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A review by readthesparrow
Orphia and Eurydicius by Elyse John
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
REVIEW
This review is based on an eARC provided by the publishers via Netgalley.
Adaptations that breathe with love and appreciation for their source material are the only adaptations I am interested in reading.
Elyse John is a poet, and her respect for Greek myth but also the verses which preserved those myths is what makes Orphia and Eurydicius special. When Orphia uses epithets–”ox-eyed Hera”–or begins her poetry by invoking the Muses, I was in the audience going absolutely wild. John’s prose is vibrant; her descriptions of Mount Olympus, Mount Parnassus, and Hades, as well as those that inhabit them, are divine, jewel-toned, alive.
Orphia and Eurydicius’ interpretation of mythology does not concern itself with being “accurate” (which, in my opinion, is a silly thing to want anyway). Rather, John takes pieces of myth and reinterprets them, fitting and re-fitting the pieces to tell Orphia’s story. By flipping and questioning these original myths, John brings forth a version of mythology that is unique yet in conversation with what came before. One of my favorite moments of this was her interpretation of Medea; her little time on the page was enthralling, and I would love to see more of her from John in the future.
Speaking of the future, most, if not all, readers know what will happen to Orphia. The narrative plays with this foreknowledge through prophecy and fate by leaning into the tragic aspect of Greek poetry, where part of the tragedy is knowing what will happen/is happening but listening anyway.
I loved these gender-flipped versions of Orphia as a determined warrior-poet and Eurydicius as a gentle, kind shield-maker. Their chemistry was immediate in a way I can very rarely say I feel in a romance, and I loved the way they discussed their gender and bisexuality with one another. (It’s Greek myth, so it might be a given, but this is a very bisexual book.)
Now, while I do love a good character-forward, heavy-on-the-prose book, I did struggle to completely click with Orphia and Eurydicius, which makes me really sad! While I loved the characters and appreciated the well-woven prose, the pacing suffered under the weight of itself at times.
From around 20% to 40%, the pacing dragged. Elements, particularly Orphia’s motivations for pursuing poetry, were reiterated again and again, with little to no change from beginning to end. Hearing her restate her desires in the same words and with no change in her goal got stale. It felt as though the narrative didn’t trust me to understand Orphia without being told explicitly.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I believe that this is John’s novel debut (but don’t quote me on that). Orphia and Eurydicius is a very strong debut, and I’m looking forward to what she writes next.
If you love Greek myth retellings that love and challenge the source material, lush, vibrant prose, and bisexual, confident, brave female main characters, then I suggest Orphia and Eurydicius!
There’s also some lovely character art on the author’s website.
Thank you to Harper 360 for providing a digital ARC via Netgalley. If you are interested in Orphia and Eurydicius, the novel is out now! If possible, support indie bookshops with your purchase!
This review is based on an eARC provided by the publishers via Netgalley.
Adaptations that breathe with love and appreciation for their source material are the only adaptations I am interested in reading.
Elyse John is a poet, and her respect for Greek myth but also the verses which preserved those myths is what makes Orphia and Eurydicius special. When Orphia uses epithets–”ox-eyed Hera”–or begins her poetry by invoking the Muses, I was in the audience going absolutely wild. John’s prose is vibrant; her descriptions of Mount Olympus, Mount Parnassus, and Hades, as well as those that inhabit them, are divine, jewel-toned, alive.
Orphia and Eurydicius’ interpretation of mythology does not concern itself with being “accurate” (which, in my opinion, is a silly thing to want anyway). Rather, John takes pieces of myth and reinterprets them, fitting and re-fitting the pieces to tell Orphia’s story. By flipping and questioning these original myths, John brings forth a version of mythology that is unique yet in conversation with what came before. One of my favorite moments of this was her interpretation of Medea; her little time on the page was enthralling, and I would love to see more of her from John in the future.
Speaking of the future, most, if not all, readers know what will happen to Orphia. The narrative plays with this foreknowledge through prophecy and fate by leaning into the tragic aspect of Greek poetry, where part of the tragedy is knowing what will happen/is happening but listening anyway.
I loved these gender-flipped versions of Orphia as a determined warrior-poet and Eurydicius as a gentle, kind shield-maker. Their chemistry was immediate in a way I can very rarely say I feel in a romance, and I loved the way they discussed their gender and bisexuality with one another. (It’s Greek myth, so it might be a given, but this is a very bisexual book.)
Now, while I do love a good character-forward, heavy-on-the-prose book, I did struggle to completely click with Orphia and Eurydicius, which makes me really sad! While I loved the characters and appreciated the well-woven prose, the pacing suffered under the weight of itself at times.
From around 20% to 40%, the pacing dragged. Elements, particularly Orphia’s motivations for pursuing poetry, were reiterated again and again, with little to no change from beginning to end. Hearing her restate her desires in the same words and with no change in her goal got stale. It felt as though the narrative didn’t trust me to understand Orphia without being told explicitly.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I believe that this is John’s novel debut (but don’t quote me on that). Orphia and Eurydicius is a very strong debut, and I’m looking forward to what she writes next.
If you love Greek myth retellings that love and challenge the source material, lush, vibrant prose, and bisexual, confident, brave female main characters, then I suggest Orphia and Eurydicius!
There’s also some lovely character art on the author’s website.
Thank you to Harper 360 for providing a digital ARC via Netgalley. If you are interested in Orphia and Eurydicius, the novel is out now! If possible, support indie bookshops with your purchase!