Orphia And Eurydicius

I truly do love a good Greek retelling. I also love when Greek retellings flip the story on its head and give it a new perspective, which is exactly what this book did. I think it is so interesting to flip the genders of Orpheus and Euridice, given what their myths are about. This was truly a clever tale, and my hungry eyes devoured it right up.

Good writing and an inventive take on a mythological story. Overall, I really enjoyed the prose, which leans a bit flowery. but not to the point of being annoying. If there is a mythological retelling out there, I am likely going to read it, and this ranks pretty highly in the list of re-tellings I have come across.

Like many, I always love a good Greek retelling, especially one that takes some aspect of the original myth and takes a new perspective with it, and this book definitely accomplishes that! Orpheus being a woman allows this story to take a good look at all the hurdles that women must overcome to be recognized as great. There is also something very powerful in the love between Orphia and Eurydicus being equal, and Eurydicius being allowed to be gentle and soft. The prose in this book is also gorgeous, flowery, and powerful all at once. The one issue I had with this book is that unfortunately the pacing was odd at times- some less important moments seemed to drag on, while others passed in the blink of an eye. Overall though, I greatly enjoyed this book and highly recommend to fans of Greek mythology.

Thanks to NetGalley and HaperCollins for the ARC!! From the first line of this book, I was hooked: “I sharpened my sword with poetry and hardened my arm with the memory of lyre strings.”

Orphia and Eurydicius is a gender-flipped retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, one of my personal favorite Greek myths. Orphia is the daughter of the god Apollo and the muse Calliope. A warrior-turned-poet, she strives to tell the stories of women, from Medusa and Hera to the washerwomen of the Whispering Isle. She meets Eurydicius, a gentle shield-maker, and the rest is history.

First, the writing in this book is beautiful. It made the scenery of Mount Parnassus and the Whispering Isle come to life. I also enjoyed how the author positioned Orphia as a multifaceted woman, it felt very real and relatable to me. Orphia desires to hone her craft and gain fame through her work, and is strong enough to lift grown men and beat renowned warriors in duel. She is also open to love, and eventually uses her love for Eurydicius as inspiration for her poetry, which makes her work even more powerful. She doesn’t have to choose between fame and love, she is able to find a way to have both.

I loved her relationship with Eurydicius, and thought that the representation of their unique gender roles within their relationship was powerful. Orphia’s grief over Eurydicius’ death (spoiler if you don’t already know the Orpheus myth) also touched me deeply. I was brought to tears and the way she grieved also felt very relatable.

I wish we had gotten to know Eurydicius a bit more. Sometimes it seemed like he was just there as a foil to Orphia, and we didn’t get to know much about his history or what Orphia saw in him other than his support of her and her craft.

The only other thing that kept me from giving this book 5 stars was that sometimes the writing felt a little bit heavy-handed in its theme of telling women’s stories. It was repeated time and time again that Orphia wanted to tell women’s stories, and some of the twists were easy to predict because of that repetition. And when Orphia came up with a poem about a woman, we only got a stanza or so. I feel like I missed some of the impact of Orphia’s work because the author described her mission more than actually sharing what she had come up with. In the same vein, I felt that some of the female characters in the story were a bit underdeveloped, though I understand that the side characters weren’t the point of the story.

Overall, this was a great read! I loved the emphasis on female agency, the writing style, and of course, the twist on one of my favorite Greek myths. 4 stars!

I am sobbing. This book is so beautiful and sweet, I went through a range of emotions.

I received this ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love Greek retellings. Something about hearing a different version of things intrigues me, especially when the stories in question are already legend and mystery. This one did not disappoint.

The plot is entirely based on Orphia and Eurydicious’s love and their journeys in love. I appreciate the swapping of gender roles, especially in Ancient Greece. We follow Orphia through life and love and death, and each chapter is beautiful and poetic.

The characters. THE CHARACTERS. Orphia is strong willed and resilient and lyrical. Eurydicious is soft and kind and gentle. The Muses each have their own personality and quirks. Most men in this novel are trash, but in mythology most of the Gods are… well…. Trash. There’s representation of all walks of love in this book as well.

