For thousands of years, the Thanatos cult has been in constant battle with the immortals. Recently reincarnated, Persephone & Hades must find a way to finally put an end to this cycle once and for all.
Title: The Chrysomelia Stories
Author: Molly Ringle
Genres: Fantasy > Paranormal > Mythology
Read Format: Kindle Edition
Total Pages: 1,236
Reading Date: 07th May 2025 – 30th May 2025
The reading order – How to Read the Chrysomelia Stories by Molly Ringle
- 1 Persephone’s Orchard
- 2 Underworld’s Daughter
- 3 Immortal’s Spring
Persephone’s Orchard
The Greek gods never actually existed. Did they? Sophie Darrow finds she was wrong about that assumption when she’s pulled into the spirit realm, complete with an Underworld, on her first day at college. Adrian, the mysterious young man who brought her there, simply wants her to taste a pomegranate.
Soon, though she returns to her regular life, her mind begins exploding with dreams and memories of ancient times, of a love between two Greeks named Persephone and Hades. But lethal danger has always surrounded the immortals, and now that she’s tainted with the Underworld’s magic, that danger is drawing closer to Sophie.
My thoughts…
I could not help but love this peculiar turn of events with Hades and Persephone in Greek mythology. In this case, Adrian AKA Hades isn’t the grumpy adult man/god of the underworld, but a young boy who lives on earth before Rhea brought him to the spirit realm, and Adrian remembers his past lives.
Meanwhile, Sophie, the so-called Persephone, is about to start her first year of university when she meets Adrian. She’s sensible and relatable, someone who wouldn’t believe anything until she sees the proof.
I particularly enjoyed Sophie’s journey as she visits the underworld and gradually regains memories of her many lives with Adrian. The flashbacks of their past lives add emotional depth, showing how their love has endured across different eras.
Besides, the origin stories of immortal beings provide an interesting insight, making the world feel rich and layered. While the cult, intent on eliminating the old gods, provides an interesting element of conflict, particularly as Sophie regains her memories and is ready to consume the Blue Orange for immortality.
The writing is interesting, and there is pacing, which engages the reader with emotional flashbacks and confrontations filled with suspense. The side characters Rhea, Hermes, Aphrodite, and Demeter make it rich, and the danger from the evil cult keeps tension burning.
I can’t wait to see what will happen in the story. Will Sophie tell her dad that he is Demeter’s reincarnation? What will Adrian and Sophie do to protect their loved ones? And what part will Melissa have after her betrayal? This book is a perfect combination of mythology, romance, and suspense, which makes it a must-read for fans of mythological retellings.
A big fat five stars for this first book of the Chrysomelia Stories!
Underworld’s Daughter
New immortals are being created for the first time in thousands of years thanks to the tree of immortality discovered by Persephone and Hades. But Sophie Darrow is not one of them. Nikolaos, the trickster, has given the last ripe immortality fruit to two others, the reincarnations of the gods Dionysos and Tabitha and Zoe, currently Sophie’s and Adrian’s best friends.
While the disappointed Sophie struggles to remember Hekate and Dionysos from ancient Greece, she must still face her daily life as a mortal university freshman. Tabitha and Zoe have their own struggles as they come to terms with being newly immortal and their own haunting dreams of past lives and loves.
The evil committed by Thanatos invades all of them in heartbreaking memories, and worse still, Sophie and her friends know their enemies are determined to kill again. And even the gods can’t save everyone.
My thoughts…
The second book in the Chrysomelia Stories is just as captivating as the first! My favourite part is reading the past lives stories when they were first introduced as gods and goddesses.
Besides visiting Persephone’s past lives, this book also delves into stories of Adonis, Dionysus, and Hecate, adding another colourful layer of entertainment to the narrative.
However, don’t get me wrong, I also enjoy the present-day story! The Thanatos organisation are still causing headaches for Adrian and Sophie! Plus, I also get to read about Sophie’s best friend, Tabitha, who is emerging as a modern internet star.
That said, the transition between the past life stories and the present day feels seamless, with a delightful twist on the myths we know, blended beautifully with Molly Ringle’s unique creation. I couldn’t ask for a better story when it comes to mythology retellings. I absolutely adore the clever twists and originality!
I’m now looking forward to seeing what happens next, especially how they plan to thwart Thanatos’s operations in the present day and also how it happened in the past. How did Karberos, Hermes, Dionysus, and the other surviving gods and goddesses meet their ends in their previous lives? Additionally, I hope Quentin, who is serving her sentence in the underworld, will finally admit her wrongdoing!
Immortal’s Spring
Sophie Darrow said yes once to a young man offering a realm of Greek gods and immortality. Now her home has been shattered, and her friends and family pulled along with her as they run from an evil cult and take shelter in the gloomy Underworld. To love, trust, and smile again seems almost out of Sophie’s reach.
But remembering the life of the original Persephone and her fellow immortals long ago may prove the best therapy, as well as their key to victory. In ancient times, too, the murderous cult Thanatos attacked and eventually wiped out the Greek immortals who sought to bring good to humankind. But those immortals planted seeds in both their realm and ours to ensure that their season would bloom again someday. And spring is finally coming.
My thoughts…
What a lovely story! I absolutely love the way the story seamlessly weaves between the past and the present, it was smooth as well. So, a job very well done, Molly Ringle. Another thing I love is that not only do the main characters shine in the story, but every character in this retelling of the Persephone and Hades myth stands out!
The Chrysomelia series is one of the best I’ve read in a long time, offering a fresh and compelling take on Greek mythology. It has the best ending, five-star characters and fantastic storylines! It’s a must-read for those who love Greek mythology!
I need more series from this brilliant author!
