I also 100% agree that "it's mafia shit, because Mythology" is a completely valid way to read these books. And I can definitely go without angst, but I still prefer big character arcs or revelations - or even psychological navel-gazing - if there isn't angst, which kinda wasn't the case in Neon Gods. I was rooting for everything she did after that point. You raise a great point - the Disney books are SO angsty and that's part of why I love them! I mean, that Learn my Lesson opens with Meg fretting about her failing relationship, particularly the feeling of that emotional coldness from her partner, just hit me in the feels. Basically, I think he’s a cinnamon roll who incorrectly thinks everyone sees him as a terrifying mob boss. Same with his friendship with Hermes and Dionysus, he’s too brooding to realize they’re actually just his friends, so he tells himself they’re probably spying on him. My reading was that his angst and his hatred of Zeus had him convinced that everyone was scared of him, when really everyone just liked and trusted him. I read the book as saying that reputation is not true, not that his reputation was supposed to be earned and was just badly written. I think the criticism that we never see Hades as a hardass or doing any bad things is kind of the point? Like, there’s this whole dark reputation that the upper side of the city believes about him and his territory and whatnot. I much preferred these, even being relatively bland hetero sex ??♀️Īnd the characters also worked for me, particularly Hades. I read some of her Disney ones, but they were just too much pain and angst for me. I get the criticism of the sex scenes, but I think the lower levels of spice is actually why it worked for me. I’m not too picky about the coherence of mob politics, I am fine with handwaving “it’s mafia shit, because Mythology” background information. The only book I've read that is inspired by this story is the "A Court Of Thorns and Roses" series, which does a decent job, even though it is VERY loosely based.I’m one of the ones that loved Neon Gods, but you’re definitely not wrong! I think you bring up good criticisms, but a lot of them just didn’t bother me.
I'm cool with any genre, but I feel like this works best in Fantasy. Like I want to see persephone turn into a powerful queen! One of the things that got me into their relationship is persephone going from an "innocent" and sheltered goddess to the queen of the underworld/dead! I always found it cool how persephone ate the pomegranate seeds and transformed herself into the queen of the underworld and chose to stay with Hades and help him rule the underworld (much to her mother and the others god's dismay). I think more romance focused, like what happened in the underworld to make them fall in love?
Most of the original myths just say something like " Persephone went to the underworld and they fell in love" and that's all we get on their relationship. I'm fine with retellings or stories just inspired by them. Unfortunately, they don't have any good classical books about their relationship, so I'm trying to find some other versions. I've been reading articles/watching videos about the subject and my favourite myth has been Hades/Persephone. So, I'm officially a greek mythology fanatic.