#sarah diemer

[sapphicbookoftheday]

The Dark Wife by Sarah Diemer

Today's sapphic book of the day is The Dark Wife by Sarah Diemer!

Summary: "Three thousand years ago, a god told a lie. Now, only a goddess can tell the truth. Persephone has everything a daughter of Zeus could want--except for freedom. She lives on the green earth with her mother, Demeter, growing up beneath the ever-watchful eyes of the gods and goddesses on Mount Olympus. But when Persephone meets the enigmatic Hades, she experiences something new: choice. Zeus calls Hades 'lord' of the dead as a joke. In truth, Hades is the goddess of the underworld, and no friend of Zeus. She offers Persephone sanctuary in her land of the dead, so the young goddess may escape her Olympian destiny. But Persephone finds more than freedom in the underworld. She finds love, and herself."

[queerliterature1999]

The first piece of media that I will be discussing on this page is The Dark Wife by Sarah Diemer.

It is a queer retelling of the story of Hades and Persephone. I had read it for the first time many years ago when I was a teen, but am taking the time to reread it now. I'm currently on chapter three and will be "reviewing" it once I've read it in its entirety.

If you'd like to check it out for yourself, it can be purchased in various formats on Amazon!

[drowningparty]

When she kisses me, arcing down like a ray of light, like a gossamer, sacred thing, I reach up to her, wrapping my arms about her ribs, around her heart. I pull her down to me like I’ve captured a star.

Sarah Diemer, The Forever Star from Love Devours.

[sapphicbookclub]

Hi there! First of all, thank you for this blog, I have found numerous amazing sapphic stories because of it 🌸💗

And I wanted to ask if you have any greek mythology inspired sapphic novel recs (e.g. the lies we sing to the sea)?

Thank you for the kind words! Always happy to hear my posts helped someone find a book they loved. And for sure I got a few recs for you!

Besides already mentioned Lies We Sing to the Sea by Sarah Underwood, there's Outrun the Wind by Elizabeth Tammi and Coils by Barbara Ann Wright, there's also Hades and Persephone retellings like The Dark Wife by Sarah Diemer and Captive in the Underworld by Lianyu Tan.

And if you enjoy longer series, you can check out Thermopylae Bound by Belinda Harrison which is a 6 book series about Greek warriors.

[lucidmagic]

Sapphic/Lesbian Fairytale Retelling Recommendations?

I've been on a fairytale/folklore retelling with a sapphic twist kick lately (mostly because I've been brainstorming a loose one for an OG project) and I was wondering if my dear and illustrious followers (and those who come across this post) may have recommendations they want to shout out.

So far, I've read:

Malice by Heather Walter (Sleeping Beauty),

Bitterthorn by Kat Dunn (Beauty and the Beast with some Sleeping Beauty),

The Dark Wife by Sarah Diemer (Persephone and Hades)

(those are the ones I can remember reading as of late)

I have The Misadventures of an Amateur Naturalist by Ceinwen Langley and Thorn by Anna Burke coming in the mail soon.

I definitely know there is more to read, but idk where to even start. Let me know if you guys have any suggestions!

Thanks! Stay safe and happy!

[ofallingstar]

List of books I read in 2023

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

The Broken Girls by Simone St. James

Women Talking by Miriam Toews

L'homme semence by Violette Ailhaud

Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes

A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

On Magic & The Occult by W.B. Yeats

Faithful Place by Tana French

The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry

Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe

Opened Ground: Selected Poems 1966-1996 by Seamus Heaney

The Love Object by Edna O'Brien

Don Quijote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Night by Elie Wiesel

In Between the Sheets by Ian McEwan

The Lost Days by Rob Reger & Jessica Gruner

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

Parallax by Sinéad Morrissey

The Woman in the Strongbox by Maureen O'Hagan

Diaries, 1910-1923 by Franz Kafka

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

Walking to Martha's Vineyard by Franz Wright

A Tale for the Time Being Ruth Ozeki

Mouthful of Forevers by Clementine von Radics

Wasteland by Francesca Lia Block

The Fact of a Body: A Murder and a Memoir by Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich

Find Me by André Aciman

The Awakening by Kate Chopin

The Grace Year by Kim Ligget

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole

Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King

My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

Psycho by Robert Bloch

Classic Tales Of Vampires And Shapeshifters by Tig Thomas

Love Devours: Tales of Monstrous Adoration by Sarah Diemer

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Putney by Sofka Zinovieff

The Woman in Me by Britney Spears

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire

Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

The Maid by Nita Prose

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Deep by Rivers Solomon

You can follow me or add me as a friend on Goodreads.

