This book was amazing. The writing was lyrical and poetic, and the narrator (who is also the author!) did an excellent job bringing the characters to life and telling the story.

I love Greek retellings, and this queer retelling of Eros and Psyche is a must read for any fans of Greek mythology.

*I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley and a free ALC of the audiobook from LibroFM. All opinions are my own!

Thank you for the ARC to de Robertis and the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Wanted for her beauty and despised by a jealous Aphrodite, Psyche lives a hard life where she is also seen as an object and not a person. Eros is sent by Aphrodite, her mother, to curse Psyche to fall in love with the worst man she sees, to curse her to marry a monster. However, when Eros sets eyes upon her, she instantly falls in love and takes her for her own, hiding her in a special palace built specifically for this purpose to hide them and their budding love from the eyes of the other gods, but only as long as Psyche never sees Eros in the light.

As a Queer retelling of the classic myth, much of the story itself is left untouched, but Eros is genderqueer, for desire is older than any categories or boxes, older even then Zeus and the gods of Mount Olympus. I feel that de Robertis makes some really interesting and unique decisions with this that serve as an excellent commentary on the gender/sex binary and our perceptions. Likewise, since Eros uses she/her pronouns and more feminine features, it serves to comment on how, due to misogyny, women and their desires are looked down upon and the defying of societal norms by allowing two female-presenting persons being married in a society where this was unheard of.

Content warning for mentions of sexual assault and transphobia and queerphobia

In a brutal world of men and gods, a young woman resigns herself to death but instead embarks on a journey of self-discovery in the arms of a goddess, unbeknownst to her.
Yet, loving a goddess is not without complications. Eros casts a shrouding spell to hide her relationship with Psyche from the other gods, specifically her mother Aphrodite, and to keep it intact, only visits under the cover of night. She makes Psyche promise never to bring light into their bedchamber or ask for her identity. With no explanation, Psyche wonders who her "husband" really is.
I love this non-binary sapphic version of Eros. I think I am also in love with her. Sigh.
They have lots of sex and a bit of talking and grow to have a deep connection. Psyche, with her newfound inner strength, begins to feel unsettled about a relationship hidden in darkness. Choices are made, conflicts arise, and Psyche and Eros learn more about themselves and each other through the struggle.
This sapphic, feminist retelling of Psyche and Eros is sensual and empowering. What does it mean to be allowed to want? To embrace one's power of self? What does it mean to be free?
Most of the story is in first-person perspective from Psyche's point of view. I didn't find her the most compelling individual, but I did enjoy her stream of consciousness as she puzzled out her unusual circumstances. I did love seeing things from Eros's point of view.
The writing style is a bit wordy. The author is blunt in presenting the brutality and carnal nature of gods and man as they paint a picture of Psyche's and Eros's world. I felt anger, sadness, and joy, so the author did her job. I enjoyed this unique glimpse into Greek mythology with a twist. I would be interested in reading more by this author.
#greekmythology #sapphic #feminist #HEA #olympus #Aphrodite

The Palace of Eros is a painfully beautiful story of a goddess who falls in love with a mortal woman. The two have a secret love affair, visiting each other only in darkness. Until one day when Psyche betrays Eros, and they must both undergo trials to try and make their way back to each other, unless the fates have other plans.

This book was beautifully written. The Palace of Eros is a compelling story, and De Robertis’ retelling with queer and feminist elements is refreshing.

There were several lines in this book that were highlight worthy. I do think the story dragged just a little bit in the palace, but I understand why we needed to become invested in the love story.

*The Palace of Eros* by Caro De Robertis is a lush tapestry woven with threads of desire, identity, and the sacred dance of human connection. De Robertis crafts a world where every word pulses with life, where the boundaries between self and other dissolve into a tender exploration of what it means to love, to yearn, to inhabit the spaces of our deepest longings.

The novel sweeps you into its embrace with prose that is at once sensual and profound, echoing with the rhythms of ancient myths while grounded in the raw realities of contemporary existence. De Robertis writes with a grace that is almost tactile, as if each sentence is an offering, a ritual in the temple of the heart. The characters move through this narrative with a dreamlike quality, their emotions vivid and aching, yet always tinged with a sense of the ephemeral.