The writing style is flowy and poetic and lyrical. It is a mood read, and not a fast read if you want to absorb the truth and meaning behind every word. I wouldn’t consider this easy reading, but it most certainly is beautiful reading.

I can appreciate a book that brings me to tears multiple times. I loved the journey I embarked on reading this book. 4.75⭐️

What a great book! Mythology retellings have long been some of my favorite reads and Orphia and Eurydicius by Elyse John was no exception. Her poetic writing style is so well suited for this tale. Two souls, unbound by gender norms and fated to be together in life, and death. What a love!

This was a fun retelling of a well-known myth. I loved the gender-swapping and felt like it added another layer of depth and interest without taking away from the original tale.

“He was picking flowers for you.”

*Thank you to Harper 360 and Harper Collins for providing me a review copy through NetGalley*

I will try my best to avoid spoilers for both the novel and the original myth on which it is based.

In a powerful exploration of gender roles in ancient Greek mythology, the fierce poet daughter of Apollo and a timid shield-smith spark a romance that defies the gods. This book is not just a ‘gender-bent retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice’—it is much, much more.

I think the style of language this book is written in often runs the risk of sounding flowery, stilted, and pretentious. Orphia and Eurydicius never did. You will want to read every word, and each one makes it evident that the author is a poet in her blood. After reading such a beautiful work of art, it feels like no words can truly encapsulate how it made me feel.

Near the beginning, I held some dread for what was to come. Knowing the original myth of Orpheus and Eurydice as closely as I do nearly caused me not to get invested in Orphia’s and Eurydicius’ relationship at first. However, the lyrical prose and beautiful romance between them soon made me almost forget what was coming. When it happened, I was shocked alongside Orphia.

No one does bisexuality like Orphia and Eurydicius. I kind of wish Eurydicius was more present, especially for the first third-ish, since it is the story of both of them. The scenes with him were the best and most enjoyable to read in my opinion, because Orphia’s poet’s tongue really shone through her love for him.

Jason maintains his inter-media status of making me so angry. The plot did feel like it dragged most when Orphia was with him, but the prose was good enough that I didn’t mind it as much as I might’ve. The prose definitely makes up for any lapses in the pacing.

And the ending! I was satisfied, and that’s all I can say without spoiling anything.

I definitely encourage everyone to pick up a copy once it hits international shelves. I usually pick a favorite line from every book I read to add to my reading journal, and this one is going to be so difficult to narrow down. It’s that good in every line. I knew very early on that it would be an easy five stars.

Review crossposted to GoodReads

I want to preface this with the fact that I am not too familiar with the original myth regarding Orpheus and Eurydice, so my review will not be able to provide much insight into the accuracy of this retelling/interpretation.

I enjoyed this book and the writing was beautiful. It was an easy book to read, which I was grateful for as someone who struggles a bit when it comes to poetry. I found it very to imagine the book in my mind while I was working through it. There were some parts where I lost a bit of interest, mainly around when Orphia was on Mt. Parnassus learning from the different muses, but that's not a fault of the book. I think that might've been the timing of when I was reading it. There were some descriptions here and there that felt repetitive, especially relating to the scent or feeling of things, but that's a fairly minor issue I had.

As a result of the story being genderbent, Orphia embodies the traits that a man in society typically would, and Eurydicius embodies the traits that a woman in society typically would. That is one aspect that I absolutely love and it very quickly drew me in. I am not drawn to media where the man upholds societal gender roles and domineers over women, but that is the most common portrayal in romances between men and women, so the dynamics in this book are so refreshing.

I'd recommend this book to anyone with an interest in retellings of Greek myths and relationships that defy societal gender roles.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy!

This was a fun feminist spin on Orpheus and Eurydice’s love story- with Orphia and Eurydicius as the characters. The boom had strong women in every setting Orphia was in, and the message of strong women ancestors was visible throughout. Having Eurydicius be soft and the opposite of what “typical” men should be was refreshing to read, and the discussions of lovers and their sexes as a natural part of the human existence is what every conversation should be.

I enjoyed getting to hear from Hera, Persephone, Gaia, Calliope and other prominent women in Greek mythology and hearing how some of the tales from mythology are clearly and blatantly wrong, but how women did not seek to correct it, because they were safer being thought of as mad, or in Heras case, the vengeful wife troupe actually kept Zeus’ victims safer since she would take them and hide them and help them recover. What a wonderful interpretation and back story. I’m going with that from now on!

