Lore Olympus: Volume Two (Lore Olympus, #2) (2024)

I'm not sure how much more of this I can take. My love for the art, fun dialogue and character stories is eclipsed by how squicky the Hades/Persephone romance makes me feel.

It's not even the age gap. It's the astronomical maturity gap. Watching them is like watching a father deal with a toddler that oscillates between hysterical tears and wide-eyed excitement. Persephone even stares out from the page, all wide dorky eyes, like a mindless beanie baby. And, yeah, it's super icky when he talks about Demeter, Persephone's mum, as a "sexual prospect."

I can't imagine shipping them at this point. I may read on for the other characters, I guess, but I'm taking a break for now.

loved this even more than volume one, WOW💖

Be still my heart!!!!
Welcome back to Lore Olympus, the spicy modern retelling of Greek mythology that centers on an adorable Hades and Persephone romance. Volume 2 picks up where the last left off and covers episodes 26-47. You can read the entire Webtoon here, but also I do love having the physical copies of these as the art is stunning and really pops.

Volume 2 introduces us to some new characters, such as Hecate finally making an appearance and Thetis showing up for a delightfully snarky encounter with Minthe, but continues the ever-entangling plotline of the Gods with their desires and bad behaviors propelling the plotline. Pretty much everyone is a f*ckboi and there are a lot of hurt feels going on in Vol 2., but the adorable connection between Hades and Persephone (with Hades usually acting all hard on the outside but on the inside is a big softie with a complicated history) being the sweetness that makes the story really stick. This is a big soap opera and does deal with some rather dark issues, such as the depiction of Apollo as quite the stalkery creep who gets violent when told no. This issue addresses the age difference between Hades and Persephone head on, and while the characters act in problematic ways (I mean, its the Greek Gods, what do you expect), Rachel Smyth leans into it for excellent results. The characters are very dynamic and experience a whole range of emotions, really bringing them to life beyond the traditional tales.

I also enjoy Persephone’s character a lot, being the young college girl who just needs to believe in herself despite knowing she is very booksmart. She deals with rumors about her floating around, and a major story arc is a tabloid paper accusing her of sleeping her way into the Royal Family, so theres a lot of drama to be had here. We also have Hera doing what Hera does best: testing people. So this is great fun and I just love the story.

The art, however, might be the best part. The blues and pinks really pop and the character design is quite fun and allows for maximum expression of emotions. Lore Olympus is a blast, you won’t regret it. It’ll make you laugh, cringe, and cry.

4.5/4

Loved being back in this world with these characters and another 400 pages of mutual pining! My only complaint is that I would have loved a smidge more of Hades & Persephone!

This over-hyped graphic novel series is turning out to be a huge disappointment.

This second graphic novel covers episodes 26-49 from the Webtoon series.
Total episodes: 285. (280, if you don't include the extra content.)

❀ No consistency in character development right from the start. Persephone is still a befuddling character. Hades has turned into a major red flag, except for his love of dogs.

❀ We get a good glimpse of Cerberus, Hades’ three-headed dog, in this section. The canine motivation helped somewhat.

❀ The plot is replete with toxic relationships. Why the heck are people going gaga over this?

❀ Lots of typos. I ignored a couple of mistakes in the initial set but the frequency is greater now. I don’t know if the graphic novels also have the typos, but to see these many spelling errors and missing words in a published digital edition is annoying.

❀ Appreciate the innovativeness of the contemporary twist, with Olympus being ultra-modern but earth still being in the classic era.

❀ Feeling very sorry for Minthe. But she seems like a character with will, so I am curious to see how her arc develops.

❀ The graphics are okay. Same complaints as last time. This isn’t my kind of art. Sexy poses while talking casually look so weird. Then again, art is subjective, so this might work for others.

❀ The budding relationship between Hades and Persephone is simultaneously too cutesy and too shallow to feel genuine.

❀ There's constant emphasis on how Persephone is just a teenager and yet that doesn't stop Hades from propositioning her. The age-gap problem turns a hundred times weirder with this!

❀ Would have been easy to read as a contemporary (toxic) romance ignoring all the original Greek myth titbits, except that regular references to age and immortality and “godly” jobs don’t let us forget the original canon.

