I really appreciate the unique perspective the author brought to this book. Playing with gender in a character like Eros from the Greek pantheon was really fun to follow. I did find myself getting bored during the "palace" section while Eros and Psyche were building their relationships. The "spicy" scenes were overly euphemistic making them a bit repetitive. I wish some of this page space had been reallocated to Psyche's trials because I feel like those were a bit rushed. Overall, though a fun retelling of the Psyche and Eros myth.

I was excited for this story. It starts off pretty well but as time goes on it begins to feel rushed. The connection between Eros and Psyche feels too quick and a like insta love. I still enjoyed reading the story but I wish it went more in depth on their emotional connection and less on the physical aspect. Overall, it was an interesting take on Eros and Psyche that I would tell others to check out if you enjoy mythology tales. 3.5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

This is a very sapphic romance in the Greek myth world. Theres a LOT of romance so if that’s something you’re into, you’ll enjoy. It’s trying to be deep theme-wise and emotionally, but didn’t quite get there (for me).

Special Thanks to Netgalley & Atria/Primero Sueno Press for the E-Arc in exchange for an honest Review!

When I first heard "Sapphic/Queer Retelling of Psyche & Eros" I jumped glee and immediately ran to request the e-arc. Although, this review is coming a little after the release date but that's totally ok because I'm here to talk about it!

This book is exactly what I needed. It challenged not only the patriarchy but it also challenged the entire gender spectrum.

Eros is a nonbinary and possibly gender fluid goddess, who has no interest in fitting into assigned sex categories. She pushes for those around them to understand that she is more than what she appears as. I love that we got to see Eros as a nonbinary character, there was truly so much dimension to their character. I hold to much love for her character.

Psyche as we know is also a main character and seeing her story written out in this perspective was so incredibly interesting, we see her not only suffer for the actions of men but we see her challenge her own beliefs despite the questions she beholds. She isn't against change and it really shows how wise of a character she is.

Robertis writing is truly beautiful, it's descriptive as it is meaningful. It brings a whole different level of emotion to the novel. It makes you not only question the myths that we're told but makes you question your own self and the society we live in. I know that some readers don't favor poetic and (adjective-filled) writing so please be aware of that before giving this book ago.

The story that is told is simply amazing.

I must emphasize that this story not only is a Queer/ Sapphic retelling of Eros and Psyche and for those that are aware their story revolves are grows from Lust and Sex.

I do have to share that one critique I had about the novel revolves around the point of view both main characters are written in. Psyche is written in first person but Eros is written in third person. When first reading the novel, I had a hard time understanding the author's decision. But I did have a chance to reflect before writing this review and my belief as to the decision of different points of view is because Eros is considered God and therefore is of greater power. I'm not sure if this is the exact reason but it's really interesting to think about.

I truly think this a greek mythology retelling worth checking out if you enjoy them!

P.S. THIS COVER IS STUNNING.

3.75

Sapphic retelling of Psyche and Eros featuring a nonbinary Eros and lots of sapphic yearning. Retellings are a subgenre of speculative fiction that I've grown weary of in recent times, especially Greek myth retellings but I've heard nothing but great things about De Robertis' other works (Cantoras has been languishing on my TBR for ages) so I was excited to give this a try.

I think the biggest reason I see readers bouncing off of this is the prose. It is very flowery and lush which I think I would have struggled with if I read it physically but I had grabbed the audiobook from my library so I found it made it easy to sink in to the setting of the story. I did sometimes struggle with the differentiation in point of view, as we have Psyche written in first person and Eros written in third person. I ultimately understood why that choice was made narratively, but I don't know if it fully paid off in my opinion. That being said, thematically I loved everything this was doing with gender and the idea of power and building space for yourself within the constraints that society has placed on you.

Overall, while not a new favorite I did really enjoy my time in this book and recommend it!

I really loved this book, and I appreciated how the author stuck to the original myth still making exciting changes with Eros's gender. The prose is beautiful, and I'm looking forward to future releases by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc!

