Hades has spent his life in the shadows, and he has no intention of stepping into the light. But when he finds that Persephone can offer a little slice of the revenge he’s spent years craving, it’s all the excuse he needs to help her—for a price. Yet every breathless night spent tangled together has given Hades a taste for Persephone, and he’ll go to war with Olympus itself to keep her close…

If you need me, I’ll be in my room, silently begging Katee Robert to give me the rest of the Dark Olympus series before I spontaneously combust.Psyche didn't expect to find herself married to the glittering city's most dangerous killer, but something about Eros wakens a fire inside her she's never felt before. As lines blur and loyalties shift, Psyche realizes Eros might take her heart after all...and she's not sure she can survive the loss. On one condition: when it's all over, and Apollo has the ammunition he needs to protect Olympus, she and her sister will be allowed to leave. For good. I get shivers just thinking of their interactions. SHIVERS."-Mimi Koehler for The Nerd Daily for Neon Gods The Neon God was so far successful in converting countless worlds into one connected city while the inhabitants either tried to flee or succumbed to it, leaving them as lifeless people who simply lived in the newly formed city. The SCP Foundation's Department of Interdimensional Logistics of the "main" universe became aware of the Neon God's existence after gaining the control of SCP-7005, but didn't act immediately as it would require millennia to reach their universe. Despite this, the Foundation still took in numerous refugees while attempting to study the nature of the Neon God. I didn’t want to just do a normal review for Neon Gods by Katee Robert. I wanted to share my love for it in a different way, so I thought I would share five reasons why I love reading it.

Hades finally smiles and, good gods, it’s like being hit by a laser beam. Heat strong enough to make my fingertips tingle and curl my toes. I stare up at him, caught in the intensity of those dark eyes. And then he’s shaking his head, smothering the rush of strangeness through my body. “No.” “What do you mean, no?” “I’m aware that you’ve likely not heard the word often in your privileged life, so I’ll spell it out for you. No. Nein. Nyet. Non. Absolutely not.” Hades is a puppy dog. I don’t think that is something that you would hear very often, but he really is. On the outside, he has this grumpy exterior that we all know Hades to have, but Persephone sure does break him down. I get shivers just thinking of their interactions. SHIVERS."—Mimi Koehler for The Nerd Dailey for Neon Gods A scorchingly hot modern retelling of Helen of Troy, Achilles, and Patroclus that's as sinful as it is sweet.* I love the city. I love it all. I love its alleyways and its theatres, blaring white light into their moaning and shrieking faces. I love the pristine slums, scrubbed to the bone, like any self-respecting city should have. I love its ancient monuments, destroyed and cast again in metal, to be destroyed again and recontextualised in the future. I love it all.I blink. It's so close to what I was thinking that it's almost eerie. "You are the strangest man I've ever met." With no options left, Persephone flees to the forbidden undercity and makes a devil’s bargain with a man she once believed a myth... a man who awakens her to a world she never knew existed. Zeus may have decided Helen is his to give to away, but she has her own plans. She enters into the competition as a middle finger to the meddling Thirteen rulers, effectively vying for her own hand in marriage. Unfortunately, there are those who would rather see her dead than lead the city. The only people she can trust are the ones she can't keep her hands off-Achilles and Patroclus. But can she really believe they have her best interests at heart when every stolen kiss is a battlefield? Of course, all of those are just different means to the same end, because it’s all about the Blurp. Everyone wants it, everyone needs it, it is your one and only win condition. Who controls the Blurp controls the city. I have no idea what Blurp is. They never define it, which is part of the humor of Neon Gods. It's a slang term, but obviously everyone already knows what Blurp is, so there’s no need to explain it. I’m not even sure if Blurp is a noun or a verb, so for now I’m just going to assume that it works like Smurf.

