Persephone Myth Retellings

Spring has sprung! It is now April, and that means it’s time to exchange the dreary cold of winter for flowers, spring rains, and sunshine (at least here in my part of the world)! In honor of the changing of the seasons, I want to highlight some books that give a fresh spin on the spookiest of spring goddesses: Persephone. According to Greek legend, Persephone is the daughter of the harvest goddess Demeter. One day while she was out gathering flowers, Persephone was abducted by Hades, the god of the dead, and taken down to the underworld. While in Hades’ realm, Persphone ate six pomegranate seeds, which obligate her to return to Hades for six months out of the year before returning to her mother. When her daughter is away, Demeter mourns and neglects the earth, but when they’re together, they make flowers bloom and plant life grow. This myth serves to explain why vegetation flourishes for half year but becomes dead and barren in the winter. Persephone is a fascinating and paradoxical character, serving both as a maidenly goddess of spring and as the queen of the underworld. Below are a few of my favorite books that incorporate the myth of Persephone in unique ways: Continue reading Persephone Myth Retellings

Beneath the Sugar Sky—A Colorful Tale of Resurrecting the Dead

A real-life Candy Land may seem like paradise, but all the sugar in the world can’t cover up the taste of corruption, war, and murder…. Beneath the Sugar Sky is the third book in Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children series. Last year, I reviewed Every Heart a Doorway, in which McGuire introduces the boarding school full of misfit children who have returned from various fantasy lands. I also reviewed Down Among the Sticks and Bones, a prequel of sorts that depicts the adventures of twin sisters Jack and Jill in a land of vampires and mad scientists. With the third book in the series, which came out back at the beginning of 2018, McGuire shifts gears rather dramatically. Continue reading Beneath the Sugar Sky—A Colorful Tale of Resurrecting the Dead

Every Heart a Doorway Review—Macabre Fantasy and Representation

There are many books out there about kids who discover magical worlds and the wonderful adventures they have there. But what happens afterward, when they come back through the rabbit hole and have to return to their normal lives? In Every Heart a Doorway, these children go to a special boarding school where they can share their experiences with those who will understand, readjust to the normal world, and come to terms with the fact that they may not ever return to the land they truly consider home. This novella is the first book in a new series called Wayward Children by Seanan McGuire. I had no idea what to expect going into this book, but it hit almost every sweet spot for me.  Continue reading Every Heart a Doorway Review—Macabre Fantasy and Representation