A Touch of Ruin by Scarlett St. Clair
A Touch of Ruin by Scarlett St. Clair is the sequel to TikTok’s obsession, A Touch of Darkness. This modern spin on Persephone and Hades is marketed as a sexy wattpad-esque read rather than the original tragedy, which is honestly what made me immediately run out to grab the first book. What can I say? I’m single.
Anyway, A Touch of Ruin continues where the first one left off with Persephone working as a journalist and trying to maintain her relationship with Hades, all while attempting to remain ‘normal’ despite her own secret Goddess status. Everything is going well until it quickly isn’t, and then it seems like a million minor disagreements are contrived for the sake of conflict.
For example (spoiler), Persephone is continuously angry at the god of death for things that he cannot control. One specific situation is the death of Persephone’s best friend. In the wake of her eventual death, Persephone rails against Hades because in her eyes he is a monster, although he discusses even in the first book that he can not choose who lives and dies, only The Fates can. Hades can only decide what happens to souls once they pass into his realm in the Underworld. This creates conflict that feels drawn out between the couple, and even after it is resolved, then similar conflicts arise when Persephone decides she doesn’t like how he treats the inhabitants of his realm. Then another conflict arises when she thinks he’s cheating on her with his old lover. Then that is resolved, but then it presents itself again. At times, A Touch of Ruin feels like a constant chain of Persephone reacting to something, whether her reactions are warranted or not it can be exhausting to read.
Subsequently, I would argue that these reactions define Persephone as a version of the Mary Sue trope. A Mary Sue is often seen as a negative trope, first depicted in fan fiction, but it can now be found in many forms of media where women are written. It’s the girl that every man (and sometimes women) loves, the girl that is effortlessly beautiful, she is always funny, and even when she’s cruel people still love her. There’s a lot more to it, and the definition is constantly evolving, but in regards to A Touch of Ruin, if we look at Persephone through the lens of this trope it’s clear she hits a majority of the bullets. But is that bad? Personally, I feel that it does explain why at times it feels like she lacks a consistent and realistic personality, but it can also be an attractive trope to women. I think some women might insert themselves into the role of the main character and enjoy the way characters react to the protagonist because it can feel personally gratifying.
Also, something A Touch of Darkness and a Touch of Ruin did well was presenting the Greek gods and goddesses from mythology in an entirely new way that feels fresh and entertaining. The gods are celebrities and business moguls. They interact with the public through red carpet events and gossip mags rather than sacrificial offerings. Hades is the only god that actively avoids the limelight, preferring anonymity instead. That’s why his public love affair with a ‘human’ journalist is sensational and ripples throughout the world. Hades’s openness with his relationship is heartwarming given his previous secrecy with the public. We all wish we had that kind of love, right? Someone that isn’t afraid to shout it from the rooftop. I think the relationship between Persephone and Hades is truly heartwarming- when they’re not going at it like rabbits, that is, but I’m not complaining.
A Touch of Malice is the next book in the series and after some inner conflict, I have decided to read it. No one can say I don’t sacrifice for this website. Catch the review for that in the next coming weeks!