Persephone

Author: Kaitlin Bevis
Publisher: Musa Publishing
Genre: YA Paranormal
Released: July 5, 2012
Series: Daughters of Zeus #1
Source: ebook for review

There are worse things than death, worse people too. The "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.

Without exaggeration, this book had me hooked from the first page and didn't let go until I'd turned the last page! The writing style, the voice, of the whole book is so compelling, so engaging! The tone is witty and funny, as it takes an ancient myth and modernizes it. Having these ancient gods living and dealing with modern times is definitely interesting. The way Kaitlin has the personalities of the gods being "normalized" and correlating to real human personalities makes for interesting situations where, for example, Hades is dealing with shepherding the afterlives and souls but is also dealing with his relationship with Persephone and so reacts with very real annoyance, bickering, and ego. The grandiosity of the gods, though definitely still retained, becomes integrated into amusing and emotional situations. I love how Persephone's awkward attempt at a welcoming speech to the souls gets appropriated by Hades for his own speeches!

Besides for the personalities, the whole book is peppered with laugh-out-loud lines and twists. An example:

"Every god is blessed with better reflexes, and a touch more strength than the average human." He frowned. "It was a much more noticeable difference before humanity discovered vitamins."

In part, the tone of the book is tied to Persephone's unique voice and personality, as the story is told in her voice. She's witty, snarky, full of verve, and a little self-deprecating. She's also a normal teenager who hates the position she's been forced into, doesn't trust adults, and is trying to figure out who she actually is. But she's smart and loyal, brave, courageous and daring. She's not afraid of what's happening to her so much as she's angry at the bad guys and frustrated with her imprisonment. Aside from the obvious good qualities when she acts against her orders and puts herself in extremely dangerous situations, the little things endeared me to her also - the way she interacts with the souls in the Underworld on a daily basis.

And then there's Hades. Oh, sigh, Hades. He's obviously gorgeous, in a dark and dangerous kind of way. And he is dark and dangerous, as Persephone had expected him to be when she pictured him during Latin class. But as she learns, he's so much more. He's sometimes more of an angsty teenager than Persephone is, and he's thousands of years old! But he's compassionate and kind, sweet and protective. As he struggles with his emotions for Persephone, it affects her own growth as she begins to understand his motives. In general, even without the romantic aspect, the relationship between Persephone and Hades is great to witness, as two strong, stubborn characters come together and alternate between going head-to-head and having deep conversations in comfortable companionship.

In short - I love love love this series!