| Title | : | A Game of Retribution (Hades Saga, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 464 |
| Publication | : | First published May 31, 2022 |
Usually, fear prevents retaliation.
But not this time.
When Hera, Goddess of Women, approaches Hades with a plan to overthrow Zeus, he declines to offer help. As punishment, Hera sentences Hades to perform a series of labors. Each feat seems more impossible than the last and draws his attention away from Persephone—whose own tragedy has left her questioning whether she can be Queen of the Underworld.
A Game of Retribution (Hades Saga, #2) Reviews
-
so grateful for this spin-off series because its making good progress at fixing the major issue i have with the main series.
i personally find hades to be a much more compelling and complex character than persephone and he started off as such an integral part of the main series. but starting with book #2, he was really only there for sex and thats it. and then he would disappear without the reader knowing why. like, how could such a strong, furious god be reduced to only giving persephone pleasure?? it was seriously so disappointing that SSC did that to his character, but thankfully this spin-off series is making up for that.
WE FINALLY HAVE ANSWERS. we know what hades is up to. why hes disappearing. how it plays into the overall narrative and world-building. everything is so much more detailed and developed and, honestly, its to the point where i think i may only read these books rather than keep up with the main series. which i really have no problem with. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
↠ 3.5 stars -
oh this is gonna be good.
-
A Game of Retribution was much better than A Game of Fate, I'm saying it now.
The thing that bugged me with the first Hades book, is that it felt like the exact same book as A Touch of Darkness just from a different PoV...which is exactly what it was.
This was fixed in the second novel, and we got to see a lot more of Hades on his own (or behind the scenes if you will). That was honestly a blast, and makes this book better than A Touch of Ruin too.
Likewise, in Persephone's PoV she was a lot more annoying than seeing her in Hades's PoV now. I almost didn't feel like she regressed in her confidence/powers, but it was still evident, just to a lesser degree.
This book also jumps around a lot less than the first, so there is some continuity (but if you're new to the series I'd still say read Persephone's PoV before this since it could potentially get confusing).
I got the impression that the steam was more prominent here, and it didn't bother me, there was an added scene that was really cool.
While I'm at added scenes, I love that we saw what Zofie did. I figured she'd tell Persephone at some later date when she was ready, but it's also nice that we finally know.
And the thing I was hoping for, but didn't get is Minthe. No reaction to her plant-ification whatsoever. Perhaps it'll be in another book? I badly want to see it.
My hopes for book three of this series are that there will be minimal overlapping scenes. I only want to read about Hades's shenanigans, please and thank you.
And yeah, that cliffhanger ending was cruel, as expected.
*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review* -
Hades and Persephone is back in this second instalment of the Hades Saga. Hera, Goddess of Women, want to overthrow Zeus and who better to help her than Hades? She doesn't give him much choice but to help her.
This was a good second book. It really built up well from the first book. Hades actually comes across a the "good-guy" and you really kind of root and love him. I felt Persephone had this superior like quality which I didn't like very much. The smut was again a bit overpowering. The book ended on a good note with a bit of anticipation for the next one.
My thanks to Netgalley and RB Media for this ARC. -
4/5 ⭐
2.5/5 🌶️
First off, I could of use a bit more "Are you well?" Gods, I still love that! When Persephone said it to him!!
I love, love, LOVE these Hades POV books. Makes me want to re-read A Touch of Darkness & A Touch of Ruin.
Lastly, can we talk about Hades confessing that Hermes is his actual bestie.
Quotes:
"Are you well?"
“Darling,” he said, his voice low and fierce. “I would burn this world for you.”
. -
weirdly there was a lot going on in this sequel but at the same time nothing really happens
-
"I'm not asking you to be a queen. I'm asking you to be yourself. I'm asking you to marry me. The title comes with our marriage. It changes nothing."
°•*⁀➷
This was so much better than Persephone's perspective of
A Touch of Ruin. That could be for so many reasons, but more than anything, because I was on Hades' side before even opening his book. I still can't believe that almost everyone constantly berates Hades for things he has no control over.
