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Orphia And Eurydicius
Their love transcends every boundary. Can it cheat death?
Orphia dreams of something more than the warrior crafts she's been forced to learn. Hidden away on a far-flung island, her blood sings with poetry and her words can move flowers to bloom and forests to grow ... but her father, the sun god Apollo, has forbidden her this art. A chance meeting with a young shield-maker, Eurydicius, gives her the courage to use her voice. After wielding all her gifts to defeat one final champion, Orphia draws the scrutiny of the gods. Performing her poetry, she wins the protection of the goddesses of the the powerful Muses, who welcome her to their sanctuary on Mount Parnassus. Orphia learns to hone her talents, crafting words of magic infused with history, love and tragedy. When Eurydicius joins her, Orphia struggles with her desire for fame and her budding love. As her bond with the gentle shield-maker grows, she joins the Argonauts on their quest for the Golden Fleece. Facing dragons, sirens and ruthless warriors on the voyage, Orphia earns unparalleled fame, but she longs to return to Eurydicius. Yet she has a darker journey to make - one which will see her fight for her love with all the power of her poetry.
Orphia dreams of something more than the warrior crafts she's been forced to learn. Hidden away on a far-flung island, her blood sings with poetry and her words can move flowers to bloom and forests to grow ... but her father, the sun god Apollo, has forbidden her this art. A chance meeting with a young shield-maker, Eurydicius, gives her the courage to use her voice. After wielding all her gifts to defeat one final champion, Orphia draws the scrutiny of the gods. Performing her poetry, she wins the protection of the goddesses of the the powerful Muses, who welcome her to their sanctuary on Mount Parnassus. Orphia learns to hone her talents, crafting words of magic infused with history, love and tragedy. When Eurydicius joins her, Orphia struggles with her desire for fame and her budding love. As her bond with the gentle shield-maker grows, she joins the Argonauts on their quest for the Golden Fleece. Facing dragons, sirens and ruthless warriors on the voyage, Orphia earns unparalleled fame, but she longs to return to Eurydicius. Yet she has a darker journey to make - one which will see her fight for her love with all the power of her poetry.
506 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2023
249 people are currently reading
17760 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 369 reviews
July 16, 2023
I was ridiculously excited for this book, but unfortunately it ended up falling very flat for me.
While the author's writing style is very beautiful and descriptive, this unfortunately falls into a problem a lot of Greek mythology retellings have for me: the "feminism" aspect ends up feeling very forced and hamfisted.
A lot of the commentary about women in Greek society feels very "girl power" and is just... generally a pretty juvenile take on feminism. I would love to see more stories actually try to tackle the realities of women in historical Greek societies and how they navigated society rather than just recycling the same tired "women can be tough and fight too" narrative. There are legitimately interesting things about the way women took back and exercised power in historical societies and I'd like to see more of that!
That aside, the mythological aspect also wasn't handled well, and removed a lot of things that made the original myths impactful.
While the author's writing style is very beautiful and descriptive, this unfortunately falls into a problem a lot of Greek mythology retellings have for me: the "feminism" aspect ends up feeling very forced and hamfisted.
A lot of the commentary about women in Greek society feels very "girl power" and is just... generally a pretty juvenile take on feminism. I would love to see more stories actually try to tackle the realities of women in historical Greek societies and how they navigated society rather than just recycling the same tired "women can be tough and fight too" narrative. There are legitimately interesting things about the way women took back and exercised power in historical societies and I'd like to see more of that!
That aside, the mythological aspect also wasn't handled well, and removed a lot of things that made the original myths impactful.
November 21, 2025
i’m torn on whether or not i enjoyed this gender-bent retelling (which btw i gaslit myself into believing it was sapphic for like 45% of the book…), especially because the physical book has been on my tbr for years and the nypl only just received the audio.
while i really appreciated the feminist message the author focused on throughout the book and especially through orphia’s role as a poet/storyteller/muscian; orphia shares the stories of forgotten women across the globe, making it her goal to at least remember their memory herself, if not for other women to remember them.
i also really appreciated the relationship between orphia and eurydicius — she was fire and he was water — and it really reminded me of katniss and peeta’s dynamics.
for a retelling about a poet, i felt the writing was extremely dull and lackluster. i was not nearly as engaged in the writing as i thought i would be.
i was disappointed in the narrator for the audio, especially after i had waited so long for my library to acquire the audio; i felt as if the narrator could have put in more emotion and energy than what they did.
while i really appreciated the feminist message the author focused on throughout the book and especially through orphia’s role as a poet/storyteller/muscian; orphia shares the stories of forgotten women across the globe, making it her goal to at least remember their memory herself, if not for other women to remember them.
i also really appreciated the relationship between orphia and eurydicius — she was fire and he was water — and it really reminded me of katniss and peeta’s dynamics.
for a retelling about a poet, i felt the writing was extremely dull and lackluster. i was not nearly as engaged in the writing as i thought i would be.
i was disappointed in the narrator for the audio, especially after i had waited so long for my library to acquire the audio; i felt as if the narrator could have put in more emotion and energy than what they did.
June 16, 2023
There were things I loved about this book and things that didn't work for me, either because of personal preference (which is no fault of the book's) or because I just didn't think they made sense. And just a blanket warning that since this is a retelling of a very famous myth and if you know anything about Orpheus and Eurydice, you know how this story goes, there will be some spoilers in this review for anyone who doesn't know the myth.
To start with, I LOVED the romance. The relationship between Orphia and Eurydicius was easily the best part of this book in my opinion, which is a good thing because this is not a story that works for a reader who doesn't care about the romance. Fortunately, I thought they were very sweet together, and they had me grinning like a dork at work.
I also enjoyed the writing style, though more at the beginning than the end. It definitely shows that the writer is a poet, which, again, is a good thing since Orphia/Orpheus is supposed to be literally the best poet ever. Weirdly, though, I didn't think that carried over into the all-important poem for Hades, which felt like a word-for-word translation of Ovid's version. I would have expected something about it, something about Orphia's perspective, to shift, and it felt like a letdown for me that it didn't.
I'm going to talk about the myth and this book's take on it more in-depth now, so again SPOILER WARNING if you're not familiar with it, or you want to keep it a surprise how it plays out.
I honestly found the whole Underworld journey kind of a letdown in this book? The Orpheus and Eurydice myth is one of my absolute favorite stories, and I loved Orphia and Eurydicius as a couple, but I didn't really feel much of anything once Orphia started her journey to save him. Much as I enjoyed the writing style up to this point, here it felt so distant, logical, even unemotional. I'm not saying she felt numb--I'm saying I've been in her head this whole time (in first person, too!), and for all she says her world and everything in her has been upended and shattered, she narrates it all exactly the same as she narrated everything else, to the point where I was surprised every time she mentioned it. (And maybe part of it is just unlucky timing, because the book I read right before this one was an absolute masterclass in that, but it stuck out to me either way)
Myth spoilers done
The other thing in this book that worked for me until it didn't was the "ode to women's voices" aspect. I was very excited to read that, and for a while, I thought it was really well-done. I liked that women's perspectives were centered and often-villainized women of Greek mythology were treated with sympathy and respect. Most especially, I loved that Orphia cared about supporting other women, lifting up each other's voices, rather than just being presented as an exception.
