Reviewed By Amy Herman-Pall For Cariad Books

I received this book in return for my honest opinion and a review.

Pomegranate is a retelling of the myth of Persephone in the modern day. The myth of Persephone is that Demeter’s daughter was abducted by Hades and taken to the Underworld.

Her mother petitioned the Gods for the return of her daughter, but before this can happen, Persephone is tricked into eating the seeds of a pomegranate while in the Underworld and is forced to stay there. Demeter’s grief and mourning is so great that she stops growing crops and other vegetation. A compromise is reached where Persephone lives in the Underworld for six months and then above ground with her mother the other six months.

I found this retelling extremely unique. This is actually my first book by Erzabet Bishop.

There were things I definitely loved and things I wasn’t too fond of. The set-up of this book seemed long to me. By the time Persephone was ready to go undercover, I’d read about 40% of the book.

I’m not saying the set-up was unnecessary, and I definitely feel the information covered was integral to understanding the story. But if that much of the book is investing in back story, or set-up, then I want a pay-off later in the book. Which leads me to the next part I had a problem with. This book ends in a cliffhanger. Or at least in an abrupt manner that has no resolution in it. This is actually ok when you’re writing a series and you’re setting up the next book. Which, since this is Book 1 of the Myth and Magic series, is obviously the case. But I don’t like having a cliffhanger come as a surprise. There was no indication in any description I’ve read that there was this type of ending in store for me.

Perhaps this is normal for Erzabet Bishop’s books, and if I were more conversant with her style of writing I would have expected it. For me, it was a shock, and not a pleasant one.

The other thing I want to mention is that, for me, Persephone was a bit bland. I didn’t connect with her much at all, and in fact, I found myself connecting more with Hayden in the second half of the book. Part of the problem is that Persephone doesn’t have enough time after finding out the facts of her new reality to show who she really is. I think a bit more story at the end of this would be a perfect way to showcase the new Persephone. I’m sure at the very least that book 2 would, but I want to connect with her more in book 1.

One of the things I liked most in this book is the second sex scene. Both sex scenes were extremely hot, but that second scene shot the temperature through the roof. If these scenes are indicative of the calibre of writing I can expect, it’s definitely a reason to keep reading books by Bishop. Overall, an extremely enjoyable read.

4 Out Of 5 Stars From Cariad Books

Reviewed By Amy Herman-Pall