A dangerous deal with the devil gives one witch more than she bargained for...
Prue is an earth witch, blessed with power from the Triple Goddess. Still mourning the loss of her twin sister, Prue summons the devil himself from the Underworld, intent on bringing her sister back from the dead. But when she meets him—a handsome man named Cyrus—he is more deadly and alluring than she anticipated. Prue tricks him into binding his blood with hers, granting her access to his powers over the dead.
But the bond also unlocks the gates to the Underworld, unleashing the spirits within.
Now Cyrus is bound to her in more ways than one.
Desperate to close the gates and save the mortal realm from unholy destruction, Prue and Cyrus must work together to undo their bargain. But against her better judgment, Prue is enthralled by his seductive nature, and she finds herself falling for the devil himself.
This fantasy romance is a Hades and Persephone retelling with a twist, full of steamy romance, dark paranormal themes, and allusions to Greek mythology. Perfect for fans of Kingdom of the Wicked and A Touch of Darkness.
I was so excited to read this..A Hades and Persephone retelling with witches , spice, bargains..what could go wrong ?🥺
Well, sadly the writing went wrong 😫😫
Usually when the writing is off you can tell it right away because of 2 things :
-✅️ poor worldbuilding -✅️things happen very fast
The two points are strongly interconnect to create the perfect DNF storm. So let's get to them.
There is no worldbuilding whatsoever because all happens SO FAST The heroine and the demon meet and she already is attracted to him but she says that " they are enemies" and blah blah... The typical case of the protagonist that states one thing but does the other.
I couldn't picture the world correctly because I was so lost with all this thing happening at the same time..( did I mention there was an attack by some ghostly things in the heroine village as well? 🤷♀️)
And to put the cherry to the top( thats the expression in english? Cereza al postre 🍨 whatever xD) the dialogue was ...off..not beliable at all..it felt forced.
Life is too short to not DNF a book 🫠🫠
STILL I may recommend this if you don't mind worldbuilding at all and want a semi slow burn with spice fantasy with witches and demons
This is a Hades & Persephone retelling that I really liked. There were elements of it that reminded me a bit of Kingdom of the Wicked meets A Touch of Darkness, and it worked. The story is filled with witches, demons, Goddesses, and Underworld Princes. It's also very spicy with lots of the magic world-building and romantasy tropes that people love.
Quick summary: Prue is an Earth Witch whose twin sister was sacrificed by her coven a few months before the start of the story in order to close a window from the Underworld that was releasing souls into the mortal realm (and those souls were causing havoc & killing mortals). Prue is adamant to get her twin back, so she comes up with a plan to summon the ruler of the Underworld to trade her life in exchange for her twin, Mona, to be brought back to life. Unfortunately, when Prue summons Cyrus (the ruler of the underworld), she accidentally binds him to her as her husband and simultaneously re-releases all the souls from the Underworld into the mortal realm again. Cyrus is evil incarnate, and he is facing his own issues in the Underworld because his brothers and father are all trying to overthrow him and take over the Underworld for themselves. Stuck with Prue in the mortal realm, they have to journey together to close the portal to the Underworld, send the souls back, and help figure out their bond in the process.
The ending cliffhanger was a good one, and I'm excited to see Prue and Cyrus find their way back to each other
Ivy and Bone follows Prue, a witch desperate to save her dead sister. In her search for a solution, she performs a dangerous spell that unexpectedly binds her to Cyrus, the god of the underworld, in marriage. What starts as a desperate attempt to undo her grief quickly spirals into a complex tale of dark magic, romance, and power.
At first, I found it hard to get into the story. The world-building felt a bit underdeveloped, and I struggled to fully immerse myself in Prue’s world. However, as the story progressed, particularly with the growing romance and tension between Prue and Cyrus, I became more hooked. The mix of witchcraft and Greek mythology was intriguing. The cliffhanger at the end really redeemed it for me!
Excited for the sequel!
Thank you to the author for providing a copy in exchange for my honest review.
