A Touch of Ruin

As the God of the Underworld and Persephone’s love interest, the mature and vastly more experienced older man who is passionately in love with her, Hades is an all-powerful, if somewhat mysterious, figure. His one weakness is his love for Persephone; she is, as he says at one point, his exception. He will break all his laws for her, as when he refuses to bargain with the Fates for Lexa’s life but resurrects Pirithous after Persephone kills him simply so that he may have the pleasure of torturing Pirithous.

Hades is described as a man with “high cheekbones, well-manicured beard, and full lips” (15). He has long black hair, a strong body, and bulky muscles. Persephone says to him, “Your eyes are dark but there’s something…alive behind them. Sometimes I think it’s passion. Sometimes I think it’s violence. Sometimes I think it’s all your lifetimes” (68). She describes him as “a tangible shadow, built like a fortress” but also “full of rage and ruin and strife” (104, 106). In his divine form, he appears in robes, with his long hair pulled back, and “[h]is horns [are] like black slashes, rising into the sky” (378). Hades has a sense of fairness and a wish to moderate the harm mortals do to one another, but he also has a dark side and occasionally enjoys torturing or punishing others.

While he and Persephone have some tender moments (e.g., when she bakes a cake or when he mentors her in using her magic), most of their time together is spent either arguing or having sex. Hades is irresistibly drawn to Persephone and insists that his passion is not due to fate, but he is also unable to set aside his need for control when dealing with her. While he is unfamiliar with relationship activities like offering emotional support or talking through problems, he shows his passion through physical power, removing her obstacles, torturing anyone who harms her, and demonstrating sexual desire. Apollo suggests to Persephone that Hades requires her trust, but in some respects, trust looks like submission; he wants the ability to teleport her where he will, make decisions for her, and have sexual access at all times. While Persephone’s life will change irrevocably when she becomes his bride, it isn’t clear how Hades is changing to make room in his life for Persephone, aside from being called upon again and again to rescue her from men who are threatening her.

Hecate, the Goddess of Witchcraft, mentors and guides Persephone. She is a static character, representing the eternal nature of the gods, but she is also wise, compassionate, knowledgeable, and warm. Knowing how to mix poisons as well as medicines, she, too, has a dark side to her magic, but in this novel, she mainly uses her power for healing. Hecate stands in as a mother figure, a foil to Persephone’s own mother, Demeter, who does not display any nurturing tendencies. Hecate is also a counterpart to Hades, the representation of a mature goddess in command of her power who can work beside him. When he is unable to stop Persephone’s magic on his own when Persephone is destroying the Underworld in her rage, Hades calls on Hecate for aid.

Hecate doesn’t get caught up in emotion but rather considers a broader perspective, understanding and explaining Persephone’s struggle for identity. Her role among the gods is otherwise a bit confused in the novel; though her realm is witchcraft, Hecate doesn’t seem to play a part in Iniquity, where, instead, Magi create spells such as love potions and strike bargains with mortals. Hecate might not participate because she chooses to obey divine law. She also possesses the power for healing, which is Apollo’s realm, but the two do not seem to come into conflict over this. Her lessons and instruction include helping Persephone learn how to create things, suggesting that Hecate’s goals are to support Persephone’s creative abilities, not her destructive powers.

Lexa is an attractive young mortal woman with thick black hair and several tattoos. When the novel opens, she is starting a job planning events for the Cypress Foundation, a nonprofit run by Hades. She enjoys the job immensely and likes being part of the Halcyon Project because one of her talents is helping people. Lexa’s role in the novel is to be a companion and sounding board for Persephone, providing information, talking through challenges, and guiding her in decisions. Lexa is fun-loving, smart, kind, and supportive. She is willing to take in the people (such as Sybil) Persephone wants to shelter. Her boyfriend, Jaison, is loyal and devoted to her.

Lexa’s tragedy in the novel illustrates the Fates’ cruelty and capriciousness. There is no reason for her accident other than the careless behavior of a fellow mortal. However, in contrast to Persephone’s fear and panic, Lexa is resigned to her death. She accepts that it is time for her to enter the Underworld, and when Persephone creates an obstacle to this path, Lexa chooses it herself through suicide. While her accident is a tragedy, her re-budding friendship with Persephone at the end of the novel suggests that a person’s essential qualities do not change with circumstances. She provides a foil and contrast to Persephone, who fights her fate rather than accepting it.

Sybil is both a friend and a foil to Persephone, providing an example of what Persephone’s character arc could become. Sybil’s break with Apollo is an inciting incident for the plot events, but she represents an alternate version of Persephone’s relationship where the gifted, attractive young woman doesn’t want to be the lover of a god. When Apollo punishes her, Sybil is devastated, but she doesn’t plan revenge; rather, she looks for ways to get a new job and put her life back together.

A realist, Sybil is practical, curious, and intelligent. Her talents as an oracle aren’t fully explored or explained. Instead, in one respect, Sybil lives the life Persephone thought she wanted: She has a life in the Upperworld, a network of friends, interesting work (once she gets her powers back), and a promising new relationship. Sybil escapes the control of a god to become the young woman of independence and agency that Persephone isn’t allowed to be.

Apollo is an immortal and Olympian. As the God of Music and Healing, he is one of the more complex characters. He is initially presented as an arrogant, entitled jock and domestic abuser who punishes a woman who won’t have sex with him. His history of cruelty and abuse reinforces this perception of him as an antagonist. He first comes across as selfish, rude, and uncaring of the plight of others; as he says to Hades during their confrontation, there’s nothing left on earth for him to love. He dresses in a preppy style, in polo shirts and jeans, and is arrogant, deciding to punish Marsyas for hubris—too much pride in boasting that he is better than the gods.

However, Apollo’s cruelty and indifference are masks for the deep pain and self-blame that he caused the death of his lover, Hyacinth. Apollo demonstrates the ability to change—and to acknowledge the agency of others—when he acknowledges Persephone’s demand that he request, rather than steal, time with her and that he stop using demeaning nicknames. Apollo’s reunion with Hyacinth during the summer solstice celebrations provides an optimistic note during a time when Hades and Persephone are apart and foreshadows their eventual reconciliation.