[izuku]

@lgbtqcreators event 13 — adaptations ↳ the dark wife by sarah diemer

[lgbtqreads]

Hi! Would you perchance know any sapphic novels that fit the soulmate tag?

And perhaps also sapphic/trans retellings of myths?

Soulmates I don't know, but maybe check The Lesbian Review? I have to admit it's never been my personal jam and it's hard to stumble upon by accident.

But I've got you for Sapphic/Trans retellings of myths - try Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust, Wrath Goddess Sing by Maya Deane, Lies We Sing to the Sea by Sarah Underwood, and The Dark Wife by Sarah Diemer!

[theboywhocriedbooks]

hello! It’s been a while...

If you’re not familiar with me, I’m Joseph! I love queer books, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and my dog Hades (that I named after The Dark Wife by Sarah Diemer, lesbian retelling of Hades/Persephone).

I was once super active on this site, where I made so many friends, interacted in many discussions, and posted many book reviews/book photos. I had my queer year in books, where I read only queer books all year and talked extensively about them. I shared book videos I’ve uploaded to YouTube. I talked about my writing, and my experience at a queer writer retreat. And I was just super queer and a lover of books with the internet.

While I was finishing my undergrad degree, my reading slowed down and I lost energy to post online. Once I graduated, I was excited to come back but then we went directly into a global pandemic and my life fell apart. While we’re not completely out of the woods in terms of the pandemic, I now have a hold of my life again. I’ve been reading (which you can see more about on my instagram!), writing, and I’m now in a creative writing graduate program! It’s been crazy!

So, as twitter is burning and I’ve finally found a ground to stand on in my life, I’ve come to my roots (Tumblr) and am asking if anyone is still here! So, are y’all still here? Have y’all been reading? What’s up!?

Queerly,

Joseph Rey

[kiyomarus]

Books I really want to own / read in order :0 (And the ones I already own)

Lovely War by Julie Berry -

The Iliad by Homer

The Odyssey by Homer - - -

A Veil of Gods and Kings: Apollo Ascending Book 1 by Nicole Bailey

Galatea by Madeline Miller - - - - -

The Member Of The Wedding by Carson McCullers

The Sun and the Star by Rick Riordan

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axies Oh

The Edge of in Between by Lorelei Savaryn

Medusa by Rosie Hewlett - - - - - - - - - -

Sea of Scars by Adriana Mara

The Dark Wife by Sarah Diemer

Circe by Madeline Miller

I Fell in Love With Hope by Lancali

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Lore Olympus: Volume 1 by Rachael Smythe

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (Read already)

Lore by Alexandra Bracken (Read already)

[antiyourwokehomophobia2]

Thx 4 the book recs, who r they by?

Annie on my mind- Nancy garden

The Dark Wife- Sarah Diemer

Gideon the ninth- Tamsyn muir

[queerliterature1999]

The Dark Wife (2011) by Sarah Diemer

Trigger Warning:

This story mentions sexual assault, abuse, and death. Proceed with caution.

Genre:

Young adult, Myth retelling

My Opinion:

Overall, it’s a nice retelling of the classic Greek myth, but I’m a sucker for lesbian mythology lol. It reads a bit like a fanfiction, but the characters are well written, so that you care for them independently. The romance is sweet, and I found myself rooting for not just the main relationship, but also the side characters and the overall plot. Plus, it is one of few lesbian stories that has a relatively happy ending. The main note is that you can definitely tell that it is a young adult story, not that that is a con since it is marketed as such. 7/10.

