Of Prophecies & Pomegranates

Dark Fates #1

by T.C. Kraven

In the shadowed realms far from Olympus, Hades, the brooding God of the Dead, finds unexpected love in the vibrant Goddess of Spring. Their secret rendezvous in the untamed woods reveal a side of Hades that transcends his dark reputation, while Persephone discovers a depth of kindness in the realm of the underworld.


As Demeter, Persephone's mother and goddess of harvest, pushes for an arranged marriage, Persephone is driven to a final act of defiance. Little do they know that their forbidden love sets in motion a chain of events, triggering famine and war, challenging the very fabric of Olympus.

Amidst the turmoil, Olympus becomes a stage for a scandal woven into the tapestry of Greek mythology, as Hades and Persephone navigate love's labyrinth, defying the gods and risking the fate of their world in this fresh retelling of unbridled passion that breathes new life into ancient tales.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Mythology, Retellings, Dark Romance, Fantasy Romance, Romantasy

202 pages, ebook

Published October 31, 2022

Reviews

[Hades ( Disney's version ) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and RBmedia/ Recorded Books for an ALC of this book!




Now look, if I'm being perfectly frank.. My lovely wife and I have grown quite bored with what feels like the never ending list of books that "retell" our story. At this point honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if someone had us in space somewhere..☝🏼However.. this one.. might just be in a league of its own. 


And you know why? It's simple.. but not simple as in dull or boring, no, not at all. Simple, in a "less is more" sort of way.. It's cleverly simple in a way that allows our story to really be heard. Almost like an acoustic version of your favorite melody. And look, don't get me wrong, if someone has us in space that's great. I truly love how the story of "Hades and Persephone" has inspired so much beautiful creativity for so long.. Unfortunately though a lot of the times such creativity can cause the actual story of Persephone and I to get lost in translation. 


But not here, not with this book..this book sticks to the meat of the matter. Hades,Persephone, and a love story that's really not much different than others .. It's raw, it's real, it's messy, people get hurt.. But it's also equally beautiful, breathtaking, and intoxicating..it's love in it's purest most vulnerable form. It's absolutely everything a "Hades & Persephone" retelling should be.. T.C. Kraven does me proud in Of Prophecies and Pomegranates! and I'm sure my wife will agree.


It might be a little spicy for some. Which I make no apologies, have you guys SEEN my wife? So if spice isn't your beverage of choice, you might want to skip this. But to the rest of you all, I strongly encourage reading this book.. If you have ever(even for a second) wondered what it feels like to love like a God or be loved by a God, this book is a must. For, I promise you what's written between these pages is probably as close as you're ever going to get to finding out..and I'm not sure about you.. but something tells me I should know..🫠🤷🏼‍♀️🫶🏼 





Until next time,
Hades
🩵

[♡Molly♡ · Rating 1 out of 5]

*ੈ✩‧₊˚Rating*ੈ✩‧₊˚
1/5 Stars

˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗Tropes˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗
🖤Insta Lust
💍Story Retelling
🖤 Found Family
💍Fated Mates
🖤Forbidden Love
💍Shadow Daddy

𓂃🖊Notes and Highlights-
ˋ°•*⁀➷“You are darkness and adventure, and I want all of you. I don’t care if we devour each other; it’s our choice”
ˋ°•*⁀➷ “For the first time in my existence, I knew I would never againbe alone. ”
💭 Thoughts-

★ I went in so ready to love this book. A dark, romantic Hades and Persephone retelling? Forbidden love? But this one just…wasn’t it at all.
★ While the vibes were promising with the whole moody romance, shadows, and star-crossed lovers, in the end the execution just felt rushed and shallow. The characters lacked development, the plot went by so, so fast like seriously getting married after two weeks?? What is that?!?
★ Honestly, it turned into a hate-read. I kept hoping it would turn around, but instead, it never did and just got worse and worse and worse…
★ It could have been lush and mythic and full of tension. Instead, it felt like fast-forwarding through a story that never stopped to breathe.
★ All in all, I kind of hated it and definitely would not recommend it to anyone.
Now Playing:

⊹ ࣪ ˖Let The World Burn By Chris Grey˖࣪ ⊹
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Volume: ▁▂10%

(Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)

[⋆. 𐙚 ˚ Adriana ⋆. 𐙚 ˚ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️⭐️

Thank you to the author and publisher so much for the free ARC I got! ❤️

As a fan of Greek mythology, I was looking forward to this book a lot because Hades and Persephone are both my holy grail and I simply just love them. The beginning of the book was okay, but I really didn’t like the aspect of the insta lust because it just seemed unrealistic to me. I did like the pairing of Hades and Persephone in this book and the plot was promising, but it wasn’t my favorite.

