2.5 ⭐️
“This is what it meant to cross an immortal: death or something worse. And while men became tragedies, women became examples.”

A gender-flipped twist on the classic Orpheus and Eurydice tale from Greek mythology. This book had all the makings of a winner, but for some reason, it just didn't click with me. Once I put it down, I found myself not really wanting to pick it back up. And look, I get it. Orphia is a poet. But I think the author got a bit carried away with descriptions and fluff which detracted from the storyline.

BUT, let me tell you, I'm all about these feminist spins on Greek myths. We all know ancient Greece and its folklore was pretty darn sexist, with women either getting a rough deal or getting left out entirely. So, besides our heroine, seeing a focus on Hera, Persephone, Calliope, and the muses was like a breath of fresh air. I appreciate the focus on women, mixing up the gender roles, and throwing in some queer storylines into the mix. And yeah, I know Ancient Greece was no stranger to a bit of same-sex relations, but it's usually brushed aside or boiled down to power dynamics.

Other favorite quotes:
“I came from a line of powerful women, but my grandmother Mnemosyne and my great grandmother Gaia are never seen or heard. I will be heard. If I am known for one thing, I will make sure it is my voice. And what it can do for others.”

“That is what women are expected to do: take our wounds and make them into something beautiful.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love greek retellings, and I love when I am forced to look at the stories with a new lens. This book does both so well, and with stunning voice. It was perfect and is absolutely worth the read.

Thank you, Harper 360 and NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Orphia only wants to embrace the poetry in her blood, the ability of moving flowers, making forest grow, but her father Apollo wants her to learn warrior crafts in her far-flung island.
An encounter with a shield-maker, Eurydicius gives her chance to use her voice and using her gift to defeat a champion, she's put under the Muses protection, on the Mount Parnassus, learning to love her art and gifts. When Eurydicius joins her, Orphia struggles between her fame desire and her love and as they bond grow, she joins the Argonauts in their quest for the Golden Fleece, facing dangers, dragons, sirenes in her voyage. But the worst is yet to come and she will have to face a darker journey to save the person she loves.

I love any kind of book inspired by Greek mythology and Orphia and Eurydicius is a wonderful gender-flipped novel about the power of one's voice, embracing your own gits and filled with gods and goddesses, heroes and dangers, journeys, physical and psycological and so much more.
The writing style is stunning, poetic and very evocative, able to make the reader feels the grass and wind, to watch the flowers bloom, the heroes, the love between Orphia and Eurydicius.
It's a story about love and the power of one's voice, arts, creativity, embracing one self and it was so good reading a story with a female character, when usually in the Greek's stories they are usually overlooked or only considered as wives, sisters, daughters and such. A story of courage and love and death, also against patriarchy, fighting to get your own power and voice back, to forge your own destiny by following your heart.

I think, like many others, I struggled with the pacing of this book. It felt repetitive at times and rushed and then slow. I also found myself curious about the original myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, and I do think this story did it justice.

Orphia and Eurydicius by Elyse John is a fresh, feminist retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice that will attract and delight both readers familiar with the myth and readers meeting the myth for the first time.

As someone who enjoys the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice in all its permutations, reading Orphia and Eurydicius was a tremendous treat, especially with its addition of queer themes. Immediately from the first line, I was already awestruck by the author’s writing style, which reads as a perfect equal to the masterful poetry Orphia later performs. Beautiful and powerful, the writing allowed me to easily empathize with the emotions of the characters.

Orphia’s passion for women’s rights is a clear constant throughout the book. She is determined to not let her voice—or anyone else’s—be controlled or silenced by men in power. Through its varied cast of characters, the book offers a different perspective on famous figures in Greek mythology, and encourages the reader to think differently about how history has traditionally portrayed these figures, in particular the female figures, just as Orphia learns to do so.

Another main focus of the book is the romantic relationship between Orphia and Eurydicius. This was one of my favorite parts of the book! With every interaction, their bond grew deeper and deeper, allowing the reader to recognize how equally in love and equals in love they were. Some scenes felt so intimate I felt like I was intruding. During a certain part of the myth, I surprised myself by gasping out loud in disbelief, as if it was the first time I was encountering this story. I was so invested in their love for each other that I thought maybe this time things would be different.

