Electric Idol (Dark Olympus, #2) by Katee Robert Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my reviews of Stone Heart and Neon Gods on my blog, now!

I feel like I am purposefully putting myself in situations where I expect to have my expectations changed and yet I am constantly disappointed again and again. The concept of these books are great, but the execution just simply is not there and often feels as though they are marketed as dark romances, there really is no "dark" aspect to them - they would be better marketed as erotic romances. Eros and Psyche's unintentional relationship spurs from necessity over anything else, and while I am truly a sucker for a marriage of convenience trope, this felt lackluster in both romance and in general plot development. There were a few moments where I thought it was going to turn around and be an improvement to Neon Gods, but unfortunately it never made it that far.

Psyche as a character is definitely endearing and you want to root for her as the reader - she is kind and just wants to move through life without thinking too much about what other people think about her. She has an aura surrounding her that makes those around her not harness any ill-will, but that soon changes once her mother sets her eyes on making an arrangement for Psyche that she wants no business with. Desperate to dodge a potential suitor, Psyche finds herself in the warpath of one of the Thirteen who does not hold back.

The spicy scenes were just mediocre at best - there was not anything in there that I have not seen before, and to be perfectly honest, I have read young adult romances that have been raunchier than what this book contains. Once again, I was looking for an improvement to the previous installment, and was let down more than I anticipated. Considering this book has "Unspeakably hot" as the tagline on the cover, you would have thought it was have blown me away. Honestly, the scenes were few and far in between with the plot taking the main focus over spice - in some scenarios, I would have welcomed that, but in this case, I wanted to be left speechless. Instead, I was left speechless at the fact that I wasted time reading this book.

Eros' characterization would be the highlight of this book - he is a "bad boy player" that is now thrust into a marriage of convenience of his own doing. He suddenly cannot do the one thing he has always done - killing - and thinks that a marriage to Psyche will shield her from Aphrodite's wrath. I wish he was more of a mystery in the beginning of the book - it felt too obvious that he would fall for Psyche in a matter of weeks which ruined the illusion that he would become this reformed bad boy killer to a lover man.

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Neon Gods (Dark Olympus, #1) by Katee Robert Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my review of Stone Heart on my blog, now!

In an attempt to continue on with series that I have not seen through, Neon Gods finally had me intrigued enough to crack it open. I honestly do not know what I was expecting, especially since I was well aware these are interconnected stand alones, but good lord why does it feel like this series literally makes no sense. The world-building should be much more concise, considering you do not need to read the prequel novella in order to read the series. I just cannot seem to be fine with hearing Greek gods talk about trust funds, jobs, and the mortal world. I still find it odd that people can "become" one of the Thirteen and that they are just not set in stone like the original mythology calls for.

Persephone, girl... I need you to LOCK IN and fight back against your mother. The woman set you up with a known wife killer and you do not seem to be nearly as angry as any rational person would be. Totally understandable response to high tail it out of that situation because your life definitely depended on it, but perhaps you should be more vocal about your displeasure towards her. I am glad that her sisters sided with her and did not try to make her see that marriage through. She spends nearly the entire book just going on and on regarding how she just needs to make it to her next birthday so she can get her trust fund and leave... like girl I think you have much bigger problems than just leaving home to deal with.

Hades is broody and moody and honestly a more refreshing take on him than what I have seen in other retellings. He is honestly the most rational of everyone in this book and actually thinks about his actions before doing anything, which is more than what I can say for the rest of the characters. However, it still feels as though the author was holding back on expanding on who he was as a character. Sure, we get his background in bits and pieces throughout the book, but there was never a point where I felt as though I knew his character in its entirety. I would have loved to see some more fleshed out chapters focusing on him rather than reading about Persephone begging him for a thousand sexual favors at every waking moment.

This is some of the worst dialogue I have ever read. I literally wish I could wash my eyes out after reading the nonsense that Persephone would say to Hades. You are an adult, please, for the love of god, speak like one!! The writing honestly feels juvenile, which is strange considering the subject matter is anything but so. Do not even get me started on the smut... it was below average and read like a bad nightmare. The author attempts to dive into a BDSM aspect but falls so incredibly flat it becomes unbearable at times. I totally understand that this series is just "dark romance with Greek mythology" but I fear it does not even resemble the structure of a dark romance novel.