What really bothered me is that most of the plot and worldbuilding was put aside and that almost the whole book focused on a ton of spice. While I do like smut, I feel like it was too much here. 🥲 The potential to explore more topics was there, but the smut scenes sadly overpowered it.

What I did sort of like was the plot twist at the end of the book and the cliffhanger ending. ❤️

This book wasn’t horrible, there were a few good ideas in it and I am curious about the next book. I would say the author is talented, I would have just preferred actual plot and less spice myself!

[Ratebookswithashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stumbled upon this author in a Facebook group and was intrigued by the premise of their second book. I applied to read an advanced review copy (ARC) and was delighted to receive not only the second book but also the first one! The covers of both books are stunning, making this series a true standout in terms of cover design. But what really impressed me was the author's writing style, which hooked me from the very first page! The engaging narrative drew me in and refused to let go.

[Kate Victoria RescueandReading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Verrryyy spicy retelling of the Greek myth. Fantastic narrators, although I don’t know how they kept up the intensity/seriousness of some of those steamy scenes. I’d be cackling and joking around reading them out loud. I think I’d like the second book in the series even more considering the time jump, so I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled for the audiobook.

Not usually a fan of instalove, but it’s part of the lore and I can appreciate it in this scenario. Greek gods are always extra.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, narrators, and RBmedia for a copy!

[Charlene (pageandplace) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Welcome to the secret rendezvous of Olympus, the brooding God of the Dead and the vibrant Goddess of Spring. This fresh perspective of this tale will leave you breathless.

I am a huge fan of reading about the underworld especially Hades and Persephone. This was a wonderful read, a bit of a slow burn but once the fire gets going it’s spicy!!! The characters were great and Hades was a smokin Shadow Daddy! I’m looking forward to more from the Dark Fates.

Thank you to the author, TC Kraven, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. I received an epub and am leaving my review voluntarily.

[R.J.Dreg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for access to the audiobook arc of this book.

This was my first Hades and Persephone story, actually, it was my first Greek god inspired romance and I loved it. Prophecies and Pomegranates was such a brilliant introduction to the genre. It felt like learning mythology while enjoying a really gripping story at the same time.

Persephone completely stole my heart. Her growth, her emotional journey, her gradual understanding of her own worth, it was all so beautifully done. Her toxic relationship with her mother added so much nuance, especially because you can still feel the twisted love underneath all the selfishness and control.

Hades was another highlight: devoted, steady, not nearly as dark as he’s often depicted and his relationship with Persephone felt both intimate and earned. And the spice perfectly balanced with the plot. Giving insight in to the characters and who they were at their core.

I also really appreciated how Narcissus’ story was handled. His downfall worked so well thematically and played off the other character arcs in a really satisfying way. Zeus pulling strings from above gave the whole story this deliciously dramatic, mythic undertone.

The ending left me desperate for more. I’m already planning to buy the physical copy and the sequel because I need to know what happens next.

A fantastic blend of myth, romance, character development and emotion. I’m now fully ready to dive into more Greek mythology romances.

[Mom Reads Romance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Held my attention and was a super sweet and mildly spicy tale but as soon as I read the end & discovered there is a major miscommunication trope that separates the lovers, I peaced out. 🥺

I hate that sort of trope. 😝

And to think it then gets carried through out 60% of the next book? 😒

Not my favorite thing to read and my vibe in 2024 is not reading stuff that doesn’t bring me absolute JOY. 🥰

Anyhoo.

