A beautiful re-telling of the relationship between Demeter & her daughter Core aka Persephone.
This beautiful re-telling of the story of Demeter and her daughter who would go on to be known as Persephone expertly looks at not only the the relationship between mother and daughter but how their life experiences changes their individual outlook on life.
Divided into sections that focuses on each characters perspective, Hannah Lynn has created a wonderfully sensitive and emotion filled novel that brings both goddesses down to earth in a wonderfully vivid way.
The descriptions of events and surroundings (particularly in way in which Hades underworld is brought to our minds or the way in which the horrific actions of Demeter’s brothers are highlighted) is extraordinary and draws the reader in perfectly. By separating the stories of Demeter and Core (or Persephone as she becomes to be known), you get a sense of how each character has a strong influence over the seasons given their attitude to life. There is real joy from Core’s perspective ensuring that Spring & Summer are beautiful, while Demeter’s grief at the loss of her daughter causes a drastic change in the weather that adds a sense of drama to proceedings.
Every character (despite their god/goddess state) is given their human flaws which is reflected in the changing nature of the relationship between Demeter and her daughter. Lynn’s writing is steadily paced, allowing the reader to lose themselves in the story that is unfolding – with so many standout moments that it is impossible to pick out just one.
But perhaps the most interesting character who is portrayed in this is Hades – who is given a surprisingly sympathetic portrayal and I was fascinated to see how his and Persephone’s relationship developed (particularly given the fact that he kidnapped her). There is a sense of his awkwardness and gracefulness that make him more of an endearing character than expected – particularly when he mentions the concessions he is willing to make to try and make Persephone happy.
There is so much to be enjoyed throughout this re-telling that it is best to read it slowly to really invest in the emotions and gracefulness in the way in which it has been written.
Hannah Lynn has once again captured another Greek mythological story with plenty of heart and believability that it is hard not to be swept away by it.
By Emma Clarendon
Daughters of Olympus is available to buy and download now.
Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️