Review: Sex and Sexuality in Ancient Rome by L J Trafford

★★★★☆ I was provided with this ARC for a review from Netgalley

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What’s the book about? 

With this one, the entire premise of the book is in the title- Sex and Sexuality in Ancient Rome. Trafford begins by outlining the language used in Ancient Rome that has anything to do with sex or sexuality, she introduces these concepts and then explains them so you aren’t left lost throughout the book when they inevitably come up again. She then travels through the intricate and somewhat scandalous history of sex in Ancient Rome from the perfect virtuous man and the ideal chaste woman, to how to find a woman and who you are and are not meant to be seen fondling in the forum. She details erotic wall paintings and statues, the concept of witchcraft, the tantalising beauty and fashion and what was all the rage to help you pull on the streets of Rome. Not to mention, Trafford takes it upon herself to tell us all about the sexual exploits of the most well-known figures from Ancient Rome, and she does all this with ample evidence (both textual and archaeological). In short, Trafford answers everything you have ever wanted (and really not wanted) to know about sex and sexuality in Ancient Rome! 

My thoughts on the book

Sex was very much on public display in ancient Rome. It was depicted in art, discussed in poetry, scrawled on walls and used in politics to smear your opponent. (x-xi)

This book was a massive undertaking, and may I say the L J Trafford understood the task and executed it incredibly well. In this book, you will find chapters named things like Getting Down to Business: Sex, Sexual Problems and Solutions, Undesirable Partners and How to be Sexy: Beauty and Fashion (just to give you an idea of the types of things discussed)! As a fairly short book (sitting at only 197 pages), Trafford condenses everything you need to know about the Romans in a way that is really easy to read. Her language is colloquial, and her quips and inputs into some of the debauchery that went on in Ancient Rome made me laugh out loud. With her hilarious commentary comes an obvious attempt to remove any modern bias that could be placed upon the way sex, marriage, relationships and all that was used and experienced in Ancient Rome. She reminds the reader over and over that there isn’t really any way we can fully understand the meanings behind the erotic images, or the social importance embedded into the rules and laws attached to relationships and sex, but we can do our best! I loved that as Trafford was discussing some facet of Roman sexual experience, she would then bring in detailed case studies and examples from history.

We simply cannot know because we do not share the same cultural background and baggage. The imagery and what it means is lost to us. (158)

Although sometimes Trafford seemed to take the poetry and writings of men like Ovid and Catullus at face value, often she used it to help build the whole picture around the topic she was handling at that time. It is unsurprising that the book was focused on men and boys and what was expected of them (both from an imperial lens, but also the freedmen and slaves) rather than women for the pure reason that we have a lot more information on men than women. With that being said, Trafford interspersed what we do know about women (imperial, slaves, prostitutes etc) throughout the book in what seemed like as much detail that was available. It was really wonderful to see different types of evidence (images, paintings, statues and literature), all used together to try and piece together just what sex was like in Ancient Rome, and although it was a quick tour, it was still detailed and highly enjoyable.

Review: The Real Valkyrie: The Hidden History of Viking Warrior Women by Nancy Marie Brown

★★★★☆ I was provided this ARC for a review from St. Martin’s Press. You can find my interview with Nancy on Youtube, and a reduced transcription of it on World History Encyclopedia!

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What’s the book about?

The Real Valkyrie: The Hidden History of Viking Warrior Women by Nancy Marie Brown is, at its core, working to dispel the myth that Viking women stayed at home whilst the Viking men raided and traded. In 2017, DNA tests revealed that the body buried in grave Bj581 outside the Swedish town of Birka between 913 and 980 wasn’t the body of a male Viking warrior as initially assumed, but that of a female in her thirties or forties. Buried with the body was numerous weapons including an axe blade, spearheads a two-edges sword, a sax knife and a short bladed knife as well as a set of game pieces, a whetstone, traders weights, a comb, a bronze bowl and two horses (among other things). The assemblage of this burial initially caused assumption that the body was of a male, and specifically a warrior, but since we now know that it’s a woman buried with this warriors assemblage, Nancy has taken it upon herself to write a book highlighting what feels like all the times women proved their worth in the Viking Age, and the times their strength, cunning and ruthlessness was assumed as myth.

Thoughts on the book

It is obvious that this book was extensively researched. Nancy utilises sagas, poems and epics of the Vikings in conjunction with archaeological and historical evidence to question the way in which females from the Viking Age have been viewed for centuries. Rather than simply providing the evidence that women from the Viking Age have been sorely misremembered thanks to the act of sexing graves by metal, the reflection of Victorian sensibilities of the nineteenth century placed on the Viking Age and the tendency for Icelandic writers of the 12th and 13th centuries (I’m looking at you Snorri Sturluson) to mythologise and generalise the female warriors as valkyries, Nancy merges fiction and solid evidence which captures the readers interest. In order to humanise the skeleton found in Birka, Nancy names the body from Bj581 Hervor, which translates to something like Aware of Battle, after the warrior woman from the old Norse poem Hervor’s Song. Nancy begins each chapter with a fictionalised story, a bit of what Hervor from burial Bj581’s life could have been like, based upon the historical, textual and archaeological evidence provided throughout the book. Nancy not only provides the evidence for warrior women, but then imagines just how a Viking woman could have lived during the time of Bj581’s life. I found it incredibly fascinating and enjoyable to read how the physical evidence may have been interacted with during the Viking Age, in addition to these imagined sections being a breath of fresh air amidst a detailed and well researched book. One thing that annoyed me through this book was when ‘an archaeologist states,’ or an ‘expert historian says…’ I’d LOVE to know which one.

Not only does Nancy debunk common beliefs that Viking women were buried with keys which signified their role as housewives, (whereas men were buried with weapons which signified their roles as warriors, raiders and traders), she exposes the bias placed onto the sagas, poems and written sources we have of the Viking Age which were all written a few hundred years after the fact. These biases come from both the values of Victorian society and Christianity, where women were confined to the home. These strict gender lines, as shown through the extensive historical and archaeological evidence provided by Nancy, simply were not there during the Viking Age. Looking at Viking women’s graves alone shows how weapons were more commonplace than keys. I loved the incorporation of other female warriors which we know of from poems as saga’s, as well as historical Viking queens detailed in concurrence with archaeological evidence found throughout the Viking world. Going into detail about clothing, textiles, trade, architecture, boats, social hierarchies, Norse legends, historical and mythological figures and everything in between, no stone is left unturned in this detailed look at the importance of women, their roles and their importance in the Viking world. If you’re interested in relearning everything you think you know about women, queens and female warriors in the Viking Age, then you should definitely pick this book up.

Review: Red Rising by Pierce Brown

★★★★☆.5 this book was nothing like I expected, and I’m really glad I finally read it after it has sat on my shelf for years.

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what’s the book about?

