Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe

GoodReads|Webtoons

Content/Trigger Warnings: Cheating/adultery, domestic abuse, toxic relationships/abusive relationships, sexual assault, rape, mental and emotional abuse, verbal abuse, manipulation, anxiety, forced marriage, scene of torture, trauma/PTSD, alcohol abuse, scene of drugging, and so much more!

“Even if by some miracle, she did consider me… The Underworld is no place for a Goddess like her.”

Readers, it’s high time I told you about my favorite webcomic…ever! I have been reading Lore Olympus for an extremely long time. I’m talking about before this webcomic made it onto Webtoons. I’m talking back when it first appeared on Tumblr. And I think it’s high time I talk about my love and passion for this webcomic again! I love and adore this webcomic with my whole soul, my whole being, and I can’t stop loving this series. It’s just a beautiful and captivating series.

If you haven’t heard of Lore Olympus by now, just know that you can read this webcomic for free here! It’s also getting produced into a television series and just know, that I’m eagerly anticipating more news on when this will be happening! The excitement and anticipation is real!

On a different note, this web series is a modern retelling of Greek mythology, more specifically the mythology around The Taking Persephone, which Persephone and Hades are the main focus of this graphic novel series. Along the way you will see many other gods, goddesses, and titans throughout mythology that get woven into the story along the way. For example, the story of Eros and Psyche is one of the many stories that get intertwined with the story of Persephone and Hades. It’s all beautifully woven together from flashbacks and memories to present time.

I really love how all the side gods and goddesses come into play with this graphic novel especially with the development of Hades and Persephone. They both have a wide variety of interactions with so many of the titans, the goddesses, and gods. We get to see how each one interacted with our two main characters of this web series. The best part is the interactions feel so humanized and the facial expressions really make them seem like every day mortals. I’m a big fan of facial expressions and seeing so much variety from curious to devastation really cemented how unique each and every character truly is with their experiences.

One of my most favorite aspects of this graphic novel series is the serious topics that it rises. As I mentioned above, there are a lot of content and trigger warnings for this web series and the way each topic is handled is with a lot of care, but accurate representation of what those situations can and are like. Even more so, Rachel has a way of using her color to really set the mood and put emphasis of the scene. Rachel also adds trigger and content warnings for her more heavy and serious issues. And you all know how I love and support authors who take the time to address that heavy content is coming! I just really appreciate the amount of time, effort, care, and emphasis Rachel used for this content. And I say this a lot, but I truly do wish authors took more time and care to address heavier content and trigger warnings for readers. This is just one of many things I love about this series!

Another thing I really love about this series is the artwork! I really loved and enjoyed watching Rachel develop and grow her color scheme as well as the manifestation between the lighter and darker tones. It has been a breathtaking experience and it’s one of those things that has really made me love this series on a deep level. The colors are so eye pleasing and just captivating. I’m attracted to the use of shades of a wide variety and Lore Olympus delivers on so many levels.

And if I still haven’t sold you on everything that goes on with this webcomic then let me say this, the story line and plot is just too good to ignore. I love mythology and I can openly say, anyone who isn’t overly familiar with Greek mythology will still be able to enjoy this series. I know a lot of readers stress about whether or not they need to have a strong knowledge of Greek mythology to be able to understand and enjoy this series and I truly believe anyone can read this webcomic. I have recommended this series to so many people, friends and family who aren’t even into mythology, and they enjoy it so much. Every Saturday and Sunday, I receive texts and messages from them saying, “It’s Lore Olympus Day!” And the conversations you can have with fellow readers of this comic just reaches above and beyond. Out of all the webcomics I read, I never run out of things to say about this series. This is one of very few webcomics that I still have on going conversations about and still have immense excitement about especially as it get’s closer to the drop of a new episode.

“Just like me. The same as me.”

Overall, I just really love this series with my whole heart and soul. This is one series that I feel deep within my soul and ache for every weekend. I’m obsessed with the stunning artwork and the tensity in the story line. If you’ve been sitting on whether or not you should start this graphic novel, then let this be the voice that convinces you to jump on board. These are characters you will fall in love with and Rachel is just an absolute lovely soul. I will support her and her work until the end of time because I love what she’s doing, I love the world she’s building, and the world seems a little brighter with Lore Olympus in it!

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