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| Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman |
"He smiles. "Hello."
It's a deep voice. I can feel it reverberate in my chest and echo all the way down to my toes.
I know I should leave, but I don't want to. I want to keep my senses like this forever. I'm all eye, all ear, all skin.
Persephone lives in the most gorgeous place in the world. But her mother's a goddess, as overprotective as she is powerful. Paradise has become a trap. Just when Persephone feels there's no chance of escaping the life that's been planned for her, a mysterious stranger arrives. A stranger who promises something more—something dangerous and exciting—something that spurs Persephone to make a daring choice. A choice that could destroy all she's come to love, even the earth itself.
In a land where a singing river can make you forget your very name, Persephone is forced to discover who—and what—she really is."
Rating:
I said it once, actually more than once, but I’ll say it again: I just love re-tellings! I love it when authors turn the bad guys to good; turning their characters and their stories into a deeper and more interesting tale that feels so sweet and intriguing.
How sweet was this tale! I’ve known about Hades and Persephone’s story but I never really gave it that much consideration. And reading Radiant Darkness has let me see a whole new side to the story.
During the first few pages I have to admit that it was kind of annoying to read about Persephone’s life while she lives with her mother, Demeter. She was basically the kid who wants to grow up and her over-protective mother couldn’t or wouldn’t see that years have been passing by and her daughter’s no longer a little girl. It was a bit of a cliché but I gave it a shot. And, boy, am I glad I did. As the story progressed, Radiant Darkness just grew on me. And I found myself loving it in the end.
I was awed with how Whitman was able to incorporate the original mythological tale, not missing one bit of detail, of Hades and Persephone and twist it into something that runs deeper than it was evidently told.
I can definitely say that this book is a memorable one. It may be light but the subtlety of it made it interesting and enjoyable. Really refreshing!
