King&#x27;s Capture

Janine - The World Was Hers for the Reading

I was sent an eARC of this book for an honest review.

3.75/5 stars

CWs: violence, past trauma, physical abuse, murder, Hades is an arms dealer, sexual violence, kidnapping, mentions of substance abuse. Graphic depictions of sexual situations.

I enjoyed this story. I thought Hades and Persephone were interesting characters, and I liked their relationship. Both Hades and Persephone have traumas in their pasts, and their characters felt well developed.
I liked their relationship, but I was expecting more tension overall between them. They started out enemies, but then they seemed to drift to understanding and at times friendly before moving to lovers, and I just felt like I was missing the tension that would have made their relationship feel more real for me.
I thought the writing style was pretty easy to follow, but there were times I was confused. I’m not sure if it was just because I was reading an ARC, but there were times where the characters would have a conversation about something, and then like 3 chapters later they’d have a similar conversation as if the previous one had never happened. This left me unsure about what was actually happening between Hades and Persephone.
The pacing was pretty good although there were some scenes that promised action, and then we just skipped to the after part.
Overall I thought it was a good dark romance. I’ll definitely be reading the sequel.

2022-arcs

1,495 reviews27 followers

King’ Capture is a dark take of kidnapping, revenge and violence loosely based on the Greek myth of Hades and Persephone. It is book one in a duet and ends with a cliffhanger.

Hades and his brothers Ares and Eros are international arms dealers. But as they are about to make a huge score, Constantine, a rival, tips off the authorities and begins thwarting the brothers at every turn. Their only chance to stay relevant is to outsmart Constantine and exact their revenge by destroying him.

Persephone is in hiding from her ex, Constantine. He’s already murdered her best friend and trie dto kill her once. And, now, she’s been kidnapped by Hades in order to forge the needed documents to complete their arms deals. She’s being used as a pawn and being held against her will, but she is oddly drawn to Hades in a way she doesn’t understand.

Hades is also drawn to Penny, and that goes against everything in his world. Women leave and cannot be trusted. He doesn’t have feelings, yet she has found her way beneath his skin. Lines start becoming mixed up for both of them and neither truly knows if the other can be trusted.

But, Constantine is constantly on their trail, leaving Hades barely a step ahead . . .

Ohhh, I want Queen’s Sacrifice on my kindle right now! I’ve had mixed feelings about this romance all along, and I feel like that is because the characters themselves are not sure how to feel. But, I need to know what happens to them! There is definitely some Stockholm Syndrome happening, but even when Penny can walk away, she doesn’t. This couple is so wrong and so right, that it’s hard to wrap your head around.

I love that Penny does seem to pull the humanity out of Hades and he does have feelings for her that contradict everything about him. His character is extremely complex and I want to know more about him and his brothers. And Penny is so strong. She’s been through so very much, yet tries to stay true to her feelings and sense of self. She doesn’t just give in to her circumstances but fights for what she needs.

With lots of action and suspense as well as some intense sexual scenes, Vivian Wood takes readers on a deadly journey as Hades and Persephone both seek the end goal of taking down Constantine. While I know how the Greek myth ends, I’m not sure how book two in this duet will play out, but I can’t wait to see where the author takes us next! 4.5 stars.

Karin

2,178 reviews

alpha-hero antihero bada-heroine

That cliffhanger will be the death of me!! Hades and Persephones story was filled with surprises and twists around every corner. When Hades needs a new forger let’s just say Persephone isn’t willing to help but she’s not really left with much of a choice. I can’t wait till the next part of this duet comes out

PP's Bookshelf

2,878 reviews407 followers

January 1, 2022

Hades Persephone retelling in a dark romance is probably one of my all time favourite trope and I will never get tired of reading them. Vivian Wood did an amazing job in King's Capture. A dark antihero. A damaged yet strong heroine. Explosive chemistry and sharp storyline. Definitely a very well executed dark romance.

The Lyon brothers are trying to claim the top spot as an arms dealer along with their other lucrative business. Hades , the eldest and sort of the leader, kidnaps Persephone Corbin to use her skill as master forger. She is also their number one enemy's ex and she is running from her past. As they move from one place to another while getting chased by Constantine, they start an unlikely friendship and they have an undeniable passion.
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Hades is exactly how I like my alpha antiheroes. A tragic backstory. A broken heart. Lots of evil and arrogance and darkness yet an unexpected softness with the right partner. I will never get bored of reading about a merciless killer or apparently soulless criminal business tycoon falling from grace for a woman. Persephone aka Penny has seen a lot of fear and danger and she is on the run. She doesn't trust anyone but her kidnapper is slowly infiltrating her heart. This is book one so basically their emotional connection is just beginning but the passion is so epic. Filthy. Kinky. Deviant. None of them are ready to face their demons or open up completely but slowly they are getting bonded. They feel a camaraderie that grows from their past. But the path ahead is full of twists and danger. And it ends in a big cliffhanger. My only issue was I felt the attacks on Hades and Penny were a bit repetitive. Hades runs a powerful empire with lots of money and I felt it was a bit unrealistic for him to travel all alone without a security team or to use one when he is hiding with Persephone. The enemies caught up to them repeatedly and they were really helpless.

King's Capture by Vivian Wood is your next read if you love dark mythology retelling or just dark romantic suspense.
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I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

Amy

1,538 reviews36 followers

January 2, 2022

“Persephone is mine. Nobody touches what’s mine.”

King’s Capture is the first book in a new duet by Vivian Wood. Hades and Persephone’s story is full of mystery, suspense, drama and angst.

“There’s something different in him. I’ve felt him changing, slowly, a more vulnerable side emerging from the darkness.”

Hades is a man of few words. He’s not a nice guy and he makes no apologies for it. He’s closed off and is haunted by his past. As he becomes more attached to Persephone, he begins to soften a little and a more human side emerges.

“If it is the very last thing I do, she will know she is safe here.”

Persephone is a woman on the run and determined to fight for her freedom at any cost. She’s spirited, a bit naïve and does not hesitate to stand up for herself with Hades and his brothers. With Hades, she begins to realize that there may be hope for her future.

This dark and dangerous romance is not for the faint of heart. I will admit that I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy King’s Capture, but I found myself absorbed in the story and I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen. It ends in a cliffhanger and I’m on pins and needles for the story to continue.

Darkreads

690 reviews131 followers

King's Capture is an action packed romance between an arms dealer Hades and a forger Persephone. Hades finds himself in need of a forger and kidnaps Persephone who has a past with one of his enemies. Hades has quite a few demons, however, he developes a soft spot for Persephone who, in turn, grows attached to her enigmatic kidnapper. The story is very fast paced as the protagonists are on the run with danger lurking at every corner. I will say that I would have expected Hades to have more people working for him and to be better equipped to fight. The constant running got a bit tedious. Overall, this was an enjoyable romantic adventure, however, it didn't quite have that extra something that makes me really fall for the characters.

Carissa

3,410 reviews93 followers

I think this was my first read by Vivian. I will say the blurb is what drew me in and I have to say the story delivered! I really liked the action this story had. Hades and Persephone I can feel their vibes coming off the pages and Constantine OMG what is up with him. With that cliffy, I'll be back for book 2 Queen's Sacrifice.

I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

dark fire mafia

Madeleine

4,429 reviews10 followers

This is a retailing of Hades and Persephone but the adult version with a twist. A dark billionaire, intense, angst, drama, steam and will set your kindle smoking.

Xavier

1,440 reviews168 followers

King's Capture is a yet another retelling of the beloved Hades and Persephone, and to its credit, Wood manages to create her own unique spin that is familiar yet new. However, since this is a debut, the plot feels far to much in the pedantic/set-up phase leaving this first installment a bit unfulfilling. There is clear promise, but it just unfortunate that readers will have to wait until book 2 for that potential to materialize.

Larissa Rye

1,412 reviews17 followers

3.5 STARS!

I really liked the concept of this book. The story itself was really interesting. I did think that more could have happened in this book than what did, it felt drawn out. I just wanted more action! Also I think Hades brothers shouldn’t be trusted. I am looking forward to reading the next book & seeing what happens next.