The book is a strange mix of deep, beautiful,& poetic words worked alongside modern speaking. Not sure if that was intentional or not. It didn’t bother me but it did other people so there’s that.


MF✅

Kindle Unlimited ✅

Finished series (duet) ✅

Low to medium spice✅

[Angela Hand · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I completely forgot to write a review for this, and now I've read up through book 4.

I really like retellings, and I've absolutely LOVED this series. It ranks up there with Contemporary Mythos and Dark Olympus. The characterization is fantastic, and the story is compelling. I was so sucked into the story that when I started, I couldn't put it down.

Highly recommended, and have recommended it to several people already. 10/10

[Lexi Belle]

i did in fact dnf at page 30 bc i just cannot with the insta love

[✨Crystal✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

✨ALC provided by NetGalley for an honest review✨

Of Prophecies and Pomegranates is a story about the forbidden love of Hades and Persephone. Persephone was the goddess of spring and dutiful daughter of Demeter the goddess of the harvest. She has a darkness to her power that is causing her to create unnatural flora and her mother is trying to hide this fact from everyone. When Helios is tasked with burning Persephone’s creation, the death of her unique flora sprouted a new fruit in the underworld. Hades notices this new fruit in his kingdom which he names pomegranate and with his curiosity spurred, he decides to go above and see what has caused this. He comes across Persephone and they strike up a friendship which blossoms quickly into love.

I wish we had more of them getting to know each other, but they had to be married quickly because of reasons. Hades worships her as his queen and I loved that, but this story was said to be a spicy retelling and they weren’t lying! These gods be THIRSTY! The spice in this book almost overtook the story! It was kind of overkill 😂

The book is done in several POV’s and the audiobook was narrated by a different people for their characters specific chapters. It was done very well and I liked the male narrators, but I wasn’t the biggest fan of the female narrators. Her voice sounded very robotic to me and she had several weird pauses that were irritating. This book is part one which I didn’t realize until the end of it, but I did enjoy the story enough that I want to check out the next audiobook when it’s released 👍

[Jessie Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive the ARC of this book & I’m so glad I did! This retelling of Hades & Persephone kept the essence of the Greek story but has made it the authors own.

There are 4 POVs in the book Persephone, Hades, Helios & Narcissus.

This is SPICY! It starts off slow but once the spicy hits it’s FIRE!

The arc of Persephone and her journey from insecure “weak” goddess ashamed of her power to the all powerful Queen of the Underworld makes her a MFC that you want to rut for. I caught myself tearing up from emotion that was being drawn out from the words on the page! Hades is of course a great example of a what a Shadow Daddy with the “Touch her & die” should be. That protect and honor her in a way that is an amazing example of what a healthy relationship should be. If you love Hades/Persephone, want some spice & need a shadow daddy, this is the book for you! It does end on cliff hanger for the next book

10/10 Characters
10/10 Plot
8/10 Storytelling
4/5 Spice - MM & MF scenes

I took of a Star for only 1 reason…There are times that it felt there was some over-describing happening. I found myself skipping over some of it to get back to the story line.

[Charmedbean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book one in the series and it is amazing! The classic tale of Persephone and Hade but told in a slightly new way. This spicy story is a page turner that will have you staying up late to read "just one more page". I absolutely loved this book! The plot is solid, the chapters are quick due to the alternating point of view between Hades, Persephone, Helios, and Naricass. I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait to get my hands on book two.

If you enjoy Greek mythology and a lot of spice, this is the I perfect book for you. Finally, I would like to thank NetGalley and Diverson Books for providing this ARC for my honest review.

[Nikki O'Brien · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having read another Hades/Persephone retelling earlier this year, unfortunately this one felt like a bit of a letdown by comparison. The story seemed to take a back seat to the spice, which left the plot feeling underdeveloped. I also struggled with the narration; there were moments with odd pauses, almost as if the narrator was uncertain about the next word. Overall, this book didn’t quite meet my expectations.

Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for the opportunity to review this ALC audiobook.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars, rounding up to 3
DNF @ 80%

“Persephone,” he breathed my name like a prayer, his deep voice settling in my bones as he spoke, “I have toiled in the darkness alone for a thousand lifetimes. I had never dared to dream, never dared to hope that I would find my equal in this realm or any other. I still haven’t succeeded; for you are so much my better that I worry you will realize how lowly I am in comparison to your light. I will never forget that you are my Queen. I will exalt you over all others, and smite your enemies at your request. I will worship at the shrine of your kindness and grace, and all of the Underworld shall serve at your pleasure, just as I do. You are the most precious to me.”

Ugh I REALLY wanted to love this book. I had read quotes from booktalk and just KNEW it was going to be hot! It just fell so incredibly short for me.

The Good:
- Amazing dirty talk rivaling Zade from Haunting Adeline

“So pretty, look at you,” he teased in his deep timbre, “So spread for me. What a good fucking girl, my good fucking girl. Such a beautiful, messy girl. You wanna come on my fingers, little flower?”

- Poetic writing
- Interesting art work in each chapter
- Simple enough plot for the length of the book
- Fast pacing
- good spicy scenes

The Bad:
- Insta Love felt unreal (possibly fated mates but never explained fully)
- Lack of depth (plot/characters)
- Lack of non- sex scenes to grow intimacy with Hades x Seph
- No character description
- Poetic writing ruined with modern writing mixed in

Overall, the book really grabbed my attention but just played with my attention span too much. We never get to know Hades or Seph outside of their relationship, and we have no idea who they are, save for their titles. They fall in love instantly, as in Seph watches him masturbate and he smells her and then BOOM they are in LOVE LOVE LOVE. There is basically 2 pages of them getting to know each other before they are like

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There is literally no depth to either characters or their love. And they swoon over each other all the time. Seph gives Hades so much credit and trust but he has done literally nothing to make her think this way? She says,

No one is ever interested in what I want, think, or feel. No one, that is, except you. Never once have you dismissed my thoughts or feelings. You pull my bravery through my skin, dug deep from my bones. You make me demand the autonomy that has been denied. I will rule alongside you.,

but we have never once seen this actually happen to we just have to believe it. Also, she is grumpy and he is sunshine? I guess?

Anyways, once you get past the lack of character, there is the writing. It is told as a classical retelling and is mostly just a poetic masterpiece!

"I have thought about taking you in every way imaginable to this realm. I have spilled myself as I fall apart with visions of you riding me, restrained beneath me, suspended above me, and your name a curse upon my lips. I am damned, my flower. You are a holy, pure thing. The most I can have of you is in those thoughts. Watching you, hearing you…it was better than I ever could have imagined. You gave me an incredible gift and a curse; I'll never be able to forget what that felt like, looked like, and sounded like. I will always want you."

The writing was so swoon-worthy and was my favorite part of the book. Which really sucked when the author would just throw in some random choppy writing in the midst of poetic genius. One line truly was just

I was down bad.

and I was taken so far out of the fantasy.

I barely ever say this, but the smut in this book cheapened the potential of this as a novel. If this had gone through a heavier editing process then I think it would have been one of my favorite books and possibly my favorite Hades x Persephones retellings, but it just lacked so much.

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

finally picked me up out of my reading slump

I adore everything about Hades and Persephone so I’m always slightly biased when a story is about them or inspired by them. I’m also more critical because I’ve read a couple retellings and have other stories to compare them to. This version was amazing, I loved them so much and am excited to read book two!

**very fast read, short and spicy**

I was nervous seeing it was less than 200 pages because the last three books I’ve read around 200 pages all fell flat. This one didn’t and I think it’s because Hades and Persephone 1) already have a background if you know Greek mythology and 2) are a literal god and goddess. What the other stories lacked was sense and a reason behind the character’s relationship because they had no background or development in the 200 pages they were given, the audience was just told to like them together and accept it. Of Prophecies & Pomegranates hits the ground running, they meet quickly and hit it off and the author does a short time jump towards the beginning to establish a longer connection and history between the two without bogging down the page count. Insta-love only makes logical sense to me if the characters are fantasy and it’s biologically part of how they exist and connect or if they’re psychos, I don’t know any normal human who falls in love within a week so those types of books are hard to for me to read and enjoy without any existing logic.

