Title- Persephone
Series- Daughters of Zeus Book #1
By- Kaitlin Bevis
Genre-YA Paranormal
Blurb
There are worse things than death, worse people too.
The "talk" was bad enough, but how many teens get told that they're a goddess? When her mom tells her, Persephone is sure her mother has lost her mind. It isn't until Boreas, the god of winter, tries to abduct her that she realizes her mother was telling the truth. Hades rescues her, and in order to safely bring Persephone to the Underworld he marks her as his bride. But Boreas will stop at nothing to get Persephone. Despite her growing feelings for Hades, Persephone wants to return to the living realm. Persephone must find a way to defeat Boreas and reclaim her life.
Excerpt
The branch crashed in front of me, scraping my legs. I ran for the parking lot as fast as I could. The frost closed in, surrounding me. I’d never been claustrophobic, but as the frost cut off my escape path with a solid white wall, I panicked.
Fog rolled in, like cold death, cutting off my view of the park. It curled around me, brushing against my face, arms, and legs. I turned back to the tree and ran faster, my dress tangling between my legs as the fog and icy wind blew against my skin.
The parking lot is the other way! my mind screamed. The other way was cut off by a mountain of ice. I felt as if I was being herded. By ice?
I slipped on the icy ground, falling face first into the frost. Ice crept up my toes and along my legs. I thrashed and screamed. I felt the fog becoming a solid mass above me, pinning me to the ground. The ice piled around me. Am I going to be buried alive?
I dug my nails into the frigid snow in front of me and tried to claw my way out of the frosted death trap. I was so panicked I didn’t feel it when my nails broke against the impenetrable wall of ice, leaving red crescents of blood welling up on sensitive skin. An hysterical sob worked its way out of my throat as I gouged red lines into the ice. The ice was above my knees, snaking its way up my thighs. I shivered.
Shivering’s good, I reminded myself. It means your body hasn’t given up…yet. The cold was painful, like a thousand little knives pricking my skin. A violent tremor went up my spine, sending waves of pain through me.
“Help me!” I screamed, knowing it was futile. I was going to die here.
Except I couldn’t die. Could I? Mom said I was immortal, but was that all-inclusive? Did I have a weakness? Was snow my Kryptonite? If I got hurt, would I heal or would I be trapped in an injured body in pain forever?
I suddenly didn’t know if immortality was a good thing or a bad thing. The cold hurt. I was kicking, screaming, and clawing my way out of the frost, but for every inch I gained a mountain piled around me. I thought I heard a man’s laughter on the wind, the sound somehow colder than the ice freezing me into place.
The ground before my outstretched hand trembled. The shaking increased. The earth lurched beneath me. The surface cracked and the sound was so loud that for a moment all I could hear was high-pitched ringing in my ears. The ground split into an impossibly deep crevice. My voice went hoarse from screaming as I peered into the endless abyss, trapped and unable to move away from the vertigo-inducing edge.
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Title- Daughter of the Earth and Sky
Series- Daughters of Zeus Book # 2
By-Kaitlin Bevis
Genre-YA Paranormal
Blurb
Some vows can never be broken.
Persephone thought she could go back to her normal life after returning from the Underworld. She was wrong.
The goddess Aphrodite is born among the waves with more charm than she can control. Zeus is stalking Persephone and her loved ones, and Thanatos is no longer content with Persephone's silence.
He wants her soul.
Persephone can't tell anyone about Thanatos' betrayal, and it drives a wedge between her and Hades. Her mother is still keeping secrets, and Melissa's jealousy of Aphrodite threatens to tear their friendship apart.
Alone, Persephone turns to a human boy for comfort. But will their relationship put him in danger?
Sacrifices must be made, and Persephone must choose between her human life and her responsibilities as a goddess. If she doesn't, she could lose them both.
But will either life be worth choosing once Zeus is through with her?
Excerpt
I'd been here before. My bare feet glided over the leaf-strewn path, unharmed by the rocks and twigs crunching beneath me. Massive live oaks draped with Spanish moss created a canopy above me, transforming the forest path into a tunnel of speckled sunlight. The air was heavy with humidity. The moist heat pressed against my skin and stole the breath from my lungs. By the time I reached the path’s end, my Eeyore nightshirt clung to my skin.
"Dungeoness." I came to a halt when I recognized the sprawling ruins of the ancient ivy-covered brick and stone manor.
Athens Academy took my class on a week-long trip to Georgia's coastal islands freshmen year. Cumberland Island was a major highlight because of the sea turtles, wild horses, and these ruins.
"Good job, Persephone,” I muttered, kicking at a branch. “You’ve figured out where you are, but how did you get here?" I knelt to pick up a smooth, white stone, tucking damp tendrils of hair behind my ears so I could see better. The rock looked and felt real. I ran my hand over the smooth stone, turning it over and tracing the shape. The weight of it in my hand reassured me.
I turned, hoping the path held some answers, but it was no longer there. I stood on the grass-covered shoreline looking out to sea. In the distance, a girl stood thigh high in the ocean, clad in a gown of strategically placed sea foam. Although her back was to me, I could tell she was perfect. The curly ringlets of hair cascading down her flawless cream skin matched the intense orange of the sky as the sun sank in the sea.
