Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - Psyche and Eros

Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Psyche and Eros by Luna McNamara

14 reviews

val_theburrowofstories's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I added this book to my TBR last year and I was supposed to start it months ago, but I ended up finally picking it up because of Bridgerton (Cressida saying Penelope and Polin are like Psyche and Eros) and I just knew it was time.

I enjoy Greek Mythology retellings so much and this was not an exception.

I remember reading a bit of the story of Eros and Psyche in that book by Rick Riordan talking about a bunch of different characters from Greek Mythology. But I’m glad I picked up this book that was mainly about this couple because I learn more stuff about their lives (even if it was to the interpretation of the author). It's so interesting to see the differences the authors do in retellings, and yet some major things don't change (like who is married to who, who is child of who, who kills who, who rules what).

It was so interesting to see other characters like Atalanta, Achilles, Patroclus, and especially Clytemnestra, Iphigenia and Agamenon because I just finished the book “Elektra” last month.

I love how Psyche was such a different female character. She was trained, she was prepared, she was ready for a fight with a monster, she literally went to the Underworld for Eros even after learning the truth about the curse. My girl was the hero here.

I just remembered Queen Charlotte (Netflix) saying “I will stand with you between the heavens and the Earth” and that’s so Psyche and Eros coded.

I love how this book made it sound like Persephone was the true ruler of the Underworld. But also made me remember how much of a b*tch Aphrodite and other Goddesses can be. Like, Hecate and Medusa who have “bad reputations” were better women than them.

I enjoyed the dual pov audiobook! I really like his voice but I’m sorry to say her voice was not doing it for me.

Overall, it was a 3.5 ⭐ for my taste. I’m happy for their happy ending <3

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ebarrett3's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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danilo_syrtis's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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mels_reading_log's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I love the retelling of the stories of the Greek Gods and Goddesses. The love of Eros and Psyche is so beautiful and dramatic and it’s amazing how they fought so hard for each other.

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thoughtsontomes's review against another edition

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adventurous tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I didn’t love all of the characterizations of the gods on this but it’s been the closest I’ve gotten to Madeline Miller when it comes to Greek retellings.

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kayceeisbookish's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.25

I feel like the characters did not grow from the beginning to the end of the book. They just are "together" now. That's the only difference. No growth of character or anything. There was reflection but the characters felt so similar to their starting points.

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florecita_lectora's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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stephaniediane07's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

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roaming_reader's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

"Psyche and Eros" is written well and in a way that I did not want to put the book down. It wasn't necessarily because the pot was gripping - if anything, it was light in the plot department, but the dual POV had me wanting to read the other perspective after finishing a chapter and before I knew it, it was 12:30am and I was finished. The ending was a little rushed, but overall it was a great adaptation of the source material.

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preciouslittleingenue's review against another edition

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adventurous inspiring tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I read this so remarkably fast. I was completely enthralled almost right away. I knew very little about the original myth so I definitely went in spoiler free, except for what I already knew about Iphigenia because of Song of Achilles. I saw a few people say it was an odd choice to set this in the timeline with the Trojan war, especially because ALL other Greek myth seems to center around it, and had I gone in knowing the original, I might be inclined to agree, but I seriously thought nothing of it. And, in fact, now that I know the things that were added/changed, I think it was brilliant. The use of Iphigenia in this story was stunning. I know Psyche had sisters in the original tale that were the reason she began to doubt Eros, but firstly, using one character instead of two is just better narratively, like that's just common-author-sense. Secondly, Iphigenia, to me, is the very epitome of soft, fragile femininity, and the horror inflicted on those girls. And to use that familiar character with a recognizable archetype to contrast Psyche was brilliant. Having Psyche and Iphigenia love each other so deeply despite being on the opposite ends of girlhood/womanhood was feminism in and of itself. And for Iphigenia's fate to be the conduit through which Psyche makes the groundbreaking realization that she does...chef's kiss. And the general emphasis on the beauty of girlhood in the early chapters was so sweet. The high priestess letting little Iphigenia run around with her cousin when I expected her to be scolded or even hit…ugh. Loved that. You don’t often get to see girls just be girls in stories set during this time.