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Heavenly Bodies (Heavenly Bodies, #1) by Imani Erriu Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

I remember seeing blurbs for this book on TikTok ages ago and adding it to my TBR shelf because it intrigued me so much. Three and a half years later, I should have known that my memories of the blurbs may have combined with other blurbs I have seen over the years. Looking back at my track record with TikTok recommendations, I should have known that I did not have a good chance of finding my next favorite romantasy series. The premise of the series is well-intended and I love the aspect of incorporating Greek mythology into the world, but I felt as though the plot lacked some serious development and character arcs that could have pushed this over from a "sure, read it" to a "definitely need to read" when it comes to recommendations.

Elara's journey was certainly the most gripping aspect of this book - I could very much get a sense that her character development was more thought out compared to the other characters. Yes, she is the female lead, but I am still a firm believer that all characters should be treated equally when it comes to development, especially when the majority of side characters were playing some part in aiding her and Enzo on their quest. That being said, watching Elara's development was refreshing in the sense that she was able to acknowledge her own disadvantages and was able to open up about past experiences that lead her to making certain choices. I felt like she was written slightly more "modern" compared to other characters - at one point she notes while reading a book that she "hates when the female characters lose their powers in the end" - and I could not agree more - but it did feel slightly out of scope for the setting of the book.

Enzo is much more mysterious, and he has that brooding, reluctant aura that tends to draw readers in. I enjoyed that he had this guarded exterior when Elara came along - he did not trust her, and while we knew her intensions were well-intended, she was keeping a few secrets, so it was fair that he did not immediately become vulnerable around her. His personality throughout the book was the one with the most depth in my opinion - he became more intriguing to me than Elara as his actions and development definitely captured me while reading. Elara's development was definitely up there, but there was just something missing in her story that was not pushing me over the line from enjoying her to rooting for her.

While this is not what I expected from this book - was I expecting greatness? No, but I was expecting a much more intricate story with well-developed lore. I did appreciate the guide in the beginning of the book that detailed pronunciation and the basics of who everyone was, but I typically prefer for that to be worked into the story rather than just information being provided to the reader. I will likely continue on with this series to see it through and can only hope that the storytelling improves with the next installment.

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Fruit of the Dead by Rachel Lyon Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

I was in desperate need of a lit fic to push me out of my romance-induced binge, and what better way to do a 180 and throw myself into a modern day Persephone and Demeter retelling. As a sucker for anything involving Greek mythology and a girl in her twenties who is drawn to literary fiction like a moth to a flame, this book has been on my TBR for a hot minute. When camp counselor Cory catches the eye of pharmaceutical mogul Rolo, a single father of one of her campers, she is whisked away to a private island to be his private nanny. As she continues to butt heads with her mother, the book switches perspectives between the mother daughter duo as they embark on separate journeys and explores varying degrees of consumerism, desire, and control.

It is so intriguing - and often disorienting - to see Cory slowly succumb to the draw of Rolo's charm and enticing nature as she becomes more integrated into the luxurious island. As her time there progresses and her use of Rolo's pharmaceuticals steadily increases, Cory begins to question the intentions of her charming host while convincing herself that she remains in control of her decisions and actions. Surrounded by Rolo's workers and influenced by their clique-like behavior, Cory seemingly begins to want to repair her relationship with her mother with the simple step of reaching out to her.

Cory's mother, Emer, is an ambitious head of an agricultural NGO and desperate to locate her teenage daughter that has seemingly disappeared from her camp counselor job into thin air. As she attempts to contact her, she is bombarded with questions regarding the status of rice growth and inquiries on how much longer investors will have to wait. Torn between her business and her child, Emer's life is disrupted as she abandons all and embarks on a search for Cory, no matter the cost to her reputation.

