Other times, books are terrible, but when you read them, you get the feeling that it actually could have been much better, and that there was potential in the plot and characters that ultimately went to waste. The fact I even have to write that to fend off criticism highlights everything that is wrong with the bookish community at the moment]

In A Touch of Darkness, we are introduced to Persephone, who is trying to find herself. There is forbidden love. In A Touch of Ruin, Persephone does find herself. The relationship is accepted. In A Touch of Malice, she is once again trying to find herself, despite having already done so in the previous book, and the romance is - once again - 'forbidden,' despite their being engaged. To be honest, I don't ship these two or enjoy their romance as much as I used to. Sure, I don't want them to break up either, especially considering that a rogue love triangle will probably spring out of hell, the likes of which I don't have the braincells to deal with they're married and whatnot now, but I'm not as invested or even interested as I used to be.Persephone never learns to talk to others about her problems. Even more-so that the first novel in the series, Persephone makes every problem worse by trying to solve them alone. At this point, she knows that Hades cares about her and she still makes everything worse for the both of them in the name of ‘independence’. The worst thing about this novel is how disconnected the storyline feels. It’s difficult to determine what the through-line of this book is because there are so many subplots. In addition to the sporadic nature of the story, there is also some filler content that makes the story more disorganized. See, right after Zeus gives Hades and Persephone permission to marry, they do. There was a prophecy that their union would produce a god stronger than Zeus. All of the characters immediately thought that this entailed Persephone and Hades having a child, even though it was stated earlier that he had bargained the ability to have children away with the Fates. All of the characters also conveniently forgot something else that was stated earlier: that a marriage between gods entailed that some of their power would be shared with the other.

MORE BOOKS BY SCARLETT ST. CLAIR A Touch of Darkness When Stars Come Out COMING SOON A Touch of Malice A Game of Fate Up through the first two thirds of this book I would have given this four stars. But then I started to question where the plot was going and what the plot even was. There’s definitely a storyline of public distrust and political upheaval in the story, but much of the early parts of the book read as though the only plot was for Hades and Persephone to have their union approved by Zeus. But at the same time, the story still seemed lost in the weeds and unsure of its direction. I was expecting that this book would at least answer some of the questions that ending brought about, and maybe even bring the plot forward some, properly introducing us to some of the other Greek gods and goddesses, paving the way for a proper conflict. Now, with that set-up, and keeping in mind that this is the last 10% of the book, you would expect a battle worthy of all the build-up of the series, something with action, high-stakes, and maybe a few untimely demises here and there to keep things spicy, correct?Persephone and Hecate then work together to save Sybil and Harmonia, and Persephone begins to fight with her mother, who she ends up killing. At the end of the second book, Persephone is sexually assaulted by a character named Pirithous, and is almost raped, before Hades shows up to rescue her. During this book, it's frequently said that she has nightmares of her traumatic experience. sex, sex, and too much sex. I can’t believe I am complaining about this, but it seems there are limits to how much is too much. This book could have cut the sexy scenes down by half and it would have added way more meaning to the other half of the sexy scenes. We get it. They’re trash for each other. I really loved the first two books in these series. The world building and mixing of old with new is an intriguing concept. However I had a few beefs with this book surrounding plot: Now, I’m not going to sit here and say that the previous books in this series were works of art - they weren’t. But they were fun and immersive and just smutty enough to make me blush. But Christ this one was awful.

Turns out that Theseus is trying to overturn the old gods and somehow harness their power to become/create new gods?? And he needs the gods' divine weapons to that - Hera and Demeter are already on his side, along with his father, Poseidon. He now needs Persephone's help to get Hades' weapon - the Helm of Darkness. Scarlett St. Clair is a horror, paranormal, and young adult novelist from Oklahoma best known for the “Hades & Persephone” series of novels. As a teenager, St. Clair went to the University of Oklahoma, where she graduated with an undergraduate degree in English Writing. She also has a masters in Information Services and Library Science from the same institution. St Clair has always been obsessed with the after life, Greek mythology, love stories and murder mysteries. As such it was not surprising that she made her debut with Greek retelling work “When Stars Come Out” that she published in 2018. She has since then