Lulu

4 reviews

January 13, 2022

The book is well-written and the plot is good, I wouldn't call it a hades/persephone retelling per se.. it's just a book where the main characters are named hades and persephone and there is a kidnapping, but otherwise, it doesn't really share anything with the original myth. I assume the author knows that labeling it as a retelling would make people interested, because it could might as well just have been characters with any other names.

One thing that really bothers me though - and this is a preference more than anything. I really dislike when authors "write in" a character's accent or dialect. I don't mind characters using words once in a while to show their language or dialect, but when every god damn sentence made by the character (and in this book there are a lot of characters speaking in dialects) it just becomes distracting. And it's easy to see that the author has gone out of their way to create extra unnecessary sentences just so she can cram in the H speaking in a dialect. Examples of this could be:

“Wise men know that patience is a virtue, Persephone. Dinnae forget it. Ye’ll be paid handsomely for the whole time ye are with me, so bide yer time.”

The amount of times the H says "ye" or "yer" is so distracting and it ends up becoming all I can focus on. Just write that they speak in an accent or dialect, don't spend the entire book writing it out.

Marnie

1,302 reviews31 followers

I absolutely and unreservedly loved Hades and Persephone!

What an amazing first book in this duet that Author Vivian Woods has given to the characters that I absolutely love!!!

Her writing as gone from strength to strength, and with this book, KING’S CAPTURE, she has completely blown me out of the water in so many ways with this addictive and fast paced read. It kept me captivated right through to it’s cliff-hanger ending. No squawking from me to be had though!!! I might hate cliff-hangers with the blistering passion of a thousand suns, but it’s only a short-ish wait until the second book, QUEEN’S SACRIFICE is released, and there was no way I could wait until then to read this first book in the duet just so I could read them together.

It’s like Ms Woods has read my mind and written Hades as the perfect hero complete with his Scottish lilt and dangerous attitude. It is the late and long sexy screen legend, Sean Connery who I hear in my mind while reading Hades words. Anything less for me, is not acceptable. Gruff and rough, yet still a protector even as he’s been conditioned to detest and exploit weakness. He carries his own scars and they are his private secret perpetrated upon him when he was a young child. Never again. Weakness was not tolerated and was to be exploited in others. Weak links that get in the way of plans that him and his brothers have were swiftly and emotionlessly disposed of.

By the same token, what I love the most about him was his intolerance for bullies. It was that moment in the book, and you will know when you get there, that I absolutely and unreservedly fell in love with him. It didn’t immediately endear Penny to him in any way, but that is what Ms Wood did beautifully. Penny didn’t magically fall at his feet. She questioned her own sanity before she admitted her admiration for him, and I believe that this balance was perfectly captured by Ms Wood. There was no questioning of Penny’s motives for her change of heart – it happened because her enigmatic captor did have a softer side that he endeavoured to keep under control and because he simply just attracted her in a dangerous way that was different to their common enemy.

That cliff-hanger though!!! I am bereft that I feel I’ve reached the end of this book so quickly!!! Seriously, I cannot wait until I can lay my hands on the next one. 5 Stars – this book kept me up way too late and it’s one that I easily recommend to all and sundry!!!❤🔥❤

#mumsalwaysreading #bookblogger #bookreviewer #marnsreads #marnsj

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Renee

5,318 reviews76 followers

Maddie (Bookaholic_Dreamer)

I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author to review for Stephanie's Book Reports.

Money. Notoriety. Violence. These things go hand in hand with my chosen profession. My brothers and I are known internationally as lords of war-the most ruthless arms dealers in the world. Absolutely no one's safe from us...as long as we are making our next million. And I only need on person in order to make the ultimate sale. Persephone is a lovely little raven-haired art forger. Model-good looks. Innocent hazel eyes. Curves that would tempt the devil himself. She's going to make a deal with me. Even if that deal is made after I kidnap her and threaten her life. My manner with Penny is brusque, brutal, and demanding. But her body beckons me like a siren's call. She's shell shocked and afraid of what I might do to her. My only fear is that once I touch her, I may not be able to stop.

