Neon Gods by Katee Robert
Perception is everything if you want to stay in power in Olympus, unless you’re extremely powerful to begin with. Persephone is about to find out just how much power and control Zeus has now that she is to marry him. It’s a political marriage Persephone had no idea about, and now she’s fleeing the life that she knows because she’d rather find herself in the clutches of a myth than become the next dead Hera.
A friend gave me the second book in the series, so I figured I’d read the first book rather than starting with the book I was gifted. Told through rotating narrators, we follow Persephone and Hades starting shortly before they meet. One of the things I love about this retelling is that Persephone runs to Hades by choice rather than being abducted. Of course, that doesn’t stop other characters from spinning a story about her abduction. The drama!
The book sucked me in right away because I thought the way it takes Greek mythology and retells it is quite interesting. Rather than the characters being actual gods, some have inherited their political titles for generations while others earn it and wait to be selected. While all of the characters are human, they do possess some supernatural abilities, which keep things interesting. It was kind of weird to hear the most powerful players keep being referred to as the thirteen. I kind of wish there was another name to refer to the most powerful people in this society, though I understand why it’s easier to just call them the thirteen.
I was rather interested for the first half of the book and didn’t want to put it down. The characters and the fantasy setting are so interesting that I just wanted to learn more. Unfortunately, I wasn’t digging the romance, which is the main plot point. Persephone and Hades didn’t have much chemistry and much of what they were up to seemed like it was purely for the shock factor. As far as their romance goes, it seemed more like Persephone was enamored by the bad boy who wasn’t so bad while Hades was interested in the one person who wasn’t scared of him. I just wasn’t buying that they were falling in love.
That said, it is an interesting story with some great characters. I’m excited to see more of these characters as well as learn more about this universe. While none of the characters are gods, there are supernatural elements in play, and I’m interested in seeing how this plays out as we see more and more characters come to life. I can see why my friend is a big fan of the author.
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