Love blooms, even in death…When the goddess of beauty steals a precious flower from Thaedus, god of death, he demands retribution—her son Prosoper must become his prisoner. To his surprise, Prosoper is far from an unwilling captive.Prosoper has been kept isolated from the world by his mother, who is determined to protect his innocence. But Prosoper is nearly two centuries old and longs to break … and longs to break free from his mother’s control.
Only the God of Death can give Prosoper the chance at life he desires. And only the Son of Beauty can save Thaedus from despair.
This fantasy novella is inspired by the Greek myth of Hades and Persephone, with a gay romance twist! Perfect for fans of mythology and fairy tales.
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This was a very cute MM retelling of Hades and Persephone story. The book was very sweet telling about Prosoper, son of Beauty, and Thaedus, God of Death and what makes them tick. The world building was good, and I enjoyed this version of Alympus and Greek Gods. Told in dual POV it was mildly steamy, slightly angsty and a bit insta love but so emotional in the end that I admit to shedding a tear or two. I enjoyed the ending a lot. It had that good prevails over evil/unfairness kind of feel. I recommend this innocent (well, mostly) read.
Reviewed for Divine Magazine
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Son of Beauty, God of Death, by Sera Trevor
135 Pages
POV: 3rd person, dual POV
Wow!
Beautiful.
Stunning.
Heart-wrenching.
Son of Beauty, God of Death is a story full of heart, love and loss, that manages to explore the struggles between life and death of mortals through the eyes of gods. Thaedus, the God of Death, is a lonely soul who has lost everything that ever made him happy and that inspired him to care about the world. Prosoper, the son of Beauty, is the lonely soul trapped in a land of his grandmother’s making, isolated from the world at large, who dreams of nothing but freedom. Together, their journey is one of acceptance, love, taking risks, and opening up to new experiences. And opening themselves to the emotions they’ve been denied for so long.
Sera Trevor’s talent is unquestionable. The writing style is perfectly aligned to what I like – an equal balance between showing/telling, when each are necessary; an attention to detail, description and characterisation that sucks you into the story; and a level of storytelling and world building that allow you to feel like you’re actually there with the characters, experiencing the same thrills and adventures.
From page one, I was entranced. Thaedus and Prosoper are the perfect kind of characters to carry a POV; they’re engaging, charming, with light and dark sides, struggles and hopes and dreams. They’re everything I hoped for, when I first read the blurb, and so much more. Right from the start I could feel their pain, their loneliness, their loss, and yet the strength that made them push those feelings aside and try to be the bright and charming people that others expected them to be. Thaedus was older and wise enough to not hide his pain with those who knew best, but Prosoper’s attempts to placate and maintain an equilibrium were sweet and innocent.
The secondary characters, too, were a delight. From sweet and caring Chilon, the teacher; to the mischievous and teasing Aros; wise and sneaky Certia; and the practical peace-keeper Inyes. I especially loved the bittersweet memories of Dyion, who had such an influence on the story, despite never once being on page.
The Son of Beauty is the hope and the innocence, while the God of Death is the wisened, older man who has seen all the pain there is to be had from the world and has lost sight of the goodness. Together, their chemistry was palpable from the beginning, even from before they first met. And, though I was afraid there might be a reincarnation theme, it was so much more original and clever than that. And I’m thrilled. I was half hoping for more and half hoping for what I’d expected, because either way, I just wanted Thaedus and Prosoper to be happy and healed, together. Their pain didn’t extinguish by being together, but became less of a burden to bear and more a part of their past than something that would continue to hold them back. They bravely push past their fears, their doubts, and the uncertainty, to take the risk of opening their hearts. Prosoper’s bravery, in particular, brought me to tears.
This was a truly beautiful story and I’ll be revisiting it again soon. I sincerely hope there will be a paperback so that I can add it to my collection of all-time favourites.
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Favourite Quotes
“The Son of Beauty and the God of Death, walking arm in arm. Thaedus almost scoffed at the absurdity.
The strange thing was, it didn’t feel absurd.”