I glanced down at my sun-kissed skin, self-conscious. She was really pretty. A movement caught my attention and I glanced up as she looked over her shoulder, aquamarine eyes meeting mine. Then she spoke. I was shocked to hear Boreas' cold voice roll off her tongue. "Zeus lives."
I stumbled backward. Boreas, the god of winter. My mind flashed back to that horrible day in the clearing last winter. Boreas’ cold laughter. His fingers digging in my hair as he pulled me across the frozen ground. Melissa’s eyes widening as she choked on her last breath. The rush of power that gave me the strength to put Death himself, and Boreas, under my control.
A soul for a soul. I’d bargained with Thanatos, the god of death, and killed Boreas without a second thought, saving my best friend.
Now images shoved their way through my thoughts: Cumberland Island, two sunsets, lightning cracking in the sky. My mind screamed against the onslaught. I gritted my teeth and forced myself to think the word that would make it all stop.
I bolted up in bed with a gasp. A weight in my hand made me look down. I unclenched my fist, revealing the white stone from Dungeoness.
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Title- The Iron Queen
Series- The Daughters of Zeus Book # 3
By- Kaitlin Bevis
Genre- YA Paranormal
Blurb
Life is hell for Persephone. Zeus will stop at nothing to gain access to the living realm and the Underworld, and as the only living god with a right to both, Persephone’s in trouble. Captured and tortured beyond the limits of her resolve, Persephone must find the power to stand against Zeus. But will she be strong enough?
Meanwhile, Hades contemplates desperate measures to rescue his queen. Persephone never thought of herself as dangerous, but there’s a reason gods never marry for love. A being with the power to destroy all of creation shouldn’t place more value in one individual than the rest of the planet. But Hades...Hades would break the world for her.
To save the world and stop both Hades and Zeus, Persephone must make a difficult choice. One that may cost her everything.
Excerpt
Chapter II
Aphrodite
Persephone’s anguished scream echoed through the park. I’d rushed over as soon as she called me for help, but knew I was too late. The air hummed with energy, setting my hair on end as I jumped out of the cherry red convertible I’d “borrowed” from some random guy.
I sloshed onto the wet pavement, twisting my ankle in my haste, and made a mental note not to wear heels next time Persephone needed me.
Not that she made a habit of calling me when she needed something. She must really be desperate. I hurried up the wooded running path and almost tripped over a crumpled shape. Hades. What could knock Hades out?
“Aphrodite.” A voice as smooth as silk sent shivers up my spine.
I cast a shield and jumped in front of Hades. Zeus emerged from a grove of trees holding Persephone like he was some knight out of a painting. Her limp, dangling arms swayed as he walked. Golden hair, so bright against her corpse- pale skin that it didn’t look real, cascaded in waves toward the ground. He strode toward me, strong and radiant. Like the sun had reached through him just to get a little closer to earth. The scene would have been breathtaking, like something out of a storybook, if it wasn’t for the sinister expression on his face.
Damn it, I’d hoped it would never come to this. She was my sister and my friend, and I’d stabbed her in the back by pretending “Joel” was anyone other than Zeus. Yes, he’d forced me to help him, but that was no excuse. I never wanted Zeus to win. But now he had Persephone and, with her, access to the Underworld and the living realm. We were all doomed.
“You said you wouldn’t hurt her.” I’d meant to sound defiant, angry, but it came out petulant and scared.
“I said I didn’t have to. There’s a difference.”
I closed my eyes. Of course there was. “You’re leaving me here, aren’t you?” Zeus grinned. “I’m sure you’ll make yourself useful.”
I was surprised it still hurt. I’d known from the beginning I was no more
than a pawn to Zeus. He’d created me from the remains of Uranus to give me unprecedented levels of charisma and then abandoned me in the world without the knowledge to control the charm.
Charisma, or charm, is kind of like mind control if you know how to use it. I can smile at pretty much any human and make him do what I want, but uncontrolled it’s dangerous. Like, Trojan War dangerous. Used without direction, it steers humans toward their baser instincts. They become obsessed. Anything could have happened to me, but either way, it served Zeus’ purposes. He had backup plans for his backup plans.
Now he was leaving me with two very pissed off deities who would move heaven and earth to find Persephone. No telling what they’d do to me.
Did Persephone even know how lucky she was? I’d sell my soul for just one of the following she collected anywhere she went. To be someone worthy of worship instead of the obedient abomination Zeus created, stripped of my free will and forced into servitude.
Zeus shifted and grabbed the necklace Persephone wore. “Tell Hades”— he cast a knowing glance at the shield behind me with a smirk—“and Demeter I’ll take their realms in exchange for the girl.” The silver chain snapped, and he tossed the necklace toward me. “Give him that.”
Before I could answer, he vanished.
Plucking the necklace out of a puddle, I shook water off the small green plant that sat anchored in a wire basket and dried the pomegranate charm on my shirt. Oh yeah. Hades was definitely going to kill me when he came to.
