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The Surrender of Persephone

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Sheltered Persephone, Goddess of Spring, never gets to do anything--thanks to the suffocating love of her mother, Demeter. Sephie is being carefully groomed to follow in the footsteps of the two "virgin" goddesses, Athena and Artemis, and while they sure do have a lot of fun together, she longs for something deeper--and darker. When Aidon, the God of the Underworld--generally known as Hades--appears in his chariot to claim Persephone for his bride, the young goddess gets more than she wished for. Held captive in the Underworld, she suddenly longs to return to the safety and security of her mother's protection, but the dark and commanding Aidon binds her to him, claiming her bit by glorious bit as his own. Her coming of age is one of sexual awakening as she learns the bondage her new master imposes fulfills her darkest desires. Persephone finds herself submitting to and obeying Aidon's command and discovers being taken and consumed in the heat of passion by a man--a god--is what she was truly made for. Persephone can't deny her own nature, or her growing feelings for Aidon, as she submits to his domination and surrenders as his wife and prepares to rule as his Queen. As she finally admits her own feelings, Persephone faces the looming specter of her history, which threatens to shatter the newly formed bonds between the couple. She must now face not only her past, but her present, and her future--no longer only the Goddess of Spring, but also as the wife of Aidon and Queen of the Underworld--and the choices she will be forced to make will change the world forever. Elements: Intense scenes

216 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2007

73 people are currently reading
815 people want to read

About the author

Selena Kitt

415 books2,625 followers
Selena Kitt is a NEW YORK TIMES bestselling and award-winning author of erotic and romance fiction. She is one of the highest selling erotic writers in the business with over two million books sold!

Her writing embodies everything from the spicy to the scandalous, but watch out-this kitty also has sharp claws and her stories often include intriguing edges and twists that take readers to new, thought-provoking depths.

When she’s not pawing away at her keyboard, Selena runs an innovative publishing company (www.excessica.com) and bookstore (www.excitica.com), as well as two erotica and erotic romance promotion companies (www.excitesteam.com and www.excitespice.com) and is now head of the Erotica Readers and Writers Association (www.erotica-readers.com).

Her books EcoErotica (2009), The Real Mother Goose (2010) and Heidi and the Kaiser (2011) were all Epic Award Finalists. Her only gay male romance, Second Chance, won the Epic Award in Erotica in 2011. Her story, Connections, was one of the runners-up for the 2006 Rauxa Prize, given annually to an erotic short story of “exceptional literary quality.”

She can be reached on her website at www.selenakitt.com

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5 stars
109 (18%)
4 stars
169 (29%)
3 stars
153 (26%)
2 stars
93 (16%)
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51 (8%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
Profile Image for Stacia (the 2010 club).
1,045 reviews4,102 followers
March 24, 2014
Adult review for erotic content. Trigger Warning : Dubious Consent.
"Aidon, are you trying to recapture your youth with nubile young virgins? What's next, a new red chariot?"

The first thing you should know : Surrender of Persephone is PwP (Porn Without Plot) erotica. Here's where I pull out my apples-to-apples genre rating comparison because I'm only rating this compared to other PwP, not other "stories" in general. Now, PwP doesn't necessarily mean that there is no plot at all; what it generally means is that there is a higher ratio of sex to plot than a normal romance or mainstream erotica. In the case of Surrender, I consider the book to be one long rolling sex scene with some cool mythology references thrown in. Even though the story itself is sparse, the author still brought her own unique spin on the Hades/Persephone tale. If you've read into the darker tones of the myth involving the kidnap and conquering of Persephone, then you might understand why the author chose to take her story down the BDSM path.
His eyes glowed in the dimness, and he had a small, satisfied smile on his face. "You like the struggle, don't you?"

Now, as far as PwP goes, it's no secret that if I'm in the mood for it, I'll generally pick up Selena Kitt. Why? Because I like the way she writes sex. This woman writes sex how it feels, smells, sounds, etc. taking the reader to a place where it's not hard to imagine being there in the story.

In true Kitt fashion, there's always going to be a scene or two that runs over-the-top. In this case, the story's very first sex scene starts with spoiled little Persephone frolicking and engaging in a very giggly threesome with Artemis and Athena, sure to please any man's barely legal lesbian fantasies.

They roll, tumble, twist their bodies in every position imaginable as three young, nubile young ladies get each other off over...and over...and over...

Yeah. I smile with amusement because it's kind of hot, in spite of how the girl-on-girl scenes in Kitt's books tend to run toward "oops, did I spill something on my see-through shirt?" kind of a blatant hook.

