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Apocrypha of Era: A Fairy Tale Retelling of Persephone and Hades
They say Hades swept her away to his kingdom of darkness. They're wrong. Era has her own version of events — and she'd like to tell it herself.
The granddaughter of Father Time and daughter of the Queen of the Earth, Era has spent her whole life carefully watched, carefully kept, and carefully protected from a danger no one will name. She has learned to push past that careful boundary one daring act at a time.
So when she encounters the brooding, solitary lord of the Underworld at the edge of her family's woodland — it is Era who draws closer. Era who dares herself. Era who kisses him first.
What follows is a secret courtship woven in cello and violin duets in the summer woods, through clockwork arches that shimmer with past and future, through the slow unraveling of a man who has everything and feels nothing — until her. Hades is powerful, lonely, and quietly undone by a woman who has no fear of the dark.
But Era's family forbids the match, with reasons that reach back further than Era knows. And when she is forced to send Hades away, his grief takes the night with him — and leaves the world in endless, blinding light.
To bring him back, Era must find her way through laughter, music, and dance, to the one truth she has always known: some stories are too important to let someone else tell.
A lyrical fairy tale retelling of the myth of Persephone and Hades — warm, witty, and beautifully told — for readers who believe a woman should always get to speak for herself.
The granddaughter of Father Time and daughter of the Queen of the Earth, Era has spent her whole life carefully watched, carefully kept, and carefully protected from a danger no one will name. She has learned to push past that careful boundary one daring act at a time.
So when she encounters the brooding, solitary lord of the Underworld at the edge of her family's woodland — it is Era who draws closer. Era who dares herself. Era who kisses him first.
What follows is a secret courtship woven in cello and violin duets in the summer woods, through clockwork arches that shimmer with past and future, through the slow unraveling of a man who has everything and feels nothing — until her. Hades is powerful, lonely, and quietly undone by a woman who has no fear of the dark.
But Era's family forbids the match, with reasons that reach back further than Era knows. And when she is forced to send Hades away, his grief takes the night with him — and leaves the world in endless, blinding light.
To bring him back, Era must find her way through laughter, music, and dance, to the one truth she has always known: some stories are too important to let someone else tell.
A lyrical fairy tale retelling of the myth of Persephone and Hades — warm, witty, and beautifully told — for readers who believe a woman should always get to speak for herself.
- GenresMythology
184 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 21, 2023
About the author
Daphne Rackham
3 books5 followersDaphne Rackham writes love stories with happily ever after endings. Apocrypha of Era is her very first book. She lives in the middle of nowhere with her family, and a dog and two cats, a huge garden, and lots of books, shelved and in stacks on the floor. When she's not writing or cooking or gardening, she's dreaming about abandoned houses, secret gardens, hidden treasure, buried secrets, and wishing for a relaxing beach vacation.
Visit www.daphnerackham.com for more books and bonus chapters (when available).
Visit www.daphnerackham.com for more books and bonus chapters (when available).
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 28, 2023
This is an interesting different take on the Hades and Persephone story. In this version, Persephone is not the kidnapped goddess but is fully in on going to the Underworld. I am not sure where the author got the name of Era (my quick research did not show an old world goddess with the name Era). I found the authors description of the Underworld to be different from the what the myths portray but an interesting alternative that I rather liked. I did have a hard time figuring out the time period setting. Parts made it feel like it was in the mythological days but parts were modern. I did like how the author changed the original myth and made Hades a much more "normal" type of person and gave him a personality. The ending was different than I expected but I did like hearing this story in a new way. The book does have several steamy scenes.
April 15, 2024
My DNF
Disclaimer: I got this book in Goodreads’ giveaway
So, I tried a couple of times, but I decided to let it go and leave it on my DNF list. The book is based on Greek mythology. It feels I was just wrong audience for it. But if I was maybe 18, there would be chances I’d liked it (or at least finished). Characters’ behavior seems a bit immature. Overall impression I get from what I read, the book is like a young-adult tv drama.
Disclaimer: I got this book in Goodreads’ giveaway
So, I tried a couple of times, but I decided to let it go and leave it on my DNF list. The book is based on Greek mythology. It feels I was just wrong audience for it. But if I was maybe 18, there would be chances I’d liked it (or at least finished). Characters’ behavior seems a bit immature. Overall impression I get from what I read, the book is like a young-adult tv drama.
February 24, 2023
3 🌟s.
This one was a quick read! The flow of the plot was great.
Though I did enjoy the fresh, juvenile version of Hades and Persephone's love story in this book, it came off more as something I'd read in Wattpad back at 15 than what I'd read right now.
Nothing groundbreaking and could be better, especially plot-wise, but a nice little read for beginners of this myth.
This one was a quick read! The flow of the plot was great.
Though I did enjoy the fresh, juvenile version of Hades and Persephone's love story in this book, it came off more as something I'd read in Wattpad back at 15 than what I'd read right now.
Nothing groundbreaking and could be better, especially plot-wise, but a nice little read for beginners of this myth.
January 26, 2023
A great adult mythology book I got this book for a free and honest review
January 28, 2023
This story is awesome! I am a fan of mythology, and this story of Hades and Persephone is one of my favorites. This steamy rendition is well written and takes the mind along on their journey of finding love.
I am volunteering to leave a review for an ARC of this book.
I am volunteering to leave a review for an ARC of this book.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews