Girl, Goddess, Queen: A Hades and Persephone fantasy romance from a growing TikTok superstar

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I am on the edge with anticipation for the second book as this ending was somewhat of a cliffhanger. The ending is bittersweet, but I won't be spoiling it ;) I read this book as part of a readalong and had so much fun discussing each chapter and sharing quotes. We received a plantable bookmark with this book and I'm excited to see which plant will grow. :) They gather round, tell me the worst things I’ve ever heard in my life and then give me tips for staying safe. ‘Don’t wear a gown if you have to travel,’ from Aphrodite, ‘disguise yourself as a man if you can and at the very least travel as part of a group.’ Or Athena patting my head, telling me the places to hit a man to break free of him if, god forbid, one ever made it onto the island and took me away. Hestia wasn’t much older than me and would harp on about how it was always safest to stay at home – though admittedly, as goddess of the hearth, I assumed she’d say as much – but if I ever found myself stranded I should march straight to the nearest palace or estate and request Xenia, a bond of hospitality of her own creation that would make them unable to hurt me without consequence. They could still hurt me, of course, but there would be consequences for it. Before Xenia men could do whatever they liked if you were foolish enough to be unprepared for their advances. With a title like that, expectations were high, and fortunately, Bea Fitzgerald didn't disappoint. Also, this retelling gives new meaning to the expression : Hot as Hades ;)

Still, there’s something about hearing it on a day like today that pulls at a chord in my chest. I’m still disappointing her, even when I’m agreeing to the biggest thing she’s ever asked of me. I know my mother will never understand because what it comes down to is this: safety isn’t enough for me. I’d rather perish, rather be another tragic tale for a mother to use in warning than become a long drawn out sigh in a hymn, an immortal life spent in misery. What a fresh take on the Hades and Persephone myth. Gone is the dark, broody, night-club-owner/gambler Hades, and here is the new and artistically inclined god of the dead. I adored how fearless Fitzgerald was in creating a whole new profile for Hades and think she succeeded in bringing him to life in such a believable way. As for Persephone, we really saw a woman find her footing in HER realm - the fact the underworld also belonged to her in key to that statement. Where we are used to seeing Persephone fill in the gaps of the Underworld for Hades, THIS Persephone created new lands, reorganised her court and stepped into her public facing political role with effortless flair. None of that today, Kore,’ Mother sighs again, a sound that has become so common that my name feels odd without it.A fierce, fresh and enormously fun YA fantasy re-imagining from a growing TikTok superstar. About This Edition ISBN: I had such a fun time with this book. If you enjoyed Lore Olympus, this would be the perfect read for you! It's equal parts rom-com and fantasy while effortlessly weaving in Greek mythology elements and characters.

I think this book was supposed to be about female empowerment and all the 'down with the patriarchy' sort of things, but I personally just find it hard to relate to problems such as having men lining up to court me, let alone men who are so gorgoeus, no beauty as such existed before. Maybe I'm just ugly or not a goddess or both, but really, that's her biggest problem??? Sadly, this will probably end up being a forgotten read as ai dont see it being that memorable or standing out to me in the future Too much was happening, honestly would’ve rather it been split into too books cause it felt cramped Yes,’ she snaps, mirroring the vitriol in my own voice. ‘By the Fates, Kore, I didn’t design this system, so stop blaming me for it. If I have to arrange a marriage to keep you safe then I will.’ I wanted to turn to my mother, to see if I’d answered correctly, but her hands held me in place, though her nails were less piercing.Persephone has way too much 'candy' in narrative terms and the plot does not offer her enough hardship to compensate. It has been wonderful to see the increasing wealth of retellings, especially the diversity in stories from other cultures including Chinese, Indian, Middle Eastern, Korean and Japanese,” she adds. “I believe we are far from a saturation point, if it even exists. There is so much possibility, particularly for diverse retellings, those based on stories that might be lesser known beyond their country but hold as much magic and wonder.” This is story first, political issues second which is the way it always ought to be done. However it's also a pretty intelligent look at power, the desire for it and what it costs to be truly free. Thousands of years ago, the gods told a lie: how Persephone was a pawn in the politics of other gods. How Hades kidnapped Persephone to be his bride. How her mother, Demeter, was so distraught she caused the Earth to start dying.

Personally, the most interesting part of the book for me was the reasoning as to why she had to split her time between the earth and the underworld (but I shan’t spoil what it is :P). Bring[s] to life timeless gods, the complex intimacy of family bonds, a fierce protagonist, and a passionate slow-burn romance." Sue Lynn Tan, Sunday Times bestselling author of Daughter of the Moon Goddess.Persephone (ugh I felt so bad for Hades at one point, I thought this man might jump in the Styx or something) Okay,’ I say, not wanting to continue this conversation and cursing myself for even bringing it up. ‘Can I go see my friends now? Before Father gets here?’ Much of that filler is just repetitive and appalling dialogue. Ie exposition heavy, circular, not really communicating anything, clearly there because the author wants to use a certain line. It was also clunky with phrases you'd expect to see on a modern teen drama or TikTok which considering the context was very jarring. You really can say more and far more meaningfully with less dialogue.