This was what I come to expect from a Hades x Persephone novel: steamy and dramatic. I thought it was a bit much that she decided to tell the stories from Hades’ perspective with there being 3 books already. I was glad to see that this second Hades novel caught us up to Persephone’s POV. I did like the filling in of the narrative from Hades.

A Game of Retribution was a compelling, deliciously sexy novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. I'm a sucker for Hades/Persephone retellings, and St. Clair takes the cake on the best author to do the job. Hades' POV was entertaining and had a lot more depth than I was expecting, though his development in book 1 should've been an indicator for my expectations. I am thoroughly excited for the third installment in this series and eagerly await the listing on NetGalley.

I really enjoyed reading Hades take on the events. Hermes may be my favorite of all time, while not a main character I loved catches glimpses of him throughout. The writing style is easy to follow but I found parts of it a bit slow moving for my taste. The heat between Hades and Persephone is spot on and keeps you reading though! A solid 3.5 for me.

Thank you netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I really, really enjoyed this book! It was captivating and it hooked me from the very first chapter! I was glued to my seat!

I received this book as an ARC and will do an honest review. I read this book as part of a buddy read for the A Court of Fandoms and Exploration (ACOFAE) podcast with my co-host Jessica Marie. Check trigger/content warnings. There are a bunch.
I gave this book 3 stars. Persephone is who she is and that is fine, but Hades POV in A Game of Retribution really gives us so much plot and backstory that when the old and new scenes meshed together I too forgot all about what was happening with Persephone. There is so much else going on. Hades and Persephone are far from the perfect couple. They are toxic at points and he is clearly alcoholic, it's written on the page. The man never seems to drink anything but Whiskey. The things that Hades is doing behind the scenes in AToR and are front and center in his POV and they are interesting. Here are the politics. Here is the intrigue, tangled webs, and tons of history all waiting to erupt. Here is the war and here is the reason. I wish more than anything that both Hades and Persephone would just talk to each other all the time about everything. I scream it as I read. I understand the trope and the tension it creates, though that doesn't make it any more tolerable. I have already continued with the series and will continue to do so. I am reading for Hecate, Hermes, Aphrodite, and the other side characters that really carry this series. They are delightful in every way. Hecate in particular is wonderful and a lovely contrast to Demeter when dealing with Persephone. Spice is very nice as well.

I am blown away by this series and this addition is nothing less than perfection! This one is told in Hades POV which, let me tell you, I'm here for it. The story just flowed beautifully and I couldn't stop flipping page after page. Hades is a true King and will do anything to marry his queen, Persephone, but he must finish trials set out by Hera. I love the world building throughout and it fully immersed readers in this experience. I also truly appreciated the side characters, especially Hermes. If you haven't started this series, it's a must! This is a story only Scarlett could pull off and oh she did it so wonderfully!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC.

Thank you Netgalley , Sourcebooks Bloom Books and RB Media for allowing me the listen and read my most anticipated read of 2022.

I binged this book via ebook and audiobook over the weekend and I loved it. Scarlett St. Clair did it again. The fact that she wrote this book in such a short amount of time has me shook because the talent she possesses is unmatched.

We are back on New Athens with the companion novel to A Touch of Ruin. Instead of following Persephone, we are with Hades who is doing a lot of shit. This man is busy. If you think that this is just Hades POV for ATOR, you are completely wrong. Hades is a busy man! We learnt that in AGOF and that is even more evident in AGOR.

In AGOR we see Hades fighting hard for Persephone. Fighting to be keep her. Fighting to build their future. Fighting to prevent war. Hades has his hands in many pots to the point that it I am amazed that he doesn't just fall apart. How he reacts truly shows how wise and old ( as in he's seen a lot in his life) he is. Hades is a strong man and God but because of his new relationship with Persephone, he still has a lot to learn. Hades has been alone for a long time. He has had lovers here and there but he has never had a lover like Persephone. Someone he is devoted to. Someone who he would risk it all for.

