That was before the goddess of marriage became queen of the gods. Rivers of Hell, I might not like Hera but at least she gained power somehow, made marriage mean something to bind even her own husband.’ Girl, Goddess, Queen is a thoroughly modern retelling that turns the story of Hades and Persephone completely on its head, breathing new life into the classic mythos. Fun side characters and a hopeful coming-of-age heart make this one of the most entertaining reimaginings in an ever growing list of them. Readers were expecting wonderful things from Bea Fitzgerald’s debut, and it doesn’t disappoint in the slightest. I think the books main issue was it’s length. It had no business being as long as it was and it was bogged down with a lot of filler. I felt like every scene was dragged out between chapters and it would have worked better if it was dual perspective for this. I tug at the ridiculous dress Mother has forced me into: a monstrosity of lilac silk, draped and twisted again and again, hinting at the body on offer while obscuring it enough to keep my modesty intact. It’s less an outfit than gift-wrapping.

I had such a fun time with this book. If you enjoyed Lore Olympus, this would be the perfect read for you! It's equal parts rom-com and fantasy while effortlessly weaving in Greek mythology elements and characters. Gods forbid my hair looks a mess – the universe might end. Or curse shame upon my household at the very least. You’re a woman now.’ What an arbitrary word. I don’t remember much of a transformation on my birthday but apparently the whole world saw one. ‘You’re too old for these tantrums. Promise me you won’t be like this when your father gets here.’ Into a Goddess struggling with warring emotions of loving her newly acquired freedoms and learning about who she is becoming whilst it feels like a betrayal to her mother. So Persephone needs to get married because apparently that's all that matters to gods (why have we gone down this road?) and she has a controlling mother, Demeter, who has told her how to act and how to be all of her entire life. Persephone decides enough is enough and manages to escape to the Underworld so she doesn't have to marry (though she still does, she has just delayed it a bit because she didn't think things through). I liked how she had a plan and took control and she utilised her power over flowers to achieve this. The beginning was promising.

About Bea Fitzgerald

So much repetitive dialogue and scenes and scenarios. It genuinely feels like I’m reading the same stuff over and over again I think retellings are always going to be around,” says Keetch. “It will ultimately always depend on readers and their appetite for things.” I most definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a unique original spin on the story of Hades and Persephone. Meanwhile, Solomons describes writing Fair Rosaline as “imagining it like a ship, where above the surface you’ve got Romeo and Juliet, and underneath is what I’m writing, but it has to match perfectly”. None of that today, Kore,’ Mother sighs again, a sound that has become so common that my name feels odd without it.

I wonder if employing the comfort of a story that’s already known as a jumping-off point to explore contemporary ideas makes contemporary debates more accessible,” she adds, “offering readers an easier way in to discussing today’s politics – particularly the politics of being a woman.” In addition, Demeter was much older than Hades (as they were regurgitated at different times), which meant that he didn’t really know Demeter (nor was related to her) and was thus, much closer in age to Persephone. This was definitely one way to solve the age-gap issue and a unique take on the timeless story of the birth of the Olympians.Sometimes the discussion on political aspects of real life thinly veiled in the narrative are thrust forward a bit too much and interrupt the flow of the story. (Although still a million times more deftly than Babel by R F Kuang manages it.) Then my father laughed. Long. Loud. The kind of noise that had me shrinking into my chair. The assembled gods joined in a split second too late. If you’re familiar with YA romantic comedies, you’ll know that they’re often built on a hefty dose of misunderstandings, jumping to conclusions and conflicted characters not voicing aloud how they really feel. That’s all true here, as Persephone and Hades dance around their true feelings, both of them frightened of ruining the special bond they’ve formed. The romance is perfectly paced, complementing rather than overriding the anxieties and expectations that both characters wrestle with throughout the book. Yet the more serious sides of the book – the themes of toxic masculinity and coercive control – never feel too heavy either. It’s a careful line that Fitzgerald balances admirably with a sharp wit and genuine understanding of the simultaneous contemporary and historic issues she’s writing about. I’m not certain what I expected from this Hades and Persephone retelling, but this was quite different from the many others I’ve read in the past. It was definitely more of a rom-com, complete with a very light tone and a lot of Gen-Z language. The snappy and witty banter, however, was a lot of fun and made it an easy read, regardless of the book’s length.

And what would you do with the world?’ my father asked. His words were lined with sharp edges but I didn’t catch their threat until Mother squeezed my shoulder. Her fingers were too hard to be a comfort – a warning, perhaps? Or a threat of her own? I seem to be in the minority with this review but I didn’t really enjoy this book and I at times, found it quite dull. I adore a Hades and Persephone retelling and I have read my fair share of them in my time but this just felt a bit flat. I think the premise was there but the execution just didn’t work for me. Thousands of years ago, the gods told a lie: how Persephone was a pawn in the politics of other gods. How Hades kidnapped Persephone to be his bride. How her mother, Demeter, was so distraught she caused the Earth to start dying. Talking of these two MCs, they were a delight in their slow dance towards friendship and the even slower dance to more. Styx and Tempest were feisty side characters and I enjoyed the development of the underworld at the hands of Persephone and Hades. I feel like we got a lot of story but equally, there's so much potential here for more. I'm excited to see this will be a series. It's a fresh take and I devoured it. I adored that it's soley from Kore/Persephone's POV, her inner monologues really allow you to feel her journey from suffocated Girl whose future is planned out by overbearing parents and not at all what she wants.I also find it hardly an empowerment that when she is asked what she wanted, she says 'the world' but then when Hecate asks her what she'd give for it, she says: 'NOTHING' but still gets it is just a bit ??? Really, we are teaching kids that they don't have to do anything to get what they want? Great messaging, lol, as if we didn't have enough entitled people in the world already. Still, there’s something about hearing it on a day like today that pulls at a chord in my chest. I’m still disappointing her, even when I’m agreeing to the biggest thing she’s ever asked of me. She does end up of inconveniencing Hades a little in the process, but the enemies to lovers dynamics that we see in their first encounter was utterly delicious. And the achingly romantic, slow burn tension that develops between Hades and Persephone (taking them from enemies- to friends and beyond) was beautifully written and really gave us a chance to explore the nuances of the trust, respect and love that gradually grows between them. There were way more things that rubbed me the wrong way at certain points but the overall gist is despite some goods there were way more critical bads that prevented me from loving this book Overall, this is one of the few books I've read this year that I can truly say I didn't want it to end and I cannot wait to read whatever Bea Fitzgerald writes next.