A beautiful and lyrical read. Orpheus and Eurydice is one of my favorite stories, it’s haunting and beautiful and this retelling made me feel like I was experiencing the myth again for the first time.

I think what made it so enchanting to me was the fact that this was a genderbent story. It brought upon a unique way to analyze the gender roles and sexism in Ancient Greek. Orphia constantly has to prove herself because of the fact that she is a woman, and she is headstrong and powerful.

The romance is a slow burn. And I was so scared nearing the end of the book because we all know how the original myth goes. But I was truly pleased with the ending. I’m pretty sure some tear drops landed on my screen as I was done.

There’s not much I can fault the book on but I really wish we had seen more of Eurydicius near the start of the book. We see him briefly at the very beginning but then it takes a while before we see him again. The story really focuses more on Orphia. But her path is extremely interesting, so it wasn’t too much of a con for me!

This was a fantastic queer retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. The genderbent twist was lovely and made me love this version better than the original. Orphia’s struggles felt very real and I sympathized a lot with her character, especially when it came to how the gods treated women and even other goddesses.
Overall this is an adventure story that will make you feel the full range of emotions.

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!

Gender swapped Orpheus and Eurydice? Yes, please! I'm VERY picky about gender swapped stories, because so many authors do it without a really good reason, but Elyse John did it just right. By making the Orpheus character female John got to play with the role of women in the arts in ancient Greece. Female poets were almost unheard of, so making a daughter of Apollo who stood up against the cultural norms (and her godly father) was a really interesting twist. The prose style was appropriately lyrical and the romance believable. This is also, probably, the most realistic version of Hades in current popular literature. We don't have many myths about him, but those we do have don't show him as a romantic hero. John does a great job with this, showing the complicated relationship between Hades and Persephone (and all the other goddesses with their male counterparts). We really see this long line of women to struggle to have agency. And while historic, it's still a story that's relevant today.

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.

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

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

i've always had a soft spot for greek myth retellings, and i especially adore orpheus and eurydice's story so i'm so so so glad i got the chance to read this! and it definitely was one hell of a read. the writing was absolutely gorgeous and super engaging, and i could barely put down the book once i picked it up!

I always enjoy a Greek mythology retelling but this one was extra fun because it took the myth and bent the genders. I LOVED this!

This was a powerful retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice which basically told all of the gender stereotypes to get out because no one needs those anymore. Women can be awesome badasses and men can be softer and in touch with their emotions. Seriously, I can't tell you how much I loved this!

Thanks @netgalley and @harpercollins360 for a copy of this book in exchange for my 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.

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’m such a huge fan of Greek mythology retellings and Elyse John did a wonderful job of telling this story! Her prose is beautiful and did great with describing everything. Loved the gender swapping as well. Definitely revamped the whole story. Thoroughly enjoyed this read! 4 stars!

When I tell you I sobbed….I SOBBED. This was such a beautiful retelling that I will treasure forever. I have always loved this myth so I was very excited to see it get a novelized retelling. John does a fabulous job using the original myth to craft a new story. The characters were wonderfully developed and the love story was perfect. I have tickets to Hadestown in a week or so and can’t wait to dive back in to one of my favorite stories.

REVIEW
This review is based on an eARC provided by the publishers via Netgalley.

Adaptations that breathe with love and appreciation for their source material are the only adaptations I am interested in reading.

Elyse John is a poet, and her respect for Greek myth but also the verses which preserved those myths is what makes Orphia and Eurydicius special. When Orphia uses epithets–”ox-eyed Hera”–or begins her poetry by invoking the Muses, I was in the audience going absolutely wild. John’s prose is vibrant; her descriptions of Mount Olympus, Mount Parnassus, and Hades, as well as those that inhabit them, are divine, jewel-toned, alive.

Orphia and Eurydicius’ interpretation of mythology does not concern itself with being “accurate” (which, in my opinion, is a silly thing to want anyway). Rather, John takes pieces of myth and reinterprets them, fitting and re-fitting the pieces to tell Orphia’s story. By flipping and questioning these original myths, John brings forth a version of mythology that is unique yet in conversation with what came before. One of my favorite moments of this was her interpretation of Medea; her little time on the page was enthralling, and I would love to see more of her from John in the future.

