The Styx is a darkly funny contemporary fantasy and mythological family saga that reimagines Greek mythology in the modern Florida Everglades.
By day, the Pompadakis family appears almost ordinary: a recovering addict, a struggling gambler, a burned-out caretaker, a woman desperate to be loved. But beneath the surface, they are descendants of Charon—the ferryman of the dead from Greek mythology—condemned for generations to guide souls across the waters between life and death.
Every crossing steals another piece of their humanity.
As ancient forces begin disrupting the boundary between the living and the dead, the family finds itself caught in a dangerous conflict involving forgotten gods, violent wraiths, supernatural debt, and a curse that has haunted their bloodline for centuries.
Deep in the swamps of South Florida, the waters are changing. Souls are disappearing. The Underworld’s rules are breaking down. Eldest brother Dax has spent his entire life trying to outrun his family’s curse. And for the first time in generations, escape may actually be possible.
But freedom comes with a cost.
To break the cycle, each member of the Pompadakis family must confront the very obsession destroying them: addiction, sacrifice, gambling, lust, grief, self-destruction. As the veil between worlds collapses and ancient powers close in, the siblings must decide whether they are doomed to repeat the same tragic patterns—or whether they can finally reclaim their humanity from the gods who cursed them.
Blending contemporary fantasy, supernatural suspense, dark comedy, family drama, psychological depth, and mythological retelling,
The Styx explores fate, generational trauma, redemption, and what we inherit from the families that made us.
Perfect for readers who enjoy:
- Greek mythology retellings
- dark fantasy with emotional depth
- morally complex characters
- modern mythological fiction
- supernatural family sagas
- atmospheric Florida gothic settings
- Neil Gaiman-style contemporary mythology
- character-driven speculative fiction
- stories about gods, the afterlife, and cursed bloodlines
Fans of
Circe, American Gods,
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, and Southern gothic supernatural fiction will find themselves drawn into the haunting world of
The Styx—where the dead are never truly gone, and every family owes something to the river.
The edge in Elena's writing comes from her Russian immigrant background and is tempered by her sunny SoCal upbringing: kinda like Dostoyevsky on Molly. She learned English from classic reruns, studied Political Science, Communications, and Theatre at UC San Diego, spent a year in England, trained at the William Esper Studio in New York, and eventually realized she preferred pulling the strings to standing in the spotlight.Now a screenwriter, Elena penned the record-breaking Rocky Mountain Christmas, followed by Wedding Season, with Double Con Christmas on deck. Early in her career, she was a three-time finalist for the Warner Bros. Writers' Workshop and, in 2020, both a Finalist and Semi-Finalist in the Austin Film Festival Screenwriting Competition.She has written and performed in improv and sketch comedy videos that built a loyal audience and now-unable to stay out of the spotlight altogether-appears in live storytelling shows across Los Angeles.In 2015, Elena earned a master's degree in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica-a credential that seriously informs her work, even when she's poking fun at it. She's well-versed in healing medicine ceremonies and all things woo-woo and shares occasional musings at www.rooskychick.com. She is currently publishing her debut high-concept fantasy novel, The Styx-a propulsive reimagining of the descendants of Charon-while building a slate of elevated romantic comedies that pair sharp cultural insight with commercial storytelling. When she's not writing about gods, mystical mischief, or love gone sideways, she's surfing, snowboarding, or hiking with her maltipoo Gus (her soulmate), who remains unimpressed by all of it.
