I like the idea of this book, but I read one chapter and noped out. I’m not a mythology “traditionalist” by any means, but being thrown into a contemporary setting without much context for how the gods would fit in didn’t inspire me to care.

3.5

Oath of Fire is a contemporary and sapphic retelling of Psyche and Eros. I love Psyche and Eros retellings! One of my favorite parts was the vivid descriptions of Eros’ magical world. Readers who enjoy mythology will recognize the interpretations of Poseidon, Aphrodite, and Zephyr etc. I also liked how the mystery of the masks unfolded. One thing I did struggle with is the incident that leads to Psyche’s firing at the beginning of the book. Psyche didn’t seem to understand the grave impact of what she had done and how she violated confidentiality. This made it tough to feel as invested in Psyche as I would have liked.

Oath of Fire is a fast-paced, sapphic retelling of Eros & Psyche. I hope there are more queer mythology tales from K. Arsenault Rivera to come!

Thank you to K. Arsenault Rivera, Forever, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 5%

Psyche is fired from her job as a therapist because she outed a trans client to the client's parents and Psyche acts like she's being misunderstood. Maybe there's character growth for her later on, but this is such an immediate yuck for me that I'm not going to chance there not being a reckoning.

I enjoyed this book. It was a page turner and enjoyed the lgbtq nod. This is a light and entertaining read with a twist of Greek methodology.

2.5 stars!

I appreciate that this book was sapphic and had that representation, but unfortunately I just did not like this book. I was a little disappointed because I love Greek mythology retellings, but I felt like Psyche and Eros got together a little too quick for my liking, and I didn't really understand what they liked about each other. I thought the most interesting part of this book was the video game. I also think a lot of things were mentioned and then not touched on again which made things kinda confusing and boring. Also the complete plot switch up for the last 25% really confused me and took me aback.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Enchanting! This book weaves magic and romance flawlessly. The chemistry between the characters is electric, and the world-building is mesmerizing. A spellbinding read from start to finish.

Vibes: Eros and Psyche but make it sapphic, urban fantasy, falling down the rabbit hole

Heat Index: 6.5/10

The Basics:

After accepting an invitation by a strange man—with her life in flux—Psyche finds herself caught between Courts... with the best option for survival lying with the mysterious Eros. Swearing a vow to Eros, Psyche must now accommodate the goddess's strange visits... and never look underneath her mask. Which, as she falls head over heels in love with her, becomes more difficult than she expected.

The Review:

I really wanted to love this one—and maybe on another pass I would like it more. There's a lot to like if you click with it: a unique take on Greek Mythology, wlw romance, MASKS, general fae court sensibilities. The setting itself reminded me a lot of earlier paranormal romances with that strong urban fantasy feel.

Where I think I ran into issue was a lack of connection with the main characters. Psych is introduced as a bit vague and lost, which is probably intentional. But it's hard for me to really get invested in her for this reason. Like, yes, it makes sense, but I need someone to invest in, especially since Eros is more opaque. Psyche has to drive this story, right? Here, I was just underwhelmed.

I also found that Eros and Psyche's relationship developed really quickly, and somehow, that made it harder for me to feel the conflict. The central conflict in any Eros and Psyche story is that hidden identity, right? The secrecy, Psyche's desire for what is ultimately stronger emotional intimacy. They were just so connected so quickly in this novel that I didn't really feel that tension.

Plus, it seemed to me that there was less mystery in Eros this time around. The story is more reliant on the mask than the fall of night. I feel like lovers of lower conflict might enjoy this, as it really is a toned down version of Eros and Psyche in a lot of ways. But for me... well. Conflict is key.

The Sex:

There isn't a TON of sex between Eros and Psyche in the book, but what you get is pretty explicit and hot. And aside from that, you see like... random orgies. Which is fun! I did really like the way gender expression was handled between the two of them on a sexual level. It's very normalizing of fluidity, which is rather refreshing.

This wasn't really for me, and I think that has to do both with stylistic and story choices. However, I wouldn't say there's nothing good here. If you're interested in a somewhat softer touch version of Psyche and Eros, or sapphic genderbent retellings, check it out!

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really liked the premise of this book! The genre, the couple, the stakes. It sounded amazing. However, I did have a little trouble getting into it and it didn’t grasp me like I really thought it would. I am glad I read it because it was a read I’d normally not gravitate to. I’ve recc’d it to friends because I know it’d be right up their alley.

