I was skeptic about this being another Hades and Persphone telling, but I was thoroughly shocked. It was a great telling of them. It gave us plot and gave us spice. It gave us this amazing romance that kept me wanting more. The sass and stubbornness from Persphone was everything for me. I was extremely sad when I got to the end. The cliffhanger that I was left has me beyond excited for book two to continue on this journey!!!!

A Goddess of Spring and Shadows by Lena J. Castle is a book that you'll not forget soon. Such a good read! I recommend everyone to read this book as fast as they can because it's really good.

I honestly really liked this book. Hades and Persephone retellings are my favorite. The abuse scenes are really tough to read when you see how sweet Persephone is. But I also loved how this book really gave Persephone self worth, and how Hades works with her one on boundaries and building a healthy relationship.

Bringing in fae was a great idea and will amped the series up. Not only does it bring in another fantasy land that readers typically love, but it gives way to the author to be more creative than any other retellings. Well done!

1st POV (past) / 2 POVs / chapters length: medium / TW below

🪴King and Queen of the Underworld
🪴Fated mates
🪴"Fuck it" (iykyk)
🪴She's learning how to control her powers
🪴Olympus is utterly corrupted
🪴He falls first AND harder
🪴 Age gap (she's 23)

✨This is officially my new favorite HxP re-telling! The world-building is quite complex (it expands on the canonical lore, I suggest you have some basic knowledge of Greek mythology). It focuses on the beautiful Underworld and only visits the other realms quickly; therefore, it's not overwhelming. I love that we get a look at how Hades is killing/sentencing souls as well.

✨ The characters are full-rounded and distinct. I loved Hades and that he showed strength/dominance but was very gentle with Persephone in private and public. 🥹 They had me kicking my feet from the very beginning!! Persephone is hurt and broken but resilient and determined to escape her past by facing her fears. Her character growth was beautifully done and I admired her greatly.

✨The pacing was good. I feel like there were too many things happening but it wasn't overwhelming – just action-packed. I think that the author tried to put as much as possible in one book and some of the scenes could've been put in the sequel/deleted.
– The only thing I disliked was that there were a few scenes that were just cut off and insignificant. I feel like those would be great as bonus content but they didn't fit in the story. I'd rather have one longer scene than short snippets.

Trigger Warnings: murder, near-drowning, alcohol, PTSD (flashbacks), physical domestic violence incl. drugging and imprisonment (on page, mother – huge part of the story), souls that died by suicide (they're well taken care of 🫶🏻) ►►►► If you are triggered by sexual assault/domestic violence, skip the first 3 chapters and start with chapter 4 (more in GoodReads review)

"He wasn't just pleasuring me. He was worshipping me."

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any negative feedback is not meant as an insult to the author!

I absolutely loved the premise of this and I think it could do really freaking well if it was a tad bit more detailed and fleshed out. But nonetheless, this was a great story. I’m a sucker for anything Greek mythology and Hades and Persephone are some of my most favorite Gods

before we begin i just wanna say i like hades and persephone retellings alot so i am biased because this probably wldve been 1 star if i didnt like them so much.

so, i think the premise of this was interesting. the whole mix of faerie and gods was cool and well thought out. i liked their fae friends and thanatos so thats something!

moving on, i disliked persephone a lot in this one like she was really reckless and often did things without thinking it through and it frustrated me. hades was. hm. maybe its just me but i thought he was a little bit too possessive like always trying to control what she did which i didnt rly like. their whole relationship buildup was so random and abrupt like i dont like instalove/lust so thats me but i didnt enjoy how quickly they got together. i prefer slowburn so this is rly just a me problem but getting together within arnd 100 pages was wild to me

also they were arguing and then just randomly started doing it which was, again, abrupt. also who even is basile like i gather hes her guard and stuff but at the beginning persephone says she has had to put up with him for the last 6 months to get what she wants but what does she want??? we never get that answer.

the book had poor flow but the writing is good. i do think that other people would enjoy this but me personally i wish it was better. thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

Persephone wants to run away from her controlling mother. She is attracted to Hades but her mother threatens to unleash famine.

Lots of sexy scenes. Enjoy Persephone and Hades very much. A great match. Wonderful chemistry. Terrific romantic retelling.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

Unfortunately, I really did not like this book. It started with Persephone essentially being sexually assaulted, and by the time I had gotten 10 chapters in it hadn't improved. I'm sorry to say that I could not finish the book. I was not a fan of the prose and the way that the main character was treated. I wanted to like it so much but I did not. I appreciated that there were trigger warnings at the start of the book, at least, although it was jarring to open on that scene. Each sentence was short and abrupt, and I found myself skipping over a lot of the information given because there was just so much of it. I don't think this books is for me, and I unfortunately could not read any further. I'm thankful to be given the opportunity to read this book as an ARC and offer my honest opinion/review.

