★★★★☆.5 This is by far my favourite from the Hades x Persephone series so far! This is a non-spoiler review, but will spoil the earlier books!
What is the book about?
A Touch of Malice is the third book from Persephone’s point of view from Scarlett St. Clair’s Hades x Persephone Series. The series is a steamy retelling of Persephone’s abduction by Hades from Greek Mythology, written in an urban setting called New Greece where the gods play an active role in the lives of the mortals. There are three main storylines happening in tandem during this instalment in the series; Zeus deciding whether to agree to let Hades and Persephone get married, Demeter plunging New Greece into a dangerous snow storm, and the ongoing threat of Triad and the Demigods who are getting restless over what they think is the Greek gods tyrannical rule.
“I am not sure who you think I am,” she said. “But let me be clear—I am Persephone, future Queen of the Underworld, Lady of Your Fate—may you come to dread my presence.
My thoughts on the book
Without a doubt this is my favourite book of this series so far, with A Game of Fate in a very close second (which is book number one from Hades point of view). I think the biggest thing that struck me in this book is how far some of the characters (Persephone, Hades and Apollo) have come. The personal development of these three characters in particular really struck me in this book, and it honestly warmed my heart. One of the tropes I dislike the most in books is the miscommunication trope, and is something that was evident between Persephone and Hades in the previous books, but not this one!! I was so proud of how they had grown both independently, and as a couple. Their communication and ways in which they worked together in this book made me feel as if I was a proud mother.
Having enemies is a universal truth. It means you have something worth fighting for.
The character driven style of this book really resonated with me, and I think that may be why I liked it so much. Not only do we see how Persephone’s life is evolving both in the upper world and her business, but in the underworld as future Queen, but we also get a bit more insight into what motivates some of the other characters actions.This book was full of smaller story lines, and introduced a few moving pieces which will surely climax (no pun intended) in the final instalment of this series. I loved the details we got, and the introduction to new characters and deities, and although the ending was heavily foreshadowed throughout the novel and was completely unexpected (although totally keeping with the developing story), I am still eagerly anticipated the conclusion of this story in late 2023 *sobs*. If I keep talking , I am inevitably going to spoil something, so I’ll leave my review there! Have you read this series? Do you have a favourite book? Let me know in the comments or over on my Instagram @kell_read!