There is a fluidity in *The Palace of Eros* that mirrors the fluidity of love itself—a love that transcends gender, transcends time, and in its most potent moments, transcends the very body. De Robertis captures this with an artistry that is both daring and delicate, inviting readers to question their own boundaries and to surrender to the mysteries of the human spirit.

This is a novel that lingers long after the final page, like a whispered secret or a lover's touch. It is a celebration of the erotic, not merely in its physical form, but as a force that shapes and defines our lives, our relationships, and our very sense of self. *The Palace of Eros* is a triumph, a work of art that invites us to enter its halls, to lose ourselves in its beauty, and to emerge transformed.

As someone who loves any retelling of Greek myths—especially when they are queer—I was so excited to read The Palace of Eros. I thought this myth had such great potential and the description sounded incredible. Unfortunately, I found myself let down by the novel.

My two biggest complaints were on the actual writing style itself, rather than the plot. I actually enjoyed the plot and wanted to dive a little deeper, to be honest. But first—the pacing felt incredibly off to me. I simultaneously felt like we were going too slow but then, wen it came to the emotional relationship between Psyche and Eros, I felt the audience hadn't actually been given enough to justify the intensity in emotions. I keep waiting to dive into that aspect but it felt like we were just jumping from the sexual physical aspect to all of a sudden, Psyche was talking about love. It just felt out-of-place—even for a Greek myth.

The second part was the prose. Make no mistake—Caro De Robertis had moments of gorgeous writing, that had the lyricism of oral epics. But, othertimes there were blocks on blocks of writing on the pages; it made certain aspects harder to digest and work through. And in those instances, the writing itself often felt clunky and forced. Instead of flowing from a Muse, it felt like we were trying to make these words work in an imitation.

I think this will definitely appeal to a good portion of readers, but I was just hoping for more.

(2/5) I was really excited for a queer adaptation of Eros & Psyche’s tale, but I felt that it fell flat. It felt too modernized, despite being set in ancient times. Some of the language felt like overkill and made chunks of the book hard to read. To be fair, I was already incredibly familiar with the myth, so I may have set standards for this book that it could have never reached, but I wished I loved this book more than I did. I also thought that the perspective switches were a little off-putting and confusing. I wished the author implemented character names in chapter titles instead of simply switching from first person to third person. Additionally, I was a little surprised with how strictly gender roles were projected onto ancient greek times, considering that homosexuality was accepted and also they were literally gods. I understand that Zeus can be a little wack, but I feel like shapeshifting gods should have been the least of his concerns, maybe that’s just me.

Ohhh I really liked this novel. In a lot of ways I feel like it was written just for me, like De Robertis crawled in my mind and poetically transcribed the cosmic ooze of my thoughts. I liked the twists and edits they made to the original myth, which was surprising to me as someone who adores this myth and in many ways is hyperprotective of it. (I HATED a novel that came out within the last year that tried to tackle this story.) While I occasionally had issues with the passing or the blocks of dialogue, I could always understand the authorial intent behind those choices. The characterization of our cast felt honest and true, De Robertis made them all feel whole. All I can think about now is how I would really love a physical copy of this to annotate to my hearts content.

Psyche lives in a world of women. Her mother’s love is endless and yet she is helpless against her husband, enduring the blows and anger turned her way as silently and gracefully as she endures the heat of the summer sun or the chill of winter. Psyche’s sisters, clever and proud Iantha and graceful, beautiful Coronis, are a pair unto themselves, whose closeness both welcomes their sister at one moment, then shuts her away from them the next. But Psyche loves them with her whole heart, sees beauty even in their cruelty and their indifference, chases after them for the joy of their laughter, clings to them for comfort when the night is too dark.

As Psyche grows, so too does her reputation. Psyche is beautiful and young, ready to be married. Men come from all over to stare at her, turning her into a spectacle. Unable to touch her, the men assault the female slaves; her father’s money is slipping away, as he must feed these guests who offer nothing but refuse to leave, wanting nothing more than to stare and stare and stare at Psyche. They sing of her, write poems about her, and, most dangerously of all, name her more beautiful than Aphrodite.

