Shattered & Returned

A Hades & Persephone Dark Academia Retelling (Dark God, Book 1)

By: L Lysandra, Meg Xuemei X

Narrated by: Victoria Mei, Logan Mcallister

She’s died a hundred times. He’s failed to save her every one.

BLOOM doesn’t know why her dreams drip with blood. Why the dead whisper her name. Or Nero Ravencrux—Forsaken Academy’s lethally beautiful, morally black heart—watches her like she’s both his salvation and his ruin.
She only knows:
Students who break the rules vanish.
Every redhead who looked like her is now a corpse.
She has a month until her twentieth birthday.

NERO is a god in a professor’s skin. For two thousand years, he’s watched Persephone–his Persephone–be reborn only to be slaughtered by the gods who hunt her for sport. This time, he built Forsaken Academy as a gilded cage to keep her alive. But Bloom is different. Fragile. Furious. And unraveling his lies as she digs into the murders of women with her face…women who are all her.

The Fates’ curse is clear: Remember, or this death will be her last.

For listeners who love these tropes:

• Enemies-to-lovers smut
• Dark academia & gothic romance
• Persephone and Hades retelling
• Forbidden teacher/student relationship
• Reincarnation & curse
• Second chance
• Fated mates
• Forced proximity
• Who hurt you?
• Murder mystery
• Villain does better
• He’ll ruin you
• Panty-melting obsession

Warning: This dark academia romance reimagines the Hades and Persephone myth with forbidden lust, deadly secrets, and an epic love that defies fate and curse. The duet contains graphic violence, murders, assault, explicit sex, captivity, and a devastating cliffhanger.
Listener discretion advised.

©2025 Meg Xuemei X (P)2025 Meg Xuemei X

Your Next FAVE 😍😍

YOU THERE! This is your next favorite book!! I never write reviews even though I literally always have audible going… 711 books over just a couple years and this book is the one that finally compelled me to write a review in hopes someone sees and decides to listen to it.. it’s just, ugh. So exceptional. Top 5 fave books… ever.
If you love the story of Hades and Persephone, take it from the girl who has read every. single. version. I love the author of course but normally wouldn’t buy a book with only 1 review so far, So glad I didn’t hesitate- if you decide to listen to this because of my review, thanks for my good karma cause you will looooove this!!!
Exceptional spice, incredible spin on the swoony tale of hades and Persephone.
The last time I was this excited for a sequel was… Twilight. Enjoyyyyy!

Amazing Listen!!

Absolutely amazing listen I loved the narrators they make come alive! Can’t wait for the next chapter.

Narrators just not good…

I almost DNF this one. The male narrator sounded like Mr. Smith in the Matrix movies. Had he said, “Mr. Anderrrrson”, it would have fit him. Drove me nuts! The female narrator was annoying too. She just didn’t speak the dialogue well. It’s hard to pinpoint. I hung in there for the storyline. The fact that it was a major cliffhanger just sealed the deal - I won’t be continuing this series. I should have known considering there were five reviews - all 5 stars with only two written raving about the book. Highly sus.