So I read through the "come on in!" intro and waited for the main event to happen - the appearance of Hades (translated to Aidon here) and his kidnapping of Persephone. Because that's when everything is going to change from giggly play to dark and dirty deeds.
"I will be the instrument of your greatest pain and pleasure."

Yep. That's where we're going. And clothing isn't optional - it's completely forbidden.

BECAUSE IT'S EASIER TO HAVE NON-STOP SEX IF YOU ARE NAKED ALL OF THE TIME.
The sound of his palm biting her flesh made a resounding slap and she bit her lip, trying not to cry out.

"I will be your sun...your moon...

Your day...your night..."

Persephone felt the impact vibrating through her.

"Your heaven...your hell..."

Sure, there were cheesy sex terms aplenty. But I forgive some of it with Kitt's writing because I like the overall result.

And for the glaring lack of plot, the mythology was surprisingly well-done. Each character's position and how they related to the Underworld was tied back to the actual mythology. The names weren't just thrown out there; each character was a fleshed-out representation of the god or being they were named after (well except for Athena and Artemis because they were just the barely-legal candy to get the party started).

And I LOVED that Hephastus was put to good use making epic sex toys. This was never covered during my read of Percy Jackson (it was a joke, people - don't freak out).

Do I have any Complaints? It's probably the usual one for books like these. I prefer my PwP to be shorter in length, if I'm going to read simply for titillation's (I can't even write this word without laughing) sake. It's always sort of strange to start a steamy read before bed, then find that you need to break and pick up the second half the next night. It's much more enjoyable if you can tackle the entire thing in one shot before drifting off to sleep and possibly some interesting dreams.
Profile Image for Danyelle.
388 reviews56 followers
January 16, 2020
OK I like my smutty reads and I can take a lot of smut but this was just too much. This was just smut with absolutely no plot line whatsoever and barely had any of the mythology that I love.DNF
Profile Image for Erin O'Riordan.
Author 44 books138 followers
February 28, 2013
Retells the Classical Greek myth of the virgin goddess of spring, Persephone, and her abduction by the god of the Underworld, Hades. In myth, Persephone grows into her role as queen of the Underworld to become a powerful and mysterious goddess. In Kitt's uncensored version, Persephone chafes at her mother Demeter's restrictiveness and dim view of males, both human and divine.

On her way to gather wild flowers for her mother's harvest festival, Persephone pauses to watch a mortal laborer bathe in a stream, entranced by his beauty. She gets sidetracked by the goddesses Artemis and Athena, "virgin" goddesses who are off-limits to males but more than happy to dally with other immortal women. Despite such pleasurable divine intervention, Persephone still wonders, "Will the ache between my thighs only be satisfied by a man?"

Up from the depths of the earth comes Hades, also known as Aidon. He lifts Persephone into his chariot and takes her to the eerily lovely splendor of his Underworld kingdom, the land of the dead. In his mind, this is a perfectly acceptable arranged marriage, a deal between Aidon and Persephone's father Zeus. Persephone feels a mixture of fear and attraction to the handsome, amber-eyed god. Slowly, he introduces her to a world of sensual delights balanced with controlled pain.

I'm not usually into the male dominant/female submissive genre, but I really enjoyed it, even if it was out of my usual comfort zone. Aidon dominates Persephone, and from Kitt's skillful writing, it is also abundantly clear he loves her. The couple comes to love one another and seem to be meant to be together. The sweetness balances the S&M themes.