Darrow is a sixteen-year-old Helldriver of his mining colony of Mars. As a Red, Darrow is of the lowest caste in his society which is not only colour coded, but has expanded throughout space to live on the Moon, Venus, Mercury and Mars. Darrow, his family and all the other Reds mine helium-3 under the impression that one day, Mars will be ready for life and the other colours will join them. But, when Darrow and his wife (they marry young and die young in the mines of Mars) stumble upon a secret, Darrow’s life shifts in a way he could never have guessed. Mars isn’t desolate, but a thriving planet already inhabited by the other colours. The Reds are working for a future that is already here, and Darrow is sent on a mission to infiltrate the highest of their society, the Golds.

“I would have lived in peace. But my enemies brought me war.”

thoughts & feelings

My first thought after gathering all of my emotions after this book is wow. This book has been sitting on my shelf for years, and for some reason, I just never picked it up (despite having the whole trilogy). I personally think that by waiting to read it, I got a lot more out of it. If I read this during the dystopian hype of Divergent, Hunger Games and The Maze Runner, the nuances of it would have been lost on me. Instead, I read it for a spontaneous buddy read hosted by my lovely pal Val at literarypapier on Instagram years after it was published, and it surprised me over and over again. I jumped into this without reading the blurb, so the fact that they were on Mars was a shock to the system (it’s been a while since I’ve read a sci-fi book), but it’s written in a way that doesn’t feel like you’re drowning in an unfamiliar world with this odd terminology. It doesn't take long for the world to make sense. Darrow, our main character, is a Helldiver for the Lambda clan in the Lykos mining colony on Mars. They mine for helium-3, they marry young and they die young. Family, blood, song and dance are at the soul of their people. They are Red, the bottom of the colour caste social hierarchy, and they don’t know they’re slaves. It only takes seven chapters for this book to intensify. I was enjoying the concept of these mining colonies living unawares of the thriving city above, but then Darrow ends up on the surface, and it goes from 0 to 100 very quickly.

“Her words strike my heart. They echo through time from another’s lips. Live for more. More than power. More than Vengeance. More than what we’re given.”

The human race in Red Rising is no longer bound to Earth, but they have travelled, they have spread through the solar system, and they have a strict social hierarchy where your colour determines your role. If you are born Red, you are the lowest rung of the hierarchy. At the top are the Golds, they are the elite of the humans. They lead the armies throughout space, they rule the planets and they are inherently corrupt. The political undercurrent of this book elevates this book. The complexities of the society elevate it from early dystopian novels. It reminds me very much of Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, and the philosophical discussion Erica over at MoanInc has posed if you can’t see the walls or boundaries of your prison, are you a prisoner without free will? As Darrow transitions into the world on the surface of Mars, he battles with that knowledge that his family is still below, but are they truly prisoners if they don’t know what they’re missing out on?

The other aspect of this book that caught me by surprise, but that I really enjoyed, was the incorporation of classical mythology and ancient history. The earliest indication of this is the use of the Greek Alphabet as the names of the mining clans, and their desire to win the laurel at the end of the quarter. Many of the names, especially of the golds, are reminiscent of powerful figures from ancient empires such as Augustus and Octavia. There is a number of mythological connections including names like Pollux, the use of Roman Gods and their characteristics as a way to separate and class Golds, and the titles of Praetor and Imperator. The use of an Agoge for training, and seeing a raven as an omen. Without giving anything away, this book was an amalgamation of Lore, Hunger Games, Percy Jackson, and Divergent as well as Roman History and mythology in all the best ways. It was intense, it was brutal, it was addictive and I cannot wait to continue reading this series. It completely took me by surprise, and being able to see all of the small ways ancient history was woven into this tale of humans in a futures hundreds of years from now was simply brilliant.

Review: Venus & Aphrodite: History of a Goddess by Bettany Hughes

★★★★☆.5 I am only now getting into reading non-fiction books for fun, and not for uni or work so I’m still working on how I feel about rating them. With that being said, overall I really enjoyed reading this book.

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What's the book about?

Venus & Aphrodite: History of a Goddess by Bettany Hughes is a light, easy read which follows the history of the goddess best known as Venus or Aphrodite, from her beginnings to the modern reception of the goddess. Using archaeological evidence with textual sources and more recent artworks and literature, Bettany traces the origins of the goddess of love, and both her movements and developments through history.

As some will know, Aphrodite is the Ancient Greek goddess of love, desire, beauty and sexuality, and Venus is the Roman counterpart to Aphrodite, and held dominion over fertility, prostitution and victory. However, as Bettany delves into in the first few chapters of her book, Aphrodite didn’t just appear in the artwork and literature of Ancient Greece suddenly, but evolved from both the Cypriot spirit of procreation and fertility, as well as the Near Eastern goddesses of war Inanna, Astarte and Ishtar. Beginning from both the mythological beginnings of Aphrodite (with the castration of Ouranos, and the goddess emerging from the sea foam caused by the god’s genitals falling into the ocean), as well as the archaeological beginnings, and moving all the way through the renaissance depictions and the morphing of her dominions and depictions through to the modern-day, Bettany has provided an accessible and easy to read guide to the goddess and her history.

“A potent idea, given a name and a face across five millennia, this deity is the incarnation of fear as well as love, of pain as well as pleasure, of the agony and ecstasy of desire”

thoughts and feelings

From the very first page, I knew this was going to be a far easier read than I was initially anticipating. Bettany has written this book as if she was just chatting to a mate, and honestly, I loved that. Although it initially caught me off guard, it made it so much more appealing, and tempted me to pick it up more often knowing that the language used was easygoing. The colloquial language, however, doesn’t take away from the importance of this goddess, and her significance throughout history, especially in ancient civilisations. What Bettany has done, is a thorough investigation on the goddess, and then turned that hard evidence into a book that is easily understood and accessible to anyone. Bettany has achieved the goal of bringing archaeological and historical facts into the world in an easy to read and enjoyable book, and I love it! Her addition of images throughout the book, both in black and white dispersed through the book, and in the middle which is full of coloured images, makes it all the more interesting, especially in the discussions around the changes in the physical depictions of the goddess.

“It [desire] is the life force that spurs us on to do, to be, to think.”

I love that it was a short, easy read. It means that there’s a far better chance that more people will pick it up (and I love the idea that the ancient world is becoming something more open and available). But, some points Bettany made, I felt like I wanted more evidence that backed up her conclusion. I am sure that she has done her research, and I don’t doubt any of the statements or conclusions she has come to in this fascinating history, but I would have loved just a bit more depth into some of the evidence (whether it be archaeological or textual), that she has used to form her conclusions. In saying that, I always want more out of my books, and I commend her for making this book so full of information, and yet so easy to read.

I definitely feel like the goddess Aphrodite/Venus has been simplified into the goddess of sex and desire with little substance, and this book is out here to remind the world that she is so much more. Bettany explores the goddesses roots in the war-goddesses of the Near East (Inanna, Ishtar and Astarte), and brings to the forefront the seemingly contradictory beginnings of this goddess through love, desire and war. This book details just how much the attitudes towards the goddess has developed throughout the millennia, and what her body and her symbols have meant throughout the years. The complexities of Aphrodite/Venus have been written and painted out of history in the last thousand years, and this book is bringing back the intricacy of this goddess, which will hopefully culminate in the respect and adoration she deserves.