The only thing that gave me pause about their romance was how quickly their affections for each other started. In the beginning when they’re apart, Orphia longs for Eurydicius as if she was already in love, even though they had only briefly met once before. That was the only time I couldn’t connect with their love story. However, their moments together after their reunion were so sweet and tender that I was smoothly convinced of their love from that point on.

Orphia and Eurydicius is simultaneously an ode and an original—something beautiful and bittersweet, hungry and hopeful. A recommended read for fans of Circe by Madeline Miller or After Sappho by Selby Wynn Schwartz. Big thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for sending this book for review consideration! All opinions are my own!

I gave this a solid 3.5 stars because I actually enjoyed it. This is my first book by this author and I truly loved the writing style. It did feel like it got a little slow at some points but the romance and gender swapping made up for it.

I will say that I probably would have loved it more if it were sapphic but that’s just my little queer heart peeking through.

I love that classical mythology is making a comeback with all of these reimagined stories.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!!

After reading this book, I was unaware it had already been published for a year. While this was a three star read, it was initially hard to get into. I ended up loving the characters and the romance was 10/10. The writing for this book was done really well. At first, the gender switch was difficult for me until I was able to get used to it. I think the gender swap made this book different and while the story itself wasn't my favorite, I still enjoyed this read. Thank you for approving my ARC request!

the story of Orpheus and Eurydice is probably my favorite Greek mythology, so much so that at one point i planned on getting a tattoo symbolizing Orpheus' devastation of realizing that Eurydice was still out of reach despite all his efforts. i unfortunately never got the tattoo because i couldn't create a design i was happy with. but that's besides the point.

in this book, the author gender swaps and creates a really overall beautiful story and world. the writing style is poetic and almost lyrical at times, and i found it comparable to a few other popular/recent Greek mythology-based books. that's not at all a bad thing, it just almost felt... like a retelling of a retelling. if that makes sense. but if you haven't read a lot of those books, i think this will flow beautifully.

i truly think this swapping of the gender roles of Orpheus and Eurydice to Orphia and Eurydicius really puts a lot of things into perspective, especially when you consider the expectations put upon women vs. men and how there's this imbalance that much of society chose to "accept" because the truth was harder to swallow.

i will say that i loved this retelling, even though some parts fell a little flat and repetitive for me. there's a lot of relatability to be had with Orphia's character, and i think that's what stood out most for me. but more importantly, the romance and heartbreak from the original myth is well done in this one. whether or not you've heard of Orpheus and Eurydice, this retelling is emotionally charged the way their story should be.

it's a solid 4 STARS for me. definitely highly recommend to anyone who loves Greek retellings with a dash of women and queer positivity.

thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for allowing me the opportunity to read this book. i received this as an ARC and leave this review voluntarily.

As a lover of Greek mythology and Orphia and Eurydice , I was immediately drawn to this novel.

I was a bit disappointed to see much of the mythological aspect removed from this retelling. I do think that this was a great read and I enjoyed it a lot.

I hope to see more from this author in the future.

My true rating is 3.5 stars!

Greek mythology retellings are my bread and butter—and I have always loved the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, so I was incredibly excited to see a gender-bent retelling. However, I didn't love it as much as I expected to. I've been sitting with it all day trying to figure out what the disconnect was.

There's no denying Elyse John is a beautiful writer. Her prose and descriptions of the Ancient Greek world were so beautiful and you could feel how much love she poured into the novel. The world was so lush and contained the balance between magic and realism I find myself craving when reading retellings of myths. And while I did struggle with pacing a bit (which I'll get to), I enjoyed the set-up and narrative before the actual death/Underworld sequence. I was also very much endeared by the actual characters of Orphia and Eurydicius; I really loved their romance and chemistry. The last few chapters were also so well-written and I really enjoyed them.