Should he tell Persephone more? Yes, but they've only known each other a few weeks. Should he be there for her more? Yes, but she also needs to express when she needs his support because she constantly tells him she doesn't. What is he supposed to do when she won't tell him what she needs? Every time she's angry, every time she hears something about him and doesn't believe him when he tells her the truth behind rumors, I just wish I could push him behind me and tell her off. She asks for trust, but gives none in return. She never listens when he warns her of the God's trickeries and always blames him when something goes wrong after not listening. It's maddening, and makes for an absolutely terrible relationship.
Reading Hades' inner turmoil over everything only made this harder to read, especially after disliking her version so much, but it also made me love Hades more.. hense the higher rating. He deserves so much better than Persephone, and I can't wait to see where this all goes in the future.
I love that on Hades side we get so much more of the story that leads up to the impending war. All of his tasks for Hera, and the pain he suffers during each. We see a side of Hades that I don't think Persephone even cares exists. A side of him that has suffered a millennia of people's judgement when everything he does is to ease their pain when they lose someone.
He's so good, and I can't wait to read the next book from his perspective. I'm enjoying it so much more.
- Paige -
Gotta admit my favorite part of the entire series is Hades’s banter with Hecate and Hermes.
It brings me joy each time Hecate calls Hades an idiot. She’s not wrong. I laugh every single time.
Hades grit his teeth. “We had an agreement, Hecate, that you would not read my mind.”
“And I respect it when you aren’t being a complete and utter idiot,” she replied. “You are just as uncertain about your future as Persephone.”
He did not like to be reminded of his mistakes, though those closest to him—in particular in particular Hecate, Goddess of Witchcraft and Magic—reveled in reminding him that he was very much fallible.
Or, as she liked to say, an idiot.
The way all three of them troll each other is truly hilarius, particularly how the two of them love to gang up on Hades. 🤣😈 some of my favorite parts where Hermes is being Hermes:
“It means,” said Hades, “that you are a hypocrite.” “Rude! That’s twice in one conversation, Hades.” “Perhaps you should stick to what you do best, then.” “And what is that?” “Fuckery,” Hades replied and downed his drink.
“You scared me,” Hades said simply, lips curling at the sight of the god’s pain. “I did not,” Hermes said, dropping his hands. Any evidence of the strike to the face was already healed. “You wanted to punch me.” “Don’t give me an excuse,” Hades said, making his way to the bar, where he poured himself a drink. “To what do I owe your visit, and what can I do to prevent it in the future?” “Rude,” Hermes said, sauntering to the bar. “You’re talking to a hero.”
“I take it back,” Hermes said. “And you know what? Thank you, Hades.”
“For what?”
“For being you,” Hermes said. “Now, can I set Dionysus’s dick on fire?”
“I wouldn’t give the task to anyone else,” Hades replied. -
“Get wet, Daddy Death.” AGOR, Scarlett St. Clair
My love for Hades is undeniable. Endless. And incomparable.
Plus my love for Sephy & Hermes is unbeatable too. And Hecate. They are the quad character group we all need in our lives and A Game of Retribution solidified that fact once again.
There’s something about Scarlett’s writing that is pure addiction that I need to consume without a break. It flows beautifully, it’s all consuming, passionate, and tells a story that’s as fresh as it is well based on Greek mythology. A Game of Retribution was truly elevated in plot, writing style, connection and friendship. And I could not put this book down for one minute. Including to eat dinner.
What I truly loved about this book was Hades POV. It not only offered so much insight on how he was feeling during Malice, but it showed us a whole other plot that was happening, that as a reader (inside Sephy’s POV in Malice) we had no clue about. And that’s what so great about this Hades part of the series. You’re not only reading an entirely different plot, but also getting those snippets from the Persephone POV books.
The ending had me feeling so many emotions all over again & it was just so heart heavy, but so well written. And the freshness to myths and legends in this book were perfection. It added more to the story and truly elevated it.
And those spice scenes. YES. I live for them. Hades & Persephone are one of a kind. They mix making love & just pure fuckery so well together that it feels like it’s how a true couple goes through their intimacy. Including the fights, make ups, conversations, everything. It all goes together to form a true representation of what love is like for some.
