Based on the description I was very excited to read this and the book did not let me down. This book took on a rollercoaster with the beautiful art and the writing. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

Eros/Psyche is a sapphic young adult romance graphic novel omnibus that collects four individual issues and extra art into one section. It comes from Maria LLovet from Barcelona.

It follows two young women/teen girls, Silje and Sara who attend La Rosa (the Rose) boarding school. it features young witches learning magic in a school that has rigorous rules and consequences for breaking them can lead up to death.It does however have intricate, entrancing art and covers the themes of love, devotion, tragedy and young women coming into themselves.

The plot followed a good narrative and the gorgeous artwork that features many elements of flowers, minimalism, shadow and light really drives the story home. I did feel choked up at parts. Though it is a young adult novel about love, any of the physical parts are handled tastefully and though the relationship progressed quickly, I did not feel as if it was done so uselessly. The characters fit well together.

The art mixed many elements of 'traditional' hearth witch magic, involving flowers, tinctures, and and mystical elements as well. I want to buy this with my own money just to display, it was enchanting. If I may make one criticism, the ending felt a little rushed for me, personally, and I was a little disappointed with how it was left off. That may have been a personal choice by the author, though. Some of the images may be triggering for younger viewers, though it is age appropriate as described. I would give this a solid four out of five.

I would recommend this strongly to any fans of sapphic romance, witchy vibes, cottage core hearth witch bloody delight. I wish I had more words to encapsulate the entire atmosphere of this book.

Arc provided by netgalley
English and spanish review

If you have to know two things about me is that 1. I am a whore and 2. I like cute covers, so when I watched this one on netgalley I was like "okay, I was born for this" and I requested it, knowing nothing (and when I tell you nothing I mean it) and imagine my surprise (I wasn't surprised) when I didn't understand what was happening.

Let me elaborate on this one: the art style is really pretty to look at but the character illustrations are kind of similar and I could not tell them apart - this may be my fault for being dumb too so there's that - and also, the story was weird? I don't know how to explain it because I, honestly, don't know what this graphic novel is even about. I just know that there's a sapphic main couple and that what really catch my attention when I first requested it. So, I don't know, maybe pick this one up to see if you like it or not. Up to you.

Reseña en español

Si tienes que saber algo sobre mí es que Me gustan las portadas lindas, así que cuando vi esta en netgalley dije "está bien, nací para esto" y lo pedí, sin saber nada (y cuando les digo nada lo digo en serio) e imagina mi sorpresa (no me sorprendió) cuando no entendí lo que estaba pasando.

Permítanme profundizar en esto: el diseño de la novela es muy bonito de ver, pero las ilustraciones de los personajes son algo similares y no podría distinguirlos; esto puede ser mi culpa por ser tonta también, así que ahí está eso, y también, la historia. fue rara? No sé cómo explicarlo porque, sinceramente, no sé de qué trata esta novela gráfica. Solo sé que hay una pareja principal sáfica y eso es lo que realmente me llamó la atención cuando lo solicité por primera vez. Entonces, no sé, tal vez leanlo para ver si les gusta o no. Depende de ustedes.

This was a fascinating and mysterious story. I really enjoyed the atmosphere in this comic. It fit in perfectly with the plot. I do believe that some of the main parts of the story were underdeveloped because we don't get much of a plot until we get to the middle. I wasn't sure if this was supposed to be an eros/psyche retelling, but it appeared to be. The romance in this book was both enjoyable and heartbreaking. It was interesting to see them end with them apart rather than together.

Thank you Netgally for letting me review this book.

2 ⭐

Honestly, I don't know what exactly is going.

The art is great, it really did give the dark academia vibes and it was really intriguing and STILL I don't have any idea of what's happening.

There's honestly no plot, no character development, little to no conflict and resolution.

Hopefully the 2nd issue will answer all of the things. And yes, I probably will read the 2nd one due to my curiousity.

The artwork was stunning and the style was something else ( In a good way). I felt the story had purpose but I just couldn't connect. I ended up dnf at 50%. It just seemed like I started in the middle of a story. Which could very well be the case but I haven't seen anything yet.

If you like dark and mysterious comics this is for you. It has a very Sabrina the Teenage Witch feel ( original comic).

I just couldn't connect and get into it.

I'm mostly just left feeling confused by this. The art was lovely. Maria Llovet did a beautiful job. But my issue is with the story as a whole. I feel that nothing was explained enough. I'm fine with their being some necessary inference in a story, but there has to be enough plot for me to follow. That wasn't the case with this. I feel like I was bumbling along following the story mostly through the illustration and occasionally getting a little clarity from the text. I enjoyed what I understood, I just feel like there was more story to be told.

**I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher!

A gothic tale with a boarding school, witchcraft, love and the rules that bind.
I will be real, I have no real clue what that plot was nor what the main point of the school or rose was, but this story really intrigued me, and I enjoyed it still.