Verdict: I still don’t get the hype. So far, this is nothing but a collection of toxic relationships. I know that Greek Mythology is also a collection of mostly toxic relationships, but it doesn’t hide the toxicity with a veneer of “tweeness.” This romanticising of negative tropes is irritating.

I bid goodbye to the series with this. No way I can handle 230+ more episodes of this.

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WHELPPPP....... I may have waited for the print ver. of the first Vol. to start the series, but that is 1000% NOT happening this time around. Like as soon as i'm done writing this lil' pre-review I will most definitely be on WEBTOON THNKSVRYMCH . The first book was Ep. 1-25, & this is going to only be Eps 26-49?!? THERE ARE 160+ EPS AVAILABLE RN!!!!

Sorry, buhhhhh that's gonna be a NO for me on the waiting... thing. Kind of, oh I meant ABSOLUTELY, SUCK at waiting.

BUT that does NOT mean that i'm going to NOT collect the gorgeous special edition print versions hehe. I've already pre-ordered Vol. 2, of course(!); I feel very strongly about supporting authors/artists/creators/ etc! I'll def be continuing to pre-order/buy the physical HCs as they are announced/ released, seemingly once every 6-7ish months—I think, hopefully, if we're lucky ? (i don't think vol. 3 has been announced yet sooo we shall see!) to keep supporting Smythe!!!

BUT.
LOOK, JS. I have NO CHILL RN!

NO ONE HAS EVER SAID THAT PATIENCE IS MY STRONG SUIT, OKAY?! 🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️🤣

Now anyone know how in the world i'm supposed to log LO in its WEBTOON format into GR in a little bit after I rip through all of, at the very least, Season 1?!? IF I remember correctly, they split it into S1 & S2 on here? Hahah any help much appreciated. 😉

I really liked this book! This was a great retelling of Hades and Persephone with a modern twist. This graphic novel follows Persephone as she tries to find her place in Olympus and continues to develop feelings for Hades. Persephone and Hades must untangle their past to move towards a brighter future.

This book is told from Persephone and Hades' perspective. I really liked that the author created a modern retelling of Hades and Persephone. The pacing was great and the plot was very interesting. The illustrations and art in this novel were so beautiful. The characters are all complex and and have their own unique past. I love Persephone so much, she is kind, caring, and helpful. I love Hades, he is charming, mysterious, handsome and so sweet to Persephone. I really liked seeing the characters evolve and learn more about themselves. I appreciate that the author mentioned content warnings before the novel started. I can't wait to read the next novel. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys retellings, mythology, romance and graphic novels.

➽ 1.) Volume One ★★

i enjoyed this second installment so much more than the first. i felt so much more for these characters and their lives, and was left with a good balance of desperately wanting to know what will come next. the art is truly so beautiful as well, but i feel like it is extra breathtaking in the underworld.

and (like in most greek myth inspired tales)... i really love hera. <3 you deserve better, bby. zeus, you're truly always the worst.

✰ read for free on webtoon

♡ buddy read with Penny

author's cw/tw published in book: physical + mental abuse, sexual trauma, and toxic relationships

more tw/cw that i wrote down: depression depiction, paparazzi/stalking/tabloids, cheating (not mcs), dissociating depiction (when being forced to be around your abuser), mentions of past sexual assault/rape, and sexual harassment.

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I love them, your honor.

Is it my period or was this volume really f*ckin’ adorable? I think I’m into this modern twist on Hades and Persephone and all things Greek lore, because I could not stop reading it.

It was such a good time!

And when does Apollo die?

|| 4.0 stars ||

Okay, this was already so much better than the previous volume. Whereas the first one felt messy, this one actually had structure and a real narrative.

The characters also feel like they have a bit more depth now, and their interactions are all strangely humorous or endearing.
I especially like how Persephone’s character is developing, because she’s just so precious.

The relationship development is also cute, and I love how indulgent Hades is with Persephone. He’s totally whipped for her, and I love that.
So, taking that in mind: what on earth does Hades think he’s doing getting together with Minthe again?? Like, WHY!!??

'Lore Olympus' series:
Volume One - 3.0 stars
Volume Two - 4.0 stars
Volume Three - 3.0 stars
Volume Four - 2.0 stars
Volume Five - 1.5 stars

2nd read: (27th July ‘22) Finally got to read the physical copy and now I love it even more. It’s so beautiful.

