The Hades and Persephone myth is probably the one most often adapted in literature/film. My theory about this is that it's one of the few myths that have a sort of happy ending (and everyone loves a great antihero).

So, the elevator pitch for this book would be: if you like Hades/Persephone, this book is for you. Let me clarify some things, though. If what you like about the myth is the magic and the power of the gods, if you're looking for the concept of hell and a Styx filled with souls, or if you want an evil Hades reformed by his love for Persephone, then this book is not for you.

In this version, Olympus is a city ruled by the thirteen (Greek gods) and an evil wife-killing Zeus - can you imagine if Zeus just traded in Heras in the myths? The gods in this case are a mix between celebrities and politicians and some of them are elected, while others inherit the roles. So, no immortality and Demeter isn't the goddess of harvest, she's more like the head of the Department of Agriculture. There are implied magical elements - like some mysterious veil that makes crossing the river Styx painful or Hermes being able to project voices, but for the most part the characters are basically human.

I have mixed feelings about the book because I enjoyed the story but did not enjoy the narrators of the audiobook. I've listened to A LOT of audiobooks but this is the first romance (or primarily romance) book that I've listened to and now I know why that is. I loved that there were two narrators (for Hades' POV and Persephone's POV) but the Hades narrator's Persephone voice made her sound like a child and it creeped me out and the Persephone narrator slowed down all of Hades' lines which made him sound ridiculous. It's kind of hard to get into the story when the voices just pull you out.

However, I did really like the actual story and that's mostly because of the dynamic between Hades and Persephone. There are some really clear and open discussions between them and none of the whole miscommunication trope - which really bugs me because just freaking say what you mean, you know? Also, there is a lack of double standards in this book - which is not something I go looking for but I really liked finding it.

So, if what you like about the Hades/Persephone myth is their relationship (and you wished it was steamier), then this book is for you - although I recommend actually reading it rather than the audiobook.

(For anyone coming here after reading Katee Robert's Wicked Villains series: this is Hades is completely different. He's not as old or nearly as kinky as the owner of the Underworld club. The Dark Olympus Hades is basically the embodiment of "looks like he could kill you but is actually a cinnamon roll")

**I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**
I am not sure I have ever heard a better cast audiobook. There are a lot of narrators that I love but these two were perfectly suited to this book.
Kate always surpasses herself. Every time I have said “I don’t like _________ type of romance, she proves me wrong. I say I don’t like Mafia romances. Katee says “ here meet the O’Malley’s..”. I say “You cannot make villains sexy.” Katee says “here try my villains series.”
I know that her books are not just going to fog up my glasses, they are going to tell a compelling story that I can’t put down.
The Greek Gods always seemed so diabolical to me. Katee has taken them and spun them into a different version of our world. A world that is similar but not exactly our space. There are 13 main Gods & Godesses. The names are passed from parent to child, unless one dies without an heir. It’s a world full of glitz and ruthless behavior. Zeus is the most dangerous and he now has Persephone in his sights. Until she crosses the River Styxx and runs into Hades’ arms.
I loved this whole book. The push & pull of the attraction. The sex deal. The take on Hermès. The way that Hades takes care of his people. It was all absolute perfection. I cannot wait to see how Katee delivers up the rest of the 13. And I hope we get all 13.
I

Super sexy hades/Persephone retelling. Contains exhibitionism, dom!hades, brat!persephone, and super icky Zeus but who’s surprised? He’s always been icky.

I LOVED it. I got the audiobook through NetGalley and it took me a day and a half, I wouldn’t stop listening! Definitely need headphones, not something you want on the speaker in the living room.

Honesty I love Hades so much, He’s a consent KING. great aftercare.

Spoilers——

Guy falls in love first which is always my favorite trope—but Hades has always been a simp for Persephone so I wasn’t surprised.

Overall I loved the book. Great mix of plot and spice!

