Review: The Eighth House by Eris Adderly @ErisAdderly

Book Title 

Pages: 278
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Genre: Greek Mythology/ Erotica
#1 in Series
Source: Kindle Unlimited

GOODREADS

Catch me, Darkness. Again and again. The life of a virgin goddess might suit Artemis or Athena, but Persephone, daughter of Zeus, wants no part of it. While the rest of the immortals cavort, she grows restless in the shadow of Olympos.

Rules, rules. Always the rules. Her mother’s edict forbids her the company of any male god. She can’t speak to them, can’t look at them. Can’t even attend the Olympian feasts. As far as Demeter knows, her daughter remains a maiden.

But Persephone leads a double life. She finds her affection elsewhere, and in plentiful supply. If only the sons of Man made her happy. If only she could put a name to this need she feels. It grows by the day, dark and unfulfilled. An eternity of enforced loneliness looms, and Persephone contemplates a drastic choice to escape it.

Only one thing stands in her way.

Hades.

Where earthquakes rend hill and vale asunder, and the abyss yawns to devour falling screams, the black halls of the Underworld await. The Lord of the Dead follows only one set of rules: his own.

And he expects Persephone to obey.

Quick Thoughts

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Review

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So here's the thing. I am without a doubt in my mind, honestly, truly, I am the biggest fan of the Hades and Persephone myth/pairing. I've read every kind of book, every kind of fanfic, even read the actual Greek myths at least a dozen times. I do a regular search of the word "Persephone" on Goodreads to see what pops up, and Google has my "books about hades and persephone" search already pinned to the top because I keep checking in.

Hades and Persephone is my shiznit.

So when The Eighth House popped up on my Goodreads search and it was available on Kindle Unlimited I was as hyped as a mento in a bottle of soda. I was so ready to dive into some hot ass Hades and Persephone lovin' and sexy times. Heck yeah.

By the end.... I was disappointed. Blargh. Believe me, no one is more upset than I am! But, let me explain what was going on in my head.

What I Liked:
I loved the writing style. It was a little unorthodox in that it was like a mash up of poetry and prose. But I felt it suited the story well--this is, after all, mythology. We're talking about gods here. So, that's not a complaint for me at all. The story itself was vibrant and I could easily see everything in my mind's eye.

Adderly's rendition of Greek mythology and the gods involved was exactly the kind of thing I love from mythology retellings. It was historically accurate, and innovative in the creation of the Underworld. We actually got to see the Underworld in its complexity, which a lot of times mythology retellings skip over the surroundings and just assume the reader will piece together some semblance of a background.

What I Didn't Like:
In general, I've never been a fan of H&P retellings that actually do go the "he kidnapped her and made her fall in love with him" route. While I get this is a romance novel and there's def a market for that, I just can't personally be comfortable with that idea. Even though Persephone is always willing and happy about the kidnapping later on, it rubs me the wrong way. We have a whole entire mental illness for these kinds of situations, it's called Stockholm Syndrome. And no amount of "but he wooed her and she fell in love with him of her own accord" will change the fact that my homie Hades still kidnapped her. So, that gets a point knocked off for me.

As for the actual sex, it was good but still not up my alley. I guess this one could be more a "me" issue instead of the book's issue, but I'd like to clarify that I have no issue with BDSM in novels so I'm not sure. It almost feels like the obvious choice to have Hades be a hardcore dom. It was borderline uncomfortable at certain parts, where Hades literally was not listening or respecting Persephone's decision and was ordering her around without regard to what she actually wanted. A healthy dom/sub relationship technically puts all the power in the sub's hands, since the sub gets to decide when to say the safe word and stop everything. The fact that Hades thought he could overrule Persephone's decision was a big no from me.

As you can see, I had a lot of feelings about this book both good and bad. It is what it is, but based on other reviews there are people who have really loved this book. I'm very sad I wasn't one of them, but it's not a total regret.

The Eighth House is available for purchase on Amazon as a paperback or kindle copy (Kindle Unlimited). 

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About the Author

Eris writes subversive romance for people who hate romance novels. She writes fiction in whatever genre suits the tale that needs telling: historical, fantasy, sci-fi, paranormal, or anything that bends a little askew from expectations. Her stories are the stomping grounds for bada** heroines, untamable alphas, a spectrum of sexuality and a serious disregard for convention. Sometimes light and humorous, often dark and intense, if you're looking for a break from reality, Eris writes for you. Much like her namesake, Eris likes to make trouble.
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