Unfortunately, I found myself getting frustrated with the lack of nuance in it? Every single woman, goddesses included, was a paragon of feminism and sisterhood and equality, as opposed to the brutish men and gods. To be very clear, I am not complaining about ~lack of positive male representation~ or whatever. I don't care about that. Eurydicius was wonderful, and he showed what other men could be if they tried, and there were in fact hints of other men like him in the book, but it's not what the book is about and it's not what I want the book to be about either.
Maybe it's just that I'm reading this at the wrong time, because I'm sure high school me would have loved a pure celebration of the camaraderie between women, but now I find it hard to do that without acknowledging the ways women can also hurt each other when they feel like it's what will protect them under an oppressive patriarchal system, or because they have decided those other women, or certain other women, don't matter as much. Basically, it doesn't make sense to me that Hera can be just as powerful and feared as Zeus among the gods, but have to save and protect women (which she apparently does constantly) in secret to avoid angering the male gods. It doesn't make sense to me that every single goddess cares deeply about protecting mortal women, and in fact every time a woman was hurt by a goddess, that goddess was actually just a scapegoat for the male god who actually did the harming. What about Arachne, for instance, who dared to have pride in her skills (and also called out the gods' crimes against mortal women in her art), and was punished for it by a goddess? I would be very curious how a story like hers played out in the world of this book.
I feel like this is a very weird, messy review, and I mostly did enjoy this book, but at a certain point, it started to frustrate me and make me wish I was reading The Jasmine Throne or The Good Luck Girls or Kaikeyi instead, because I feel like all three of those managed in different ways to do what I wanted this one to do. For all of my frustration, though, it is my favorite of the Greek myth retellings I've read in recent years, and maybe if I come back to it with my expectations better managed, I will have a much better time.
To start with, I LOVED the romance. The relationship between Orphia and Eurydicius was easily the best part of this book in my opinion, which is a good thing because this is not a story that works for a reader who doesn't care about the romance. Fortunately, I thought they were very sweet together, and they had me grinning like a dork at work.
I also enjoyed the writing style, though more at the beginning than the end. It definitely shows that the writer is a poet, which, again, is a good thing since Orphia/Orpheus is supposed to be literally the best poet ever. Weirdly, though, I didn't think that carried over into the all-important poem for Hades, which felt like a word-for-word translation of Ovid's version. I would have expected something about it, something about Orphia's perspective, to shift, and it felt like a letdown for me that it didn't.
I'm going to talk about the myth and this book's take on it more in-depth now, so again SPOILER WARNING if you're not familiar with it, or you want to keep it a surprise how it plays out.
I honestly found the whole Underworld journey kind of a letdown in this book? The Orpheus and Eurydice myth is one of my absolute favorite stories, and I loved Orphia and Eurydicius as a couple, but I didn't really feel much of anything once Orphia started her journey to save him. Much as I enjoyed the writing style up to this point, here it felt so distant, logical, even unemotional. I'm not saying she felt numb--I'm saying I've been in her head this whole time (in first person, too!), and for all she says her world and everything in her has been upended and shattered, she narrates it all exactly the same as she narrated everything else, to the point where I was surprised every time she mentioned it. (And maybe part of it is just unlucky timing, because the book I read right before this one was an absolute masterclass in that, but it stuck out to me either way)
Myth spoilers done
The other thing in this book that worked for me until it didn't was the "ode to women's voices" aspect. I was very excited to read that, and for a while, I thought it was really well-done. I liked that women's perspectives were centered and often-villainized women of Greek mythology were treated with sympathy and respect. Most especially, I loved that Orphia cared about supporting other women, lifting up each other's voices, rather than just being presented as an exception.
Unfortunately, I found myself getting frustrated with the lack of nuance in it? Every single woman, goddesses included, was a paragon of feminism and sisterhood and equality, as opposed to the brutish men and gods. To be very clear, I am not complaining about ~lack of positive male representation~ or whatever. I don't care about that. Eurydicius was wonderful, and he showed what other men could be if they tried, and there were in fact hints of other men like him in the book, but it's not what the book is about and it's not what I want the book to be about either.
Maybe it's just that I'm reading this at the wrong time, because I'm sure high school me would have loved a pure celebration of the camaraderie between women, but now I find it hard to do that without acknowledging the ways women can also hurt each other when they feel like it's what will protect them under an oppressive patriarchal system, or because they have decided those other women, or certain other women, don't matter as much. Basically, it doesn't make sense to me that Hera can be just as powerful and feared as Zeus among the gods, but have to save and protect women (which she apparently does constantly) in secret to avoid angering the male gods. It doesn't make sense to me that every single goddess cares deeply about protecting mortal women, and in fact every time a woman was hurt by a goddess, that goddess was actually just a scapegoat for the male god who actually did the harming. What about Arachne, for instance, who dared to have pride in her skills (and also called out the gods' crimes against mortal women in her art), and was punished for it by a goddess? I would be very curious how a story like hers played out in the world of this book.
I feel like this is a very weird, messy review, and I mostly did enjoy this book, but at a certain point, it started to frustrate me and make me wish I was reading The Jasmine Throne or The Good Luck Girls or Kaikeyi instead, because I feel like all three of those managed in different ways to do what I wanted this one to do. For all of my frustration, though, it is my favorite of the Greek myth retellings I've read in recent years, and maybe if I come back to it with my expectations better managed, I will have a much better time.
March 3, 2024
Maybe don’t describe the most amazing poetry ever and then don’t deliver.
May 27, 2024
To do nothing would be to risk everything.
2.5 stars rounded down.
Yet, despite the good quote, and a handful of others like it, ORPHIA AND EURYDICIUS delivers... nothing.
The premise is faultless: a gender-swapped retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice. It's one of my favourite myths, and I skimmed a few pages before I bought a copy, and I thought I would love this one. I was convinced it would be five stars. Unfortunately, what this book really is, is a feminist retelling where the only thing you need to know is that it's... feminist. It's feminist, actually, in case you didn't know.
I want to make this clear: I do not have any issue with feminist retellings. When done well.
Elyse John, in swapping the genders, decided to keep nearly every other characteristic that these characters had. It's not the case of Orpheus now being a woman - it's the case of Orpheus now being a woman who acts like a man. Orphia is the dominant, the leading, the brave, and Eurydicius is... there. The story is about her, and he exists to be her number one fan, not to have a story of his own. He is meek and soft and submissive and fits every stereotype a woman has in myths like these. This is not feminism. This is lazy writing, calling it feminism for the sake of popularity and appealing to the demand of feminist retellings, but it is a terrible one.
