Lore Olympus : Volume 4

Lore Olympus #4

by Rachel Smythe

L’Olympe est officiellement en train de perdre pied : Menthé est violente envers Hadès, Héra et Zeus ont des problèmes de couple qui impactent tous les dieux et Arès débarque et ne trouve rien de mieux à faire que d’aller réveiller la colère de Perséphone… Au milieu de ce chaos, Hadès et Perséphone réussissent tout de même à se retrouver pour faire le point sur leur relation. Vont-ils enfin s’avouer leurs sentiments ? Apollon de son côté harcèle Perséphone et arrive enfin à se retrouver seul à seul avec elle : un affrontement difficile va se jouer. Perséphone va-t-elle en sortir indemne ?
Ce quatrième volume met l’accent sur les confrontations nécessaires et délicates qui régissent les relations et permet de nous montrer que les bons choix sont souvent les plus difficiles à faire. Hadès et Perséphone sauront-ils trouver leur voie ? L’interprétation ingénieuse de ce conte intemporel est devenue un classique moderne !

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Romance, Mythology, Comics, Retellings, Fiction

420 pages, Hardcover

First published June 6, 2023

About the author

Rachel Smythe | #1 New York Times Bestselling Author


Rachel Smythe is the creator of the Webtoon phenomenon Lore Olympus. Debuting on Webtoon Originals in 2018, Lore Olympus captured hearts and minds with its glamorous setting, razor-sharp comedic timing, complex characters in messy relationships, and above all else, its breathtakingly beautiful visuals. Rachel’s craftsmanship and storytelling have seen the series rise to greater and greater success, winning many industry awards, including an Eisner in 2022 & 2023 and an animation adaptation with Jim Henson Studios currently in development.

"IF EYES COULD EAT, LORE OLYMPUS WOULD BE A FEAST." —NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW

Reviews

[roosmarijn · Rating 3 out of 5]

welp.

reading 115 chapters of this in a day is absolutely an effective way to avoid being responsibe for once lol

[Melanie (meltotheany) · Rating 3 out of 5]

➽ Volume One ★★
➽ Volume Two ★★★
➽ Volume Three ★★★★

reading these bind ups physically has really been such a treat for me over the last year. the art is so beautiful and intriguing, the characters are endearing and finding ways into my heart, and i just really appreciate what this creator is doing with this project. yes, there is a romance that will obviously eventually happen, but this really is a series about abuse and all the different ways that can take shape and, in turn, shape people and their lives.

lastly, i feel like this fourth installment had a lot of extra greek mythos jokes and i really was obsessed (zeus swan and all). oh, and i still cant believe that hecate is my favorite of all the gods, but here we are.

cws from the author at the start of this book: physical + mental abuse, sexual trauma, + toxic relationships

other tw/cw i wrote down: trauma depiction, infidelity, anxiety, blood splatter implications, injury, hospital setting, brief mention of infertility.

♡ buddy read with Penny
✰ read for free on webtoon

blog | instagram | youtube | kofi | spotify | amazon

[Karla Martínez · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHAT THE FUUUUUUUUUUUUCK
amo absolutamente todo de esta novela gráfica.
Y QUE WEA ESE FINAL POR LA CHUCHA

[Warda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yeah, this series has my heart now.

With every instalment, my love for it grows. The romance, the character development, the journey Hades and Persephone are going on (individually and together), the story itself. So sweet and deliciously slow.

Pretty sure this is becoming a comfort series.

[Imme van Gorp · Rating 2 out of 5]

|| 2.0 stars ||

Pfft okay, I think I’m really over this now. The pacing is horrendous, and there’s literally no progression at all. Nothing seems to be moving forward.

I’m so sick and tired of Persephone’s “I need to stay a virgin” shtick, and I’m even more done with Hades’s “I’m gonna bottle up my feelings and just continue to be in a relationship with someone else” thing. This was all already pretty annoying at first, but the fact that it’s still happening? Yea, I’m bored.


'Lore Olympus' series:
Volume One - 3.0 stars
Volume Two - 4.0 stars
Volume Three - 3.0 stars
Volume Four - 2.0 stars
Volume Five - 1.5 stars

[s.penkevich [hiatus-will return-miss you all] · Rating 4 out of 5]

I shamelessly love this series that more or less amounts to a spicy soap opera starring the Greek gods in a modern, corporate world. I mean, how can you not?