Adjusting to a life that involves someone else in a new way is not as easy as he thinks. He has to include Persephone in his life fully, In every decision he makes. He also has to learn communication. In AGOR we see that it is not just Persephone that needs to learn how to communicate. Persephone doesn't know how to properly communicate because of how she grew up. Her mother prevented her from speaking up and expressing herself. With Hades, his vast knowledge and life prevents him from communicating because he has spent so long doing things a certain way and never truly having to explain his actions. Enter Persephone and now he is realizing that he can't continue his life the way he always has. He also can't separate his life as King of the Underworld and Persephone's lover. Those two worlds are now intertwined and it is a huge adjustment for him.

Like ATOR, this is a book about growth. We watched Persephone grow so much in her book and we see the same for Hades. By the end, we truly see a new man.

One thing I loved was the introduction to new characters, Ariadne, Dionysus, Hera, Heracles and of course (even though she is only mentioned) my one and only Miss Medusa. I cannot wait to find out the role she plays in this universe.

I loved this book and I adore these characters. With AGOR/ Hades POV we are seeing this story become whole. 2 books left. A Game of Gods and A Touch of Chaos. I don't want their story to end but I am super excited to see the expansion of this universe that St. Clair is creating.

One last thing I will say.....I didn't know how much I needed a Hades masturbation scene until I got one. 10/10. Thank you!

This ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review. As someone who has been following this series for awhile, I was interested to see how AGOR would turn out. I have read both A Touch of Darkness and A Touch of Ruin twice, while also reading A Game of Fate. I even reread A Touch of Ruin immediately before reading the A Game of Retribution to have everything fresh.

What's really nice about A Game of Retribution is that we get plot. I love that for us, the reader. We get so much more substantial plot than what we got in A Touch of Ruin (in my opinion). To know what was happening behind-the-scenes. Scarlett even notes in her Author's Note of this book that she always felt that Hades was up to something, and what he was up to was so significant.

The miscommunication trope is so heavy in this book. This is with both characters. There is such growth that both the FMC and MMC have to do, both as individuals and as a couple. If you do not have the patience to see this growth, that will definitely be a driving factor to not want to continue to read. Every time there was an argument, I found myself saying "I would totally do that too (or have done that)...but at the same time, do we see where this person is coming from?"

Hecate is another reason I was able to enjoy this book. She calls both Hades and Persephone out on where their room for growth is, while understanding where each is coming from. She is so wise.

There were a lot of times that this felt repetitive. I'm not sure if that's because I started this immediately after A Touch of Ruin. I understand that this is ATOR in Hades POV, but I think I was expecting to have more insight aside from what we got. We knew the thoughts and his feelings conveyed already it seemed because it was the same information given from ATOR.. That being said, no complaints about the spice!

I read this ARC with podcast co-host, Laura, where we recorded our discussion surrounding this book (in conjunction with A Touch of Ruin) and will follow up on the review and share the link when available.

This is the first book from Hades perspective that I've read, and after reading this I think I'll go back and read A Game Of Fate. A lot of this book felt like just a recap of what happened from Persephone's perspective, but it's also interesting to get Hades', see what he's thinking and feeling. There's also a lot happening that we didn't see from her view. It was interesting seeing what he was dealing with behind the scenes, how much responsibilities he has and everything he does to keep her safe.

Oh, so this is a NOVEL. I went into this knowing nothing, not even that it was part of a series, so that's on me. I really just thought I was getting some Hades erotica. That being said, the quality of writing here was unexpectedly good, and now I intend to go back and read the other books in the series. She's talented! There's a lot of action in this as well. I'd suggest this for fans of Katee Robert, as her Olympus series has a busy political presence. However, the miscommunication was frustrating.

There's always something deliciously entertaining about reading from Hade's POV. In ATOM, we take the journey from Persephone's POV but there is so much more going on behind the scenes with Hades.