Speaking of the future, most, if not all, readers know what will happen to Orphia. The narrative plays with this foreknowledge through prophecy and fate by leaning into the tragic aspect of Greek poetry, where part of the tragedy is knowing what will happen/is happening but listening anyway.

I loved these gender-flipped versions of Orphia as a determined warrior-poet and Eurydicius as a gentle, kind shield-maker. Their chemistry was immediate in a way I can very rarely say I feel in a romance, and I loved the way they discussed their gender and bisexuality with one another. (It’s Greek myth, so it might be a given, but this is a very bisexual book.)

Now, while I do love a good character-forward, heavy-on-the-prose book, I did struggle to completely click with Orphia and Eurydicius, which makes me really sad! While I loved the characters and appreciated the well-woven prose, the pacing suffered under the weight of itself at times.

From around 20% to 40%, the pacing dragged. Elements, particularly Orphia’s motivations for pursuing poetry, were reiterated again and again, with little to no change from beginning to end. Hearing her restate her desires in the same words and with no change in her goal got stale. It felt as though the narrative didn’t trust me to understand Orphia without being told explicitly.

FINAL THOUGHTS
I believe that this is John’s novel debut (but don’t quote me on that). Orphia and Eurydicius is a very strong debut, and I’m looking forward to what she writes next.

If you love Greek myth retellings that love and challenge the source material, lush, vibrant prose, and bisexual, confident, brave female main characters, then I suggest Orphia and Eurydicius!

There’s also some lovely character art on the author’s website. (link included in Storygraph and Goodreads reviews)

Thank you to Harper 360 for providing a digital ARC via Netgalley. If you are interested in Orphia and Eurydicius, the novel is out now! If possible, support indie bookshops with your purchase!

Wow, for as many words as I read in this book, my ability to put my thoughts into words is eluding me.

I have a love of mythology and was somewhat familiar with the origin story of Orpheus and Eurydice. This was an interesting gender-bending twist to flip their sexes and show what the story could have been like had Orpheus been Orphia, a woman.

The language of this book was so poetic and beautiful that you are completely transported to another world and realm. I am so curious as to what John will write about next!

Thank you so much to the author, Elyse John, Harper 360 and NetGalley for the eARC of Orphia and Eurydicius!

Perfect for those who are both fans of greek mythology and queer, this is a Sapphic retelling of orpheus and eurydice. Beautifully written and crafted!

I remember as a small little girl curling up by our radiator and reading D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths. I would read the stories over and over again and could never grow tired. Reading this book made me feel similar thoughts.

Orphia and Eurydicius is a gender swap on Orpheus and Eurydice. I was immediately drawn to into the story as I began reading. Elyse crafts a beautiful and immersive world through her story.

Orphic is feisty and strong, yet more tender-hearted and emotional than she thinks. I found myself rooting for the two of them to get together.

The book was very pro-female empowerment and brought different sides to Greek mythology that one might not think of. Such as portraying Hera in a different light.

It was a very enjoyable read and I think people who like Greek mythology novels such as Song of Achilles or Cierce would like this.

Thank you to Harper 360 and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel. This is the mythological re-telling I have been waiting for when it is advertised as feminist. This was an entirely new re-telling of Orpheus and Eurydice which hits differently with the gender swap and how that can change the whole story and find new themes within. This gave a new view on the old story and still hit the highlights of what we know of Orpheus. I will say this did feel long but I have to dock it a star there as it became difficult in the start to get it going. This is on par with Madeline Miller's Circe for me so I highly encourage readers to check this out. 4 stars.

Incredible! The details John put into this story were amazing! I fell in love beside Orphia and felt the heartbreak and regret she felt. I loved reading this story and cannot wait for more!

i'm sorry does a more compelling story exist? If it does, I don't know that I have the emotional bandwith to read it, because this one destroyed me.
in the best possible way.
LOVE LOVE LOVE FOREVER LOVE god this story was AMAZING. SO well told.
ten out of ten, no notes. Loved it, can't say that enough. Great world building.

