Is A Touch of Malice spicy?

A Touch of Malice (ATOM) is high spice (4/5)—explicit, detailed intimate scenes are a central part of the story.

Does A Touch of Malice have a happy ending?

A Touch of Malice (ATOM) ends on a cliffhanger—no traditional HEA or HFN. This is part of the Hades x Persephone series, so the story continues in the next book.

What tropes are in A Touch of Malice?

A Touch of Malice (ATOM) features several romance tropes including fated mates, forbidden love, forced proximity, secret heir/royalty.

What are the content warnings for A Touch of Malice?

Content warnings for A Touch of Malice (ATOM) include: sexual violence, rape, suicide, PTSD, kidnapping, assault, bombing, shooting.

Is A Touch of Malice a standalone or part of a series?

A Touch of Malice (ATOM) is book 3 in the Hades x Persephone series.

Is A Touch of Malice dual POV?

A Touch of Malice (ATOM) is told in first person.

What is the setting of A Touch of Malice?

A Touch of Malice (ATOM) is set in New Greece (urban mythological), Underworld—mythological.

How long is A Touch of Malice?

A Touch of Malice (ATOM) is 418 pages, which takes roughly 14 hours to read at an average pace.

What is the mood of A Touch of Malice?

A Touch of Malice (ATOM) has a dark, intense, romantic, dramatic, suspenseful feel to it.

Is A Touch of Malice on Kindle Unlimited?

Yes, A Touch of Malice (ATOM) is available on Kindle Unlimited.

What order should I read the Hades x Persephone series?

A Touch of Malice (ATOM) is book 3 in the Hades x Persephone series.

A Touch of Malice

by Scarlett St. Clair

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️steamy·Hades x Persephone #3

3.0 on MoodReads (1 rating)3.9 on Goodreads (133,492)

Rate this book

Available on Kindle Unlimited

find similar →

Report Spoiler settings

Ending

reveal ending

Why Read This?

Synopsis

Persephone and Hades are engaged. In retaliation, Demeter summons a snowstorm that cripples New Greece, and refuses to lift the blizzard unless her daughter calls off her engagement. When the Olympians intervene, Persephone finds her future in the hands of ancient gods, and they are divided. Do they allow Persephone to marry Hades and go to war with Demeter or prohibit their union and take up arms against the God of the Dead?Nothing is certain but the promise of war.

book details below may contain spoilers. some hidden

At a Glance

Greek myth reimagined as high-stakes urban drama where gods meddle in mortal politics and Persephone refuses to be a pawn. The spice runs hot and frequent—Hades and Persephone experiment boldly—but it is Demeter's suffocating winter and the looming threat of divine war that give this installment its teeth. Ends on a soul-crushing cliffhanger that demands the next book immediately.

trope onetrope twotrope threetrope four

Book Details

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

Goodreads Rating

3.93 ★ (133.5k)

Page Count

418 pages

Published

2021

Primary Genre

Romantasy

Pairing

POV

First Person

Romance Pacing

Cliffhanger

reveal ending

Audiobook

Available

Yes

Format

Single Narrator (unspecified)

Narrator

Meg Sylvan

Narrator Count

Single

Tropes

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

Theme Constellation

Mood & Vibe

Mood

darkintenseromanticdramaticsuspensefulangstysteamyatmospheric

Writing Style

dramaticimmersivecinematicemotional

Story Pacing

fast

Emotional Weight

heavy

Energy Required

medium

Vibes

page turner

Characters

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

FMC Archetype

MMC Archetype

Relationship Dynamics

Spice Details 🌶️

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

🌶️

Spice Level 4

Spice Style

Getting Steamy

Bringing the Heat

Browse more books by spice level →

()▼

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

Browse books by content warning →

World & Setting

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

World Type

mythological

Primary Setting

New Greece (urban mythological)Underworld

Fantasy Creatures

gods/deities

Reading Context

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

Emotional Payoff

Best Time of Year

winter

When & Where to Read

at night summer evening

Hades x Persephone

#1 A Touch of Darkness

#2 A Touch of Ruin

#3 A Touch of Malice

#4 A Touch of Chaos

this page is just the start

import your Goodreads or StoryGraph TBR. we tag every book with spice, tropes, CWs, mood, all of it
tell us a vibe (“enemies to lovers fae, high spice”) and BookMatch finds the book
4,000+ romantasy books searchable by 45 fields
book clubs, reading challenges, and a community of readers who get it

