Title: Lore Olympus (Volume 1)
Author: Rachel Smythe
ISBN: 9780593160299
Publisher: Del Rey
Copyright Date: 2021
Genre: Adult crossover, Fantasy, Romance
Format: Graphic Novel
Reading Level/Interest Level: Not available
Awards or Honors:
ALA Alex Award Winner (2021)
Harvey Award Winner: Digital Book of the Year (2021)
Plot Summary
Persephone, the Goddess of Spring, is new to the modern world of Olympus, having just arrived from the Mortal Realm, where she was born and raised by her mother Demeter. When her roommate Artemis convinces her to attend a party thrown by Zeus, Persephone reluctantly agrees. It is here that she ends up meeting Hades, the misunderstood King of the Underworld, a man with a formidable reputation for being cold and cruel. But Persephone sees a side to Hades that not many others are privy to, and realizes she might be developing feelings for him. When she arrives back home to Artemis, she meets new friends Eros and Hermes, who begin to help her navigate this new world and her role as a Goddess of Eternal Maidenhood. However, the politics and relationships in Olympus may not be all they appear, and Persephone will need to rely on her instincts and her new friends to find her way.
Author Background
Author and illustrator of the legendary comic Lore Olympus, Rachel Smythe is a full-time creator for Webtoons. Based out of New Zealand, Rachel’s work has been nominated for an Eisner Award, in addition to winning an Alex Award and Harvey Award in 2021. Rachel studied Computer Graphics and Design at Whanganui School of Design before beginning work on Lore Olympus in 2017. The Webtoon recently reached 1 billion views on the comic platform, with Volumes 2 and 3 of the graphic novel currently available for presale.
Critical Evaluation
Lore Olympus is an absolute masterpiece. Through stunning visuals, intricate plotlines, and lovable characters, a vivid world is created on the pages of this graphic novel. I love a Greek mythology retelling and found myself Googling the different characters that appeared to get a refresh on their lore and see how that fit with this interpretation. Each character is so unique, but also contained the essence of their mythology background, keeping this story fresh but containing multitudes at the same time. I absolutely loved Hades in particular and how he has such a cold exterior, but such an immediate soft spot for Persephone. The story moves fairly quickly through the first volume, and I must admit, once I finished it I immediately went to Webtoons to catch up with all the published episodes!
Though it is designated for adults, there is huge crossover potential for Lore Olympus in terms of story, theme, and characterization. Persephone is a young adult thrust into an adult world, and her story of figuring out how to spend her life and whom to spend it with will resonate with teens. There is a huge contract in this graphic novel between toxic and non-toxic relationships, and I think these examples can almost be used as teaching tools to help teens understand their own relationships.
In terms of critique, there were a few time jumps in the graphic novel that didn’t have an explanation, leaving me confused about where it fits in with the present-day story. I also thought a lot of the panels were really dark, much darker than when I compared them to the Webtoons version. With all the characters designed in colors, when the background colors were similar to the characters’ skin or hair tones, it was hard to see the contrast and they sort of blended into the scenery in a strange way. Despite this, I do think that a graphic novel is a great choice of format for this story with the ability to fill a full page with a particular image to emphasize that moment in the story.
Creative Use for a Library Program
Provide teens with take-home watercolor kits to create their own Lore Olympus-inspired artwork.
Speed-Round Book Talk
A modern retelling of The Abduction of Persephone finds the Goddess of Spring in Olympus, a sleek world where the Gods engage in politics, intrigue, and play. Persephone must find her way in Olympus, but after she meets Hades, things are turned upside down. With the duties of her powers as Goddess of Spring and her appointment as a Goddess of Eternal Maidenhood, will Persephone ignore her growing feelings for Hades, or give in to temptation?
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation
If the one-star review I found on Amazon declaring this is NOT a graphic novel for teens is any indication, parents may certainly find Lore Olympus problematic. There are no ALA challenges to date, however, this work contains alcohol consumption, sexual assault, and some profanity. Although this work is designated for adults, Persephone is a young character (I believe 18 or 19), so teens may definitely identify with her striking out into the world trying to find her place. The sexual assault contained in this book could definitely be triggering for readers, especially teens, but I do find it critically important that such situations are represented to help teens recognize their own experiences and potentially come to terms with any trauma they may hold.
Reason for Inclusion
This graphic novel is a beautiful piece of artwork that I think teens will adore. I personally love Greek mythology retellings and this one is particularly well done, with an amazing cast of characters, creative plot, and memorable one-liners.
References
Angel. [silverwillow99]. (2021, June 3). Hey, maybe I kinda sorta love them [Image]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/CPrmzWiFXKm/
Lore Olympus Wiki. (n.d.). Rachel Smythe. Retrieved on April 3, 2022 from https://lore-olympus.fandom.com/wiki/Rachel_Smythe
Iris. [@irlkanaya]. (n.d.). Pinterest post [Image]. Pinterest. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/350928995975754739/
Pepper, S. [@stephaniepepper]. (2019, February 11). Had fun doing @usedbandaid ‘s #drawthisinyourstylechallenge [Image]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/Btw9l4OhXxi/?epik=dj0yJnU9WkxaY1UxdTkyZHRZcmpRNU1nYTN3R0ZhZFJOZ2JtYjImcD0wJm49Y2NWUE1QZ2xPakVwLUxBcFEzZDNkZyZ0PUFBQUFBR0pKX2hr
S-e-reina. (2020, May 30). I decided to repost my Hades and Persephone aesthetic boards individually [Image].Tumblr. https://s-e-reina.tumblr.com/post/619571185634639872/so-ive-decided-to-try-aesthetics-boards-i-kinda
S-e-reina. (2020, July 27). Here is Persephone’s aesthetic board. Honestly I love the color scheme Racheal creates whenever she draws Persephone [Image]. Tumblr. https://s-e-reina.tumblr.com/post/624835680190808064/here-is-persephones-aesthetic-board-honestly-i
Smythe, R. (2021). Lore Olympus: Volume 1 [Cover Image]. Del Rey. Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/Lore-Olympus-One-Rachel-Smythe/dp/0593160290/ref=sr_1_1?crid=LFM2ADSIWS7L&keywords=lore+olympus&qid=1649017025&sprefix=lore+olymp%2Caps%2C223&sr=8-1
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