There is so much bad with this book that I will leave most of it out because I don't have the energy or the time. The prose was flowery, overexaggerated, filled with so many adjectives and words that the author plucked out of a thesaurus that you could barely understand what was happening. Most paragraphs could've been a sentence long. I blamed Orphia, as the narrator, but if that was Elyse John's conscious choice, then that was the wrong choice. Then again - without the floweriness of the prose, you wouldn't have half a book.
I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. I'm sorry, Elyse John, I really tried liking this - but the last 100 or so pages I skimmed because by the time we got to my favourite part of the myth (obviously, the Underworld) I couldn't enjoy it. I just wanted it to end. It dragged on for too long. Perhaps if the author focused more on the story she was telling and less on it being a feminist piece, it could've been readable. Maybe even enjoyable. Maybe.
I'm just happy it's over.
December 8, 2025
DNFed
I lose hope in greek mythology retellings in the same way I lose hope in America with every time I dip my toes into politics
Edit: here we go guys Sen has issues with another Greek mythology retelling and nobody is surprised yet again. This story is about how if the genders of Orpheus and Eurydice were switched it’d be feminist so we get Orphia and Eurydicius. I hated this. I hated it slightly less than Ariadne but still it pmo to ways beyond human comprehension. I have noticed a pattern with these ‘feminist’ retellings in that their male characters are just utter shit. That doesn’t make you feminist please STFU. I won’t give as big as a mythology lesson for this because I’m quite tired and I just don’t want to so yk… I’m not gonna. This retelling made me so frustrated because I don’t know why but for some reason we keep removing the initial personalities of the gods to fit our retellings and in this Apollo (Apollon for those technical people trust me I see you) is sexist or we’re led to believe he is at least?? Really he just seems to be a concerned dad because Apollo is the god of prophecy (technically Hermes is the god of prophecy via coin flip BUT that I don’t think will impact things much) so he knows of Orphia’s fate and is trying to protect her. Rubbed me wrong.
Now Orphia constantly prays to Hera and it’s like presented as this “oh I’m so different I pray to a goddess instead of a god”… sigh… they worshiped Hera actually very frequently and there’s reports of her having worshippers that were specific to her not her and Zeus so tired of this misconception that the Greek goddesses were never recognized because they most definitely were.
This story also goes a route I’ve never really seen taken with the myth of Orpheus where he is taken in by the gods (in this it’s the muses) to learn music and I don’t know every version of his story but I don’t know if this is exactly true. It is an interesting idea but here it just falls flat as it comes off more as though the muses were never taken seriously when they were I mean they were literally the foundation for creativity and the arts but ok. It treats them as though they are subservient to Apollo and I am not exactly fully educated on the muses BUT I dont believe this is the case yes Apollo had titles that overlapped with the muses but he also had overlap with Helios with both of them being considered the god of the Sun. You would however pray directly to Helios for the sun he drives the sun chariot therefore he is your go to with the muses yes you could technically pray to Apollo but you would be more likely to pray to them.
Another thing that ended up ticking me off was making Ares, Dionysus, and Hermes sexist towards Orphia for this… if you have seen my review on Ariadne you know how I feel about Dionysus being sexist but Ares is the father of the amazonians and one of the godly protectors of women I’m not standing for this sexist propaganda that runs rampant with Ares in retellings. With Hermes I don’t have definitive evidence (he’s another god I’m not exactly privy on) but I’m pretty sure he would not act that way.
A Peitho and Hermes retelling would actually be so cool. (Peitho is the wife of Hermes she works with Aphrodite and is the goddess of persuasion)
Back on top.
This book also talks a lot about how good Orphia’s poetry is and then never delivers or at least when you do get her poetry it’s not exactly awe inspiring. I can forgive this normally but it ended up just making that more difficult for me to enjoy.
Said I wasn’t gonna write an essay but I did… oh well
I lose hope in greek mythology retellings in the same way I lose hope in America with every time I dip my toes into politics
Edit: here we go guys Sen has issues with another Greek mythology retelling and nobody is surprised yet again. This story is about how if the genders of Orpheus and Eurydice were switched it’d be feminist so we get Orphia and Eurydicius. I hated this. I hated it slightly less than Ariadne but still it pmo to ways beyond human comprehension. I have noticed a pattern with these ‘feminist’ retellings in that their male characters are just utter shit. That doesn’t make you feminist please STFU. I won’t give as big as a mythology lesson for this because I’m quite tired and I just don’t want to so yk… I’m not gonna. This retelling made me so frustrated because I don’t know why but for some reason we keep removing the initial personalities of the gods to fit our retellings and in this Apollo (Apollon for those technical people trust me I see you) is sexist or we’re led to believe he is at least?? Really he just seems to be a concerned dad because Apollo is the god of prophecy (technically Hermes is the god of prophecy via coin flip BUT that I don’t think will impact things much) so he knows of Orphia’s fate and is trying to protect her. Rubbed me wrong.
Now Orphia constantly prays to Hera and it’s like presented as this “oh I’m so different I pray to a goddess instead of a god”… sigh… they worshiped Hera actually very frequently and there’s reports of her having worshippers that were specific to her not her and Zeus so tired of this misconception that the Greek goddesses were never recognized because they most definitely were.
This story also goes a route I’ve never really seen taken with the myth of Orpheus where he is taken in by the gods (in this it’s the muses) to learn music and I don’t know every version of his story but I don’t know if this is exactly true. It is an interesting idea but here it just falls flat as it comes off more as though the muses were never taken seriously when they were I mean they were literally the foundation for creativity and the arts but ok. It treats them as though they are subservient to Apollo and I am not exactly fully educated on the muses BUT I dont believe this is the case yes Apollo had titles that overlapped with the muses but he also had overlap with Helios with both of them being considered the god of the Sun. You would however pray directly to Helios for the sun he drives the sun chariot therefore he is your go to with the muses yes you could technically pray to Apollo but you would be more likely to pray to them.
Another thing that ended up ticking me off was making Ares, Dionysus, and Hermes sexist towards Orphia for this… if you have seen my review on Ariadne you know how I feel about Dionysus being sexist but Ares is the father of the amazonians and one of the godly protectors of women I’m not standing for this sexist propaganda that runs rampant with Ares in retellings. With Hermes I don’t have definitive evidence (he’s another god I’m not exactly privy on) but I’m pretty sure he would not act that way.
A Peitho and Hermes retelling would actually be so cool. (Peitho is the wife of Hermes she works with Aphrodite and is the goddess of persuasion)
Back on top.
This book also talks a lot about how good Orphia’s poetry is and then never delivers or at least when you do get her poetry it’s not exactly awe inspiring. I can forgive this normally but it ended up just making that more difficult for me to enjoy.
Said I wasn’t gonna write an essay but I did… oh well
August 26, 2023
"I pictured women speaking in defiance; women holding up shields to sea serpents and dragons; women hoping and sighing and desiring, in stories ripe to become poems. Something stirred inside me, calling me to braid and entangle words."