This is a dark romance and you need to heed the warning at the beginning of the book. It is also a retelling or a lose one I guess I should say of Hades and Persephone and is the first book in a duet so don't be surprised when it ends with your on the edge of your seat and your heart in your throat. I do not think I have read a Vivian Wood book before but this one caught my attention and I am so glad that I didn't miss it. Hades and his two brothers are arms dealer and they don't do small deals they makes huge deals and they always have their plans well laid out thinks to Hades being the man who has a plan for his plans plan going wrong and basically live there life never settled in one place. But now they need a forger because Constantine keeps messing with them and all there deal. And that brings us to Penny who use to date Constantine and he left her for dead so she has been hiding out until she is taken by Hades. He is not nice to her. Does not sugar coat what he needs done and how he is going to get her to do it. I think the poor girl was just glad to be with someone she thinks might be worse than what she had before and they would be able to keep her save but that's not always the case and somehow they keeps getting found and having to run. I don't want to go into to much about this book but I feel like I spent most of the time with my heart in my throat. To say I need to next book might just be the biggest understatement ever and I can not wait to find out what is going to happen!!!

995 reviews85 followers

3.8 ⭐️

King’s Capture is the first part within the Lyon Dynasty duet series by Vivian Wood.
This Enemies to Lovers, Greek myth retelling follows the story of Hades Lyon and Persephone ‘Penny’ Cora Corbin through dual perspectives.

Having never read a retelling of Hades and Persephone had me going into their story as a blank slate with no expectations whatsoever.
The story took you on a deep and dark tension filled journey that was full of angst, drama, suspense and a lot of fire. Something that wasn’t surprising given the situations the two endure from the events that take place all through. Most of which involved being followed and chased after the shooting and fighting, result in having to run away in the end.

Being a Slow Burn, Hades and Persephone’s relationship led to one of being a slow and tortuous build up. But at the same time it’s what made it enticing watching their growing attraction from the constant back and forth they had going on. As well as the small sparks they gave off from the heat that was rising, leading to you waiting in anticipation for the metaphorically ticking time bomb to explode for when Hades and Persephone would finally give into their sexual hunger and desire for one another.
It should be said, the fire they ignited was Hot and Steamy AF, giving moments of hard and fast, whilst also being slow and tantalising at other times from the teasing. Only to hit full force, fanning the fire even more than before, bringing up the levels of Spiciness.

There were some moments within the story that led to the book falling short with being a little too overly wordy for my liking. It just felt made the story a little more prolonged than necessary IMO, with the pace slowing down. Ultimately causing my attention to waver during those moments.
On top of that there were moments of repetition with the same events taking place one to many times, making the predictably lose my interest too.

That cliffhanger wasn’t unexpected to me, with not seeing it coming. But it’s what has made me excited to see how Vivian Wood will play out Hades and Persephone's story in part two of Lyon Dynasty duet series.

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

abuse age-gap alpha-male

☾La Musa literaria☽

148 reviews1 follower

January 15, 2022

Before I start with the review, I want to thank Vivian and the people behind this book for the Arc provided.

Well, we have the characters inspired by Greek mythology, a perfectly written retelling of Hades and Persephone.
Vivian builds a book where the characters deliver on their promise: To make you feel adrenaline and tension, wow, I absolutely loved the three brothers, Ares being so badass AND Eros being so smart. I have to say that Hades is perfect next to Persephone.
Hades' traumas with his past made my heart ache for him.
Every chapter left me wanting to keep reading, and when I got to the end and was able to read a little about the next female character *Aphrodite* I let out scream ( as she is my favorite goddess).
I can't wait for the next book, I'll be watching on Amazon ♥️.

🔥 🔥 🔥

Antes de comenzar con la reseña, quiero agradecer a Vivian y a las personas detrás de este libro por el Arc proporcionado.

Bien, tenemos a los personajes inspirados en mitología griega, un retelling de Hades y Persefone perfectamente escrito.
Vivian construye un libro en dónde los personajes cumplen su prometido: Hacerte sentir adrenalina y tensión, wow, ame por completo a los tres hermanos, Ares siendo tan rudo Y Eros tan inteligente. Tengo que decir que Hades es perfecto junto a Persefone.
Los traumas de Hades con su pasado hicieron que mi corazón doliera por él.
Cada capítulo me dejaba con ganas de seguir leyendo, y cuando llegué al final y pude leer un poco sobre el próximo personaje femenino * Aphrodite * solté un grito ( pues es mí diosa favorita).
No puedo esperar por el siguiente libro, estaré pendiente en Amazon ♥️.