It was incredibly intriguing to see Rolo's characterization develop as Cory spent more time on the island and taking Fruit of the Dead - he becomes more alluring while also showing increasing signs of agitation and sporadic decision making. When he first appears to Cory, he is showcased as a god-like man with incredible draw, and yet we see this persona slip and form into a controlling man with tunnel vision. Cory's presence on the island continues to influence her own decision making and she becomes part of Rolo and his children's lives. Those around Rolo, including a mildly disgruntled ex-wife, seem to send warning signals to Cory every chance they get, but with infatuation blinding her and Fruit of the Dead muddling her mind, she stuck in island set on keeping her unaware of her surrounding.

Lyon does an impeccable job at incorporating myth and modern together. Her writing style abandons quotation marks in conversation - not one of my favorite stylistic choices, but I do say it worked well as it causes confusion for both the reader and the characters. Your brain begins to feel muddled and you are going back to past paragraphs to confirm you did not miss anything. Readers are left spiraling down the rabbit hole along with Cory as she is entangled in some serious fixation with a life of luxury with Rolo. I had a great time reading this disorienting exploration of capitalistic greed, carnal desire, and familial bonds - as a lover of Greek mythology, Lyon hits the nail on the head with this vivid retelling.

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A Touch of Darkness (Hades x Persephone Saga, #1) by Scarlett St. Clair Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

A little over three years later and I finally decided to succumb to this book. I love a Hades and Persephone retelling, and I was excited to see how the author would take the myth and turn it into her own in the modern world. I was pleased that there were no pop culture references, because they are definitely one of my major pet peeves in modern retellings. The author was able to create original references for the world that played into the mythology side of the retelling, and created a world within itself.

Persephone is basically undercover as a typical mortal journalist, as she is unable to create growth -- every flower she touches tends to die. After entering an exclusive club, she finds herself making a deal with Hades himself, and enters a contract that would result in her staying with him forever, unless she is able to create life in the Underworld. Personally if I was her, and had a history of turning flowers to dust, I would have tried a little harder to change the bet, but alas she really did not have the room to argue.

The beginning of this book took me a minute to get into, I don't know if I just was not in the right mindset to dive into this as much as I wanted, but it eventually picked up and I was able to get into the groove of things. I did find myself begging Persephone to use some common sense and that big brain of hers a decent amount of times -- she was constantly thinking of doing the right thing, which is a definite pro for her, but she was skipping steps and not thinking of more than one possibility when carrying out her plans. She certainly was irritating on occasion, which was pushing her further away from my enjoyable lead list.

Hades is essentially an unbothered king and I have to respect that - Persephone tended to go on and on about certain matters, and my man was truly only focused on life being created in the Underworld. He clearly had a big picture in mind, and when Persephone went on her tangents, you could tell he would be on his last thread of patience. The longer they were together, you could see his agitation turn into something more of appreciation, and it was nice to see the character development he exhibited. Unfortunately for Persephone, I did not care about her career in journalism one bit - she should have had her eye on the prize (Hades) and maybe worked a little harder to keep her articles in check. She was becoming little miss Gossip Girl of the Underworld at one point like girl... stay mysterious!

Now, Hades and Persephone's relationship low-key had me doing cartwheels across the room. "You will worship me, and I won't even have to order you," was absolute insanity, and had me pausing to think about what I had gotten myself into. Yes, this quote is mentioned in the Goodreads summary, but in the context it was in the book was truly an experience. She started abandoning her morals and I was routing for her the entire time. The smut was pretty solid, but I do think the reviews on TikTok were overselling it just a bit, but it definitely picks up in the second half of the book.

I loved the bonus chapters at the end of the book, and having a POV from Hades really tied the book together in my opinion. I love when books are dual perspectives, and wish this book would have given us more insight on Hades and how he was feeling as he and Persephone grew closer. This was a fun read and while at times the pacing could have improved, the plot did move relatively quickly for being a decent sized book, and the side characters definitely added the definition that was needed to make the story more well-rounded.

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Stone Heart (Dark Olympus, #0.5) by Katee Robert Review

This is a spoiler-free review! Stone Heart is currently available for free on Kindle.

