65 pages • 2 hours read
Neon Gods
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Chapters 16-19Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 16 Summary
As he carries her away, Persephone tells Hades that she has realized his true motives: “you want Zeus to pay, but not at the expense of your people. And they are your people” (193). When Hades suggests her mother also commands loyalty, Persephone says Demeter is different and more self-centered. Hades reluctantly tells her of her mother’s threats to his food supply, horrifying her. Persephone argues that her preferences are not more important than the lives of innocents, but Hades assures her that he can circumvent her mother if she still wants to stay in the lower city. Persephone kisses Hades, overwhelmed by the signs of his political skill and desire to rule in the public interest, which is so unlike the life she has known before now.
They arrive in his bedroom and Hades strips her. He keeps the light off. This helps to conceal his burn scars, but it frustrates Persephone. At this point, only the reader knows the extent of the damage from the fire that killed his parents. Persephone revels in the more private intimacy, realizing, “I can’t pretend I want this solely for the benefit of our mutual reputations” (199). After he brings her to orgasm, Persephone asks to reciprocate, and realizes that he is anxious about her touching his chest. She says nothing about his scars, sensing his unspoken relief that she has not been repulsed and wants to continue. They have sex, overwhelmed by intense passion, and she asks him to stay the night with her. She reminds him that she will leave when winter is over, so their time together is limited, and he agrees to stay. She finds herself close to tears at the prospect of leaving, determined to enjoy their new intimacy until her departure.
Chapter 17 Summary
The next morning, Hades wakes, fighting the sentimental urge to stay with Persephone. Hermes summons him to a video conference with the other members of the Thirteen. Zeus demands Persephone’s return, and Demeter is outraged, demanding evidence Persephone is truly free to leave. Persephone herself emerges, assures her mother she is well and “very happy with Hades” and ends the call (208).
Hades is both amused and slightly shocked at her gesture, as well as the open disdain she expresses for the Olympian power structure. He realizes she has been deeply underestimated, and Hades tells her that he will safeguard her dream to leave the city and fully discover herself. He also promises her a phone to call her sisters once more. Persephone kneels and offers him oral sex, assuring him that she has never lied to him about her desires. He exults in the reciprocity and the trust she shows. As he reciprocates with oral sex for her, Hades realizes that his attachment to her is growing, saying, “I want to ensure that no matter where she goes, or how much time passes, that she’ll always remember this” (213).
Chapter 18 Summary
Persephone, now the point-of-view character, has her lunch interrupted by Hermes, with an official message to call her sisters. She does, and finds them anxious and unconvinced by her assurances that her sexual liaison with Hades is something she wants. She tells them about his honesty and decency, promising them that she is truly well. They point out that Demeter does seem truly concerned.
Persephone senses that Psyche is hiding something and calls her back separately. Psyche admits that Zeus has his security teams following all of them when they leave the family apartment. Psyche thinks that this is a strategy to force Persephone to return home to protect her sisters. She assures Persephone that she should maintain her new autonomy at any cost. Psyche becomes angry when Persephone apologizes for not prioritizing them, reminding her that Olympus and its power structure are the problem, not her desire for freedom. They hang up, and Persephone is alone with her new doubts.
Chapter 19 Summary
Hades, now the point-of-view character, is nearly finished with his day of preparations for the coming supply challenges. Hades finds Persephone reading and takes in the sight, momentarily indulging in a dream of returning home to her on a regular basis. He sees immediately that she is upset, and she shares her worries for her sisters and her fear that she has failed them by fleeing.
He suggests a walk in the city. When he asks if she is anxious, she assures him that he is all the safety she needs, overwhelming him with her trust. They arrive at a large indoor market with food and craft stalls. Persephone is overjoyed by the vibrancy and diversity of the space. Hades makes her promise they will have dinner first and takes her to his favorite gyro stand. Persephone realizes he is a regular there, and reflects that he clearly revels in knowing that his community is thriving. Hades briefly considers that they seem like any other couple having an evening out. He promises Persephone that he will take her back to the market as often as he can. He carries her into the house, and she indicates that she is happy in his bedroom rather than the guest room. He offers to move her in with him, and she accepts.
Hades leaves to check the property’s security in his nightly ritual, and he returns to find Persephone sound asleep. She stirs slightly to say goodnight, and Hades realizes he is “no longer able to deny that this woman has irreversibly changed my life” (235).
Chapters 16-19 Analysis
At this stage in the narrative, Robert demonstrates that Hades’s emotional landscape is shifting due to Persephone’s presence. He seeks out physical intimacy with her for his own pleasure, free from politics. More than that, he now trusts in her assertions about her desires and shares his own: He is absolutely certain that he has her consent. The longing Hades feels for a future with Persephone, and his impulse to protect and nurture her, underline that the love he feels has forced him to accept his own emotional needs, thus highlighting the theme of Forbidden Love and Redemption. Both Hades and Persephone are better able to care for themselves through their forbidden relationship with each other, which builds to a redemptive arch for each character. Additionally, the theme of Tensions Between Public Personas and the Authentic Self comes into play, as a deep level of authenticity is revealed when the characters are together. The relationship helps to combat the need for such a severe public persona, as Hades and Persephone instill strength in each other. Moreover, their shared openness demonstrates the manner in which they are able to problem solve together.
Persephone, for her part, confronts a new aspect of her changing role in the world. Her love for her sisters was always the emotional authenticity in her life, even amid the gloss and deception of the upper city. Their enduring sense of loyalty is one of the traits Hades and Persephone share—his entire city is his family, while her sisters are the people that she has always been honest with. She offers them that same honesty about her new life, showcasing her confidence in Hades and the sexual liberation she feels in her life with him. These relationships between Hades and Persephone, Persephone and her sisters, and Hades and his lower-city dwellers are all demonstrative of the theme of Power and Loyalty. Loyalty runs deep in these relationships, and action is often taken in light of these loyalties. As such, these relationships hold a certain amount of power, but in these authentic connections, it is unlikely that there will be any abuse of power. This serves as a stark contrast to power-hungry Zeus and other members of the Thirteen, who crave both loyalty from and power over those they are closest to.
Persephone, however, lacks the ability to defend her personal loyalties the way Hades can maneuver to support the citizens of the lower city. Hades is a ruler, and Persephone is still learning to understand her role and her own sense of agency. As such, she is unsure of how she can best protect her sisters, but she is assured by Psyche that tending to her own senses of power and freedom is just as important. Therefore, Persephone relies on Hades for assurance, underlining that he has become family to her in ways her mother is not. She now trusts him to meet her physical needs—her eagerness for meals demonstrates the greater security she feels. She accepts the vulnerability Hades offers her without much comment, quietly sharing his living space as if domesticity is their due. The alliance between them grows more intimate, steeped in quotidian routines. Robert takes pains to assure the reader that their emotional connection is real, even as their fears for the future remain unresolved. This again highlights the theme of Forbidden Love and Redemption, as the characters grow stronger from their forbidden love, however unsure they are of where it will take them.
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