As I mentioned though, I did find there was some pacing issues that I think really led to the disconnect. There was a lot of building of Orphia's character before we got to the heart of the story—while I do think we needed it, it definitely dragged in the beginning. Then, we we actually got to the Underworld scenes, I felt like it was not given enough time. Part of the joy/pain of Orpheus and Eurydice's myth is that in-between time where you really believe that they'll make it out this time, that the myth will change, and we'll have a happily ever after. And I just don't think John spent enough time in that inbetween to build foster and build that spark of hope. So when the inevitable happened...I didn't have this heartbreak moment. And with the hope being the crux of this myth for me, I just felt let down. I also understand why she didn't include it, but so much of this story revolves around Orphia's poetry and there were times where I just wish John would have written more of the actual stories/poems being shared within the story. That's a minor thing because, again, I understand why she didn't write it, but I kept hoping for more.

While I found it an enjoyable read, I just didn't fly through it the way I had hoped and it didn't deliver on that emotional punch that any retelling of this myth should deliver (in my opinion).

3.5!

I love Greek Myth retellings, they're easily one of my favorite type of book. I was soooo looking forward to this, but something in the writing just wasn't for me.

First and foremost, Elyse John is an amazing writer. Her words are descriptive and lush and I loved everything about that. But the romance between Orphia and Eurydicius just didn't sit with me? Especially on their journey in the underworld. I just wanted more? This may have been a me thing, versus a book thing, but I just found something lacking.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper 360 for a review in exchange for an honest review.

I love Greek mythology retellings and this was great. The cast of characters was interesting and all so different from one another. I love the setting and environment this book created it really helped to create well rounded and dynamic characters

I was more than 80% into this book when I realized this was a gender-bender retelling of the story of Orpheus and Eurydice 😅 a myth I was familiar with but for some reason the names didn’t give that away to me. Parts of this story was a little confusing because it’s told from Orphias point of view but then one chapter everything was stuff like “you will” and I was confused who you was supposed to be referring to but turns out she was just telling a story/reciting a poem but I apparently miss that part.. which could be a me problem more than likely I’d be interested in reading other books from the author like this especially if it’s more gender-bent Greek mythology

This is an Orpheus and Eurydice retelling, with gender-bent and a beautiful bisexual relationship that is truly lovely. This is the first book by the author that I’ve read, but it makes me very excited to read more. It was written so beautifully, with a duality of the softness of men, and the strength of women. Add a dash of kink, and it’s truly a masterpiece blend. The kneeling? On the floor. (Hehe)
Im a huge Greek myth lover, and this book is written in such a way that even knowing the fate of the two in the myth, it was poetic and I was honestly shocked!
If you love Greek myths, you should definitely pick this book up. Poetic writing and a satisfying ending, it’s worth every bit of emotional distress you may have.

Thank you to NetGalley for this wonderful story, I enjoyed every beautiful second of it.

I suspect this will join a small handful of books that will stick with me, returning to me at random and not-so-random times.

From being a kid with a Greek mythology phase, I've long known the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, and was already familiar with multiple retellings going into this. HADESTOWN moved me when I saw it on Broadway last year (though my husband was less impressed), but the biggest feeling I had coming out of it was frustration with Orpheus... come ON, my dude, why couldn't you just trust that she was there? More than a decade ago, a theatre I worked at did Sarah Ruhl's EURYDICE, an absolutely beautiful piece of art that gave Eurydice more life, history, and motivation than any other retelling I'd seen before or since... until ORPHIA AND EURYDICIUS by Elyse John. Yes, obviously, she brings more to the female of the pair (Orphia, in this gender swapped version), but she also brings more to her male Eurydicius -- he has a backstory, a family, motivations, deep reasons for loving Orphia, a much fuller writing than the Eurydice of myth who barely existed before her meeting with Orpheus. It also bring so much more to Orphia than Orpheus ever was given. I understood why she turned back for one of the first times.

Elyse John uses the frame of the story of Orpheus and Eurydice to tell a story far deeper and more poignant than its ancestor. It is simultaneously: an adventure full of lush, evocative imagery; a vindication for an apology to every woman who's ever had their voice taken from them in some way; a manual on and example of the importance of writers and artists everywhere; an examination of family and grief; and, yes, a love story.

