Neon Gods: A Scorchingly Hot Modern Retelling of Hades and Persephone

It was okay. Too many sex scenes seemed gratuitous.

Not really a good retelling of the Persephone myth.

Basically, a court of thorns and roses, beauty and the beast, and 50 shades of grey with a modern greek mythology retelling all rolled into one. Storyline is intriguing initially, but it hits all the classic tropes of enemies to lovers and forced proximity, etc. The writing could be better, but hey, we all know why we read this book, and it wasn't for the great storytelling.

Sexy, mythology, loved it!

Katee Robert knows how to write tension you can feel in your loins. Neon Gods wastes no time delivering it. Persephone runs straight into the undercity to escape a forced engagement to Zeus, only to strike a dangerous bargain with Hades. The setup promises power plays, forbidden attraction, and a modern Olympus dripping in scandal. I wanted to love Neon Gods. I really did. Katee Robert usually delivers exactly what I’m in the mood for when I pick up a smutty romance. I also love a good Greek gods retelling. This should have been an easy win. The spice? Solid. No complaints there. She knows how to write tension and build those scenes. That part kept me listening. Everything around it started to lose me. First, the audiobook. The narrators were great when they stayed in their lane. Zara Hampton-Brown brings a softness to Persephone that fits her sheltered world. While Alex Moorcock gives Hades that low and controlled intensity you want from him.Then, they started doing each other’s voices. I was cringing at the fake voices for the other character. This is such a pet peeve of mine. If you have dual narrators, then let them do their job. I do not need a man doing a fake female voice or vice versa. It completely pulls me out of the story. The bigger issue though was the whole Greek gods but make it mafia vibes. This version of Olympus trades mythology for a mafia-style power structure. I just didn’t buy it. Hades with a gun? Be serious. I wanted gods. I wanted power, mythology, and something that felt larger than life. Instead, it felt like a crime family drama with familiar names slapped on top. The world feels sleek and modern, but it also strips away the mythic weight that makes these characters so compelling in the first place. Persephone also drove me a little crazy. She starts as sheltered and uncertain. Her character could have been set up for a strong transformation. Instead, her innocence leans into a dynamic where Hades becomes the guide in everything. That dynamic can work, but the dialogue made it feel immature instead of compelling. Some of the conversations had me side-eyeing my headphones like, "Are we in high school right now?" This was supposed to be a high-stakes romance between powerful figures! I could not stop comparing Neon Gods to A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair. I’ve kept thinking I had read the exact same Hades and Persephone story before. It made a lot of moments feel repetitive instead of exciting. There were parts of Neon Gods I enjoyed. The tension between Hades and Persephone had its moments. I get why people love this series. It just didn’t have the story I wanted. I don’t think I’ll continue with the rest of the series. I think this might just be a situation of me and this version of Hades and Persephone don’t vibe.

For a spicy book, I expected spicier. Wrapped up really fast at the end. Going to give the second book a try to see if there is more character development for anyone other than Hades..