Anyone who thinks this is a one-dimensional ~girlboss story is completely brain dead. The way the author delivers gut punch after gut punch about the plight of women...yes, all women. Even Clytemnestra, who is characterized so unlikeably in this retelling...once she reveals (after the sacrifice) how she was

raped into marriage by Agamemnon

(which should not have been shocking, by the way, but it was) you just immediately realize how easy and obvious it is for any woman ever to just be completely miserable. Especially after birthing daughter after daughter...Psyche's quotes in chapter 30 that I listed below sum it up beautifully. Just so completely devastating. And the way Psyche comes to realize, through Medusa firstly, that being a "hero" by other people's standards is just...not it, after witnessing horror after horror against WOMEN...it was just chef's kiss. If that nuance flew right over your head enough for you to think this was just a girlbossification story...then I'm sorry, you're just brain dead.

Eros's character growth was just stunning to read. He went from being so completely apathetic to everything and everyone for his entire, extremely long life, to learning how to care about someone. He had to go through all of that to realize he not only needed Psyche, but needed SOMEONE. He even realized that the sister he spent his whole life despising was someone he actually needed as well. The actual romance itself, to me, was not front and center, and THAT'S OKAY. Some people listed that as reasons their reviews lost stars, and I get that, that's valid. But to me, this was a character piece, and an examination of the Greek Myth as a whole through a retelling of one popular one, and I don't mind that the "romance" suffered because of it. I wasn't shipping then any less or squealing any less loudly once they got their happily ever after. Which, by the way, was REALLY NICE. BECAUSE THAT SIMPLY NEVER HAPPENS IN GREEK MYTH LMAO.

10/5 stars. I can't wait to buy the stupid expensive limited edition hardcover and annotate and tab it and have it on my shelf. I adore it. I hope McNamara does more stories like this. This is right up there with Madeline Miller's work for me. Cannot recommend enough.

The following are direct quotes from the book, and the way I've formatted it is not allowing me to hide it with the spoiler feature, so you've been warned. These are quotes that made me go "OH MY GOD" and rewind to make a bookmark. Will be marking these up once I get my physical copy:

Chapter 4 Eros:

“…a young woman at that brief age when mortals seem almost as beautiful as the Gods.”

“Prometheus had designed humanity in the Gods’ image, but he had only succeeded in wrapping all our worst traits in their flimsy mortal shells.”

Chapter 6 Eros:

After he pricks himself with the arrow while looking at Psyche: “Oh,” I whispered. “Fuck.”

Chapter 25 Eros:

“My heart broke upon itself like a crashing wave, throwing up a glittering swarm of needle-sharp diamonds that embedded themselves in my chest like arrow points.”

Chapter 29 Psyche:

“A woman had been taken by the Trojans, and a woman had been sacrificed here, and that was how it should be. It was merely the appetizer before the feast.”

Chapter 30 Psyche:

“I did not want to live in a world where a daughter was worth less than a fair wind to Troy.”

“I thought of my naivety upon hearing the tales of the blind poet all those years ago, when I thought a glorious kill was what made a hero. I saw now that the legends were drenched in blood: the blood of women.”

Chapter 35 Eros:

“I never chose Psyche, you know. She was foisted upon me by the curse, like…like my immortality” … “You’ve chosen her now, haven’t you? You could’ve gone anywhere once you slipped Aphrodite’s chains…”

Chapter 41 Eros:

“I may not deserve her, but this world does.”

Chapter 42 Eros:

“Psyche reached out a hand to touch me, running her fingers lightly over the contours of my face. That was how she had known me in the darkness, and that was how she truly recognized me now. … ‘It really is you.’ “

“ ‘It [the curse] is gone, and I am still here.’ ... The Greeks have three words for love, and that night, we knew them all.”

Chapter 43 Psyche:

“ ‘She’s so small, and wrinkled! What did you do to her?’ ... ‘Nothing,’ I replied. ‘She’s a baby.’ “

“Well, some girls becomes Goddesses, and some Gods become more than they were.”

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