Aphrodite is a jealous goddess and demands that Eros, her daughter, goddess of desire and passion, curse Psyche to love and wed a monster. Eros, who delights in mischief, who adores her mother, wings her way to the mortal world … only to fall in love with Psyche herself.

This is a retelling of the myth of Psyche and Eros, and it’s quite a book. First and foremost, before even talking about the characters, the lovely romance, and the bonds of sisterhood and daughterhood, I have to talk about the writing, because it’s both the thing that drew me into the story and also the thing that, at times, made the book almost unreadable. The author has a lovely, lyrical, and lush way of writing that — when it works — really works. Psyche’s musings on her mother’s life, on the beauty of her sisters, and the love she feels for them, are just glorious, evocative, and poetic.

The pages where Psyche is living under her father’s roof, constrained by the events surrounding her, are a five-star read on their own. Then the story moves to her marriage to Eros in a hidden palace and the tone changes. The writing becomes sentence after sentence (sometimes a page of one sentence) of mood and style and vibe, and I struggled to stay invested and I honestly struggled to read. My eyes would just glaze over as Psyche used words that felt they had no purpose, putting feelings together with no end point, and when it did end, it did so with no conclusion. It’s beautiful, yes; it’s like eating the most wondrous dessert of only one flavor of sweetness and no variation. No texture, no balance, nothing to drink to cleanse the palette so you can enjoy the next bite … it was overwhelming and, for me, it was exhausting to read. The author knows what they’re doing; they can write and write well, but the style soon became the star of the show rather than the story, and that just isn’t to my taste.

The story though … the story is so good. Psyche has been raised all her life to be passive. To obey her father, her mother, her gods, to do as she is told and prepare to be married to a man her father will choose for her. She follows her sisters, listens to their dreams and hopes, only to see them married to men they did not want, forced to separate to new homes and new lives because of Psyche. She finds strength in her mother who, like Psyche, like so many women, has been limited and weakened by the cage around her of duty, obedience, and acceptance. She is helpless to save her daughters, helpless to do anything but mourn when they are taken away from her.

There are many thoughts on sisterhood, on womanhood, and what life is when one has the ability to choose, and when one doesn’t. Like Psyche, Eros loves her mother, is devoted to her, and — like Psyche — Eros is limited by the power women are allowed to have. For all that Aphrodite is a goddess, she bows her head before Zeus; for all that Eros amuses him as she shoots arrows of desire, partnering an old woman and a young man, a beggar and a prince, she must obey his tempers and his tantrums. With Psyche, in the dark of a room where no light enters, Eros is free to be herself. Wholly herself. To speak, sing, or shift … because Eros, formed in Aphrodite with no father, has a body that shifts between woman and man. She can be fully a woman, or fully a man, or the shape she most prefers, a mixture of both. To have Psyche, Eros must hide them both from her mother, and yet, as the story goes, the pair are discovered.

The how and the why make perfect sense. The story comes together so well and so seamlessly that it’s a joy to read. The discussions of motherhood, sisterhood, and the shared bond of being women in a world where they are seen as lesser, as property, are thoughtful and — through Psyche’s eyes — both sad and sympathetic. When the writing doesn’t get in the way. I enjoyed Psyche as a character, and her romance with Eros was so well done. Her relationship with her sisters and mother were so good, and even the scenes with Eros and Aphrodite. But I just can’t, personally, get entirely past the middle section and the writing. The style was overwhelming and I had to take breaks just to give my mind a chance to reset so that I could come back to it refreshed.

This won’t be a book for everyone, and it’s one where I strongly suggest you try a sample — or pick it up from the library — so that you can judge for yourself if the writing style is going to work for you.