A hotter-than-sin mythology retelling! Neon Gods is filled with drama, angst, romance, intrigue, and enough heat that it should light the pages of your book on fire. Persephone will win you from the first moment, with her innocence and love for her sisters, she's torn between her freedom and family obligations. She has the biggest heart and is the perfect person to challenge Hades.

Hades...dear sweet heavens, that man is the epitome of everything I want in a book boyfriend: tough as nails, a born leader, protective of those he cares about, but as gentle as a teddy bear when it counts. I've never been drawn into a world as deeply as this one, and I never wanted this story to end. Katee Robert is a magical storyteller and is a one-click author for me every time!

Rating Scale
Overall: 3/5
Shock: 1/5
Angst: 2/5
Spice: 5/5

Themes:
~Urban fantasy with Persephone and Hades
~Super protective Male Main Character
~Voyeurism
~insta-love

Persephone is one of the darling daughters of Dimitriou and is known to the media as a polite girl living a lavish lifestyle. Presephone is willing to keep up the act and make her mother happy until she is able to start over outside of Olympus. All of those plans go out the window when Presephone’s mother arranges a marriage between Presephone and one of the Thirteen House’s most powerful and repugnant leader, Zeus. Presephone escapes across the River Styx into the waiting arms of Hades and strikes a deal with him, to avoid her death by marriage to Zeus. In order to act on his revenge against Zeus, Hades is willing to help her escape and show her the life on the other side of the Styx. They both don’t expect feelings to grow out of their bargain that could ultimately cause war within Olympus.

I am on a Katee Robert binge! I really love her writing and fast-paced romance books! The steamy scenes in her books are always so freaking good. I love these Hades and Presephone retellings where Hades is just a big softy. I am a sucker for a character that looks like they have a shield up on the outside but is really just a big teddy bear for the one they love.
Neon Gods has the female main character that I have been looking for! Lately, the female protagonists that I have read have been no different then the cookie cutter characters in other romance books. Presephone in Neon Gods was so well done. She’s feisty, knows what she wants, open to anything and loves deeply.

There is not much development within the plot or a lot of tension within the relationship between Hades and Presephone. Everything was just happening the second that they met. The story was also pretty predictable, but I still enjoyed it! The voices for Hades sometimes threw me off because he ended up sounding like a really old man to me. I always pictured him to be in his 30s but the way the voices sounded for him made him seem SO much older.

<i>ARC provided by NetGalley for an Honest Review</i>
4.5 Stars
Well hot damn this book took me by surprise. It was a whole lotta naughty and sugary sweetness in a loose retelling that I was just not expecting. The chemistry is off the charts immediately between Hades and Persephone. It takes no time for them to fall for one another and to propose a mutually benefiting agreement between them. On the run from Zeus, Persephone needs Hades and the two plan to use one another but get a whole lot more than they bargained for. I really appreciated how candid Persephone was, she kept taking Hades by surprise and it was awesome. Neither has troubles admitting their feelings, at least internally and that was a plot point I very pleased with. For lord of the Underworld, Hades was remarkably thoughtful and caring when it came to Persephone, such a contradiction to what one would assume. Of course once clothes start coming off there’s a whole other part of him waiting to dominate. I was not sure what to expect from this book and I really enjoyed it from start to end. The pacing was solid and with a mix of naughtiness and action, it made for an excellent read. Also I listened via audio and it took me a while to warm up to the focalization for Hades. I think it’s all being done by one person and started off a bit odd but I ended up enjoying it all regardless.

Update: I loved the audiobook! First time listens for narrator's: Zara Hampton-Brown and Alex Moorcock.

Wow! I think this is one of the best Hades and Persephone retellings out there that I have read! Honestly, they're dismal compared to Katee's story. The way how Hades and Persephone met, Katee had it so detailed I felt that I was there! I really also love this cover and it works for this series. I can't wait to see what happens next!

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.

This book is my EVERYTHING. *swoon* Also I need the next one in my face RIGHT NOW.

Did you ever go through a Greek myth retellings phase? Do you love super hot romances that are heavy on the kink with consent? THEN THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU!!