This volume doesn’t push the story much but does bounce from joke to joke quite satisfyingly and continues to explore how much everyone just sort of…well sucks and fucks (each other over). There is a lot of Zeus being a terrible husband (he even admits it) and while I’m always rooting for Hades we get a lot of insight into why everyone warns Persephone away from him. This volume was worth it alone for the scene where Zeus, Poseidon and Hades disguise themselves as mortals for a “night on the town.” We also see Persephone trying to take control of her own destiny a bit more, having a lot of big decisions to make and dealing with a lot of fertility goddess issues. But I just want her and Hades to figure their shit out, c’mon guys get it together. So yea, another solid issue. Apollo continues to be a complete asshole, Hecate needs a LOT more page time, and while I’d like the plot to progress a little more at least the constant reiteration of everyone doing the wrong thing every time doesn’t get old. The art is still wonderful, with a lot of visual gags and, hey, you can see something really filthy check this


Sorry, couldn’t resist.
Anyways, Lore Olympus is so much fun and I’m not going to stop reading anytime soon.

[Monte Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have said it before, I am but a simple man. The art is pretty, the characters are compelling. I appreciate the chapters for what they are. It's like dipping back into episodes of a TV show that you grew up watching. Does some of the content feel like it functions as filler? Mayhaps it does, but I'm content and that's really all I want anytime I pick up one of these volumes.

[TrippyBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leave it to Lore Olympus to make me hate apollo and LIKE ares

[The Belladonna · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Man, this chick is unhinged..."

This series is freakin' adorable! I could so easily binge-read it. Each volume is like a lil hit of euphoric dopamine floating on a dreamy cotton candy cloud. I swear Goodreads, I really think the color palette of these graphic novels is an aphrodisiac. Hot damn! 🥰

Smythe, listen... the Hades/Persephone chase has gone on long enough. It's time to do the damn thang already. The pull of fate cannot be denied. You better deliver in the next volume!

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume more explicitly shows why those around Hades have questioned his motives with Persephone. It also shows that while he is working towards being a better man he is not quite there.

I’ve struggled a bit with Persephone's lack of agency. She’s been so passive in her story up until this point. Things happen TO her. This was the first volume where I felt she really started to take back control over her life and relationships and I am here for it.

There’s actual character development and growth happening over the course of this series which I wasn’t certain I would get out of a free Webtoon comic.

[Avani ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want this to never end

[Ashlee » libraryinthecountry · Rating 5 out of 5]

the physical edition isn’t out yet, but I read the WebToon this year, so I’m counting it 🤣

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of the same: Slow, soapy pacing. Way too many characters floating around, with some going unnamed. Good-looking folks bullying, crying and/or swooning.

Like me, you're obviously hooked for the long term or you never would have made it this far.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

yes yes i know its not out -i read it on webtoon ok??

i just have to say. i think persephone is so valid. iykyk. also, i would give up my firstborn to be friends with hermes and eros. throw thanatos into the mix. thats my squad right there.

[♡ Dakota ♡ (Sarcasm is my middle name) · Rating 5 out of 5]

It just keeps getting better and better. Five Stars.

[aylin ༊⋆˚࿔ ꒰ on hiatus 'till september :( .ᐟ ꒱ · Rating 4 out of 5]

⸺ 4.5 stars 🌼 ⟢
⤿ If you see me changing my pfp, beware: I've found a new obsession, and for the next month, this will be the first thing I think of in the morning and the last thing that comes to my mind before falling asleep. Simply put, shit got real. Abandon the ship immediately.

⟡ ⋮ ₊✎⋆. my thoughts ꒱

Rachel, Rachel, please, I'm begging. When I was kindly asking for a kiss scene, I didn't mean smooching Ares - the god of war - of all things, why do you keep doing this to me? This series is a prison, and I'm the fool who willingly entered the cage. Sigh. To my goodreads friends: don't worry, you don't have to reach your hand in between the bars to help, I'm sitting here happily. Almost like that one tik-tok video where a guy is being pinned against the wall by his girlfriend. We're both exactly where we want to be. Perhaps I suffer from subtle masochistic tendencies I'm not aware of. I would keep it in mind for a future appointment with my therapist. If I only had one!

Normally, I would've given volume four a full, five-star rating, just like the previous one, but no - I'm rebelling. No more five stars until my babies finally exchange saliva. I don't even have male reproductive organs, but even I finally understand what having 'blue balls' means at this point. One hundred and two chapters. I'm scratching the walls and dancing around the ceiling. Rachel (I'll keep calling you by your first name, because my desperation needs to be tangible). If my family weren't on vacation and the apartment wasn't empty, the exorcist would already be here. It's 1am at the time I'm writing this, I should be asleep, but no, I couldn't help myself, and the single episode I was supposed to read before bed turned into twenty. As I said, this series is a prison. I love it.

