Comments on: REVIEW: Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman

By: Lizzie (greeneyed fem)

Lizzie (greeneyed fem) — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:03:20 +0000

Anyone who likes re-tellings and/or the Persephone myth should RUN, not walk, to get a copy of White as Snow by Tanith Lee. It combines the Snow White fairy tale and the Demeter/Persephone myth, and it is amazing. Fairly dark, but it will rock your socks.

By: Sassy

Sassy — Sun, 10 May 2009 17:14:57 +0000

Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Hades and Persephone are perfectly matched. The attraction and easy going familiarity along with Hades’ agitation with Demeter – sigh – too bad they’re only minor characters that pop up once in a while. But those scenes usually steal the whole entire book for me.

I also read PC Cast’s twist of the Hades and Persephone story. Really good and Hades was a dark but righteous underworld ruler.

I have to check out Radiant Darkness. I have always liked the Hades/Persephone myth.

By: muÃ±eca

muÃ±eca — Fri, 08 May 2009 21:48:17 +0000

This review reminds me of DAZZLING BRIGHTNESS by Roberta Gellis alhough in Gellis’s book you can clearly see that Hades loves his wife.

By: LindaR (likari)

LindaR (likari) — Fri, 08 May 2009 21:16:43 +0000

Also re apples/pomegranates — I don’t think apples grew in the part of the world where the bible stories originated anyway.

The minute I heard the pomegranate theory (in a college class) it rang true with me.

By: Jia

Jia — Fri, 08 May 2009 20:52:41 +0000

@DS: I hear you on the healthy image. Growing up, my mother used to call apples "nature's toothbrush" so I have a hard time thinking of apples as being the fruit that got everyone cast of Eden.

By: DS

DS — Fri, 08 May 2009 20:40:23 +0000

I’ve heard about the apple/pomegranate idea and I think pomegranates are a more sensual fruit than apples. Despite the garden of Eden myth apples always had such a healthy image while pomegranates are exotic and mysterious.

By: Jia

Jia — Fri, 08 May 2009 18:49:11 +0000

@Jen: I love pomegranates. Pomegranate juice is one of my favorite things to drink.

By: LindaR (likari)

LindaR (likari) — Fri, 08 May 2009 18:30:17 +0000

@jen

Some scholars believe that “apple” is a mistranslation in the Hebrew creation story and that a pomegranate is indeed the fruit Eve consumed.

By: Jen

Jen — Fri, 08 May 2009 18:06:37 +0000

This is one of my favorite myths! When I first read it, it was the first time I had heard of pomegranates, so it became my goal in life to eat a pomegranate. Even though I knew full well that eating pomegranates results in being condemned to hell, I would not be dissuaded. Pomegranates are still one of my favorite fruits.

I will have to check this book out.

By: LindaR (likari)

LindaR (likari) — Fri, 08 May 2009 17:29:24 +0000

This sounds great. I love retelling of myths too.