Have you read Venus & Aphrodite: History of a Goddess by Bettany Hughes? What did you think of it? I would love to chat about this book, either in the comments below, or find me over on Instagram @kell_read.

Review: A Game of Fate by Scarlett St. Clair

★★★★☆.5 I enjoyed Hades point of view more than Persephone’s. Although, the narrator took a bit to get used to.

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Scarlett St. Clair’s series on Hades and Persephone is like a jigsaw puzzle, and each book you read, you get a bit more clarity on who these characters are. In case you aren’t familiar with Scarlett’s series, she has published three books from Persephone’s point of view (A Touch of Darkness, A Touch of Ruin and a Touch of Malice - the third one I have yet to read), and she is also writing the same stories from Hades point of view (A Game of Fate, A Game of Retribution and A Game of Gods - only the first of these three are out in the world). Then, the final book, A Touch of Chaos, will be the final book with both of their perspectives. Now, I know you may be thinking, wouldn’t that be a bit repetitive reading the exact same book from the other main characters point of view? And may I say that it never felt repetitive. Reading this book felt like a fresh look at a story I was familiar with, but in such a different way it felt like an entirely different story entirely. It's hard to explain, but if you’re worried that it’ll get repetitive, it doesn’t.

“What is evil to one is a fight for freedom to another.”

I really enjoyed reading this book from Hades point of view. A lot of this story from Persephone’s point of view made me frustrated because of how bad they were at communicating with each other, but having Hades’ thoughts on each interaction sort of cleared any annoyance I was feeling towards them, because now I have both sides. Being privy to each of their thoughts is such a special thing as a reader, and it’s something I would love to see more authors do.

One of the best things about having a whole book from Hades point of view, is for his inner thoughts on his progressing relationship with Persephone, and a new insight into the world of the gods that we don’t get with Persephone. Persephone is the daughter of Demeter, but none of the other gods know who she is or that she is a goddess. So, in Persephone’s books, we get her life in the mortal world, detached from the issues and antics of the gods (and there are a lot). With Hades, however, we get to see most of the olympians in this book, and we get an early glimpse into their relationships and issues that will surely be a larger part of later books. This book shows us that Hades is so much more than the god of the underworld who owns a nightclub. He deals with so much behind the scenes that Persephone doesn’t get to see, and you start to understand the layers to the god in this book.

I loved the dynamic between Hades, Hecate and Hermes. There is both a mutual respect and a deep friendship between the three of them, even though Hermes is like an annoying little brother (well… nephew) to Hades. They have all been living for thousands of years, and you could really feel the depth of their relationships, and the history between them all which I loved. Hades and Hecate are such a fun duo, and any scene that had them in it were always super enjoyable to read. And of course, every appearance Hermes makes reminds me of why he is my absolute favourite character in this series.

“Don’t ruin this for me. I might be dreaming, but I’m about to live out one of my top five fantasies—” Hades slapped the god, who looked shocked. “This isn’t a dream, Hermes.” They stared at one another, and in the silence, Hades raised a brow. “Top five, huh?”

This series created by Scarlett St. Clair is so much fun. She has obviously done A LOT of research on Greek mythology, and then used it to inform her urban setting, and her interpretation of the characters. I absolutely loved listening to this, and I am super keen to sink my teeth into A Touch of Malice!

Review: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This book was an easy ★★★★★ and I am feeling very spoilt with the quality of books I have been reading lately. I love it when a hyped book actually lives up to the hype.

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What’s the book about?

This book is so multifaceted, it actually blew my mind. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is all about Evelyn Hugo who was an acclaimed actress in the Hollywood scene of the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. Everyone she loves has died, and so she has reached out to Monique, a writer for the magazine Vivant. Evelyn was one of those actresses who had the face and the body to achieve all of her dreams in the acting industry, but she is ready to show the world who she is underneath the dyed hair, the one sided articles and the decades she has spent doing everything she can to keep her secrets safe. Throughout this story, Evelyn divulges her entire life story from her first marriage to the death of her final love still alive, and it is a truly breathtaking and heartbreaking tale.

My scattered thoughts

This book exceeded every single one of my expectations. It was written in a way which provided both the action as if it was happening to Evelyn, and also her thoughts and feelings towards her life at the same time. It was such a fascinating way to write this story, and having her narrate her life as well as comment on it after the fact added another level to the story, and to her character which I thought was brilliantly done.

Sometimes reality comes crashing down on you. Other times reality simply waits, patiently, for you to run out of the energy it takes to deny it.

Evelyn Hugo has to be one of the most complicated and multifaceted character I have ever read. Just you began to like her, she would do something that made you want to yell. Every decision she made was thought through in detail, and even then, she made so many decisions which, in hindsight, she now recognises were not the correct ones. She has seven husbands, and from each of them she got something different out of it. This book was a journey, for Evelyn, for Monique and for the reader. This story really resonated with me, because underneath the title of ‘Seven Husbands,’ the story is fundamentally about the way in which women live their lives vs. the way way men do. Every time Evelyn went through a divorce, it was a scandal for her and she was the talk of the gossip columns, but the men got through it unscathed. This book portrays the hardships women went through 50 + years ago, and highlights the ways the world has changed, and all the ways it has not, both for women and lgbtqi+.

You do not know how fast you have been running, how hard you have been working, how truly exhausted you are, until somewhat stands behind you and says, “It’s OK, you can fall down now. I’ll catch you.

Overall, this book stunned me. The style and format of the book was different, and absolutely perfect for telling this story. The inclusions of gossip columns and bulletins added yet another layer into the world and identity of Evelyn Hugo. The way in which Evelyn’s stor progressed, and simultaneously affected Monique in ways she didn't even realise until after the fact was incredibly subtle, yet entirely believable. This book is wonderful, and I would definitely recommend it. If you have read this, please leave your thoughts down below, or come find me on Instagram @kell_read (and I have just started a TikTok @kell_read4 so be sure to check that out!) ✨

Review: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

This is what I would call a top-notch, ★★★★★ read.

A vision of cosmic grandeur, I suppose. A symbol of the mingled glory and horror of existence. No one gets out alive. (177)

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What is the book about? 

Piranesi is a book of journal entries. The journal entries are being written by a man in his thirties whose name has been given to him by the only other human which lives in the House. He is known as the Other, and the name he has given our protagonist is Piranesi. Piranesi doesn’t feel like this was always his name, but he accepts it. The journal entries detail Piranesi’s movements, daily routines and discoveries as he moves about the House. The House is the entire world in which only two people live. But there are rooms full of water, and tides which Piranesi has noted the patterns, there are birds of all different types, long halls and thousands of statues. He is a Child of the House. But, all is not as it seems in the House, and as Piranesi begins to unravel the mystery, he uncovers secrets that could potentially cause madness. Piranesi’s once beautiful world is becoming something strange, and the more he uncovers, the more dangerous it becomes.

