Book Review: Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman

Good afternoon everyone!

I have another book review for you.  I recently finished Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman.  

I really, really wanted to love this book.  I've been enjoying all the Persephone/Hades myth retellings I've been reading lately and this one looked very promising.  

While I enjoyed the read, I wanted it to be better. The characters were not very well developed. The relationship between Persephone and Hades needed more time given to it (especially when they were getting to know one another). We moved through the story way too fast.  Basically, everything felt very one dimensional. 

However, if you don't know the story of Persephone and Hades, I would recommend this as a great book with which to start.  Emily Whitman stays fairly true to and fleshed out the original story, though I wish she had gone a bit further.  You will have a better understanding of the original Greek myth if you read this, and I for one always revel in increasing my knowledge.  

For those that are looking for a lighter story without as much/any sex, drugs, foul language, gore, etc., than this is great for you.  There isn't really anything too dark, even considering it deals with the Greek god of death and the fallout from the famine that Demeter inflicts on the earth.  

In the end, I felt like I had read a lot of word but barely got anywhere.  The whole time I was thinking to myself, "Okay, here is where we are going to get into the meat of the story." But it never really happened.  As I said before, I did enjoy reading the book, but I was left wanting more.  More character, more story, and more life.  

  

Have you read this book? What did you think?

Happy Reading,

Cordelia M. Blythe

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