I had high hopes for this book and it started well. But then it turned into the most boring and predictable plot ever. The characters are boring with zero depth. This book also has nothing to do with Greek/Roman mythology whatsoever besides the characters being named after gods and goddesses.

⭐ 2.5/5

This book had an interesting premise—a Hades and Persephone retelling with fae elements—but it felt more like a collection of trendy tropes than a fully developed story. The pacing was rushed, making it hard to connect with the characters, and the romance moved way too fast to feel believable. The writing was also choppy, with abrupt transitions that made some scenes confusing.

It seemed to me like a lot of elements were added just to check boxes rather than to serve the story. While some readers might enjoy the mix of mythology and fantasy, it didn’t leave much of an impact.

As a Hades x Persephone connoisseur, this story was fine. The story dragged at times and the writing was lackluster at best. 0

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

As somebody who has recently gotten back into her Ancient Greece hyperfixation, I was very eager to get my hands on a Hades and Persephone retelling. Enter Lena J. Castle’s take on the popular mythology romance.

In this version of the classic story, Persephone has planned her escape from captivity on Olympus and to get out from under her mother’s control. Naive and ill-prepared she makes her way to the Underworld to seek sanctuary and immediately becomes wrapped up with Hades and his realm, whilst navigating the entire mythological universe and its leadership.

There are strengths and weaknesses to Castle’s writing. Her descriptive writing is immersive and lush. Her depictions of rooms and surrounding landscapes allow you to create the scene in your mind. However the overarching world-building for the story and character development felt very surface level and needed more attention. Additionally some scenes come across as unnecessary (especially in chapter one).

The information given to the reader only allows a vague idea of what was going on and how everything fits together… and it did not feel as though it was an intentional aspect of the author’s storytelling.

With nods to highly popular romantasy series (high fae, anyone?), the romance was quick, and the lust was swifter. With dual POV it was nice to see both perspectives, though more often than not, Hades’ chapters were rarely about when he was with Persephone. This book is for readers that like to read fast paced and easily digestible romance. If you are a high fantasy reader that’s used to a lot of depth and attention to details, this book may not be for you.

Despite the overall tone of my review I am eager to see how Castle develops from her debut as there is potential and I will read the next book when it becomes available.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of the ebook via Netgalley.

It is more like a 2,5 stars than 3)




I really like Persephone x Hades retellings. I will check out every book with this 'trope'. But i am not so sure about this one.

Insta-love or instant attraction are not my type. I would preffer to see like more yearning, slow burn, and maybe a good banter, because the thing with instant attraction/love is, the book gets boring after a while..
I was not so sure about Hades either. Persephone escaped her evil mother only to find herself bounded to 'just-a-little-better' man who wants to control her life (but hey, maybe she finds it better than living with her abusive mother).


Almost all the time i felt like i was missing something, like there were so many plot holes i didn't understand (but i think i didn't understand all of the characters either).





BUT i really think that there is a potential! It COULD be a good story - the author just need to fix some plot holes and give all of the characters more depth and backstory (like the mother is evil - but i would love to see more!).





Thank you to the author and Netgalley for a copy of book in exchange for a honest review.



alle the thoughts are my own

I’m a big fan of mythological retellings. This was fun and enjoyable to read although the pace felt a little rushed and I felt like I wanted more, like there was something a little bit missing?

Still a great read, would recommend especially as a summer easy read

I'm an enormous Greek mythology fan and will read basically any retelling that comes out but this one just didn't work for me, the story of Hades and Persephone has more to give.

Obsessed. Obsessed. Obsessed. This book was everything I had hoped it to be and then some. It was exciting, action packed, adventure filled, and allowed me to escape my reality which is exactly what every great book does. Absolutely loved it. Easily a 5 star read!

