Author T.C. Kraven’s traditional debut drags readers into the depths of the Underworld to tell a story of divinity, devotion, and delicious debauchery. This irresistible romantasy explores what it means to forge your own path in a realm ruled by fate. The first in a series of erotic Greek mythology retellings, Of Prophecies & Pomegranates follows Hades and Persephone as they battle destiny, fellow deities, and inner demons to preserve their love. Here’s everything you need to know before the book hits shelves on October 21!
Trigger Warning: Of Prophecies and Pomegranates contains depictions of parental emotional abuse and alienation, drugging, manipulation, sexual coercion, violence, suicide, and death, as well as mentions of sexual assault. Additionally, this novel contains explicit sexual content. Please exercise personal care while reading.
Synopsis
Persephone, Goddess of Spring, has lived by the restrictive rules of her demanding mother, Demeter, Goddess of the Harvest, all her life. No matter how hard she tries to meet Demeter’s lofty expectations, she always seems to fall short. On top of the mounting pressure to please her mother, the dark powers Persephone hides deep within herself bring her to a breaking point. That’s when she stumbles across Hades, the infamous God of the Underworld. Despite their supposed differences, the two soon develop an intense, secret tryst. But when Demeter tries to force Persephone into an unwanted arranged marriage, her relationship with Hades — and the newfound freedom she’s discovered with him — is jeopardized.
After fleeing the only home she’s ever known in the Upper Realm to become Queen of the Underworld as Hades’ wife, Persephone awakens her repressed abilities, revealing a power unlike anything the Gods have ever seen. Ruling at Hades’ side, Persephone finally feels she’s found a place to belong. However, the decision to defy her mother doesn’t come without a price. With the help of their Olympic allies, Persephone and Hades must contend with famine, magical schemes, and a heavenly war that threatens to alter Olympus forever. And when the God of Gods, Zeus, steps in, Persephone’s fate — and her future with Hades — hangs in the balance.
An Enthralling Hades and Persephone Retelling
‘Hades, what do you do in the hours we’re apart?’ I asked thoughtfully. He stared at me with all the intensity of the Hells blazing in his eyes.
‘Pray to you.’
— T.C. Kraven, Of Prophecies & Pomegranates
T.C. Kraven’s Of Prophecies & Pomegranates is a love story for the ages, reimagining one of the most beloved Greek myths in tantalizing fashion. It blends traditional themes of love, power, grief, and the duality of life and death with modern interpretations of Persephone’s agency. This Persephone is not the subservient maiden readers may be familiar with, unwillingly whisked away to Hell by a malevolent God. Rather, Kraven’s take imbues the character with strength, sexual desire, and unwavering will, redefining her romance with Hades as one characterized by mutual attraction, fidelity, and reverence. In refreshing this classic fable for a contemporary audience, Kraven ensures the Hades and Persephone myth remains a timeless tale.
A Steamy and Seductive Romantasy
Perhaps there was a reason no man had ever stoked the fire in my shade before.
But Hades wasn’t a man. He was everything. I knew my resolve for isolation had been undone by his touch. The flames that raged inside of him were cold and passionate, and they called to me like a moth to flame. The power coming from inside his bones wasn’t fleeting. Touching him had felt like sticking my hand into a pure cold inferno. Thousands of years, resolute with the life decided for me, so content to be alone, shattered with one touch.
I was ready to burn.
I wanted to be consumed.
— T.C. Kraven, Of Prophecies & Pomegranates
At the heart of T.C. Kraven’s epic love story is the impassioned romance between Hades and Persephone, forbidden lovers whose devotion to each other knows no bounds. Amidst the looming threats of mass starvation, forced marriage, and divine war, their fiery bond never falters. Instead, they renew their vows to one another with each new hardship, proving the depth of their love in every way imaginable. Explicit, erotic, and downright kinky, Of Prophecies & Pomegranates is a toe-curling kind of romantasy you won’t be able to resist.
A Powerful Exploration of Consent and Control
‘My life has been a series of events that have happened to me, not by my choice. No one is ever interested in what I want, think, or feel. No one, that is, except you. Never once have you dismissed my thoughts or feelings. You pull my bravery through my skin, dug deep from my bones. You make me demand the autonomy that has been denied. I will rule alongside you. I will stand with you in the darkness, unafraid. You are my Lord in the shadows, and I will follow you into the darkest depths. For all eternity, I will love you. My deepest desire is to be Bonded to you for my whole life.’
— T.C. Kraven, Of Prophecies & Pomegranates
Persephone has always yearned for more than the inherited duty her parents demand of her. Yet, all her life, she’s played the role of the diligent daughter, withstanding her mother’s oppressive expectations and her father’s cold indifference without complaint. The tether of familial obligation is not an easy one to escape, as many of her fellow Olympians know.
No one has ever honored Persephone’s desire to define her own life. Not until Hades comes along. He gives Persephone the control she’s always been denied (both in life and in the bedroom) and encourages her to uncage her formidable power — even the darkest aspects of it. Through this relationship, Persephone’s sense of self-worth blossoms, empowering her to live on her own terms rather than those others have set for her.
A Lesson in Defying Destiny
Existence felt tedious, an endless loop of day in and day out as an immortal, but I was always surprised that some things felt just as sacred as the time I first happened upon them. Nature was like that for me. Here I could forget that my choices, my life, were not my own. I didn’t have to do what was always expected.
— T.C. Kraven, Of Prophecies & Pomegranates
In the realm of Olympus, deities are taught to respect and obey the whims of fate, the only force more powerful than themselves. However, when Persephone comes into her strength, she’s no longer content to stand idly by and let life happen to her. With her burgeoning resolve, she declares dominion over her future, refusing to submit to the designs of divinity and destiny. Resisting the path that’s been decided for her is a punishing task at times, but the eventual rewards of true love and freedom make every tribulation worthwhile.
Final Thoughts
Of Prophecies & Pomegranates by T.C. Kraven is a delectable debut that draws on Greek mythology to explore themes of duty, desire, and personal agency. Here, Kraven lays the foundation for a sultry series of titillating retellings, promising plenty more divine drama and debauchery to come. If you like your love stories with a heaping helping of spice, this book will hit the spot.
You’ll love Of Prophecies & Pomegranates if you enjoyed these books:
- A Promise of Fire by Amanda Bouchet
- A Shadow in the Ember by Jennifer L. Armentrout
- For Whom the Belle Tolls by Jaysea Lynn
- Neon Gods by Katee Robert
- Promises & Pomegranates by Sav R. Miller
Bookstr’s Of Prophecies & Pomegranates Dream Cast:
- Nicola Coughlan as Persephone, Goddess of Spring
- Ben Barnes as Hades, God of the Underworld
- Hannah Waddingham as Demeter, Goddess of the Harvest
- Tessa Thompson as Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt
- Dev Patel as Helios, Titan of the Sun
- Charles Melton as Narcissus, God of Self-Love
Spice level: 5/5
If you want to add Of Prophecies & Pomegranates to your TBR, you can preorder it on Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and Amazon. Thank you to Diversion Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
To read our review of Tim Chawaga’s pulse-pounding sci-fi mystery, Salvagia, click here!
To browse more books like this, check out Bookstr’s Olympian Passion: Sizzling Greek Romance Retellings shelf on Bookshop!
