book Hades is also very "human" in that he has issues he works on when he gets with Persephone, it of course sticks close to the Greek myth, with Demeter not growing her plants and abandoning the village to itself and the others bargaining for her return, but it gives a deeper take on the story, not just what the Greek story tells. I know its not based on facts, but it gives the tale more believability and it's taken from the view of the women not as victims but as purveyor of their own destiny and I love Persephone in this book. Just amazing. If you find a copy definitely check it out.
In this book Hades is also very "human" in that he has issues he works on when he gets with Persephone, it of course sticks close to the Greek myth, with Demeter not growing her plants and abandoning the village to itself and the others bargaining for her return, but it gives a deeper take on the story, not just what the Greek story tells. I know its not based on facts, but it gives the tale more believability and it's taken from the view of the women not as victims but as purveyor of their own destiny and I love Persephone in this book. Just amazing. If you find a copy definitely check it out.
February 8, 2012
I'm a sucker for Greek myths, especially Persephone and Hades.
With a bit of a slow start, LOVE UNDERGROUND is an intertesting adaption of the myth. I especially enjoyed how Fields interpreted Hermes as a boy-next-door. I would've enjoyed more scenes between Hades and Persephone. How she went from hating him to love felt a bit rushed. It also would've been interesting to learn more about Hades' underworld instead of painting it as this mystical place. Since Fields took great effort to humanize the gods into islanders, I thought she'd do the same to the underworld. All in all, an entertaining read.
With a bit of a slow start, LOVE UNDERGROUND is an intertesting adaption of the myth. I especially enjoyed how Fields interpreted Hermes as a boy-next-door. I would've enjoyed more scenes between Hades and Persephone. How she went from hating him to love felt a bit rushed. It also would've been interesting to learn more about Hades' underworld instead of painting it as this mystical place. Since Fields took great effort to humanize the gods into islanders, I thought she'd do the same to the underworld. All in all, an entertaining read.
April 19, 2017
I first read this book when I was in elementary. Which was a bit scandalous at that time. After re-reading it after all that time I can see what I love about this version of Persephone and hades. I love that he is more mortal in a way, how independent she is. How she decided she wanted to sleep with him, stay with him and the. Later her choice to marry him. A quick read that goes smoothly you can finish in a day. May not be the most accurate re-telling but it still is one of my favorites. How he doesn't stifle her curiosity and passions but listens and caters to her. At least it is better than the love/hate versions out there, gives it another side of the tale.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 6, 2014
Actual rating: 2.5 stars. Fields did some things well, like Persephone's character, but, on the whole, it wasn't put together very well. She picked which aspects of mythology she wanted to incorporated as "real" and left the rest as mythology and it comes off weird. Even her own internally mythology wasn't explained well (what's the deal with Hades?). I would have much rather it have been written like Fatal Attraction and her have just made the gods mortals.
January 24, 2009
This is the second of the series that I've read and I must say, these are REALLY good. If you are a fan of mythology and would like a better look into the minds of the Goddesses, these are interesting and intriguing romances.
February 2, 2011
It was interesting twist on a well known myth, and I really enjoyed it!
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July 27, 2011I loved this book, it has all the elements of a great story. A real-life twist on a mythical tale.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews