Persephone (Daughters of Zeus, #1) in YAholics Anonymous!

Aug 07, 2013 Kimber Wheaton rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, ya

*I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*

If you've been following my reviews, you probably know about my love of fairy tales. Well you can extend that love to mythology, especially Greek mythology. The story of Persephone and Hades has always been one of my favorites. Finding a new, modern twist on that myth is exciting, and I couldn't wait to read it.

Persephone thinks she is an ordinary high school student, though she wonders if she's going crazy. She constantly fe *I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*

If you've been following my reviews, you probably know about my love of fairy tales. Well you can extend that love to mythology, especially Greek mythology. The story of Persephone and Hades has always been one of my favorites. Finding a new, modern twist on that myth is exciting, and I couldn't wait to read it.

Persephone thinks she is an ordinary high school student, though she wonders if she's going crazy. She constantly feels like someone is watching her, and sometimes hears someone whispering her name. The girls at school don't like her much, and the guys tend to act strange around her. When a strange man attacks her in her mother's flower shop, her mother reveals the shocking truth. Her mother is Demeter, the goddess of the harvest, and her father is Zeus. Thinking her mother insane, Persephone flees, only to be attacked by Boreas, the god of winter. Hades, god of the Underworld, comes to her rescue, taking her to safety in his domain.

Bevis writes Hades just as I've always pictured him: handsome with dark hair and blue eyes, compassionate, but with a ruthless streak that can be witnessed when it comes to those who cross him. In order to bring Persephone to his domain, he had to mark her as his bride which makes her the new queen of the Underworld. I enjoyed the way the romance unfolded between Hades and Persephone, it was fun to read.

The secondary characters in this book are great. Persephone has two friends in the Underworld: Cassandra, the seer cursed by Apollo so that mortals will never believe her prophesies, and Helen of Troy, the face that launched a thousand ships. Both characters are updated to fit into the modern world. Thanatos, the god of death, and Charon, the ferryman are also interesting characters. Charon was nothing like I always pictured, and yet I couldn't help liking his character.

I love the way Bevis pictures the Underworld. The imagery is fantastic. Honestly, I'm not sure I'd ever leave if I was Persephone. I found the idea of Asphodel Fields, the suburbs of the Underworld. The purest souls go to the Elysian Fields, the worst to Tartarus, and the rest to the Asphodel Fields. There the souls live in a town like Anytown, USA. I'm not quite sure how all the souls over the millennia fit there, but it's a nice idea nonetheless. I also adored the way Bevis wove different Greek mythological characters and names into the story. Persephone lives in Athens, Georgia, has a professor named Homer, and loves the rock band Orpheus (just a few, they're sprinkled throughout the story).

I highly recommend this book to everyone high school and up. If you like mythology, you'll love this sweet, romantic adaptation of the Persephone myth. I can't wait to read the next two books in the series: The Daughter of the Earth and Sky & The Iron Queen. ...more

2 likes · Like · see review