Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Publisher Unknown
Description
Persephone, young goddess of spring, is new to Olympus. Her mother, Demeter, has raised her in the mortal realm, but after Persephone promises to train as a sacred virgin, she's allowed to live in the fast-moving, glamorous world of the gods. When her roommate, Artemis, takes her to a party, her entire life changes: she ends up meeting Hades and feels an immediate spark with the charming yet misunderstood ruler of the Underworld. Now Persephone must navigate the confusing politics and relationships that rule Olympus, while also figuring out her own place--and her own power.
User reviews
LibraryThing member mattries37315
The Greek gods all to human in character but with fabulous cosmic power that is used to reward or punish human beings, now let’s retell their mythological stories in a 21st Century type setting. Lore Olympus: Volume One by Rachel Smythe follows the young goddess of spring Persephone who is newly
The central arc of this webcomic turned graphic novel is the story of Persephone and Hades, yet in this first volume that covers the first 25 chapters of Smythe’s work the two protagonists briefly met before going their own ways, so we learn about them. Beyond the central myth that begins, Smythe interweaves several other myths into the narrative from Eros and Psyche, the shadiness of Apollo, and other myths. Set in the 21st century in the mortal and various divine realms means that Smythe doesn’t shy away from the toxic relationships of various sorts, malicious drugging, and rape in just this first volume of her work.
Lore Olympus: Volume One by Rachel Smythe begins the story of Persephone and Hades in a 21st Century setting while keeping an anchor in it’s mythological roots.
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arrived on Olympus and is figuring out how to fit in.The central arc of this webcomic turned graphic novel is the story of Persephone and Hades, yet in this first volume that covers the first 25 chapters of Smythe’s work the two protagonists briefly met before going their own ways, so we learn about them. Beyond the central myth that begins, Smythe interweaves several other myths into the narrative from Eros and Psyche, the shadiness of Apollo, and other myths. Set in the 21st century in the mortal and various divine realms means that Smythe doesn’t shy away from the toxic relationships of various sorts, malicious drugging, and rape in just this first volume of her work.
Lore Olympus: Volume One by Rachel Smythe begins the story of Persephone and Hades in a 21st Century setting while keeping an anchor in it’s mythological roots.
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LibraryThing member Bodagirl
I've loved this series since I first found it on Webtoon. The art work is amazing, and the characters are complex and endearing. I'm so happy that I get to own a physical copy!
LibraryThing member ecataldi
I didn't know what to expect with this graphic novel but I was very pleasantly surprised! Greek mythology has always been full of scandal, heartache, pettiness, and raging parties. Imagine if it those shenanigans took place in modern times, and gods and demigods had access to phones and social
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media. Lots of fun. mainly revolves around Persephone who is new to Olympus (she was raised in the mortal realm) and Hades. They keep circling each other, but neither know how to proceed. Cute, charming, and steamy. I can't wait to see where this famous webtoon goes next. I hope all the Greek gods are covered! Show Less
LibraryThing member clrichm
I like this; don't get me wrong! I just feel like the book, as a format, suffers in a way that the webcomic itself doesn't. Webcomics aren't expected to be fully fleshed-out narratives from the get-go; characters are allowed to be introduced without fanfare, scenes are expected to be quite short,
That being said, the concept is a fantastic one: Greek mythology retold as a sort of urban fantasy. I love Hades so, so much, and I very much want to be besties with Eros (even if he needs to be whapped upside the head).
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etc. But in a book, those same aspects contribute to a disjointed feel that makes it harder for the reader to become immersed in the story.That being said, the concept is a fantastic one: Greek mythology retold as a sort of urban fantasy. I love Hades so, so much, and I very much want to be besties with Eros (even if he needs to be whapped upside the head).
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LibraryThing member villemezbrown
A mostly cute and fluffy romcom take on the classic mythological relationship between Persephone and Hades with the glitz, backstabbing, and nightclub lighting you'd expect from a teen soap on The CW network.
Be warned though that there is a disturbing sex scene between two characters toward the
Be warned though that there is a disturbing sex scene between two characters toward the
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end with coercion, muddied consent, and an internal monologue that regrets the consent that screams rape. Show Less
LibraryThing member Stevil2001
This is a webcomic, now released in print, that retells the story of Hades and Persephone with modern trappings. The comics language here uses a lot of manga conventions, and manga tropes dominate the romance story, too. Overall I enjoyed it well enough. Some good jokes, nice art, but sometimes I
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struggled to keep the characters straight, and the emotions are a little overwrought. This is clearly the beginning of a long story (this volumes collects episodes 1-25 of a serial that has run 200 thus far), and I am not sure it is really aimed at me, though the end promises a darker turn that I would be curious to see the repercussions of. Show Less
LibraryThing member Jonez
4.5
I'm a sucker for a good Hades and Persophone telling, and this GN has a great take. Can't wait for volume 2!
I'm a sucker for a good Hades and Persophone telling, and this GN has a great take. Can't wait for volume 2!
LibraryThing member smorton11
Given everyone’s excitement for the book, I did start reading with tempered expectations – usually if someone, or multiple someones, rave about something, I tend to avoid it, but my curiosity did get the better of me here.