'The Surrender of Persephone' is a highly enjoyable erotic romance. Pour yourself a nice cup of pomegranate tea and settle in for a good read.
Profile Image for Antonella.
4,137 reviews626 followers
February 5, 2018
It was really interesting twist to Greek myth of Persephone and Hades.
Very very kinky twist with elements of BDSM and F/F/F.
Fun read.
Profile Image for carol .
663 reviews148 followers
April 20, 2012
I loved this BDSM elaboration of an ancient Greek myth & legend. Selena Kitt has taken the legend of the god Hades AKA Aidon who captures goddess of spring Persephone and whisks her off to his underground world that he rules over. Kitt uses delightfully descriptive BDSM themed sex scenes for Aidon to seduce Persephone, bed her and wed her, making her Queen of the Underworld to reign and rule beside him but never to return to the earth's surface. This legend is brought to life, characters given personalities, sexual needs and desires fulfilled, whilst other myths and legends are interspersed and interwoven throughout to enrich the story with other vibrant characters, while still retaining there original essence. This novel incorporates a wide spectrum for example, the sexual games of the three virgin goddesses; to the distraught goddess Demeter whose loss and pain of her beloved daughter wreaks vengeance by enforcing winter and refusing the return of spring until she has her daughter safely returned. The English language used is good and the story well edited. I hovered between 4/5 stars but feel it's closer to 5 stars.
Profile Image for Becca.
521 reviews62 followers
June 8, 2012
This was a very clever erotic retelling of the Persephone myth. Although the story is based firmly in the magical world of gods and goddesses, the characters themselves are quite human in personality. I enjoyed watching Persephone grow from a self absorbed girl who is chafing at her mother's restrictions to a queen in her own right and able to make mature decisions and compromises.
Profile Image for Lynn Doty.
11 reviews16 followers
May 15, 2011
Before u roll your eyes...yes its an erotic novel. But, i went through a greek mythology stage and this stuck to facts and entertained me completely if i could give more than five stars i would!
259 reviews4 followers
February 20, 2021
It always amazes me how this author takes me away in a story. Her books are always very steamy, but they're more substantial than most smutty books. They tell a story of love with well developed characters. In this case, she retells mythology. It makes me want to reread myths again. Unfortunately they'll never be as satisfying as Kitt's tales.
Profile Image for LynnMarie.
856 reviews79 followers
October 5, 2010
Clare C’s Review

This was not the story of Persephone and Hades we learned in school. All the parts of the myth are there. Kitt does a great job of working in the details of related myths, and this novel is populated by the Underworld’s best supporting characters. One of the best things about myths is that the details are sketchy. This leaves a lot of room for a creative mind like Selena Kitt’s to fill them in.

Persephone, Sephie to her friends, is the Goddess of Spring. She is stolen away by Hades, Lord of the Underworld. In this novel, he goes by an older name, Aidon, which only his closest friends use. Freed from a life as the third in Artemis and Athena’s sex marathons, Sephie is introduced to the BDSM lifestyle as only a God can live it. She very quickly comes to love Aidon and the Underworld.

Her blissful bondage honeymoon is cut short by the influx of dead from the permanent winter wrought by her mother’s grief at losing her child. Demeter isn’t willing to bring back summer until she knows what happened to her precious, virginal daughter. (Though if she knew what Sephie was doing in the meadow with the other Goddesses, that ‘virgin’ designation would fly out the window.) We all know how it ends, and Sephie makes the best of her situation.

I liked this story. Kitt has a great writing style. Her characters are well-developed, realistic, and likeable. The sex scenes were hot. I recommend this to anyone looking to spice up those old myths.



4 Tea Cups!
Profile Image for Case.
283 reviews32 followers
December 27, 2016
It's book porn, not like the fun OMG I really love this book couldn't stop watching book porn. It's literally book porn. No plot and boring and the I did like wasn't too great either. But if you're looking for just a hot 200 pages full of pure sex that this is isn't all that bad of a choice . I got bored halfway in and I wasn't in the mood for what it had to offer. this kind of book can be done right if you read Alexa Riley's Breeding series the first one is Coach, which I highly recommend. That's definitely more of my type of style of this type of genre of book. This was just an underwhelming waste of my time
5 reviews
March 12, 2018
Boring and one dimensional. There is literally no build up to Hades and Persephone's relationship so there's no emotional element to their love making....well love making probably isn't the term I'd use. Stranger kidnaps her, immediate dubious consent sex and that's about it. Her relationship with the goddess Hecate had more depth. Persephone alternating between "Noooo!" "Yeeees!" "Nooooo!" "Yeeees!" during sex with Hades is unreadable. And so continues my search for a good Hades/Persephone romance.
22 reviews1 follower
January 16, 2022
I should have listened to the other reviews

