The Power of Hades

Title: The Power of Hades
Author: Eliza Raine
Genre: Fiction/ YA/ Fantasy/ Romance/ Greek Mythology
Source: Kindle Unlimited Recommendation
Rating: 4/5

Favourite Quote: ‘“Can I see your eyes?” 
“No,” he said, but the word was soft. 
“Please?” I stepped forward, staring into his smoky, featureless face. 
“Why do you want to see them?” he asked. 
“Because.. when I saw them yesterday, I knew I wasn’t dreaming. I knew this was real. They’re the only thing I recognized in this world.”

Persephone can’t wait to get back to her garden she had been working on at the New York Botanical Gardens, only one more semester left before she could graduate as a professional gardener, her dream job. When the mysterious boy from the coffee shop suddenly appeared in front of her surrounded by lightening, and the busy NY streets turned into an empty meadow with an entrance to a cave, Persy had no idea what to think. Clearly she had been in some kind of accident and she was dreaming this whole thing up, what else could it be? Even when she came face to face with an immortal being who clearly knew who she was whilst standing in front of the doors to the Underworld, she still couldn’t process the sudden change her life had turned. Especially when the being told her that she was here for the purpose of fighting to reclaim her life as Queen of the Underworld, at the side of her ex-husband, Hades; the Lord of the Dead himself.

‘”Hades is being forced to marry as punishment?” 
“Yep”
“So… what’s this all got to do with me? And how do you know who I am?” 
A worried look crossed her beautiful face, then she let out a big sigh and closed her eyes. 
“What a fucking mess,” she breathed, and opened her eyes again, fixing them on me. “I guess you’ll find out sooner or later.”
“Find out what?” 
“You’re Hades’ first wife.”‘

That was a fun read! I really liked that! Enough to give it five stars without hitting my favourites list. It had a few plot issues that I chose to ignore, cus honestly, I just really enjoyed getting lost in the storyline. It had everything I wanted for a YA fantasy book; a strong protagonist with an unknown past that catches up with her, a shadowy Underworld filled with magic and mythical creatures, a dark anti-hero to swoon over as well as a cool quirky little sidekick with an amusing sense of humor. Bring in the Greek Gods who appear young and without consequence along with a powerful titan as the best friend and you’ve got yourself an awesome story full of exciting action and dark mystery.

I praise our author for her research into the Greek Gods and how she was able to bring the mythology to life in her characters, making them appear a lot younger than they were was a further appeal to the reader. Giving the Gods a modern appearance whilst creating the magical world of Olympus as the setting to really draw you into the fantasy.
The setting itself was subtle but effective, for Persy who lived to make things grow, being in the Underworld was suffocating with it’s dark windowless interior compared to the sky realm of Zeus, the empty barren wastelands surrounding the Underworld really set the scene especially from her viewpoint. I liked that her dreams took her to a magical garden which allowed her to breathe again, even if brief.

The storyline was great, Persephone being kidnapped from earth by Zeus to compete in various battles with immortal beings for a chance in becoming Queen of the Underworld by Hades side. The fact that Persy pushes through each task without magic surprises everyone, especially when the plan was for her to fail and return back to earth just as a reminder to Hades of what he once had, a game Zeus intentionally created as a punishment, a means to cause the Lord of Death pain and suffering.

The characters were well written, even with no backstory to build them up, their demeanors and expressions were enough to bring the characters to life. The story was told from only one viewpoint of Persy who I really liked. She knew her own strengths and weaknesses and didn’t hold back from a fight or doing what she felt was right when going against the rules on Olympus. She was easy to relate to and you could understand the change in her determination to first return back home to learning everything she could about her past as Hades’ wife and what she did that took her away from him. Whilst she didn’t know Hades in her human form, she felt a connection to him that she couldn’t ignore.

‘”I hate this place,” I whispered and he flinched. “Please make me understand how this was once my home. Because I know it was. I know you were.” 
“It wasn’t always like this. It was before you came, and it was again after you left. But when you were here…” His eyes bore into mine. “You brought light, and life, to a place where I thought none could exist.” He spoke hoarsely, and his words crashed through all the mental armour I’d built up since coming to Olympus.’ 

Hades was an interesting character, placed in a role as Lord of the Dead by no choice of his own, he kept to his duty as the King of the Underworld hiding behind a smoky exterior to both keep up a dark fearful appearance as well as allowing him to keep his privacy amongst the other beings living on Olympus. His protectiveness over Persy was endearing, the fact that she was out of her depth as a human, he was determined to keep her alive all the while wanting her to fail to send her back to earth. It would have been good to see more of him through out the story, you didn’t really feel like you got to know him besides a few brief interactions. Maybe a chapter or two in his viewpoint would have helped.

The other characters were great additions to the story, Hecate who takes the role to get Persy everything she needs to get through the Trials since they were once friends in her past life. Skoptolis in particular made me smile, a randy sprite placed as her guardian during her time in the Trials, communicating through her mind and doesn’t hold back on his thoughts and opinions of the Gods. Zeus was interesting, I wasn’t sure whether I loved him or hated him. He’s determined to make Hades’ life miserable to show dominance, however it’s hard to tell what he truly wants with his open flirtatious nature. I’m keen to find out more about our Lord of Olympus in the next book.

As much as I enjoyed the book, I found myself asking too many questions by the end of the story, the intriguing plot and dark bloody prologue are still unanswered! What did Persephone do to have her removed from Olympus? Who is taking control of her dreams and guiding her? What happened between her and Hades? And for Gods sake, if she was stripped of her life in Olympus because what she did was so terrible, why is everyone but Hades giving her a chance to return? I’m seriously hoping the next book will bring all of this to light. You’ll find out in the next week or so when the second book, The Passion of Hades, will be released!

Goodreads Review:
I’ve been kidnapped by Zeus. Plucked from the streets of Manhattan and frightened half to death by a freaking Olympian god.
And now I’m trapped in the Underworld, being forced to compete in a series of deadly trials for the position of Queen of the Underworld. Which would mean marrying Hades, the utterly terrifying Lord of the Dead. Who the hell wants a husband at all, let alone one made of smoke and riddled with death?
I have to get back home, to New York and my brother. But I can’t leave without completing the trials and they’ve been designed for a godly Queen, not Persephone – barista and botanical garden enthusiast.
I’m surrounded by lethal, all-powerful maniacs. Sexy-as-hell maniacs, sure, but as dangerous as they come. And I’m going to have to prove to all of them that there’s a goddess of hell inside me. It’s the only way I’ll survive the Hades Trials. But then what? And why, why, why am I so desperate to see under Hades smoky exterior and find out what he’s hiding from me?
If I win the trials, I have to marry the devil himself. But losing might mean losing my life.