It's an interesting book that queers the Psyche and Eros myth. As others remarked: It's refreshing to give Psyche a voice, in true mythological fashion, as most women (most especially mortals) were not given one. However, I agree with many of the comments here. The prose is beautiful, but the author spends too long diving into the plot that it loses us. I understand and empathise with the background of Psyche and giving her room and space to grow, but I feel there could have been better ways to move the plot along. An interesting note is a way she discusses her relationship to her sisters, addressing colorism, racism and colonisation in one fell swoop. I found it pertinent that De Robertis would highlight this, and it inspired me to look up more of the mythology to figure out why this choice was made. Yet, while being given a voice-- the author spends the first quarter of the book building Psyche's silence and devotion.

This is a good book, but I just wanted it to be more compelling. 3.5/5, rounding up to 4.
thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the DRC

This book started out very strong and hooked me with the writing but unfortunately the story was not strong enough to keep me entertained with the writing alone and I had to DNF. I think the book had potential but there was more filler than plot as the book progressed once she was at the castle. I was not intrigued or invested in the characters. I wish the author the best of luck in finding her audience.

This review will also be posted on Goodreads! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this for free!

I’m not gonna lie, the beginning not only broke my heart for Psyche, but it sorta dragged a bit? I wish we had more of the last parts of the book, but overall, I didn’t hate any of it. I enjoyed reading this very much, I mean come on, it’s a Greek mythology retelling focused on feminism and queerness. What’s not to love? I loved the prose and noticed others describing it as flowery and I have to say I agree. I also wanted to point out that while I loved the romance and I don’t mind spicy scenes at all, I found a couple things to be just a bit too much? Maybe just unnecessary. I wish it would have focused more on other aspects of their characters than JUST the romance between them. Overall, great read, I highly recommend.

This story did not do a whole lot for me. It had some good character moments, but was not my favorite of the "myth retold" options out there.

(I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)

The beginning of this draaaaaagged for me, but once it hits around 20% the ball really starts rolling. I felt like some of the prose was a bit “flowery” and not needed, it would go on and on for paragraphs with descriptors on a single feeling and I feel like some quotes would have hit harder with a less is more approach. That being said, I loved the characters, the slowness of their love, and the exploration on queer/nonbinary identity and overall really enjoyed the book.

I have to note though, for some unknown reason Psyche has sex with a long list of inanimate objects in this book for no apparent reason. Like she took a tree as a lover, not like a sentient tree … just a tree. She also had sex with ✨checks notes✨ an apple, a vase, a mortar and pestle (separately the author made sure to note), a ball of wool, but none more than her beloved tree lover (exact wording).

Thank you to NetGalley & Atria Books for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

The Palace of Eros by Caro De Robertis is a sensual, queer retelling of the Greek mythology of Psyche and Eros. This book is written primarily in second person as Psyche addresses the reader.

I feel like this book could have spent more time in the events of the last third. The ending resolution felt rushed and didn’t match the high stakes throughout the book.

Despite that, De Robertis expertly uses Greek mythology to represent how patriarchal power structures are made and unmade. I especially loved the strong female bonds portrayed throughout the book. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading their other works.

I hate men. So much.

In all seriousness, I hate how Psyche is blamed for the crimes of men. The first portion of this book just breaks my heart, as she is blamed and hurt for things that are not her fault. I loved Eros rescuing her, loving her, and helping her heal from the damage of men in her life. But I really hate that the story didn't rewrite her sisters to be loving. I feel like this story shouldn't just have been a sapphic retelling (which I loved) but also a retelling of how women are portrayed negatively even when they don't act that way. Her sisters should have defended and helped her, and I hate that it wasn't rewritten that way. I hope all the men in this story eventually met an horrible end.

👀 Synopsis:

Psyche and Eros's story, as retold in this book, offers a fresh take on the classic Greek myth. Psyche's beauty, which leads to people neglecting Aphrodite, results in Eros being tasked with punishing her. However, Eros falls in love instead. The story explores how love can thrive in darkness, as Eros visits Psyche only at night. However,can love sustain without the light of the day? 👀

🤔 My opinion:

What sets this retelling apart is the author's decision to give Psyche a voice, allowing her to express the violation she feels from being objectified. The portrayal of Eros as a non-binary character adds depth, highlighting the frustrations and challenges of those who are often misunderstood and are considered different as per societal standards. While I appreciated these unique elements, I found the prose a bit heavy and wished for a more straightforward style.

