Shadows and Vines - Reign of Goddesses 1
Formats: E-Book, Audio, Paperback, Hardback
Ages: 18+
Everything you know about the gods of Ancient Greece is a lie.
Zeus.
Hades.
Poseidon.
They do not exist as you’ve been told.
For centuries, Persephone, the true Ruler of the Underworld, has watched humanity destroy themselves and the world around them. Known for centuries as her alter ego, Hades, she has guarded the souls under her care, her only interaction outside of her realm as C.E.O. of the largest financial company in the world, Cerberus Financial. She is content with this, except a soul has called to her and her alone for thousands of years. One that she finds herself bound to in more ways than one.
Devon Aideonous was murdered, his killer unknown, his past as a mercenary haunting him in the afterlife. He is sent to the Underworld, but not as a soul meant to live out eternity there. He is something far more powerful, and the more he learns about his new power, the more secrets are uncovered from his past.
This is book one in the “Reign of Goddesses” series.
Reviews
This book was so different from other things I've read (and I read a lot). This is a gender bent, Greek mythology reimagining and I loved every page. I have read many Hades/Persephone retellings, and this one is close to the top of that list. In this telling Hades and Persephone are switched. Persephone is the god of the underworld who goes by the pseudonym Hades. She is drawn to a mortal soul for a long time. One day the fates send her to take care of a mortal who has passed that she needs to escort to the underworld. The mortal is the soul she has been drawn to, so she convinces him to eat some pomegranate seeds and become immortal and be tied to the underworld. This was a book that I devoured and couldn't wait to keep reading when I had to stop. I finished this book a few days ago and haven't been able to stop thinking about it.
I can't love and praise this book enough! I'm picky when it comes to Hades x Persephone retellings, especially where they remove certain aspects of who and what they are for the sake of plot device. This story did these ancient lovers justice while also showing how old gods in new forms love, support, and communicate with each other without feeling less than each other. I loved how old Myths were interwoven through the storyline, creating a new world that was so easy to fall into. The world building, immersion, and love story had me finishing this book within 24 hours. Onto the next sister, Amphitrite.