I enjoyed this premise, but it didn't quite hit for me. A contemporary, urban fantasy, partially gender-bent, queer retelling of any myth is intriguing on paper. But I felt that this lacked world-building - everyone just knows there are gods even though it's sort of secret? What is their role here? Do they only interact via these parties? Is it well-known that humans die when they see them unmasked - has this, uh, been happening a lot lately? What else happens at these parties? It all could've used a bit more. Eros herself could've used a bit more as well - her insta-love with Psyche didn't feel genuine, at first I'd assumed she'd seen Psyche in the past somehow and ensured she received an invite, but that wasn't the case, it truly just was insta-love. I never felt truly connected to Eros, she always seemed to be at arms length, which made the overall romance difficult to connect with. I think this also could've benefitted from being a bit darker right from the get go - Psyche seems so flippant at times, despite the high stakes.

Overall, an interesting concept that just didn't quite live up to expectations. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Not at all a typical myth retelling, I absolutely loved the blend of god-out-of-time and modern-day settings that formed the backbone of OATH OF FIRE. I also loved Psyche’s depth and dimensionality, her bravery, and her willingness to push back even against the divinity who had embraced her so absolutely. While I would have liked a little more development on the other characters, including Eros, I appreciate that this was very much Psyche’s story and that all of its pivotal moments hinged on her decisions rather than those of gods or, as is so often the case in art and in life, men.
Very glad to see that we’re going to get Bondi’s story in a second book - this universe’s Artemis is intriguing and I’m excited to see more of her next year.

This is a modern set, Sapphic, retelling of Psyche and Eros, full of magic.

I enjoyed the story, but I had a bit of trouble with Psyche. I found her motivations and explanations a bit lacking, especially at the beginning. The world building also took time to make sense to me. This was an exciting read in the end, but it took a bit for me to connect to the characters and the story.

I received a free copy from Forever Books through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Oath of Fire is a sapphic, urban fantasy, retelling of Psyche and Eros. This is a good read for any one who appreciates mythology. I enjoyed reading the authors interpretation of this story set against a modern New York City setting. Each court described interested me and left me wanting to know more. As a fantasy reader, I would have liked the author to give the reader more details on each court from a world building standpoint. The story was more focused on the romance aspect of the storyline as opposed to the fantasy but it did leave certain aspects of the story lacking as a result. My biggest challenge with this book is the romantic progression between Psyche and Eros is too quick without enough build up or background on either of them - it made it difficult to become invested in their story. The characters meet briefly and the second time they see each other they are already romantically involved. The author writes well and I can see the direction the book was going in, but as a reader it helps to know more about what is driving the characters romantic interest as well.

It was nice to read during pride month and I loved Eros as a character cause it was just a good time.

This is such a fun, unique retelling of Psyche and Eros. Set in the modern world Psyche finds herself jobless and looking for distraction. So she goes back to what she loves, online gaming with her best friend Bondi. But things in her life but outside and inside the game quickly spiral when she meets Eros. Definitely slow burn f/f with a little spice. If you enjoy retelling and want something out of the box, you’ll love this

This book was really interesting and I enjoyed seeing Psyche and Eros learn about themselves (with the help of the other person). Their interactions were almost poetic in the way that it was soothing to read when they were together and talking. The pace of the book started to pick up about 75% of the way in, and that was where I started to really enjoy the story. I do wish there was more action at the beginning of the book.

It took me a while to get into it, and I think part of that was the way it was written. I sometimes had a hard time determining who was speaking. The book is written in third person, but the dialogue was not always clear about who was taking.

Overall, although the book had a slow start, I liked it and I am interested in reading the sequel.

DNF @ 39%.

There are too many things going against this book for me to continue.

I did enjoy the author's writing style. I found it was well written and I quickly made it through what I did read. I'm all for queer retellings so I was extremely excited to see where this story would take us.

I didn't really connect to any of the characters and by the almost halfway mark it gave me no desire to continue. We learn a lot of random small things about the characters but nothing that gives us a whole picture on who they are or what their motivations are. For Eros that makes sense, but not for Psyche. We need to know more. There is really no explanation for why she suddenly is very passionate about streaming the video game she plays online (and surprise, already had a following!). There is absolutely no lead up to that other than knowing she enjoys the game.

While I love a quick story progression, there may have needed to be more lead up on who Psyche was before she is thrown into Eris world. We never get the full picture.

Rated 2 stars. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC ebook.

I am wondering if this will be a series because the world building needs some fine tuning but I did have fun with what I could follow along with. I may re-try again with the audiobook because maybe that will help my processing and digesting of the story better.

I hate doing this, but I DNF'ed this one just under 50%. Even still, I gave this 2 stars because the premise is actually interesting, and I really enjoyed some of the scenes in the other world that were richly written. I just couldn't continue to devote precious reading time to a story that is otherwise poorly executed, and whose main character is so unlikeable, even borderline pathetic.

At times I felt like I was reading a series already in progress, as there seemed to be a whole backstory to Psyche that we didn't have and desperately needed to understand her motivations. It's obvious that, despite being a therapist, she had plenty of unresolved trauma of her own but we don't know why or what or how. Maybe it comes later but we needed it sooner to connect with her.

