A feminist retelling of Persephone and Hades, this is very readable yet still based on some pretty meticulous knowledge and research. Would recommend!

Wow! I didn’t know I needed a rom-com reimagining of Hades and Persephone but I’m so glad I read this. In the original greek mythology, we see Hades kidnap and trick Persephone into staying in the underworld, but in this retelling, Persephone willingly escapes to Hell, and finds herself more powerful than she believed.

This book tackles many tough themes, like misogyny, toxic masculinity, and complex familial issues, whilst having a good amount of humour added. Also, the chemistry between the Hades and Persephone is out of this world! They complement each other so well, and I really enjoy how Hades is written as a tender character and Persephone as headstrong and politically savvy. Honestly loved girlboss Persephone haha

I do just want to add that this book is so well researched and is written in a way which makes it easy to digest, as well as loveable side characters. It’s got enemies to lovers, fake dating, and forced proximity… Definitely give this a read!

when I first heard about it, I was in two minds. On one hand, it sounded super fun and badass, but on the other hand I've been slowly going off YA and I was worried I won't enjoy it as much as it's meant to be enjoyed.

Well, I needn't have worried. After a string of disappointing Persephone and Hades retellings that just didn't hit the spot, this was absolutely perfect.

It's feminist, it's witty, and it delivers a take on Greek mythology that will have you nodding along and highlighting whole passages. And even though yes, it is YA and Persephone has some very adolescent moments, the story doesn't feel at all silly or childish.

Alongside the feminist motifs, we also have other issues portrayed, such as an emotionally abusive parent-child relationship, and the pressure of enforced ideals of masculinity. I absolutely loved how the author handled each one of them - and Gods know the Greek deities gave her plenty to work with.

The romance is a delicious and believable slow burn, and though Persephone is very much the leading lady in this story, Hades is an absolute dreamboat - and a canonical bi/pan character!!

I’m a nerd for anything Greek mythology and favourite retelling of all is Persephone and Hades. I got an advanced copy of @netgalley for Girl,Goddess,Queen and i devoured it in a day. I want to read it all over again, it’s a completely different view of the story

I adored this book. Feminist, fast-paced, and with a cast of fully imagined characters.

Persephone can't imagine anything worse than being married off to a God she doesn't know. So when her mother isn't looking, she runs to Hell. But Hades isn't what she expected, and Hell is more than she bargained for.

The only thing that holds this book back is it's categorisation as YA. Fiction might have allowed it further leverage in the tiktok romance sensation in bookshops.

Such a fresh and fun take on the story of Hades and Persephone. It was great to read a retelling that isn't set in the present day and includes the Greek gods in their ancient glory. I found this book to be fun and engaging and found the characters to be interesting and well-written with more than enough personality!

Looking forward to the next instalment!

I received this book from NetGalley in return for an honest opinion.

As soon as I spotted the hot pink cover of ‘Girl, Goddess, Queen’ and realised it was a Hades and Persephone retelling, I was told. Little did I know that it was going to be one of my favourite books of the year!

I. LOVED. IT.

I know you’re probably weary of more Greek mythology retellings, but Bea Fitzgerald really brings a fresh take to the table. At nearly 500 pages, it’s a bit chunky but I flew through it and was gutted when it ended. I could have stayed in this world, with Persephone and Hades, for so much longer.

To hell with love, this goddess has other plans...

Thousands of years ago, the gods told a lie: how Persephone was a pawn in the politics of other gods. How Hades kidnapped Persephone to be his bride. How her mother, Demeter, was so distraught she caused the Earth to start dying.

The real story is much more interesting.

Persephone wasn't taken to hell: she jumped. There was no way she was going to be married off to some smug god more in love with himself than her.

Now all she has to do is convince the Underworld's annoyingly sexy, arrogant and frankly rude ruler, Hades, to fall in line with her plan. A plan that will shake Mount Olympus to its very core.

But consequences can be deadly, especially when you're already in hell . . .

I can’t say it enough: I loved this book.


This is a genuinely fresh take on a very familiar myth. I’ve never read a retelling like this before and I’m so glad we’re finally getting something fun and fresh out of a storyline that’s pretty overdone. The tone, the humour,

It’s laugh out loud funny. The banter between Hades and Persephone, and also Styx, and some of the other gods that are friends with Hades is wonderful. Humour in a Greek mythology retelling? So very needed.