Well done Scarlett. You’re a queen. Persephone is a queen. Hades is a king. Hermes is Hermes. And I’m obsessed. This was addicting as it was brilliant. -
2.5 stars!
I’m gonna try to keep this short and sweet. This entire second story (so this book and A Touch of Ruin) feels super pointless to me and I feel like Scarlett St. Clair should’ve just skipped to the story in book three. Nothing really happens here except Hades and Persephone arguing and not knowing how to communicate with each other. Tbh it’s my opinion that Scarlett is just stretching this story for all its worth, because there’s no reason for this entire series to be seven books.
Persephone is on my sh*t list lol. She literally doesn’t know what she’s asking for and doesn’t follow any rules even though she wants everyone else to follow the rules. She acts like a teenager and the way that Hades is still in love with her is comical to me.
Hades is still hot though but idk why Scarlett made him an alcoholic.
The side characters in this series is what usually draws me to it, but Hecate annoyed me a lot in this one. Mainly for her defense of Persephone’s actions when Persephone to me was always in the wrong.
Also the setup to this story for Hades is so goofy. It’s like Hera, a god we have not really been introduced to until this book, is like hey do these random tasks for me or else I’m gonna be mean to Persephone and then Hades proceeds to do these dumb tasks before realizing he doesn’t really need to Idkidkidk.
And some dark things happen in this book (and in A Touch of Ruin) that I don’t think get treated with the respect or care they deserve.
I think this might be it for me with this series, as much as I love A Touch of Darkness and a Game of Fate. -
"He had never doubted himself, but he doubted everything when it came to Persephone… even their fate."
A Game of Retribution, the second book of the Hades Saga, follows the story of Hades, God of the Dead, and Persephone, Goddess of Spring, the woman he loved, as they defied the odds to find a future together, one that had been predetermined by the Fates yet remained uncertain.
Hera, Goddess of Women, wanted Hades to help overthrow Zeus. When he refused, she punished him by requiring him to successfully complete a series of seemingly impossible labors intended to sabotage his relationship with Persephone.
While Hades and Persephone shared a deep love for one another, secrets and lies gave rise to miscommunication and trust issues, instilling fear and doubt in their future.
"I don’t know how to lose someone, Hades."
I loved so much about this story! Throughout the sadnesss and the anger, there was also so much love between Hades and Persephone as they worked through their respective obstacles to reach their true destiny. Intensely steamy, the fire between them reflected their all consuming love so it never seemed like too much with the sex scenes.
Stunningly descriptive, I felt fully immersed in the setting and the characters, appreciating the contrast between the darkness surrounding Hades and the lightness in the purity and innocence inherent in Persephone. Hades and Persephone balanced one another perfectly, bringing forth the strengths behind their weaknesses.
I loved Persephone's independent spirit as she built her magic and tried to find her place as Queen of the Underworld. By offering a voice to those in need at the same time she was experiencing her own tragic loss, she also embodied empowerment and justice.
It was beautiful to see Persephone expose the hidden vulnerability in Hades while his love for her made him fiercely protective. Never breaking his rules, Hades learned to open himself up while he faced his doubts and fears.
Perhaps most significantly throughout the evolving character development, this story highlighted the importance of unconditional love and trust at the core of any relationship.
"I love you. Even if the Fates unraveled our destiny, I would find a way back to you."
The author clearly has a passion for this story and for staying true to the details of its origins in Greek mythology while writing it with a modern update. After reading this, I am planning to go back and read A Game of Fate to learn more before the next book in the series releases.
** Special thanks to Sourcebooks/Bloom Books and NetGalley for granting my wish, giving me the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Quotes subject to change at time of publication. Available May 31, 2022. ** -
I need a minute to figure out how this was both better and worse than the first book ...
Full review and more at
A Book Shrew
Guess I'll start with the better.
This remains a quick and smooth read. It's far from the best thing I've ever read but as a detox read, it is truly peak entertainment. It's relatively easy to follow and very easy to get invested in.