This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.

Jen

556 reviews

In King's Capture, Vivian Wood gives readers a dark Hades and Persephone retelling - one featuring arms dealers, a global chase in search of safety, and a nymph who can make the villainous Hades finally fall to his knees.

Overall, I enjoyed Wood's retelling of the Hades and Persephone myth, though this retelling is definitely very loosely based on the original myth. In this retelling, Hades is more like hired muscled, an enforcer even though people often view him as the default leader. He, however, did not come off as the big scary guy I think he was supposed to be. Persephone repeatedly remarked that Hades was the villain, then immediately followed those thoughts by saying she trusted him or had feelings for him. Hades' backstory and career seemed like it was supposed to make him come across as terrifying, yet even his own internal dialogue made him seem besotted quite early on with Persephone - at odds with how big and bad he was supposed to be. I love a good Hades and Persephone retelling, and I love Hades portrayed as both the tough god and the secret softie, but this Hades seemed like he wasn't really sure which one he actually was.

I thought Wood's version of Persephone was interesting; she was quiet, delicate, yet possessed remarkable skills in forgery - definitely not in line with the feminine goddess of spring that we usually see. Such skills made Persephone a great match for Hades, and I actually really liked that Wood gave Persephone something so unique that was completely hers.

I liked the plot of King's Capture, and I liked Hades and Persephone as characters. I didn't absolutely love them together, as they seemed to go against their very nature when they were around each other, but I'm hoping that means there will be lots of new character development in the next book and they will become more of a unit rather than two individuals who hate that they love each other.

As the action was just getting started at the end of King's Capture, I can't wait to read the next book and see what happens next between Hades and Persephone.

A huge thank you to the author and Candi Kane PR for providing a review copy of King's Capture!

arcs ebook

Dora Harvey

1,133 reviews11 followers

Claudia |✨Cushin Violeta's Bookish Realm✨

What can I say! To say I love this story is an understatement! This is a dark, edgy, and enthralling modern retelling twist of the Hades and Persephone Greek myth. King’s Capture is the first book in the duet. Vivian Wood you threw the ball out of the park with this modern retelling! This dark and suspenseful romance is packed with murder, mystery, darkness, kidnapping, passion, and twists and turns—some you see coming, some you don’t. I am trying to wrap my mind around what happened in this book. The story gathers momentum with each page turned, leading to a cliffhanger that comes down like an avalanche. This entire book had me captivated from the first page and no amount of guessing could have prepared me for what went down. This is Hades and Persephone’s story. Hades Lyon is a billionaire and an enigma of a man who is very handsome, sexy, ruthless, cold-hearted, dominant, sweetly contrite, and a notorious boss. He rules without mercy, dishes out brutality without a second thought, and turned cruelty into an art form. Persephone Corbin is a sassy, obstinate, and beautiful woman who is on the run with her kidnapper, and she is determined to fight for her freedom. Hades and Persephone are two damaged people with hidden secrets and tragedies in their pasts. After an incident happened, Hades is now set on an unwavering quest for vengeance against one of his enemies, and Persephone is caught in the crosshairs.

“Persephone is mine. Nobody touches what’s mine.”

The explosive attraction and passion between Hades and Persephone is unparalleled—it is off-the-chart hot! What will Persephone do when the only man she hates is the one who will keep her safe and alive? What happens next? Well, read this amazing story and find out—you won’t regret it! Vivian Wood manages to weave dark and twisted plots centered on romantic ideas with artfully developed main characters that you will not be able to put this book down. I highly RECOMMEND this book! I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Heidi

1,527 reviews15 followers

January 19, 2022

I loved this story. Hades has always been a favorite God of mine, next to Poseidon. Vivian did a great job with Hades and Persephone’s start. It is a retelling, but not as Gods and Goddesses. Hades and his brothers, Ares and Eros are the Lyon brothers and are big time arms dealers, however, they have been having problems in the form of Constantine. He keeps finding out where they are and who they are dealing with and wreaks havoc with them. Hades needs a real good forger and is told about Persephone. He puts his plan to kidnap her and have her make fake documents. He just wasn’t planning on caring about her. He was always told never to trust a woman and he has kept to that Persephone is a strong and feisty woman and she fights Hades, while also wanting him. The tension between these two is very high. You need to read about the Scottish man and his American hostage. The ending just shocked me the heck out. I can’t wait for the next part.

