An intriguing retelling of the story of Eros and Psyche. Reworking Greek mythology seems to be a trend at the moment and some of the entries are more accessible and engaging than others- this is one of those that can sweep up the right reader into this world. Don't worry if you don't remember or never read the original as this turns things upside down and sideways, creating an LGBTQ tale that has all the feels. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Giving this a 3.5 out of 5 stars. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I'm always drawn to Greek retellings, especially queer ones. The story itself actually sticks pretty true to much of the original mythology, including Zeus being a creep, but there is a lot of time spent on Eros' gender identity. This exploration of Eros being a true mix of male and female to the point that they were something entirely new and unique was beautiful to read. Through her love of Psyche, Eros is able to learn to love all parts of themselves, including those that others would judge them for.

Being a very character driven book, there is a lot of internal monologues that got a bit too long winded for their own good. I'd get stuck in the middle of a multi-page paragraph that I just wish had been broken up just a little.

Overall a good read and helped get me out of a reading funk

This book was so beautifully written and such a beautiful retelling. I love a retelling, especially greek mythology retellings, and this one is definitely one of my favorites. The prose of this book was so graceful and beautiful and the yearning in this book was to die for. I also think the topic of gender was so beautifully handled and expressed throughout this book and truly enhanced the story so much. Overall this book was so beautiful and I would most definitely recommend it.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Palace of Eros by Caro de Robertis is a mixed first and third person dual-POV Queer retelling of Psyche and Eros. When Psyche is deemed the most beautiful woman in the world, it can hardly be said that it had a positive impact on her life. Eros is sent by Aphrodite to make her fall in love with the worst man she can find and instead falls head-over-heels for Psyche.

For the most part, this retelling is based firmly in the setting and the original myth. Most iterations I have seen make Psyche a princess, but de Robertis has her as the daughter of a wealthy shepherd and businessman and her mother is a foreigner who wasn’t allowed to teach her children her language or culture. This loss of culture is touched on several times, particularly in regards to death. Eros being both a child of Aphrodite and a primordial being is brought up as Eros not having a father (many iterations make Eros’ father Ares but that’s not a universal thing).

Psyche is beautiful, but in a way that doesn’t fit the Greek standards. She has dark features whereas the Greeks value paler ones and that is part of what gets her so much attention in the first place. She took after her mother while her sisters took after her father or are a mix of the two. One of the early admirers even uses the terminology ‘a different flavor’ which is deeply unsettling to Psyche, and the reader, but reflects how we talk about physical attraction quite a bit. A lot of how we talk about physical attraction is on the page and, from Psyche’s POV, not only is unwelcome, it is extremely dehumanizing.

One thing I found really interesting was how Eros is genderqueer and how that manifests. Eros uses she/her pronouns but sometimes takes a more masculine shape, particularly during more amorous moments, and, at other points, they are both masculine and feminine at the same time. Is it a transformation or is it Eros’ natural form as a primordial being and child of love? It’s a gray area and somewhat calls back to the idea of humans previously being both male and female until the gods split them apart so they were distinct sexes.

The treatment of women and how some men view their existence as property was a major theme of the work. Psyche is not treated as beautiful, but the men who stare at her make her extremely uncomfortable and assault the maids in her household. Her father eventually locks her up in a storage room but that doesn’t make the men go away or reduce their crimes. This haunts Psyche throughout the book, blaming herself for their actions because it was done while they were admiring her. Eros has a difficult relationship with Zeus who found out that Eros sometimes takes a masculine form and demands that if Eros wants to continue doing so, that he gets to watch nine times. The thread of misogyny is a continuous one even if the majority of the book is focused on the love of Psyche and Eros.