This was a book that I was extremely excited to read and now that I’ve finished it, I’m left with a ton of mixed feelings. Orphia and Eurydicius is a cisbent retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice — which is one of my favourite myths. 

Overall the book is beautifully written with flowery prose, but that also happens to be a bit of a drawback for me. Sometimes purple prose makes it a bit difficult to connect with characters and follow a storyline (despite me already knowing the myth itself), but I know not everyone might be familiar with the original story and it might make this book intimidating and inaccessible for some readers. 

The pacing was also a bit off, especially since the author removed a few crucial parts from the original myth. Some boring parts of the story were dragged out and then other important details were glossed over.

Complaints aside… the romance between Orphia and Eurydicius kept me pushing through. Their tragic romance is so beyond beautiful and the subtle queerness displayed by both main characters made me so happy as a fellow bisexual nonbinary. I just wish that they had been more of a focal point than the overly poetic lengthy descriptions and inner dialogue that didn’t serve much of a purpose. 

It was a beautiful book in general, but I just think that it took a bit too long for me personally to get into the groove of the writing style to fully enjoy this book. This is more so on me than Elyse John who clearly poured so much love and care into crafting this story.

I’m not usually a fan of tragedies, but when I saw the description of Orphia and Eurydicius as a gender bent, queer retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice, I knew I had to give this one a shot. This book, while a slow start, was heartfelt and the characters feel similar, yet different enough from their familiar counterparts to keep the story interesting.

Note: check Content Warnings on StoryGraph before picking up this book!

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper 360 for the eARC!

Orphia and Eurydicius was quite a surprising debut; a Greek mythology retelling of the original Orpheus and Eurydice experiencing a gender flip. I adored the delicate and oh-so-poetic writing of author Elyse John. Orphia was a passionate characters I really enjoyed reading; not afraid to defy her father God Apollo who wants to make her a warrior, but Orphia feels deep in her bones that being a warrior is not what she is meant to be. Her strong will leads her to her mother Calliope who introduces her to the Muses who teach all teach her the skill required to become the best poet in the world. In comes Eurydicius and we can clearly say that it was love at first sight
They complement each other, he is the Ying to her Yang, and they reminded me of the twin flame theory. This book takes us on a beautiful live quest and how they both shook "heaven and earth" (not quite, but anyway) to be together forever.

Greatness!

First, I want to thank NetGalley, Harper360, and Elyse John for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review. Morphia and Eurydicius is a reimagining of the story of Orpheus and Eurydice from Greek mythology with a gender twist. I enjoyed the shake up of the story, and adding queer representation. I love mythology, and the change Elyse made was one I really enjoyed.

The way Orphia stands up for what she feels is right for her was empowering (also slightly terrifying with her standing up to her Greek god father Apollo). I love strong female characters, especially when she is bisexual (no bi erasure here)! Eurydicius not being your typical Greek mythology idea of masculinity was refreshing. The characters really were written so well. A great balance in all of them, and I really felt I was able to get to know the characters. Orphia and Eurydicius being determined to not let anything stop them from being together was definitely a tying quest, but what love story or relationship isn't?

I could truly read an entire other book just about the Muses and Calliope (Orphia's mother). Hera, and Persephone were really lyrically written. I wanted to stay in their world and learn so much more. Weaving in a balance of original mythology and the reimagining of the gods, goddesses, and Muses felt natural and I truly felt pulled into the story,

I did feel the story line hit a bit of a drag just about mid-book. It felt a little repetitive in the storyline, but it picks right back up. I only mention it because I want you to read this book, and keep with it if you feel stuck (but you might not feel stuck at all). When the book ended, I wasn't ready. I'm torn on here, and wish we could do half stars. I am putting 4 stars, but would do 4.5 if I could add a half. Be sure to check out Elyse's social media or her website to see some beautiful character art. I absolutely love when authors do this. The book is out now, so be sure to add it to your TBR and pick it up from your local indie bookstore. Yes, there are even ways to support indie bookstores with ebooks and audiobooks!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Pub Date: April 2, 2024 (yes I'm behind)

This was a lovely, lyrical, gender-flipped Greek retelling. I feel like fans of The Song of Achilles would enjoy this.