Some PWP is satisfying, but this read like one of those badly written sex novels from the 80's. I get that it's 12 years old so of course standards have changed with the times, but there are so many other verbs that can be used besides "wiggling." There should be warnings somewhere-- forced sex, lack of consent, no safe word, no respect for boundaries, and a really unsatisfactory ending. Respectfully, I know so many amateur fanfic writers that have done better. Please don't waste your money, folks.
Profile Image for Talltree.
2,081 reviews25 followers
April 9, 2016
Erotic romance.
Bdsmy retake on the Hades Persephone legend, which I love! The mythology was done well and well researched. The H was delicious and clearly respected and loved the h and it was a pleasure the see the h grow from unsure sheltered girl to a wise strong queen who grew to love Aidon.
I could have done without the f/f/f scene at the beginning, but thats just a personal preference.
Anyone who liked the Persephone story and can handle bdsm will love this story!
Profile Image for Ashleigh.
184 reviews6 followers
September 15, 2016
I actually started reading a different book by this author but couldn't finish it for the same reasons a while back - only just realised it was the same author - (I picked this up on offer as Amazon recommended it to me-same as before ) again it was too full on too quick no character development which meant I had no interest of attachment to the characters or story and no interest at all in the sexy scenes. Sorry but not for me I'll be avoiding this author in future
Profile Image for Ashley.
62 reviews9 followers
July 21, 2013
Oh dear gods lol idk about this one . I'm sorry but i just did not feel the love. Literally i felt like sephie was a under-age girl and hades a old creepy god. None the less i read it to the end. And the part with the goddesses in the beginning was reallllyyy random and creepy lol and the ending with hermes wtf was that about !? lol idk
Profile Image for Julia.
79 reviews2 followers
January 25, 2018
This book just wasn't my cup of tea. I knew I was coming into a very erotic book but for some reason it was just too much for me in this one particularly. I did enjoy the non-sexual scenes but it was like every 4 pages they were having sex again. Could have been amazing but the sex just made the book exhausting.
Profile Image for Hel Gibbons.
94 reviews40 followers
October 11, 2014
This was horrible. I stuck it out through the 'Lovely Wholesome Lesbians Having Sexy Fun (but don't forget it's not reeeeeal sex!) scene but gave up after the first few scenes of squicky nonconsensual Shades-of-Gray-esque BDSM.
Profile Image for Dar.
4,538 reviews93 followers
December 24, 2016
This was really good, like, I expected very little, just a quick and sexy read, but it was so much more. I am completely impressed by the authenticity of the myth and characters, but adjusted to fit our sexy story
Profile Image for Rachel Clifton.
117 reviews3 followers
May 31, 2012
i was SO excited to read this and waited forever to get it! and now....eh i'm 1/2 way done and not interested in finishing it. High expectations, and low quality :(
608 reviews3 followers
January 11, 2020
Story was more about shock value that actually telling the myth. It gets away with it because of the history of the Greek gods, but overall this did nothing to enhance the story we already knew.
Profile Image for Ash.
46 reviews
April 13, 2025
I’m not anti-erotica, but this book gets a 1 star from me. Rewriting this myth as a BDSM romance was an interesting idea, but I found it VERY uncomfortable to read at the beginning due to the dubcon. I wish that Persephone’s character had been handled far differently. The author does try repeatedly throughout the book to change the context of the first meeting and reveal Persephone’s agency but it just falls flat to me. I think that the beginning scenes of Aidon and Persephone should’ve been handled far differently instead of trying to explain it away after the fact. And the ending ‘compromise’ made me a little sick to my stomach thinking of the continued dubcon implications. I knew to expect BDSM themes from the title, but there is a difference between consensual, safe, fun, enjoyable BDSM and what this book displayed.

And there is also the problem of inconsistent dialogue(at times far too modern), unbelievable characters (attitudes about situations/people changing in the blink of an eye), a world that feels as thin as paper (the only scenes we see are: a field, their bedroom, and a throne room), and an attempt at plot that should’ve been left on the cutting room floor (as mentioned by another reviewer, the ending scene with Hermes was extremely strange).

I know it’s ‘just’ erotica, but I think when there is such a focus on the sex, everything else - no matter how sparse it is - needs to be perfect for the reader to enjoy those scenes. Given how uncomfortable I was with the rest of the context of the book, I did not enjoy this read.
Profile Image for Hana.
14 reviews
April 29, 2022
It started really well, the sex scenes are 100% hot and not boring, AND THEY GET THEIR SEX TOYS FROM HEPHAESTUS. That really got me. XD

BUT I hate that Sephie gets her memory erased every time she leaves the underworld to be with her mother. Aidon will remember, it's only fair she does too. Even if it hurts. I think it will be more painful if she remember she forgot everything they went through, no?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Ezara.
194 reviews13 followers
April 11, 2020
Ok, fantasy and romance are right up my aisle, but this was beyond my normal. So just be warned this is beyond romance and more of the erotica genre.

It definitely has good characters, a little less of a story line. I love mythology and had a knowledge of the characters previously, otherwise a little more detail would have been helpful.

Still a very enjoyable read.
Profile Image for Maya De toro.
83 reviews3 followers
June 23, 2017
Selena Kitt's retelling of the Greek Mythology has its own spice and twists. This story comprises erotica, which I think some wouldn't like. Yet, the sensual scenes between the two lovers are what made this story worth it.
Profile Image for Michelle Grybowski.
117 reviews3 followers
February 20, 2017
Myths

Growing up, I always wondered if and now I want more. I really enjoyed this story. Can't wait for book two.
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