This started slow for me. I wasn't sure I could like this Orphia, she just wasn't grabbing me. It also might TOTALLY have been a me thing as I started it right before some medical stuff and might not have been able to focus on it properly. But soon, it had me and I'm so glad it did. I've highlighted more in this book than I have of any book in recent history. This is one particular standout:

"[...] All of your family walks with you, Orphia [...] We are not here because of the blood running though your body, but because we have chosen to be your family. Our support is no accident."
"And I choose you." Tears blocked my view. "I had not guessed that love would shine in the darkest of places."
"That is where love does its greatest work."

You may like this if you like:
- Found family
- Feminist retellings
- Breaking gender norms
- Lush imagery
- Women making their own places in the world

This story was a gender-bending version of one of my favorite myths and Broadway musicals. It was absolutely beautifully written, but it was not different enough from the original story for me.

I’ve been sitting with Orphia and Eurydicius for a long time. I finished the book on March 15th and began, as I normally do, the first version of my review a day later. Today, as I’m typing this, is March 20th. Even then, I’m not sure if my thoughts will have firmly settled into something coherent.

Books like these are generally set apart by their prose. On the whole, this is where Orphia and Euydicius should shine. Several reviewers have pointed out that the author is a poet, and the book has a lyrical, highly-detailed, emotive way of describing scenes that is equal parts gorgeous and incredibly frustrating, depending on the context of the scene. I will admit, however, that a few lines strayed too close to The Song of Achilles for comfort. Phrases aren’t copyrightable, and even if they were, I don’t think that’s what happened here. I do think, however, that when you write in a niche microgenre (like mythology retellings) and you use phrases that remind me of another, better (imho) retelling, it’s another sign of how parasitic the Greek mythology retelling microgenre has become - we are no longer just referencing Ovid and Homer; we are referencing Madeline Miller.

That said, the mythology was handled incredibly poorly. Many of the elements that made the story so impactful were rushed, altered, or removed altogether. I want to stress that I don’t have a problem with reinterpreting old stories. I don’t have a problem with changing details from one version of a myth to the next. This isn’t Star Wars. There is no “canon.” But, the thing is, when you make changes to mythology, you (the author) are presumably doing so for a reason. These aren’t random tweaks - otherwise, presumably, you would’ve left well enough alone. You are changing details to fit some kind of narrative (plot, theme, or otherwise). Orphia and Eurydicius was chock-full of so many bizarre twists that I almost don’t know where to begin.

The book’s treatment of Hera really exemplifies my problem. Here, Hera isn’t just the queen of the gods: no, she’s a “mother goddess” who protects all women and girls (which is Artemis’s role in the original mythology, but… sure). Long before Orphia even meets Hera, she constantly offers up prayers for protection. Orphia’s awestruck reverence for Hera is especially bizarre considering her father, whom she talks to basically once a day, is Apollo. Orphia isn’t some wide-eyed innocent; she’s fully aware of her divine heritage. How and why did she choose to devote so much time to what basically ends up being monotheism?

No, seriously, I’m asking. That’s not rhetorical. Hera doesn’t even interact with Orpheus in the Metamorphoses. Wouldn’t it have made more sense to make Artemis Orphia’s protector? You know, being Orphia’s aunt and all? And, you know, the actual, mythological protector of women and girls?

I digress.

Hera has some additional responsibilities, too. According to the Muses, the Pythia at Delphi was originally Hera’s priestess, until Apollo came along and “stole” her. Apollo introduced the priestly class at Delphi; originally, the Oracle spoke directly to her audience. Later, when Orphia goes on her mission to the Maeands, we learn that those are Hera’s, too. Why does everyone think they’re Dionysus’s worshipers, you ask? Well, you see, a group of women gathering together without their husbands would naturally be called “mad women,” and it was just convenient to use Dionysus’s name as a cover story.