Summary:

Before:

Persephone begins by giving a brief detailing of growing up as Demeter’s daughter- Demeter is constantly telling her that she will be the queen of the gods. She’s friends with a nymph named Charis who never speaks. One night they are laying in the Immortal Woods together and Charis finally speaks, revealing that she has been cursed with a rough voice and was scared that Persephone would abandon her if she heard her voice. Persephone disagrees and they share a kiss, then making plans to run away together before Persephone must go to Mount Olympus. On a later day, when Persephone goes out to find Charis, she is unable to do so. After running everywhere in the woods, she finds Charis bound by vines, being assaulted by a golden being who she assumes is Zeus. When Persephone yells at him, Zeus disappears and turns Charis into a white rosebush. Persephone is heartbroken and retreats to her mother to see if anything can be done. Demeter reveals that Zeus is Persephone’s father and that Charis cannot be turned back. Persephone is distraught and runs off to cry by Charis’ side. While doing so, she begins to think of how she can get revenge on Zeus.

The Truth:

One: Olympus:

Persephone is finally presented in Olympus. Here she meets a handful of other gods and goddesses. Demeter introduces her to Zeus and she runs away from him. Her half-brother, Hermes, talks to her most of the night. He knows of Charis and mentions that Zeus has taken things from him before as well, and mentions that Persephone should “rebel.” Later, Persephone meets Hades who turns out to be a goddess, not a man as everyone says. They share a brief interaction in which Hades kisses Persephone’s hand, leaving gold dust on it. Hermes tells his half-sister that she will soon have choices to make now that she has met Hades, then Persephone and Demeter return to the Earth.

Two: Visitation:

Demeter tells Persephone that Zeus wants to visit her on Earth, but Persephone does not want to, so Demeter says she will make up an excuse for her. Persephone runs off to the sea and spends some time with the sea nymphs. They ask her to gather flowers for them to make crowns, so she goes off to do so. While attempting to gather a specific red flower, the ground shakes and opens up, causing Persephone to break her ankle. Hades rose with a chariot out of the ground, so that she could return a soul to the land of the living as it wasn’t his time yet. She notices Persephone and helps heal her ankle. They talk for a moment, Hades asking Persephone to come to the Underworld with her to escape Zeus. Persephone asks for more time to consider, and Hades agrees before leaving. Persephone returns to the sea nymphs with some flowers before she herself has to leave.

Three: Taken:

A few days later, Zeus arrives to take Persephone with him to Olympus. She asks him for one more day to say goodbye to the forest and he agrees before leaving. Persephone shares a brief interaction with her mother before taking off to the entrance of the Underworld that was housed at the center of the forest. She picks a pomegranate to take with her before entering the Underworld. When she is below, Hermes appears and flies her near the River Styx before leaving. She trades Charon her hair for a boat ride to across the river. When she makes it across, she begins wandering until she finds Hades. Hades is surprised to see her and says that Zeus will no longer have her, before taking Persephone to a room to sleep.

Four: Underworld:

Persephone awakes and Hades begins to introduce her to the Underworld. She first introduces her to the village of the dead, though no one is particularly interested in her. Then they meet Pallas, an old love of Athena’s who had been killed and is now friends with Hades. The trio return to the palace, and Persephone tries to go to sleep again. When she is unable to, she begins walking and runs into Pallas. Pallas takes her to a room where Hades is dancing. Hades and Persephone dance to Pallas’ music briefly before Persephone leaves to her own room again. There, she lies awake thinking of how beautiful Hades is.

Five: Pallas:

Pallas wakes Persephone to tell her that they would be spending the day together because Hades would be busy accepting heroes into the Elysian Fields. Using an old ship tied to a silver rope that Pallas pulled from the River Styx, they crossed the water to play with Hades’ horses. They discuss Athena and the Underworld. When they return to the other side, they are stopped by a group of angry souls in the village of the dead, who confronts Pallas about being Hades’ favorite. They begin attacking Pallas and Persephone before Hades shows up and puts an end to it. Hades brings Persephone into her palace, making sure that she is okay, before Persephone once again goes to her room. She isn’t wounded, but drained.