There was much more of a rounded plot this time. Hades is still thinking way too much about sex, but he's at least got some purpose outside of his dick. The mystery and political machinations that were teased in the first book are dug into a lot more here. Hades is trying to figure out who is pulling the strings of who, and what it will mean for gods in the end. We get to see more of the world, and we meet some more gods and mythical creatures. Unfortunately they are just tastes, and I really wanted so much more of characters like Dionysus and Ariadne. And as before, Hecate and Hermes shine!
Now for the worse.
Everything really comes down to how awful Persephone is as a character. Girl, you are 23 and left the house for the first time like two years ago—get over yourself. She causes so many problems by being downright annoying and naive. And I realize that this book, being from Hades POV, is forced to fit within the confines of her story, but I get absolutely nothing from Persephone to make any of her actions work. Every event that happens, like her friend being in a car accident or a kidnapping, comes out of the blue and feels so shoe-horned in, making her look like an absolute dumbass.
I also struggle with their relationship. As much as they like to regularly state otherwise, Hades and Persephone really have nothing going on other than sex (which continues to be written as the same three poor quality scenes repeated over and over). Neither knows the other and they fight about stupid things because neither can communicate or make an effort to be a partner outside of the bedroom. And Hades, my dude. You proposed marriage four times and three of them were mid f*ck. I'd turn you down too.
I really shouldn't, but I am eagerly awaiting the third book. I'm invested now, and I will see this through to the end. -
Hades and Persephone on Fire
Conspiracy
Betrayal
Dionysus, Hermes, Hera and other Gods and Goddesses
Amazons, Ariadne and Theseus
What do we need more of it?!
Hades, God of the Dead, inflexible bargained owner of luxurious nightclubs fell in love with Persephone, Goddess of Spring, a journalist.
This was for book one,
A Game of Fate, to my pleasant surprise, their story in this book,
A Game of Retribution is more exciting and twist!
Hera, Goddess of Women, as always we know her, has a plan against her beloved husband. Hera made Hades perform a series of labors in exchange for blessing his marriage!
Someone is killing demigods, gathering weapons and instruments for killing immortals, so every Gods should take a side, The War Is Coming!
As I don't want to below anything up, so just recommend it to romantic mythology lovers, good news for me was that Hades is the narrator, a rare male character who was greatly performed by Tyler Donne.
Where is book 3,
A Game of Gods?! Where is Hecate??!
My huge thanks to Tantor Audio via Netgalley for giving me the chance of listening to A Game of Retribution by Scarlett St. Clair, Narrated by Tyler Donne. I have given my honest review. -
Αν και θα ήθελα να είχαμε στα χέρια μας το τρίτο μέρος της ορίτζιναλ σειράς, δεν παραπονιέμαι με το spin off. Κάνουμε και επανάληψη έτσι.
Στο συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο βλέπουμε κάποια από τα γεγονότα του
A Touch of Ruin από την πλευρά του Άδη, ενώ παρακολουθούμε τον ίδιο να προσπαθεί να φέρει σε πέρας τους άθλους που του επιβάλλει η Ήρα. Ήταν με άλλα λόγια γεμάτο δράση και σασπένς. Από τη μία χαίρομαι που μέσα από τα βιβλία του Άδη βλέπουμε περισσότερο τον κόσμο των θεών και της μαγείας, με τη συγγραφέα να χειρίζεται έξυπνα τη μυθολογία (βέβαια, αγάπη, η Λήμνος δεν είναι στη μέση του ωκεανού. Το Αιγαίο είναι μία λιμνούλα μπροστά στον Ειρηνικό). Από την άλλη, στενοχωριέμαι που όλα αυτά τα αγνοεί η Περσεφόνη. Υποθέτω πως αυτά τα μυστικά οδήγησαν στο τέλος του τρίτου βιβλίου. Όπως και να έχει, η συγγραφέας με μάγεψε, με συνάρπασε και θεωρώ ότι γίνεται ακόμα καλύτερη. Το aesthetic των βιβλίων της ήταν κορυφή από την αρχή και με το πολύ γράψιμο εξελίσσεται. Οι περιγραφές μαγείας είναι οι αγαπημένες μου, καθώς κάνουν τα βιβλία πιο ατμοσφαιρικά.