Orphia and Eurydicius is a gender bender retelling from Greek myth. Orphia, daughter of Apollo, has beauty behind her lips, trapped there with words of warning from her father. A chance meeting with a shield-maker, Eurydicius, gives her courage to release her poetry. Apollo rains vengeance upon the island she was trapped on, but with the protection of the Muses, she is whisked to safety and a place to grow her craft. When Eurydicius arrives at her new sanctuary, she will have to choose between the fame she craves and the love thrust into her heart.
Purists may struggle with the gender switch, but the feminist in me was enamoured. This is an incredibly beautiful and heart wrenching read, capturing the enduring toxicity of patriarchal power. Orphia has something inside her she knows has value, and she must face the wrath of men and Gods to show the capability of women. Not just her own capability, but that of women the world over. The love story was *chefs kiss*, and was an excellent challenge to stereotypical roles in romantic relationships. I was crying. This book made me bawl at the end. Just absolutely beautiful writing. This is a slow burn, so don't come at it unless you are happy to savour the effort the author has put into making this story it's own piece of poetry. Recommend!
"Do not think that I will leave quietly. I will call to him full-throated, with words so clear that women will hear them across the world, not only now but in centuries yet unborn. They will learn that they too can create. They will learn that an equal love is possible, and that they, too, deserve a lover who seeks to raise them up to the sun-glossed clouds. I yearn to show them that they can live without the barrage of open barbs or closed fists. I will speak the two of us into legend, if I have to draw each letter from my own marrow. I will become poetry as I die."
Orphia and Eurydicius is a gender bender retelling from Greek myth. Orphia, daughter of Apollo, has beauty behind her lips, trapped there with words of warning from her father. A chance meeting with a shield-maker, Eurydicius, gives her courage to release her poetry. Apollo rains vengeance upon the island she was trapped on, but with the protection of the Muses, she is whisked to safety and a place to grow her craft. When Eurydicius arrives at her new sanctuary, she will have to choose between the fame she craves and the love thrust into her heart.
Purists may struggle with the gender switch, but the feminist in me was enamoured. This is an incredibly beautiful and heart wrenching read, capturing the enduring toxicity of patriarchal power. Orphia has something inside her she knows has value, and she must face the wrath of men and Gods to show the capability of women. Not just her own capability, but that of women the world over. The love story was *chefs kiss*, and was an excellent challenge to stereotypical roles in romantic relationships. I was crying. This book made me bawl at the end. Just absolutely beautiful writing. This is a slow burn, so don't come at it unless you are happy to savour the effort the author has put into making this story it's own piece of poetry. Recommend!
"Do not think that I will leave quietly. I will call to him full-throated, with words so clear that women will hear them across the world, not only now but in centuries yet unborn. They will learn that they too can create. They will learn that an equal love is possible, and that they, too, deserve a lover who seeks to raise them up to the sun-glossed clouds. I yearn to show them that they can live without the barrage of open barbs or closed fists. I will speak the two of us into legend, if I have to draw each letter from my own marrow. I will become poetry as I die."
April 30, 2024
the thing that kept me going was the relationship between orphia and eurydicius and the beauty that was the last two chapters - but the writing felt so long even though it was very pretty, and the pro woman always comradely friendship was very one note
Want to read
October 28, 2022it's an orpheus and eurydice retelling, i know i'm already going to eat this book up
April 24, 2024
⁀➷ 4 ★ ´ˎ˗
▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||||။ ၊|• 6:13
chant - hadestown cast
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 bisexual nonbinary individual. 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.
thank you to netgalley, harper 360, and elyse john for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||||။ ၊|• 6:13
chant - hadestown cast
“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.”
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 bisexual nonbinary individual. 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.
thank you to netgalley, harper 360, and elyse john for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
April 20, 2023
4.5 ⭐️
No one writes bisexual relationships like Elyse John does. The star of this Orpheus and Eurydice retelling is the gender-bent, bisexual relationship that is just so beautiful and so lovely. It takes everything I loved about EJ Beaton's romance writing in The Councillor and brings it front and centre - the strength of women and the softness of men; but then make it just that little bit kinky. We get throat scenes and kneeling (f u c k the kneeling) and I cried. I thought Elyse John did such a fabulous job at exploring how this myth would actually have been impacted if Orphia was a women and Eurydicius a man, exploring Orphia's poetry and who she wanted to sing for, the way women had to fight for a voice, the gods treatment of her and her poetry. This is probably my favourite Greek myth and I thoroughly enjoyed (I say through my tears) this read.
No one writes bisexual relationships like Elyse John does. The star of this Orpheus and Eurydice retelling is the gender-bent, bisexual relationship that is just so beautiful and so lovely. It takes everything I loved about EJ Beaton's romance writing in The Councillor and brings it front and centre - the strength of women and the softness of men; but then make it just that little bit kinky. We get throat scenes and kneeling (f u c k the kneeling) and I cried. I thought Elyse John did such a fabulous job at exploring how this myth would actually have been impacted if Orphia was a women and Eurydicius a man, exploring Orphia's poetry and who she wanted to sing for, the way women had to fight for a voice, the gods treatment of her and her poetry. This is probably my favourite Greek myth and I thoroughly enjoyed (I say through my tears) this read.
December 21, 2024
This was a lovely reimagining of Orpheus and Eurydice. Gender swapping the roles gave the story new life, but at the same time almost left it untouched due to the gender fluidity and open sexuality between both characters. It was progressive to have two main characters confident in their bisexuality. I loved the passage where they reassured each other that their sexuality was natural. I felt seen.
There were times when the story pacing was slow, but the beautiful language kept me reading.
A few favorite quotes:
“If a hero is driven by love, they need not fear death. Love endures beyond the limits of the mere mortal frame.”
“When you find the person you love, you will fit with each other like a key and a lock.”
“If there were a thousand stars in the sky and you floated amongst them, I would see only you. The black infinity of night, and a single bright point.” (Stop, I’m crying.😭)
“You will find your way to all kinds of places, and there may come a time when love is the only thing you grasp in the darkness.”
There were times when the story pacing was slow, but the beautiful language kept me reading.
A few favorite quotes:
“If a hero is driven by love, they need not fear death. Love endures beyond the limits of the mere mortal frame.”
“When you find the person you love, you will fit with each other like a key and a lock.”
“If there were a thousand stars in the sky and you floated amongst them, I would see only you. The black infinity of night, and a single bright point.” (Stop, I’m crying.😭)
“You will find your way to all kinds of places, and there may come a time when love is the only thing you grasp in the darkness.”