free account

Quick Facts

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️steamy

418

2021

3.93 ★ (133.5k)

reveal ending

Series

Hades x Persephone #3

Similar picks →

My Notes

Short Takes

quick 280-character reactions for this book. drop a thought, rate the vibe, keep scrolling.

Book Chat

live reactions, hot takes, screaming into the void about A Touch of Malice

A Touch of Malice

At a Glance

Book Details

Goodreads RatingThe crowd's verdict. Take it with salt, though. Some masterpieces are polarizing.

Page CountHow long the commitment is.

PublishedWhen this hit shelves. Helpful for tracking vibes by era.

Primary GenreWhat type of book this is. Romance? Fantasy? A 400-page therapy session disguised as a thriller?

PairingWho's falling in love? The gender makeup of your main romance. Helps you find your specific flavor of love story.

POVWhose head are you in? First person = deep in the feels. Third = watching from above. Dual = emotional whiplash (affectionate).

Romance PacingHow long until they kiss? Slow burn = 300 pages of tension. Insta-love = page 12 and it's already chaos.

CliffhangerEnding type: HEA = forever happy (you'll cry happy). HFN = happy for now (open to interpretation). Bittersweet = complicated feelings. Know what you're signing up for.

AudiobookCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.

AvailableCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.

FormatHow fancy is the audio? Standard = one narrator. Full cast = theater kids went off. GraphicAudio = a MoViE iN yOuR mInD.

NarratorThe voice in your ears.

Narrator Count

TropesPlot devices and story situations that drive the romance. These are the circumstances that throw characters together or create conflict, not how they personally relate.

Mood & Vibe

MoodWhat you felt reading this. Swoony? Gutted? Deliciously unhinged? The emotional fingerprint.

Writing StyleHow the author writes - prose style, dialogue approach, and narrative voice. This is about craft and delivery, not emotional effect.

Story PacingDoes the story sprint or saunter? Fast = you'll miss sleep. Slow = you'll savor every word. Medium = balanced chaos.

Emotional WeightHow much are you gonna cry? Light = fun feels. Moderate = real stakes. Heavy = bring tissues. Devastating = call your therapist.

Energy RequiredCan you read this on a Tuesday after work, or do you need a full Saturday and three cups of coffee? Low/Medium/High.

VibesOne perfect sentence that captures the essence. Like: 'Fae politics meets forbidden romance with zero chill.'

Characters

FMC ArchetypeWho is she? The female main character's core identity/role. Assassin? Healer? General Badass?

MMC ArchetypeWho is he? The male main character's core identity/role. Your exact flavor of book boyfriend.

Relationship DynamicsThe interpersonal dynamic between the main characters. How do they relate to each other? This is about character energy and connection style, not plot situations.

Spice Details 🌶️

Spice StyleNot just how much spice, but what kind. Emotional intimacy? Explicit but vanilla? Plot-driven heat? Know your flavor.

Getting SteamyGentle kinks. Fun but nothing too crazy. The appetizer, so to speak.

Bringing the HeatFor those who know exactly what they came for. This is where you find your exact brand of chaos. The good stuff.

⚠️ Content Warnings

World & Setting

World TypeWhat kind of world are you stepping into? High fantasy = full secondary world. Urban fantasy = magic in modern cities. Portal = starts here, goes there.