From the start of Neon Gods, we can see that there is more than meets the eye with him. We can see that he isn’t just that hard god of the underworld, but something way more than that. And slowly as the novel goes on readers get to see that. And it’s not something that stands out, it’s the little things. The conversation about consent. Making sure that Persephone is taken care of. Making sure that Persephine is eating. And my favourite way – Hades and the puppies. I seriously couldn’t contain myself. Perhaps rough hands on soft skin are exactly what she needs to forget her heartbreak once and for all? The Neon God is a living idea created from the concept of the city and the desire to feel connected, similar to how the Scarlet King was created from humanity's dissatisfaction with the modern world. The Neon God was capable of transforming any land it came across into parts of one endless city. Upon being done with consuming its original world, the Neon God used SCP-7005 to expand its influence to the wider multiverse. This process started with the manifestations of random structures in small populated areas such as poor villages which would eventually transform into large buildings with neon lights and connected cables while being separated with different types of roads. My whole body goes heavy as the truth settles in my bones. I love this woman. I have to steel myself to keep from doing exactly what I said, from dropping to my knees and begging her to stay.”As I mentioned in the intro, Neon Gods is a modern retelling. Instead of their being gods and goddesses, the characters are human. The names Demeter, Hades, Zeus, Hera, Ares, Hermes, etc. of the big thirteen gods that rule Olympus are titles. They have similar roles to Greek mythology but ultimately they are just jobs/positions. The only legacy roles that go from father to son are those of Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. The rest of the characters and their family relationships are quite different. In this version, Persephone has three sisters: Psyche, Callisto, and Eurydice (who is dating Orpheus for the majority of the book like in Greek mythology). Though they are not sisters in real Greek Mythology. Featured Dark Olympus Characters: Minotaur and Ariadne Frequently Asked Questions About the Neon Gods Series: Who Writes the Neon Gods Series? Like the Scarlet King, the Neon God bears resemblance to the Idea of Evil from Berserk, being a living idea that affects reality created by humanity's dark desires. If we were different people in different circumstances, I would get down on my knees and beg you to stay at the end of the winter. I would move heaven and earth and the Underworld itself to keep you with me.” Hades is badass don’t get me wrong and he won’t take shit from anyone – but Persephone turns him to pudding and it’s just fantastic to witness. I also loved that everyone around him just watched it happened and laughed.

As I said in the content warnings there is exhibitionism and BDSM included in this book. So please this is another warning before you jump in. I really enjoyed how this was intertwined into the book and it didn’t feel out of place at all. Not only did it explore the relationship between Hades and Persephone more, but it also introduced some very interesting characters. And I’m intrigued by this and looking forward to seeing where it’s taken in the future. The book starts out with Demeter selling off Persephone to marriage with Zeus without informing her daughter of this previously. However, Persephone runs away after being forced to say yes. She runs across the River Styx and ends up running into Hades. He saves her once she reaches him on her own accord, as he is forbidden to help due to a treaty he has with the rest of the Thirteen. Though his position is all but a myth at this point thanks to Zeus. Persephone strikes a bargain with him the following morning that she will stay with Hades and he’ll ruin her reputation so Zeus will no longer want her. This means public sex at private parties that Hades throws. He is reluctant to agree at first. Though he’s attracted to her, he doesn’t see it as consent. Something he’s very strongly for in all aspects. Eventually, he agrees to it, and the two set ground rules for their relationship. Even establishing her safe word of pomegranate and limits of what acts of BDSM she’s ok with or interested in. Granted other than sex in public, there really isn’t any in the book performed by them though there is mention of bondage performed by others during one of the parties. I give myself to you, O city. I want to be one of them. A neon light, blaring outwards, outwards, outwards forever. Let me light the world. Let me show them how it's done. He was supposed to be a myth. But from the moment I crossed the River Styx and fell under his dark spell… he was, quite simply, mine. Neon Gods, or the Dark Olympus series, by Katee Robert is a must-read, dark romance series based on modern retellings of the Greek gods and other personalities within Greek mythology.He was supposed to be a myth. But from the moment I crossed the River Styx and fell under his dark spell... he was, quite simply, mine. Hades has spent his life in the shadows, and he has no intention of stepping into the light. But when he finds that Persephone can offer a little slice of the revenge he’s spent years craving, it’s all the excuse he needs to help her—for a price. Yet every breathless night spent tangled together has given Hades a taste for Persephone, and he’ll go to war with Olympus itself to keep her close… Book Details