3.5/5 stars

I am a big fan of Greek Myth retellings and was excited about this book. By far my favorite part of this book was the lyrical writing. I found it beautifully written and it made me feel like I was existing within the story. Definitely a different writing style to many of the books I have read.

I was only vaguely familiar with the myth of Orpheus going into the book but I loved the making of the main character female and enjoyed the story.

If you’re familiar with Greek mythology and the myth around Orpheus and Eurydice, then you essentially know the plot of this book. What sets this retelling apart is the gender reversal and feminist themes.

In this book, the author has switched genders, with Orpheus, the poet and hero becoming Orphia, the poetess yearning for eternal fame and glory, while Eurydice his love interest becomes Eurydicius, the shield maker with the feminine touch. The book is from Orphia’s POV and takes the reader through her journey as she uncovers her true parentage, learns the art of poetry from the Muses, goes on adventures, and eventually falls in love with Eurydicius.

I adored the author’s writing style and pacing. The language is both beautiful and easy to consume at the same time. Every chapter and paragraph felt edited to perfection. There is no stray word or sentence. The plot itself of course is very intriguing, but I do attribute that to the rich Greek myth it springs from. However, I really appreciated the inner monologue of a woman who believes herself to be independent and a feminist falling in love (both romantic and familial) and starting to understand that life isn’t complete till you form deep relationships.

Overall, if you are a fan of Madeline Miller or other mythological retellings, do give this one a go. I think Elyse John’s writing is so engaging and worthy of your time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collons for providing me with an ARC of this book! The writing in this book is so wonderful; it reads almost like a classic. However, unlike some classics, the language in this book is easy to comprehend. The words chosen convey an almost lyrical quality, which is fitting for a story about a poet. This is a gender-bent retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice (as Orphia and Eurydicius) and I enjoyed every second of it.

- update, it’s been months since I read this and I find myself thinking about it all the time, so I’ve bumped my rating up from 4.5 to 5 stars!

It took a little bit for me to really get into it but once I did I zoomed through this book.
A gender bent retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice is not something I ever thought would have quotes such as:

" "I would crawl on my knees to you, through burning coals. I would serve you while shards of ice pierced me, and even then, I would kiss your feet. I would give up my last breath for you at the end of the world." "

the two titular characters were phenomenal, I'm definitely going to be thinking about the last two chapters for a WHILE

A gender bent retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice! You know this myth ends in tragedy but I still wasn’t prepared for the ending. I sobbed.

I must admit that this took me more time than I would like to get into, but once I was in I was in. This story was already one I was familiar with and I love the gender bending of the characters which allowed for a story that touches on female empowerment in a way so much of mythology does not. I appreciate the willingness of authors to revisit these stories that already have such great bones, and turn them into something really worth reading and remembering.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy! This book was beautifully written. I enjoyed Orphia and Eurydicius anytime they interacted with each other. They cared for one another so deeply and I loved their mutual respect for one another. I liked that it was more than just about them but the underworld part did feel short compared to the rest of the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper 360 for the e-arc!
A gender-flipped retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice? Sign me up! This is one of my favorite myths and I am so excited to receive an early copy of the story. I think the author did the original myth just us and had a great sense of what to change and want to keep from the original story. The romance itself is beautiful and extremely well-written. Their love is sweet and poetic and does a good job of mirroring the original romance.

I really wanted more time in the underworld! I thought that there were some problematic takes in making this feminist retelling.

However I found the language to be beautiful and lyrical!

A wonderful book. I throughly enjoyed the plot and the pacing. I had a lot of fun with this one. I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves retellings.

This was gut wrenching start to finish for me in the best way. The start of Orphia finding herself, her purpose, and her power is incredibly compelling. The romance between Orphia and Eurydicius was lyrical and heartbreaking. If you've read the original myth, no huge changes there. The way John expands and develops these characters, Orphia especially, through a lens of being a woman with innate power at a time where women were not able to do much of anything at all. I do loveeeeee most modernized myth retellings, and this one hit all the markers for me, especially with the romance and tragedy that comes along with the myth.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to be able to read this book!

Amazing Greek myth retelling. Beautiful poetic writing, badass characters.
One of my faves in this genre of books!