A Game of Fate: A Dark and Enthralling Reimagining of the Hades and Persephone Myth (Hades x Persephone Saga, 2)

Hades, God of the Underworld knows his mind and expects everyone to follow his rules. He has decadent nightclubs where he interacts with those who wish to make bargains with him. These bargains rarely ever go in anyone's favour but his own. As a God's bargain is his bond, Hades is very selective of the promises he makes. Hades controls everything in the world around him and is dismayed when he learns that the Fates have made decisions for him. They have chosen his future wife and Queen of the Underworld. They have chosen Persephone, Goddess of Spring and daughter of Demeter, one of Hades' enemies.When Hades finally meets Persephone their instant sexual connection is intoxicating. He manages to snare her in a bargain to seduce/woo her. But Persephone, though attracted to Hades, is a headstrong, ambitious young woman determined to make a name for herself as a journalist. She sees how Hades operates his deals and decides to out his cruel and underhanded ways to the public.Hades must accomplish the impossible and convince his future Queen that his intentions are not as dark and sinister as they may appear and that the Underworld is more than what the myths and legends would have her believe. To make matters more difficult there are outside forces determined to separate Hades and Persephone before their bond is solidified and will stop at nothing to keep them apart. Hades may risk taking on the Fates themselves to keep the woman he loves safe, even scarifying himself in the process.🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟. A Touch of Darkness told this story from Persephone's POV but being inside Hades' head is even more darkly delicious and sensual than just seeing his reactions through Persephone. We get a deeper understanding of Hades' motivations for his bargains and how strongly he takes his responsibilities in the Underworld, especially with the shame/guilt he feels for how he acted in the past. Reading this book as a companion piece to A Touch of Darkness fleshes out the love story and the characters beautifully. Highly recommend.

I really liked the action packed drama of the very ironic Hades. Only if the book actually skipped the "romantic" thing, sorry love story, that involved no love at all, just lust in the problematic fifty shades trope.I would love for this world building to go on and on including all the gods, demi gods and mortals alike in this world. I think the plot that St Clair is developing here has real potential. What let it down is the erotic genre that is over done with little purpose and narrative.Firstly, I really think that it would have been helpful for, as the author Zadie Smith recommended for fledgling writers, St Clair to let this series of hades persephone sit in a drawer for a year. I know that St Clair is wanting to also develop the mythos of Aphrodite and Herpheastus as well so this is what she could have done to make the most of her fertile creativity: create a world with all of these characters and plots and mythos first and then flesh it out in individual sagas that are character specific but congruent to an overall arching narrative. Make it make sense.Hades and Persephone's "romance" does not make any sense. Firstly, out of all the Olympians, Hades and Persephone have a marriage that works and so the relationship should be simple. Misunderstood but well-meaning man loves fragile but strong woman. Believe it or not but that kind of relationship does not have to be boring or lack sensuality, especially when explored and explained deeply.This relationship however is a mess. It makes no sense. It's a dysfunctional power game at best and a complete disaster at worst. Where is the love, chemistry and compatibility? Persephone is just some sex object that flits in between Hades' dramatic and busy life from time to time. Not to mention that he is extremely desperate and insecure which is kind of sad for a man who manipulates and uses his faithful assistant, breaking her heart. This callousness was really glossed over like Minthe deserved to be treatedso badly just because she's annoying to some. Tell me, what is so different between her and Persephone? Both of these women are vain, jealous, bitchy, competitive. Both run after a man who treats them badly, like sex objects.These kind of story lines are old fashioned and dangerous in a post #metoo era and I don't believe it's empowering for women at all. It's like all the prominent female characters in this book were out to get each other for different reasons over a man who would be called a bastard in real life.Hades is even begrudging and ungrateful towards his "coworkers" who actually the likeable characters of the book. Thanatos, Hermes, the mischievous Hecate. The troubled and complicated Aphrodite who Hades regrettably relates to and understand needs to be explored as a potentially beneficial relationship. These two selfish people have a natural sympathy that comes from a well of loneliness. I liked that part.However then again, we are dealing with Hades here who has a habit of only thinking of himself and treating everyone around him with contempt and disdain. How attractive.As stated in previous review for the Persephone book, her characterisation does not sit well with me at all. It's like an itch that won't stop irritating me. There is no depth to her, just a shallow representation of the typical babe with no dimension, someone who is easy to project upon as Hades seems to relentlessly do, attributing more intention and meaning than this self-obsessed character deserves.But anyway that is my opinion on the matter. It suits some more than others but I may continue with these Hades sagas just to see more of this novel, ancient world that St Clair is doing here as I think that this is very clever, but it may not be worth the torture of wrangling myself through the titular premise of a love story gone horribly wrong.