Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for providing me with an ARC!

Girl, Goddess, Queen is a spectacular twist on such a classic tale. This book is a retelling of Persephone and Hades with a fresh spin to the original myth. I really enjoyed the concept and thought it was unique/creative angle for the retelling.

This book has everything from slow burn to enemies to friends to lovers! The relationship dynamic was really interesting to read, and I especially enjoyed the fake dating. The side characters were also brilliant, they were all complex and had their own personalities.

The worldbuilding was also really incredible and intricate, helping to move the story forward and make the characters more magical.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves greek retellings, especially a greek retelling with a fresh spin to it!

I actually really loved this one! It is very definitely a teen novel and there were a couple of tiny plotholes, but I really didn't mind. It's great fun and I had a blast

I have loved every page of this book. It is such a good twist on a classic tale. I loved all the charectors, but especially hades and styx. And loved the banter they all have is just perfect. This will be a book that gets many rereads in the future and i really look forward into reading more by Bea Fitzgerald, as her writing style was so good and really easy to read.

Thank you NetGalley for sending me a copy of this book! All opinions are my own.

Sadly, this book is not for me. This book has all the right ideas. It's fun retelling of Hades and Persephone, and the author tries to put a fresh new spin on the myth. It's evident the author has done her research and I applaud her for that.

However, the whole book felt like a mess. The writing style felt very juvenile and the constant 'girl bossiness' felt forced and tedious to read. Hades and Persephone have a complex story, and it felt like this was completely lost. The romance didn't interest me and I found Persephone very annoying. The whole thing just felt very unbelievable, and probably needed another edit. I don't think the phrase 'bestie' should have made the cut...

This isn't a bad novel by any means. It's fun and light, and I think YA fans will eat this up! This just wasn't my cup of tea, and I do think the writing style needs work.

This book was an absolute delight to read. You might think that the Hades and Persophone retellings have been overdone and there's no way to create a new spin on it, but oh boy are you wrong.

This book has everything, slow burn enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, dismantling the patriarchy one step at a time, sassy and sexy side characters, familial conflict, fake dating, only one bed, literally I cannot think of a single thing I love that this book didn't include.

Reading this made me feel powerful, it made me feel seen and alongside that it made me laugh and cry and smile and feel all warm and fuzzy inside. The worldbuilding is incredible, the characterisation is magical and the plot is a gorgeous breath of fresh air to a Greek Myth I have always loved.

The fact that this is a Debut? I am shook. This author is going to change the world. Mark my words.

I really enjoyed this take on Hades and Persephone! It was fun and fast paced! I went into it not knowing what to expect, and ended up loving it! I can’t wait to read more from this author!

If you like Greek Mythology then this is definitely one to add to your TBR.

The story of Persephone and Hades, but not quite the story you thought you knew.

YA and Greek mythology

I was provided with an ebook copy of this novel free of charge by Netgalley in return for a review.

We have all heard the story of Persephone and Hades. But what if that wasnt what happened?

What if she ran away to Hades to escape the terror an arranged marriage held for her?

This wonderful creative book does just that. It takes the story we all know and tells it from the perspective of Kore godess of flowers who will later become Persephone.

This book is a wonderful re imaging of the story we all got told. Its powerful, heartwarming and it is a stunning debut novel.

Theres so much i could say but i dont want to give the tale away

I love mythology. That was my favourite corner of the library growing up (in those days, of course, we got Greek/Roman, maybe a bit of Egyptian, probably a misshelved Grimm or Hans Christian Andersen, and some Celtic. I adore the breadth of myths available now.) I was just about the right age when Hercules and later Xena started showing, and I realised that myths didn't have to be stodgy and old fashioned; they could be funny and irreverent and modernized and still carry that same meaning, that same sense of magic. This version of Hades and Kore/Persephone isn't modernized; it's still set very firmly in the heyday of the Grecian gods, and actually digs very deeply into how the Courts ran and how gods from different Courts interacted and so on. But it's also funny and clever and has a lot to say...all while being wrapped up in the best version of Beauty and the Beast I've read in a while.

(Side note, had everyone realised before this that Hades and Persephone and Beauty and the Beast are very close to being the same story? You had? It's just me? Ok, then.)

This draws heavily from the oldest versions of the myths, where Kore had some agency and made decisions for herself instead of just being kidnapped and eating something. It also assumes that you have some knowledge of the basic myths; IE, the war with the Titans, which isn't often covered, is explained here, but who Ares is isn't, we're expected to know or infer it. It's a very clever way to deal with a story that everyone knows at least a bit of.