Hades is an arty soft boi. I love an art boy, always have (the fault of the ‘Diary of a Crush’ trilogy by Sarra Manning - Dylan forever), and the reveal of Hades as the artiest, softest boy was a joy. I literally put my Kindle down to clap excitedly. It’s such an unusual take on the dark, brooding, often brutal Hades and I’m here for it.

The exploration of patriarchal society and the way it’s woven into mythology and religion. This is a major theme of mythology retellings at the moment and ‘Girl, Goddess, Queen’ is no different. The novel gives Persephone a voice and agency to highlight how wrong the situation is to her parents and her environment, as well as to fight it and take back ownership of herself and her life.

It’s friends to enemies to lovers, with a delicious slow burn. It truly is delicious. I felt their connection completely and the chemistry between Hades and Persephone is spot on. It’s YA so I know there’ll be some annoyance that there’s no spice, but it’s honestly not required in every single romance (and there’s more than enough spicy retellings of this story), and their feelings for each other leapt of the page. Perfection!

Found family and finding home are a big deal to Persephone and Hades. Persephone has lived under the strict constraints of her mother, Demeter, trying to protect her from the gods by moulding her into the ‘perfect wife’, but Persephone has already pulled at those reins and she finds her place and her people in Hell. She doesn’t have to soften her words or pretend to be anyone but her badass self. Hell becomes a place that she can shape for the better, too.

The rivers of Hades are WONDERFUL, especially Styx. Have you ever seen an author personify the five rivers of Hades in a retelling? I haven’t, and I loved it. Styx is the star of them with her perchance for diving into Hades wine stash and the resulting kiss-related exploits. I adored her.

It’s fun. Greek mythology retellings can be tough to read and feature pretty brutal storylines and experiences, because the myths are brutal, but ‘Girl, Goddess, Queen’ takes the romcom route while still retaining the essence of the mythology and strikes such a perfect balance.

‘Girl, Goddess, Queen’ is the swoon-worthy, feminist, endlessly fun retelling of Persephone and Hades that I didn’t know I needed. Bea Fitzgerald is really one to watch.

‘Girl, Goddess, Queen’ is released in hardback in the UK today, 20 July 2023, by Penguin.

If you want to grab a copy for yourself, using our bookshop.org affiliate link below will help us out and support independent bookshops, without costing you anything extra.

I LOVED this book. Between the story's beautifully-written characters who worm their way into your heart the second you meet them, to the incredible world building of the Greek mythological world, this book was a delight to read.

Who doesn't love a Hades and Persephone retelling? This book was also a brilliant way to test my knowledge and understanding of the original story, I found myself shocked at certain elements that happened and pleasantly surprised when I could predict outcomes! The modern elements to the story, namely the language and the attitudes of Hades and Persephone, really added a fun element to the writing - I felt like Persephone's angst and anger really shone through when she could express herself in a new way...

If you're looking for a book that will make you smile as you read it, that has the perfect romance storyline weaved throughout, and that reassures you that one day you will always find your way and your home, this is the one for you! Absolute brilliance in a book, and I can't wait to read future Fitzgerald novels.

Thanks to Penguin Random House Children's and NetGalley for early access to this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free ARC in exchange for a review!

I've said it before and I'll say it again: if it's a Hades/Persephone retelling, I'm reading it. This book is solid but it's not my favourite version.

Let's start with what I liked. I really enjoyed how much specific Ancient Greek detail goes into this, from Persephone's musings over the different kinds of love to the description of the wedding. It's really clear Fitzgerald put in time and effort to get these details accurate and defined. I also always love an author's note with trigger warnings. The description of the food as well was sublime and I really want to eat it. Hades' talents were really cool and I loved their mutual creations together.

However. I have some issues.

One being, you can't have characters in Ancient Greece wearing himations say "besties". I cannot. Also, there are some basic myths being stupidly skirted around. The Olympians were related. If you're gonna write a Greek retelling you either have to deal with it or come up with a Rick Riordan or Kaitlin Bevis excuse, not just decide "everything in the myths is super accurate except the bits I find icky". I hate that. Also why make Hades and Hestia children during the war when they were the eldest of the gods? I don't understand being super accurate and specific to Ancient Greece and the myths in some aspects and random sweeping changes with no reason in others. Then there's all the references to Hades being the "King of Hell", a Judeo-Christian idea that won't exist for like a thousand years.

