Scion of Gaia

Michele Amitrani has done it again, entertaining and beguiling me with cleverly-woven wording and pacing which alternately breezes through and slows down as the story's emotions ebb and flow.

This one was something of a personal journey for me, as I have experience with the types of emotions Persephone felt while watching her mother struggle through lost memories. I had to consume it one chapter at a time with breaks in between, but rather than believing that to be detrimental I think it speaks volumes of how well he captures the duality of sympathy and frustration felt by someone in such a position. The emotions wouldn't have stricken a chord in my mind and heart if they didn't feel real, after all.

In fact, it's the emotional aspect which originally drew me into this tale. I thrive on character explorations - especially those driven by relatable emotions - so even with my careful reading pace I was invested from the very first chapter. Interwoven in the mythology is a very real, compelling tale of mental illness, remorse, and the struggle to balance love of one's family with love of one's new life. Honestly, it's this which kept me engaged when I was on the fence about how much was changed from the version of this myth I find most familiar. I needed a bit of time to decide I liked the new twists on the classic myth, but I can say without a doubt I ultimately enjoyed this fresh take on somewhat familiar characters and lore. Seeing which bits and pieces were changed in what ways became almost like a fun sport itself. And once I got reeled in by this version, the experience was enhanced by having human drama and fantasy drama tangled together.

I loved that Persephone is no weak, naive fool and Hades is no creepy, conniving villain. Rather, there are no heroes or villains, only complex individuals who've made and continue to make choices which impact far more than they could ever imagine. Demeter is overprotective, concerned for her daughter, and Persephone is the rebellious young goddess who wants the freedom to live as she so chooses - and love who she wants. The familiar steps are there: changing seasons, despair, isolation, separation, union under Zeus' blessing, even pomegranate seeds... But these elements are used in new and intriguing ways. Every time I thought a familiar plot beat might be coming, instead I found myself being pleasantly surprised by fresh, unfamiliar alterations.

While I'd have preferred a full-length novel at times, the pacing is done well and it still works as-is. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series!

{NOTE: I recieved a free copy of this book from Booksirens for evaluation purposes. I'm providing this review voluntarily and the while grateful for the opportunity it has not altered the sincerity of my opinion.}