I love Kore/Persephone, I love Hades, I love the little court of allies and friends they build up around them. There are spots here when you can tell how angry Bea was when writing it, but they're very cleverly used to enhance the story, not to block it or hide the message under shouting.

This is an amazing read, it's going to show up on all the Best of lists and in all the Christmas catalogues, and I can't wait to start selling it.

I love love loved this book! This is empowering and makes you feel you can take on the world… and if something gets in your way, well don’t let it! Mythology at its finest.

I will be forever a Persephone and Hades stan, so of course I knew from the start, this book is gonna be so good! I love romcoms, so I did not need any convincing picking this book up!

Perfectly good example of a hilarious enemies to lovers trope execution with warmness and fuzziness and supportive side characters! I really enjoyed Persephone‘s character arc and how she learned to stand up for herself and prove that girls are not just you know, all the happy positive feminine vibes but they can be strong brave and powerful as well.

Hades was such a positive character in this book: really supportive, helping Persephone reach her goals and also their love moments ahhh soo precious!! I really enjoyed reading about them and also about all the characters in the books. I think this is a really fun retelling of the well known Greek mythology of them, with modern, exciting twist.

Thank you so much for Penguin Random House for this ARC I am glad I had a chance to read this book in advance!

I was really excited to read this but I feel like it was a bit of a let down. I’m really not a fan of the whole let’s drag out the sex/kiss/them getting together theme. I’m going to spoil it a little here but it was past 82% before they even admitted their feelings!! It completely spoilt it for me. Like grow up!

Also, the book is trying far too hard to be “woke”. In this book Hades is black AND bisexual. It screams, what can I do be noticed. To give Hades a race was not needed. To make Hades bisexual when his love interest has always been Persephone was a change I wished I’d never read about. Zeus was the god rumoured to have had a male lover. Not Hades. Persephone was also the biggest whinge bag ever. Completely unlikeable character. I’m a huge Greek myth and Greek god fan so I didn’t find this book enjoyable at all.

There are so many better books out there that won’t change its original story to “stay relevant”. I appreciate some people may need this story, changes and all, but this should come from new stories and not changing myths and legends from the past.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable Persephone and Hades retelling. I loved Persephone’s character, strong, determined, and a great overall female archetype. I loved the interaction between Hades and Persephone and the slow burn romance. All in all it was a relaxing read that I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys the world of the old gods.

First off the author does provide trigger warnings at the beginning of the book so please be aware of this when reading the book.

This is a retelling of Kore, also known as Persephone, and Hades. Did Hades kidnap her or did she jump into hell to prevent being married off to some god more in love with themselves than her.

There is one problem though she has to convince the Underworlds ruler, Hades, to fall in line with her plan. A plan that will shake Mount Olympus to its very core. But the consequences could be deadly, especially as she is already in hell.

I haven’t read any retellings of Greek mythology so I went into this one with no expectations. I am always open to new genres and also I have heard good things about this book and author so when I was accepted by the publishers, Author and NetGalley to read the arc I was very excited and open minded.

Did I enjoy the book? 100% yes. I loved the characters, the setting, the story and mostly I loved Hades and Persephone’s relationship. Will I be reading more retellings? Yes and I will definitely be reading more by this author. If you love Greek mythology then I recommend this book and if you don’t like Greek mythology I still recommend this book. One of my favourite reads this year for sure.

I am truly a suckered for a good myth retelling and this ticks all the boxes. It was a fun and truly joyful read, I did find it a bit overdramatic in places but it's a perfect YA recrafting.

I loved this Hades and Persephone retelling. It was so different from other books I read about them.

Persephone is a strong goddess. Her mother has been trying to fit her into a box of how a perfect wife would be. However, Persephone isn't like that and when her parents decide she has to wed, she escapes to the Underworld. Hades too is not the usual dark and brooding hero. He's more of a nerd with a gentle soul. He doesn't like Persephone coming into his domain, but he can't refuse his help. The two butt heads multiple times, but that's also what brings them closer. Persephone and Hades can finally be their true selves and are willing to go to war to protect what they are creating.

I loved how this book battles the patriarchy and toxic masculinity, and how it embraces feminism and the strong and independent woman.

I have just had the most fun reading Girl, Goddess, Queen!
Persephone has such sass, some snark, and a serious amount of grit. Hades, well, isn't he just the sweetest, most thoughtful, touch her and you die, God around...I'd bind myself to the underworld for him too!

I really loved the fake dating, real feelings, this is the truth of what happened, story. It was fast paced , touched on some real important feelings and situations and allowed us to all feel a little bit Persephone in a world of Kores.

