Persephone and Hades are engaged. In retaliation, Demeter summons a snowstorm that cripples New Greece, and refuses to lift the blizzard unless her daughter calls off her engagement.
When the Olympians intervene, Persephone finds her future in the hands of ancient gods, and they are divided. Do they allow Persephone to marry Hades and go to war with Demeter or prohibit their union and take up arms against the God of the Dead?
Nothing is certain but the promise of war.
The story of Hades and Persephone is one that I have always found fascinating. The fact that now I get to see a fun, intense, sexy side of this story makes my heart soar. The third installation of the HadesxPersephone series, A TOUCH OF MALICE by Scarlett St. Clair, feels refreshing, is well written, and gives the characters we’ve grown to love even more depth than before.
I enjoy the relationship Sephy and Hades shared and in MALICE St. Clair dove in head first, exploring trauma, trust, and the nitty gritty side of relationships that most people tend to ignore when writing. Things aren’t always easy, sure I don’t have to fight gods to be with my love but I do know that communicating feelings can be hard and if done incorrectly it can leave both parties saddens and distant, which happens throughout the series and it’s something both characters consciously work on improving. At the end of the day all Sephy wants is to be with the love of her life and there has always been SOMETHING standing in their way. I think things really come to a head in MALICE not just between Hades and Seph but in general and the reader gets a really great look at how far people (and gods) will go for their love.
Of course the side characters like Hecate, Apollo, and Hermes were glorious in this one. I think they add depth to the story and show how important friendship. Specifically Hermes, he owes Hades and Seph nothing but he always comes to their aid and has been a great friend to Seph throughout the series. I liked seeing his vulnerable side in this book. He's the goofy, fun friend and to see him more serious at points made me love him even more. Hecate has a more serious role in this book, giving Seph more intense lessons in magic use and how to ground herself. It was a side of her I absolutely loved seeing. Hades wouldn't put so much faith in her unless she was powerful, fair, and smart about her actions and I think MALICE really encapsulates that. Her love for Seph is also sweet, you see time and time again the soft spot everyone seems to have for Persephone but I find the relationship between Hecate and her special.
I also must say that I love the way St. Clair used sex as a tether for Hades and Seph. While these scenes were AMAZING (in detail and emotion) I felt like they were also always really important moments for both characters, especially in this book. As someone who dealt with trauma, I find the way St. Clair explores sex in this story to be extremely authentic. I know there were times I couldn't stomach certain actions because they were a reminder of something I would rather black out. The way that Hades frees Persephone from her fears, specifically relating to sex, is incredible and beautiful. It shows the importance of communication and understanding in relationships in yet another way. And for those who love smutty scenes, oh boy this book has it all.
The ending had me in tears and honestly quite stressed. There was so much emotion in the last few chapter and I felt it all so deeply. The way St. Clair write this book felt different than the others, more sophisticated maybe? The same but different? I felt more comfortable, or maybe I just understand these characters better. Who knows, but I loved it!!!!
Rating: 4/5
I freaking love these books.
(And they're available on Kindle Unlimited!)
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