A Game of Fate

Scarlett St. Clair’s novel participates in a significant 21st-century literary trend: the reimagining of Greek mythology for modern audiences. This resurgence, which has been energized by social media communities like TikTok’s “BookTok,” revisits ancient myths to explore them through contemporary lenses, often focusing on the perspectives of marginalized or villainized figures. These retellings frequently reimagine classic tales of godly feats as more intimate character studies, and to this end, modern retellings often imbue mythological beings with complex psychological depth and a wealth of human emotions. Titles such as Madeline Miller’s Circe and Jennifer Saint’s Ariadne have popularized this approach, revolutionizing the fantasy and romantasy genres, while the young-adult genre has been transformed by Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and The Trials of Apollo series.

A Game of Fate aligns with this tradition by setting the myth of Hades and Persephone in a modern urban fantasy world called “New Greece” (6), where ancient deities coexist with mortals. In the original myth, Hades, the titular god of the dead, kidnaps Persephone, the goddess of spring, and forces her to dwell with him in the Underworld, making her his queen. Meanwhile, Persephone’s mother—Demeter, goddess of the harvest—searches desperately for her daughter, aided by Hecate, goddess of witchcraft, and the world grows cold and barren in the midst of her grief. Finally, Zeus, king of the gods, bargains with his brother Hades for Persephone’s return; however, because Persephone has eaten pomegranate seeds in the Underworld, she is bound to spend part of each year with Hades in the land of the dead.

In St. Clair’s retelling, Hades takes center stage, gaining a sleek, modern edge with his role as the proprietor of a popular nightclub—a more contemporary “underworld” setting. While Hades remains lord of the heaven-like Elysium and the hellish Tartarus, the novel extrapolates these facts to add nuance to his character, portraying him as a person who is equally capable of mercy and ruthlessness. The plot thus centers on his internal conflicts and broader emotional journey, transforming him into a complex antihero as he simultaneously negotiates the dictates of the three Fates and pursues a tumultuous romance with Persephone. By focusing on his perspective, the novel explores themes of fate, loneliness, and morality, examining the tension between his ancient duties and his modern desires. This context places the novel as a participant in a broader literary movement that uses ancient stories to investigate contemporary ideas about power, love, and agency.