A Touch of Ruin

“She knew her emotions were tied to her powers. Flowers sprouted when she was angry, and vines curled around Hades in moments of passion without warning.”

Persephone, the Goddess of Spring, must learn to control her emotions and, therefore, her magic. Her journey is a theme of the book and part of her character arc. The imagery of growing things, which can be both lovely and dangerous, is associated with her magic.

“She despised the fact that she knew they would listen to Hades because of his status as an ancient Olympian and not to her—someone they presumed was a mortal woman.”

One of the novel’s themes is Persephone’s quest for independence and self-reliance; she wants to make decisions on her own and face the consequences of her actions. The novel also uses relationships between Olympians and mortals as allegories for modern situations—here, they represent the reality that a woman has far less social capital and clout than a famous, rich, important man.

“It was important for her to be known for her writing […] She’d spent her whole life being horrible at the one thing she was born to be, and despite that not being her fault, she’d worked really hard in college. She wanted someone to see that hard work, and not just because she wrote about and dated Hades.”

Persephone’s age and life situation allow St. Clair to integrate several themes familiar to the young adult genre concerning identity, relationships, and independence. Persephone is a young woman finding her place in the world and establishing herself in a career while also trying to overcome the limitations of her past. That she doesn’t want to be defined by her relationship is initially a character struggle for her but is also an irony because, in the original myth, Persephone is defined by nothing other than her relationship to Hades.

“It did not occur to me to tell you. I have existed so long alone, made every decision alone. I am not used to sharing anything with anyone.”

Like Persephone, Hades must learn how to be in a relationship while preserving his independence. That Persephone still has much to learn about her lover is a major source of conflict and tension throughout the novel.

“From the moment she’d laid eyes on him, he’d ignited something inside her. It felt like fire, but it was his darkness calling to hers.”

While part of the charge of the Hades/Persephone pairing in ancient myth is the marriage of contrasts, the god of the underworld and the goddess of spring, St. Clair adds a twist in giving Persephone her own dark side, which is awakened—like her divine power—when she enters into a passionate relationship with Hades.

“You are my weakness, losing you is my greatest fear, and your love is my most treasured possession.”

Hades’ speech to Persephone touches on the fantasy of all-consuming love, verging on obsessive love, a popular trope in the romance genre, especially for dark romance or romances in which there is a great age or power gap. The irony that the ancient and immortal Hades is brought to his knees by a delicate young goddess is part of the appeal of the age-gap romance in contemporary interpretations.

“Apollo was the literal God of Light. He was a God of Music and Poetry. He represented all the things in life mortals wanted. Including the darkness they never wanted to acknowledge.”

One of the book's themes is the dark side of celebrity power. The irony Persephone battles is that followers of Apollo, the God of Light and Music, don’t want to think less of him. Because he has the power of his celebrity, his followers forgive him for abusing his domestic partner, which is a thinly veiled metaphor for famous men abusing their partners in the real world. This passage also hints that even gods have a dark side, which several characters will bear out in action.

“She had witnessed Hades lift his magic from the Underworld, revealing desolate and deserted land. The sight had shocked her but left her in awe of his skills. How was he able to wield his magic like thread, weaving ash and smoke and fire into sweet scents, vibrant colors, and gorgeous landscape?”

One way that St. Clair reworks the character of Hades is to give him creative power, as expressed in the gardens he has created in the Underworld. Though it is in part an illusion, his ability to coax growing things mirrors Persephone’s talent, creating an affinity between them and making them foils for one another as well as lovers.

“The Fates may have given you what you wanted—a taste of freedom, a taste of forbidden love—but do not mistake their offer with kindness. The Fates punish, even gods.”

Demeter taunts Persephone that the Fates are cruel, adding tension and suspense as it foreshadows events to follow. Persephone’s quest to explore the world for herself is a classic element of the coming-of-age or new adult novel. St. Clair also twists the original myth by making Demeter a cruel, controlling mother.

“Except that Persephone knew death personally. It did not discriminate, and anyone could be prey. It all depended on a thread and sometimes a gamble.”

The thread in this passage alludes to the metaphor for human life appearing in ancient Greek mythology, in which a person’s destiny is woven by the Fates and their mortality is a thread that can be cut at a time of the Fates’ choosing. The gambling alludes to events in the previous book in the series, when Persephone learns that mortals frequently try to make deals with Hades to bargain for their lives or those of loved ones. The lack of discrimination refers to a random, amoral explanation for life and death that stands outside other religious or spiritual philosophies that seek purpose in human existence.

“Everyone wanted to her be someone she wasn’t.”

Persephone’s character arc in the book is trying to maintain a sense of self and establish her identity as an independent young woman while dealing with the demands of her boss, her mother, her friends, and even Hades, not to mention the new attention brought by her celebrity. Much of her character conflict comes from the belief that living as a goddess isn’t (yet) what she wants for herself.

“Persephone looked at her reflection again. She almost didn’t recognize the person staring back. She was different—changed. It’s darkness, she thought. But it wasn’t Hades who had coaxed it to the surface. It was Lexa’s pain that had unleashed it.”

