i did not read the sequel because the first one did not do it for me. however, i would be willing to revisit them in the future!

MY First ARC REVIEW YESSSS! I love how kind of very faithful to Greek mythology how hades even though is ruler of the underworld is really just a regular dude. The main problem is that Persephone gets into trouble because of Persephone. Persephone never wants to communicate which causes problems and makes things feel awkward. Even though everything is on the line Persephone just wants to get dick downed so badly in the first book. That now she thinks Hades doesn't want her anymore lmao. At least in the first book there was smut which was it's redeeming quality. This one has NONE! and it flopped badly. 1.5 stars. Just my honest review. Persephone ruined the whole book for me. Miscommunication has it's place in romance books but not in the exchange for the whole book. This DRAGGED THROUGHT THE WHOLE BOOK! And the depressing energy doesn't for this type of story. just saying!

This is book two in the series of a retelling of Hades x Persephone. I really enjoyed it and couldn’t put it down. I have read book one and two so far and can’t wait to read the third book when it comes out. Thank you to Alexis Rune, Jeanette Rose, Rose and Star Publishing and Netgalley for an opportunity to read this book.

I wouldn't say I liked this book as much as I wanted the first one. I felt this one was more centered on the couple being apart then when they are actually together. Also, I just hated the plot arc of the entire book. I loved the original ending of the first book and would have been okay with just that as the ending.

I was so excited for The Mistress & The Renowned after reading The Maiden & The Unseen, but this did not meet my expectations whatsoever. So bummed!

Book 2 in the series begins with Persephone now trapped in the Underworld as its new Queen, with her King Hades mysteriously missing. This book absolutely did not go the way I expected, and I’m all here for it! The first book was extremely smutty, which I loved, but this book-which some smut is still there-takes a much more serious tone and deals heavily with trauma and past abuse. It focuses clearly on the relationship between Hades and Persephone along with the new threat to the Underworld.

The story deals heavily with a plot point that is hardly ever addressed in any real way in any of the stories I’ve read of Hades before, but that I always thought needed to be. Hades grew up while falling in a void, and then spent the first part of his adulthood in a prison realm out of time. Only to be spat back out and into a war they weren’t prepared for. The trauma of such a thing has to be insane! This unpacks a lot of his emotions regarding this, his repression of those memories, and the harm it’s caused him long term.

We also deal with Persephone’s trauma here, which is really two fold. There’s the newer trauma from an event in the book, and that has shaken her to her core. It’s not something she regrets, but to get what she wanted, she had to deal go through hell. It leaves her in a head space where she can’t deal with anyone else’s trauma, and that’s a problem for her relationship at present. Then, there’s the trauma of her mother, Demeter, and the years of abuse she put Persephone through. Which is much worse in this story than just being overly controlling as in others.

Mellie makes her appearances in this book, but doesn’t have a whole lot going on here beyond helping Persephone and trying to dodge Helios. We do get more of Zeus and Poseidon. This series makes a really cool change to the usual mythology and makes the three much closer. Brothers in truth. I love getting glimpses at their relationship. The three of them messing with each other is hilarious. It’s such a big change from the usual relationship I’ve seen of them, I definitely think it was a good choice here. Especially where these boys have so much trauma already. They don’t need to add to that!

In regards to the main relationships here, Persephone and Hades love each other. That is so very clear, but both are new to relationships and have a lot of trauma to deal with. This inevitably leads to issues as the two try to deal with their issues as individuals as well as a couple. Their journey from where we left them last book, after the curse was activated, is fantastic. Persephone’s anger over her choices being taken away is addressed and dealt with, while Hades tries to deal with his own fears and insecurities. I really enjoyed getting to see the ups and downs they have and how two people who love each other so deeply can have such trouble communicating that it threatens the relationship itself.

While a much heavier book than the first, there are plenty of moments of lightness and levity here. Persephone’s relationship with Cerberus, or Berry as she calls her marshmallow, is so freaking adorable. Seeing the three of them all as a family is too cute. Especially when he gets in the way of their alone time, and Persephone is stuck between disappointing her boy or sacrificing sexy time. Hades is able to hear his thoughts with their bond, and we’re left with the impression his need to be near her is to protect her. Which is both adorable and worrying.