1st: (6th Jan ‘22) Read on WEBTOON, but you best believe I’m going to re-read it a million times when the physical copy releases. Definitely my favourite comic/graphic novel series of all time. 😍

Direi che è migliore del primo, se non fosse che ho dato 5 stelle anche a quello.

L'ho amato alla follia.

This series is so addictive! The plot is kind of slow, but I love the way the mythology is being retold and all of the illustrations are so pretty!

5/ 5⭐
0/5 🌶️

Daddy Hades. Underworlds best daddy.

Gods why does Apollo need to be such an a-hole! Grrrr

Stupid face smile the whole time reading this book.

This. Was. Amazing!!!!! 🤩🤩🤩🤩

I love these dumb cinnamon rolls so much.

This volume wasn't as painful as the first volume regarding Persephone's SA experience, but it did still reflect back on that in some ways, and my heart hurts for her every time it comes up. There were also some Choices™️ made by Hades at the end of this volume that I'm extremely displeased with, buuut I also feel pretty certain they'll be taken care of sooner rather than later! (And yes, I know I could read the Webtoon to find out sooner, but I really love the printed versions of these!)

Finally, I just want to gush for a million years about how f*ckin' CUTE Perse and Cerberus are 😭 What a good boy! Best boy!!!

✨ Representation: queer side characters

✨ Content warnings for: mentions of past sexual assault, sexual harassment, infidelity

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Do you love misty, vibrant modern illustrations and a raunchy, funny, romantic, dramatic retelling of Greek Gods and all their messy baggage? Congratulations, you love this series.

I already want this and series is forever going to be my favourite 💓

hades you dumbass

Volume 2 is just as gorgeous as volume 1! I’ve been reading this series on WEBTOON, but it’s amazing in print! Volume 2 covers episodes 26-49 so it’s pretty early on in the storyline. I was pleased to read it again and see quite a bit of visual foreshadowing. Nice to know Smyth was definitely planning some key elements later on in the series. Her use of color and design is lovely. The panels have good use of movement, character development, imagery, symbolism, etc. Her dialogue is fun and often funny. Serious topics are handled with utmost care and I appreciate the depth it gives the story. While the story does focus on Hades and Persephone, there are some fantastic secondary characters. I forgot how young Persephone acted in the first set of episodes (first season on WEBTOON). It can be a little off putting since Hades is so much older than she is. However, later episodes will have her grow up more. I love the creativity of this series and can’t wait for volume 3!

Cute. Not quite as good as volume 1

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Persephone is 19 years old and Hades is 2,000. I’m still not over that humongous age gap. I get it, trust me I do, but couldn’t Rachel Smythe at least make her 190 years old? Compared to a 2,000 year old she would still be less worldly and have some naivety instead of making Hades a cradle robber. This left a bad taste in my mouth and even though being 19 makes you a legal adult this felt grimy and like the author was trying to hyper-infantilize Persephone.

mi kore, tkm

Жила-була і переклала! (Дві слові про перший том тут.)

Мені дуже подобається, як розвиваються характери у цьому томі! У першому томі Персефона - солодкий м'якенький рожевий пиріжечок, дитиночка, що хвилину тому вирвалася з-під крила схильної до гіперопіки матері, яка доти контролювала кожен її крок. І тепер вона пізнає всі радості свободи, але й усі її небезпеки, і тому за неї треба заступатися і берегти.
У другому томі стає ясно, що це взагалі-то людина дуже амбітна у спосіб, властивий молодим жінкам, котрим занадто довго казали триматися скромніше, не висовуватися і пам'ятати, що я - остання буква в алфавіті. А тепер вона може жити своїм життям - і візьме своє. Так, зокрема вепонізуючи цей образ солоденького пиріжечка, якого ніхто не сприймає всерйоз і не чекає підступів. Це, звичайно, все одно дуже про силу дружби і софт пауер, але люблю амбітних героїнь, це прекрасно.

А доки Персефона досить прямолінійна, Гадес працює damsel in emotional distress - його взагалі більш-менш задовольняє його робота, його собачки, його нинішні емоційно відсторонені стосунки, йому не зовсім зрозумілі й не зовсім потрібні оці всі емоційні надмірності свіжої закоханості, що розколупують його, як устрицю ("Мені взагалі подобається, коли на душі тепло й затишно? Та хто вона взагалі така, щоб мені через неї було тепло і затишно?").