I liked this! It was definitely a like, not a love, but The Palace of Eros was beautifully written and sure to appeal to any number of Greek mythology fans. My only complaints are small, and not likely to bother all readers: though beautifully written on the whole, there were a few moments when it was like I could feel the author trying too hard; that whole conceit of "there is no word to describe the thing" but then it's immediately followed by some words that describe the thing is a personal pet peeve of mine that drives me up a wall; and, there is a careful line that I realize mythology retelling authors have to straddle between assuming that their readers already know all the backstories and don't need to be spoon fed them, and including enough background information so that readers unfamiliar with Greek mythology can still follow along. I am not 100% sure that De Robertis hit that balance. There were a few times where I definitely caught myself going "okay, but everyone probably knows that story, and I'm not sure what retelling it almost in its entirety is doing to help the story".

But on the whole, I really did enjoy The Palace of Eros. I thought it was an interesting reconsideration of a well known story that, though it didn't really deviate from or do anything particularly new with its source material, still was captivating enough to keep readers engaged. What's more, it's definitely a retelling you could recommend to readers with no Greek mythology background, because it won't be as unapproachable to that group of readers as some other retellings are seen to be.

I really liked the way the story was told and the two different perspectives. I wasn’t familiar with the original story, but this did feel very reminiscent of a true retelling.

The long chapters for Psyche versus the shorter, rushed chapters for Eros felt a little disjointed., and I felt the story could have benefited from longer scenes in Eros’ POV, especially to give a bit more background into the ‘royalty’ aspect of the story. I was really intrigued with the authors writing style, it flowed very well and many of the scenes were beautifully done.

Overall, I thought this was a good retelling of a classic story told with a Queer/Sapphic twist. I am eager to see what comes next from this author.

Greek mythology retellings are most definitely not my go-to genre. I often find myself lost if I’m not given enough context clues, but I’m quickly finding that every time I read one, I’m thoroughly enjoying learning about this setting, especially retellings that have a feminist twist to them.

Palace of Eros is about another Greek goddess that I was previously unfamiliar with, Eros, who is the daughter of Aphrodite. She builds a palace hidden from the eyes of her mother and Zeus so that she can be who she is with her lover, though there are restrictions that she must live under to keep the palace hidden.

The romance was beautifully written, with some alternating POV from Psyche and Eros, and within these, there’s important history of the gods embedded. This didn’t get the full five stars from me because there were parts that were pretty tedious and dragged, and the overall plot was pretty lackluster but still enjoyed the overall experience.

This was a well-written, lyrical sapphic/queer take on the myth of Eros and Psyche. I only had a vague recollection of their tale going into this, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story - which actually made me think of Beauty and the Beast several times.

I liked the way the story played with gender and relationships. It was fun to see how the other Greek characters were woven in. The writing was the highlight for me and really made the story flow.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

I found The Palace of Eros by Caro De Robertis to be a lyrical and bold retelling of the Greek myth of Eros and Psyche. The story delves into themes of love, gender identity, and self-discovery through a queer and feminist perspective, which I found compelling. As a fan of both Greek myth retellings and queer narratives, this book was right up my alley. While the prose occasionally bordered on overly elaborate, slowing the pace with lengthy descriptions, much of the writing was beautiful. I think those who appreciate a more flowery writing style would enjoy this book even more. The shift between third-person POV for Eros and first-person POV for Psyche was initially jarring, but I got used to it over time. Like many other reviewers, I found the beginning and end to be stronger than the middle, but overall, I enjoyed the read.

I don't know how to feel about this book. I have rated it the way it is because while it is a very good book, I did not enjoy it. I was very excited about the premise, but found myself a bit let down. Perhaps that is my fault.

This book is very well written. It is a very interesting exploration of gender, sexuality, and woman empowerment. I enjoyed the use of Persephone's original myth as opposed to more modern versions. I enjoyed the discussion of the gender issues this version of Eros dealt with. I think there is great merit to the discussion of a woman's pleasure.