There are a lot of really cute Hades moments here too. In reality, this is a man who grew up alone and isolated, without love. He became “the rich one” due to his need to have more, because he had so little. He knew he would have a fated queen one day, and we waited eagerly for her. Even as much as he hated the fates calling the shots for him, he wanted that love and companionship that he’d always been lacking. The depth they go into Hades’ psyche here is truly impressive! And due to this, his moments of vulnerability and his need to cling to Persephone is heartbreaking. But, we also get the slightly sillier and adorable version of Hades when he’s with Persephone and happy. And the two work through their issues to find a momentary reprieve.

But Demeter is far from letting things go. Abusers like her feel the need to control. And Persephone is currently out of hers. She will do absolutely anything to get that back. Her plan, once unraveled, is horrifying. The end of this book ends on a cliffhanger, one that punches you in the gut after all we’ve just been through with Hades and Persephone. My heart broke and shattered for them. Demeter is well aware the two won’t just give the other up, and finds a way around it. I seriously have to know how this goes from here, and I hate that I have to wait for the next book! I’ll be anxiously awaiting the next part in this series to calm the anxiety and dread this ending left me with (in a good way)!

I loved this sequel. My favourite part was the relationship between Persephone and Cerberus. I liked the way the author explored the feelings of Persephone once she arrives in the Underworld and then after she reunites with Hades. The end I feel could have built up a little more. I enjoyed that we saw more of Hades past and more of the dynamic between him and his brothers.
I’m ready for the sequel and to find out what happens between Hades and Persephone

Spoilers ahead for THE MAIDEN & THE UNSEEN.

After Hades claims Persephone as his queen, she is whisked off to the Underworld…and he goes missing. As Persephone adjusts to life as the Queen of the Dead, she also struggles with her conflicting emotions of anger at Hades for taking away her consent and worry that something is wrong. Meanwhile, Hades is trapped in a void, his abilities doing everything they can to keep him from becoming a broken shell. The two work to find their way back to each other while something even more sinister simmers underneath, biding its time.

The vibes of this story are vastly different from the vibes of the first. The first book was very much a romantasy where the two main characters had to find their way to each other and to falling in love. The focus of this story shifts to what happens after they do and the struggles of maintaining a relationship and battling other forces, both from within and without.

With less of a focus on the romance, there is the opportunity to explore darker themes with this story. From the question of consent to trauma and PTSD, Rose and Rune definitely veer onto a different path for this story. Which is not to say that there is no romance - Hades and Persephone are still trying to figure out their dynamic and it’s nice to see that even gods stumble sometimes.

Though this story did feel cohesive overall, it does also feel like there are multiple stories in one, as if each act of the book had its own three act story that played out. It isn’t something that I would say necessarily took away from the story, but it did feel a little jarring at times.

Once again, we are left with a cliffhanger at the end that leaves me ready and waiting for the next book to come out. I’m not sure if it’s different in the finished copy vs. the ARC, but there is an additional scene after the last chapter that jumps back to an earlier point in the book from a side character’s POV, which felt like a strange way to end the book.

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for free and have voluntarily written this review.

I really enjoyed this book! It continued with the story from Book 1, but it added more political drama and trauma within this. The authors have made it clear that the content warnings for this book include PTSD, Child Abuse (Historical), Emotional/Physical Torture, Sexual Content, and Fantasy Violence. Looking back at my review of book 1, I hoped that book 2 would have more world-building and could set the scene more. I am happy to report that we better understand the world of the gods and the different realms, but there is a heavy focus on the Underworld. The relationship between Hades and Persephone builds where they are learning to communicate and be an actual couple. The depiction of Cerebus in this book is the most adorable depiction that can happen. The ending of the book somewhat is of a cliffhanger and makes me wish Book 3 was already in my hands.

The Maiden and the Unseen was a five star read of mine so I was beyond excited to continue the series. Much to my dismay, The Mistress and the Renouned was mostly filler and nothing of consequence happened until the last few chapters. I found that this book lacked the charm of the first book and the characters lost the depth they had.

I was excited for the drama between Hades and Persephone following the events of the previous book but all I got was two immortal gods acting like angsty teenagers. I did really enjoy the sweet romantic moments between the pair, but unfortunately there just wasn't enough plot to hold my interest.

This book ends on a cliffhanger and I am actually quite intrigued to find out what happens so I'd definitely be open to reading the next book.