Content warning for mentions of sexual assault and transphobia and queerphobia

I would recommend this to fans of Greek mythology retellings looking for more Queer interpretations, readers of romances that explore societal issues, and those who love the story of Psyche and Eros

3.5* rounded up. So when I read the synopsis for this book I nearly cried because it seemed like it was written just for me. A sapphic retelling of Greek mythology has Crista written all over it. However, while reading it I struggled to love the actual story as much as I loved the synopsis. The beginning was aggressively slow, but it picks up once Psyche and Eros are together. My main gripe with it was I felt sometimes we would get caught in overly long monologues about how oppressed women are. This is no doubt the truth within this story, but I don’t necessarily need both characters harping about it every chance they get. This is almost instantly negated by the end, when Psyche breezes through the challenges and Zeus is just like ah never mind I’ll stop being awful for once with no explanation or motivation as to why. I think I just struggle with overly flowery prose and this book has an abundance of such. I did really enjoy the love story between Psyche and Eros and the androgyny that Eros embodies. Overall, I did enjoy reading it, but I just think it could’ve used some tightening up. I’m a strong believer in telling your story succinctly and efficiently. Which means not every book needs to be 300 pages. This book would have benefited from maybe a 20 page shave. I’ll still recommend it to all my sapphic friends, however!

I had been on a kick of reading novelized retellings of Greek myths last year, and this really scratched the itch I had for more. I've never read anything by Caro De Robertis before, but this does seem (based on reading some synopses of other books they've written) to be a bit of a far cry from what they normally write, and I think they really stuck the landing with this subgenre. The prose is quite pleasant to read, though they do kind of overdo it now and again.

I loved this.

I think that after a long period of feeling nothing, this book brought back a spark of life. Psyche inspired me to also search for my own desires and needs, and she gave me the hope at the end to still look towards love and a future.

This is a queer retelling of Psyche and Eros. I mean, it's mythology so it should be queer. But this is a non-binary, genderfluid Eros who loves Psyche as both a man and woman.

Psyche is beautiful, but unloved. Men coming to meet her sisters discover her beautiful and tell everyone else to come stare at Psyche because she's more beautiful than Aphrodite. The men are violent and cruel, but they keep coming to stare, and they hurt women in the process. Then of course, Aphrodite can't stand the insult of men worshipping another beauty, so she sends her daughter Eros to kill Psyche. But Eros SEES Psyche and decides to create a palace where she can steal her bride away and they can hide in peace. Psyche can finally do and have anything she wants, as long as she never glimpses her husband's face. And so the lovers must decide if a secret palace is still a prison, and how to be free if you can only live outside society.

This was a beautiful book, and I need to buy it so I can read it again.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria for this ARC.

Thank you Atria Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I was first drawn to The Palace of Eros because I enjoy mythological retellings, and I loved De Robertis’s previous book, Cantoras. This novel is a queer reimagining of the Greek myth of Psyche and Eros and mostly takes place in a palace hidden from both mortals and gods, where the pair can explore their unsanctioned relationship. Like Cantoras, it explores queer love, desire, identity, and what it means to exist outside of a world dictated by men.

It’s predominantly character-driven and introspective, with only a loose plot. There’s a lot of sensual and sexual content, and much of the book explores their burgeoning physical relationship.

I was often frustrated and distracted from the story by the very long sentences (often spanning whole paragraphs), and I felt that the more long-winded prose took away from the story itself. (I’ve seen other reviews describe this book as a fever dream, and I agree that I often felt detached from the action!) With the exception of the sexual scenes, I also thought that the writing seemed more Young Adult, perhaps because the first-person chapters from Psyche felt very young.

While I was intrigued by the intersection of queer stories and Greek mythology, I ultimately wanted more from the execution.

I wasn't a huge fan of this one sadly! I know the myth of Cupid and Psyche (Eros and Psyche) fairly well so I was excited to see how the myth would be incorporated into this version of the story. But it was just a bit too slow for my tastes.

Eros and Psyche are very insta-lovey which I thought might play out well because the back half of the myth can be an interesting place to explore, but by around 50%, they were still having ~incredible~ sex and I realized that I wasn't super interested in reading the rest, so I stopped reading.

Thank you so much to Atria and NetGalley for a chance to read and review!