The novel probes Persephone’s dark side as she comes to terms with her power, her identity, and her relationship; being the God of the Dead’s lover plausibly brings out a dark side. However, Persephone’s wish to trespass divine law comes from her pain over Lexa’s hurt and her fear that she will lose her best friend, her tether to the Upperworld, and the life she thought she wanted for herself.

“He was impossibly handsome, unimaginably powerful, and he belonged to her.”

The fantasy of being desired by a powerful, ruthless, and very attractive man is part of the appeal of the billionaire, mafia, or dark romance genres, and as the king of the Underworld, Hades exemplifies this heroic stereotype. That he will sacrifice anything for her is also part of the appeal.

“You think any god is innocent? […] Daughter, even you cannot escape our corruption. It is what comes with power.”

Demeter’s taunt highlights Persephone’s concern about her growing dark side—the impulses that run counter to her usually generous, compassionate, and righteous nature. The accusation raises suspense over whether Persephone might become corrupted or as selfish and amoral as the other gods.

“No wonder mortals begged Hades to return their loved ones. The threat of death took more than one life.”

Part of Persephone’s pain at seeing Lexa in the hospital is due to the care and concern of Lexa’s boyfriend and parents, who also love her; the compounded loss is a universal conflict. Another part of Persephone’s concern with Lexa’s illness, however, is how losing Lexa will change her own life and the doubts she is feeling about her relationship with the ruler of the Underworld.

“Create the life you want, Persephone, and stop listening to everyone else.”

Hecate is an older woman in control of her magic and power who is teaching Persephone to do the same. Speaking to the theme of self-creation and identity, strong themes in the coming-of-age and new adult novel, Hecate suggests that Persephone does not need to follow the advice of others or choose one extreme over another but can follow her own desires in crafting the life she wants. This statement is ironic because Persephone’s fate, as established earlier, has already been woven, which raises the question of just how much agency Persephone really has.

“Her magic fled from her body. It was an unusual feeling, like it was coming out of all her pores and her mouth and her eyes. It burned as if it were tearing skin and blinded as if it were pure light.”

The sensory imagery of Persephone’s magic emerging from her body indicates that she is not yet in control of her emotions, a sign of her stage of maturity. The imagery also reinforces that her magic is an essential part of her and that her powers will not continue to be denied.

“Hades doesn’t feel worthy without trust. He needs you to believe in him, to find strength in him.”

One of the novel’s major plotlines is the romantic relationship between Hades and Persephone. Apollo gives Persephone insight into Hades’ character when he explains that Hades needs her trust to feel worthy. Part of Persephone’s internal conflict about the relationship results from her realizing that she doesn’t know Hades that well—a relatable difficulty even for mortals.

“Even if the Fates unraveled our destiny, I would find a way back to you.”

Hades’ assurance that his love is endless, unstoppable, and insurmountable fits with the romance narrative that calls for all-consuming, passionate love and devotion. The erotic charge is heightened by the contrast in their age and experience, but he is completely captured by a younger, still innocent, and much less mature partner.

“She would destroy him. She would destroy her. She would destroy this world.”

Persephone’s rage and wish to destroy when she believes she sees Hades making love to Leuce echoes his earlier vow that he would burn the world for her. Her impulse also bears out her mother’s warning that Persephone’s name means “destroyer.” The irony, of course, is that Persephone is supposed to be a creative goddess—the Goddess of Spring—but she is maturing into a goddess with the power both to create and destroy, a reflection of the two realms in which she lives.

“She felt empowered in a way she had never felt before […] Maybe it had something to do with what Hades had said the night of the solstice celebration—that he loved her for who she was, and it was those qualities he wanted in his queen.”

In line with Hecate’s coaching to figure out what she wants, Persephone is evolving along her character arc of self-realization when she understands that she does not have to live up to certain expectations as Hades’ queen; she only has to be herself. The solstice, a turning point in the seasonal year, marks this turning point in her individual journey as well.

“You spend all your time in the Underworld and yet know nothing about death.”

Despite the other ways in which Persephone is growing and learning, Lexa points out a flaw that remains an obstacle on Persephone’s path to becoming Queen of the Underworld: She still fears and doesn’t understand death as a natural and inevitable part of mortal life. This flaw speaks to the novel’s discussion of choice; Persephone doesn’t understand or accept Lexa’s choice to relinquish her life, just as Demeter doesn’t accept her daughter’s choice to be with Hades.

“Persephone was still struggling with her feelings. They were so powerful, so heightened. She was so deeply in love, it hurt. It was a new level of love—one she had entered as his fiancée, as his soon-to-be wife and queen.”

The romance plot takes on a new weight when Persephone agrees to marry Hades; she is stepping into her destined role as his consort and Queen of the Underworld. This change is marked by a maturation in her love for him. Persephone’s struggle with her feelings has been a plot device throughout the novel, but by the end, she has grown in maturity and can face and appropriately respond to her feelings.