For fans of Greek Mythology and graphic novels the Lore Olympus series by Rachel Smythe are a great start. The three latest volumes that the library has received include:
Volume Five in which it’s Persephone’s birthday, and she receives the ultimate gift: Hades confesses his desire for her, leading to their first kiss. But that doesn’t necessarily make things easier for the goddess of spring, who is still in over her head in gossip-driven Olympus. Persephone feels intense guilt over the official breakup between Hades and Minthe, she is struggling to find her footing in her fast-paced job, and—worst of all—the shades of her past are slowly coming to light. After an unexpected encounter with Apollo, Persephone flees into the depths of the Underworld. Concerned for her safety and determined to find her, Hades must team up with Artemis, Eros, and Hera, but they’re working against a ticking clock. Zeus knows about the bloody secret in Persephone’s past, and now the furious king of the gods will stop at nothing to bring her to justice.
In Volume Six, chaos reigns in Olympus as Zeus publicly declares Persephone a traitor and issues a warrant for her arrest. But Hades defies his brother’s decree, sheltering Persephone in the Underworld—and as the pair spend more time together, they are able to speak openly about their pasts. The goddess of spring admits the truth behind the bloody secret that led to Zeus’s ire, and the king of the Underworld shares the trauma he suffered at the hands of his power-hungry father, Kronos. But as Hades and Persephone’s relationship grows stronger, others begin to fall apart. The bond between Hades and Zeus is stretched to its limit, threatening to fracture the peace between their realms. Persephone and Artemis’s friendship hangs by a thread as the goddess of the hunt slowly uncovers the vile truth about her twin, Apollo. A line is being drawn in the heavens, putting everyone’s loyalties into question as all the gods are forced to choose sides.
Things heat up in Volume Seven as the rifts between realms grow ever wider as the temporary shelter Persephone had found in the Underworld is destroyed. Apollo has captured Demeter, turning the fugitive goddess over to Zeus in an attempt to win the king’s favor. Persephone and her mother must now stand trial for concealing Persephone’s unsanctioned act of wrath—though the goddess of spring feels secure with Hades on her side. But safety is not guaranteed in the world of the gods. As the trial brings to light truths and betrayals that threaten to upset everything—even Hades and Persephone’s relationship—the other gods face perils of their own. Eros uncovers Ampelus’s secret during a fight in the Mortal Realm. Thanatos and Daphne’s budding relationship is threatened by a vengeful Apollo. Minthe is trapped in her cursed form until Persephone gains full control over her powers. And Hera is haunted by the specter of Kronos, whose influence in Olympus seems to be growing . . .