I'm sorry. I really wanted to love this book but I struggled. The writing was OK but I just found it felt like it had bits missing. The basics were there to be great it just didn't meet the mark.

I love Greek Mythology and have read various retellings over the years. This has all the fundamentals to be great it just didn't hot the spot for me personally

thank you Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and Netgalley for an ARC Kindle version of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

Hands down my favorite retelling of Hades and Persephone. I love their romance, I cried so she’s when he was able to finally touch her. The spice was amazing but the story was so much more than I expected!

I love how you didn’t make Zeus the antagonist which he always is. Making Demeter the bad guy was a touch of genius.

i'd like to preface this review with the fact i could probably read a book about hades and persephone going to walmart and id have a good time.

⭐️ 📈

i LOVED the writing. most all of it was literally so well described and i genuinely felt like i understood so well the environment.

i enter retellings knowing that the author may either follow the original myths relatively closely or they could stray far from that path. i truly enjoyed castle's spin on persephone, bc honestly, is everyone else not equally tired of zeus being EVERYONE'S DAD?

so the nexus stone is basically her father. i like the extra level of crazy/maliciousness this adds to demeter AND that persephone ends up being such an important piece in finding it.

the fae and including their realm was a cool twist, too.

🌶️ 📈



⭐️ 📉

who even was basille? demeter was drugging persephone, siphoning her magic but what even was basille getting out of this? were they together? it kind of seemed like it but then again maybe he was just a guard?

there were so many parts of persephones story i could relate to, but she was so strong to make and then execute her plan to leave basille or wherever she was only to BAM blood tie to another man. i kept hoping she'd get stronger but she just kept making dumbass decisions like the impulsive decision to do the trials. but like i said, i can relate.. persephone doesn't know who tf she is and her mom has royally screwed her up so at the same time i can't actually blame her there.

the "court" continuously pissed me off. i'm sure it was suppose to but i wanted to reach through the book and shake all of them like WHY DOES LITERALLY NO ONE ELSE OTHER THAN HADES AND PERSEPHONE CARE ABOUT THE TITANS? i mean they said they did but idk, their "meetings" were just like so short and empty and no one gave an actual shit. lol

🌶️ 📉

orgasms = energy? they were mates and i love love. i dont have any problem reading books with little emotion and lotta sex but it's hades and persephone and castle does well to explain their bond and love for each other; i would have rathered some of their incredible bond be used more instead of orgasms; especially when they're depleted.

also, why are we talking about our mom while we are fucking.

----

all of this to say that i still really enjoyed the book overall and i'll definitely be reading book two as soon as it's out!

thank you netgalley and victory publishing for the e-arc of this book!

4.25⭐️
4🌶️

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing for this e-arc

A Goddess of Spring and Shadows is a Hades and Persephone retelling with a mix of various other realms including Fae. After escaping her mother, Demeter, Persephone runs away to the Underworld, finding herself face to face with Hades. She will do anything to stay away forever from her mother, despite her mother’s attempts to get her back. Hades trains Persephone to become not only stronger physically, but with her magic that has been shunned away for so long.

There’s obviously quite a few stories out there that are Hades and Persephone. I actually did really enjoy A Goddess of Spring and Shadows. It’s face-paced, which I appreciate. And you don’t have to wait for 75% of the book for the spice and romance, because sometimes you do just need a book that delivers on the spice and plot.

I love the integration of the Fae realm in this, which is unique to any other Hades/Persephone books I’ve read. Kind of adds a different angle to the world. And just the concept of various realms in general opens up future books to explore them.

This ends on a cliffhanger but sets it up nicely for the next book. It may have been a bit predictable but only because it was the natural next step on the story. I would recommend this to readers who like Greek mythology stories but want to have a good amount of spice as well. I look forward to the next book in the series.

I love a good Hades and Persephone retelling and this one was good. Though Hades perceives himself as not a good man, he cares for Persephone and helps build up her confidence and self worth.

The author puts a bit of a twist on the mythology where she includes fae and magical items. While most of it works, however some of it, such as Persephone being born of stones was a little out there.

The book starts off with a sex scene, and while there's a lot more throughout the book, I do feel like some of them were a little unnecessary and took away from the plot. The idea of making Hades stronger through orgasms was a bit eye rolling. I ended up skipping the last few scenes.

The book does end on a cliffhanger so it will be interesting to see what the author does in the next book.

Thank you Victory Editing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have posted to Goodreads but will also post to Instagram on Nov 15 with a new release blurb as well.

To preface this point, I've read dozens of Hades/Persephone retellings, so I have a grasp on the subgenre. This book's premise had me really excited, but unfortunately, it just didn't deliver. I think if the author had done another pass of editing, it would have been better because there were a lot of plot holes and pacing issues that made it hard to stay in the story.

Firstly, I'd like to thank Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and Netgalley for an ARC Kindle version of this book, in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated.

