This is a love story for the ages! With some of the monsters and quests you’d expect from Greek mythology, and a lot of familiar faces, it still offers romance in spades. Psyche is raised to be a hero, a strong and fierce warrior in a world where women are expected to be quiet and are traded like property. Eros is the God of desire and an outcast thanks to his mischief and meddling. Their story is unconventional and definitely not smooth sailing. In a bid to break a curse, they travel to seek advice and embark on dangerous adventures.
I loved this mix of love and adventure, and the dual narrative really allowed you to get inside Psyche and Eros’ heads and see their backstory, their motives and their relationship unfolding. It was definitely a change of pace from your usual Greek myths and I enjoyed it!

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

I admit I went into 'Psyche and Eros' with a very staunchly skeptical "Do I even dare?" attitude. This was literally my most favorite Greek myth of all-time since I was a pre-teen, and it was getting a feminist reimagining. It could go either way.

Good news, folks, my love for the myth has not wavered and was not damaged by this retelling by Luna McNamara!

There were parts where I felt like I was reading young adult fantasy due to simple prose and basic character reactions which came across as flat, but then there was a part where it definitely was not YA (well, hello, Eros, god of desire). The jury is still out on how my brain is classifying this story version. Either way, it was very well-written and an easy read, particularly for those not familiar with this cast of characters.

I personally appreciated that this was a different take on the myth. It felt like a cozy childhood friend who grew up just like I did. I can see how other diehard P&E fans might have felt disappointed though, especially with Psyche going through hero's training with Atalanta. I didn't mind it. It made sense why a princess would have the skills to survive in the face of physical adversity. I also liked McNamara's more altruistic interpretation of the "why" behind Psyche's betrayal.

The book still stayed true to the heart of the myth. The ups and downs of being human. A once-in-a-lifetime kind of love worth risking everything for (which resonated even more with me today as I recently immigrated to the UK to marry my own soulmate... in a pandemic no less). The heroes and villains of life. The complexities and sometimes messiness of feelings.

The author explains her thought process at the end of the book and where she drew creative license from original sources and inspiration. It has all the core parts of the original myth with a bit more historical context and a bit more personal layers to it which adds to the refreshing spin on a timeless tale.

Lovers of Slavic folklore will also appreciate the cross-cultural appearance of a certain hut set upon chicken legs.

Side Tangent: As an American living in England, this was the first time ever that I felt the U.S. book cover is way better than the UK's. The one here on GoodReads is the American, and it's gorgeous with far more meaningful symbolism on it! Why why why with the red and yellow cover in the UK that makes it so completely lost amongst all of the other Greek retellings!? It would prevent me from buying it for my bookcase solely knowing the better one is across the pond.

Anyway, if you loved the Psyche and Eros myth, be sure to add C.S. Lewis' Till We Have Faces and Rachel Smythe's Lore Olympus to your reading list if you haven't read them yet. Beautiful retellings with the former still leaving an impression on me over 20 years later.

// Thank you so much to Netgalley and Orion Books for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! //

Thank you to NetGalley for proving me with a digital ARC of this book.

I absolutely loved this book, Psyche and Eros have inspired so many stories and allows for integration with other parts of mythology and their stories. I would be lying if I said I didn’t notice the changes made in regards to the relations between certain characters, but when this was addressed and explained in the author note, I understood and appreciated those changes.

Dual POV was a fantastic choice for this book, we got to explore the feelings of a mortal being pulled into the world and lives of gods while gaining insight in the interpersonal relationships between gods such and Eros and Aphrodite’s unconventional mother-son journey.

Psyche and Eros is a fantastic mythological romance that I couldn't put down. Told from the perspective of both Psyche and Eros, and spanning thousands of years, this retelling was fresh and fun.

I loved the way McNamara wove in different myths, placing Psyche firmly into Iphigenia's tragedy in a way that felt completely natural and satisfying.

I studied Apuleius's The Golden Ass at uni and I liked that this retelling featured some of the characteristics of this myth's origins - stories within stories and animal metamorphoses and even the clever use of 'Cupid'.

Psyche and Eros's storylines wove together naturally, even when they were spanning very different timelines, and the gods were brilliantly flawed and devious (a must for any kind of Greek retelling).

Like Saint's Atalanta (and this was the third novel I've read this year to feature her as a character, with yet another take on the hunt for the Calydonian boar and her marriage), this novel explores what it might have meant to be female and a 'hero' - as well as some clever discussion over what being a 'hero' actually means.