Primary SettingWhere does the story physically take place? Court intrigue = palace. Dark academia = campus. Cozy witch vibes = small town. This is about location, not world rules.

Fantasy CreaturesWhat supernatural beings populate this world? Fae courts, vampire covens, dragon riders, or just regular humans doing their best.

Reading Context

Emotional PayoffWhat you get for showing up. The catharsis, the growth, the 'I'm a different person now' moment. This is why the hard books are worth it.

Best Time of YearSeasonal mood rings for books. Summer romance reads different than winter gothic.

When & Where to ReadContext matters. Some books are Beach Trip energy, others are 3am Bedtime spiral-reads. Trust.

Hades x Persephone

A Touch of Malice

At a Glance

Book Details

Goodreads RatingThe crowd's verdict. Take it with salt, though. Some masterpieces are polarizing.

Page CountHow long the commitment is.

PublishedWhen this hit shelves. Helpful for tracking vibes by era.

Primary GenreWhat type of book this is. Romance? Fantasy? A 400-page therapy session disguised as a thriller?

PairingWho's falling in love? The gender makeup of your main romance. Helps you find your specific flavor of love story.

POVWhose head are you in? First person = deep in the feels. Third = watching from above. Dual = emotional whiplash (affectionate).

Romance PacingHow long until they kiss? Slow burn = 300 pages of tension. Insta-love = page 12 and it's already chaos.

CliffhangerEnding type: HEA = forever happy (you'll cry happy). HFN = happy for now (open to interpretation). Bittersweet = complicated feelings. Know what you're signing up for.

AudiobookCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.

AvailableCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.

FormatHow fancy is the audio? Standard = one narrator. Full cast = theater kids went off. GraphicAudio = a MoViE iN yOuR mInD.

NarratorThe voice in your ears.

Narrator Count

TropesPlot devices and story situations that drive the romance. These are the circumstances that throw characters together or create conflict, not how they personally relate.

Mood & Vibe

MoodWhat you felt reading this. Swoony? Gutted? Deliciously unhinged? The emotional fingerprint.

Writing StyleHow the author writes - prose style, dialogue approach, and narrative voice. This is about craft and delivery, not emotional effect.

Story PacingDoes the story sprint or saunter? Fast = you'll miss sleep. Slow = you'll savor every word. Medium = balanced chaos.

Emotional WeightHow much are you gonna cry? Light = fun feels. Moderate = real stakes. Heavy = bring tissues. Devastating = call your therapist.

Energy RequiredCan you read this on a Tuesday after work, or do you need a full Saturday and three cups of coffee? Low/Medium/High.

VibesOne perfect sentence that captures the essence. Like: 'Fae politics meets forbidden romance with zero chill.'

Characters

FMC ArchetypeWho is she? The female main character's core identity/role. Assassin? Healer? General Badass?

MMC ArchetypeWho is he? The male main character's core identity/role. Your exact flavor of book boyfriend.

Relationship DynamicsThe interpersonal dynamic between the main characters. How do they relate to each other? This is about character energy and connection style, not plot situations.

Spice Details 🌶️

Spice StyleNot just how much spice, but what kind. Emotional intimacy? Explicit but vanilla? Plot-driven heat? Know your flavor.

Getting SteamyGentle kinks. Fun but nothing too crazy. The appetizer, so to speak.

Bringing the HeatFor those who know exactly what they came for. This is where you find your exact brand of chaos. The good stuff.

⚠️ Content Warnings

World & Setting

World TypeWhat kind of world are you stepping into? High fantasy = full secondary world. Urban fantasy = magic in modern cities. Portal = starts here, goes there.

Primary SettingWhere does the story physically take place? Court intrigue = palace. Dark academia = campus. Cozy witch vibes = small town. This is about location, not world rules.

Fantasy CreaturesWhat supernatural beings populate this world? Fae courts, vampire covens, dragon riders, or just regular humans doing their best.