As an initial matter, I like the concept of a sapphic retelling of Eros and Psyche, especially with the introduction of Eros as an intersex character. I know some versions of myth do include that detail, though typically Eros identifies as male in those, so that was an interesting twist. I also like how clearly the book addresses a lot of the uncomfortable and problematic elements of the story—the way other characters point out Eros’ hypocrisy, and how Payche is given a choice (of sorts) with what she wants to do with her life.

I also didn’t mind this being more of a romance than a mythology focused book. I like romance! My only issue was that I didn’t feel the main couple had a ton of chemistry. At first, Psyche isn’t sure if she’s even safe to say no to Eros, and then it feels like more of their interactions are intimate in nature than focused on getting to know each other. Until the end of the book, Psyche doesn’t seem free to be honest with Eros and Eros isn’t honest with Psyche. She’s also pretty condescending towards Psyche. I was happy to see the scales rebalanced a bit in the last 30% of the book, which I did really enjoy, but the lack of relationship building and chemistry in the first 70% did make it a bit slow to push through to get there.

I love Greek Mythology, and I'm also an author in the genre. So, I have very high expectations when delving into another Greek Mythology story/universe. This one wasn't my least favorite, but it wasn't great either. Eros and Psyche's story is one of the most famous, with characters that are already fleshed out before the author has to type a single word. Yet, both characters felt flat. I didn't mind the liberties the author took, but I did mind the lack of chemistry between the two who are the epitome of star-crossed lovers.

So, I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. My rating is a 3.5. I was really excited for this book as a queer love Greek retelling of Eros and Psyche sign me up. I love Greek mythology. But I will be honest I did almost DNF this at 50% but kept pushing because I really wanted to give this book a chance because I was so hopeful for it. I will say at 70% the book totally changed for me and that is what bumped it up to a 3.5. Any book I finish automatically give 3 stars, so the ending is what gave it a tiny bump for me.

Let's start with what I loved. I loved the message of empowering psyche and expanding her knowledge and self-outside of what she had been pushed down to be. This is because as pointed out in the book men fear women and thus push them into being less and to make them into something that is for their needs and pleasures. I also loved the last 30% where the book became what I love about Greek Mythology where trials happen, and tests and we see all the different gods and sometimes even creatures that exist only in myths. It was exciting and entertaining, and this is where you really got to see Psyche and her bravery and intelligence shine. It was also during this time Eros was tested in a way and able through self-reflection grow as well. I will also say the start of this book and what Psyche goes through is rough and your heart breaks for her and gets you invested in her.

Now what did I not enjoy as much:
1) This author writing style changed from the first half of the book to the 2nd half. With the first half of the book, I didn't enjoy the writing and thought it could have been better edited. I do not mind an author who writes in a flowery grandiose way. I enjoy a few authors who write that way and, in those instances, it creates a beautiful imagery in my head for me to enjoy creating the scene. That was not the case here. You had these long runs on sentences using this language that by the end of it I was mystified as to what I was reading but they were words for the sake of words and weren't really saying anything. They didn't add to the scene, plot or characters and when I say they were long run on sentences they were sometimes the entire paragraph which on my kindle was 10 lines for just one sentence. At times it felt like I was back in school and just putting words on the page to meet a word count requirement. I think if these had been edited down and been more concise, that would have been an improvement. Which is what happened in the 2nd half of the book where all these runs on sentences disappeared, and the language wasn't as flowery or grandiose. They popped up a little but were not as prevalent.
1A) I also felt like the middle lagged a lot and it became a struggle to finish the book.
2) I was a little off put by the change in Psyche after she had been intimate with Eros after she grew a male appendage (don't want to get flagged). After she had been with Eros while she was a woman, we do see Psyche start to explore her sexuality with self-pleasuring and learning her body and taking control of her needs and desires. Very empowering loved it. But, after Psyche had been with Eros with the male appendage, she in a way devolved for me. She becomes sex crazed where along with the self-pleasuring she describes being intimate with inanimate objects in her home. Where no object was safe from her desires. This to me just felt icky and kind of like a dude bro being like oh look at that willful woman all she needs is a good d!cking and then I will have under control in the palm of my hands submitting to me. It just felt the opposite of the empowerment the book was conveying to me.
3) then there was the relationship between Psyche and Eros when they can only meet at night in the dark. Their interactions here just didn't scream chemistry and relationship building. At times it felt like a therapist appointment with a condescending therapist. Eros was always just asking "and why do you think that is" or "or does it' anything to force Psyche to question things and expand her knowledge. Which I totally get we want Psyche to grow her thinking and realize she doesn't have to live within the parameters that men have set down. But it was almost every conversation and there was no give and take where Eros never shared anything about them. I know Eros couldn't divulge their identity but there was nothing else that could have been shared? Favorite color? Favorite Food? These talks just never seemed to be about growing their relationship but more about growing psyche and that sometimes showed the imbalance in their relationship with Eros being a God and Psyche being a mortal (which is not uncommon in greek myths with mortal lovers) where at times Eros came off condescending. While Eros has her own trauma and struggles on Olympus, she still had a lot of privilege and autonomy that psyche couldn't even comprehend. For Psyche, she wasn’t even allowed to leave the house and was locked in a shed for days to avoid men looking at her just sitting there because her father blamed her for the reaction's men. So, for Eros to always just be asking "why do you think that is" as a rebuttal anytime Psyche had a question just felt condescending to me.