⸺ ⚠️ spoilers ahead ⟢
⤿ I'm serious, look away if you don't want spoilers.

So much stuff happened, I'm not even sure where to begin.

1.) Minthe slapped Hades during an argument. And this is not a funny point I'm trying to make. This shattered, utterly toxic mess of a girl actually had the audacity to physically abuse Hades because of a mess she made. If their relationship is a pile of wood, sitting quietly in the forest, rotting in clumps of fungus and moss, then I genuinely hope lightning strikes soon and makes everything catch on fire. We can't keep going like this. Witnessing this grotesque circus makes my head hurt.

2.) Apollo and Hades had a harsh altercation. Because, of course, volume four was a parade of bizarre audacity and both Apollo and Minthe are the main attractions of our zoo. I barely have a short moment to soothe my migraine before one comes up with something stupid again. And once one of them is done, the other takes the stage, causing even my own wrinkles to gain a pair of wrinkles on their own. Once again - lightning strike - is there anyone in the crowd carrying a particularly big fork I could slam into the nearest outlet? No? What a shame.

3.) Hades passed Hera's test. This is not a drill. I repeat, Hades passed Hera's test. He's officially approved by the goddess, which makes him eligible to court Persephone. Maybe life is worth living after all. The sheer, high-pitched squeal that left my throat when I finally saw that little piece of information can only be compared to a whale's mating sound. My cat ran away in fear.

4.) PERSEPHONE CONFESSED. No subtle touches, no ambiguous looks. My beautiful goddess of spring finally found the courage to admit she was flirting with Hades. Of course, even that didn't come without its perks; in fact, their relationship became even more complicated after this intimate moment, but there's no frustration on my part, surprisingly. I think she did the right thing, wanting to distance herself and refrain from participating in their 'emotional affair', until Hades comes to a definitive decision regarding his relationship with Minthe. I always knew Persephone had a big heart, but despite her gentle veil of immaturity and naivety, she's surprisingly mature.

5.) She also confronted Apollo. Fuck Apollo. Entitled piece of crap who thinks he's doing her a favor by proposing an official relationship, as if she wants to be anywhere near his purple, punchable face. The audacity to accuse Hades of manipulating her or suggesting their marriage wouldn't need to be happy as long as it would benefit them? Jail. She had the decency to be honest, to speak out loud about her disdain and fear towards him, and what she got in return was complete ignorance.

⟡ ⋮ overall ratings: ꒱

⸺ ꒰ঌ volume #1 ⋆ 3.25 ☆
⸺ ꒰ঌ volume #2 ⋆ 4 ☆
⸺ ꒰ঌ volume #3 ⋆ 5 ☆
⸺ ꒰ঌ volume #4 ⋆ 4.5 ☆

[Christy Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Volume 4 of Lore Olympus is fantastic. I have been reading the series on Webtoons and it’s nice to go back and revisit these early episodes. It puts a lot of the story into perspective. You can see the foreshadowing and the attention to detail Smythe puts into her story line. We get a few more hints that something bad has happened in Persephone’s past but we don’t yet know what it is. We see more of the history between Hades and Hera. The flashbacks are solid storytelling that shows more about who the characters are and why they act the way they do. I love the unique way Smythe blends current issues and the modern world with the myths of long ago. Persephone deals with a lot from the fallout of what happened with Apollo. The abusive relationship between Minthe and Hades is awful as well. The trigger warnings at the beginning are very important because these are very real problems and trauma. The details Smythe gives her characters - whether physical attributes, personality traits, or symbolic details - are beautifully rendered and make her characters more layered. The backstories are interesting. These episodes certainly make a reader want to know more about Persephone, the Six Traitors, Ares, Eros, Ampelus, Metis, Nyx, and so many more. She could easily give it all away but she does a slow reveal, which keeps a reader hooked. I love the playful sense of humor that balances the mysterious undertones and difficult subject matter. There are a few panels that always make me smile or even burst out laughing.

I do wonder about some parts of the overall story. The gossip is pretty strong on Mt. Olympus and at least a couple people know what Persephone really is (besides the goddess of spring). However, no one gossips about that. I suppose because those who know want to use it for their own designs. Semele was not how I imagined her. Her story is rather sad since she was tricked into asking to see Zeus in his godly form. She always seemed a tragic figure. Here, she’s a little kooky. I still have so many questions about how the Six Traitors took out Kronos because it’s important for later story lines.