I can't get over how great this book is. And knowing the story of Hades and Persephone I kept waiting to see how certain elements would play out. LOVE IT. I can't even find words to express how much I love it. Also, I'm gonna need Hermes' story, thanks. And Callisto's. And... OK, I need all their stories.

The world building in this book is just so incredible. It's part paranormal romance, maybe? And part I'm not even sure what. Part retelling? I tell you what it is, PURE MAGIC. I love the dynamic between Persephone and Hades. They both bring out these beautiful facets of each other and I just love to see it. Also, I now need to go read everything Katee Robert has ever written.

Look, I'm sorry this review is mostly just me gushing about how great this book is without any actual details. It's so good that I finished it and I MOURNED that it was over, and kept picking up my Kindle expecting to be able to read more and return to this Dark Olympus and these characters I came to love. I, ah, might need to reread it again, even though I have about a billion books I haven't read that I should be reading first. It's just that good.

This is the first book in Katee Robert's Dark Olympus series, and can be read as a stand alone. That being said, I CANNOT WAIT for the next book, which is about Psyche and Eros.

As far as the narration for the audiobook goes... I'm not in love with either Zara Hampton-Brown or Alex Moorcock's narration. It's not terrible, it just doesn't match how I envisioned the characters. Alex Moorcock's voice is just too slow and lazy for how I picture rough, gruff Hades. I also HATED how he did Hermes' voice. Zara Hampton-Brown's voice matched better. Still, the pacing of their narration was pretty good,

Neon gods is a retelling of hades and Persephone. In this world the position of the gods is passed down through the generations. We have the classic 13 gods in the Greek pantheon but Hades has long been missing and everyone believes he is a myth.
The story begins with Persephone being forced into marriage with Zeus but she runs away and and is chased to the banks of the lower world, the supposed realm of Hades. And who does her rescuer happen to be but Hades of course. The two make a deal: Persephone wants hades to ruin her so Zeus will no longer want her, and Hades wants to use Persephone to enact his revenge on Zeus for killing his parents.

This is my new favourite katee Robert book by far. The relationship between hades and Persephone is magic. Their chemistry and banter is amazing and the development of both their physical and emotional relationship is perfect.
Cannot recommend enough.

Neon Gods by Katee Robert
Narrated by Zara Hampton-Brown, Alex Moorcock
Release date: June 1, 2021
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


First, both narrators were absolutely perfection. It is so upsetting when you love a book and the narrators just don't work. This was not the case with Neon Gods. Zara Hampton-Brown narrated Persephone's POV and Alex Moorcock narrated Hades' POV. Both did a wonderful job with the pacing as the story never felt too slow and had appropriate pauses. The dialogue between other characters were flawless with both narrators.

Oh my. Neon Gods is amazing. If you are an adult romance fantasy fan who loves retellings, particularly Hades and Persephone, you don’t want to miss this.

As the blurb states, “A modern retelling of Hades and Persephone that’s as sinful as it is sweet.” Katee Robert took the classic Hades and Persephone story and truly made it her own. Persephone is cunning, strong-willed, and is what Hades need to break down his walls. Hades was perfect. He was broody but once those walls came down, we were able to see his vulnerable and amazingly big heart. I truly was not expecting this from Hades’ character but the relationship development was everything that I need!

It was very steamy but the romance was perfect. The writing was wonderful and the character development made the book. This is the first Katee Robert book I’ve read and was not disappointed and can not wait to see the story continue. Neon Gods is a steamy, addictive, captivating page turner that you won’t want to put down.
**This a very steamy book. Fans of A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair will enjoy this.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca, Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Remember how I was so sad that I got rejected to read the ARC for Neon Gods?? Well, it turns out I was very young and naïve in February. Mostly because I got accepted to dive into the audiobook version of the ARC. So, in a way, I still got the ARC bitches and I was very excited to dive into this.