Normally I don't write this long of a review, so I hope I explained myself well enough (I am a reader not a writer). In the end I think the concept was a great one and I enjoyed the end of the book, and I am glad I stuck with it because it encompassed everything, I love about Greek myths, but the book in its entirety didn't quite live up to my expectations.

This book is about Psyche who has captured the eye of all the men in her village and beyond who all claim she is as beautiful if not more than the goddess Aphrodite. But this is not what Psyche wants, she shudders under the leers of these men who gather to look at her then slip away to give into their desires even if it is with an unwilling partner. Soon the problems that arise from all these men start to not just affect her family but the village as well where some start to believe there is a curse and Psyche is at the center of it. So, her father decides to visit the Oracle whose visions must be followed to their problems will only worsen. He comes back telling of a vision where Psyche must be sacrificed to a monster in order to end the curse. So that is what they must do... and with Psyche strapped to a bolder thinking her time has come to an end she is swept away to a palace where her marriage to a figure hidden in the night visits her giving her untold pleasures at night and all her needs are met during the day with luxuries she could never have fathomed. But she starts to wonder who this woman she meets at night that she calls her husband truly is and thinks it's best to bring this secret into the light regardless of it breaking the rules set by her husband. What could go wrong.

To start, I feel you can really feel the heart and soul that Caro de Robertis put into this work. As I often say in my reviews, I'll read any all retellings on mythology.
This one is marketed to those who like The Song Of Achilles and similar books. Which I can see. But I also feel this book stands alone.
At the heart of this myth I feel are lessons in love and trust, but also acceptance. So the way Eros is written fits beautifully. Eros isn't one way or the other she just is.
One thing I found disappointing (and this is NOT on thr author) is that the gods didn't accept it. With all the galavanting they do and changing into animals to SA the mortals they chase after, you'd think they'd be accepting of Eros. But unfortunately I do think the way the author wrote this would be the truth of it. The gods are hypocrites.
The only other thing I take issue with is instant love. I don't mind it. But the way Eros and Pysche feel towards each other, that deep connection...I wish we could've read more of the way that transpired. I'm glad that had that intense and physical chemistry. I just would've like it to touch a bit more on that deeper level that Eros mentions..
Anywho quite a nice read. I hope this one flies off shelves as I think the message is important no matter who you love or how you identify. It's unlikely the audience who needs to read and accept this will. But I'll always hope these books find their way into those with more closed hearts leaving them open.

The story of Eros and Psyche is always, at its heart, one about love and trust. And considering that it's a tale in Greek mythology, one that ends decidedly better than most. I won't go into details of the myth here, but I will say that Caro De Robertis did a great job getting to the core of this story. All players, even some unnamed, will instantly be recognized as part of the legend.