If you enjoy descriptive love scenes, queer characters, and reimagined Greek mythology, this book is worth checking out. 🤔

In The Palace of Eros, Caro De Robertis continues the tradition of taking an old story and embodying it, making the myth visceral. In this case, this is a Sapphic retelling of the story of Cupid (Eros here) and Psyche, with a gender-fluid, female Eros. I really enjoyed the idea of Eros's fluidity and the role of desire here, and it shouldn't be surprising that any retelling, especially one that discusses desire and possession in the midst of a Greek myth, should also have interesting things to say about power and its imbalances, especially since both Psyche and Eros have been denied it in their respective families. The novel also has interesting things to say about forced looking (Psyche, exposed to the suitors who come to stare and try to force her to look at them, and stir up the wrath of a goddess without her participation, and Eros, dealing with the effects of Zeus's prurient rules and bargains for her body), which also seems especially appropriate for this myth, with the role hiding and looking has in the story. This embodiment becomes incredibly uncomfortable in parts of the novel, and isn't entirely balanced by the ecstasy Eros and Psyche find in each other. The ending also seems rushed, and the handoff of narration between Eros and Psyche (which happens multiple times) sometimes leaves gaps, especially in terms of understanding Psyche's motivations.

Thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my free earc in return for an honest review. My opinions are all my own.

5/5⭐️ 3.5/5🌶️

Happy Pub Day to Caro De Robertis!

Greek mythology but make it feminist and queer? Yes, please. I had very high hopes for this book and it did not disappoint. I absolutely ADORED this book. I could not put it down.

From the start, the Audre Lorde right off the jump! And the dedication "For queer folks, all of us, far and wide and throughout time." Love, love, love.

This book was way more erotic than I was expecting, but in the best way. The sex scenes were beautifully written, displaying raw passion and vulnerability between Eros and Psyche. Though there were moments that the sex nearly overshadowed the actual relationship building between the two.

De Robertis goes beyond purple prose, perhaps more accurately described as deep violet prose, and was perfect in the exploration of this lavender marriage. I enjoyed the rich, floral language used in this novel, but it may not be for every reader. De Robertis' prose showcased the passion and love between Eros and Psyche and the deep sense of grief/loss/betrayal in such a beautiful way that I feel any less would have been a disservice to the authentic voice of the author.

I enjoyed how effortlessly De Robertis blended other Greek mythology into this storyline. It was fun to find the breadcrumbs of some of my other favorite lore through the lense of this plotline. I, also, found that Eros reclaiming the retelling as their own and discrediting the lore of the bards to be a fantastic transition into the plotline.

The exploration of gender fluidity, freedom, gender roles, marriage, and what defines 'monstrous' were some of my favorite themes in this subversive, feminist sapphic depiction of Eros and Psyche's love story. The concept of the transformative nature of love and desire and how even the Goddess of desire is not immune was breathtakingly beautiful. The themes surrounding marriage as an institution and gender norms were pervasive throughout the text, "To stop dreaming of flight" was spirit crushing.

The novel was fairly straightforward in the plot line with little variation from Greek mythology, save for the wlw/nonbinary aspects introduced in the novel. The Gods are still fickle, petty, spiteful, and vengeful. As are Psyche's crusty ass sisters, the gaslighting/manipulation was infuriating to read, which read true to the ancient Greek lore overall.

Expected Publish Date: August 13, 2024

A big thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. Reviews posted on NetGalley and Goodreads.

*I received a copy from Netgalley*

This was really enjoyable. I love a good Greek mythology retelling, and this definitely is a hit!

The prose was more lyrical than I usually go for, but it was done very well! It wasn’t overdone, and it was easy to follow along.

My only complaint with this, which I know is done intentionally, was using ‘sex’ to describe the genitals of the characters rather than using other words. It’s a personal preference that I don’t want genitals in books to be referred to as ‘sex’, but in this case, I see why it was used (the prose style).

Overall, this was a great Greek mythology retelling that I recommend!!