You know I don't like to give anything away in my reviews so just go and grab yourself a copy of this
(Absolutely gorgeous) book and enjoy it the way I did - devoured like the fruits of hell!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the eArc!

Girl, Goddess, Queen by Bea Fitzgerald is the story of Hades and Persephone. We all know it as a great love story. One where Hades kidnaps Persephone to be his bride. That Persephone’s mother Demeter in her sorrow caused the Earth to start dying. But what Bea Fitzgerald has done is completely turned what we think we know and woven in a new perspective. And in truth I loved it!

So, lets start at the beginning…
Kore is given her power from her father Zeus at her naming ceremony, and that is the goddess of flowers, much to Kore’s disappointment. Kore wanted the world. At her isolated home on the Island of Sicily Kore’s mother Demeter keeps her daughter safe and will continue to do so until she finds Kore a husband. But Kore has other ideas.

On the day Demeter and Zeus meet prospective husbands for Kore, Kore does something that defies the wishes of her parents. Afterall, she doesn’t want to be married off, and made to live her life according to the patriarchal system of the Gods of Olympus. So, Kore runs. She runs and jumps straight into the Kingdom of Hell. There she will hide behind a rule of protection and make Hades keep her out of sight from her parents. But that is as far as her plans go.

Once Kore is in Hell, she realises something, that she can help the souls there and make an afterlife or the humans. I mean what exactly has Hades been doing? As Kore grows, she becomes Persephone and along with Hades they build something great, as each play to their own strengths. But just what strength and power does Persephone have?

Time passes and Persephone knows her mother and Zeus will eventually find her. Earth is dying and Hell is receiving more and more humas the longer Demeter remains upset and hurt with Persephone. But what can they possibly do? Persephone and Hades have built something remarkable, so Hades offers Persephone a proposal. Will this be the solution?

As the story unfolds, we see Persephone as a Girl, Goddess, and Queen.

The writing is lovely, and we move through Persephone’s mindset beautifully. I loved the characterization of Hades and his demure ‘human’ side, with Persephone written as a strong female lead. Their interactions were sometimes a little cliched with their longing for each other, but that didn’t spoil the story.

This novel is a great retelling and is one that I like to think of as the ‘real’ truth. If Bea Fitzgerald writes another interpretation of a Greek myth, then I’ll be one of the first in line to grab a copy.

This is a story you know. But maybe not as you’ve been told it.

This is Persephone’s story.

This is exactly what I wanted it to be: a fun YA take on Persephone and Hades, that gives Persephone agency and Hades some depth. It’s neither the tale of abduction from the original myth, nor the insta-love that’s cropped up in some other retellings. This is the journey of a young woman discovering who she is, and what she wants. It’s fast-paced and immensely readable - and this review is from the first proof edition, so I can only imagine the final version is even more polished.

It is very much YA - a modern diction, first person present, and Persephone reads as a teenager. Bea captures very well the tensions of approaching adulthood and a future you don’t particularly want but can’t seem to avert. It has all the fun, light fizziness of trading barbs and our heroine being wildly out of her depth, but also tackles deeper themes and contains some pointed commentary on toxic patriarchy. The romantic tension is pretty well done. I really enjoyed this! Especially Styx. Styx can totally break my bones, any day.

Girl, Goddess, Queen is an unexpectedly fierce take on Greek mythology, with a story arc steeped in sarcasm and rife with vengeance. The story called out the misogyny and dangerous power the Greek Gods had within their narratives and gave the women of mythology a voice fit for the women of today.

No longer is Persephone a helpless women kidnapped by her fathers brother and forced into a life she never wanted. No, our independent Goddess sees a past that has restricted her every freedom and a future she did not want and simply says, fuck that.

The love-hate relationship between Persephone and Hades was both my favourite part of this book and the reason I wanted to through my phone across the room. Each time it felt like they would realise their connection the chance slipped out of their hands due to stubbornness and circumstance.

Actually, I take back my comment about that being my favourite part, my favourite part of this whole book is the betrayal of Hades. A God we all know to be cruel, heartless and selfish but in Girl, Goddess, Queen his narrative is rewritten and he is everything you would not expect him to be, in the most brilliant way.

I've always had a mild fascination with Greek Mythology but previous books I have tried to read about it have always fell short of my expectations... Like seriously, do NOT get me started on Stone Blind! But this book is sexy, sassy and full of sarcasm. The realms of the Greek deities meets the 21st century perspective. I couldn't put this down and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Now if you will excuse me, I need to go find a way to fill my whole house with flowers and books!

(link to be added at a later date)