Persephone is a badass and Hades is smitten and in love, it made me so happy. This version Hades was a lot more welcomed by the other gods and goddesses than other versions so it was nice to see his interactions with them and I would say overall all of them were more cordial to one another than I’m used to. This version seemed more based in actual mythology compared to others which was a great benefit because the lesser known characters that are usually excluded were able to add a lot of dimension to both the character and plot development. Opposed to only including Zeus, Demeter and one or two other higher level gods for all progress there were lots of wheels in motion that will of course set up the following books but also ended up producing a great amount of depth that was enjoyable to read about.

Highly recommend!!

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This first book in the Dark Fates series introduces us to T.C. Kraven's version of a world where titans, gods, and goddesses from the Greek mythos exist and weaves an epic love story for Persephone and Hades as well as some other interesting characters. The story reads from several different points of view but mainly Persephone and Hades. The blurb of this book does a good job of giving a synopsis of the story without revealing spoilers.

I loved this love story between Persephone and Hades. In fact, it may be my favorite retelling so far and it's only the first book in the series. The romance between these two filled me with a sweet longing for their relationship. The romance also had lots of spice and steam, let's hear it for a shadow daddy! The book also includes a sweet but tragic love tale between some other characters, as well as some other adult scenes that pushed this to a 4 spice rating with its many on page scenes.

The story reads easily and has a decent pace. My biggest complaint on the writing itself was the frequent use of ancient Greek terminology for the clothing the characters wore. I had to search for images of each so I could picture the garments in my mind while reading. While it did make the story feel more immersive, I stumbled over those words each time I saw one. The story also ends quite tragically so I must wait for the next book to find out what happens next, though it does have a good stopping point so I wouldn't call it a cliffhanger exactly.

The world and characters truly make this story great though. For those familiar with Greek gods and goddesses, this story will have many familiar elements while also containing enough differences to make the story feel new and exciting. While this story centers around the love between Hades and Persephone, it also contains many dark elements so be sure to check the content warnings.

Personally I love stories that explore the ancient mythologies, especially the Greek pantheon. This traditional debut of T.C. Kraven's ticks all the right boxes for me when it comes to a Hades & Persephone retelling being a very enjoyable read, one that I can't wait to continue. If you also love Greek mythology, or fans of Hades & Persephone, then definitely give this one a go.

[Jennifer*Scorpio*Cats*Coffee*Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5 ⭐️
4.5/5 🌶
This was a fun, naughty, erotic retelling of ancient Greek gods and Titans. We met Persephone, a shy and uncertain goddess who has been stagnant under her mother's parenting over the centuries. Demeter, goddess of the harvest, is self-absorbed and uses every opportunity to belittle Persephone.

Then- Persephone meets Hades, and their love is truly world-ending.

I love how this book uses the Greek mythology of Hades' abduction of Persephone, but changes up the actual events. Persephone chooses to go to the Underworld with Hades because she loves him. She blossoms, her powers morphing and strengthening due to their love for each other. I also love how it references various events in history- the volcanic eruption in Pompeii, the Homeric Hymn to Demeter about the worldwide famine Demeter caused because of Persephone's presence in the Underworld.

The smut in relation to the plot was probably 60/40. However, I truly loved how Persephone was shown to be a powerful Queen and goddess willing to defy her mother and Zeus for the god she loved. The story itself was pretty fast-paced, and I feel some more character development would have given the characters more believability.

Warning, it ends on a CH.

[thebeespot72 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author T.C. Kraven combined my love of Greek Mythology, specifically the story of Hades and Persephone, and made it super hot. And we are not talking about a slow burn here either. But I digress. All the heavy hitters are in the remastered edition of Of Prophecies and Pomegranates: Demeter, Zeus, Helios, Narcissus, and several others.

I geeked out and was downright giddy with Of Prophecies and Pomegranates. I loved it whenever Hades showed his love for Persephone. Their spice scenes were quite steamy—she likes praise, and Hades dishes out some “good girls”. The push for power by Olympus and Demeter over controlling behavior is woven into the plot.