ΑΝΤΕ ΟΜΩΣ ΜΗΝ ΑΡΓΟΥΜΕ ΜΕ ΤΗ ΣΥΝΕΧΕΙΑ. ΒΙΑΣΟΥ ΚΑΛΟ ΜΟΥ 2023. -
“Shh, my darling,” he soothed, his hands moving from her waist to her thighs. “I will forever regret my anger. How could I ever question your love? Your trust? Your word? When you have my heart.”
I will forever shove this series down anyones throat...especially Hades POV. Not enough people read his books and they need to! We get to meet new and amazing characters and see the sides of our favorite characters that we don't see with Sephy's POV. Trust me, when you get to the castration, the glitter, or the topiaries, you'll understand. AND...and everything Hades has to go through?? Fucking fates...he was busy.
Get A Game of Retribution everywhere books are sold, trust me, you want this book! The spice, the banter, Hermes, Hecate, Ariadne, Dionysus, and so much more just make this...ugh, so freaking good!!!! -
These books being strangely addictive is what I imagine it feels like to be straight.
-
4.5 Stars
This was so brilliant! I adore these books telling Hades side of the story. It is so interesting to see just how much he was going through and dealing with during this time. Scarlett St Clair is an incredible author and her imagination is amazing. I love how she has inserted so much mythology into her story but also kept it really modern, unique and interesting. Also the smut is hot!
I could not recommend this series more but make sure you read the series from Persephone's view first!! -
Por favor, seguí bajando si querés leer la reseña en español.
“You want a queen,” she said. “So teach her how to live within your realm. Teach her to use her magic. Teach her to be a goddess, and stop trying to fight all her battles”.
Thanks to the publisher and the author for the e-arc, in exchange of an honest review
Trigger warning: This book contains scenes that reference suicide and sexual violence.
Welcome to the underworld, where Hades, the god of death, the lord who rules a place for souls and the King of Corpses waits for you to come to your forever house. This is his side of the story of the events of A touch of ruin, and after the events of A touch of Darkness and A Game of Fate, he is ready to fight for the love of his long and immortal life, Persephone, the goddess of spring, daughter of Demeter and who lives in New Athens trying to live a mortal life with her friends.
After they finally confessed their love, Hera is ready to bless their union… with a little condition, Hades must fight and accomplish twelve tasks to gain the goddess of marriage favor. So, he is ready to do whatever she wants to overthrow Zeus, and finally approves their marriage.
In the meantime, an ancient relic is lost, a group of rebels called the Impious are ready to gain some power and lots of secrets are kept in the shadows. This is the main plot of this story and gods. I loved it, the angst, the intrigue, the mafia vibes, this way of refreshing ancient myths in this modern world is amazing. As with Persephone’s POV, this world is amazing, full of tiny easter eggs of other myths that eventually had sense for the plot. This book has a clever plot, a lot of character development and such a good story. With these books I prefer Hades POV because are darker than Persephone’s, but her story is amazing too and read what was happening with Hades during A touch of Ruin when he was off the pages was really interesting, here we know why he is acting the way he did and understood a lot of things.
So, let’s talk about characters, first Hades, he is a cinnamon roll, ready to tear the world into pieces for his lover, but a cinnamon roll deep inside. He is selfless, a dark lord with the power to control the worst groups of New Athens society, he wants the best for his souls, and for the people of the living realm, and also is desperately in love with Persephone. She, on the other hand, is as sweet as we know from her books, but Hades saw her as the powerful goddess she is becoming, the incredible, selfless woman she is and his future queen.
I loved Hermes too, and the friendship between him and Hades was everything, I love their interactions, he is the funniest character of them all and I love every line he said in this book. Also, I love the relationship between Hades and Hecate, she is a wise goddess who wants the best for Hades and Persephone and is one of the captains of this ship.
But just one thing I didn’t like about this book, or Hades and Persephone’s relation in general, the tons of misunderstandings that could have been avoided in this book if the two of them had more communication between them, because this is unhealthy too.