I’d run, but it wasn’t like I had a choice. Zeus created me with an extra special tweak. I was loyal to family. Loyal to the point of obedience if they outranked me enough. That was why I was almost glad I was still “useful” to him; I had a feeling the minute he didn’t need me anymore, he’d ask me to swear fealty and give him all my power. Suicide by devotion. And I’d have no choice but to oblige.
If I swore over everything to him, would he release my soul to the Underworld? Would I finally be free? Or would he keep me, my thoughts and memories, and everything about me that was me locked in his head in case he ever found it useful?
I sat beside Hades and pulled my knees to my chest. Hollow. I felt hollow inside, like Zeus had carved out everything that mattered, everything I cared about, and left me empty. Hopeless. The rain dripped down my face, mimicking the tears I didn’t dare cry.
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Daughter of Zeus Series Reviews:
Persephone
Persephone by Kaitlin Bevis is an awesome modern day mythology book. The story line is very interesting and had my attention right from the very beginning.
Persephone aka Kora, is a 16 year old high school girl living with her mother and working in the floral shop. Persephone is experiencing some strange occurrences in her life that she doesn’t understand. She sees things and has feelings of being watched and followed. While at the floral shop helping her mother, something bad happens to Persephone, and her mother tells her something that she didn’t know anything about before, that will change her life for good. How will Persephone react to what her mother tells her? Will she be able to accept whatever it is?
Persephone’s journey has begun. She had no choice but to leave her home and go to a very strange place far away that she didn’t know really existed but will be safe there. While there, Persephone will have to adjust to her new surroundings, the people and strange things. She will find out more things that her mom didn’t mention about her family and herself. What will Persephone think about the strange place? Will she be able to accept it and stay there?
Kaitlin Bevis has done a fabulous job writing Persephone. It is book 1 in the Daughters of Zeus Series. I am looking forward to reading the sequels in the series and more of Kaitlin’s other books soon. Persephone is a must read so I definitely recommend this book to my friends.
Daughter of the Earth and Sky
I really enjoyed reading the Daughter of the Earth and Sky (Daughter of Zeus Series #2) by Kaitlin Bevis. It is a fantastic mythical book that continues right where book 1, Persephone ended and it had my attention right from the beginning.
At the beginning of this sequel, Persephone had a strange nightmare of herself being on some island but she didn’t know where until she recognized the ruin of an ancient building. That is when Persephone remembers that she has been on that island before. What is the name of this island and where is it located? As Persephone was walking, she sees a beautiful girl standing in the water and Persephone was shocked to hear the voice coming out of the girl’s mouth mentioning about her father being alive. All of a sudden Persephone wakes up from her nightmare and realizes that it is a message sent to her by someone but she doesn’t know who.
Persephone’s nightmare startled her. She is shocked by the information about her father so she goes to the Underworld, tells Hades about the nightmare and asks him if someone can send a message to her in a dream. Persephone wants to find out who would be able to do that. Will she find out who and what that message meant? She asks Hades if he will go with her to this island to get answers and he agrees. She finally tells her mom what is going on but her mother doesn’t like her daughter getting involved but Persephone is determined to. Persephone also insists that her mom give Hades permission to go with her to find the answers that she is looking for.
Persephone and Hades journey to the island has begun. They will find out that her nightmare is true. While on the island, Persephone sees the girl and meets Hades brother for the first time when he comes walking up to them. Who is Hades brother? Will Persephone find out more information about her father and who the mystery girl is?
Thanks Kaitlin Bevis, you have done it again!! This book is awesome and it is a must read. I definitely recommend my friends to check it out. Now I am going to go read The Iron Queen (Daughter of Zeus #3).
I give Persephone & Daughter of the Earth and Sky 5 Dandy's!!
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The Iron Queen
The Iron Queen (Daughters of Zeus #3) by Kaitlin Bevis is an awesome book just like the first two books in the series. It began right where Book 2, Daughter of Earth and Sky ended and just like the first two it had my attention right from the beginning.
Persephone has been captured and now Hades has to explain to her mother, Demeter what happened. Persephone is in trouble. What are their plans to save her? Will Hades be able to find Persephone in time?
When Persephone wakes up, she finds herself in so much pain and being held in a room. Persephone realizes that she is not alone. Who is this mystery person? What does this person want with her?
This is the beginning of Persephone’s difficult journey. It is going to be a rough road for her. The whole time during her captivity, she is badly tortured. Will she have the power to stand up for herself against this person?
Thank you Kaitlin Bevis! You have done it again! Book 3 is a must read and I definitely recommend it to my friends to check out. I am really looking forward to reading more books from Kaitlin in the future.
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I give The Iron Queen 5 Dandy's!!
About the Author
Kaitlin Bevis spent her childhood curled up with a book, and a pen. If the ending didn't agree with her, she rewrote it. She's always wanted to be a writer, and spent high school and college learning everything she could so that one day she could achieve that goal. She graduated college with my BFA in English with a concentration in Creative Writing, and is pursuing her masters at the University of Georgia.
Her young adult series "Daughters of Zeus" is available wherever ebooks are sold. She also writes for truuconfessions.com and Athens Parent Magazine.
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