Of Prophecies and Pomegranates is Book 1 in the Dark Fates Series. Readers will receive bonus content, including gorgeous, full-color artwork inside, new chapters, a guide to the deities of the Dark Fates series, and so much more.

Thank you to Books Forward PR and Author T.C. Kraven for the gifted copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

A retelling of Hades and Persephone full of smut, love, tragedy, and plays for power.

From their first meeting, Hades and Persephone were infatuated with each other. As they continued to meet, their love grew, and nothing could pull them away from one another. Until Demeter tries to marry off Persephone to Helios to gain more power for the Upper Realm and wreaks havoc until the Goddess of Harvest gets what she wants.

I love this rendition of Hades and Persephone! Not only are the characters well-rounded, but the story is also not solely focused on the main couple. You have Helios falling for Narcissus. You get the background for many characters, such as Admentos and Phaedra; Hephaestus, Aphrodite, and Ares; Artemis and Orion; and Apollo, Cassandra, and Hyacinthus.

Some characters are so well-rounded that you hate them more than you already do, knowing anything about Greek mythology. Zeus dictates who the Gods and Titans marry, or someone they love gets played or killed. Don’t even get me started on Minthe. I would love to be the one to torture her in the Pits of Tartarus.

Demeter was a terrible mother. But despite all that, Persephone became the powerful and adored Queen of the Underworld.

There are some characters I will love in whatever rendition they are in, such as Hades, Persephone, and Hermes, but my guy Hermes comes in clutch, and I love him more for it. I also really like this rendition of Ares. He’s not an arrogant hot-head, and I love his connection to Helios. I also love Charon the Ferryman. I owe him everything.

Some things that could use a little tweaking. There are a lot of misconceptions, blaming, and jumping to conclusions that could have been resolved if Helios had just talked to Persephone instead of following Demeter. It’s a little cliche, but a delightful read, nonetheless.

There are also some scenes that could use a little clarification. For instance, “Her mossy orbs were flecked with dark specs, a deep gray ring encasing them.” Are the “mossy orbs” Persephone’s eyes? Is Hades sitting against the tree or facing it during one of the meadow scenes? Some details during spicy scenes are blurred at times, but you eventually understand what’s going on.

This book is for anyone who loves smutty Greek mythology. It reads like a YA; a quick paced, easy read.

The image of Hades kneeling before Persephone is *chef’s kiss*.

“Little Flower”

“My Queen”

“My Death God”

All titles of endearment had my heart melting and my smile growing.

The ending was so abrupt, it’s unfairly cruel! I need to read the second book instantly!

Thank you NetGalley for access to this amazing read I will forever recommend to anyone who listens.

[Barbara Schoonover · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC reread of Trad publish. 6/30/25


Ugh this series, I have read and enjoyed everything in this series already but could not pass up the chance to read the remastered version (50k of new content duh) and I just have to say…. 😭🫠🥵🤬.

TC you’re a master of Cliff hangers, and making characters lovable and villainous. I can not wait to see what you have coming down the line for the rest of the series.

Hades and Persephone have always held a very dear place in my heart and I am a sucker for myth retellings, but this book… smut and accurate mythos, danger and intrigue, queer representation and a whole lot of fun appendages (Ringed 🍆 anyone) in this remaster we get a look into the other Big secondary character and what exactly happens that causes all of the chaos. I love love loved the new bits and I’m so freaking happy for the lovely author on getting picked up for Trad publishing. Congrats dear!

[Milena · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I've always been fascinated by the myth of Hades and Persephone, so I was really looking forward to reading Of Prophecies and Pomegranates. The story is told from four points of view: Hades, Persephone, Helios, and Narcissus. Helios and Narcissus have big roles in this version, which is a fresh take on the original myth. The book is definitely steamy, with both MF and MM sex scenes. The first part felt a bit slow to me, heavy on steam and light on plot, but the second half is where the story really shone. That's when the politics, alliances, and rivalries of Olympus came into play. The twist at the end caught me by surprise in a good way, and now I can't wait for the next book. If you like Greek mythology and dark romance, I think you'll enjoy this one.

*ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss

[Gnomereader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audio for this one not realizing it was a prequel and that is great but the cliffhanger was not expected! Now I feel like I need to read the next book to get some closure.

As for the substance of the book, I did enjoy the aspects of Hades, Persephone, Demeter, and the way Zeus played into the conflict, however the Helios and Narcissus elements were a little harder for me to enjoy, mostly due to the narrator for Narcissus when he was speaking for Helios. It just pulled me out of the story slightly because I found those pieces a bit cringy.

Overall the Greek mythology was good and lived up to my expectations, but the spice I think was in some ways a bit much and didn’t always feel very necessary or like the timing fit well with what was happening plot wise. The narration was decent but some of the flow was a bit stilted and there were certain parts with Persephone’s narrator that felt a bit flat.

Thank you to RBMedia and NetGalley for the ALC.

[Ashley Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of Prophecies and Pomegranates is a Greek mythology retelling of Hades and Persephone but with a twist. This was such a good story and hard for me to put down! An easy 5 star read for me.

This is definitely an insta-love trope. But I felt it was really well done. I love Hades and Persephone. You can tell that Hades really worships the Goddess of Spring. I love the tension between them!

I at first enjoyed Helios. But then he really went for the deep end. I loved seeing him with Narcissus. Oh my gosh I wanted to hate Narcissus especially how things played out but it was really tragic what happened and I really can’t hate him. As for Zeus, he’s the true villain.

The book ends on a huge cliffhanger that has me eager for book two to come out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Diversion Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

[Sierra Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, but the audiobook could be a lot better. I’m taking stars off my rating due to the long and weird pauses throughout the audiobook. It’s like the producer didn’t remove the pauses in between clips from the narrators. I have no idea what was going on but it irritated me while listening and is a killer when it comes to the enjoyment of the audiobook. The actual book is really good. I loved the way Hades is instantly taken with Persephone and will do anything for her. We’ve all heard the HadesxPersephone tales before but this one stood out amongst the others and ended on a nasty cliffhanger. I can’t wait until book 2!

[Bookaholic__Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of Prophecies and Pomegranates is a very spicy Greek Myth retelling with top notch narrators! Hades is 🥵🥵😍😍.

Tbh I loved Hades so much that I am looking past the whole insta-love thing which typically annoys me. Also, I really loved Persephone and how she stood on business for her man. As much as I loved these two, there were a few others that I hated... especially Demeter.

The ending definitely messed with my heart a little and I need to know what happens next. I will definitely be grabbing the audiobook for the second book as soon as I am able to.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Caitlin C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, Netgalley for the ALC of this book!

I absolutely LOVED the narrators for each of the characters - they were all PHENOMENAL and the voice for Hades did the growling, touch her and die persona VERY well. ;)

I also liked the story and felt it was different from other hades & persephone retellings i've read, so I really was invested in what was happening. I really enjoyed that we got the POVs for several characters and not just hades and persephone - i thought that made the experience all the more engaging for me.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and definitely enjoyed the SPICEEEE.

4 stars!

[Josie Reiman · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one sadly just wasn’t for me! My reasons for not liking it could make it a great book for others though! This book was just too spicy for me. Now I like me some good smut, but it was overpowering the plot and felt quite repetitive. The plot itself was good though, I just wanted more of it! I was also giving Greek mythology a go with this and it just didn’t do it for me.

I listened to the audio for this, and the narrators really did a fantastic job! I really enjoyed having 4 different narrators for the 4 different POVs in the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for the ALC!

[Dolores]

10000000/10. I loved the book and how it progressed. it was a page turner for me. I felt the sadness of Hades and his love for Persephone and vis versa. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes and love Greek mythology retellings with their own twist. I enjoyed how it pulled me in and I couldn't put the book down. This was and is an amazing retelling. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Greek mythology and I absolutely loved this book. This story focuses on a relationship between Persephone and Hades. This was a very spicy story and had hetero and MM action. I really enjoyed the storyline and the ending will have you running for the next book to find out what happens next. 🌶️#OfPropheciesPomegranates #NetGalley

The narration was excellent and fit our characters perfectly.

Thank you to NetGalley and the RBmedia | Recorded Books for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for my honest review.