So, finally I loved this book, and I gave it 4.5/5 because this world, this story and these characters are amazing. The ending was so cute and settled the basis of the war to come between gods, monsters, demigods, and mortals. And I’m ready for that.
“Quieres una reina”, dijo. “Así que enséñale cómo vivir dentro de tu reino. Enséñale a usar su magia. Enséñale a ser una diosa, y deja de intentar pelear todas sus batallas”.
Gracias a la editorial y a la autora por esta copia avanzada, a cambio de una reseña honesta.
Advertencias: este libro contiene escenas que hacen referencia al suicidio y la violencia sexual.
Bienvenidos al inframundo, donde Hades, el dios de la muerte, el señor que gobierna un lugar para las almas y el Rey de los Cadáveres te espera para llegar a tu casa eterna. Esta es su versión de la historia de los eventos de A touch of Ruin, y tras los acontecimientos de A touch of darkness y A game of Fate, está dispuesto a luchar por el amor de su larga e inmortal vida, Perséfone, la diosa de la primavera, hija de Deméter y que vive en Nueva Atenas tratando de vivir una vida mortal con sus amigos.
Después de que finalmente confesaron su amor, Hera está lista para bendecir su unión... Con una pequeña condición, Hades tiene que luchar y cumplir doce tareas para ganar el favor de la diosa del matrimonio. Entonces, él está listo para hacer lo que ella quiera, para derrocar a Zeus y finalmente aprobar su matrimonio.
Mientras tanto, una antigua reliquia está perdida, un grupo de rebeldes llamado Impious está listo para ganar algo de poder y muchos secretos se mantienen en las sombras. Esta es la trama principal de esta historia y dioses, me encantó, la angustia, la intriga, las vibras de la mafia, esta forma de refrescar los mitos antiguos en este mundo moderno es increíble. Al igual que con el punto de vista de Perséfone, este mundo es asombroso, lleno de diminutos easter eggs de otros mitos que eventualmente tienen sentido para la trama. Este libro tiene una trama inteligente, mucho desarrollo de personajes y una historia muy buena. Con estos libros, prefiero el punto de vista de Hades porque son más oscuros que el de Perséfone, pero su historia también es increíble y leer lo que estaba pasando con Hades durante A touch of Ruin cuando estaba fuera de las páginas fue realmente interesante, aquí sabemos por qué está actuando de la manera que lo hizo y entendendemos muchas cosas.
Así que, hablemos de personajes, primero que nada Hades, él es un rollo de canela, listo para romper el mundo en pedazos por su amor, pero un rollo de canela en el fondo. Es desinteresado, un señor oscuro con el poder de controlar a los peores grupos de la sociedad de Nueva Atenas, quiere lo mejor para sus almas y para la gente del reino de los vivos, y también está desesperadamente enamorado de Perséfone. Ella, por otro lado, es tan dulce como sabemos por sus libros, pero Hades la ve como la diosa poderosa en la que se está convirtiendo, la mujer increíble y desinteresada que es y su futura reina.
También amé a Hermes, y la amistad entre él y Hades lo fue todo, amo sus interacciones, es el personaje más divertido de todos y amo cada línea que dijo en este libro. También me encanta la relación entre Hades y Hecate, ella es una diosa sabia que quiere lo mejor para Hades y Perséfone y es una de las capitanas de este ship.
Pero solo una cosa que no me gustó de este libro, o la relación de Hades y Perséfone en general, los muchos malentendidos que podrían haberse evitado en este libro si los dos tuvieran más comunicación entre ellos, porque esto también es poco saludable.
Finalmente me encantó este libro y le di 4.5/5 porque este mundo, esta historia y estos personajes son asombrosos. El final fue tan tierno, y sentó las bases de la guerra que se avecinaba entre dioses, monstruos, semidioses y mortales. Y estoy lista para ello. -
⭐️4 Stars⭐️
A Game of Retribution by
Scarlett St. Clair.
I was intrigued with this engaging romance fantasy world of gods and mortals in a fun reimagined New Greece!