Thoughts and Feelings 

I am absolutely awestruck with this book. I have a feeling this is going to be a short review, not because I didn’t love it (I did), or because I don’t have a lot to say about it (I do), but there just isn’t a lot I can say about it without spoiling it. I thought the writing was beautiful, for a novel set out in journal entries, I thought the language was incredibly evocative, and the journal entries read more like the action or the conversion was happening as you read it, rather than it being a later account. In this way, I was in awe at the writing and I thought the style of writing was the perfect way to express this story. You are in the mind of Piranesi the entire time, and for once, I was thankful we only had his thought process and point of view. As Piranesi discovers secrets and uncovers mysteries, you are right there along with him, which is why I just could not put this book down. It’s atmospheric, strange, beguiling and so complex. Not everyone will like this book (as with all books). It wanders from hall to hall, slowly opening up and the magical realism-esq feel of this book is probably why I loved it so damn much. If you’re looking for action and a straightforward plot, this is not the book for you.

Not everything about the Wind was bad. Sometimes it blew though the little voids and crevices of the Statues and caused them to sing and whitle in surprisnig ways; I have never known the Statues to have voices before and it made me laugh for sheer delight. (28)

The House is absolutely phenomenal. There are hundreds upon hundreds of great halls and corridors, there are rooms which open to the sky above, rooms with no windows, rooms full of water, rooms full of clouds, and birds of many types who have found a home in the House and its walls. The description of the House, and the way Piranesi interacts with it is such a pleasure to read, as he treats everything and every creature with respect and kindness. The labyrinth of rooms and corridors is also laden with statues; thousands upon thousands of statues. Many of these statues depict actions and concepts that do not exist in the House, such as gardening and beekeeping. Many of the statues are imbued in metaphors, and many depict figures and creatures from mythology such as minotaurs and satyrs. I found that, although this book had nothing to do with mythology, the whole thing made me think of the Minotaur in the labyrinth, and the notion that only one person survives the labyrinth, and it was 99% of the time, the Minotaur (there’s a chance that I blame Erica over at Moaninc for this, but I am so glad for it). It was like this constant feeling that not everything was as it seems. This book exudes a whisper of mythology, but is rooted in the idea of a higher order of being, in Piranesi’s case, the House. It’s so hard to explain the way in which the beliefs and rituals of civilisations passed such as Ancient Greece, are woven into the foundations of this tale (to me, at least).

I almost forgot to breathe. For a moment I had an inkling of what it might be like if instead of two people in the World there were thousands. (59)

That’s all I’m going to say about this book, simply because I don’t want to say too much and ruin anyone else’s experience whilst reading this book. I’m sure people have gotten more out of the metaphors and subtleties from this book than I have, but I say thought it was a spectacularly written story with an incredibly original and unique plot. I absolutely adored it. I would recommend that you read this in as little sittings as possible. It is best experienced as undisrupted as possible. If you have read this book, I would LOVE to chat with you about it!! Please chuck a comment down below or find me at @kell_read on Instagram!!

Review: The Crown of Gilded Bones by Jennifer L Armentrout

★★☆☆☆ Poor performance from A Crown of Gilded Bones…

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The Crown of Gilded Bones is the third book in the From Blood and Ash series (which I have just found out is going to be six books long????) by Jennifer L Armentrout.

What’s the book about?

As the third book in a series, this will spoil the first two so ~ be warned. ~ So basically, this story is still only from the point of view of Poppy (I still feel like this book would have benefitted from multiple POVs), and she has just realised that she has a whole lotta power in her. She’s met her in-laws in the most awkward and non-conventional way possible, and she’s finally reached Atlantia for the first time. That’s about all I can say from the cliffhanger ending of A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire.

My ~ chaotic ~ thoughts (as per usual)

Poppy wasn’t nearly as annoying as the previous two books, but the book itself was just not great. It started positively, resolving the cliffhanger which the previous book (A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire) left off. But from there, nothing. happens. This book could have done with some SERIOUS editing. I didn’t even read the physical book, I listened to the audiobook which I ended up ramping to 1.4x speed because, and I repeat, nothing was happening. JLA has made this book so, incredibly long, and it honestly was like… a boring history book about all these people and different species and bloodlines and ugh, that is like 50% of the book and it killed me.

I have to say that I still love Kieran (fave), Delano and Emil, Naill and Vonetta. Their banter and comradeship (and the fact that most if not all of them turn into wolves, I literally cannot remember if any of them are Atlantian), kept me listening to this book. To make up for the LACK OF PLOT and any interesting events or developments in the plot or characters or relationships, JLA absolutely used sex scenes to fill out this book instead. I honestly think that the ratio of interesting events and development to sex scenes was WAY OFF. As a side note, everything is spelled so weird I am SO GLAD I’m listening to this book. Honestly, the spelling of the names would have absolutely put me off reading this book in physical form.

The info-dumping, unnecessarily pointless details no one asked for, the comments on Poppy asking questions, Casteel finding her hot when she talks about stabbing things and the all-round general repetitiveness of this book is all exactly the same as the previous one. The fact that there is meant to be THREE more of these books absolutely astounds me. This book was not as addictive in a guilty pleasure sort of was as the first one was, and at least in AKOFAF, things happened? New and interesting characters were introduced? This one felt like such an unplanned, and unedited mess of words. It’s like JLA had no idea any of this was going to happen when she was writing the first two books and then added all this stuff in that she needed to drive her plot for the next three. I honestly have absolutely no idea what she is going to fill those books with. The amount of ~plot twists~ JLA has added to this godforsaken novel has literally taken the fun out of plot twists to begin with. It’s almost like, the reader knows nothing has happened for the last 200 pages so there’s probably gonna be a plot twist… and there it is. Another side note, apparently Poppy has lots of ‘…’ in her inner monologues which makes me SO THANKFUL that I am listening to the audiobooks of this series LOL.

I actually still don’t like Cas that much??? People are absolutely fawning over him, but he is such a basic ‘guy grows up rich and royal, has bad thing happen to him, is so strong he moves past it, does dumb shit and gets the girl.’ That’s obviously an oversimplification, but he is just boring???? Give me more KIERAN THANKS. I still haven’t gotten over the way he treated Poppy at the end of book one and the start of book two. I don’t know. I just do not see his appeal.

So to summarise, this book was not good (in my opinion). It was too long for not enough action or character development. I don’t mind books that are slow on the action if they give me a whole lot of character and relationship development, but in this case, we LITERALLY get neither of these things. It’s a 25-hour audiobook (and a 600+ page book) in which NOTHING HAPPENS and I was so bored. If you’re going to read these books then I absolutely recommend listening to the audio book! The narrator is fantastic and you can speed the bad boy up to get it finished quicker, you don’t have to deal with the random ellipses AND you don’t have to look at the unnecessary out-there spelling of things. Would love to hear your opinions on this book, and the series as a whole, whether you lived the book or felt a bit like I did!! Chuck us a comment or find me on Instagram @kell_read ✨

Review: The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper

This book was one of the easiest ★★★★★ I have ever given. I am lucky enough to have been given the opportunity to interview Elodie Harper about her book with World History Encyclopedia. You can find the video here and the condensed transcript on World History Encyclopedia. After you’ve finished watching my interview with Elodie, I would recommend you then head over to Erica’s YouTube channel MoanInc, where she has built off the questions I asked, and delved even deeper into the story with Elodie which you can find here!

