A Touch of Darkness

Scarlett St. Clair

May 2019 · Hades x Persephone Saga Book 1 · Sourcebooks, Inc.

About this ebook

From bestselling author Scarlett St. Clair comes a dark and enthralling reimagining of the Hades and Persephone Greek myth.

"Let me worship you," he said.

She remembered the words she had whispered to him in the back of the limo after La Rose. "You will worship me, and I won't even have to order you." His request felt sinful and devious, and she reveled in it.

She answered, "Yes."

Persephone is the Goddess of Spring in title only. Since she was a little girl, flowers have only shriveled at her touch. After moving to New Athens, she hoped to lead an unassuming life disguised as a mortal journalist. All of that changes when she sits down in a forbidden nightclub to play a hand of cards with a hypnotic and mysterious stranger.

Hades, God of the Dead, has built a gambling empire in the mortal world and his favorite bets are rumored to be impossible. But nothing has ever intrigued him as much as the goddess offering him a bargain he can't resist.

After her encounter with Hades, Persephone finds herself in a contract with the God of the Dead, and his terms are impossible: Persephone must create life in the Underworld or lose her freedom forever. The bet does more than expose Persephone's failure as a goddess, however. As she struggles to sow the seeds of her freedom, love for the God of the Dead grows—a love that is both captivating and forbidden.

Ratings and reviews

I have always been interested in Greek mythology, so I was really looking forward to reading A Touch of Darkness. Because I knew there would be spicier content, I assumed the writing level would match that as well. While reading I felt as though the writing was similar to what I would read from my high school students. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's also not what I expected. I thought the spicier scenes were crafted very well. In fact, they were some of the best that I have read across the board in books with similar scenes. Very hot, pun intended, so 10/10 recommend if that is what you are interested in. My only complaint was the writing style of the entire novel in comparison to those scenes. The scenes felt more for adult audiences and the style matched, whereas the rest of the novel felt geared toward a high school student and reminded me of the Greek mythology books I had read as a middle schooler, such as Phone Home, Persephone! or Have a Hot Time, Hades!

Persephone just seemed like a whine bag most of the time. I kind of liked Hades, but their relationship as a whole doesn't feel healthy.

I loved this, it was very slow moving but I didn't mind it as much as I usually do. I love Greek mythology and this take on it in a more modern setting is just fantastically put together.

About the author

#1 New York Times bestselling author Scarlett St. Clair is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation and the author of the Hades X Persephone Saga, the Adrian X Isolde series, fairy tale retellings, and When Stars Come Out.She has a master’s degree in library science and information studies and a bachelor’s in English writing. She is obsessed with Greek mythology, murder mysteries, and the afterlife. For information on books, tour dates, and content, please visit scarlettstclair.com.