Hades God of The Dead is the narrator, he’s the owner of nightclubs, he also works with the most powerful criminals. Hades is a god that doesn’t bend the rules and makes no exceptions for anyone!
The story follows Hades and his naive and spirited love Persephone, the woman he wants to marry. Their constant misunderstandings and effort to hold a relationship is taking a toll and he appears to spend a lot of his time trying to keep her safe from her own doings.
Hera Goddess of Marriage is making ‘plans’ to dethrone Zeus God of The Sky but after Hades refuses to aid her in her plot she retaliates and ‘makes’ Hades perform a series of labors in exchange for her marriage blessing.
I loved so many of the characters especially Hades and Hermes. If you like it spicy🌶 you’ll find more than enough in these pages!
I adore reading stories of reimagined Greek Mythology and I look forward to reading more of the series.
Publication Date 31 May 2022
Publisher NewSouth Books (Imprint Bloom Books)
Thank you so much to NewSouth Books for sending me a copy of the book. -
I finished this last year and forgot to say that I did.
This was good. I enjoy the inside of Hades' head but this book wasn't my ABSOLUTE favourite to reread in any POV.
I will be continuing but that's all we got. -
I always forget how wonderful this world is until I start reading and find myself unable to stop. I love Hades and Persephone and the way that Scarlett writes them. I also always forget that these aren't just smut books (though I do enjoy that part), there's so much plot and world building and I just love them.
-
there’s just something about a broody, older, powerful, so-devoted-to-her love interest POV that makes me weak in the knees every time. (*slides midnight sun out of view*)
though i unapologetically love the ATOD series, the hades books are written better, more exciting, and just…better, all the way around imo. if you tried ATOD and it wasn’t for you, but still want to scratch that hades/persephone retelling itch, try AGOF and AGOR!
i know persephone gets a lot of grief for being rash, reckless, and uncommunicative, but AGOR hammers home that it takes two to tango, and by tango i mean keep secrets and act out. i love these books, but neither hades nor persephone have a solid understanding of the whole honesty thing. if my boyfriend was sneaking out at night to do tasks for another woman, many of which are dangerous, and not informing me, i’d do a hell of a lot more than write an article i promised not to write.
though it makes for a rocky relationship, hades’ secret exploits make for an exciting book, and that’s why i love it so much — both narratives bring their own interesting content to the table. a difficult feat for POV-switch retellings, since usually the content is so similar.
this was fun, fast, and hot. hades continues to be my dream man (three dogs? owns his own home? long hair? calls me darling???????), and i do not foresee that changing any time soon. 🙏🏻 -
3.5 stars
This was a fun read, but I really wish I had read the first book in series before. There was definitely an interesting storyline, but there were several moments in the story where I lost interest and had to stop reading. Luckily, when I picked up the book again, it was able to reel me back into the story and hold more of my interest! I do have to say, Persephone drove me freaking nuts for some reason!! There was just something about her character that just really, REALLY irked me. I can't put my finger on it, but she made me mad on one too many occasions.
I liked Hades though, and there were some awesome side characters that made me laugh and I eagerly awaited their next appearance in the story! And lets not forget the steam, there was some good spicy moments! The voice narrator was good, and I enjoyed listening to him tell the story.
The book ended on an interesting note, and now I am actually very curious to read the next book to see how everything ends up! -
Love to see what's going on in Hades neck of the woods. I wonder if I read them reversed (Hades, then Persephone) if I would still feel this way. Gotta wait till July for the next Hades book.
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Hades, my love! I really enjoyed getting to see what he was doing and going through during A Touch of Ruin! Trust me, you won't know what will happen until Scarlett shows you in his story. To see Hades fight so hard for his love with Persephone, and learn from his mistakes and grow? I loved it! Make sure you read A Game of Fate and A Touch of Ruin before checking out this amazing book! Preorder is available everywhere books are sold. Thank you to Scarlett for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
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1.25 ⭐( only for the smut, the plot was meh)
To sum up this book in short
We have Persephone acting like a stupid whiny insipid child wondering why no one listens to her or acts how she wants them to all while she is hell-bent on hiding her identity as a goddess only when its convenient to her
The entire time I just wanted to scream at this bitch to just shut up and do as told for once
And then we have Hades who does weird and completely random tasks for Hera for nearly the whole book only to realize at the end 'oh no, I'm a god too with an entire realm as my own' Like it took u one whole fucking book to come to this conclusion. -
read it cover to cover and still don’t know who won the game of retribution.