I love the way Hades moves in the shadows and that he's going through his own hardships throughout A Touch of Retribution. Persephone is such a strong character, but it's so easy to see that Hades helps her become that way. I love being able to experience both POV, and thank you to Scarlett for letting her readers see both sides of the story. There is so much going on behind the scenes of A Touch of Malice, which makes the story so enjoyable.

Did I mention the spice from Hades' POV is just.... It hits different.

I highly recommend for all fans of Scarlett NEVER skip the Hades side of the story. It's so beautiful and helps understand each character's decisions and thought process

I haven't read the original books and started with these and I can tell you that I am in love and will be rectifying my mistake now!
Scarlett St. Clair is a master at her craft!

Thank you netgalley for a chance to read this! I always love hades POV! I understood Persephone more this book but she was still a little annoying.

Scarlett St. Clair's newest installation of the Hades Saga is a thoughtful, compelling look into Hades point of view of her Hades and Persephone series. From Persephone's series, we see the world through her eyes and experience it anew with her. We learn with her. In the Hades Saga, we're entrenched in the world with Hades as he goes about his duties and responsibilities. I really enjoy his POV because we see so many Easter eggs of common myths and characters from the Persephone series, but we actually get to meet them or learn more about them in Hades' version.

I loved meeting some new faces in this one and seeing even more of New Athens and Olympia. And! Every installation gives us more Aphrodite/Hephaestus storyline and I am living for it! This series allows for such an expansion of the original story and world, I can't wait to read more!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloom Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love this authors modern take on the myths surrounding Hades and Persephone. This book is from Hades point of view as he struggles to convince the woman he adores that she holds his heart for eternity. Her mother Demeter is completely against their relationship but she's not the only meddling female because Hades quickly falls foul of Hera leaving him in a right pickle ! Sadly there is more in play here than Hades realises as actions have repercussions and quite clearly the Olympians have a rude awakening coming their way.
I did enjoy getting Hades thoughts as events transpired but honestly I frequently wanted to shake him. He is so focused on protecting Persephone that he is downright sneaky and never confides in her. Yes I get it as he's lived for millennia, in charge of the underworld and has had to stand alone but tragically this leaves him completely blinkered. Persephone has to contend with the aftermath of their relationship becoming public whilst Hades pretty much does his own thing and trust me he blunders along making decisions that left this reader shaking her head. When together they are either totally incendiary or its completely opposite and things go nuclear. I actually have sympathy for both characters because what they feel is new, raw and all consuming. Plus there's so much happening around them with political machinations both obvious and often not so self evident. This ends leaving the strong possibility of even more problems ahead for the couple and perhaps even war on the horizon !
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

Hades, my love! I really enjoyed getting to see what he was doing and going through during A Touch of Ruin! Trust me, you won't know what will happen until Scarlett shows you in his story. To see Hades fight so hard for his love with Persephone, and learn from his mistakes and grow? I loved it! Make sure you read A Game of Fate and A Touch of Ruin before checking out this amazing book! Preorder is available everywhere books are sold. Thank you to Scarlett for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Although I had to relive one of the most painful loses of the series *no spoilers* - I absolutely adored this book. Another great 5 star read from my Queen, Scarlett St. Clair. I would read her grocery lists!

I had too hard of a time getting into this. I like the others in the series but I personally just think it has been to long since I have read fantasy that its harder for me to fully enjoy. I do thing fantasy romance readers will still love

This book is such a good time. The Hades Saga books are so well-written and really give us insight into Hades as a character. Why he thinks the things he thinks, why he does the things he does, why he makes the decisions he makes. Even if Persephone doesn't understand those decisions and thinks he's being unfair. He's such a good main character in these books and I love following his story. The background plots in this book worked really well together- giving us lots of behind-the-scenes details into the Touch of Darkness storylines. I love the mythological politics, I love the interactions with the other gods and goddesses. These books are such a win for me.

I’m a huge fan of the author and her other books. I loved getting Hades perspective on this book. The way the author has written the story really wraps the series together. I can’t wait to read the next one!