Captive in the Underworld: A Dark Lesbian Romance Novel

· Shattered Scepter Press
3.9
13 reviews
Ebook
318
Pages
Eligible
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About this ebook

A dark lesbian romance retelling of the Hades/Persephone abduction story, set in mythological ancient Greece.


In the land of the dead, Queen Hades’ word is law. Hades gets what she wants—always—and what she wants is a certain goddess of the springtime.


Innocent Persephone chafes beneath her mother’s hawkish gaze and mercurial temper. Demeter has rebuffed all her daughter’s suitors, but she is not yet satisfied; she strives to crush Persephone’s spirit.


Still, when Hades pulls her into the dark realm of the underworld, Persephone longs for the world above, even if it means an eternity under her mother’s thumb.


With her tears and pleas for freedom ignored by pitiless Hades, Persephone must learn to satisfy her keeper in all ways, lest she suffer the consequences.


And though she cannot deny that something blooms within her, something forbidden, Persephone despairs of ever feeling the sun upon her skin once more.


No matter the cost, Hades intends to keep her.


Forever.


* * *


Captive in the Underworld is a standalone dark lesbian romance novel set in mythological ancient Greece. It is rooted in the misogyny and cruelties of the Hades/Persephone myth and contains sensitive material. Due to mature content and dark themes, this book is intended for adult readers only. It contains scenes depicting non-consensual sex, death, abuse, kidnapping, assault, and other intimate partner violence. It is not recommended for readers sensitive to such content.


PRAISE FOR CAPTIVE IN THE UNDERWORLD

“A dark sapphic romance based on the myth of Persephone and Hades... entertaining, captivating, and exceptionally enjoyable... I read it twice in a row without stopping… if you like my work, I bet you’ll like this a whole lot!” ―Rae D. Magdon, author of Lucky 7


“I adored this brutally ruthless Hades... She was everything I wanted her to be... frightening and passionate all at once... a beautiful example of classic dark romance... Gorgeous novel, highly recommend.” ―Roses and Thorns Book Reviews


“[The] best Hades/Persephone story I've ever read… such a gripping read I literally devoured it whole in one sitting like I was Kronos eating his kids… the world and the characters are so lush and compelling I'm tempted not to finish this review and just start rereading the book instead.”―Katarina, Goodreads reviewer

Ratings and reviews

3.9
13 reviews
Casimir Dracula
May 31, 2024
Okay, firstly, the theme and warnings about the story are literally in the title. Secondly, there were plenty of cautionaries beforehand! Finally, I think everyone is overlooking the fact that this book is a masterpiece! I get it, there's SA and abuse, but this book in totality is an elegant play in narrative and writing. It didn’t butcher the story with modern terms, or detract the tension and evolution of the characters even with the SA and dark aspects involved. It was a powerful story filled with real elements that compelled you into it, and yes, Hades did a really bad thing, and Persephone was a victim that became misguided in her feelings but it's a fictional retelling people! Overall the story was amazingly crafted and while I do wish we could have seen just how much Hades changed or how much their roles evolved at Persephone's final acceptance, ultimately it was still a fantastic book that doesn't deserve all this harsh cristism. (This is my unsponsored and unrequested reveiw)
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Apple Song
May 12, 2023
as a person who experienced sa, beware of the book. I don't recommend. the scenes are worse then the reviews say. I've had PTSD issues all day due to this book
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Lisa Herrmann
October 1, 2023
Couldn't get into it, felt bored, the characters un relatable and flat, just not my cup of tea I guess
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About the author

*** For content warnings, look inside each book or visit lianyutan.com ***

Lianyu Tan is a Lambda Literary and Golden Crown Literary Award-winning author of sapphic speculative fiction. She is the author of The Wicked and the Willing, a lesbian gothic horror vampire novel set in 1920s Singapore, and Captive in the Underworld, a lesbian dark romance retelling of the Hades/Persephone myth. Her short stories have been published by Cleis Press.

Lianyu lives with her wife in Australia. Find links to her work at lianyutan.com and on social media at @LianyuTan. Subscribe to her newsletter for bonus content and short stories: https://lianyutan.com/subscribe

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