greek – ROSES AND REVIEWS

June 21, 2022December 10, 2022

A Game of Retribution

Retellings of the Greek myths and legends are really popular right now, and the Hades x Persephone series is one of my favorite Persephone retellings — and there are some amazing ones out right now! (Lore Olympus, Neon Gods, Monsters & Muses, to name a few!)

With this series you get both sides of the story. I know, because I have read the Hades/Persephone books side by side, and though that are different they are still the same, and they match up perfectly. Persephone’s books are the “A Touch of…” titles, while Hades’s books are the “A Game of…” titles. It is an interesting way to present dual perspectives, and more in-depth than switching back and forth each chapter.

There are scenes between the two which are cute, because they are the same story, told slightly different from their perspectives. But each having their own book allows for a lot more depth to the story, scenes that reveal character arcs, and shows what the other does in their own life.

Persephone	Hades
#1 A Touch of Darkness	#1 A Game of Fate
#2 A Touch of Ruin	#2 A Game of Retribution
#3 A Touch of Malice	#3 A Game of Gods (expected 2023)
#4 A Touch of Chaos (expected 2023)

Persephone’s POV has the spark that made me fall in love with the series, but hearing Hades’ side paints the whole picture much clearer, and shows the ups and downs of effort and compromise in relationships. It’s sometimes easy to forget that everyone has their own struggles and are fighting their own hard battles inside. But, by seeing this relationship from both perspectives like this, we as readers can better understand the motives and reasoning behind each persons actions, and helps to remind us that we are all just trying our best with what we are given. Give the grace that you wish to be given.

As a classicist, I am a big fan of Greek myth retellings, and I am happy for every chance I get to read them. (See my reviews on Ariadne by Jennifer Saint, Great Goddesses by Nikita Gill, and I, Antigone by Carlo Gébler). But the Hades x Persephone series are the perfect books for fans of Madeline Miller and Katee Robert.

May 7, 2021December 10, 2022

Aridane by Jennifer Saint

I am a huge fan of Greek myth retellings so I was really excited to get the chance to read this story. I have seen it around bookstagram and the first thing that drew me to it was the beautiful cover art, but what kept me hooked was the story. Jennifer Saint weaves a wonderful tale full of of heroes and monsters, and brings a new twist to a classic myth. If you thought you knew the whole story, think again. Beautifully written and utterly captivating, Jennifer Saint builds a magical world for the sisters Ariadne and Phaedra to grow and discover themselves.

“To me, running through the maze of my home, it looked like a butterfly. And it was a butterfly I would imagine as I emerged from the dim cocoon of the palace interior to the glorious expanse of the sun-drenched courtyard.”

Retellings of the Greek myths and legends are really popular right now, and Ariadne is a great read for fans of Madeline Miller and Scarlett St. Claire. Most modern myths have many versions and variations, and will pull from various sources like Ovid, Homer, Hesiod, Sophocles. As a lover of Greek mythology, I was interested to see which myths Jennifer Saint would include in the world she created for Ariadne. I was excited to find the author took inspiration from various sources and included many gods and goddesses into the story, all while giving them a modern twist.

July 18, 2020December 10, 2022

Lore Olympus and Color

Lore Olympus was such amazing comic! My dear friend Ciara recommended this to me, and once I got around to reading it I couldn’t put it down! I bought the last 2 episodes because I had to know what happened.

I also took screenshots of all my favorite scenes so I could remember them all. LOL

My favorite characters were Hera (I was surprised by how much I liked Hera!), Hermes, and Hecate as a lawyer! I had NO IDEA Hecate would be in it so much, she is one of the more elusive Greek gods that I would like to know more about. It was very cool to see her have a larger role in the story. Continue reading “Lore Olympus and Color”

September 24, 2016December 10, 2022

House of Leaves, V: Digital Annotation

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®

pg. 41: http://www.bounceapp.com/208967

For me, Danielewski’s work exemplifies the idea of multi-vocality and demonstrates it for readers in a variety of ways. I am most intrigued with the idea that we are “all standing on the shoulders of giants”; in other words, the idea that we reference authors of the past by reworking their texts or by embedding ancient characters and plots into modern contexts.

Many of the ideas in the book can be considered as echos of past authors. Myths are retold, ancient languages are translated, and authors are constantly referenced and cross referenced throughout the manuscript and footnotes. There is blatant evidence of Danielewski’s sources and inspirations, and it is clear that he leans heavily on works of the past. Continue reading “House of Leaves, V: Digital Annotation”