Neon Gods

Rate: 4/5

For someone so determined to be labeled a monster, he’s incredibly invested in my pleasure and consent.”

Pg. 175

Persephone Dimitriou just wants to get out of here. She has had enough of her mother’s scheming and wants to start over where people aren’t constantly watching and judging her. Getting out of Olympus is harder than it seems, especially now that Zeus has his eyes set on her. Out of panic and necessity, Persephone flees to the only place she can go, the undercity. Hades, a man who is supposed to be a myth, saves her, unaware of what he is taking her away from. Thrown into the politics of Olympus, they make a deal, but this deal has a way of making both of them feel more than they bargained for.

“It’s a terrible thing not to be wanted.”

Pg. 260

Greek retellings! I will chase them down with everything I have. Especially Hades and Persephone! There is something so lonely and lovable about the god of the Underworld that makes me want to give him a big old hug, which is saying something because I’m not huge on physical touch. I adore how Robert made this a modern day retelling, where as they are not gods/goddesses. They are people who inherit or earn their title based off the ancient Greek culture. It is a different take on it and one I thought was executed well. Persephone is a socialite who has two sides, her public persona and her true self that barely anyone sees. Hades is a man who everyone thought was gone, his family having died out, leaving the title empty. The characters introduced are all fantastically written and complex, playing perfectly with their Greek counterpart.

” ‘They see what they want to see.’

‘They see what you want them to see.’ “

Pg. 121

I believe I read this book in one sitting. It was so easy to get lost in the world Robert created. It was great seeing all the different characters pop up and interact in different ways. I love that Robert is very clearly setting up a larger universe that we will definitely see more of. Hopefully we see everyone get a kind of happily every after. Well, maybe not everyone… This was another BookTok find for me, that algorithm gets incredibly specific over time. My TBR pile has never been so full.

“If their sins happen in the dark, do they even count?”

Pg. 188

This is definitely a spicy read, I would say 4/5 on my personal scale. Those who love retellings, Greek mythology, romance, and intrigue are sure to find a friend in this book. A good deal of Greek mythology can be dark and at times twisted, so definitely check in on those triggers. If you like the book and Katee Robert, I highly recommend you follow her on TikTok, she posts updates all the time and shares her process and the different things she is reading. Also, Robert is contributing to an Anthology called Nightingale that is going to have a follow up story of sorts about Hades and Persephone. The anthologies proceeds are being donated to human rights organizations working in Ukraine.