Although the writing itself got slightly better the more I read, much of the beginning parts were awkward and stilted. It seems like a completely different author than the one who writes the almost trance-like party scenes. There's also way too much telling vs showing, and even still plenty of it is too confusing to follow. I also couldn't for the life of me understand either Psyche's or Eros's motivations and their immediate attraction to each other felt flimsy, and without a shred of chemistry.

I appreciate the opportunity to read this book, but it just wasn't for me. I am going to decline leaving any public reviews because others may enjoy it more than I do, and I don't have any desire to intentionally harm an author who I assume poured her heart and soul into something I just didn't happen to like.

I read an eARC on NetGalley on 6/24/2024 in exchange for nothing, because I have no clout, but it was free for a couple days and I love that for me. 2/5 stars. Some spoilers.

The short version (no spoilers):
I like the concept better than the execution. The worldbuilding is confusing and not well explained though it has some interesting concepts I would've liked to explore. There is no clear overarching plot which is an issue because it means the last 25% of the book feels entirely disconnected from the first 75%. The set up is confusing and flimsy. Psyche, the main character, feels empty for large portions of the book, and I was a lot more interested in the love interest, Eros. I like the moodiness of the story, I like the ideas behind some of the worldbuilding, I like that it's sapphic, and I really like Eros. My main hope would be that another editor sees this before it goes to print.

The long version (spoilers):
I'm not usually a Greek retelling kind of girl so I wasn't sure what to expect but I saw that it was sapphic and decided to give it a go.

The characters are hit or miss. I like Eros more than I like Psyche which is strange because the story is told from Psyche's POV. Psyche does not make much sense to me as a character. We learn throughout the story that she is one of three sisters and the family screw-up. When she was younger her mother got sick and then her father disengaged and she allegedly became used to trying to hold her family together. She apparently used to actually party when she was younger but gave that up because...I'm honestly not sure? Not because of her mom's death, because that was before. At the beginning of the story Psyche is a therapist and part-time influencer who cannot hold down a job for more than a year, she attained her current therapy job through her sister's connections and spends her days pretty lonely outside of when she plays video games with online friends. She gets fired in chapter one for violating patient confidentiality – which, as a side note, is incredibly dumb – but that never feels like something momentous? The thing is nothing really seems to matter when she's involved. She gets fired but then she starts streaming while she plays video games and suddenly paying her rent or bills is no longer an issue. In fact she becomes successful streaming her gameplay almost instantaneously, which means any anxiety we may have had about her situation is immediately discarded. We get told she has weird relationships with her sisters but then those don't seem to be addressed or resolved or really play any role in the story, they're just there? It's strangely vapid. Psyche just feels empty for large portions of the story. She has anxiety at the beginning but that gets resolved and now she can talk back to and negotiate with gods because....I am honestly unsure.

Eros, like I mentioned before, is a more compelling character to me. I think the thing about her is that she seems to actually have a purpose in life, as lonely as it is. She seems to be incredibly lonely and self critical because, as she points out, love and passion can bring joy but they can bring about destruction too when someone makes a foolish decision in the name of passion. Her job actually causes some people pain, which can certainly take a toll. I honestly just want to learn more about her job and her dynamics with her family and the politics of the court of the gods. Also there's this interesting moment where Eros "tests" Psyche by trying to seduce her rather than continue their friendship. Psyche that she can never be sure of people's love for her because she is a goddess of love and passion, ergo everyone feels love for her but it is not real love because they don't choose to do so they are simply compelled to do so because of WHAT she is, not WHO she is. I think that's interesting, and again I think Eros is interesting, but I just. I don't understand why she likes Psyche, especially at the beginning. We are told later it was love-at-first-sight. My thing is though that I can accept gods and magic, but I just draw the line at insta-love, especially when it's as flimsy as the one in this story.

Let's get into the setup. Eros and Psyche meet because Zephyr, another god, invites Psyche to a party because he says he wants Psyche to help his friend Eros. It is VERY unclear why Zephyr does that though. Zephyr says he wants Psyche to help Eros, but it is unclear what kind of help she could provide, or why Psyche even agrees to go. Zephyr doesn't even frame it as "oh I want my friend to start therapy" it's just a "hey come to this sexy party to help my friend" and Psyche just agrees? Also allegedly it wasn't a coincidence, and it was one of Psyche's online friends who got her invited to the gods' party, but that's also just a strange choice because...why would you want your friend to attend a party and enter a world where she could very easily die?? And why would Zephyr agree?? It's just very flimsy. Honestly if the author had written Psyche to be devastated at losing her job which leads her to say "fuck it" and attend a club where she meets Zephyr, who invites her to an afterparty where she meets Eros, that would make more sense to me. Zephyr would lead her away because maybe the gods bring humans in for entertainment, which fits into the toying-with-humanity-thing the Greek gods seem to love. Being devastated at losing her job could also explain why Psyche would agree to strange deals with magical strangers, but that's not what the author tells us is going on. Instead, the prose tells us that Psyche's actions are guided by the fact that she wants to help people.....but we don't ever really see her help people, especially in the beginning. She doesn't even seem to enjoy her job as a therapist that much. Anyways in this setup Psyche loses Zephyr in this party which means she is no longer under his protection/the gods want to eat her, and Eros has to save her, and they make a magical pact so that they can keep seeing each other. Again, I do not understand why Eros wants to seek her out. After meeting Eros, I get why Psyche attracted to Eros and I get why she wants to learn more about the new world she's discovering, but this setup is just very strange.