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What’s The Book About?

The Wolf Den is a novel by Elodie Harper which is set in Pompeii in the first century CE in Pompeii’s lupanar which is the brothel of the ancient city. The term ‘lupanar’ could mean both brothel or wolf den and the term ‘lupa’ could be used for both a she-wolf, or a prostitute. The novel follows the point of view of Amara, a greek woman born into a middle-class family, who had to be sold after her father died. She ended up as a prostitute in Pompeii, and works at the Wolf Den with four other women. However, Amara hasn't just accepted the misfortune which life has thrown her, and wants more than anything to be free. This novel, which is the first of a trilogy (yay!), follows Amara as she does whatever it takes to change her fate.

The skill of the fighters, the grace of the tigers, all of it is punctuated by acts of savagery. (217)

Historical and Archaeological Roots:

Before we get into my ~many~ thoughts and feelings concerning this book, let’s have a look at Pompeii, Pompeiian graffiti and Venus Pompeiana first. Pompeii is probably one of the most well known ancient cities along with places such as Rome and Athens, but it differs from many ancient cities because in 79 CE, the local volcano known as Vesuvius, erupted, and covered the city and its occupants in lava and ash. It would have been a catastrophic event for those in the ancient world, but it has proven to be invaluable to modern historians and archaeologists as an untouched insight into the daily lives of the Romans who lived in the city, and the neighbouring city of Herculaneum. Excavations at Pompeii have informed our understanding of life in the city in a way that no other site could. The volcanic eruption has preserved architecture, mosaics and wall paintings, bronze statues (which in any other circumstance probably would have been melted down and repurposed), houses, baked goods (look up Pompeii bread!), and writing which has been found in wax tablets, pottery, seals, tomb inscriptions, and probably most interestingly; graffiti. The survival of graffiti from Pompeii is, in my opinion, equally as fascinating as the wall paintings, as it truly shows us that humans really have not changed in 2,000 years. It makes the ancient world feel a lot more familiar, and close. If you don’t believe me, I’m going to add some graffiti found at Pompeii (all in translation from usually Latin or Greek). Let me know if any of them sound familiar! (All graffiti quotes have been cited from ‘POMPEII: A sourcebook by Alison E. Cooley and M. G. L. Cooley (2004).’

1. Commemoration of an architect: ‘Marcus Artorius Primus, freedman of Marcus, architect.’ (67)

2. Latin poetry composed on the walls:

   ‘What is happening? Alas, eyes, first you led me into the fire,

   Now of your own accord you give generously to your cheeks.

   But tears cannot put out the flame;
   They inflame the face and melt the spirit.

   Composed by Tiburtinus.’ (72)

3. The Pompeii equivalent of ‘Kelly Was Here:’ ‘Gaius Pumidius Dipilus was here, five days before the nones of October when

   Marcus Lepidus and Quintus Catulus were consuls.’ (77)

4. And last but not least, graffiti about graffiti: ‘I admire you, wall, for not having collapsed at having to carry the tedious

   scribblings of so many writers.’ (79)

Why is graffiti so important, you ask? Well, for The Wolf Den, in particular, Elodie has drawn names and situations from graffiti found at Pompeii, and woven them into her story. She has used names of prostitutes and even a name of a gladiator in her story, which is not only incredibly unique, but executed flawlessly.

She wants to scream her rage into the night… Her anger is rising like the sea, drowning her. She has to get out. (284)

The goddess Venus held a special place in Pompeii as the guardian deity of the city, and is sometimes referred to as Pompeian Venus. In The Wolf Den, Venus is an important deity, since she is the Roman goddess of love, beauty, sex, fertility, and prostitution. In April, the festival known as the Vinalia was celebrated which was held in honour of Jupiter and Venus. Common girls and prostitutes would gather to the temple of Venus to offer her myrtle and mint and ask for things such as beauty, popular favour, to be charming or witty.

Thoughts and Feelings

Holy moly. This book is an absolute masterpiece, and from the moment I started reading it, I found it incredibly challenging to put it down. Not only did Elodie create a phenomenal story rooted in archaeological evidence, but she also explores so many themes and issues that would have been prevalent in the ancient world at the time this novel was set. Overall, Elodie makes the reader realise just how dangerous and difficult it would have been to be a woman in the ancient world.

There’s nothing more truthful than a play, is there… I think comedies are braver somehow. All of life up there on the stage, and actors have the courage to say what one cannot say elsewhere. (257)

The complexity of the story that Elodie has created is completely awe-inspiring and incomparable. It didn’t remind me of anything else I have ever read. Using names left scratched on the walls of Pompeii, Elodie took them and created a new story for them, one which was as equally uplifting as it was savage. Our main five girls are all bonded in a way that no one else could possibly understand, and yet they are all constantly working against each other (in a way) to make money and live. Elodie definitely puts an emphasis on the unbreakable friendship these women have forged through their shared experiences as prostitutes at the Wolf Den, they know each other’s weaknesses and traumas, and do what they can to shield each other, and keep each other safe in a world which is working so hard to break them. Elodie has an ability with words to cut deep, and do it succinctly. She does not use unnecessary words to make a point, her language is blunt, brutal and wholly truthful. She has truly enlightened her readers on how the world would have been perceived by a woman sold as a prostitute in the ancient world. These experiences Amara and her friends experience strike me as completely real and it honestly gave me chills. It reminds you how much more brutal the world was, especially for women, and she does not try and soften that. She presents it raw and uncut. You feel completely immersed in the city of Pompeii. You can feel the suffocating bustle of the women at the Vinalia, you can feel the comradeship of the women as they move through the streets, and you can feel their terror, their hatred, their relief and their love. It is wholly encapsulating.

Warmth spreads through her. She has never had a friend like Dido. She is the light in the darkness of her life. (199)

Other than the focus of women supporting women, even beyond our main characters, is the idea of a human being viewed as an object, and men’s incomprehensible inability to view women as anything more than objects. When I read Classics For Plebs review of this book, she made the observation that this book forces you to come to terms with the fact that women were sold into slavery daily. These women weren’t necessarily always prostitutes, and it shifts the focus of the reader to the fact that these women have absolutely no control over their bodies and their lives, and it was something happening to women all over the ancient world. Our main characters, our point of view for this entire story, the basis of this entire novel is the fact that these women do not have ownership over their own bodies or their lives. They are literally owned by men, and they are treated by the man that owns them, and 99% of men in this story, as if they are nothing more than a mindless object to be used, abused and then discarded.

