Review: blew me away
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 15, 2013
After reading the first book in this series, I was eager to read this volume, and may I say that my expectations were not only met, they were exceeded.I absolutely LOVED the scene where Persephone stands up to her mother after Hades sees Minthe again for the first time in so long. I do admit, I have a soft spot for scenes where people are tearing someone a new one (maybe it's the troll in me) but these scenes are not easy to execute. However, Ms. Bevis executes it beautifully here as Persephone, now more confident and mature than the last book, confronts her mother about keeping the truth hidden and the way her mother has treated her.In this series, Aphrodite is not a old goddess, but a new one, and makes her first appearance in this book. It's fun to read what various authors do with mythology or fairytales when they decide to use it as a base for their stories, and what the author did with Aphrodite was surprising but not in a bad way.Hades and Persephone's relationship is also growing, and of course it is not without its difficulties. In ancient Greece, any history buff knows that this was an immensely patriarchial society, which is why in so many myths you have the girls being carried off or being forced into marriage or what not. However, this story is set in modern day, so Hades and Persephone do not have the constraints of ancient times to guide their relationship. And Hades certainly has grown with the times, unlike his brothers. He treats Persephone with respect and though he desires her greatly, he is also reluctant to act upon these desires, partly from his own experience, and partly Persephone's own youth and inexperience. Of course, he does manage to screw up and say something wrong here and there, but what person hasn't said something wrong? I feel that the author handled the development of their relationship deftly, and though I wanted the couple to just kiss and make up, I know that's not realistic. I hate it when books have the couple immediately resolving everything for a saccharine-sweet ending.If you've read the first book (and you should have if you're going to be reading this!) you will recall Persephone made a promise, and the rule regarding gods and their ability to lie, or what happens when they make a promise. That makes for some issues in this book (for the characters, not for the story itself) I have to admit, it would be nice if in real life, humans were bound by this same cosmic law that gods were, the world would be a much better place (aside the whole creative writing thing, you'll see what I mean when you read the book)Persephone also has to deal with other things, like the strain on her relationship with her best friend. Revelations from the first book and this one has cast certain things into a new light, and Persephone and Melissa have to deal with some ugly truths about their relationship, which I felt was handled just as realistically as what is going on between her and Hades.Of course, the relationships are not the sole focus in the book, as Zeus still presents a threat, and Persephone and her friends and family are still trying to figure out what Zeus is up to. Persephone also has to learn how to develop and manage her powers, and limitations, and deal with certain problems, such as the Reapers and Thanatos. This has kept me on my toes, wondering what Zeus is up to, and the ending of this book has left me screaming for more (oh my gosh, I didn't see THAT coming!!!) and I am more than thrilled to continue to book 3, 'The Iron Queen'The developments in this book are handled with a deft hand, whether it be plot, conflict, or various relationships, and that is not always easy to do, so I must give a kudos to the author for doing that. I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys the Hades and Persephone myth and wants to see a unique and creative retelling of the myth, but I would also recommend it to anyone who enjoys mythology and/or romance in general. A well-deserved 5 out of 5 stars.