Six: Elysian:

More time passes with Persephone in the Underworld. Her and Hades discuss love and how immortals seem to lack it. At one point, when they are walking together, they notice how the palace seems to be repairing itself. Hades says that it is because the gods’ realms reflect their feelings and she seems to be bettering herself. Finally, Hades shows Persephone the Elysian Fields and it depresses her, as Pallas said it would. She doesn’t understand how Hades can deal with it daily- how she can deal with the anger of the mortals when she is in reality so kind. Another night, when Persephone can’t sleep, she goes to find Hades who comforts her, though Persephone feels like she is cheating on Charis.

Seven: Charon:

Persephone wants to go visit Hades’ horses on her own, so she puts her arm into the River Styx in an attempt to pull the ship that Pallas had shown her out by its silver string. When Charon appears, she startles and pulls back, instead allowing him to ferry her across the water. After enjoying her time with the horses, she tries once more to pull the ship from the water, not wanting to bother Pallas or Hades. When she is unable to find the string, she wades into the water and slips, her head falling below the water. She believes she is now stuck in the river since her head had been submerged, but one of the horses comes in and pulls her to the other side. She is safe. Persephone then returns to the palace where Hades finds her, comforts her, and then stays by her side as she sleeps.

Eight: Cerberus:

Pallas begins to give up on trying to convince the souls in the village of the dead that Hades cares for them and that the Elysian Fields are not happy, and she begins to noticeably fade. She doesn’t want to tell Hades about the problems with the dead, though Hades says she will find out what has Pallas upset. Before that though, she tells Persephone that she brought a gift for her. They go down further into the palace and find Cerberus, who is still a puppy and not corrupted. They sit together, playing with Cerberus as Hades tells Persephone the story of her upbringing with Zeus. They end up sharing kisses and then return to the upper palace with Cerberus. When Pallas sees them, she is glad to see that they have finally shared their feelings.

Nine: Gaea:

Hades takes Persephone to see Gaea. Gaea surrounds them and takes over Persephone’s senses, saying that she has blessed her and kept her safe from the River Styx. She also says that they are a part of a bigger story and asks Persephone if she loves Hades. Persephone agrees and when Gaea disappears, Hades awakens her back to the Underworld. There, they vocalize their love for each other, speaking briefly of Zeus’ lies.

Ten: Uprising:

Pallas tells Persephone that Hermes will be visiting the gate of the Underworld, so they go to see him. They speak briefly before Hermes leaves, him mentioning that Demeter has disappeared. Persephone hears Pallas screaming, being attacked by the souls in the village. She gets them to stop trying to push Pallas into the River Styx by offering to finally show them the Elysian Fields. She does, and the souls from both places begin interacting, silencing most of the sobbing and screaming. Argeus, the leader of the souls, admits that Charon had put them up to it and that they were planning on killing Hades. They leave the Fields to go confront Charon, deciding to never close off the Fields again. Charon admits that he just wants freedom and Hades tells him that he has always had it, so he steps off the ferry, Hades admitting that she would now have to build a bridge across the river.

Eleven: Changes:

Hades and Persephone give into each other, then the next morning Hades says that she has another present for Persephone. She built her a sun room out of jewels and light, to mirror the Earth. Pallas interrupts them, saying that Hermes is there and needs to see them urgently. He tells them that Zeus knows where Persephone is and that Demeter will freeze the Earth to death if she does not return in three days. Hades goes to speak with them, leaving Persephone with Pallas. While Hades is gone, they open up the sun room to the souls which causes them to view her as their queen. Hades returns and tells them that Demeter has nothing to do with it and that Zeus is using her to bring Persephone back. Persephone asks Hades to marry her, Pallas walks them through the ritual, and they share the pomegranate and each other as Hades asks Persephone to trust her.

Twelve: Queen of the Underworld:

Hermes escorts Persephone back to the Earth where she meets her mother again. Later, she believes Hades has come to see her, but when she doesn’t recognize the necklace gifted to her, Persephone knows that it is Zeus in disguise. Persephone creates vines to hold him back and poison him. She returns to the Underworld to find Hades leading the dead to capture Zeus. Persephone and Hades reunite as Gaea takes Zeus via Tartarus.

After:

Persephone guides souls to the Underworld in a modern-day New York, joined by Cerberus. Six months out of the year she does, and the other Hermes. Today after she was done, it would be her time to return to Hades.