You wouldn't understand. You’re just a woman (417)

But although they’re talking about her, they’re only talking to Felix, as if she isn’t really there (316)

You invested in quality stock then. Not got any virgins, I suppose? (305)

This story is less focussed on plot, and more on characters and their relationships with others. As the plot continues, the characters develop and new people are introduced, and new relationships are formed, It isn’t an ‘event heavy book, and is focussed on the lives and experiences of Amara and her fellow she-wolves. It is beautifully written, and truly gives a raw insight into what it would have been like to be a woman in the ancient world. These women were once real, and Elodie has composed such complex lives for them, that it is completely and utterly believable. If you’re thinking you might want to pick up this book, this is your sign to do so! If you have read it, leave a comment with your thoughts on the book, or find me over on Instagram @kell_read and we can have a chat about it!!!

Review: Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

★★★★★ (Either 5 stars or 4.75… either way, this book was brilliant!) Head to the end of my review to find my interview with Jennifer Saint with World History Encyclopedia! After you’ve finished watching my interview with Jennifer, I would recommend you then head over to Erica’s YouTube channel MoanInc, where she has built off the questions I asked, and delved even deeper into the story with Jennifer which you can find here!

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint was a hugely anticipated read for me this year, even more so after I saw the beautiful cover art for both editions. So to say I was excited to read this one is an understatement, especially due to my obsession with Greek Mythology and women in the ancient world. I am very happy to say I was not disappointed. If you aren’t familiar with the myths of Ariadne, Phaedra, Theseus and the Minotaur, then this will spoil those for you. Since the book follows the myths very closely, this review details the core myths used in Ariadne, and then my thoughts on the book below will mention key points from the myth which will spoil it for you if you aren’t familiar with it!

Mythological Inspiration (this is a long one…)

Let’s start with the mythology Ariadne is based off. As the title suggests, our main focus of the book is Ariadne, although I was pleasantly surprised that in Part Two and Three of the book (it’s split into four parts), we also get the point of view of Ariadne’s little sister Phaedra. Ariadne and Phaedra were daughters of King Minos of Crete, a son of Zeus, and his wife Pasiphäe who was a daughter of the Titan-god of the sun, Helios. When the ruler of Crete, Aseterion, died, the three sons of his wife Europa with Zeus; Minos, Sarpedon, and Rhadamanthus all wanted to be king. Minos claimed he had support from the gods to become king of Crete, and so he said that if he sacrificed and prayed to the gods for anything, they would fulfil the wish. So, Minos sacrificed to Poseidon and asked him to send a bull from the sea, and that if Poseidon did this, Minos would sacrifice the bull to the god. Poseidon sent the magnificent bull, and Minos’ claim was supported. However, when Minos saw the bull and how magnificent it was, he couldn’t bring himself to sacrifice it, and so he kept the bull for himself and sacrificed one of his regular bulls instead, in the hopes that he could trick Poseidon.

Your coronet will guide sailors to safety through the labyrinth of the treacherous seas. Women will look to it for a sing of comfort, a light in the darkness. Children will whisper their wishes to it before the close their eyes to dream. It will stay there, fast and true, for all time. (pg. 239)

Obviously, Poseidon knew exactly what Minos had done and so he plotted to punish Minos for his hubris. The punishment of Minos was done through his wife, Pasiphäe. In some accounts it’s enacted by Poseidon, in some it is by Aphrodite (or Venus in Roman texts) because Pasiphäe hadn’t shown the proper piety to the goddess, and in some Poseidon seeks the help of Aphrodite in the punishment. Whichever myth you read, it ends the same, Pasiphäe is sent an all consuming desire for the bull, and so she seeks the help of Daedalus the inventor. Daedalus constructs Pasiphäe a wooden cow covered in a real cow hide, and so she hid in the contraption and lay with the bull, since it thought that the wooden cow was real. From this union, Pasiphäe became pregnant with the Minotaur who was half human, half cow, and she named him Asterion.

The birth of the Minotaur brought shame to the family, and although Pasiphäe cared for it when it was younger, the Minotaur grew monstrous and ferocious, and his hunger was only satiated with human flesh. To hold the creature, Minos had Daedalus create the Labyrinth underneath the palatial centre at Knossos where the Minotaur lived. There was still the issue of how to keep the Minotaur fed, but after Minos’ son Androgeos was killed in Athens, Minos blamed the Athenians for his death and so requested 7 young boys and 7 young girls every nine years (or every year depending o the source), which he would feed to the Minotaur in punishment for the death of his son. In the third round of tributes, Theseus the prince of Athens volunteered as one of the tributes. When he arrived on Crete, both Ariadne and Phaedra fell in love with Theseus, and so Ariadne sought out Daedalus to help save Theseus. Ariadne gave Theseus a ball of string so that he could find his way out of the Labyrinth. Theseus successfully killed the Minotaur, and then left Crete with Ariadne and Phaedra. On the way home, Theseus abandons Ariadne on the island of Naxos, and takes Phaedra as his wife. Ariadne becomes the wife of Dionysus, and Phaedra becomes the Queen of Athens until she falls in love with her stepson Hippolytus, which does not end well for either her or the youth.

So there you have it, the most condensed version of the myth I could possibly write. If you want a more in-depth article about the myth, check out World History Encyclopedia’s article on The Minotaur!

… but also by the terrible truth that she had sacrificed everything she knew for a love as ephemeral and transient as the rainbows that glimmered through the sea spray. (pg. 1)

Thoughts and Feelings

I have been finding it hard to put my thoughts about this book into coherent sentences, so much so that I’ve taken a few days since finishing it to let it settle before sitting down to write this review. Let’s start off with some general thoughts on Ariadne. The first thing that struck me when reading this book was the writing, it’s absolutely beautiful. Saint’s writing style is lyrical and poetic, and it has given me the same feeling as Madeline Miller’s Circe. The amount of tabs I used for this book is just insane, and it was primarily so I could go back to the sentences that were so beautiful and striking. I thought the descriptive language lended itself well to the story, as it is quite a slow burn. If you are looking for action, then this is not the book for you. I would have liked a little bit more dialogue to help the story move a bit, but when we did get dialogue, Saint made it count. It strikes me as very similar to Greek Tragedy in the sense that any action or violence is never shown, but rather told. You don’t actually read about Theseus killing the Minotaur, but when he exits the labyrinth with the other tributes, you know that a bloody fight has just occurred.

I know that human life shines more brightly because it is but a shimmering candle against an eternity of darkness and it can be extinguished with the faintest breeze. (pg. 229)

The book is split into four parts; the first and fourth part are from Ariadne’s point of view, and in parts two and three, we get both Ariadne and Phaedra’s point of view. Having dual perspectives in this novel was such a brilliant way to tell this story, especially since Phaedra essentially lived the life Ariadne dreamed for herself, the second she locked eyes with Theseus. This book was full of hints to the long history of Greek epic poetry, such as the reuse of epithets commonly seen in Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. My favourite, and one that popped up a lot was ‘rosy-fingered dawn,’ which could be found rewritten numerous time in ways such as ‘the rosy fingers of dawn’ (15). You also have the bee pendant given to Ariadne from Daedalus, which can only be inspired by the Minoan gold bee pendant found in the site of Malia on Crete, as well as mentions of the labrys, also known as a double axe which is a very common symbol and artefact found in Minoan sites and contexts. Any time an author intertwines archaeological aspects into a retelling or reimagining of a myth, I automatically like it more.