Let's get into the worldbuilding, specifically the world of the gods. From the little I remember from the Ancient Greece segment of my 7th grade social studies class I recall being told that the Greek gods were sometimes heavily involved with humanity though it was something to avoid because of the chaos they would bring. I like this idea, I think it leads to interesting tension because there are some rules that the gods are restrained by – there is an overarching Law that applies to them all such as being unable to lie or appear in the human realm unless summoned, and then there is more conditions about when you swear an oath and how breaking that oath can result in actual death, but there do exist loopholes – which leads to a very dangerous game of politics that even a human can play. There's something interesting about having a character that's doing the plot equivalent of being embraced by a lion. It's like you can just imagine the softness and warmth and weight of that embrace but you must also remember that the lion could eat or crush you at any moment. Psyche knows relatively early on and learns even more throughout the story that being with Eros is physically dangerous for her, because she is mortal and the gods could easily kill her because of law or politics or whimsy that she cannot understand. But the problem is it's not just that Psyche doesn't understand everything, it's that the reader also does not understand ANYTHING for a very significant portion of the book. It's very confusing and it means that we don't understand the meaning behind most of what's happening for the first I want to say 35-40%. Gods have Domains and they can rule over them but there are rules about them that are also just not that explained, and also apparently most of humanity doesn't know about the gods being real but also there are enough who do for Psyche to be able to identify and purchase a book about how to summon one of the gods online and have it actually be legit?

I also want to throw out that it's incredibly jarring for the reader to have characters that allegedly are just finding out that Greek gods and magic are real (the world doesn't know they exist, apparently?) but then they seem to just. Readily accept it, with no real transition or question or shock. There is no weight to having characters find out that Greek gods are real, which makes the fantastical element of it all fall flat. But also, if the gods are real I have to also wonder why exactly humanity seems to have abandoned them? There's what I think is a throwaway line about Aphrodite brining hell when there isn't enough of humanity worshipping her – but if the majority of this story is set in modern day NYC, there is no evidence that there is ANY humanity worshipping her, which would cause a problem, right? It's not clear how the Greek gods translate to a modern setting.

I think I've hinted this throughout, but also the plot is just kinda weird. The setup I already discussed was bad. I think I like some of the negotiations around Eros and Psyche's relationship, though I just don't understand why exactly they kept seeing each other. The first 75% of the book is them growing closer/falling in love which was nice enough (because I just like Eros) and the last 25% is Psyche having to go on a side quest so that Aphrodite doesn't kill her and she can get back together with Eros, who's being held hostage behind a magical golden cage. Weird tonal shift, but it feels more similar to what I vaguely remember Greek legends being like (quests and trials into the world of the gods) so I think that's where the meat of the retelling would be. I don't know enough of the original Psyche and Eros story to say anything about it, though I did like that Psyche in that last part was the most interesting she had been in the entire book.

Anyways I'm losing steam. My final thoughts are that I think I see the vision, but I honestly had more fun piecing the story apart than actually reading it.

Not for me, unfortunately.

Love a Greek mythology retelling. Love intriguing (fae?) courts, love an atmospheric read.
But. The feeling of being dropped in the middle of the story without any background plus a lack of motivation from both Psyche and Eros on the why’s of their relationship made me not be invested.

The confusion while reading this book was what stopped my enjoyment. I felt as if I had missed a few chapters or even the first book in this series. Barely anything on Psyche, why did she so readily accept all the out-of-this-world things that were happening, why mention the sisters quite often but not provide any information? Yes it was mysterious and I guess it kind of worked for the story a bit, but I just could not get into things.

I almost wish the story would have been about Psyche doing a frantic deep dive in Elizabethan books in mentions of the Courts in plain sight and desperately trying to get back to the other Realm and Eros. But nope, just buy some honey and try to light your tongue on fire- that’ll bring her back!

The lack of connection made me skip through parts of the book. Perhaps more shall be explained or at least become clear in future books, which would be great as I did enjoy the world building.

I received an ARC of this book (thanks!) and these are my own opinions. Thank you to Forever for inviting me to read this book!