If you love Jennifer Saint retellings then you’re bound to love Psyche and Eros! The book flitters between the narrative perspectives of both Psyche and Eros as they navigate their supposed curse-induced love affair. Psyche is portrayed as a strong female protagonist with a head-strong approach when it comes to her own life and those around her; we see her come to terms with the realities of marriage for many women through her observations of Helen’s marriage to Agamemnon and the tragic death of Iphigenia. Despite being a deity, Eros is a deeply self-aware character when it comes to love and desire, despite not engaging with it himself. He sees the darkness that comes with such vulnerability, ofcourse that is until he lays his eyes on Psyche. The book is filled of wit and humour that works in a way that does not take away from the main plot of the story. I loved the involvement of the Underworld and the other Gods in this book - the entire read was incredibly well rounded. Plot wise; I was hooked instantly and remained engaged throughout the whole read, for that reason I feel as if this would be a perfect read for someone who was picking up a Greek mythological retelling for the first time! Even despite the switching perspectives, the narrative is in no way confusing. I really recommend this book to all; it most certainly has done a well loved Greek myth justice.

‘Psyche and Eros’ by @luna_mcnamara_writer

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Big thank you to @netgalley and @orionbooks for this ARC! This is one of my most anticipated reads!

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with mythology retellings, but this was such a fun read. I wasn’t familiar with the myth when I began reading so I can’t tell you how much is actually accurate, but it was incredibly entertaining.

Loved the references to other characters like Elektra, Medusa and Theseus. There were so many ‘cameos’ it was like a Marvel movie! It was so much fun.

This one felt like an easier read than most mythology retellings, the writing was less flowery and more straightforward. It reads like a modern fantasy which I really enjoyed, and I think the storyline flowed really well. Despite it being advertised as a love story (and it is), I really loved seeing the individual journeys that Psyche and Eros went through to become the best versions of themselves for one another

I’ve recently become interested in Greek myths reading The Stone Blind, The Valkyrie , Song of Achilles and Ariadne. I enjoyed reading Psyche and Eros and felt I had a better understanding and recognition of the characters.

Psyche and Eros are not characters I’ve read about before and I think it is an enchanting tale of cursed love, defiance and strength. Psyche has been born with a prophecy that she will kill a monster and Eros lives out his centuries providing desire to every one with mixed consequences. He has never found a love for himself and lives a life of loneliness and amounting of favours.

The middle section of the book felt long, I was eager for the story to move on and felt that the ending wrapped up a bit too quickly. Perhaps another book about Medusa, Psyche and the changes they brought to the people would be interesting.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this in advance.

This kind of book is a great way to keep the legends of the old alive and kicking. You never know when a god or goddess piques interest and someone will go on a hunt to find out more. I love that history and great stories are kept alive in this manner.

Psyche and Eros is a fantastic book that will keep the reader wanting for more. Cam love be a curse? And if love is a curse, can it be overcome? And what is the difference in between gods and mortals?

The story is written with good pace and plenty of intrigue. The descriptions are bountiful and give reader ample material for stunning visual.

I love myths and retellings, but being a hundred percent honest, the myth of Psyche and Eros isn't one I know very much about at all, and therefore, I really enjoyed this book. I liked the writing style it was engaging and easy to get into

This book worked for me on every level. The myth of Psyche and Eros is not one that I am familiar with, which possibly helped with my thorough enjoyment of it as I had no previous literature to compare it with.

I adored McNamara’s style. The writing was so fluent and beautiful, it was easy to follow, engage with, it was utterly sublime. I loved the use of the dual-POV and the very obviously articulated differences between the character voices. I was able to differentiate between the characters by these notable changes in voice, the chapter headings were just a bonus.

The character development in Psyche and Eros was beautiful. Psyche’s journey, following her throughout the story, watching her become who she was destined to be, fighting her internal battles, following her heart and being such a strong and fierce woman was my favourite part of this story. I also loved Loved Eros’ development, particularly his emotional development in regard to relationships and his understanding of humanity.

Overall, this story was fantastic to read, and a great introduction for me to the myth of Psyche and Eros.

Thank you for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I’m absolutely loving Greek mythology retellings at the moment and this one did not let me down. I loved this story of Psyche and Eros and their journey together.
Luna McNamara weaves a beautiful story together with excellent reference and explanation of all the various characters and their mythology. It’s brilliant for people new to mythology and experts alike. It is told from the pov of both Psyche and Eros beginning with their individual lives and events that lead to their joined fate. I found it to be captivating with twists and turns and lovable characters.

Highly recommend to fans of mythological retellings!

A fun and unique retelling of the myth of Psyche and Eros. I enjoyed how Luna McNamara pulled from a variety of sources and was full of twists to set it apart from the many novels that are simply play-by-plays of original Greek myths.

I just finished devouring this book. The story of Psyche and Eros was so captivating, the people drawn so clearly and i would absolutely recommend this one for people who enjoyed I am Circe, or readrs of Ariadne. McNamara writes really clear and you get sucked into the story before even knowing. I enjoyed this read and could not put the book down!

A fantastic re-imagining of the myth of star-crossed lovers Psyche and Eros. Lots of fun and full of surprisingly relatable characters who you're rooting for from the beginning. (My personal fave was Zephyrus!) A joy of a book.

absolutely nourishing. the book i've been waiting for since i read circe over two years ago. i adored it and everything about it, bravo.