I vividly remember checking out the same books on greek mythology over and over again from my local library when I was finally old enough to walk there on my own. They were small blue hardcovers and contained the basic stories of all the gods and goddesses and I was hooked. I have read some great retellings, Alisha Rai wrote a great one, and I was intrigued to see what Katee Robert’s take on the Hades and Persephone story. Especially a take that includes a wealth of rich people problems.
The city of Olympus, divided into the upper and lower city by the River Styx, is ruled by the Thirteen. Thirteen Gods and Goddesses, titles given through birth or election, who control the economic interests and laws of Olympus. The Thirteen revel in their wealth and power and most are willing to go to any lengths to increase that power. When Persephone Dimitrou, daughter of Demeter, is engaged against her will to the known wife-killer Zeus, she flees the glamorous party on foot. Discovering she is being followed, she kicks off her heels and flees for her life. Crossing the River Styx places her in Hades’ territory but as he is nothing more than a myth, Persephone takes her chances in the lower city.
The last thing that Persephone expected to find was a large, growling, incredibly handsome man intent on carrying her to safety and bandaging her feet himself. The man who should be nothing more than a myth, is now her best chance for survival and way out of Olympus for good. Hades sees Persephone as the perfect weapon to exact revenge against Zeus for killing his father decades before. Together, Hades and Perspehone develop a plan that will benefit them both: a very public and sex-driven fake-dating scheme to show the Thirteen that Persephone now belongs to Hades.
As the two plot their scheme, ripples begin to form in the powerful connections between the Thirteen and the citizens who fall under their rule. When Demeter threatens to cut off supplies to the lower city, Hades must do all he can to protect his people. The harder he works to protect those around him, the more Persephone discovers that he is much more than the intimidating and ruthless gangster that so many make him out to be. Hades exposes Persephone to more than just life in the lower city, he also shows her the powerful attraction of unbridled passion and public erotic play.
Robert created an intriguing world for the Thirteen to rule. To me, it felt like a take on Gotham City. There are the exclusive and wealthy high rises filled with penthouse suites and security details, but also high levels of crime and tensions between the areas governed by different gods. Persephone grows up believing the lower city is somehow more crime ridden and depressed than it actually is. She is shocked to find something that feels far more like an idyllic small town filled with small shops and cafes. There is a sense of underlying magic in both parts of the city. There is a force within the River Styx that prevents unwilling crossing and many of the buildings have a distinct sense of history and age with them, but people also have cell phones and credit cards that can be frozen. There’s a lot of discussion about trust funds and high end fashion, but also Hermes is able to perfectly mimic the voices of the people she carries messages for. It’s very interesting how the author blends the mythology with the present day and I’m curious to see how the series plays out in the future.
This is my first Katee Robert romance so I’m far from an expert on how Neon Gods lands on her steam scale. This is definitely a hot and highly erotic romance. Hades loves kink and loves public displays of sex. When he discovers that Persephone intends to use that to her advantage, he takes great care to introduce her to the rules and expectations that level of kink comes with. It doesn’t take long for the two to genuinely fall for eachother, and they fall hard.
There is a great cast of side characters that I hope will all have their own books. It was really fun to watch grumpy Hades clean up after the hard partying of Hermes and Dionysus. Hades doesn’t want friends, or the responsibility of having friends, but Hermes and Dionysus don’t seem to care. They are going to be there whether he wants them or not. Persephone’s sisters are all distinct forces on her life and they’re hatred of the Thirteen should make for some interesting plot lines in the future.
Overall, this is one great book! I plowed through this in a day and loved every minute of it. It’s fast paced, very steamy, and has great characters. I loved watching Persephone and Hades fall in love and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
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