I would love more explanation to the magic, rules and the school.

This is the first sapphic graphic novel that I've read and I kinda have mixed emotions about it. First of all, let me just say that I really liked the illustrations. I think it's pretty especially since it has a gothic element in it. I think that's one of the reasons why I'm interested to read this book in the first place. Moreover, I have always been a fan of Eros & Psyche, so knowing that there is a retelling of them made me pretty hype in reading this graphic novel. Unfortunately, it wasn't a retelling of them. Also, I got to say that this story didn't entirely grab my fullest attention until the very end. At some point, I got bored but I read it just for the sake of reading. Overall, it was an okayish read for me. It's not entirely bad but it's not good either.

For a mythology nerd, a title like Eros/Psyche certainly paints a tone before even opening the book. Similarly, if you've paid attention to artfully done comics over the last decade the name Maria Llovet sets a very high bar for what to expect.

The description on the book speaks of the school, of the place where these young women go to study and learn secret curses but the school is the backdrop. What is core to the book is the lingering moments between the young women. Both between Sara and Silje, the main characters whose relationship forms the crux of the story and between Sara and the other students. It is a story told in silence and in subtext, in the positions in frames.

Of course, this means that for some people who don't speak silence as a language this book could potentially be very frustrating. And there's material in here (notably suicide) that can be alarming for some readers and both of these warnings should be taken seriously before picking it up.

I did not initially realize when receiving the ARC that was provided that this was Maria Llovet's first professional work as a comics artist and cartoonist and that we are seeing it now be brought to the US, in color, a decade later. There's something reminiscent of indie comics of the late aughts and early teens in the art style but honestly each image is so crisp, minimal and beautiful I would have not assumed this was 'dated'. This was also my first real exposure to Ablaze as a publisher of quite a few interesting titles from investigating their catalog and this book.

Eros/Psyche is melancholy, surreal, and thoughtful. Going into the book with that sort of understanding is important for setting yourself up for good expectations. And the story is told, as mentioned above, far more through art. Pages will go by without a single word. But even in that case, I found myself invested in Sara and Silje's potential happiness and wanting the best for them. I was left with questions as I finished but not every story has to tie up neatly.

Less and More

You don't "follow" this story, you feel it. The blurb tries its darnedest to make it sound like there's a tale with a plot here- mysterious school, hints of magic and witchcraft, a secret society, curses, peril, threats to the young lady students. It seems likely to develop into a Gothic or supernatural creepy school sort of thriller, with a Sapphic overlay. Well, yes and no. That would be way too easy and predictable. This book is much less and much much more than that.

Our author has a background in, and a professed "passion for" the fashion industry, and that makes sense here. If your run of the mill Gothic thriller is a practical pantsuit, this book is a gorgeous, impractical piece of couture. It's flashy and colorful and makes an impression, even if it's loosely stitched together and wouldn't hold up to actual wear.

So, as the story struts down the runway we admire how it's put together, we appreciate how it breaks some norms and reaffirms others, and we reflect on the little touches and the bits of detail that come together to create an overall lasting impression. Somehow the book touches on friendship, infatuation, young love, loyalty, coming of age, the disappointment that may come with maturity, and the odd mix of tenderness and cold-heartedness that can co-exist during one's teenage years. That's quite an accomplishment, and way more exciting than some school witch craft potboiler.

So, it's eerie, surreal, and gorgeous to look at. It is both distant and cool on one hand, and hot blooded and intimate on the other. In its nod to Eros and Psyche the book reminds us that great myths have power because of what they signify and what they implicate, and that a completely logical, linear plot is of minimal concern.

(Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

Thanks to NetGalley for providing this e-ARC for an honest review.

The art in this graphic novel is absolutely gorgeous and I like the gothic/horror feel for a sapphic story, but that's where my interest ended. I love graphic novels that use art to enhance and tell a story, but I was so lost in the first 100 pages that the art lost its luster and I was just a ball of frustration. I didn't really have a reason to care about anyone. It's successful as an illustrated penny dreadful, but it's a little too long for that kind of story.

Overall 2/5 stars.

I thought this would be a sapphic retelling of the Eros and Psyche myth. I was a bit disappointed that it wasn't. The art is beautiful. The first four issues set up quite a mysterious, slightly dark academia story. I'm intrigued to read more but as for now I feel similar towards Eros/Psyche as I did towards The Wicked + The Divine.

NetGalley ARC Educator 550974

Beautifully haunting tale with gorgeous imagery. Can be hard to understand as there aren't many context clues and there are gaps in the story text. It wasn't until I read the book's summary at the end did I fully grasp the meaning.

Would make a great short film.

It was pretty but confusing? I thought there would be more connection to the mythology indicated by the title but there wasn't.