1,659 reviews60 followers

A Wild Captivating dangerous adventure ride with Hades and Persephone 😍😍

This one starts with a bang, in full action mode as Hades and his brother, Eros and Ares face off to save their shipment. Somehow they escape but with a pressing issue of finding a perfect forger for them as this time they lost their shipment because of the mediocre work of the previous one.

Persephone is hiding from her killer ex, as she had almost lost her life but a sheer miracle seems to have saved her. Now she takes on job which pays well but keeps her under the radar.

Hades and Persephone cross paths when the former comes across a contact for a perfect forger and is led to Persephone. But Hades kidnaps Persephone and tells her what he needs her for.

So begins the wild ride with Hades keeping Persephone and making her understand that she's needed to do the work and in return would be paid suitably. But they are chased by unknown enemies and so ensues thrilling, chase and run and shooting and action filled ride.

Trotting from one exotic location to another, from living in warehouse onto next living in castles and amidst all these Hades battling his last demons and Persephone running from her last demons begins a Hot Steamy affair that they both don't want to acknowledge.

This one was definitely a very captivating and addictive read. Hades has a darkness in him and he might be intense but he was so irrestisble and dayummmm freaking hot. Just like Persephone was unable to resist him, so I felt head over heels for his dark charming personality.

Ahhh.. And that ending.. I'm so excited for the next one as I'm maddeningly wanting to find out what happens next. But also oh so happy that I get more of Hades and Persephone. Loved loved this one. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Wall to Wall Bookshelves

575 reviews4 followers

January 17, 2022

King's Capture is a very modern take on the Hades and Persephone myth with a billionaire, captive dark edge.

We have Hades Lyon an arms dealer who is in need of a forger, Persephone Corbin is that forger but what Hades doesn't know is that she is hiding from the very same man who keeps messing up his deals.

Action and danger are packed into a read that is filled with tension and chemistry. I love that this take on Hades and Persephone is different to others I've read and that they also have different persona's to what we're normally given in a modern retelling.

One thing that was a little distracting for me while reading was that Hades spoke in his native accent quite a bit, I would just start getting into the story then a 'ye' or 'yer' would throw me off.
Other than that I'm really liking where this story has taken us so far, but what's to come next.....

Marni Ortiz

3,522 reviews74 followers

To say that I absolutely adored this amazing story , doesn’t even do it justice . Wow just wow . I was completely blown away by this dark , edgy and totally intriguing storyline that will literally make you feel like your falling down the rabbit hole . What a amazing job Vivian did with the retelling of Hades and Persephony’s love story . This one definitely has. All the feels ( it’s quite emotional actually ) both characters dealing with a lot of baggage and be prepared there are many heart wrenching moments . There were moments I found myself balling my eyes out . But On the other side of that coin ) the simmering chemistry between them , the intrigue, the drama , the action, the intensity of it all will have you on the edge of your seat the entire time . This is honestly very different what I usually read but I just loved It more then I can even say
a

Heather Miller

1,545 reviews53 followers

Hades Lyon, has 2 brothers - Ares, & Eros Lyon, are in the reselling of military guns, militia. They are in need of having documents forged, so they can get into Africa, and begin selling the weapons there.

Persephone (Penny), has been on the run for a while now. She was involved with Constantine, but, after he tried to kill her, she left him. Penny is very good at copying art, a forger of sorts if you will. She costs quite a lot to do what she does. Hades and his brother's have sought her out to do a great deal of work for them.

Constantine has been on the lookout for Penny. He's trying to find her and get her back into his clutches. Now that Penny is with Hades and his brothers he's not sure what to do.

A few twists and turns in this book.

I did receive a free ARC copy of this book. I am freely leaving an honest review.

Basak

762 reviews42 followers