Review: Lore Olympus Vol 1

Hi and welcome to the reading world!

Today I’m sharing a review of a graphic novel series that I started recently, Lore Olympus! 

This originated as an incredibly popular Webtoon series and is now being published in graphic novel bind ups of the episodes. 

Lore Olympus: Volume One by Rachel Smythe
Published by Random House Publishing Group on November 2, 2021
Genres: Comics & Graphic Novels / Fantasy, Comics & Graphic Novels / Romance
Pages: 384


#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - Scandalous gossip, wild parties, and forbidden love--witness what the gods do after dark in this stylish and contemporary reimagining of one of the best-known stories in Greek mythology, featuring a brand-new, exclusive short story from creator Rachel Smythe.

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR - "What Scott Pilgrim did for Canadian slackers, Lore Olympus does for the Greek pantheon, while being so beautiful that you know Aphrodite is just staring daggers in its direction."--Kieron Gillen, co-creator of The Wicked + The Divine

Persephone, young goddess of spring, is new to Olympus. Her mother, Demeter, has raised her in the mortal realm, but after Persephone promises to train as a sacred virgin, she's allowed to live in the fast-moving, glamorous world of the gods. When her roommate, Artemis, takes her to a party, her entire life changes: she ends up meeting Hades and feels an immediate spark with the charming yet misunderstood ruler of the Underworld. Now Persephone must navigate the confusing politics and relationships that rule Olympus, while also figuring out her own place--and her own power.

This edition of Smythe's original Eisner-nominated webcomic Lore Olympus brings Greek mythology into the modern age in a sharply perceptive and romantic graphic novel.

This volume collects episodes 1-25 of the #1 WEBTOON comic Lore Olympus.


I picked up the first volume after hearing so many positive things about it from the bookish corner of the internet. All I knew was that it was a Hades and Persephone retelling and that people loved it, so I decided to see what the hype was about.

Firstly, this is a Hades and Persephone retelling where the characters are gods with powers and other Greek mythological figures are major characters within the story. Some of the basic myths are referenced as well. As a disclaimer, I am not a scholar of Greek mythology or classic legends, but from my own basic knowledge and interest I picked up on some nods to the original stories while Lore Olympus itself definitely creates a tale all its own.

I love the character development introduced in the first volume. Persephone and Hades are two characters I enjoyed reading about and I can’t wait to see where their story goes. There are also a lot of side characters I enjoyed getting to know and follow along with. 

Since this is the first volume of episodes, there’s definitely more emphasis on exposition and introduction and less jumping straight into a fast paced story. After finishing the first volume of Lore Olympus, I immediately opened Webtoon and proceeded to catch up on over 100 episodes of this story where the story itself is able to take shape!

This story also deals with heavy topics. I highly recommend looking up Storygraph content warnings listed by readers, and the author does include disclaimers on some of the episodes for certain content from what I remember. While I didn’t know that some content would be present going into the story, I was glad there were some warnings of the content just to be aware of.

Overall this series is one I definitely love. While the first volume itself has to take the time to establish a good bit of world building and character dynamics, the story definitely picks up and unfolds across extensive episodes. If you enjoyed the first volume, I highly recommend checking out the webtoon while you wait for the next collections to be published!

Thanks for stopping by!

Rae