Of Prophecies and Pomegranates

Kraven, in this delicious forbidden romance, an expanded edition of her previously self-published Dark Fates series debut, dives into the booming subgenre of high-heat retellings of Greek myths. Persephone, Goddess of Spring, is used to her steamroller of a mother, Demeter, running her life, including by arranging a marriage between Persephone and Helios, Titan of the Sun, to shore up her own waning power, even though Helios is secretly in love with Narcissus. But when Persephone meets Hades, God of the Underworld, while walking in the woods, their connection is immediate and intense. After Persephone leaves the Upper Realm to join Hades in the Underworld, a bitter Demeter unleashes her fury, creating a famine that kills innocents and leads several divine factions to the brink of war. Kraven’s world feels dark but lived-in, and both the central romance and the subplot about Helios and Narcissus are passionate and emotional. She makes few changes to the original myth, save for inserting some red hot sex scenes. Fans of Katee Robert and Sav R. Miller will be hooked. (Oct.)