I just finished Field of Asphodel and… Hades, BABY, PLEASE GET A CLUE 😭 (Review/spoilers)
Disclaimer: I actually really liked Field of Asphodel. I liked the story, the characters, the atmosphere, and especially the way Hades was portrayed.
But I am also… so frustrated 😭 Maybe I’m just not used to this kind of pacing, but I went into the Hades route expecting a slow-burn romance and came out feeling like I had spent the entire game desperately trying to flirt with a man who had never heard of flirting before.
Because first of all, I LOVED Hades. I really liked the way he was written and the way he spoke. But what really got me was his self-consciousness and the way he seemed almost incapable of believing that someone could genuinely love him. Like sir????
You are kind, thoughtful, considerate, you constantly demonstrate how much you care about the people around you, and yet you look at yourself like you’re somehow unworthy of being loved??? I SEE YOU, HUN. And I absolutely wanted to cherish the life out of him 🥺
I actually liked the slow pacing at FIRST. I thought, okay, this is a slow burn. We’re going to take our time. I can work with that. At first, I even wanted to play the sweet romance where Persephone doesn’t immediately fall for him. She’s there against her will, she doesn’t particularly like him at first, then slowly starts noticing his kindness. A little blushing here. A soft gaze there. Maybe some moments where she catches herself caring about him more than she intended. I was READY.
But then Hades started being so oblivious that I eventually had to abandon my MC’s carefully constructed personality and basically start yelling romantic declarations at him 🤡Because COME ON. I chose the bold/flirty options and this man would be like: “Oh, that’s very kind of you. Thank you.”
SIR. THAT WAS NOT A COMPLIMENT. THAT WAS ME FLIRTING WITH YOU.
At some point I was basically throwing myself at this man and he was politely accepting the kindness like I had given him a basket of muffins 🥲
And then the end??? The feather-light kiss on the back of our hand??? THAT’S IT????
I’m sorry but there was SO MUCH potential here. Because the ingredients were literally RIGHT THERE. We start with difficult circumstances. We get to know each other. His kindness slowly wins us over. We spend time together. We start becoming part of this warm, chaotic little group. And somewhere along the way, Persephone realises that her feelings for Hades aren’t quite the same as what she feels for everyone else. Her heart starts fluttering /She starts looking forward to seeing him /She notices the little things. THAT is the slow burn I wanted.
And honestly? I thought the dance at the party was THE moment. That should have been where things started shifting. Not necessarily a full confession—we have a TITAN to deal with duh! but give me something. A moment where the tension finally breaks a little. A lingering look. A hand held a little too long. A “maybe when this is all over…” Something!!!
And then we get the whole power resonance thing. OUR POWERS LITERALLY MIX TOGETHER. There is a literal connection between death incarnate and the embodiment of life. And Hades is still standing there like: “you know that’s an interesting phenomenon.” DARLING OUR POWERS ARE DOING THE CHA-CHA TOGETHER. GET A CLUEEEEE 😭😭😭 From that point on, I desperately wanted some sweet moments that would have made us kick our feet and put down the phone to cool down. The kind of moments where the reader is just sitting there giggling thinking: “WILL THEY? WHEN WILL THEY? OH MY GOD JUST KISS ALREADY.”
And then Demeter takes us back. THAT should have been the moment where everything finally unraveled. Because imagine Hades suddenly having to confront the fact that Persephone is just…gone. The Underworld feels different without her. There’s a void where she used to be. He misses her warmth. He misses her presence. He realises that somewhere along the way, she became part of his life in a way he never allowed himself to hope. And suddenly the man who spent the entire story believing he couldn’t be loved has to confront the fact that he loves her and have to try because he cannot imagine going back to the way things were. GIVE. ME. THAT🫠
And then we get the epilogue. I chose to stay married, AND I explicitly chose the option saying that Hades is a major reason why I want to stay in the Underworld. And yet…nothing.
Okay, that’s exaggerating. We got the hand kiss. 😂
But I NEEDED A REAL KISS. Soft, passionate, filled with longing or relief, you choose
I NEEDED A CONFESSION. I NEEDED THIS MAN TO FINALLY UNDERSTAND THAT HIS WIFE LOVES HIM. I wanted the payoff for all that slow burn!
Again, I want to stress that I liked the IF. I liked Hades as a character. I liked the story and the way their relationship was developing. Which is probably WHY I’m so frustrated. 😭
Because I could see the romance I wanted SOOO clearly. The setup was there. The emotional ingredients were there. Hades’ insecurities were there (i have a soft spot for RO like that pls recommend if you know any🤭). Persephone’s growing affection was there.
I just wanted the romance to actually pay off a little more. Maybe this is simply a case of me not being accustomed to this kind of slow burn, but after finishing the Hades route I was sitting there like: “THAT’S IT??? I WAITED ALL THIS TIME FOR A HAND KISS??? HADES, I’M BEGGING YOU, READ THE ROOM.” 😭
Sorry for the lengthy rant 🙇♀️