My biggest issue was Persephone. Why can't she be strong in her own way? Why does it have to come at the cost of Hades' mythological role and character? Hades, in the myths, is a intelligent ruler with a commitment to serving the dead. In this book, he hates his role, rejects his power, and essentially happily hands it all to Persephone so he can read scrolls. I like the depiction of Persephone as the wrathful, punishing one, as that was her role, but why make Hades so boring and useless? He has all these awesome talents and no empathy? Why would Persephone even like him? He can be soft, gentle, and interested in other things without becoming this.

And finally, it frustrates me so much that the central conflict between them is that they can talk about everything except having a crush on each other. It is so ridiculous. USE YOUR WORDS. This is the absolute worst trope.

Also, how did Persephone invent the sickle if Kronos wields a scythe which is essentially a big sickle? I don't get it.

2.75 stars, rounded up to 3 for Goodreads.

I’m a massive fan of mythology retellings and I have to say, I think this is my new favourite. Not only is written with humor, heartbreak and love—you can tell that the author has studied the myths faultlessly and picked some of the lesser known/less used parts to spice up the novel.

The fact that it’s YA doesn’t take away from the angst, steamy implications and the sheer power of reclaiming sex to be something fun and not forced upon. This book is a testament to the girls who have grown up being told how to act to please the opposite sex, told what isn’t becoming and what will or won’t make them a good wife someday. The exploration into such deep subjects in such a laughter filled, enlightened way was utterly breathtaking.

When you then look at the characters, their development and interactions with each other throughout the pages, it’s easy to see the level of detail and hard work the author has put it. It seemed like every page flowed effortlessly, every conversation was one that you could find yourself in, and friendships formed that you’d be grateful to be part of.

Furthermore, the representation within the book was outstanding. We have different ethnicities (like a smoking hot Black Hades), many different sexualities, and—as is common in Greek mythology—a nod to the idea that gender is not binary and people don’t have to conform.

This book felt like a breath of fresh air and I think it’s clearly become one of my new favourite fantasy romances. I applaud the author and can’t wait to read more of Bea’s work!

Urgh I absolutely loved this book! Not only is the storytelling absolutely brilliant, funny, dramatic and compelling but it was a fantastic retelling of Hades X Persephone. Would definitely recommend!!

Thankyou to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Children’s UK, Penguin for a free e-arc in exchange of an honest review.

I did really enjoy this! At first i found the main characters a little immature and young in the way they spoke however on reflection of this i think it was done on purpose to show how naive she was in the beginning as Kore and then the character growth she has as she then takes on the name Persephone.
I really liked the romance in this- the miss communication stung me a couple times but it does always tends to.
4 Stars from me as i do usually prefer a more adult retelling of this story however it does an amazing job of highlighting some very real and serious topics

(please check the trigger warnings before reading despite the book being more of a rom-com)

Loved, loved, LOVED, this one. Utterly brilliant writing.
It was so much fun to read and such a great spin on the Hades x Persephone! It honestly had me howling with laughter then sobbing with big fat ugly tears! PLUS the hard copy is stunning (I still need to get my hands on one 😍)

And if you don’t already, you need to follow bea on socials because her videos are pure comedy gold (a bit like her story telling)

This was a fantastic retelling- I have read a lot of Greek Mythology retellings but this was really fresh, clever and as YA just hit differently, it was a joy to read from start to finish.

There is humour, romance, and all the tropes grumpy/sunshine, enemies to friends to lovers was done incredibly, one bed, fake dating, marriage of convenience and it is so fantastically feminist! There is however miscommunication thrown in the mix which just takes away a little from any story for me.

Persephone is her own person and tells you and everyone else repeatedly and I am here for it, they have so much spirit and so much sass I love her- she may be may favourite Persephone. I really enjoyed Hades they are have such a softness to them and I really enjoyed this representation- I also like how as a reader you think is this how they always are or is this because Persephone is such a power.

The writing is great and while there are some phrases and language used that I'm not sure will age well I thoroughly enjoyed the style, this is so readable and has rom com vibes the banter was so good!

This is a retelling but it's flipped and I love how more power is taken back for the story of Persephone - there is no abduction, Persephone carves out her own destiny and takes control over her life!

