Title: Persephone (The Daughter of Zeus #1)
Author: Kaitlin Bevis
Genre/s: Young Adult, Paranormal Fantasy, Mythology, Retelling
Synopsis:
There are worse things than death, worse people tooThe “talk” was bad enough, but how many teens get told that they’re a goddess? When her mom tells her, Persephone is sure her mother has lost her mind. It isn’t until Boreas, the god of winter, tries to abduct her that she realizes her mother was telling the truth. Hades rescues her, and in order to safely bring Persephone to the Underworld he marks her as his bride. But Boreas will stop at nothing to get Persephone. Despite her growing feelings for Hades, Persephone wants to return to the living realm. Persephone must find a way to defeat Boreas and reclaim her life.
My Thoughts:
Persephone by Kaitlin Bevis is a fun and entertaining retelling of the famous Greek myth story, The Rape of Persephone. Be prepared to see Hades and the Underworld to a whole new perspective.
Set in the modern day world, 16 year old Persephone was raised as a human by her mother Demeter. She doesn't know that she was a real goddess until a demi god attacked her. She can't handle the truth about her identity so she ran away and while she was alone and trying out her ability in the meadow, Boreas, God of Winter tried to froze her to death. But Hades came to her rescue, and to keep her safe, he claimed her as his wife and brought her to the Underworld. Persephone will have to learn what her abilities and responsibilities are, as a goddess and as queen of the Underworld, in order for her to defend not just herself but also the people she cared about.
Okay, some of you may know that I am a huge myth-geek, so when Kaitlin Bevis contacted me to review her book about a modern-day retelling of the story of Persephone, I immediately accepted it. (How can I not, it's myth-retelling!) And I'm glad I did because this was a really enjoyable read.
In the original story, Persephone was picking flowers with some nymph when Hades arrived and abducted her to be his wife. But in this story, Hades acts like the knight in shining armor that rescued her damsel in distress from freezing to death. And you know what, I think I like this better because at least for once, Hades is the hero. It's unique and refreshing to see him as the good guy, er, god.
Persephone was funny but she's quite shallow at times. But as the story progresses, she became more and more likable. I also like how stubborn she is because her decisions makes this book more interesting. I mean, where's the fun in having an obedient character who always do what she's told when you can have a stubborn one who doesn't live by the rules.
I like Hades a lot here. He's sensible, compassionate, caring and rational and he wanted to provide a good afterlife for all the the people in his realm. But he wasn't perfect if that's what you think. There were times where he would do something so un-Hades-like that it would make me question his consistency. But that doesn't make him any less appealing to me.
I like how Kaitlin merged Oreithyia and Boreas, and Orpheus story in here. It fits perfectly and it adds more awesome myth-related happenings in the story. I also like how she makes the other minor characters shine in their own way like Cassandra, Helen of Troy, Moirae, Charon and Thanatos. I am also amazed by how Kaitlin create her own version of the Underworld while still staying true to the original. If the Underworld is just like in this book, I don't think anyone would ever be scared to go there anymore.
Overall, Persephone was a really good read and I would recommend it to everyone who likes mythology and adventure.
My Rating
