Published May 25th, 2023 by Orion
Mythology, Fantasy Fiction, Greek Mythology, Fairy Tales, Hiistorical Romance, Ancient History, Literary Fiction
Today I’m finally sharing my full review for Psyche and Eros. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part and to Orion for the copy of the book.
********
SYNOPSIS:
‘A riotous adventure, populated by a cast of vivid, glittering characters. An absolute joy!’ JENNIFER SAINT
‘A fabulously entertaining retelling, full of magic, humour and heart’ ELODIE HARPER
A stunning, exciting and hotly-anticipated feminist retelling of one of the greatest love stories in Greek mythology!
The greatest love story ever told…
Born into an era of heroes, a prophecy claims that Psyche – Princess of Mycenae – will defeat a monster feared even by the gods themselves. Rebelling against society’s traditions, she spends her youth mastering blade and bow, preparing to fulfil her destiny.
But she is soon caught up in powers beyond her control, when the jealous Aphrodite sends the God of Desire, Eros, to deliver a fatal love-curse. The last thing Eros wants is to become involved in the chaos of the mortal world, but when he is pricked by the very arrow intended for Psyche, he is doomed to love a woman who will be torn from him the moment their eyes meet.
Thrown together by fate, headstrong Psyche and world-weary Eros will face challenges greater than they could have ever imagined. And as the Trojan War begins and the whole of the heavens try to keep them apart, will they find their way back to each other… before it’s too late?
Luna McNamara’s exquisitely written debut will appeal to fans of Madeline Miller, Jennifer Saint and Susan Stokes-Chapman.
********
MY REVIEW:
“There is something powerful in this, I think. We were not in thrall to destiny or fate, but merely the weight of our own choices. When we turned towards each other like flowers facing the sun, we were not fulfilling some prophecy or old story. We were writing our own.”
Alluring, evocative and exhilarating, Psyche and Eros is a feisty feminist retelling of one of Greek Mythology’s greatest love stories. Psyche – Princess of Mycenae – is prophesied to slay a monster even the gods fear. She rebels societal traditions to train as a warrior in preparation for fulfilling her destiny. Eros – God of Desire – is sent by Aphrodite to deliver a fatal love-curse to Psyche in an act of revenge. But when he is pricked by the arrow meant for her, he falls madly in love. Cursed to be torn from each other should their eyes ever meet, their love seems doomed from the start. Can they overcome the seemingly insurmountable obstacles in their way to find a happy ending together?
As a fan of Greek mythology retellings and a sucker for a gorgeous cover, I was excited to read this one. I went into this one blind and was unfamiliar with Psyche and Eros’ story. But I was soon transfixed as debut author Luna McNamara’s gorgeous storytelling transported me across the ocean and back in time to their world. These vividly drawn, star-crossed lovers are fascinating characters, and by telling the story from both perspectives, McNamara allows us to really get inside the hearts and minds of both characters as well as allowing us to see the broader picture, rather than a skewed, one-sided version of the tale. Psyche is fiery, gutsy, headstrong and determined while Eros is disenchanted, jaded and often seems melancholy, especially before meeting Psyche. I felt for Eros as he grappled with how he could be with her without the curse taking hold but I had even more empathy for this girl who was taken away from all she knew without warning. The tension escalated as they became closer and I was on tenterhooks as I waited to discover if they could overcome the obstacles in their path.
“I had long noticed that the stories of heroes were mainly about men, Atalanta being one of the rare exceptions. Women when they had roles to play at all, appeared only as mothers or lovers or sometimes monsters.”
McNamara also explores how women were second class citizens and the lack of agency they had at this time. Not only were girls not educated or trained to be heroes like their boys were, but they were viewed as best silent and only useful for sex, bearing children, and cleaning. Psyche recognises this as an obstacle in fulfilling the prophecy and is also concerned that she will soon be expected to become a meek and obedient wife to a stranger rather than the hero she dreams of becoming. I am loving the current trend of feminist retellings of mythology as it is finally giving these women their time to shine and ensuring their place in legend just like their male counterparts.
Intoxicating, fierce, and enthralling, Psyche and Eros is a sensational debut and must-have addition for your Greek Mythology shelf.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰
********
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Luna McNamara is a social worker by day, and by night she writes about historical women and forgotten gods.
Luna holds a master’s degree from Harvard University in the study of women and gender in world religions; she has also studied ancient Greek language and philosophy. She lives in Boston with her faithful lop rabbit, Leo.
Her first novel, Psyche & Eros, will be released May 25th 2023 by Orion Books in the UK, and June 13th 2023 by HarperCollins in the US.
********
BUY THE BOOK:
Waterstones* | Amazon* | Bookshop.org*
********
Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx
*All these links are affiliate links
Emma's Biblio Treasures 