Hekate by Nikita Gill

Here is a summary with spoilers for Hekate by Nikita Gill

Hekate lived a wonderful childhood life, free and as a demigod with her Titan mother Asteria. Though that peace was shattered when Zeus sent some of the gods after Asteria, leaving no choice but for the mother and daughter to start running. After weeks of running, Asteria has nowhere else to turn, so she asks Charon to ferry them to the Underworld so she can talk to the river goddess Styx. Styx says that she will take in Hekate if Hades agrees, but Asteria will not be granted that protection. Hades arrives and agrees to those conditions. Though Hekate doesn’t know it, she says goodbye to her mother for the last time.

Charon helps Hekate adjust to her new life in the Underworld, as does Styx, though she is a bit more stern with her. She also spends a fair amount of time with Hades, learning about his powers and the Underworld. After months, Hekate starts to ask questions and soon finds out that her mother transformed herself into an island, all to escape Zeus.

As a curious child in a new realm, Hekate goes off to explore, and she even finds Tartarus, where she finds her father Perses, the Titan of destruction. He had no idea he had a daughter and feels terrible he can do nothing for her. She, in turn, wants to do anything to get her father out of prison.

Years later, Hekate is now a woman, still living in the Underworld with Styx and Charon. She has learned much now about the gods, the Titans, about Hades and his realm. What she finds most interesting, though, is Zeus and how brutal he seems to be. She starts to realize how much of a vendetta she holds against him.

Hekate is slowly introduced to other gods as they come to visit Hades. One god that she quite likes is Hermes, who ends up coming back to visit her on a different day just to break her out. Hermes takes Hekate to Nyx’s realm so that she can visit Kronos. Though he tries to poison her and trap Hekate into being his new mistress. Hermes isn’t there to get her out, but Thanatos is. He teaches her about death and takes her back to Hades’ Underworld. When she returns, Styx is furious that she left in the first place. But it leads to Hekate asking questions, which is how she finds out that she is a necromancer. More truth comes out. Not only did the Olympian gods betray her mother, but so did Styx. They all left her mother behind and knew that there was potential that Hekate could be a strong woman. The revelation leaves Hekate rattled, and she runs away screaming. She feels herself split into three. Two versions of her leave herself and never come back.

Feeling betrayed by those who raised her, Hekate decides to leave Styx and the Underworld. She and Thanatos decide to leave together. She now gets to make her own potions and not be supervised by Styx. Thanatos supports her at all times and even tells her he will make her an apothecary. Hades visits her after some time. He gives her a warning, saying that if he knew how powerful she was, he never would have taken her in as a child. But now that he knows, he and all the other Olympians are watching, and she should be careful.

The mortal world gets crazy when the Trojan War starts, and Hekate even gets called in to help with her potions. During this time, she gains the name as goddess of necromancy and witchcraft. The mortals know of her now, especially after she turns some of the mortals into her sacred black hound.

With the Trojan War done, the Olympians start to get messy when Hades takes Persephone, and Demeter is very angry. Her anger is taken out on the mortals, but it is also personal, as Hekate is friends with both Persephone and Demeter. Hekate uses all of the distractions to her advantage. As Olympus is fighting with each other, Hekate takes her hounds and brings peace to them. She saves the Olympians, and Zeus is worried, knowing that he now owes her something. Hekate wants her father and his brothers released from their punishment. Zeus agrees to a partial release, but they will still be in Tartarus. She also asks that Zeus get involved with Hades and Persephone. He says that as long as Persephone didn’t eat anything down in the Underworld, she will be able to leave. With all of her boons granted, Hekate is prepared to leave, especially since she feels like she bested Zeus. Zeus then tells her he never wants to see her near Olympus again. He also never wants her to marry, especially never a child of Nyx, like Thanatos.

Hekate then goes to the Underworld to tell Demeter the good news. When they go to the Underworld, they find that Persephone has eaten, so she can’t leave. Though Hades does truly love her and comes up with the compromise that she can stay half the year with him and half the year with her mother. Persephone only agrees if she can have half his kingdom to be his equal. Hades agrees.

Hekate then goes back to her old home, where Thanatos is waiting for her. He kisses her, and Hekate realizes she doesn’t care what Zeus or the gods want from her. She just wants to be happy.

In an epilogue, her mother hears about her daughter, and she is so proud of what Hekate has become.