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Daddy death!
Thanks to Bloom Books and Tantor Audio for the audiobook ARC!
I was so excited to get this book before the release date and I finished it on the release date hehe
A Game of Retribution is the second book of the Hades saga, and the events here occurs at the same time than the events in A touch of ruin. When I read A game of fate, I was pleasantly surprised to find such a unique story. Usually, the same-book-different-pov format can be very repetitive, but that's not the case with these books. AGOR has an even more different plot from ATOR, and I loved that because we get to see a lot of new stuff about what Hades does, how he interacts with other gods (my favorite parts were his interactions with Hermes, his BEST FRIEND!!!!) and how his mind works around Persephone. I loved how we get to see a new point of view of the things that happened to her and her friends in the second book through the eyes of Hades, but also how we get to discover all the other things that were happening on his mind (and body) during those times. Honestly, the fact that we get to see all the other gods is a great point to this book, and it adds a lot to their story.
I have to say, while I really liked Hades before, I don't think I was in love with him until this book. The way he's so smart and he's always worrying about those he loves is something that is really captured between the pages of this book. It shows some character development that I don't think I realized until now. I now can firmly say that I LOVE HADES.
The narrator was really good! I love him and I can't wait to have A touch of Chaos narrated by him and Persephone's narrator at the same time, it's gonna be so (hot) good!
And finally, Scarlett St. Clair knows what she's doing. She can write a lot of different things, but she always has her seal on it. Her talking of grief and making references to it, showing a realistic portrayal of how much it hurts to lose someone, even for a goddess, those little things that will always make me feel at home within the pages of her books. I love her and love these stories so much! Can't wait for Queen of myth and monsters, A game of gods, A touch of Chaos and everything that comes from her! -
This book is the second book in the Hades saga of the Hades and Persephone series. If you have not at least read
A Touch of Darkness and
A Game of Fate, I would not recommend reading this book. I decided to read this book before
A Touch of Ruin, even though Scarlett suggests to read that one first, because A Game of Retribution are the same events from A Touch of Ruin, just from Hades Point of View. I will read A Touch of Ruin eventually, but I am going to take a break for a few reasons. Persephone is an incredibly difficult character to appreciate in this book. I had to constantly remind myself that she is quite young and that she grew up under Demeter's thumb, hidden from the world. This book is a reminder on why I don't usually love books with FMC's that are quite young. Of course, there are exceptions to this, but this book definitely highlighted the FMC's young age and immaturity. The miscommunication trope is used often in this book, and that trope is one of my least favorite tropes in a book. I rate this a 3 because I will continue to read the series and hope that Persephone has some growth in the next books, but I am not itching to read A Touch of Ruin anytime soon. I also wish certain scenes were longer and written in more detail in this book. I feel like the mark was missed here. I think certain scenes could have been darker, or added more angst to the story, only for them to only last a couple of pages. -
3.5 stars! Thank you NetGalley for this audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This was a beautiful written/narrated story! This doesn’t get a higher rating just because I felt like there was a lot happening in the book and that might just be due to the fact that I haven’t read the previous books. But listening to this got me so excited to read them!
It was interesting to see Hades’ perspective and how he was dealing with his responsibilities and his feelings. I’ve only had experiences with Hades being depicted as the bad guy so it was nice to seem him come across a the "good-guy" and you really kind of root for him.
The spice was a bit overpowering but I really felt their connection. Especially when they were still working through communicating with each other. The book ended on a good note to build the suspense for the next book. I know I’m ready!
I really enjoyed the nicknames and honestly Hermes had to be MY FAVORITE. He was the perfect comedic relief and he was such a great friend to both Persephone and Hades.
I enjoyed this read!
