This week we are discussing Drag Me Up by R.M. Virtues, Ch. 1-10.
Content Warning!!! This book contains situations and subjects related to: sex and harassment.
Spoiler Warning!!! This post is full of spoilers for Drag Me Up by R.M. Virtues.
Discussion:
Jacilyn: Hello friends and welcome to the first discussion of Drag Me Up by RM Virtues. This is Shelf Explored’s first retelling, this time the story of Persephone and Hades from Greek mythology. Michaela reads a lot more retellings than I do, but I’ve noticed that consistency with the source material varies. Sometimes, there are more literal interpretations and other times it’s more figurative. I don’t know that I’m exactly sure where this story falls at this point, but there are definitely some interesting differences between it and the original myths.
I’m really enjoying that other Greek mythological figures are present in Khaos Falls, but I’m unsure as to whether the characters are gods or mortal. Clearly Zeus and Hades have power of some sort, to be the leaders of Khaos Falls, but whether it’s physical stature and political power or magic of some kind, is unclear so far. I also find the different districts of Khaos Falls to be a unique take on the various realms of Greek mythology - the River Styx district houses Asphodel, Hades’ casino, and the actual river itself is rumored to carry the souls of the dead, just like in the myth.
Michaela: I love a good retelling and so far I am enjoying this one a lot. The society is fascinating but that doesn’t stop me from being confused. This first section felt a little lacking on important ‘intro to this universe’ info for me. I’m sure we’ll learn more as we go but I wish there was just a smidge more information there for me to understand things a little better. I’m definitely going to have to re-familiarize myself with some of the original Greek myths to make sure I’m not missing anything. I love how the author used different Greek myth elements in this story. Cerberus has been one of my favorites so far. I’m still confused if there is magic here though, no one has outright used any but the way some characters talk about things it feels like they could be referring to a kind of power. Like Jac mentioned it could just be a political power rather than magical power.
I really like that Hades runs a casino and how his office is set up to overlook everything, such a good spin on the og myth. Persephone is an acrobat in this retelling, which felt a little random to me but I also like it a lot. They’re both fun characters to read in this book and their chemistry feels quite genuine so far as well. They went from nervous first date to full on sex session really fast but it didn’t feel overly rushed because of their chemistry. One thing that feels weird purely because of the original myths is Zeus’ obsession with Persephone, if I’m remembering correctly Zeus is actually Persephone’s father. Obviously, that is not the case in this retelling but it was a bit weird at first. But in true Greek myth fashion, Zeus is a self-important creep, so I’m glad we kept that personality trait in, otherwise it would really feel unrealistic.
Jacilyn: Cerberus is adorable and it makes me happy that Hades “siblings,” the ones he actually has true connections with, have the other Cerberus pups from the litter. I really love the sort of dark, sensual vibes the casino and cirque show give the story, it fits the chemistry that Hades and Persephone have perfectly. I am fascinated by cirque performances, especially the acrobats and aerialists, and the way they can tell stories without dialogue, so the way Hades is entranced by Persephone’s performance totally clicked with me. And, as Michaela knows, I am an unashamed reader of spicy stories so this story definitely ticked that box for me. It did move quickly to that point but like you said, the chemistry makes it feel natural for them.
I think that if there is one thing that could be called the most well-known fact from Greek mythology, it’s that Zeus is a prick. I agree that it wouldn’t have felt authentic if Zeus was portrayed as anything but that, but I really wasn’t expecting him to be stalking and harassing Persephone. He’s giving me some incredibly abusive vibes and I’m really anxious for her once he finds out about her and Hades… but I’m hoping that this will be what gets Hades to push back against Zeus and stop cleaning up after him. He’s clearly a danger to Khaos Falls and doesn’t give a shit about anyone but himself. He caused a whole district to go on lockdown and quite possibly be preparing to attack, and he’s just out there thinking with his dick as for fucking usual.
I appreciate that Virtues created a diverse cast of characters, both in looks and identities. It’s incredibly refreshing to see a Greek mythos-inspired story that isn’t homogeneously white across the board, and it didn’t feel like Persephone being trans was crafted into a plot point that only served to “other” her. This is the first book in a series, with the other two featuring different protagonists in the same world, so I hope to see this trend continued in those stories as well.
Michaela: I’m really scared of what Zeus is going to do. His character feels incredibly dangerous and unstable. He’s clearly chaotic and selfish in normal situations so who knows what he’ll do when he’s angered. I am however excited to see Hades’ response to Zeus. I’m genuinely excited to see Hades get all Hades-y, everyone in this society is intimidated by him but so far we haven’t seen why really. He’s so cute with Persephone that I want to see his other side. His nervousness on their date was actually heartbreakingly cute. I loved it so much. And their whole sex scene showed how well they work together, they challenge and respect each other at the same time. I just love them already and if it gets taken away from me I will be a whole ass mess.
Jacilyn: I imagine that the conflict in the story will at least partly come from Zeus, but I don’t know what to expect from the Tartarus lockdown and if there will be any issues from them or even Demeter, who seems like a straight up bitch. We’ll see where the story takes us from here! Thanks for joining us, and happy reading.
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