The book's lovely cover and LGBTQIAP+ inclusion immediately caught my attention. The Palace of Eros beautifully displays and represents gender and sexual fluidity, especially in the reins of a patriarchal society where women are forced into a mold. Feminism and reclaiming one's own power are at the forefront, which is why having this book in dual POV of mortal and god was a brilliant choice. Of course, this is a love story, and the romantic scenes are done with care and worded in a way that suits its mythological roots. That being said, we do spend a lot of time in bed with Eros and Psyche and I wish we'd had more conversations to build the relationship. The prose is elegant and refined, although I will admit that I struggled at some parts and needed a break. It's not a quick and effortless read. To me, it was like trying to eat a grand buffet all at once; savoring it over a few days was the right move for me.

The Palace of Eros is a captivating reimagining of an epic love story, portraying love as blind, fierce, open, and hopeful.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐.75
Tropes:
💞 Queer retelling
🏹 The goddess falls first
💞 Only one palace
🏹 Forced Proximity
💞 She proves her love

The Palace of Eros takes a queer spin on the story of Eros (Greek god(dess) of lust) and Psyche (the beautiful human girl (s)he falls in love with).

The pros:

-Caro De Roberts writes fiction like it's poetry. They use lyrical turns of phrases in such a beautiful way. If you enjoy heavily poetic prose this book might be worth it just for that.

-Psyche is written as such a strong character. We see her grow so much, and come into her own power. She makes her own desisions and mistakes, and doesn't try to pass off the blame.

The cons:

-Psyche and Eros don't really talk much during their nights together. Obviously, the physical chemestry is there, but I would have liked seeing more of them getting to know eachother outside of the sex.

-There are a few points near the end that feel a little preachy. The message De Roberts is giving is very important, but it sometimes felt a little heavy-handed.

Overall: If you like queer interprittations of Greek mythology, and lyrical prose, you'd probably enjoy this book..Overall, I enjoyed the book, but I think it's going to have a very specific audience and perhaps not sell well outside of that nerdy, queer community.

3.5 stars

Release Date: August 12, 2024

Quick Summary:
——————————-
▫️Greek Mythology Retelling (Eros + Psyche)
▫️Queer Romance
▫️Self Discovery
▫️Body Autonomy (+lack of)
▫️Sexism
▫️Gender Fluidity
▫️Perseverance
▫️Power Dynamics
▫️Wanting, Longing, Desire
▫️Sensuality
▫️Aphrodite + other Greek god/goddess story features

What I Loved:
——————————-
▫️The heart wrenching beginning (felt so uncomfy!) and subsequent emotional scenes with Psyche’s sisters
▫️Psyche relationship with her mother
▫️Psyche learning about herself
▫️Eros fluidity and acceptance
▫️Eros relationship with their mother
▫️Beautiful descriptions of the human connection
▫️Aspiring for a greater world theme
▫️The Ending
▫️Book cover obviously - it’s gorgeous! I’m in love with the UK cover version as well 😍

My Personal Critiques:
—————————————
▫️Insta-love

(Just not my type of romance style - wished more of a lead up instead of strangers to immediately head over heels upon intro of the characters, wanted more mental connection mixed in)

▫️Long winded sentences that took away from the story, and dulled down the beautiful descriptions

(for me there were sentences that trailed on for too long, into paragraphs. If edited down would’ve felt more impactful rather than extending the idea/emotion too far)

▫️2 POV in different writing style

(1 was in first person, 2 was in third person. Personally would’ve preferred it to stick to one or the other)

▫️The pacing: second half was better - last 50 pgs strong

(I felt that I was as reading nearly the same thoughts and actions for the first half of the book due to the large amount of smitten physical intimacy and was craving for the story to propel itself into some character development as a couple and as individuals)

✨Overall I enjoyed this retelling and would recommend it to others who enjoy reads based on Greek Mythology! ✨

Thank you Atria Books (Primero Sueno Press) & NetGalley for an eARC!

