Jillian -always aspiring-'s Reviews > The Dark Wife

(Actual Rating: 3.5 stars)

Imagine that everything you knew about Greek mythology was skewed so that Zeus could better control mortals by spreading lies and untruths.  Imagine if Hades, ruler of the Underworld, was actually a goddess.  Imagine if Persephone, daughter of Demeter, actually chose to escape to the Underworld instead of being kidnapped.  The Dark Wife, debut novel from Sarah Diemer, is a tale that turns Greek myth inside out and makes it something darkly beautiful, a gem among the dull rocks of Greek myth retellings for young adults.

The Dark Wife is one of those books that you can't help but like.  The prose itself is noteworthy, giving the story a poetic flair and adding a layer that sadly isn't present often enough in young adult books.  Persephone as the narrator has a strong and sympathetic voice, and her slowly building relationship with Hades is a nice change of pace from the instant love trend.

However much I loved the writing and the flow of it, I have to admit that sometimes things seemed a bit too perfect.  The Greek gods and goddesses were capricious beings that were as flawed as mortal beings -- but, oddly, Hades was presented as this perfect yet somber woman.  A part of me kept expecting more from her character.  While Persephone herself had a number of shades (most notably present when she vows that she will get revenge on Zeus for what he did to her lover, Charis), Hades seemed one-dimensional at times.  She is a tragic figure, yes, but never did I see any of the other effects of sadness:  bitterness, resentment, anger, helplessness, etc.  To see any of those emotions in her character would have made her an even more moving figure and not just this perfect lover and goddess.  I realize that she was basically the antithesis to Zeus in this story, but perfect qualities were not traits that any of the Greek gods had.  Why should Hades be any different?

Gripe about Hades aside, I did appreciate that Sarah Diemer respected the roots of Greek mythology yet also managed to make them her own.  Not an easy feat.  Everything I read seemed a parallel myth, what really could have been the story if time and embellishments had not warped the original myth.  It was intriguing and fascinating to wonder, just wonder, if the myths really were once different creations entirely.

No matter its flaws, The Dark Wife proved to be an enjoyable read that renewed my belief that Greek myth retellings can be done well without adhering strictly to the original myths.  With a start like this, I think we can expect some even more wonderful creations from Sarah Diemer in the future.  In the meantime, give this one a chance.  It's well worth the read -- even if only to be assured that young adult Greek myth retellings are not all lost causes. Some can even be kind of wonderful.