There is no comparison between Hades and Persephone. There is no elevating one above the other. The foundation I am laying is one of equal partnership, and these books are meant to illustrate their progress toward that. Hades lives in a very big world. He is an immortal god who has existed for thousands of lifetimes. The challenges he faces day-to-day look very different from Persephone, whose world is much smaller. I am so dismayed when I see people—women, especially—bash Persephone while they glorify Hades. He has just as many issues to work through, no matter how much he professes his love for Persephone.
So I just ask you to instead consider their backgrounds and celebrate their differences. I ask you to remember how hard it is to face loss and to grieve
—and if you cannot remember, then imagine. If you do not wish to imagine, then do not judge, because until you’ve gone through it, there is nothing to say.
With those words, I’m going to dive into some of the myths I wove into this story.
Let’s start with the greatest theme in this book:
The Labors
First, I knew I would not be rehashing all twelve labors because that would have been awful （mostly for me）。 I also knew some of what Hera was working on outside of the obvious labors （the Graeae, Dionysus, Ariadne, even Persephone） would all be some type of labor.
Of the labors I used these:
The hydra （which you see in Malice）
The Stymphalian birds
The Girdle of Hippolyta I have a longer note on the Girdle of Hippolyta. I don’t like either of the original two myths about Heracles and Hippolyta.
The first is that she was so enchanted by Heracles that she gave him her belt without argument and the second ends in her death after the Amazon’s attack Heracles and his crew, thinking they are abducting his queen. Still, I felt she would respect a god who would honor her by an equal exchange rather than simply taking. I feel this is truer to character for Hippolyta, who, I believe, knows how to pick her battles.
Of the labors, I made a nod to these via symbolism: The Nemean lion
The Erymanthian boar
Cretan bull
You will note that one of the “labors” is Hades fighting Heracles—while not a nod to the labors themselves （there is one where Heracles retrieves Cerberus from the Underworld）， it is a reference to an account by Pausanias, who details a story of Hades being shot with an arrow by Heracles in Pylos. He was later healed by the god Paean, who we also see in the book. I wanted to reference this because I felt it was an opportunity to also reference Hera’s angry pursuit of Heracles. Because he was a son of Zeus, she struck him with madness, and he later killed his entire family. In the aftermath, the labors were born.
Last, we’ll talk about the first labor, and perhaps the hardest—the death of Briareus. This reference, as I have explained in the book, was a nod to Hera’s previous attempt to overthrow Zeus. I felt that she would begin her next attempt with the execution of those who had thwarted her in the past. It made for a devastating scene and still makes me sad.
The Graeae & Medusa
I must admit, I did not expect the Graeae—or, the Grey Sisters—to appear in this book, but as I began writing the opening scene, I realized Hades was attending the races for a reason and the more I wrote, the more I realized the Graeae were involved. Now, you may recognize the Graeae from an iconic Disney movie, Hercules, which has a ton of issues, among them, that they lead everyone to believe the Graeae are actually the Fates.
It was the Graeae who shared an eye and tooth between them, and they really only did one thing in mythology, and that was tell Perseus the location of the Medusa （only after he threatened to throw their eye in the sea）。
Dionysus & Ariadne
Oh, Dionysus and Ariadne. I’ve known these two would make an appearance in this series eventually and did they ever. I love them so much.
Let me begin by explaining Ariadne.
What a boss babe—even in mythology. She is literally responsible for Theseus’s success. Without her, he would have never made it out of the labyrinth once he killed the Minotaur. Do you know how he repays her? He leaves her on an island while she sleeps. Somehow, on that island, she meets Dionysus and they wed.
I have always seen Ariadne as a detective. I worried it was a little cheesy, but I just felt like she had such a dedication to justice. I like to imagine that she was tired of her father sacrificing seven men and women to the Minotaur every year （rather than the original myth which says Ari fell in love with Theseus. Gross.） and that is what motivated her to help Theseus.
Later, she flees with him to avoid facing punishment.