[gefdreamsofthesea]

Finally reading my collection of YA lesbian novels and short stories by Sarah Diemer/Elora Bishop (who now writes under Bridget Essex and no longer writes YA stuff).

Unfortunately I think a lot of her YA stuff is no longer in print. I just read the Benevolence Tales novellas, light and fluffy witchy romance. I'm currently reading Twixt which is dark fantasy with an interesting premise and mystery. When I'm done I'll read the Project Unicorn anthologies.

[down-in-dixie]

Tagged by: @lucysbradford Thanks!

Last 3 films you watched:

Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga

Green Night

The Invitation

4 films on your to-watch list:

Polarized

Bessie

Wicked (maybe, haven't fully decided yet)

Madame Web

Last 3 songs / artists you listened to:

Fine on the Outside - Priscilla Ahn

Living Hell (Bella Poarch) - Reinaeiry

ABCDEFU (Gayle) - Kelly Clarkson

4 songs / artists on your to-listen list:

Don't really have any at the moment (unless people want to give me recommendations).

Last 3 books you read:

Night of the Witch by Sara Raasch & Beth Revis

A Face to Die For by Iris Johansen

Secrets to the Grave by Tami Hoag

4 books on your tbr:

The Dark Wife by Sarah Diemer

Captive in the Underworld by Lianyu Tan

Chaos Agent by Lee Winter

Contract Bound: A Vampire Lesbian Romance by Elle Mae

Tagging: YOU if you want to do it.

[ramshacklefey]

4. What LGBT+ book influenced you growing up?

Hmm.... this is a tricky one for me, actually. If we're limiting "growing up" to any time under the age of 18, I don't think there was one. Growing up Mormon meant that I was categorically forbidden from reading anything with queer themes or characters, or even with suspected queer themes or characters (legit, I remember Mum telling us that Happy Feet wasn't something we were allowed to watch because the dancing penguin was a metaphor for gay people).

If we expand things a bit, then it would be Jamison Greene's autobiography. Just before I came out as trans, I went looking to see if I could find any books about trans men, and it was hard to find anything.... and then I found his story, and things just kinda clicked for me.

5. Do you read queer nonfiction?

Absolutely! My background in academia led to me reading a lot of queer nonfiction: philosophy and autobiographies mostly, but also as much about queer history as I've managed to get my hands on. I've loved learning about how other queer people think about themselves and our history!

6. Share something from your WIP

Enji brok off his lecture when Usagiyama appeared at the gymnasium door, followed by Hawks. He looked even more bedraggled than usual, wearing old sweatpants and a sleeveless top. His eyes were only half open, and his hair was mashed flat on one side.

"Is this really necessary sir?" he asked petulantly. "I was just getting some good sleep. Beauty rest is important you know." He squinted at Enji for a moment. "Well. May you don't. You should try it sometime."

There was a snort somewhere among the privates. Enji glared in their direction but saw only rows of expressionless faces. Sergeant Togata's lips were tightly pursed, and he looked slightly pained.

"I can't say I have ever tried it," Enjy said scornfully, "But you could clearly do with a bit less of it." Really, the man's vanity was beyond belief.

Togata was suddenly wracked with a fit of coughing. By the looks on the privates' faces, Enji thought he must have scored a point. Hawks bent his head as he moved to stand next to Major Aizawa, clearly put in his place for the moment.

7. Who's your favorite queer character?

Anyone who tries to tell me that Niklaren Goldeye was a cishet man is either a fool or a liar.

8. Rec a sapphic novel!

Absolutely adored The Dark Wife by Sarah Diemer. It's a retelling of the Persephone myth where Hades is a woman, and Persephone goes to seek refuge with her voluntarily in order to escape the overtures of Zeus. (cw for a scene involving rape near the beginning)

9. Free Friday!

I spent nearly 10 years unable to write anything at all because I was terrified of online cancel culture in the early '10s. I really got caught up in feeling like I was supposed to be writing stories that hit on representation for everyone except myself, and I was afraid of the backlash I might get for writing or publishing anything that wasn't up to the standards I thought other people would expect from me.

10. Rec an mlm novel

Kai Ashante Wilson's The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps absolutely rocked me to my core. Absolute recommendation for poetic writing and delightful characters.