Scarlett St. Clair provides a tantalizing contemporary take on the Greek Hades and Persephone myth in A Touch of Darkness. A perfect mix of fantasy, romance, and mythology this book is as delightful, steamy, and emotional as one could ask for.

A Touch of Darkness touches fans of mythological retellings and spicy romance novels with its vivid world-building, sizzling romance, and an exploration of self discovery and power struggles.

Summary of A Touch of Darkness

A Touch of Darkness follows Persephone, the Goddess of Spring, whose overprotective mother, Demeter, has kept her hidden away from the world of mortals where gods live alongside the people they serve. All of which makes 18-year-old Persephone want to break free and be her own person separated from her mother’s dastardly overbearing ways.

She relocates to New Athens for a job in journalism and comes face-to-face with the mysterious Hades, God of the Underworld. A turn of cards at his nightclub Nevernight ends by adding an extremely high stakes contract, a task that would force Persephone to create life in the Underworld where she’s never been able to do so.

With her desire for Hades only adding to the complexities of her new-found power, Persephone begins to learn some secrets that may completely alter everything she knows about who she is and what her life was meant to be.

The retelling gives new dimensions to Hades who is often portrayed as being cold and calculating. Although we get this very powerful and mysterious public persona, the more he becomes vulnerable, to Persephone, the more intimate we see him. The connection between the duo is going to be inescapable, and their bond will be a core part of the book’s depth.

Is A Touch of Darkness Spicy?

Yes! A Touch of Darkness is categorized as spicy romance, and there are plenty of explicit scenes to really help with the chemistry and tension between Hades and Persephone. Their physical attraction, the main crux of the romance, is thoroughly described and written about in a steamy manner.

This one has slow-burn romance with all the necessary steamy payoffs for anyone who likes that sort of thing. But the lovemaking is always treated as a form of emotional vulnerability, revealing the connection between the two leads as much as the physical passion.

Steamy scenes in A Touch of Darkness

If you want to know which chapters in A Touch of Darkness are the spiciest, this chapter by chapter breakdown is the absolute best.

Although the book spends a long time building the tension between Hades and Persephone, there are some fun and noteworthy moments once their romance heats up — mostly in the second half of the book.

These scenes are well-balanced with the overwhelming amount of emotions cruising through the air and the amount of bare flesh — perfectly satisfying if you like a bit of fantasy mixed with your romance. The relationship tension is quickly established allowing every intimate moment to feel earned rather than forced.

Characters

Persephone : Character of the protagonist on fight on seeking for her identity and power. And she started wanting to do things on her own, but her mom is right there being super overbearing over her (which is also something a lot of us can relate to being stuck at home with our parents during these times). It is a journey of becoming who she is, embracing what she wants and who she is able to be.

Hades : The enigmatic God of the Underworld. He is complex, misunderstood, but he does strive to seek out a higher justice. Despite his intimidating exterior, he is a benevolent ruler with a good soul which is what makes him such a well-rounded character.

Adonis : Persephone’s Journalist Assistant. He is one of the greatest antagonists in the story, although it was mainly for selfish, evil purposes.

Demeters : Over protective mother hell bent on keeping their grasp on her daughter. She is the representation of the oppressive forces that Persephone needs to escape in order to bloom

A Touch of Darkness on Wikipedia

A Touch of Darkness has no official Wiki page, although there are multiple wikis and fan pages on the series, with plenty of character analyses, plot breaks, and discussions of themes and lore. This book is HUGE — readers are practically arguing over the finer points of the plot and characters here!

Hades and Persephone in A Touch of Darkness

Perhaps the best part of the book is the dynamic between Hades and Persephone. This retelling gives Persephone agency and choice over where her path takes her, in contrast to traditional myths in which she is kidnapped.

Hades is not just a ruler of the dead, he is kind, fair, and completely respectful of how Persephone becomes her own woman. It’s a sweet romance based on chemistry and a longing to escape the confines of others’ expectations.

The tension between them and the chemistry is palpable and the longing is so beautifully captured between them that their love story seems to be so real yet relevant.

Hades and Persephone statue

Hades and Persephone are the mythological figures that many an artist has enjoyed attempting to capture the love story between them in exquisite works of art, such as through the medium of a statue etc.

A symbol of primal romance and the seduction of the unquenchable power of both life and death, who are the fans that are first drawn to these sculptures in A Touch of Darkness?

The light/dark contrast is a common element in the myth and this retelling, and gives their story an even more dramatic quality.

Fanart and Cosplay from Touch of Darkness

As A Touch of Darkness gained popularity, a lot of artists began recreating images of Hades and Persephone in dark, sensual positions.

Cosplayers have also been bringing the book to life, creating costumes that evoke the beauty set out in the book, rooted in Greek mythology. Artists can easily depict the sharp imagery of Hades in his dark clothing embraced by the ethereal beauty of the daughter of Demeter, which has become eye-candy for fans.

A Touch of Darkness Reviews

Readers and critics alike have given the book a mixed roll of reviews. While fans laud the romantic tension, the modernized take on mythology and character evolution, certain critics argue that the plot suffers from pacing issues and predictability.

In general, it has been very well received among fans of steamy fantasy romance novels. This makes the novel appealing as it updates an ancient myth while preserving the essence of the tale.

Content Warnings for A Touch of Darkness

A Touch of Darkness: This book contains the following triggers for sensitive readers:

• Toxic parental relationships
• Power imbalances
• Gambling and addiction themes
• Graphic sexual content Along with these aspects which add to the depth of the tale, they may be triggering for all readers.

Conclusion

A Touch of Darkness is a capturing tale that is a unique retelling of Hades and Persephone with a contemporary, spicy and emotional twist. It has gained a cult following due to its fleshed-out romance, a powerful female lead, and a steamy love story.

This book is a must-read whether you enjoy spicy romances, mythology retellings, or character-driven stories.

If you like fantasy romance with spice, power dynamics, and taboo things, this is a must read available on audible.