One very prevalent theme throughout this retelling is the inherent unfairness there was in being a woman in the world of the gods, and in Ancient Greece in general. Furthermore, this idea of women being punished for the actions of men is commented on by Ariadne as early as page 15 with her thought ‘however blameless a life we led, the passions and the greed of men could bring us to ruin, and there was nothing we could do.’ The myths of women such as Scylla who betrayed her father to help Minos, and who was then killed by Minos for her treachery, of Io who was turned into a cow to ‘save’ her from Hera’s wrath after she slept with Zeus, of Semele who was tricked by Hera into forcing Zeus to show her his divine self which then promptly killed her, of Medusa who was turned into a monster with snakes for hair and a look which could kill after being raped by Poseidon, were all brought up time and again in this book, as an emphasis of how women were punished for the follies of men, and I wish Ariadne learnt from these stories. Of course, the myth had to play out, but by having those myths mentioned throughout the story makes it all the more clear how helpless the lives of women were.

I wondered what it felt like; to command the respect of people who had not seen you for years and knew nothing of you except that you were the son, rather than the daughter, of the King. (Phaedra, pg. 152)

This book was very character driven, and I was loving every minute of it. We pretty much get the entire life of Ariadne and Phaedra from their childhood until the day they die in 386 pages, so naturally, their development and growth was a huge part of the narrative. Ariadne was always quite self aware, she knew the consequence of her actions, but she was so naive to assume that everyone else (ahem, Theseus), was as trustworthy as she was. Her character fluctuated between being a relatively naive woman who let things happen to her, to being this strong, courageous woman who did what she wanted for herself. The inconstancies of her character made her all the more human to me, and a loved reading through her life, and the ways which Saint interpreted her life on Naxos with her children and the Maenads. Having the dual perspective of Ariadne and Phaedra was such a great way to show the contrasting lives of the sisters, and how they grew up so differently. The most striking contrast for me was the way in which the two women dealt with becoming mothers and their feelings towards their children. It was haunting, and their different experiences has really stuck with me. This is similar to their relationships with their husbands, Dionysus and Theseus. Dionysus is the god of wine, and the fact that he is a god and has married a mortal is your first sign that this cannot stay so perfect. His development was one of my favourite parts of this book, it was so intriguing to read how the following of mortals in his rites affected him, and consequently his relationship with Ariadne and their children. In contrast, Phaedra and Theseus were never in love, and Phaedra lived a lonely existence as the Queen of Athens. Being in her head as she meets this innocent, pure and outwardly kind man, Hippolytus, really casts her story with Hippolytus in a different light than what we get from primary sources. It was fascinating and tragic, and I loved it. This brings me to Theseus, the opposite to Hippolytus in every way possible. He was obsessed with being a hero, and so I thought that the early description of his ‘cold green eyes’ hints to his cold and cunning soul. He doesn’t care for anyone other than himself, and his lies and manipulation was all calculated and without a second thought for anyone else’s feelings, but only for how it would help him become a greater hero. I really liked the way he was portrayed in this book, but I have a feeling that might change after reading some primary sources of the myth of Ariadne and Theseus.

I will be coming back to this review after I have read 1. The Library of Greek Mythology (also known as the Bibliotheca) by Apollodorus and 2. Plutarch’s Parallel Lives: Comparison of Theseus and Romulus because I’m interested to see how my opinions change about the character of Theseus and Ariadne after reading a couple of primary sources on him. I am also having an interview with Jennifer Saint which I am so excited about, so after I have published that video, I’ll be sure to link it here so you can check that out! The transcription of my interview with Jennifer has been posted to World History Encyclopedia which you can read here! Have you read Ariadne? I would love to hear your thoughts on it either in the comments or find me over on Instagram @kell_read!

Review: Lore by Alexandra Bracken

★★★★☆

Lore by Alexandra Bracken was described to me as a Greek Mythology x Hunger Games vibe, and honestly, after reading it, I agree wholeheartedly. Every seven years, nine of the 12 Olympians are turned mortal and sent to earth for one week, in an event called the Agon. During the Agon, the mortal bloodlines of infamous Greek heroes such as Perseus, Odysseus, and Achilles hunt the gods, and if they kill one, they assume the gods’ immortality and power. Lore Perseous left that life many years ago, but when her friend Castor (whom she assumed was dead) and a gravely injured Athena both turn up in her life at the beginning of the Agon, she is thrust back into the world she truly hoped she had left for good.

I always find it easier to talk about things that I didn’t like (I don’t know why that is), but for this book, there was only a couple of things, so let’s start with them! The first was the writing itself, every now and then Bracken would write something like ‘half-past eleven o’clock,’ and I feel like the ‘o’clock’ just feels off-kilter. Also, there were a number of instances where I had to re-read a sentence because the phrasing just didn’t make any sense to me. I would also say that it’s quite a long book (my edition is 547 pages), but it only covers 7 days in total (although there are flashbacks throughout the story). I had a recommendation from Erica that it isn’t a book you can draw out, it’s best read in as little sittings as possible, and honestly, I agree! I read the first 270 pages in around three weeks, and the last 270 pages in about 5 hours, and I enjoyed the second half of the book more than I enjoyed the first half! I would have LOVED more to do with the new gods, I feel like they could have taken more space in this story than they did. I also feel like this book could have been improved with multiple points of view (although to be fair, I think this about most books I read that are only a single POV). Reading parts of this from the eyes of someone like Miles who is ‘unblooded’ and just thrust into this world, or Castor who goes through such an incredible arc could have added a bit more substance into the world building and the Agon.

‘It was a morbid sort of marathon relay, with immortal power as the baton being passed between bloodlines.’ 

Alexandra Bracken

Okay, on to all of the good stuff!! This book was so action-packed, but it never felt overwhelming. This was such a fresh and unique way of bringing Greek gods and Greek mythology into an urban setting, which actually took me a bit to get used to. The idea that the gods could be killed, and then when a human took their powers they also chose a new name for themselves and would be referred to as ‘the new Dionysus’ for example is so different from any other book I’ve read. I loved the fact that Bracken kept this story in the world we know, and if you were from New York, I can only assume that the places and street names mentioned would have been very familiar!

