Features:
- Mythology retelling taking place in the modern day
- Divine beings behaving badly
- All the spice
If you like your myths spicy, then The Maiden and The Unseen, a retelling of Hades and Persephone, might just be the book you are looking for. Their story unfolds in present day New York and things get steamy fast. Honestly, this wasn’t really the right book for me, but readers who like mostly spice with just enough plot to keep things moving will still probably have a great time with it.
Knows its audience and delivers
This book is marketed as erotica and boy does it deliver in this category. There’s a bit of pining and angst at the beginning, but it quickly evolves into a steamy, physical romance. I don’t generally read erotica, but I felt the author did a good job describing the MANY loving encounters really well and they kept things fresh and interesting. That being said, this book does not have a lot of substance in between these encounters. There are definitely some interesting ideas, but most are underdeveloped and more to add narrative flavoring to the romance. The story definitely has its merits, but I think that those looking to be truly immersed in a mythological retelling with some spice on the side will be disappointed in this read. All this is to say: it’s a fun time as long as you know what you are getting into.
Not the book for me?
I have many criticisms, but it’s hard to say how much of it is just a response to my inexperience with this type of book and how much of it more avid erotica readers would pick up on as well. Did I have a good time reading it? Sure, for the most part. Is it a stand out read for me? Not at all. I liked a lot of the ideas that the author puts forward for this retelling, but few are ever really developed. I think there is quite a bit of missed potential in small moments that could really make the characters feel more dynamic and ultimately bring greater chemistry to Hades and Persephone. It tries to add some stakes to the relationship, but that also falls a bit flat and I found I didn’t really care. There is definitely enough there if you are more into the physical relationship than the story itself. However, I tend to like a little more narrative.
Special thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Rowan Hill 