December 17, 2023
Okay where do I even start. This was not my cup of tea. It could’ve been cut down like 100 pages and i’d still think it was kinda boring, like nothing really happened? And when it got exciting it would only last for a chapter and we’d move on. I’m sure the writing is good but it’s just not for me, I felt like I was just reading the same thing over and over again just said differently and more ‘poetic’ and it was driving me mad !!! The pacing was just downright painful and I could not for the life of me enjoy these characters or their love story. Apologies Elyse John, you have talent, just not that I can enjoy :((
July 3, 2025
*4.5
Oh boy this was pretty. The language was just gorgeous. Obsessed within the first 20 pages. I love Orphia. I even liked Jason?????? Unheard of. Calliopeeeeeeeeeeeeee AHHHHHH. Nooooo these two lovesick idiots with their longing stares I cannot. Got me giggling in public. Need me a man who speaks to me like Eurydicius. Orphia having a crisis over his bare ankles buckled me. Orphia having a gay crisis over Erato I love this woman. Oh I think this is going to hurt my heart. The Oracle giving her the prophecy was some mean bloody foreshadowing Lordy. Atalantaaaaaaaaa!!!!! And naturally after reappearing, Jason does in fact suck. Astronomically. As does Apollo. Medea my love. Every single woman in this was a powerhouse in her own wonderful way.
Beautifully written. Incredibly tragic. Queer and strongly feminist, this book was utterly fantastic. Didn’t expect to love it as much as I do. So many goosebumps.
“Should not every woman belong to herself?”
Oh boy this was pretty. The language was just gorgeous. Obsessed within the first 20 pages. I love Orphia. I even liked Jason?????? Unheard of. Calliopeeeeeeeeeeeeee AHHHHHH. Nooooo these two lovesick idiots with their longing stares I cannot. Got me giggling in public. Need me a man who speaks to me like Eurydicius. Orphia having a crisis over his bare ankles buckled me. Orphia having a gay crisis over Erato I love this woman. Oh I think this is going to hurt my heart. The Oracle giving her the prophecy was some mean bloody foreshadowing Lordy. Atalantaaaaaaaaa!!!!! And naturally after reappearing, Jason does in fact suck. Astronomically. As does Apollo. Medea my love. Every single woman in this was a powerhouse in her own wonderful way.
Beautifully written. Incredibly tragic. Queer and strongly feminist, this book was utterly fantastic. Didn’t expect to love it as much as I do. So many goosebumps.
“Should not every woman belong to herself?”
July 2, 2024
promising a story about a poet and then not delivering even half decent poetry is laughable actually
(DNF)
(DNF)
January 7, 2025
I did enjoy this book for the myth.
I liked the characters and the fact the myth was reversed. I think that this meant a lot of queer and trans people would enjoy this book, it was good to hear that message written in the book.
I also enjoyed how immersive and well described the Greek gods, muses and myths were.
I liked the characters and the fact the myth was reversed. I think that this meant a lot of queer and trans people would enjoy this book, it was good to hear that message written in the book.
I also enjoyed how immersive and well described the Greek gods, muses and myths were.
April 14, 2025
Et menneske kan ikke skrive poesi som forhekser guder, så de diktene som ble tatt med her var litt unødvendige… Ellers veldig bra bok - jeg elsker gresk mytologi!!
June 20, 2024
orphia and eurydicius succeeds in reworking the source material into its own compelling story, rare with retellings that are often little more than a rehashing of a wikipedia entry with some extra romance thrown in.
the prose was overall lovely, although at points overwritten, but the songs took me out of the story; the author should have left poetry beautiful enough to make gods cry up to the reader's imagination.
the plot wasn't quite as well crafted, with flimsy motives that never quite make sense (eg her warrior training when apollo loses relevance completely after the first part, what was eurydicius's plan with the shields? stand behind them until the attacker gets bored & leaves? why couldn't he stand to defend himself against another person, but perfectly fine killing a mountain lion that threatened him? etc), & i'm not sure it could possibly be less subtle in the points it wanted to make.
its biggest flaw is that there's no real sense of why orphia loves eurydicius beyond the ideas he represents, & those ideas are painfully surface level. she is strong & he is soft. she is ambitious & he mostly sits around being pretty. it's a typical problem with stories labeling themselves feminist in that they retain a dichotomy in reverse: instead of writing a relationship dynamic where neither adheres to heteronormative roles, in one way or another the woman has to embody a "masculine" ideal, indirectly reinforcing it as superior... which brings me to the ending, & an issue i also had with madeleine miller's circe: what is the point of constant feminist lip service in a story that ends in dying for a man? what is actually being examined here? it was a bizarre choice to not only have her choose suicide over a broken heart, but to have her torn apart by women. i wouldn't have cared had the book not hammered me over the head with its messaging.
will i ever stop picking up greek mythology retellings... probably not
edit: almost forgot about what the author did with hera & the maenads... can't even get into my issues with it
the prose was overall lovely, although at points overwritten, but the songs took me out of the story; the author should have left poetry beautiful enough to make gods cry up to the reader's imagination.
the plot wasn't quite as well crafted, with flimsy motives that never quite make sense (eg her warrior training when apollo loses relevance completely after the first part, what was eurydicius's plan with the shields? stand behind them until the attacker gets bored & leaves? why couldn't he stand to defend himself against another person, but perfectly fine killing a mountain lion that threatened him? etc), & i'm not sure it could possibly be less subtle in the points it wanted to make.
its biggest flaw is that there's no real sense of why orphia loves eurydicius beyond the ideas he represents, & those ideas are painfully surface level. she is strong & he is soft. she is ambitious & he mostly sits around being pretty. it's a typical problem with stories labeling themselves feminist in that they retain a dichotomy in reverse: instead of writing a relationship dynamic where neither adheres to heteronormative roles, in one way or another the woman has to embody a "masculine" ideal, indirectly reinforcing it as superior... which brings me to the ending, & an issue i also had with madeleine miller's circe: what is the point of constant feminist lip service in a story that ends in dying for a man? what is actually being examined here? it was a bizarre choice to not only have her choose suicide over a broken heart, but to have her torn apart by women. i wouldn't have cared had the book not hammered me over the head with its messaging.
will i ever stop picking up greek mythology retellings... probably not
edit: almost forgot about what the author did with hera & the maenads... can't even get into my issues with it
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 27, 2023
Overall I did enjoy the romance and the writing style. It took me a while to get into the story and I think that the gender-swapping was well done. However I found the genders to be portrayed too black and white. All women are good and awesome and all men are bad pigs really bothered me. I need more nuance than that. Also how the goods and their power levels were portrayed was a bit unbelievable, but that might have just been because in any story or myth Zeus was always more powerful than Hera and Hera could also be really really nasty.
Altogether it was a nice read, but for me it didn't stand out enough in all the other mythological retellings that are so popular at the moment. I'd say it's better if you don't know the myth the story is based on.
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Altogether it was a nice read, but for me it didn't stand out enough in all the other mythological retellings that are so popular at the moment. I'd say it's better if you don't know the myth the story is based on.
