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

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A fierce, fresh and enormously fun YA fantasy re-imagining from a growing TikTok superstar. About This Edition ISBN: Girl, Goddess, Queen is a fantasy rom-com retelling that weaves the classic story with snarky banter, slow burn romance and a feminist slant that sees the legendary goddess discovering her agency, desires and inherent power. As a child, Persephone’s father asked her what she wanted. ‘The world’ was her reply. A good answer for a girl with the world quite literally at her feet. But to her father, Zeus, a wrathful god terrified of having his power usurped, it was the worst possible answer she could have given. Zeus sought to belittle his daughter, but jumping into hell gives Persephone the courage to finally stand up for herself. To say no, when she doesn’t want something. To be unafraid of taking ownership of her own life. Her journey of self-discovery is an empowering fist pump in the air, a massive FU in the face of her father and all the other gods who’d seek to keep her small and subdued. It’s a beautiful thing to read. I’ve not read a Hades and Persephone retelling before, but if they’re all as good as this, I will be! Persephone is incredible and proof that girls are so much more than just sunshine and flowers. There was no way she was going to be married off to some smug god more in love with himself than her.

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.These days, nearly every bookstore has one: a table of novels, their authors spanning gender, sexuality, race, and ability, with a small placard featuring some variation on “BookTok recommends”; “BookTok faves”; or “As seen on BookTok”. The commercial power of BookTok – the subcommunity of social media platform TikTok where readers recommend, review and joke […]

None of that today, Kore,’ Mother sighs again, a sound that has become so common that my name feels odd without it. As a self-confessed Hades and Persephone fan girl I knew I needed to get my grabby, Greek Myth-loving hands on a copy of this ASAP! It took awhile but I finally managed to win a copy in a giveaway (thanks again @imysbookshelf) and I’m glad to report that it lived up to all of my expectations. Then 'blooming' (get it 😉) into the Queen she was destined to be, growing into her power and owning her desires and needs unapologetically.Well,’ I feign consideration, the naïve little girl role I slip into for self-preservation. ‘If they did then no one would want to marry me. Maybe I would like that freedom.’ Persephone wasn't taken to hell: she jumped. There was no way she was going to be married off to some smug god more in love with himself than her. Now all she has to do is convince the Underworld's annoyingly sexy, arrogant and frankly rude ruler, Hades, to fall in line with her plan. A plan that will shake Mount Olympus to its very core. But consequences can be deadly, especially when you're already in hell . . . Too much was happening, honestly would’ve rather it been split into too books cause it felt cramped Of course. I’m going to find you a good match, and with an Olympian you’ll still be a part of this court. Besides, I don’t trust anyone under the rule of Poseidon to be the sort of man you marry.’

The pace was fast, the scenes cute and I found myself engaged in the will they - won't they shenanigans you'd expect from a romance book. So why 3*? The mythological aspects were so much fun and I loved the direction Bea took the story and the way she explored and unravelled so much of the awfulness of the original stories and individuals, whilst still holding onto their essence and inspiration. But you weren’t married when you had me.’ I furrow my eyebrows to really drive home my confusion. Remind me of how I was conceived, Mother. To escape an arranged, and possibly incestuous, marriage, Kore - repressed daughter of Zeus - escapes to the pits of hell. But seeking sanctuary with Hades - God of the Underworld - has unforeseen consequences and Kore discovers not only an unlikely alliance, but becomes the great Persephone, chaos bringer. I seem to be in the minority with this review but I didn’t really enjoy this book and I at times, found it quite dull. I adore a Hades and Persephone retelling and I have read my fair share of them in my time but this just felt a bit flat. I think the premise was there but the execution just didn’t work for me.Talking of these two MCs, they were a delight in their slow dance towards friendship and the even slower dance to more. Styx and Tempest were feisty side characters and I enjoyed the development of the underworld at the hands of Persephone and Hades. I feel like we got a lot of story but equally, there's so much potential here for more. I'm excited to see this will be a series. I considered his question, my mother’s nails digging deeper with every passing second that I remained wordless.

She spends the majority of the novel talking about how she doesn't want to get married and how she doesn't want a man to touch her. Again, that's fair, I'm all for body autonimity. But. She voices this on multiple occasion, takes offence at the slightest implication, at the first chance a man even looks in her direction - but then! she is utterly confused and hurt even that when she actually wants it, a man is scared she's gonna call r3pe on him. I mean girllll! How is he supposed to know you now want it if you don't explicitly consent? Or even better, how is he supposed to know when all she does is lie to everyone and be proud of it, but the first instance she doesn't get told something, she is outraged and threatens to burn the world down. Boys/men, if you ever read this, and find a woman who fits this description irl, do not walk, RUN! This is a huge red flag and Hades should have ran too. He deserved better.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 most definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a unique original spin on the story of Hades and Persephone. Demeter, are you sure you wish for such a tightly coiled look? The fashion now is much looser,’ Cyane asks from the doorway, the only space left with mother and I both crammed into my tiny bedroom. She is the nymph ordinarily entrusted with the important and arduous task of combing my hair and from the way she’s worrying at the edges of her own tightly-coiled curls, I assume she’s quietly livid mother has decided to interfere on such an important day as this. Mother’s face falls and she takes my hands in hers. ‘That’s not freedom,’ she says gently. ‘Men see a reputation as an invitation.’ 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.