I really do enjoy a good Greek mythology retelling – from watching the
Lore Olympus not only has great pacing, but leaves you the first book leaves you on a cliffhanger and so I immediately downloaded Webtoon because I had to know what happens. And then I went down a rabbit hole and kept reading through what will most likely be the second book (out next summer). I really enjoyed where the story goes and I’ve been reading a few episodes on the app every few days and I’m enjoying it more and more as I go. I also found another great comic on the app which I’m excited was just released in a physical format as well so my review for that one will be coming soon!
Art style wise, I wasn’t a super huge fan, but I can see how, when creating the book chapter by chapter, a quick style is helpful – the gods are predominantly identified by color so once you parse out who is who, it’s easy to follow along in that regard. Character development wise, I didn’t really get a strong sense of everyone, they’re a bit light on personalities and interests outside of their established domains of Olympus, and for the most part, personality wise, they are reduced to their stereotypes – Hades dark and broody, Zeus a total bro, Artemis a man hating virgin, etc.
I am, however, excited to see where the story as a whole goes and it definitely feels like there is a plan and there will be an actual ending for the story as well which I always appreciate. Also, for a content warning, there is a sexual assault, and it debatably passes the Bechdel test.
I really do enjoy a good Greek mythology retelling – from watching the
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Muppet fairytales and Fairytale Theater as a kid to listening to Stephen Fry’s Greek mythology trilogy, it’s definitely one of my favorite subgenres so I was very familiar with the relationships of all the gods to each other in Lore Olympus, something that isn’t fully explained in Lore Olympus for neophytes. I highly recommend doing some basic Greek myth Googling prior to reading if you are not confident in your Greek god identifications by sight (i.e. knowing that Hermes has wings on his shoes is helpful).Lore Olympus not only has great pacing, but leaves you the first book leaves you on a cliffhanger and so I immediately downloaded Webtoon because I had to know what happens. And then I went down a rabbit hole and kept reading through what will most likely be the second book (out next summer). I really enjoyed where the story goes and I’ve been reading a few episodes on the app every few days and I’m enjoying it more and more as I go. I also found another great comic on the app which I’m excited was just released in a physical format as well so my review for that one will be coming soon!
Art style wise, I wasn’t a super huge fan, but I can see how, when creating the book chapter by chapter, a quick style is helpful – the gods are predominantly identified by color so once you parse out who is who, it’s easy to follow along in that regard. Character development wise, I didn’t really get a strong sense of everyone, they’re a bit light on personalities and interests outside of their established domains of Olympus, and for the most part, personality wise, they are reduced to their stereotypes – Hades dark and broody, Zeus a total bro, Artemis a man hating virgin, etc.
I am, however, excited to see where the story as a whole goes and it definitely feels like there is a plan and there will be an actual ending for the story as well which I always appreciate. Also, for a content warning, there is a sexual assault, and it debatably passes the Bechdel test.
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LibraryThing member sashame
the characters r a bit too one-dimensional. and while i like the implicit commentary on various greek gods, the plot, characterizations, and themes dont work at all w the world of greek mythology
LibraryThing member fionaanne
The colour palette is garish and the story really doesn't flow (honestly, I know the myth but I'm confused about what's going on). Don't understand why this is popular.
LibraryThing member MiserableFlower
I’ve been reading on Webtoons for years so this was a quick refresh… the art style is definitely different from what I remember though. But it is nice to see a little more detail that what is posted online.
LibraryThing member froxgirl
Graphic modernization of the Hades-Persephone story. Amusing but not for me.
LibraryThing member DarthDeverell
Rachel Smythe’s Lore Olympus retells the Greek myths, though with a modern twist. Cars, phones, and other modern technology exists in the gods’ realms, but they still face all the usual foibles as a result of their nature that they might try to escape even as the fates bind them. Smythe
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primarily focuses on Hades and Persephone, but she also features Zeus and Hera, Artemis, Aphrodite and her son Eros, Eros’ love for the mortal woman Psyche, and more. She draws out the essences of their stories and relationships, demonstrating the universality of these myths all these thousands of years after their creation. In addition to her writing, Smythe illustrates the comics, which originally appeared on WEBTOON. She creates vibrant, individual character designs in a style that suggests motion even on a printed page, recalling such popular animation designs as in the work of Rebecca Sugar and Dana Terrace. Beyond the linework, Smythe makes beautiful use of color, splashing bold hues and carefully watercoloring individual characters, using greyscale for dramatic effect or colorless line drawings for the same. Just as Ancient Greece had complex gender relationships, the use of bi-lighting suggests the possibility for greater complexity in future installments. This hardcover collection contains episodes 1-25 of Lore Olympus and is great for fans and newcomers to enjoy the comics offline. Show Less
LibraryThing member Moshepit20
Okay so this was such a hard book to rate and review for so many reasons. I love the mythology aspect a lot but Persephone/Kore is maybe in the top 5 for most obnoxious characters I've ever encountered. Because of that I don't think I'll end up reading the other volumes in the series.
Awards
Hugo Award (Nominee — Graphic Story — 2022)
Alex Award (2022)
Blue Hen Book Award (Nominee — 2023)
Texas Maverick Graphic Novels Reading List (Selection — 2023)
NPR: Books We Love (2021)
Original publication date
2021
DDC/MDS
| 741.5 |