I'm also very happy to report that I will not be rioting after devouring this either. Hands down, this book was a page turner and I ate everything up. I absolutely loved, adored, and shipped whole heartedly Persephone and Hades. Oh, they were my two little cinnabuns and I loved all the sweet and sexy moments that they gave me.

Even though I wanted to throat punch Hades a couple of times because of his constant emotional whiplash. JUST TELL HER HOW YOU FEEL DAMMIT! I mean.. we all knew how you two felt about one another and everything. So it's very cute that you were trying to play a different game.

WE KNOW EVERYTHING HADES!

In the end, I patiently waited to dive into this book - I dove into it, loved it, and I want more. So much freaking more. Not even hesitating one bit for the second book. I'm here for it all. Please be amazing!

This is everything I wanted it to be! I’m a sucker for Hades and Persephone retellings and this is now one of my favorites. I’ve been a Katee Robert fan for a while and this one is top tier. A modern day Olympus where all the gods are essentially reincarnated periodically with some dark turmoil brewing amongst them. When Persephone is chosen to be Zeus’ next wife, Hera after the previous three were killed (...by him) she flees to the underworld. She strikes a deal with Hades to keep her safe there until she’s of age to gain access to her inheritance but of course she starts to fall for him. The trope of damaged, dark prince who will bow for no one except for his ray of sunshine is my favorite and this does it beautifully. So perfectly paced smutty Hades and Persephone? Yes, please. While this is definitely an adult romance with some solid smut, this is tamer than previous Robert books that I’ve read so this might be a really solid starting point if you wanted to get into her books. 5 stars. Would totally recommend.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 - my issues with this book are mostly those of taste so therefore I think it deserves to be rounded up

Ok, so I liked this! I know, I hated A Touch of Darkness and this is a similar story but it was much more successful for me. First of all, holy spicy batman! This was my very first Katee Robert book and the spice was VERRRRRY NICE! This book pulls no punches and gets straight to the point pretty quickly.

I'm not typically a romance reader but I've been starting to look for a lot more spice in my fantasy life so I thought this book would be a great crossover for me. I was a bit hesitant about the modernized retelling of Hades and Persephone since ATOD really did not come through for me.

Where Neon Gods succeeds is that the modernization is not quite as cheesy, it is a little bit, but it's a romance novel. That's what we signed up for!

In this retelling, the Gods are gods mostly in name and act more as an organized crime syndicate. They are not immortal, the figureheads are just replaced when they die. Their mythos is mostly wrapped up in the 'crime boss' they happen to be. (Hades rules Lower Olympus, Demeter manages the supply chain of food/agriculture, Hermes is a neutral messenger) While the lore in this book is not 100 percent accurate, you can see its hand at play.

Robert takes liberties with the lore surrounding Hades and Persephone, as one does with a retelling but it is much easier to get on board with the modernization since these are not the immortal gods that I am familiar with. Naturally, Hades is the misunderstood bad boy with a heart of gold and Persephone is not the virginal, innocent princess that she seems.

Overall this was a fun listen. I could have done with a bit more slow burn to the conflict but again, it's a romance novel with fantastical elements, not vice versa. If you want a spicy romance, with consensual S&M, exhibitionism, and a 'touch her and I'll kill you' trope this book is for you. For me, I think I'm still looking for a bit more from the story.

Wow, this was so good! I've been eager to read this and it did not disappoint. From the very beginning I was all in and I loved every minute of it. I so enjoyed how the author approached the retelling, making the Gods more human and setting it in present day with cell phones and social media.

Hades and Persephone have explosive chemistry and I rooted for them to be together. He's dark and mysterious and she's a sweet, strong woman who immediately burrows into his heart. Their bedroom scenes are incredibly hot and I couldn't get enough. I need to read more Hades/Persephone retellings because this pairing is fire.

The plot is fun and I enjoyed the side characters as well. I'm looking forward to learning more about the other gods and the underhanded politics that go on in Olympus. Read this book now!!

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the copy.