I have been meaning to get into the Dark Olympus series for years now, and since I am such a big fan of mythology retellings, I thought this would be a great novella to help me out of a reading slump and keep up with my reading goal. Medusa is working for Athena as essentially a human tool to take care of business, but the lines of her work begin to blur when she is tasked with getting rid of Calypso. The premise of the story is intriguing, but I was definitely hesitant to see how it would play out in such a short number of pages.

Reading this was basically a test to see how I would feel about Katee Robert's writing style, and while this was a short glimpse into her retellings, I found myself able to read quickly through this story without feeling like the plot was dragging. The pacing was faired pretty well given that this novella clocks in at just over one hundred pages, and it did not extremely rushed putting Medusa and Calypso together.

The side characters made their quick appearances and then disappeared for the remainder of the story with the exception of a mention here and a quick phone call there. I did not care for Athena -- she is on the more severe in her relationship with Medusa considering their mentioned past, and it just did not seem to flow well with how their dynamic was set up by the author. Maybe this was my fault for going in with assumptions, but I was under the impression that this series leaned more towards the dark romance or spicier side of reading, and I did not get any of that from this novella.

Robert's retelling had a lot to work with in terms of mythology, but seemed to fall a little flat when it came to incorporating unique aspects to the story. Medusa seemed to be very insecure, and it was hindering the reading experience in the sense that she was not developing at a rate that would project the story forward within the restricted number of pages. It really started to feel as though she was never going to make a breakthrough until we got to the very end of the novella, and even then I have my doubts that she makes any more progress after the story was over.

Their story is definitely skating the lines of insta-love, which is not my favorite trope, but I tend to throw away that bias when it comes to romantasy books. However, it really did feel out of the blue with Medusa, and took all of five pages before she was playing with the idea that she was in love with Calypso. If this novella was about fifty pages longer, it would have been great to see some more character development in Medusa or Calypso, but what was given to them fit their characterizations well. It was nice to see a little sneak peak into Neon Gods, and I may decide to return to this series later on.

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The House of Hades (The Heroes of Olympus, #4) by Rick Riordan Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my review of The Son of Neptune here.

Did I read The Mark of Athena eight years ago? Yes. Do I remember which godly parent each of these characters has? Maybe only three of them. Not a review video was in sight when I decided to dive right back into this series in the hopes that everything would come back to me in the first five chapters, and I was not not wrong. As I make my way through the remaining young adult fantasy books on my shelf, The House of Hades has been unironically haunting me since I first acquired the series, and then-high school me would be speechless at adult me for taking this long to read it.

As we all know, Percy and Annabeth are really going through it during this book based off the ending from The Mark of Athena. Their respective perspective chapters were a lot more action packed compared to the other demigods, and while they were entertaining, I wish I would have seen more Percy chapters if it meant that the story would pick up the pace. I found myself needing to force myself to dedicate time to read this book at times, especially when it was a constant monologue of being in the same situation. However, the more Percy and Annabeth had to fight towards their goal, I was more invested in the story.

Leo's journey was so much fun to read and really added a lot to the story when the plot was looking grim. It was definitely a great comedic relief to the underlying dread that hovered over Percy and Annabeth's journey and seemingly constant suffering. There was just something about this book that had me wishing it was shorter -- there were a number of times where it felt as though the plot was just not moving fast enough for characters who were definitely in a hurry.

There was not nearly enough Nico di Angelo in this book for me... why was he basically absent for two thirds of this book? And why were there so many Hazel chapters? I am not sure if it is me no longer being the same age as these characters anymore, but boy oh boy I was not entertained during any chapter that was in Hazel's perspective, and Frank's chapters were a close second. Jason finally was given a bit of a spotlight towards the end of the book, but this installment really felt removed from the rest of the series in terms of pacing and development.

I will obviously be seeing this series through to the end, and may dabble in Riordan's other series if I ever need to jump back into this writing -- I have been reading his books since I was nine years old, so maybe I will always end up back where it all began.

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