I think one of the things that really struck me was the bloodlines, and their beliefs. These groups of people are all descendants of these ancient heroes, heroes that we would be familiar with, but they’re living in the world we know today. They descend from these great heroes and they believe in the Greek gods, yet their religious practices and social order barely altered in over 2,000 years. I found the contrast between these families believing in archaic systems of men basically owning women, and prohibiting women to be heads of the family or in any position of power, with the modern world which is working SO HARD to disestablish these ideas to be pretty shocking. There is this one scene in one of the flashbacks that literally made my skin crawl. the inequality between men and women that we are still fighting today has been an integrated part of societies for as long as history traces back. We are aware of the lack of choice, of voice, and of freedom that women were given in most (not all) ancient societies and no one today pretends that the way ancient societies functioned wasn’t inherently misogynistic. But reading these antiquated beliefs functioning in the modern world, with most of the characters accepting it because ‘that’s the way their world is’ was much harder than I thought it would be.

‘she was merely reborn as a being who could gaze back at the world, unafraid’

Alexandra Bracken

The occasional banter in this book was such a highlight, plus the way the main characters Lore, Castor, Miles, and Van all converged in a very cute, found family sort of way. The way the four of them all worked together, and worked to each other’s strengths was a dynamic in this story which I really, really enjoyed. Although, I was never really sold on Lore’s friendship with Iro. I just didn’t feel the depth of their relationship like I did with her and Miles, Castor, and even Van. Having Athena as the main god that Lore interacts with was such an interesting choice, one that I really liked. Athena is the goddess of strategic warfare, wisdom, crafts, and defender of cities and towns. Many of her responsibilities lend themselves to the story which played out in Lore, and I thought she was the perfect choice. I thought the character of Lore was so multi-faceted and three-dimensional. Her constant battle between avenging her family, her guilt, her need for survival, her desire for a normal life, and her inability to forget who she is and who she was brought up to be makes this book even more interesting. Reading from the point of view of a character so conflicted was so compelling, and one of the best parts of this book.

“Sometimes the braver thing is to accept help when you've been made to believe you shouldn't need it.”

Alexandra Bracken

At one point, Lore brings up Athena’s history and her tendency to give her favour to male heroes, and, using the example of Medusa, her history of turning her back on women. This was another moment for me where the issues of Greek Mythology came rushing back in stark contrast to the modern world. The story of Medusa isn’t often depicted as a happy one. The beautiful Medusa (one of the three gorgons) was seduced by the god of the oceans, earthquakes, and horses, Poseidon, in a temple to Athena. In retaliation for desecrating her temple, instead of punishing Poseidon, she turned Medusa into a monster with snakes for hair and the ability to turn people to stone with one look. The face of Medusa was depicted on Athena’s shield, known as an Aegis, and is the symbol of the House of Perseus (Lore’s bloodline). The plotlines, character motivations and underlying mythological background interwoven throughout this book keeps you constantly on your toes as more information is revealed. It is an intricate balance of modern life, ancient beliefs, and an epic hunt, and Bracken executed it brilliantly. If you want a book that brings ancient myths, gods, and beliefs into an urban setting like you’ve never seen it before, this is the book for you. If you’ve read it, let me know your thoughts in the comments, or you can find me on Instagram at @kell_read!

Review: A Touch of Ruin by Scarlett St. Clair

★★★★☆

A Touch of Ruin is book 2 in the Hades and Persephone series by Scarlett St. Clair, and, once again, I listened to the audiobook. This time though, I listened to it at 1.2x speed and it was SO MUCH better! The narrator drawled less, and it seemed like there was more enthusiasm in her narration. Whether it’s due to the fact that I sped it up, or if she was just better this time I’m not sure, but if you decide to listen to the audiobook, definitely speed it up! I have been really enjoying listening to books, it’s easy to make notes and the emotion and extra layer of performance you get is so wonderful. Another point here is that this book is written SO WELL! I love the writing style and I would recommend this series to everyone!

Much like book 1, I still have VERY conflicting emotions with this book (and series). In saying that, this book and whole series so far is incredibly binge-worthy and addictive and I am mildly obsessed with this series 😍 I was hoping that after the events of book one, Persephone would begin to grow as a person, to trust Hades, and continue to improve her communication skills with the man she claims to love. I hoped to see her healing from her mothers’ treatment of her, and growing into her newfound power and position next to Hades. What I got instead was an increasingly annoying, stupid, bratty, and insecure Persephone, who seemed to learn absolutely nothing from the events of Book 1. I can understand the insecurity she continues to feel, she was locked up by her mother for so long, and was taught to believe that she had to work hard for love and affection, and if she did something wrong it would be taken away. I understand how this can mess with a person, but this doesn’t have to make a person PLAIN STUPID?

“The first rule of men, Persephone, is that they’re all idiots.”

Scarlett St. Clair

In the last, maybe 2 chapters did I begin to actually warm to Persephone, but I don’t think she actually learned from any of her mistakes?? (And there were A LOT she could have learned from). I think she feels guilty and feels remorse, but I also think she still feels bad for herself more than actually learning from the mistakes she has made. This brings me to the question of why Hades deals with her? I know that they’re fated to be together blah blah, but they’re both immortal? Why not let her grow up a bit rather than dealing with her absolute crap. Persephone uses 98% of this book to lie to Hades, break the multiple promises she has made to him, and then wonder why he leaves her to her own space? She never gives him the chance to explain himself, and although he makes mistakes, at least he is trying? He has MILLENIA of habits he needs to unlearn, and the fact that Persephone expects him to be perfect within months of meeting is so selfish and self-absorbed. I was really hoping their communication would improve in this one, and that’s one more thing that I didn’t get. I got more weird, passive-aggressive sex scenes and arguments that were never resolved. However, every time Hades asks Persephone if she is well makes my heart melt.

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.

“Create the life you want, Persephone, and stop listening to everyone else.”

Scarlett St. Clair

What I DO vibe with, is pretty much all of the secondary characters; Hermes, Hecate, Sybil, Thanatos, and even Apollo. In the beginning, as I’m sure that St. Clair wanted, I felt for Sybil and hated Apollo. Throughout the course of Persephone writing slanderous articles about a god after being specifically asked not to (???), Apollo started to grow on me. I’m not completely sold on the fact that after millennia of being a god and acting how he has, Persephone does like, three things, and Apollo decides he wants to change? But, apart from this, he started to grow on me. Hermes is still 100% my favourite character in this book, he is the sassy comedic relief we really need in this book after pages and pages of constant whining and literally NOTHING HAPPENING. We definitely didn’t get enough of Hecate in this one (thanks to Persephone being so stubborn and ignoring the underworld altogether).

So, with another chaotic review completed, it is safe to say that I will keep reading this series and I TRULY hope that Persephone is redeemed in the next one. Keeping this review non-spoiler was so difficult, especially due to the number of random small subplots sprinkled through the chaotic book (that’s right, I reckon my review and this whole book are both chaotic). I got 2 chapters of bonus content at the end of the audiobook from Hades’ point of view, and I want to read the series from his POV SO BAD! I’ve enjoyed the three chapters I’ve been blessed in his point of view more than I’ve enjoyed most of this book in Persephone’s. If you’ve read this book, what are your thoughts? Did you like it more than book one? Let me know here, or find me over at @kell_read on Instagram!