Thank you Atria/Primero Sueno Press and NetGalley for providing the ARC.

First of all the cover for this is beautiful; I would want a physical copy for that alone. Secondly, a queer retelling of one of my favorite Greek mythological stories? Say less. Of all the Eros and Psyche retellings I’ve read (which are only two other ones so far haha), this one is the closest to what I’d like from a retelling. I thought the writing style was immersive and I enjoyed the introspection within Psyche’s POV. I recommend this work if you do like lyrical prose to get lost in.

However, I feel that the writing style is also its downfall. More times than not, I would find myself nodding off and/or having to reread entire pages because the question “Wait, what did I just read?” would spring to mind. I’m afraid that the contents and writing style may come off as a little too purple, rambly, and hollow for some. There were a whole lot of words that ended up amounting to nothing. Along with this, I don’t know how to feel about making Eros’ POV third person. I was really looking forward to that representation and having that sort of separation when we spend so much time in Psyche’s first POV was disappointing. I also found issue with the pacing, which again gets tied in with the long winded introspectives and purple prose. Some of the story was lost to me and it got frustrating how I was sucked into the prose but then when rereading I questioned what the heck I just read and if it was actually saying anything.

Overall, I thought it was fine. Not the best or worst. But I appreciate what it was trying to do.

The Palace of Eros by Caro De Robertis is a mesmerizing retelling of the myth of Psyche and Eros that genuinely captivated me. This novel offers a fresh and modern twist on ancient mythology, blending it with queer themes and profound emotional depth.

From the moment I started reading, I was drawn into the world De Robertis created. The story follows Psyche, a beautiful young woman whose beauty angers the goddess Aphrodite. To appease the wrathful goddess, Psyche’s father binds her to a rock, expecting her to be claimed by a monstrous husband. However, instead of a monster, it is Eros, Aphrodite's nonbinary child, who rescues Psyche and takes her to a hidden palace. The romance that unfolds between Eros and Psyche is both enchanting and intense, filled with nightly visits cloaked in mystery and passion.

One of the standout aspects of this book is the lyrical and vivid prose. De Robertis's writing brings the myth to life in a way that feels both timeless and refreshingly new. The relationship between Eros and Psyche is portrayed with such tenderness and complexity that I found myself deeply invested in their journey. Eros, in particular, is a fascinating character, struggling with their own identity and the expectations placed upon them by their divine family.

The novel also tackles themes of love, identity, and defiance against oppressive norms. The challenges faced by Eros and Psyche, both from external forces like Aphrodite and internal doubts, add layers of tension and intrigue. Their love story is not just about passion but also about finding freedom and self-acceptance.

Overall, The Palace of Eros is a beautifully crafted tale that reimagines a classic myth with contemporary relevance. It’s a story that celebrates love in all its forms and challenges the boundaries set by society and the gods. If you enjoy retellings of ancient myths with a modern, inclusive twist, this book is a must-read. De Robertis has truly created a work of art that resonates on multiple levels.

Low 2.5 stars
Thank you to net galley for this arc

I want to say I went into this hoping to love it since I love mythology retellings and I was excited to see a new take on psyche and eros. I really did not connect with the writing style at all. I also did not feel the love between psyche and eros as it felt more sexual between the two.

Even though it did not work for me I would recommended this book for people who are looking for a fresh take on psyche and eros.

Not only did I finish this novel in two sittings, but I know that I will continue to think about it for ages to come.. The prose was gorgeous and captivating, never getting bogged down in its own art. This was the sapphic/non-binary Greek legend retelling that I never knew I needed. For a story steeped in the past, the themes are entirely modern in a way that did not detract from the story. The plot dragged a bit in Part Two, which could have been remedied by focusing more on the growing love/conversations of the couple rather than the back-to-back sex scenes. However, if you're going to have gratuitous sex scenes you might as well make them good and this novel delivered.

Points deducted for the repeated improper use of a fig tree.

Thank you for the ARC of this story!