In this enemies you lovers romance, Prue is determined to resurrect her dead twin sister Mona, so she summons the god of the Underworld (Cyrus). What Prue doesn’t realize is that she is now bounded to Cyrus as his wife. The chemistry between the two of them is palpable, but they must squash their hatred for one another in order to work together to not only save Mona, but the Underworld as well.
Right off the bat, I enjoyed both Prue and Cyrus. They both are determined to be each other’s undoing, which turns up their banter and chemistry. I also enjoyed them coming together and shedding their secrets as they realize how much they need each other.
The world building and magic was amazing. We not only got to see Prue’s elemental magic but Cyrus’ death magic as well.
The journey to the Underworld was filled with so much adventure as well as plenty of twists and turns along the way. This one leads up to one heck of an ending that I definitely didn’t see coming!
Thank you to Turn the Page Tours for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
An enemy to lovers story that will captivate you with the determination of a young witch to bring back her sister who sacrificed herself to save her and her village!
This story is unlike any other for the person Prue summons to help her save Mona is none other than the god of the underworld! Sparks fly when they meet but not the good kind as they hate each other. Prue only sees Cyrus as a means to an end and she controls his powers since he is in the earth realm and not the underworld. He wants her power and is determined to have relations with her so he can take her power from her. Their journey changes how they feel about each other but in the end there is a twist that will have you clamoring for book two to come out as quickly as possible so you can get back to the story and see what happens!
There is action,adventure, intrigue, some steamy scenes but overall a story that will hold your interest throughout and leave you wanting to read book two now!
I recommend this book for all those young adult and adult readers who love a well written compelling book that you’ll find hard to put down! There are plenty of twists in the story and I can’t wait to read book two when it’s ready to be released!
I can guarantee you’ll be “hooked” on this book right from the start and the feelings that start to shift between Prue and Cyrus as they spend more and more time together will keep you turning the pages as fast as you can!
This fantasy book is the perfect escape from the troubles all around us and I urge you to pick it up! I know you’ll be glad you did!
R.L. Perez does a fantastic job bringing a unique spin on Hades X Persephone with the story of Cyrus and Prue. Prue is a witch who risks everything to bring her dead sister back from the Underworld. She ends up summoning Cyrus, the king of the Underworld, who is now bound to Prue through marriage. Cyrus hates witches as one betrayed him previously - so chaos ensues.
My only complaint about the story is some of the pacing was bumpy, the will they won't they game was drawn out too long. But overall I really enjoyed the story and can't wait to see what happens after that ending!
This was OK! This really doesn't belong being a hades and persephone series. It is its' own story.
A witch is trying to bring her sister back. When she does the spell to trap one of the gods of the underworld she does a marriage spell AND physically traps him. One of the devil's brothers is taking all the power. The stubbornness of both characters was childish and a chore to read. They have to work together to get back power and rule. Kinda a repeat of many stories. It really did drag on after awhile and became predictable.
If I was not aware of how RL Perez does her retellings, I would've said this isn't what I thought I would be.... but.... i'm aware because Crown Of Slumber is one of my favorites!! I got strong Kingdom of the Wicked vibes, which is great because it's my all-time favorite series.... and Perez twist makes this a great read!! What it made me realize is that KOTW is also based on Hades and Persephone!!!! The cliff hanger was top notch, and I'm sailing onto book 2.... no hangovers here!!!! Thanks Perez, for being a great author!!
Ivy and bone is the first book in a brand new series of R.L Perez its an instant buy for me lately. I loved the book box thank you hun ❤️❤️❤️❤️! I found it a fun read and a very lovely Hades and persephone retelling didnt read it yet in this way. And i cant waite for the rest of this series! loved it and want more ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
This book is a masterpiece. I couldn't stop listening to the audiobook, in fact, it's the first one that forced me to go back and re-listen to some chapters because THEY.WERE.THAT.GOOD! I totally recommend this series and this author! I'm waiting the second book, to learn more about this family!
Interesting retelling of the Hades and Persephone's tale. I like the interraction and dialogues between the characters, the plot twists too. I really enjoyed reading this book.