I love a book which gets me hooked from the star and allows me total escapism I finished this in a night- if you are a fan of Greek Myth retellings with all of the God tier tropes then you will love this one, what a fantastic debut.

Thank you so much to the publishers for providing me with an eArc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

"They made it your name, made it an insult, turned it into something it's not. There's nothing wrong with being a little girl, love. Little girls are fearless."

This debut by the fantastic Bea Fitzgerald is a feminist retake of Greek mythology, mainly through the love story of Persephone and Hades. Throughout the whole text, there are messages of toxic masculinity. misogyny and the hold that the patriarchy has over the world.

Persephone is proof that women are just as powerful and dangerous as men, and with those talents, the patriarchy can slowly crumble.

I am a huge lover of Greek mythology with Hades and Persephone's story being a favourite of mine, so to see the tale turned into something of brilliance, was inspiring and so uplifting to see.

On top of the powerful messages throughout, Girl, Goddess, Queen captured my interest from page one and drew me in until the very last page. Persephone was such an interesting character to read about and see her growth and determination throughout.

She found loopholes in a world where she was supposed to be trapped in a marriage made by her parents. When all she wanted to do was have freedom and not be trapped under some God, she found a way around it.

Persephone is her own person and she likes to remind everyone of that through every page.

She is powerful, fierce, and a beacon to be reckoned with. And with the King of the Underworld by her side? There is nothing she can't do.

I will be rereading this book again and again! And I hope you are ready to learn more about this chaos bringer, known as Persephone.

Hands down one of the best, and most original, Hades and Persephone retellings I have ever read! This was a fantastic take on the original myth - complete with drama, tension, and a romance you can't help but root for.
I am praying for a book 2 announcement!

Not my thing but that's ok! Great concept, just couldn't get into it. I'll be sure to watch for what Bea does next - I'm excited to watch her grow as an author.

Ever since Kore, daughter of Zeus & Demeter, unknowingly challenged Zeus by saying she wanted the whole world on the day she is given her powers, she has been raised on an island protected by magical wards. Alone, except for her mother & the nymphs & dryads. Kore is the goddess of flowers & now she is of age, her marriage is being brokered by Zeus & her mother. Kore does not want to marry though & when her mother leaves the island to sort out the marriage, she escapes to the Underworld & invokes 'xenia' when she meets the ruler of that kingdom, Hades. (Xenia is hospitality & is a binding contract which means that Kore cannot be asked to leave unless she breaks its codes which are upheld by Hestia, goddess of the hearth.)

Hades is not happy to be put in the position of hiding Zeus's daughter, but has no choice but to agree. At first they try to avoid each other but a tentative friendship grows. Kore becomes known as Persephone & starts to make changes in the Underworld, changes which should not be possible. When Hades proposes a marriage of convenience to be of benefit to both of them, Persephone accepts not knowing what consequences may follow.

This is obviously an updating of the Hades/Persephone Greek myth with some changes. Gone is the abduction & in its place, Persephone becomes the architect of her own destiny. I really enjoyed it for the most part, it had an intriguing feminist spin in that it took a (admittedly shallow) look at the pantheon of gods & their particular brand of patriarchy. It uses modern terms such as bestie, which could perhaps feel a little anachronistic but somehow it works in this retelling. Persephone was perhaps a little too full on whilst Hades seemed too passive at times, & their 'will they/won't they' went on for a bit too long, but overall it was an entertaining read. Verdict: fun YA retelling of a Greek myth given a modern twist. Perhaps goes on for slightly too long, but well worth a read. 3.5 stars (rounded up)

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Penguin Random House Children's UK, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Thanks NetGalley and Penguin Random House for allowing me to read an advanced copy e-book of “Girl, Goddess, Queen” by Bea Fitzgerald. All reviews are my own thoughts.

The writing style is easy to follow and I loved Hades straight away. This is a YA reimanging of Hades and Persephone tale. We have a moderate pacing which flows nicely.

Hades qns Persephone dynamic are very juvenile at points but funny,they don't know how to act at times and can be very rash.

I also enjoyed the inclusion of the other Greek diety as well.

I have also found this to be quite a funny book. Its a very cute and quick read I found and easy to follow .
Hades and Persephone have the perfect enemy to lover trope going on.

If you liked Lore you will love this - a spin on hades and Persephone and one that will make you laugh too