При цьому головні герої розуміють, що взагалі-то не знають одне одного - і це теж класно!
Ще подобається, що, так би мовити, Персефонину конкурентку не демонізують (бо хто ж любить цей сексистський троп про сучок-колишніх, цей троп має згоріти у вогні) - так, у попередньому томі, та й у цьому Мінта поводиться етично спірно, але тут ми бачимо, що за цим стоїть: велика невпевненість у собі і страх, що тебе вважатимуть гіршою, ніж ти є, над яким переважує тільки страх, що тебе вважатимуть кращою, ніж ти є - через усе це справді можна наробити різних дурниць.

Коротше, мені подобається, як розгортається ця історія.

Улюблені перекладацькі моментики:

"СУВОРА ДОГАНА! СОБАЦІ ДОГАНА!"

"Так склалося, що я добре знаю, як це — коли хочеш провалитися під землю." (Бо ідіоматика з кольором нас тут, звісно, підвела, але він править Підземним царством! І по змісту "провалитися під землю" підійшло теж!)

➵ 5 stars ☆

Okay, but why is this so good? I legit can't put it down, this is even better than the first book. I already knew the characters were interesting, but damn, aren't they interesting? I pretty much have them all mapped out in my head, things like who is heading directly towards my 'I'll just pretend you don't exist' list and 'you have my full interest' list. I guess it's safe to say Hera and Hades are way up their game over here, they are hands down, giving off the best kind of energy. Rachel Smythe put so much depth and uniqueness in all of them that it was hard to single them out. Let's see, maybe Apollo? I even liked Minthe 'the other woman' but Apollo cuts a nice shot to the exception rule. I hope he tones down the douchiness, cause I'd really hate to hate my girl Artemis's brother, she's such a sweetheart. The art style and storyline are put together so well, no wonder it's so addictive.

➴ Hades and Persephone: This book doesn't venture into anyone else's background, it's mostly them disecretly mooning over each other and trying to reason with all the pros and cons. We get to see more of their adorable encounters wrapped up in a nice little package. Olympus is basically a celebrity ground where godly scandals are in the air. We have Hades showing authority and questioning his choices regarding Persephone all at once; he writes that importu letter to her, spilling his heart into it, only to lock it up in his drawer. I swear if she doesn't get to read it someday. Persephone grew out her hair so she could wear his gift, and let me tell you, she hates growing out her hair.

It's just amazing how Zeus's wild affairs were so on point, and Hera being Hera, putting a fair fight every step of the way. We love a sassy queen who knows how to deal with sh*tty men. I don't know about Demeter, but Hera's surely doing a great job looking after Persephone. I'm even more excited to get to know more about Hade's past and the route his feelings will take now that the girl of his dreams is his employee.

Je crois que j’ai encore plus aimé ce deuxième volume que le premier, et c’est pas peu dire.

Lore Olympus è sempre una lettura comfort nonostante questo volume sia un po' di assestamento/transizione.
Ci sono sicuramente molte problematiche da affrontare e situazioni da sistemare ma la narrazione risulta interessante e scorrevole.
Lo stile di illustrazione è letteralmente il mio preferito, ma d'altronde si sa che Lore ha un posto specialissimo nel mio cuore.

I love this story :)
is even better than the first volume... guess who is on webtoon now and reads the next episodes heheeee
love theeeem
Apollo is still an ass.

3.0 Stars. This volume collects episodes 26–49 of the Webtoon comic. Lore Olympus is a modern day retelling of the story of Hades and Persephone.

The biggest issue I have with the series at this point is the age gap between Hades and Persephone. He is 2000 years old. She is 19. He is King of the Underworld and she is a minor goddess. That is a major power imbalance! Ideally, I want to see Persephone heal, mature, and gain control over her powers before she pursues a romantic interest.

Aside from the age gap, I like this version of Hades. He gives off aloof romantic hero vibes similar to Mr. Darcy. He struggles to reconcile the person he's been, the person others expect him to be, and the person he wants to be. Like Persephone, he has baggage that he really needs to address before he can be any good for a prospective partner.

It seems like Rachel Smythe intends for this to be a slow-burn kind of love story. Given the darker elements of the story I think that this would be the most satisfying way to approach the romance between Hades and Persephone. I'm looking forward to where the story heads in the next volumes!