This book was good! Loved the enemies to lovers. Cyrus and his touch her die vibes. It has all the best tropes and is a fun and easy read. Ivy and Bone was a fantastic read! The main characters were endearing and I was fully invested in their story.
I need the next book PRONTO!! This story took me on an adventure full of courage, magic and tantalising steam amonst the 2 main characters. Both equally appealing and wicked, when all is not what it seems. I love how I didn't know wat to expect around each corner, it grabbed me and wouldn't let me go coz I wanted to know all the secrets. I felt every emotion from the page and also there power. I can't wait to find out what's to come for these characters and there siblings also.
Had me at the opening quote from Edith Hamilton’s ‘Mythology’
The author adds her own twist to how Hades and Persephone met (Cyrus and Pru, in this version). Somebody didn’t read the fine print! And Mama is sooo supportive: “What’s done is done. Now, go fix it.”
I don’t want to spoil anything about other twists.
I am still reeling from the ending. My shock is just reaching the roof and my excitement for the next book has already surpassed my expectations! This book was fantastic! The darkness, adventure, problems, and romance that was present made me grin in the pitch black of my room tonight. The chemistry and *scenes* between Prue and Cyrus was just…someone save me before I combust. Such a slow burn romance that just exploded in my face (in a good way).
I’m super glad to have been able to read this and I hope that you, whoever you are reading this, will read it as well!
Ivy & Bone is the first part in the newest series by R.L. Perez. I have read her other series before, and liked all these. This series is a Hades and Persephone retelling, which I was really curious about. But what will R.L. Perez have in store for the readers?
I can already tell I'm going to hate this book. Trues an idiot & reminds me exactly like Prue from charmed tv show. Way too entitled, way too arrogant, & way too prideful to see past her own stupidity. Ugh.
& this is why I hate hades & persephone retellings
I can't dislike this bk enough! "You're special Prue, you've been blessed by triple goddess" 🙄 the delivery of this, so cringy.
Prue is an Earth witch just trying to revive her dead twin by summoning the King of the Underworld. All Cyrus wants is to protect his realm and throne from the schemes of his father and older brother - the rightful heir to the throne - when he was pulled to the mortal realm and subsequently married to the witch that summoned him. Now the two must work together in the journey to the gates of Cyrus' realm to achieve either end.
Let me tell you that I absolutely wanted to strangle Prue for the first quarter of the book at least, almost as much as I loved Cyrus. Prue eventually grew on me and the two of them together... the tension was perfect, as was the spice level. The twist with Prue and Mona's mother was interesting and unexpected, though thinking about it, maybe the foreshadowing could have been done better. Still, it was good and as you can tell by the rating that I loved it... even if it did end with a cliffhanger setting up for a sequel.
Thanks to R.L Perez and her publishing team for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I love retellings of classic stories: fairytales, but also mythology. I particularly enjoy looking for the details that make it a retelling, because I know the classic stories so well. But I also like when those details are then twisted around, like in this book.
Prue is a witch with powers of the earth: growing vines etc. To bring back her dead sister, she summons the ruler of the Underworld, Cyrus, who is hot, and not in a "because he is the devil" way - he's handsome and dangerous. With a blood spell she binds him to her, giving her his undead powers. But she also opens the portal to the Underworld, and they have to work together to save the world.
So it's not Hades who steals Persephone, but Prue who summons and binds Cyrus. The little references to the classic are amazing, because they are also enjoyable for people who are not a mythology-geek like me. From the first page, the story pulls you in. And the spice... I mean, it could have been steamier (I'm fairly new to dark romance but I have heard things) but I think this was the perfect amount of peppers for this story.
I haven’t had the privilege of reading any of R.L. Perez’s books prior to this, but I cannot wait to consume them!
Ivy and Bone was a fantastic read! The main characters were endearing and I was fully invested in their story, to the point of staying up during the night to read while my newborn finally slept. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series, and more from Perez. Highly recommended.
I hate when we get to the interesting part and there's a cliffhanger AND a POV shift for the next book. I want to continue with Cyrus and Prue's story but the next book is likely to be about another couple.