nicole_tree's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 1 can we never say guttural again and 2 that ending hurt
elodiethefangirl's review
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
karenveraa's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
25abrock's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
modernmegan's review against another edition
5.0
My favorite of the series so far. So many “awww” moments in this one with a bonus “infinity war-esque” Olympian fight scene scene mixed in. Incredibly enjoyable and FUN. Made my red eye home from Hawaii bearable (4am on a plane is way better looking with Hades IMO.)
pip_516's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
saltywitchbooks's review against another edition
5.0
*Spoilers to follow* Where to start? When I first met this iteration of Persephone in Darkness, I was a irritated. I think I saw someone so naive and “young” that I cringed for what would happen. And, I was right, as we see a lot of things happen to Persephone as a result of her choices in Ruin.
I have C-PTSD, as a result of someone who abused me in a few ways, many of the ways we see Persephone abused by those claiming to love her. It was hard for me to understand and really grasp that my mother, would behave no differently if she had the power Demeter does, and that I was seeing Persephone through the eyes of someone who had been there before.
St. Clair writes PTSD and grief with the heartbreak that only a person who has experienced it can describe. It comes up with people that we trust, when we least expect it. The growth Persephone has gone through to this point has taken this book from fun and quick read that I enjoyed, to something that truly resonated. So to the author, I say, thank you.
It seems odd to me, given that romance is not my genre, that this books has made this much impact, but it has. I can’t wait to start game of gods, and am eager for touch of chaos in the spring!
I have C-PTSD, as a result of someone who abused me in a few ways, many of the ways we see Persephone abused by those claiming to love her. It was hard for me to understand and really grasp that my mother, would behave no differently if she had the power Demeter does, and that I was seeing Persephone through the eyes of someone who had been there before.
St. Clair writes PTSD and grief with the heartbreak that only a person who has experienced it can describe. It comes up with people that we trust, when we least expect it. The growth Persephone has gone through to this point has taken this book from fun and quick read that I enjoyed, to something that truly resonated. So to the author, I say, thank you.
It seems odd to me, given that romance is not my genre, that this books has made this much impact, but it has. I can’t wait to start game of gods, and am eager for touch of chaos in the spring!
its_aislinn's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! What a way to leave this series. A Touch of Malice is the third book in what will be a four book series (book four won’t come out for another year, though) and I am relieved to have the series end at this book and not the previous book.
Persephone has done a lot of growing between the three books, and by ATOM she is aware of her shortcomings and actually thinks through her actions more. One of my biggest issues with the previous book is that Persephone runs headfirst into situations without thinking things through all the way. While still very much headstrong, in ATOM it is clear that Persephone is now changing and communicating with others before making such large decisions. I think this is a sign of her maturity, as well as evidence of her beginning to fill the role as Queen.
Most of this book takes place with the Gods, so again we’re left with little surrounding Persephone’s life outside of Hades and her actual job. I didn’t have any problems with this and instead I actually really enjoyed that we got to meet more gods. Compared to the first book, where Persephone insisted on having her mortal life, in ATOM it has definitely taken the back burner and I think this is because Persephone’s priorities have shifted, and naturally with the war on the gods she isn’t going to want to spend her days writing for her online blog.
My only issue with this book is that we finished ATOR with it being August. ATOM picks back up in the same setting but in July… I won’t say that this is a simple mistake because, to be honest, the timeline is very general and the month was right there on the last page, so it shouldn’t have been easy to mistake. Instead, what happened was, as a reader, I felt a disconnect at the beginning of the book because I was constantly thinking to myself “Wait, did I read the last book wrong? Was it really July?” Sure it’s only a month’s difference, but the reason it is snowing is so shocking is because it is still summer so really, it should’ve been the correct month in both books.
This is a great book that completely redeemed the series for me. Persephone and Hades’s story is so intense and passionate that I’m loving seeing how they come together. The fourth book can’t come soon enough!
Persephone has done a lot of growing between the three books, and by ATOM she is aware of her shortcomings and actually thinks through her actions more. One of my biggest issues with the previous book is that Persephone runs headfirst into situations without thinking things through all the way. While still very much headstrong, in ATOM it is clear that Persephone is now changing and communicating with others before making such large decisions. I think this is a sign of her maturity, as well as evidence of her beginning to fill the role as Queen.
Most of this book takes place with the Gods, so again we’re left with little surrounding Persephone’s life outside of Hades and her actual job. I didn’t have any problems with this and instead I actually really enjoyed that we got to meet more gods. Compared to the first book, where Persephone insisted on having her mortal life, in ATOM it has definitely taken the back burner and I think this is because Persephone’s priorities have shifted, and naturally with the war on the gods she isn’t going to want to spend her days writing for her online blog.
My only issue with this book is that we finished ATOR with it being August. ATOM picks back up in the same setting but in July… I won’t say that this is a simple mistake because, to be honest, the timeline is very general and the month was right there on the last page, so it shouldn’t have been easy to mistake. Instead, what happened was, as a reader, I felt a disconnect at the beginning of the book because I was constantly thinking to myself “Wait, did I read the last book wrong? Was it really July?” Sure it’s only a month’s difference, but the reason it is snowing is so shocking is because it is still summer so really, it should’ve been the correct month in both books.
This is a great book that completely redeemed the series for me. Persephone and Hades’s story is so intense and passionate that I’m loving seeing how they come together. The fourth book can’t come soon enough!
whoislina's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0