Thoughts and words by Nikki Sheryee
Who does not love a retelling of a mythical love within the Ancient Greek mythology? The Hades x Persephone Saga by the author Scarlett St. Clair combines the Greek mythology with the contemporary setting of New Greece, an epic love with spicy scenes, and an adventure with high stakes. This fantasy romance is on our wish list with Booktok’s stamp on it, and once you pick up A Touch of Darkness, you have to complete the whole seven-book series—three from Persephone’s POV, three from Hades’, and the epic conclusion with a dual POV.
Before we break down the recommended series order, take a look at our summary of the first book in the Hades x Persephone series. If you love Olympus’ drama, and Greek myths turned to best-seller retellings, then you must check out our book review of The Song of Achilles. For more spicy retellings in Olympian lore, go to the Blood of Hercules summary and the characters’ guide.
Hades x Persephone Saga Books in Order
Now, let’s get to the point of this post, but not before we warn you of upcoming spoilers!
In New Athens, gods walk among mortals, casually running empires, modeling for magazines, and causing divine chaos—usually before brunch. They’re immortal, rich, and so extra. At the center of it all is Hades, the dark, brooding God of the Dead, who doesn’t just rule the Underworld, but also owns one of the hottest nightclubs in town where mortals gamble with fate itself.
Persephone, the sheltered Goddess of Spring with powers that stubbornly refuse to bloom, just wants to be normal. A journalism student hiding her true identity, she's determined to expose corruption in a world obsessed with power. But one spontaneous night at Hades’ club leads to a contract she can’t escape… and a slow, scorching burn between her and the god she was raised to fear.
As Persephone’s relationship with Hades deepens—and gets very spicy—so does her power, and the danger surrounding her. Turns out being a goddess comes with baggage, like: Demeter, a toxic mother, who would rather see Persephone powerless than partnered with the God of the Underworld. Olympian egos (Apollo, Zeus, Hera) who treat love like a liability, and a city full of cameras, curses, and divine drama.
Over time, Persephone goes from unsure girl-next-door deity to full-fledged Queen of the Underworld, commanding respect, wielding life-and-death magic, and telling other gods to sit down when necessary.
By the final book, Persephone isn’t just with Hades. She’s his equal, his storm, his spring, his chaos. And she’s not afraid to burn the old world to the ground to build something better.
This series combines two different sagas based on the different perspectives; the Hades x Persephone saga, and the Hades’ saga. We all know the importance of parallel reading, as we get access to both protagonists' insights and interpretations of the same events.
Now if you prefer to finish Persephone’s saga and then move to Hades’, no one is gonna stop you, dear bookworm! Here is the reading order by publication dates, blending the POVs:
Let’s give a short—maybe quirky—synopsis of each, starting with Hades x Persephone Saga, aka Persephone’s POV.
Persephone, Goddess of Spring, is trying to live a chill mortal life as a journalist in New Athens. Then she meets tall-dark-and-brooding Hades, God of the Dead, and accidentally enters into a contract with him. Oops? Now she has to create life in the Underworld or lose her soul. Spoiler: plants aren’t her only problem. Cue angst, heat, and a lot of people playing god—literally.
Now with 300% more drama and divine pettiness. Persephone’s life is spiraling faster than Hermes on caffeine. Her relationship with Hades is now public, which means the gods and tabloids are out for blood—or at least juicy details. She’s got trauma, power she can’t control, and one big, looming question: can a goddess really have it all without losing herself?
Wedding bells? More like war drums. Things are heating up in the Underworld—and not just between Persephone and Hades. As a divine conflict brews, Persephone is forced to make impossible choices, deal with meddling Olympians, and maybe even walk down the aisle—but with monsters instead of flower girls. Romance, rebellion, and reckoning collide.
It’s giving apocalyptic romance with a side of existential dread. Persephone faces the fallout of everything—her choices, her power, her love. The lines between life and death blur as gods wage war and secrets are unearthed like cursed treasure. Will love survive the end of the world? Honestly, the vibes are very Greek Tragedy meets Taylor Swift’s Midnights.
And for the Hades Saga, the story told from Hades’ perspective:
.jpg)
Boys will be brooding gods of the Underworld. See A Touch of Darkness—but from the emotionally constipated perspective of Hades himself. Turns out, running a kingdom of souls and falling for a chaotic goddess is complicated. Hades navigates divine politics, underworld drama, and falling hard for Persephone. It's broody, brutal, and kinda beautiful.
The sequel, where Hades says, “it’s fine” while everything is literally on fire. Hades juggles punishment, power, and petulant Olympians, all while trying to keep Persephone safe from, well… everyone. There’s vengeance, vulnerability, and violence—plus some sweet, smoldering moments that prove even gods have soft sides.
Daddy issues, divine warfare, and deep feels—Hades edition. The world is falling apart, and Hades is trying to keep it together, emotionally and otherwise. His enemies are multiplying, and even his allies are sus. The final war between love and chaos is here, and let’s just say… he better hope Persephone still swipes right on his soul.
Whether you choose to proceed with your reading order, the alluring retelling of the Greek Myth will take you to a good place. No, seriously, please pick it up chronologically—no rest for the bookworms! Log in to your Amazon account, keep our blogpost open on your device, and download the series as recommended. You may also try the audiobook if you like live moans—we mean, good narrative.
Do not forget to subscribe to our weekly Tea & Cakes newsletter for more book recommendations and historical trivia. Join our crewfiction and find a wide range of titles, book reviews, and everything romance!
A Touch of Darkness is definitely spicy, up to four spicy peppers! There are no fade-to-black scenes, and the frequency picks up after Hades and Persephone give up pretending they are not obsessed with each other. It’s smoldering, dominant, and emotionally charged. Don’t believe us? Here is a list of the spicy chapters: ch. 7, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24. See the progress?
Aside from Hades x Persephone Saga, and Hades’ Saga, a total of seven books, Scarlett St. Clair has also published two books in the Andrian x Isolde saga; The King of Battle and Blood, and its sequel, Queen of Myth and Monsters. When Stars Come Out is an Anoria x Shy story, and Terror at the Gates is the author’s latest release in the Blood of Lilith saga. Lastly, there are two novellas under her name, Mountains Made of Glass and Apples Dipped in Blood, both fairy tale retellings.
If your obsessive-compulsive brain cells allow it, then you can go crazy with the reading order of Hades x Persephone series. Hey, we got free will, right? But then again, you really do not have much of a choice here, as the events have a sequence throughout. To have the most of this Greek Myth spicy retelling, you shall either choose to read Persephone’s saga first, then Hades’, or proceed with our recommended tandem read above.
Nikki Sheryee insists that she’s “up to no good” whenever she’s in the company of books. Armed with a degree in English Language and Literature, she wields the power of words like a mischievous wizard. Her lifelong dream? To be the editor who sprinkles magic dust on manuscripts! To Nikki, a book is more alive than a caffeinated squirrel on roller skates. Readers nurture it, cuddle it, scold it, and occasionally challenge it to a duel! But in the end, a book does its own thing, pulling at our heartstrings and revealing our inner human-ness. Nikki’s favorite pastime? Well, it’s none other than the noble art of daydreaming! And she wears her daydreamer’s badge with pride, sharing this delightful delusion with the crème de la crème of her friends.
