Persephone, Goddess of Spring and Queen of the Underworld — The Original Brat
Pre-reads that might help with the comprehension of this trash: Brat by Charli xcx and the Greek mythology of Persephone
I love it when media I consume overlap — where the themes are super similar but maybe not in the ways I might originally think. The more I chew on them, the more I see the ways in which the main ideas intersect and create an even larger meaning than they do in isolation. What AM I TALKING about here? Persephone, the Goddess of Spring and Queen of the Underworld and Charli xcx, the Goddess of Club Classics and the Queen of Hyperpop.
If you’ve spoken to me directly in the last 14 days, you’ve probably heard me palavering on and on about my new Romantasy (Romance + Fantasy) obsession. It has broken me out of my latest reading slump and made me feel giddy in the same way as I felt when I was reading The Princess Diaries when I was ten. I’m smiling and squealing at my books. The fun part about Romantasy — that makes it different than just normal fantasy — is that the romance is as integral to the plot as the elements of fantasy. And don’t even get me STARTED on the TROPES!!! (*See below for my favorites)
The only thing better than classic Romantasy — think ACOTAR — is GREEK MYTHOLOGY Romantasy. OHHHHHH BABY. LET’S FUCKING GOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
The Hadex x Persephone saga, A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair has sparked an obsession within me that may or may not be damaging to feminism. This book is Percy Jackson for adult women who want to read smut (me!!) It’s a retelling of the myth of Persephone, daughter of Demeter, Goddess of Spring, Queen of the Underworld — you know, the myth where Hades abducts her and tricks her into eating the pomegranate seeds so she’s stuck in the Underworld for half the year as the Queen of the Souls? Hence why we have spring/summer (when she’s in the Upperworld) and fall/winter (when she’s vibing in the Underworld). Come on y’all, we live in a four season climate, you should KNOW who the fuck Persephone is (aka Sephy, it you’re cool). The thing that’s low key depressing is… Greek mythology includes SO MUCH violence against women. Like, endless. Not to mention the incest. (Zeus and Demeter are Sephy’s parents and Hades is Zeus’s brother, lest we forget.) Are you following me? This is all going to be on the quiz at the end of class.
But that’s NOT at ALL what’s happening in A Touch of Darkness. No incest here, no ma’am. What’s empowering and captivating about this retelling is that Persephone grows up in the mortal realm and has her OWN GROWN UP life in the city of New Athens. She meets Hades and falls in love with him before she even really KNOWS he’s Hades. And then their relationship kind of develops over time. <3 He is a misunderstood villain who is more than meets the eye but he doesn’t care about his reputation (he only cares what Persephone thinks *swoon*). It’s set in contemporary times, where Gods and Goddesses are essentially celebrities on steroids and magic is just a part of the culture. Sephy keeps her divinity a secret from the world as she tries to make it as a young journalist at New Athens News. She’s the Goddess of Spring, fated to be the Queen of the Underworld… you may even say she has a… TOUCH of darkness in her. ;) It’s FUN to read books about women who can be so many things — she can be a girlboss, this divine figure of agriculture, AND be the co-ruler of the Underworld while having the best sex of her life with the literal lord of souls!!!!
Umm, that’s literally so Brat-coded. She can be bitchy… but she’s not A bitch. She is bumping those club classics at Nevernight (Hades’s night club). She’s in her mid-twenties, real intelligent (but she’s also immortal because did I mention she’s a Goddess?) And she most certainly loves Lana Del Ray.
But really, what DOES Greek mythology smut have anything to do with Charli xcx’s new album? A lot, actually. What does being a brat mean to you? (Think about this for a sec.) To me, being a brat is the power to do it ALL — be a party girl AND a working girl (see 360). Be a friend AND a foe (see Girl, so confusing). Be bitchy but not A bitch (see Mean girls). Be sad and devastated but happy and grateful (see So I). Be sexy and single but also in love and fantasize about having children (see I think about it all the time). The ability to be nostalgic about your past self, but ultimately proud to be living the life you are now (see Rewind).
The song that has been endless in my ears is Sympathy is a knife — I LOVE it because of the dichotomy of these feelings (sympathy/authenticity and apathy/falseness) — “I feel all these feelings I can’t control.” Isn’t sympathy an inherently gentle, warm, and genuine thing? Not in this example — it’s actually HURTING her, stabbing her like a KNIFE.
WHY IS ALL THIS SYMPATHY A FUCKING KNIFE? I don’t know, that’s a question we have to ponder ourselves. Even though I can’t find the words to decode what the meaning of the song is, I’m sure you can still relate.
Brat tackles and tangles so many complex emotions in the best format there is in the modern world: party anthem bangers. So we can all cry and be confused while looking fucking hot and sexy doing it.
And all I’m trying to say is that Persephone is THAT girl. She’s not a victim of Hades. She’s the fucking Goddess of Spring and the Queen of the Underworld. Talk about a girl who can do it all. Truly, on the mood board, she’s the inspo for a Brat Summer <3 May we all have a pomegranate spritz on a patio in her honor. Oh, and do yourself a favor and read some SEXY retellings of her myth! Once I’m done with the A Touch of Darkness saga, I’m running straight to Neon Gods by Katee Robert.
*Here are some of my fave Romantasy tropes so far:
enemies to lovers (ofc)
whenever the mmc (male main character) says “who did that to you?” or “are you hurt?” to the fmc (female main character)
forbidden romance
love triangle (if done right)
seemingly “powerless” woman discovers her powers and she’s like the most powerful bitch out there
misunderstood villain who is actually not a villain