Secondly, I'd like to offer a sincere apology—I was unable to finish this book. It’s the first time I’ve had a "did not finish" experience with an advance reader copy, and I genuinely feel bad about it. I spent hours trying to get through it, even attempting to read while working (I answer phones and am permitted to read while waiting for calls to come in), while cooking dinner, and even while soaking in a bath afterward, but no matter how hard I tried, I simply couldn’t get through it.

Here's the thing: The premise of the book truly intrigued me, and I was excited to dive into it. However, once I began reading, I found myself thinking I had missed key details. Sadly, I hadn’t—it seemed the answers to my questions just weren’t there, or at least weren’t explained clearly enough.

This sense of confusion persisted throughout the book, forcing me to frequently pause and try to make sense of things. I began again from the very start so many times I lost track. Eventually, I had to admit defeat and put the book down.

Here are some specific issues I encountered before giving up:

* Who exactly is Basile? The books opens on them having sex she's clearly not interested in, but we have no idea WHY she's having sex she's not interested in.? She says "he is a means to getting what I want," but an explanation of why and how is never really offered. I gather that perhaps he's a guard in her captivity and she's using sex to garner some leniency, but that's all conjecture on my part; it was never explicitly stated, nor was it explained why she had to put up with it for a duration of six months, or what her plan was once it came time to act.

* After gathering her things and making a dramatic exit, it’s still not clear where she’s headed. When she finds the portals, there's a brief mention in one sentence that her mother can't track her in the Underworld, but that’s all we get. There’s no further elaboration, and still no insight as to her ultimate goal, her course of next moves, or her plan to stay safe. Was the library mention here meant to suggest she had researched all this?

* When she meets Hades, he tells her vehemently that she can't be there, the biggest reason being that he doesn't need her mother up his ass. Persephone replies something like "please let me stay," (where I imagined she battered her eyelashes at him) and he capitulates. He just suddenly gives in, but he has no idea why she's there, or what's going on, at all. She doesn't tell him she ran away, or she was being treated horribly, or she's pissed off at her mother, or anything, and he's got good reasons her presence is an awful idea - but suddenly he's game to let her hang out? It feels too abrupt and nonsensical.

I also noticed a continuity error that further added to my frustration: in one scene, after strolling outside, Persephone is standing at a suspiciously tantalizing gate, whose magic she simply cannot ignore. It pulls her in to touch it; her willpower is non-existent, its call to her is so strong. Hades materializes and grabs her hand before she can make contact, jerks her away from the danger, and they trade some verbal barbs. He then lets go of her hand....and she falls on to her bed. She was just outside, and now they're in her bedroom? There was no transition, and it completely threw me off.

A few pages after this scene is where I stopped reading. I really hate that I stopped reading, but the missing plot details and confusing narrative made it too difficult to stay engaged.

Another distracting element of note was that, although this book is written in first-person perspective, and we expect first-person pronouns, there was an excessive use of "I".

"I pulled it back [her flaming blouse], draping it over a chair nearby. I retreated to the doorway, as the flames devoured the cushion. The sharp, bitter scent of smoke quickly filled the room. It curled into my nostrils. I resisted the urge to cough, but couldn't stop my eyes from watering."

This permeated the whole text, and gave the writing a stilted, list-like feel, that disrupted the flow of the story.

Over all, I don’t want to suggest that the author’s writing is without potential. There’s something here, and with more attention to plot clarity, character motivation, and pacing, I believe this story could really shine.

Again, I apologize for not being able to finish.

The tale of Hades and Persephone with Fae intertwined and it did not disappoint. Persephone leaves her extremely abusive mother Demeter who has physically tortured her throughout her whole life. Demeter has used her as a conduit/source to add to her power. One day Persephone has had enough of the abuse and runs to the underworld to hide from her mother. As predicted she runs into Hades her fated mate. Demeter has tantrum after tantrum to release titans and absorb more magic than any other god (including Zeus). It also comes out how Persephone was actually made and why she has no father which plays a very important part in this series. With the Fae's help, Persephone must overcome her mother and her claim to save the underworld by the one way possible.... Ends on Cliffhanger and subject of the next book.

Right when you open the book it starts with a hookup scene so I would definitely say this is an adult book. I honestly really liked this book. Hades and Persephone retellings are my favorite. The abuse scenes are really tough to read when you see how sweet Persephone is. But I also loved how this book really gave Persephone self worth, and how Hades works with her one on boundaries and building a healthy relationship.

BRINGING IN FAE was a great idea and will amped the series up. Not only does it bring in another fantasy land that readers typically love, but it gives way to the author to be more creative than any other retellings.

The romance scenes were OK, and kinda generic. I thought it was really gross that they were talking about her mother while they were hooking up at the courthouse at the end of the book. CRINGE

Spice 4/5

Tropes
Touch her and die
Close Proximity
Grumpy to Sunshine
Female Warrior

Triggers
Child Abuse
Trauma
Self Harm
Narcissist behavior
Gaslighting