gone on to publish several other bestselling works in different genres. As for her influences, she has cited “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy which is the inspiration for her settings in her Greek mythology retellings. As for authors, some of her favorites include Sarah MacLean, Tessa Dare and Leigh Bardugo. Can I ask you something?” Lexa said. Persephone waited, and sort of dreaded the question. “You’ve always wanted notoriety for your work, so what’s the problem with all this attention?” Persephone sighed. “I want to be respected in my field,” she said. “Now I just feel like a possession of Hades. Every article is Hades this and Hades that. No one even uses my name. They call me mortal.” “They would use your name if they knew you were a goddess,” Lexa supplied. “And I would have recognition for my Divinity and not my work.” “What’s so wrong about that?” she asked. “You might be known for your Divinity initially, but it could lead to being known for your work.” Persephone couldn’t explain why it was important for her to be known for writing, it just was. She’d spent her whole life being horrible at the one thing she was born to be, and despite that not being her fault, she’d worked really hard in college. She wanted someone to see that hard work, and not just because she wrote about and dated Hades. “If I were you, I’d leave this life without a second thought,” Lexa said. Persephone blanched, surprised. “It’s way more complicated than that, Lex.” “What’s so complicated about immortality and wealth and power?” Everything, Persephone wanted to say. Instead, she asked, “Is it really so wrong to want to live an unassuming, mortal life?” “No, except that you also want to date Hades,” Lexa pointed out. “I can have both,” she argued. She’d had both until a few days ago. “That’s when Hades was your secret,” Lexa said. And even though she and Hades had neither confirmed nor denied media speculation, she was going to have to reveal her relationship if she wanted to keep her job. Persephone frowned. “Hey,” Lexa said, pouring more wine into Persephone’s glass. “Don’t worry about it too much. Pretty soon they’ll become obsessed with some other god and some other mortal. Maybe Sybil will decide she actually loves Apollo.” Persephone wasn’t so sure about that. The last time they’d talked about it, Sybil had expressed that she wasn’t interested in a relationship with the God of Music. “I’m going to shower,” Persephone said. The thought of scalding hot water sounded better and better. She didn’t want to feel this day on her skin any longer, not to mention, she still felt like she was I definitely don’t agree with Jaison’s treatment of Persephone though. Yes, he is Lexa’s boyfriend, but Persephone has been best friends with her for YEARS, and the fact that Jaison is Lexa’s significant other does NOT undermine the relationship between the friends. Like, I’m sorry but his attitude was atrocious and I’m pretty sure he never apologised. I also found this subplot (or actual plot?) quite out of place. This leads me to the issue of the plot? Where was it? Someone tell me where it was, because I have no idea. There was a lot of sex, and there was a lot of brooding and whining but not a lot of actual events or communication. There were a bunch of subplots that I felt were left open, but probably not important enough to be resolved in the next book, and the fact that at one point, Helen was left in the lobby waiting for Persophne and then never mentioned again? I don’t vibe. The gods fight, but it's absolutely incoherent. I can't even describe what happened because it was pure chaos. Someone's throwing swords at someone else, Persephone is growing vines over people, buildings are being destroyed, and the writing isn't exactly detailed.Contents DEDICATION MORE BOOKS BY SCARLETT ST. CLAIR PART I CHAPTER I - A TOUCH OF DOUBT CHAPTER II - A TOUCH OF DUPLICITY CHAPTER III - A TOUCH OF INJUSTICE CHAPTER IV - A TOUCH OF WARNING CHAPTER V - ROYAL TREATMENT CHAPTER VI - LOVER’S QUARREL CHAPTER VII - TRUCE CHAPTER VIII - ABDUCTION CHAPTER IX - A TOUCH OF POISON CHAPTER X - GOD OF MUSIC CHAPTER XI - UNRAVELING PART II CHAPTER XII - THE DESCENT INTO HELL CHAPTER XIII - A TOUCH OF PANIC CHAPTER XIV - INIQUITY CHAPTER XV - A NETWORK OF SECRETS CHAPTER XVI - BREAKING POINT CHAPTER XVII - THE PLEASURE DISTRICT CHAPTER XVIII - THE FURIES CHAPTER XIX - GODDESS OF SPRING CHAPTER XX - COMPETITION CHAPTER XXI - A TOUCH OF BETRAYAL CHAPTER XXII - THE SEVEN MUSES CHAPTER XXIII - THE SOLSTICE CELEBRATION PART III CHAPTER XXIV - A TOUCH OF MADNESS CHAPTER XXV - COLLECTING PIECES CHAPTER XXVI - A TOUCH OF SERENITY CHAPTER XXVII - EMPOWERMENT CHAPTER XXVIII - A TOUCH OF RUIN THANK YOU FOR READING! AUTHOR’S NOTE ABOUT THE AUTHOR Apology accepted,” she said, and Thanatos offered a sad smile. “It does not appear my apology has made you feel better,” Persephone said as they danced. The novel A Touch of Darkness is the first installment in a dark romance style retelling of the story of Persephone and Hades. In this series, the Gods are an ever-present part of a modernized society in which Persephone is an aspiring journalist and Hades owns his fair share of popular establishments. surrounded by trash. “When you’re finished, we’ll watch a movie,” Sybil said. Persephone took her wine and purse into the bedroom. Dropping her bag on the