I do love these books and I am excited to see volume five come out in a few months.

[Oscar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really good series!

[Yeganeh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vol.4-> chapter 76-102

One thing that I can quite put my finger on it as to why I don't like and why is it that way is that Personaly I don't really like how the author demonize Demeter or how they depicts Persephone. demeter is always portrayed as a very paranoid parent and her whole personality revolves around her daughter, which yes, I can understand but I just wish we could get more depth for her. she is very compelling imo and I think her role as a goddess of aggriculture and fertility is very important to the point that even zeus himself relies so much on that matter.

Demeter is a good mother in intention, but due to her own trauma and life experiences, she doesn't fulfill her role as a mother effectively. In the case of Persephone's abduction and this story Rape, it seems that despite everything we know about Persephone and Demeter, Persephone should still feel loyal to her mother and at least go to her after talking to eros. I understand that she escaped from Olympus and is afraid of Demeter because of how she treats her like a child, as if Persephone has done something wrong and her mother would punish her. However, Hera does so much more for Persephone than Demeter does, even after learning about the situation. Yes, it is part of Hera's power, and while Persephone and Demeter eventually reconcile, this whole situation could have been handled much better.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this story so much! The depiction of the Olympians is just amazing, and I can't stop giggling over bro-Poseidon and Zeus' never-ending need to get brunch! But Persephone is SO DARLING, and so is Hades, and the art is just stellar!

[Raymond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty quick & enjoyable reading. It’s the continuation from Volume 3. Loving the pace of the story & really liking the sense of humor. Looking forward to Volume 5.

[Aurora · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume felt so much more scandalous. But it a good way. As always, Smythe delivers with such a good storyline and characters that I love keeps me hooked. I love the Barnes and Noble exclusive cover for this one. It’s really stunning and I’m glad I got my hands on it.

I have to say this was so much more scandalous because for one- Hades and Hera. Didn’t see that one coming. And secondly Persephone and Ares. Really didn’t not see that one coming. Although Eros’ reaction to Persephone telling him that he “hooked up” with his dad was hilarious. Oh thirdly, Zeus and with his son’s girlfriend, Aphrodite. Oh Zeus, Hera doesn’t deserve you.

The mutual pinning in the book is off the rails. I love Hades and Persephone’s relationship and I’m just waiting for those to wake up and realize that they are meant to be. It’s frustrating, but a good frustrating. It’ll be worth it in the end.

“𝘑𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦, 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘢𝘪𝘷𝘦. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦.”

I loved seeing Persephone get a bit of back bone in this volume. I like seeing her stand up for herself and not just be the typical sweet bimbo. And most importantly, stand up against Apollo.

I actually like the introduction of Ares. I’m interested to see where his story is going to go.

Overall, I’m so deeply invested with this storyline. I can’t wait for October to roll around and I can get my hands on volume 5. I definitely recommend this series.

[MissBecka Gee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is soooo addictive!!!
I have now signed up for a Webtoon account because waiting for the next volume from the library sucks.

[Crystal's Bookish Life · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series so much

[Nayeli ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

❀❁❀ 5 stars ❀❁❀

"I didn't think I would ever have such a strong connection with another being."

Well, damn. What more can I say that I haven't already said in my other reviews?

Hades, my man. I'm in love with you. 🛐🫦

Persephone, my baby. I'm so proud of you! Finally you did it! 🥹💖

This has to be (so far) my favorite volume of the series. So much happened and my emotions were a constant roller coaster 📈📈📉📈📉📈📉📉📈📉📈 to be honest this is so good and I don't know how it keeps getting better.

I've found my new addiction! 🤓

[Mercedes | Andthatswhatsheread · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, this is going to become my personality for the rest of my life.

WHY CAN’T I STOP READING THIS. it’s fine. Dreaming about this is normal. It’s consumed me.

Waiting for more is pure torture.

READ THIS SERIES!!!!

[elea ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

i read 115 chapters of this in a day and let me tell you... IT WAS AMAZING, BEST DECISION I HAVE EVER MADE

[Christina Close · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again Lore Olympus never fails to be amazing. I just love watching the relationships between the characters grow.

Now I just need Persephone and Hades to get together.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this so much I can’t wait for volume 5

[Ayesha (Seokjin's Version) ☾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

okay fine I take back the 'throwing hands with Hades' thing. this is as adorable and fun as the rest of the volumes. I am still loving the story. I just think that I need to take a liiiitle break because reading straight 102 episodes of this was not a healthy choice.