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 14, 2024
This has been top of my most anticipated reads since I first heard about it. I’ve been so so excited to dive into a gender-bent retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice but the whole thing fell incredibly flat. For a myth so doused in passion and yearning, I felt none of it while exploring these characters and their journey. So many aspects of mythology was cut out which as a result further removed this retelling from the magic that a myth should hold. Also, the whole ‘girl power’ vibes was a bit much for me – you can write things that champion feminism without so explicitly pushing it into the reader’s face every few lines, it was quite an juvenile take on it. This story is missing its heart, and it’s genuinely a tragedy.
September 4, 2025
I received an ARC of Orphia & Eurydicius from the publisher in exchange for a review. Thank you very much to HarperCollins & author Elyse John for the opportunity to read this novel early!
I thought the gender-bent element of this novel was an interesting idea, and that, coupled with the very poetic writing style, makes it stand out from other greek mythology retellings. I felt the romance element was very strong, and the relationship between the two characters was impactful & moving. As someone who has studied ancient Egyptian history, I also loved the muses’ nod to the story of Hatshepsut!
I thought the gender-bent element of this novel was an interesting idea, and that, coupled with the very poetic writing style, makes it stand out from other greek mythology retellings. I felt the romance element was very strong, and the relationship between the two characters was impactful & moving. As someone who has studied ancient Egyptian history, I also loved the muses’ nod to the story of Hatshepsut!
May 5, 2024
Elyse John read the OG myth of Orpheus and Eurydice and decided it needed more bisexual energy and feminism. It was a nice idea, but the book felt more like the draft of a version that could have been way better. The pitfall was mainly that the author was so much trying to tell the story beautifully that they forgot to tell the actual story in an engaging way. Which is quite sad, considering how much story potential a spin-off on Greek mythology has.
June 5, 2023
I struggle to find the words to describe how this book has me feeling. Drunk. Hung over. Nothing seems poetic enough to do it justice.
It was a heady read. Taking me the first third to get used to the writing. Once I was in that groove... the words did flow.
Elyse you are a poet, a dreamer and a creator of worlds.
Thank you
It was a heady read. Taking me the first third to get used to the writing. Once I was in that groove... the words did flow.
Elyse you are a poet, a dreamer and a creator of worlds.
Thank you
May 26, 2024
2.5; not to be a hater but i’m all for feminist greek mythology retellings so long as they oh idk… stick to the same mythology they’re retelling. HERA IN NO WAY WAS INVOLVED WITH THE BACCHAE… you can’t just fully change mythology to fit into your narrative!!!!!!!!!
February 24, 2025
”I pictured women speaking in defiance; women holding up shields to sea serpents and dragons; women hoping and sighing and desiring, in stories ripe to become poems. Something stirred inside me, calling me to braid and entangle words.”
2,5/5!
Orphia and Eurydicius is a gender-bent take on the classic ancient myth of Orpheus, the greatest poet who ever lived, and his beloved, Eurydice. We first meet Orphia on an island where she is training to become a warrior but dreaming of composing brilliant, inspiring music. When shocking truths are revealed of her parentage and powers, she ends up trained by the muses. While she hones her skills, she meets a beautiful young man named Eurydicius, and the love that sparks between them becomes strong enough to defy gods, death and destiny.
My feelings about this book are quite mixed. I feel like I have more negative stuff to say, so I will go over the positives first. First of all, I also think Elyse John's writing was very lush, descriptive and poetic, which is fitting for a novel about the greatest poet and composer who ever walked the earth. A clinical, simple writing style would not be right for Orpheus. The emotions of the characters, the scenery and the magic feel very vivid and alive, so kudos to Elyse John for that. Some of the most memorable scenes, in terms of writing, were Orphia's emotional collapse after returning to Mount Parnassus after the voyage of the Argo and one of the final scenes, with Orphia and the maenads.
Even though I had my issues with the execution of this, I do appreciate it when authors take old myths and interpret them from a more modern point of view, centring, for example, feminist themes and queer characters. This novel is brimming with queerness, which I loved. The main two leads are bisexual, and nearly every single important supporting character is sapphic or achillean, which made me, as a queer myth nerd, very happy. I also liked the idea of gender-bending myths and exploring characters from a different angle, looking at, for example, what it would've been like for a woman to become the most renowned poet, because Orphia has to face challenges Orpheus, as a dude, never did. Speaking of Orphia and her poetry, I loved the way her music, words and storytelling were such an integral part of her, literally in her blood. Her drive to tell stories, to uplift women, to sing of an equal and genuine love, was lovely, as was her ambition and her desire to be known throughout the word. I liked how Orphia learned to balance both her desire for love and her desire for fame: they do not need to cancel each other out and women do not have to choose between the two.
Finally, before I start ranting and critiquing, I have to shout out how Elyse John uses the fact that most readers who pick this story up know how the myth goes to create deliciously dramatic and tragic irony. I don't like her use of mythology all the time, but the way she keeps hinting at what's to come and forces the reader to witness her characters misunderstand, misinterpret and fear the wrong things was wonderfully done.
Now, let's get negative. I think my biggest problem with the book was the characters and how Elyse John decided to interpret them. Her book is a feminist take on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice and the way she went about achieving that was making nearly every woman morally upstanding and robbing the more complex, notorious women of myth such as Hera of their complexity, cruelty and capacity for evil. The feminist aspect of the book is okay but perhaps a bit black-and-white. Every single woman in this book is awesome and awe-inspiring and strong, and they all get along and support each other. While I love it when authors emphasize relationships between women in myth (relationships that often didn’t interest ancient authors that much – I want to highlight the mother/daughter bond between Calliope and Orphia) I do like a bit more nuance and variety. Not every woman has to get along or be super admirable for a story to be feminist. I like my female characters more complex and challenging than that. We get an array of personalities, at least, but where were the morally grey women, the women who make horrible mistakes and bad decisions? These are, mostly, goddesses we are talking about: they shouldn’t be all that great all the time. For them to be all #girlboss felt false and not true to the myths at all. Making all the women all about sisterhood, supporting each other and, contrary to the stories spread of them, relatively awesome just felt like women being shoved into yet another category, this time of the morally upstanding figure rather than the weak damsel we mainly see in male-authored stories. Medea and the maenads had moments of darkness, but even those moments were not allowed to be dark: the narrative still excused them somewhat.
To fit her characters to her story, Elyse John had to change the mythology quite a bit. I was able to deal with how weirded out I felt by Hera being made into a supporter of women everywhere with gritted teeth (I love Hera and I think she is due for a feminist re-evaluation, but not like this, not by taking away what makes her complicated – what Jennifer Saint did with her, that's the way to go!) but what finally tipped me over the edge was how the maenads were depicted. I love the maenads and I love Dionysos. I love what the maenads represent and I love their terror. The maenads are not that big a part of the story but still, that was kinda the last straw for me which lowered my rating from a generous 3 to 2,5. Some characters were depicted well – I liked Jason's false charm and his general air of dickishness, and I loved how Apollo is both beautiful and brutal, someone who is capable of feeling and caring but unable to show that or to understand what loving someone means. He felt like a genuine Greek god, because he was allowed to be both human and divinely scary (unlike the goddesses, who were stripped of that: I was super annoyed when it was said that only Apollo killed Niobe's children, as if the fierce goddess of the hunt would've let someone insult her mother). Greek gods are meant to be fucked up. We can look at them in a sympathetic way and understand how many of them are victims of violence, manipulation and misogyny, but, yeah, Elyse John's take on them felt too black-and-white. I wanted more nuance.
