This book captured my attention with the gorgeous cover and I was intrigued to read the story. I liked the sibling relationship and how for the first half of the book, that was the main focus of the story. The setting was very gothic and sinister. I kept reading for the mystery of what was going on in this world and what or who Rowan actually was. My enjoyment flattened when I realized this was a Hades and Persephone retelling. I wish I had known that before I started reading this book because I loathe Hades and Persephone retellings. This one didn't even try to be unique. I'm not a reader who easily picks up on retelling aspects so the fact that this was so blatently obvious is saying something. There was zero chemistry between Violeta and Rowan so I had nothing to keep me invested in the story. The last half was a chore to get through and unfortunately I won't be reaching for the sequel.