Lore Olympus vol 4 by Rachel Smythe

After Mynthe shreds Hades' soul with her harsh words, he runs into Persephone at Hera's house and falls deeper in love with her. Persephone decides that the two of them need to set some boundaries and confesses her feelings for Hades, but Hades can't bring himself to bring reciprocate because she is so young, and because she is on the path to become an eternal maiden. While Persephone and Mynthe might not be the answer, Hades also knows Hera isn't either, even though the goddess tries to use him to get back at Zeus after he once again cheats on her. Later, Apollo is at Persephone's house, and demands to know why she's been avoiding him. She finally confronts him about how uncomfortable he makes her feel. She seeks some comfort by hanging out with her friend, Cupid, but ends up telling him why she doesn't get along with his uncle, Ares.

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This book may be full of tons of drama, but technically, so was Greek mythology. I love how Smythe is adapting so much source material into a modern setting and incorporating a lot of modern romantic tropes into her characters. Readers who have been waiting for Persephone to grow a backbone may be satisfied that we're starting to see it a bit in this volume. There are  also some wonderful mythology easter eggs hidden throughout for readers who are familiar with the source material, but they won't be too confusing for those who are not in the know.

Sara's Rating: 10/10
Suitability Level: Grades 10-12

Reviews of previous volumes in this series: vol 1, vol 2, vol 3

Publisher: Del Rey
Publication Date: June 6, 2023
ISBN: 9781529909883​​ (Hardcover)

​Tags: Rating: 10/10, Suitability: High School, Graphic Fiction, Mythology, ​Romance, Del Rey