The pacing of the novel is quite weird. The first 200 pages go by and not much happens, when you think about it, apart from character stuff. That wouldn't have bothered me if I loved the characters, which I didn't, not above a general fondness I feel whenever a character does not actively annoy me. Then all the stuff with the Argo happens super fast (Orphia is literally thrown on to the ship in the middle of it all) and then it is also over very fast. The Underworld sections were well done and the most emotionally charged aspects of the novel, but at this point I was getting quite tired of the characters and Elyse John's decisions with the story that I felt like I couldn't fully appreciate the pretty writing. I was also a bit bummed how, when Orphia is training with the nine muses, we only get to really see the lessons of a handful of them (Clio's, the muse of history, lesson where she showed Orphia Hatshepsut was super cool!). I would've loved to see more.
Finally, I need to rant about the romance a little bit. This is a love story and I'd say whether you enjoy this book or not to its fullest depends on what you think of the romance. And, in short, I was very meh about them. I felt like the author relied too much on us knowing Orpheus and Eurydice are meant to be together, in every universe and story, because when they meet, they are nearly immediately in love and speaking poetical romantic shit to each other. There is no development or time spent watching them fall in love, which is crucial for a romance, even a fated one. Just because I know they are THE Orpheus and Eurydice, it doesn't mean I don't want to see them fall in love. I strongly dislike insta-love and this was a really bad case of that. Later, as they fall in love and become a couple, we are also constantly told they debate topics like philosophy, religion, destiny, politic and so on, but we never really get to read those scenes. We just have to believe they share similar ideas and feelings about everything. Show me the discussions, show me the debates. They also never argue, because why would they – they don't have flaws! Truly, I cannot tell you a single genuine character flaw in either Orphia or Eurydicius (he was the perfect, most loving, most gentle golden retriever of a man). It's hard for me to care about perfect people or a love that has no rocky moments. I liked them and I thought they were cute, but I didn't love them. Since the writing is gorgeous, there were quotes I thought were fantastic, such as "Love will help you pass into legend” and ”Before you, I lived in greyness” and ”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.” But pretty quotes aren't enough to make me forget that there was no build-up to this love, no gradual growth of love. The love is just there immediately.
So, yeah, that's about everything I have to say. I wanted to love this book more than I did. The writing was lush and pretty and at first I thought this could be a 4/5 star novel, but the further I got, the less engaged I was and more frustrated I became with Elyse John's decisions. I think there are far better and more nuanced feminist takes on Greek mythology out there and ones that have better, more nuanced love stories and characters. If this book sounds intriguing - and you don't mind insta-love - I guess you might enjoy this.
2,5/5!
Orphia and Eurydicius is a gender-bent take on the classic ancient myth of Orpheus, the greatest poet who ever lived, and his beloved, Eurydice. We first meet Orphia on an island where she is training to become a warrior but dreaming of composing brilliant, inspiring music. When shocking truths are revealed of her parentage and powers, she ends up trained by the muses. While she hones her skills, she meets a beautiful young man named Eurydicius, and the love that sparks between them becomes strong enough to defy gods, death and destiny.
My feelings about this book are quite mixed. I feel like I have more negative stuff to say, so I will go over the positives first. First of all, I also think Elyse John's writing was very lush, descriptive and poetic, which is fitting for a novel about the greatest poet and composer who ever walked the earth. A clinical, simple writing style would not be right for Orpheus. The emotions of the characters, the scenery and the magic feel very vivid and alive, so kudos to Elyse John for that. Some of the most memorable scenes, in terms of writing, were Orphia's emotional collapse after returning to Mount Parnassus after the voyage of the Argo and one of the final scenes, with Orphia and the maenads.
Even though I had my issues with the execution of this, I do appreciate it when authors take old myths and interpret them from a more modern point of view, centring, for example, feminist themes and queer characters. This novel is brimming with queerness, which I loved. The main two leads are bisexual, and nearly every single important supporting character is sapphic or achillean, which made me, as a queer myth nerd, very happy. I also liked the idea of gender-bending myths and exploring characters from a different angle, looking at, for example, what it would've been like for a woman to become the most renowned poet, because Orphia has to face challenges Orpheus, as a dude, never did. Speaking of Orphia and her poetry, I loved the way her music, words and storytelling were such an integral part of her, literally in her blood. Her drive to tell stories, to uplift women, to sing of an equal and genuine love, was lovely, as was her ambition and her desire to be known throughout the word. I liked how Orphia learned to balance both her desire for love and her desire for fame: they do not need to cancel each other out and women do not have to choose between the two.
Finally, before I start ranting and critiquing, I have to shout out how Elyse John uses the fact that most readers who pick this story up know how the myth goes to create deliciously dramatic and tragic irony. I don't like her use of mythology all the time, but the way she keeps hinting at what's to come and forces the reader to witness her characters misunderstand, misinterpret and fear the wrong things was wonderfully done.
Now, let's get negative. I think my biggest problem with the book was the characters and how Elyse John decided to interpret them. Her book is a feminist take on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice and the way she went about achieving that was making nearly every woman morally upstanding and robbing the more complex, notorious women of myth such as Hera of their complexity, cruelty and capacity for evil. The feminist aspect of the book is okay but perhaps a bit black-and-white. Every single woman in this book is awesome and awe-inspiring and strong, and they all get along and support each other. While I love it when authors emphasize relationships between women in myth (relationships that often didn’t interest ancient authors that much – I want to highlight the mother/daughter bond between Calliope and Orphia) I do like a bit more nuance and variety. Not every woman has to get along or be super admirable for a story to be feminist. I like my female characters more complex and challenging than that. We get an array of personalities, at least, but where were the morally grey women, the women who make horrible mistakes and bad decisions? These are, mostly, goddesses we are talking about: they shouldn’t be all that great all the time. For them to be all #girlboss felt false and not true to the myths at all. Making all the women all about sisterhood, supporting each other and, contrary to the stories spread of them, relatively awesome just felt like women being shoved into yet another category, this time of the morally upstanding figure rather than the weak damsel we mainly see in male-authored stories. Medea and the maenads had moments of darkness, but even those moments were not allowed to be dark: the narrative still excused them somewhat.