I’m very much a Hades and Persephone fan, I read almost every book I can find that has to do with them so I was excited when I read the synopsis of this one and realized it would follow their relationship. To be honest the progression of the story felt very rushed, and Hades and Persephone relationship felt a bit forced with the speed that it developed. I also saw a lot of references to Scarlett St, Clair’s A Touch of Darkness series in this book. There were scenes and scenarios that were almost identical to those that happened in her book which gave me pause. Persephone needing to learn about her powers because her mother kept her in the dark and having Hecate as a teacher, the garden in the underworld being an illusion created by Hades, it just felt too similar. All in all I did not finish this book because of the rushed feeling and the similarities I found to Scarlett St Claire’s novel, it just rubbed me the wrong way.

I always love a story of Hades and Persephone.

This one is slightly different than the others that I've read before as there's a little more of Hades' background involved but Persephone wasn't as much as a bada** that I prefer her to be. Yes she tries but Hades is always there to stop her from pushing too hard and protecting her where she should try.

Add a little heartbreak that he is not allowed to touch anyone. Ever since he became the King of the Underworld, his touch meant death to mortals. And excruciating pain to gods. But here comes Persephone, his mate, and the one person he is allowed to touch at last.

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me an opportunity to review this super interesting greek retelling!

Hades and persephone tale is my personal favourite and the book did justice to them. I like how the author has beautifully woven a retelling with fantasy elements. The chemistry between hades and persephone is great and felt genuine but felt a bit forced? But the ending of the book definitely makes us wait for the second book!
Eagerly awaiting for persephone 's journey

I love this view of Hades and Persephone. Escaping the rules and control of her mother, she's now with Hades in the underworld. They fight to be together, but there are bigger forces at work.

I do like a retelling and I think the book had everything to be good but I did feel it was a bit "more of the same" which is sad I really wanted to like it a lot more but some parts just seemed empty

I absolutely loved this retelling of the Hades and Persephone myth. The world-building was rich and intricate, weaving in layers of depth that kept me completely engrossed. The characters remained true to their traditional portrayals, yet the author infused them with fresh nuances that made them feel unique and compelling. I found myself racing through the pages, eager to uncover what twists awaited me. Now, I can't help but feel a buzz of excitement for what the next installment will bring!

This was all that I wanted in a Hades and Persephone retelling! Very well done. I loved it!! It gives me the same vibes as ACOTAR and the Games Gods Play!

I liked this story, but I feel like it could have been a bit better, because at times I found it to be lacking whether it was world building, character development or, at times, the dialogue (especially during the spicy scenes). I also would have liked the enemies to lovers part to be longer, and for Hades to be more mean, instead of being the nice guy from the beginning (almost).

Adding more worlds in order to introduce new races alongside the clasic, Greek mythology was a refreshing and pleasant idea, however, I would have liked to learn even more about them. The fact that the souls get to do stuff in the afterlife and even reunite with their loved ones without losing their memories was sweet, just like the special place for people who decided they didn't want to live anymore, where they can finally get the help they needed.

Personally, I enjoyed this book and while I already read quite a few retellings of their story, this one has enough unique elements to make it worth a try.

Goddess of Spring and Shadows is a Hades and Persephone retelling that did not follow the same premise of most retelling that I've read in this story it revolves more around the idea of everybody had magic and in my option had a darker aspect to the story as a whole. What I did love about this book is that Hades and Persephone never fails to make me swoon with their relationship! The dynamic between these two was everything but the conflict that happens in this book had my jaw dropped and I cant wait for the sequel. This book has everything, fighting, magic, a powerful love story. If you need a Hades and Persephone that has your jaw dropped at every other chapter this book is for you.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. I typically love Hades/Persephone retellings, but there is a lack of character development (individual and relationships) and world-building. When reading, the characters were not engaging and not much storytelling. The characters were not particularly likable and the writing style felt more like it was talking at you like a nonfiction.

This just felt like rework of "A Touch of Darkness" by Scarlett St. Clair which was is not the best writing/storytelling either.