Neon Gods is essentially if the Greek Gods were mob bosses. Persephone has plans to leave Olympus for good but is ambushed by her mother who offered her to Zeus to become his new Hera. Horrified, she escapes and crosses the River Styx to get away, falling into the arms of Hades. The two make a deal that could fulfill Hades need for revenge and Persephone's wish for freedom.

I love books with mythology in them and this felt like a fresh new twist on it. The characters were different then I had imagined them to be, which felt refreshing. Hades being soft for her was exactly what I wanted and pulled on my heartstrings with his past. The care and emotion between the two was beautiful.

This is definitely an adult read. With explicit sex, sometimes involving kink, be sure to read any trigger warnings. If you like mythology, a kinky Hades, and a heart on her sleeves Persephone this is for you. The audiobook was very well done and Zara Hampton-Brown and Alex Moorcock did amazing jobs.

I received a copy of this audiobook free from NetGalley and Dreamscape Media in exchange for an honest review.

This was really hot, I loved how much consent played a role. I think if you love the dark, misunderstood, I’m-scary-in-public-but-really-sweet protagonist, think Rhysand from ACOTAR, that you’ll love these vibes. Persephone is totally willing to get what she wants, and Hades is determined to give it to her. 🔥🔥🔥

DNF at 40%. I am such a sucker for Hades and Persephone retellings, but this one just fell flat for me. I am all for dark fantasy and dark romances, but I didn't realize that this one leans so much more into erotica that I wanted. I am all for smut in books, but I don't really enjoy the BDSM role play and control that takes place between Persephone and Hades in this book. I know a lot of people that loved this one, but it's just not for me.

4.5
I understand the popularity of Hades and Persephone retellings in romance. My aversion to it lent itself to my fascination with the original tale and being horrified for Persephone.
The best way these retellings can be done is to present a very different type of Hades. Katee Robert has managed to write not one, but two very memorable and VERY different versions of Hades.
While I enjoy her Wicked Villains series, I admit Hades is not my favorite because he is so like his original tale counterpart for a modern version. It was almost eerie and frustrating which made this much more enjoyable with a Hades I could love and root for.
Hades and Persephone were such a loving and healthy relationship here which is not what you would expect from even a lot of contemporary romances lately. Katee Robert manages to have a dark and chaotic background but presents a healthy relationship at the core.
This book also has content I am not particularly a fan of but done in the best way. Exhibitionism gives me anxiety to just think about let alone read about and enjoy. However, as long as everyone watching is consenting I do not see a problem with it. It is when you have public sex where onlookers are not consenting that I do not enjoy reading at all.
I loved how much they checked in with one another. I loved how Hades would improvise and compromise with Persephone rather than feel like he had to just work with her to get her to that comfort zone. I hate reading BDSM books where the fear is supposed to drive the kink. BDSM is all about compromising and improvising so everyone is having a good time and you know, fucking enjoying themselves? Who would've thought huh. Also, Hermes? My heart.
I'm excited to read the next two books, I need to check who they are about.

I don't know how Katee Robert has been off my radar prior to Neon Gods, but I'll be reading everything she writes now. Neon Gods is one of the hottest books I've read in a long time. Audio performers can make or break even a great book, but the talent here was perfect (Alex Moorcock voice performance as Hades was off the charts sexy - my ear buds about melted every time he introduced a chapter with a growled "Hades".) Fans of Christine Feehan and especially Sherrilyn Kenyon will love this. And I cannot wait for the next book in the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for my ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I won't reiterate my review of the book itself, but this audiobook. Wowza. This does what an audiobook is meant to do, enhance the text. The subtle voice inflections, the pacing, just the narrators' voices, all of it made the story enjoyable on a reread. I knew what was coming and it was just so pleasure-filled.

Both narrators were excellent but I straight up screamed the moment the narrator for Hades started speaking and never stopped. Even before the scenes started becoming steamy he had me blushing. Whether this is the first time you read this book or a reread, this was so enjoyable. Read, listen, and enjoy.

ALL OF THE STARS, SWOONS, BLUSHES, AND STEAM