Title: The Passion of Hades (The Hades Trials #2)
Author: Eliza Raine
Genre: Fiction/ YA/ Fantasy/ Romance/ Greek Mythology
Source: Kindle Unlimited Recommendation
Rating: 4/5

Favourite Quote: ‘”The stronger you are, the quicker you’ll heal. You were always a good healer. Comes with the territory I guess.”
“What territory?”
“Goddess of Spring. New life. Growth and fertility and all that.”
My mouth fell open. “Goddess of Spring?” I repeated.
“Uhuh. No point keeping it from you anymore, not if you can get your power back.” She was beaming at me, her eyes dancing with excitement.’

With her powers slowly becoming unlocked through the magical seeds, Persephone is beginning to understand who she once was before she was banished to earth all those years ago. The Goddess of Spring, powers to create new life, growth, fertility and healing. But her powers also have darkness and seduction, a trait fit for the Queen of the Underworld. A part of her hates who she once was, an arrogant god with the ability to kill and stand at the side of death himself, but there is also a part of her that wants to win to fully understand her connection with Hades, her mysterious ex-husband who can’t help but guide her through the trials to keep her safe, all the while wanting her gone. Either way, she is more determined than ever to fight for her memories to know the truth.

‘”You need to tell me what happened before, Hades. I can’t do this anymore. I can’t live a life I’m half blind to. It’s not fair and it’s driving me insane.” Hades lifted his other hand to my face, and very, very slowly draw his finger down my cheek. Pleasure coursed across my skin, and I tried to stifle my sharp breath.
“Would it make any difference if I told you that you chose to drink from the river Lethe yourself? You begged to forget what happened. And I promised you that you would never hurt like that again.” 

Well, I got exactly what I wanted, Hades’ viewpoint thrown into the mix, and I have to say it was a great perspective to see through! It became easier to put yourself into the Underworld through Hades eyes, even if they were entirely focused on Persy and the games. He was easy to emphasise with throughout the story, his need to keep her safe and knowing she would come to hate herself even more if she were to learn the truth about her past, a truth even he couldn’t entirely put together. We see a crack in his secretive armour as we see his feelings towards Persy grow the more he’s around her, which just adds more allure to the dark King of the Underworld.

‘”You said I wasn’t the woman you married,” I whispered. 
“Maybe not. But the bond between us is still there. And I can’t fight it, no matter how hard I try. Especially not now you have your power back. You’re like a damned beacon down here, impossible to ignore.”
“Bond?”
“Don’t tell me you can’t feel it,” he said, his eyes locking on mine.
I wanted to tell him to stop being so ignorant, but I couldn’t. He was right.’ 

Persy remains true to who she is as she continues to be pushed through the games in order to win back her powers, her opportunity to spend more time training with Hades, as well as a chance to learn the truth about who she once was as Queen of the Underworld. The story continues to get more interesting as we witness more of her powers growing, including her vines of seduction which brings an exciting edge to her training sessions with Hades. There are still a few unanswered questions lingering, such as her dreams to the mysterious garden. I’m more keen than ever to know who the voice is warning her within the garden!

‘”You are naive, little goddess. Hecate is an agent of Hades, and Skoptolis works for Dionysus. Only I work for you alone.”
“Why? Why are you helping me?”
“You were wronged, by my worst enemy, and you paid the highest price. And now only you have the power to make it right.”
A small shudder cut through the tranquility of the garden. His words carried weight that even this place couldn’t lighten.’ 

The author brought more of Olympus to life by introducing us to Aquarius, Poseidon’s own realm underwater. The scenes were well written and you could really put yourself into the setting during her underwater treasure hunt task in the ancient ruins. It’s the little details that really bring the story to life such as how she manages to get through her panic of breathing underwater with help from Hades and being able to manoeuvre underwater with lurking sea creatures around her.

I really liked the descriptive creatures and monsters Persy came to face during this book, they were well detailed and the right amount of a challenge for our protagonist who continues to rely on her human traits to get through the tasks. I particularly liked the trial where the gods gave her a glimpse into their own world at a gamble which she had to survive an endurance test.

This book ends on yet another cliffhanger with more questions unanswered; we still don’t know who is guiding Persy in the garden, we still don’t know what she did to end up drinking from the river Lethe and leaving the Underworld, and we still don’t know where Persy and Hades are going to end up with their unawakened bond. I’m extremely keen to find out what happens in the next book which is due to be released in September 2020!

Goodreads Review:
I’m trapped in actual hell. And just about everything here is trying to kill me. Even the god who claims he once loved me has come pretty close to ending my life.
But things are about to change. I’m fed up of being Persephone – human underdog in the Hades Trials. I’ve managed to awaken a little bit of goddess inside me, and now I have power, I’m not afraid to use it.
Although I don’t actually have a clue how to. Nor do I know what I did to get cast out of Olympus twenty-six years ago, or why strangers are seeking to punish me for it. All I know for sure is that I survived the first round of the Hades Trials, and now I need to survive another. One step at a time I will get back to New York.
Because I can’t stay here. Olympus is filled with monsters, and ruled by monsters, and I do not fit in.
The trouble is, the more I discover about the mysterious King of the Underworld, the less sure I am that he fits in either. My connection to him is undeniable, and it’s not escaped the other gods’ notice. They don’t want me to stay in Olympus, and now that I have my power back, they’re going to make the next three Trials even more lethal.
If I can survive, I’m a step closer to getting home. But if I spend much more time with Hades, I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to leave.