bed, she moved into the bathroom and turned on the shower. As the water heated, she sipped on her wine before setting the glass aside so she could unzip her dress. She paused when she felt Hades’ magic surround her. It was a distinct feeling—a tinge of winter on the air. She closed her eyes and prepared to vanish. It wouldn’t be the first time Hades had taken her to the Underworld without any notice, but instead, a hand touched beneath her chin and lips closed over hers. He kissed her like they hadn’t made love into the early hours of the morning, and when he pulled away, Persephone was breathless, the stress of her day forgotten. Hades palm was warm against her cheek, and he brushed her lips with his thumb, dark eyes searching. “Troubled, darling?” She narrowed her gaze, suspicious. “You followed me today, didn’t you?” Hades didn’t even blink. “Why would you think that?” “You insisted Antoni take me to work this morning, most likely because you already knew what the media was reporting.” Hades shrugged. “I didn’t want to worry you.” “So you let me walk into a mob?” He raised a knowing brow. “Did you walk into that mob?” “You were there!” She accused. “I thought we agreed. No invisibility.” “I wasn’t,” he answered. “Hermes was.” Damn you, Hermes. She’d forgotten to extract a promise from the God of Mischief not to tell Hades about the crowd. He’d probably waltzed into Nevernight with a smile on his face to report what happened. “You could always teleport,” Hades offered. “Or I can provide an Aeg—” “I don’t want an Aegis,” she stopped him. “And I’d rather not use magic not...in the Upperworld.” “Unless you’re exacting revenge?” “That’s not fair. You know my magic has become more and more unpredictable. And I’m not eager to be exposed as a goddess.” “Goddess or not, you are my lover.” She didn’t mean to, but she wasn’t a fan of that word. She stiffened, and she knew by the way Hades’ eyes narrowed, he had noticed. He continued, “It is only a matter of time before someone with a vendetta Hades decides to bring in Hypnos, the god of sleep, to see if he can create a draught that can help Persephone sleep. After speaking with her, however, Hypnos only comes to the conclusion that Persephone needs to confront her experience if she wishes for the nightmares to go away.

She was a wARRIOR IN CHARGE OF PROTECTING PERSEPHONE??? SHE'S LITERALLY HANDLED WORSE BEFORE??? IN WHAT UNIVERSE COULD SHE JUST DROP DEAD??? NOT TO MENTION THE FACT THAT SHE'S A PRETTY IMPORTANT CHARACTER AND PROBABLY DESERVED BETTER??? A Touch of Ruin’s greatest flaw is its protagonist, Persephone. In the previous book, she was a trifle aggravating, but in this book, she has morphed into someone who is practically insufferable. She is childish, vindictive, jealous, obstinate, and insecure. Not to mention, she is extremely mercurial – her moods can change at the drop of a hat. One minute she is happy and in love with Hades, and the next, she is angry and doing something to spite him. She is also too easily manipulated by others. All it takes is someone making an offhand comment about Hades, and before you know it, she is beginning to have second thoughts about their relationship and doubting his feelings for her. into a body. She didn’t look up to see who it was, fearing they might recognize her. “Sorry,” she muttered, pushing away and hurrying for the exit ahead. “I wouldn’t go out that door if I were you.” A voice stopped her just as her palms touched the metal handle. She turned, meeting a pair of grey eyes. They were housed in the thin, handsome face of a man with a mop of unruly hair, sharp cheekbones, and full lips. He was dressed in a grey janitor’s jumpsuit. She had never seen him before. “Because the door has an alarm?” she asked. “No,” he answered. “Because I just came in that door and if you’re the woman that’s been in the news the last three days, I think the people outside are there for you.” She sighed, frustrated, and added in a desolate tone. “Thanks for the warning.” She started down the adjoining hallway when the man called to her. “If you need help, I can get you out of here.” Persephone was skeptical. “How, exactly?” The corners of his lips lifted, but it was like he had forgotten how to smile. “You’re not going to like it.”DEDICATION To the readers of A Touch of Darkness. Thank you for your enthusiasm and your love of Hades x Persephone. What did we get instead?? Hades LITERALLY only shows up when there's a smut scene, excluding that one weird-ass "training" scene, which felt more like a fever dream than anything else. Demeter shows up and all of them (ie, Theseus, Persephone, her friend Sybil, her girlfriend Harmonia, and Demeter) go to the entrance to the Underworld that leads straight to the vault where Hades' weapons (the Helm of Darkness amongst other things) are kept. EVEN IF ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, AND I MEAN LITERALLY NOTHING, HAPPENED DURING THE FIRST 90% OF THIS BOOK, BECAUSE IT'S NOT LIKE ANYTHING DID, AT THE VERY LEAST, SHOULDN'T THE BATTLE OF THE GODS THAT TAKES PLACE DURING THE LAST 10% OF THE BOOK BE WORTH ALL OF THE SENSATIONALIZATION OF THE PREVIOUS BOOKS AS WELL AS THE DIALOGUES OF CHARACTERS IN THIS BOOK? SHOULDN'T THE PLOT HOLD AT LEAST SOME VALUE??? The book becomes slightly better toward the end, and it hints at an intriguing-enough sounding plot for the next book. Overall