(Sidenote: the Dionysus thing is especially stupid given the connection between Dionysus and Orpheus in the Orphic Rites grumble grumble)

Hera in Orphia and Eurydicius is more powerful than all of the male gods combined. We know this because we’re told so explicitly… which makes it a little strange she has to protect brutalized women in secret. As Hera explains to Orphia, every time “the poets” claimed a woman was hurt by a goddess, the goddess was actually just a scapegoat for a male god. Hera, like all of the goddesses, is utterly incapable of hurting a fellow woman. Elyse John doesn’t just dismiss the petty rivalries between the gods and goddesses that littered the stories of Greek mythology; oh, no. This is a world without Arachne, Callisto, Echo, or Scylla. This is a world of Good Gender ™ and Bad Gender ™ . Women are hurt, and men do the hurting.

To be fair, Orphia and Eurydicius is a little more complicated than that. Gender is not purely binary: nonbinary and trans people exist… as Sirs-Not-Appearing-in-this-Book, sure, but Orphia and Eurydicius have heard of the concept, at least. I also want to make it abundantly clear that I don’t care about ~positive male representation.~ Truly, I don’t. It’s not what books like these are trying to do, and it’s not what I want them to do. Moreover, both of our main characters are explicitly bisexual. Their relationship is undoubtedly queer, both in terms of gender roles and power dynamics, but it’s also just very, very sweet. It’s great! I’ve been very critical of this book so far, but I really, truly, find their relationship very cute. The sex is also very good. You’ll hear no complaints from me on that front.

At the same time, beyond our main couple, it gets a little messy. Love between women is valorized as noble and pure; love between men is sexual, and even pederastic. We see three male/male couples on-page: Zeus and Ganymede, Heracles and Hylas, and Jason and Eurydicius. The former two encounters are examples of erastes/eromenos relationships; the latter, a meaningless fling. Contrast this to the way that love between women is described: Orphia’s relationship with a nameless other woman is soft kisses and waking up in bed together; Melpomene and Thalia’s romance is almost PG. Obviously, female/female relationships didn’t have anything remotely similar to the male/male culture in Ancient Greece, but given the gender politics of this book, well… It paints a troubling picture.

I won’t discuss the ending, the ‘twist’ to the mythology, or how utterly bonkers and out of left field it felt. I do, however, want to mention the vaguely Christian cosmology: Hades is both psychopomp and judge, two roles typically filled by Hermes and Minos/Rhadamanthus/Aeacus, respectively; Tartarus/Asphodel/Elysium seem to match up with Hell/Purgatory/Heaven. With that in mind, that absolutely balls to the wall ending and Orphia’s “martyrdom” makes a little more sense. It doesn’t mean it’s good writing, though.

And that, in the end, is my biggest problem with Orphia and Eurydicius. I can see what it’s trying to do. I read sentences about Orphia wanting to speak for women, and I understand what Elyse John thinks she’s doing with them. But this isn’t nuanced, well-written storytelling. This isn’t giving a voice to the voiceless This is just girlbosses and gender essentialism all the way down.

(Link will go live on March 29)

Fans of Madeline Miller may enjoy this beautifully written book. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to connect emotionally to the characters.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

I am about half way through this book and so far it is an entertaining story! I am excited to see how it all ends!

Thank you Netgalley and Harper 360 for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is so beautifully written I got swept away so quickly. The prose is soothing, gentle, heartfelt and lyrical, which is very fitting given we follow the poet Orphia.

This one’s a very well-known myth (albeit gender-swapped in this retelling) but I will confess to knowing little of the details of Orpheus and Eurydice aside from the quest through the Underworld, so discovering the rest of their story was a joy and I got a much better understanding of their love.

I really appreciated the conversations about gender roles and queerness. This book really beautifully handles two people who do not conform to their “gender roles” and the way they navigate life with that in mind. It also explores both characters bisexuality which was lovely.

I also loved the strong female presence and the strength of female familial ties throughout the whole book.

However, something was missing for me. That hook wasn’t there and I found my attention waning in parts of this book. I can’t even tell you why. I can’t find a specific fault, only that it didn’t hit the mark for me.

That being said, I do definitely recommend giving this one a go if you enjoy Greek mythology retellings.