However. I was very disappointed the story skimmed over what I always found the most interesting part of the myth, Psyche's trials, skipping one entirely and barely covering another, I think that is by far the most interesting part, Psyche's mission to prove herself. Instead the novel focuses on the actions in the palace, and while as I mentioned before there was merit in the exploration of Psyche discovering her sexuality, that it is okay, and there is things to say about women being able to seek pleasure in a patriarchal society, I was bored. I was bored that the first 60% of the book felt like it was predominantly Psyche and Eros having sex in various ways. I found myself slogging through this section to get to what I was interested in, the trials, only to have them barley featured and rushed through.

Overall, again, it was a good book and well written, but I was bored and disappointed by it. I recommend it if you enjoy that kind of sexual content, but not if you enjoy the part of the myth with Psyche overcoming her trials.

Gender fluidity in the context of a Greek goddess! Personally, I’m not a huge Greek mythology person, so my reviews will never be about how accurate this type of retelling is.

All I know is that the story had me hooked, their romance was so unique, and there was all the typical Greek gore going on around them. Content warning for sexual assault and domestic violence, just not between the two main characters.

Since I know nothing about Greek mythology, I wasn’t sure how this was going to end! I enjoyed the ending and appreciated the many conflicts that came from the two main characters wanting to be together.

This book was perfectly paced. Obviously a completely different story, but I think if you enjoyed The Song of Achilles I think you’d also enjoy this! Would recommend. :) I think the author really captures the misogyny of Greek Gods and refutes that with the characters she’s written. This is definitely written in what I would call a feminist lens — which I loved!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for this book in exchange for an honest review.

As I start to think about the overall reading of this book, I understand more and more that it’s told with such love and respect for these two characters. This was my first time reading anything by De Robertis and thought I am late to the “party” I am happy to have arrived nonetheless.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance e-copy of this book.

This is a beautiful queer retelling of Psyche and Eros! Psyche is wanted by everyone, Eros is a non-binary immortal who wants nothing to do with their mothers request. I loved this take on this story!

A refreshing view of sexuality and gender set in the distant and imagined path and yet holding hope for the future. The reader is beautifully transported to Olympus to meet gods and defy them. Five stars.

This author cannot write a bad sentence, not even a mediocre one. The book is entrancing from the start. I never liked mythology so I had almost zero knowledge about the original tale prior to reading Palace of Eros. Instead, I read it simply as a story told by one of my favorite authors.

Psyche is a stunningly beautiful woman who draws male suitors from far and wide, many calling her even more wondrous than Aphrodite. The goddess is of course insulted and sends her daughter, Eros, to take revenge against the mortal woman. Eros is to shoot her arrow and send Psyche into the arms of the most evil and ugly man that can be found. But as soon as Eros sees Psyche, Eros spirals headlong into love and defies the world to make Psyche hers.

The first half of the book is a golden-tongued love story. I enjoyed the alternate pov’s between the two main characters, watched their no holds barred passion and lust build into a sexual fervor that also held a sweet tenderness. I want to add that Eros here is both a woman and a man. It’s such an important point because Eros fights to be in control of her own body and spirit, at times, violently at odds with the gods because of being both. As the story moves on, a struggle emerges, not only between the two lovers and the gods and goddesses on Olympia, but most importantly, Psyche battles to claim her own life and destiny. To not be beholden to the might of the powerful. To not have to answer to men. I’m sure the story is meant to reflect the strength and vulnerability of women during these times, the fight of individuals to own their identities, and the passages stay true to those themes. But throughout the story, I remained invested in seeing what happened to Psyche and Eros as well. I have no clue if this book stays true to the original myth but once again, this author has written a thoughtful and engaging story.

This subversive Eros and Psyche mythical retelling centers the nonbinary experience in the mythological world so tenderly. Caro's writing is immersive and just so beautiful. This book edged on erotica, but ultimately served as a beautiful metaphor. I loved how the story so clearly followed the original myth while subverting it so entirely. This was all possible due to Caro's effective and precise prose.

This book was beautiful and ethereal. Perfect for fans of Madeline Miller and other books in a similar vein. I love Greek myth, and this was no exception.

This is a beautifully written, sapphic and feminist retelling of the myth of Psyche & Eros. There was a lot of discourse about gender & gender roles. I loved how strong both MCs were and enjoyed the changes that De Robertis added to make the myth her own. If you are looking to read more diverse books/authors, this is a perfect choice!