Psyche and Eros Review

Hello, all!

Heather reviewing a Greek mythology retelling? Shocking, I know, but when I heard about Psyche and Eros by Luna McNamara, I couldn't resist adding it to my TBR. Big thanks to the publisher for the copy!

Pu Date: 6-13-23
Adult - Historical Fiction/Retelling

When she was born, a prophecy claimed that Psyche, the princess of Mycenae, would conquer a monster that even the gods feared. Due to this, Psyche was raised to fight from a very young age and honed into a fearsome warrior by none other than Atalanta herself. But when Psyche unintentionally offends Aphrodite, her skills with a bow and blade can't help her. 

The goddess of love enlists the help of Eros, the god of desire, to bestow a curse on Psyche. Eros has no time for petty squabbles with mortals but can't refuse. But things take a dire turn when Eros accidentally pricks himself with the cursed arrow intended for Psyche. Not even the gods are above curses, and Eros is doomed to yearn after Psyche, who will be ripped away from him the moment their eyes meet. Eros and Psyche soon wed, and neither can help the feelings that start to grow. But when Psyche accidentally sees her husband's face, it sets off a chain of events that will change both of their lives.

The story of Psyche and Eros has always been one of my favorite myths, so I've been looking forward to this for a while. While it kept most of the bones of the original myth, you could tell McNamara took a lot of liberties. I was wary at first, but I think it worked in McNamara's favor. The writing was vivid and lush, and the world and the characters were well-developed. The dual POVs worked well because they let you see both Eros's and Psyche's growth and how their views on what's truly important in life changed. However, I did find Eros's chapters slightly more interesting. It did bum me out how McNamara brought in the Trojan War and characters like Achilles and Clytemnestra because there have been so many retellings focused on those stories already that it took away from this one. It felt unnecessary. Most Greek myths end in tragedy, but this one is hopeful despite all the challenges, and overall, I enjoyed it.

Rating: 3.5/5