To fit her characters to her story, Elyse John had to change the mythology quite a bit. I was able to deal with how weirded out I felt by Hera being made into a supporter of women everywhere with gritted teeth (I love Hera and I think she is due for a feminist re-evaluation, but not like this, not by taking away what makes her complicated – what Jennifer Saint did with her, that's the way to go!) but what finally tipped me over the edge was how the maenads were depicted. I love the maenads and I love Dionysos. I love what the maenads represent and I love their terror. The maenads are not that big a part of the story but still, that was kinda the last straw for me which lowered my rating from a generous 3 to 2,5. Some characters were depicted well – I liked Jason's false charm and his general air of dickishness, and I loved how Apollo is both beautiful and brutal, someone who is capable of feeling and caring but unable to show that or to understand what loving someone means. He felt like a genuine Greek god, because he was allowed to be both human and divinely scary (unlike the goddesses, who were stripped of that: I was super annoyed when it was said that only Apollo killed Niobe's children, as if the fierce goddess of the hunt would've let someone insult her mother). Greek gods are meant to be fucked up. We can look at them in a sympathetic way and understand how many of them are victims of violence, manipulation and misogyny, but, yeah, Elyse John's take on them felt too black-and-white. I wanted more nuance.
The pacing of the novel is quite weird. The first 200 pages go by and not much happens, when you think about it, apart from character stuff. That wouldn't have bothered me if I loved the characters, which I didn't, not above a general fondness I feel whenever a character does not actively annoy me. Then all the stuff with the Argo happens super fast (Orphia is literally thrown on to the ship in the middle of it all) and then it is also over very fast. The Underworld sections were well done and the most emotionally charged aspects of the novel, but at this point I was getting quite tired of the characters and Elyse John's decisions with the story that I felt like I couldn't fully appreciate the pretty writing. I was also a bit bummed how, when Orphia is training with the nine muses, we only get to really see the lessons of a handful of them (Clio's, the muse of history, lesson where she showed Orphia Hatshepsut was super cool!). I would've loved to see more.
Finally, I need to rant about the romance a little bit. This is a love story and I'd say whether you enjoy this book or not to its fullest depends on what you think of the romance. And, in short, I was very meh about them. I felt like the author relied too much on us knowing Orpheus and Eurydice are meant to be together, in every universe and story, because when they meet, they are nearly immediately in love and speaking poetical romantic shit to each other. There is no development or time spent watching them fall in love, which is crucial for a romance, even a fated one. Just because I know they are THE Orpheus and Eurydice, it doesn't mean I don't want to see them fall in love. I strongly dislike insta-love and this was a really bad case of that. Later, as they fall in love and become a couple, we are also constantly told they debate topics like philosophy, religion, destiny, politic and so on, but we never really get to read those scenes. We just have to believe they share similar ideas and feelings about everything. Show me the discussions, show me the debates. They also never argue, because why would they – they don't have flaws! Truly, I cannot tell you a single genuine character flaw in either Orphia or Eurydicius (he was the perfect, most loving, most gentle golden retriever of a man). It's hard for me to care about perfect people or a love that has no rocky moments. I liked them and I thought they were cute, but I didn't love them. Since the writing is gorgeous, there were quotes I thought were fantastic, such as "Love will help you pass into legend” and ”Before you, I lived in greyness” and ”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.” But pretty quotes aren't enough to make me forget that there was no build-up to this love, no gradual growth of love. The love is just there immediately.
So, yeah, that's about everything I have to say. I wanted to love this book more than I did. The writing was lush and pretty and at first I thought this could be a 4/5 star novel, but the further I got, the less engaged I was and more frustrated I became with Elyse John's decisions. I think there are far better and more nuanced feminist takes on Greek mythology out there and ones that have better, more nuanced love stories and characters. If this book sounds intriguing - and you don't mind insta-love - I guess you might enjoy this.
May 4, 2025
I really love the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, and I thought a gender bend version would be fun. To be fair, the relationship between orphia and euridicus was the best part of this book. It was sweet, and not explicit, which was great
I also thought the prose style was very poetic, which is fitting given that Orphia is being trained in epic poetry.
But I had two main problems:
First writing every part of the book so poetically makes the parts that are supposed to be hugely important poetic performances feel pretty boring, which in turn affects the pace.
Second, (and this is the one that really got me) the feminism is so painfully strong that it feels like it is being shoved down your throat. I don’t need every female character to be a paragon of virtue who talks about how women’s voices should not be silenced every other paragraph. I don need constant comments about how men are trashy controlling monsters who take whatever they want. It is too much.this book needs subtlety and more well rounded characters if it wants to push a message.
I also thought the prose style was very poetic, which is fitting given that Orphia is being trained in epic poetry.
But I had two main problems:
First writing every part of the book so poetically makes the parts that are supposed to be hugely important poetic performances feel pretty boring, which in turn affects the pace.
Second, (and this is the one that really got me) the feminism is so painfully strong that it feels like it is being shoved down your throat. I don’t need every female character to be a paragon of virtue who talks about how women’s voices should not be silenced every other paragraph. I don need constant comments about how men are trashy controlling monsters who take whatever they want. It is too much.this book needs subtlety and more well rounded characters if it wants to push a message.
April 3, 2024
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!
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!
May 31, 2024
I will start out by saying that I'm a sucker for a Greek myth retelling. Some of my all-time favorite books (and movies) are Greek myth retellings. I was super excited for this book as it's a fresh take on a classic myth, with a feminist spin. Unfortunately, it fell a bit flat for me. I enjoyed the writing. The writing was lyrical and stunning. I felt the passion and emotion of the romance come through my Kindle (as this was an eARC) and could lap up the prose all day. The "feminism" felt very stereotypical to me? Like, "hey we're women and we can also be strong." I would've been upset if that wasn't part of the characterization, but it stopped there. There was very little nuance. Overall, I was bored with the story and wanted more. Again, I loved the writing and am interested in more by this author, but this retelling just wasn't for me.
May 15, 2025
I was mildly apprehensive about a gender swap for this particular myth, and found slight reason to confirm it.
I didn't see much cause for Orphia being a soldier, I didn't like that in swapping the genders of the protagonists, Orphia became more masucline in nature and Eurydicius seemingly more feminine. I didn't feel that switching the genders edified the story or championed feminism in a revolutionary way.
That aside, the author's prose was masterful. I highlighted many phrases and loved the way she pieced words together. The love between the couple was pure and true, and I greatly admired the skill required to convey the depth of those emotions with words.
I didn't see much cause for Orphia being a soldier, I didn't like that in swapping the genders of the protagonists, Orphia became more masucline in nature and Eurydicius seemingly more feminine. I didn't feel that switching the genders edified the story or championed feminism in a revolutionary way.
That aside, the author's prose was masterful. I highlighted many phrases and loved the way she pieced words together. The love between the couple was pure and true, and I greatly admired the skill required to convey the depth of those emotions with words.
April 29, 2024
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.
Reread April 2024
Still perfect 🥹 and I annotated it this time! Finally got the physical!
*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.
Reread April 2024
Still perfect 🥹 and I annotated it this time! Finally got the physical!
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