If you've heard of "the original Beauty and the Beast" as my fairy tale and folklore professor put it, then you know that the tale of Psyche and Cupid has a happy ending. But what if it actually dealt with topics like SA and what the aftermath of it is, even if it takes you time to call it that? Being able to read this title on NetGalley, I was entranced with how strong Pysche is. Being able to stand up to your parents, your perpetrator, and the Greco-Romano gods takes a lot of guts, and she does it so eloquently. I loved seeing a more modern take on this myth and having it grapple with topics that today we are just only realizing shouldn't be as taboo as they seem to be.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for access to this book!

I have read many retellings of greek mythology. As an avid reader of ancient myths and a former classics student, retellings have always been right up my alley. So many times, characters are side-lined, ignored, or silenced in these myths: both in ancient sources and in modern sources! Seeing how authors reinterpret these characters within our modern context is one of my favorite things.

Now I have read a lot of retellings, especially feminist ones. Many times, I have never felt compelled by these novels: usually because these retellings either favor the man, distort the original myth, or aren't faithful to the source material. When I started Psyche, I had hopes for it to turn well, but expected to be lightly disappointed.

Forrest Gladstone blew me out of the water.

Psyche follows the story of the infamous myth of Psyche and Cupid, taking place in a world in which the gods grapple with the new Roman world they now occupy. Gladstone weaves this growing political tension into the story of a young woman who is taken advantage of and suppressed by the Gods. Now, this story handles some sensitive themes: such as rape, marital abuse, and assault. Rather than shying away from the subject, or sanitizing it for the sake of the love story, Gladstone confronted these issues head-on and dealt with them in ways that were affirming of Psyche's experience. I thought the depiction was expertly handled and sensitive, well-done in a way that I have yet to see many other books handle these subjects. When so many of the greek myths depict assault and rape as major points in their story, I was proud that Gladstone addressed these issues head on and gave Psyche the voice that she has been lacking over the centuries.

The story is hypnotizing, and the writing is clever. You don't just follow Psyche, but the other characters that she interacts with. Rather than feeling like it detracted from Psyche's experiences, the extra perspectives only highlighted and added to it. The characters are compelling, steadfast, and the Gods are cruel and capricious. I can honestly say I have yet to read a greek retelling that has so expertly interacted with, addressed, and expanded upon the source material than Forrest Gladstone. I heartily recommended this book (with the content warnings in mind for any future readers) for anyone who wants to expand their library of greek retellings. Five stars!

I love so much this book! The myth of “Eros and Psyche “ it’s one of my favourite and I’m so glad this retelling didn’t disappointed me ! I loved how fast paced but well done the book was and Iike so much the character of Psyche! It’s strong and determined and it shines through all the book!

A wonderful retelling. Greek myth retellings are one of my favorite genres to read, I adore finding new authors that write in that realm. This was beautifully written and an easy read

I loved this book! The story was very unique and filled with so many plot twist and turns. I love it so much!

This is a unique retelling about Psyche and Cupid that spanned from their childhood into their adulthood. I enjoyed the different perspectives of the gods and especially goddesses in the story and how they perceived the happenings. It certainly made me think about how the narrative of stories and myths are perceived. I felt like the author handled the themes of SA well and I felt like it did Psyche in the book justice. She suffered a lot throughout it and ultimately she grew a lot because of it. I really liked the relationship she had with her sisters and the important part they had in the story.

While I do like the cover I don't think it quite matches the story told and I almost expected something different.

Psyche is proof to never judge a book by its cover — while it was the beautiful cartoon that made me curious, I was a bit nervous after finding out this was a mythology retelling. But this was worth a read, and good one at that. I like how this also provided insight to the Olympians and their perspective on Psyche and Eros; especially Aphrodite as the goddess of love and as a mother

An expansive story of Psyche and Cupid from birth to love. The author did a great job telling the whole story across time. The story grapples a lot with SA and I worried the ending wasn’t going to stick it. But 10/10.

I do wonder if the cover may scare people off because many Greek retellings lean more classic/adult and this is a cartoon cover. But the themes are very adult and women’s fiction. I hope it gets the attention it deserves. This isn’t an easy book to read, on terms of everyone ends up happy or the girl gets revenge in the end. There is suffering and hardship, but ultimately agency. I’m glad Psyche’s tale was told like this, the author did a great job.

Thank you to Bosque Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

A refreshing take on a classic mythological story. I like that this book challenges the traditional (patriarchal) narratives of Greek mythology, giving the females agency and resistance against oppressive power structures at play.

I really enjoyed this book for the first 85% of it, but the ending kinda fell flat for me. I liked how much of Aphrodite's relationships and life was explored, as I feel like she's usually not fleshed out beyond "hot goddess who started the Trojan War".

Thank you Forrest Gladstone, Bosque Publishing, and NetGalley for the ARC!

This is such an incredible retelling. I love the balance of the gods perspectives and Psyche's. I really enjoyed how Psyche grew through the book and learned to play a game she shouldn't have had to.

Thanks to NetGalley and Forrest Gladstone for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book!! I am a huge fan of mythological adaptations or retellings, and this followed in the footsteps of Circe and Song of Achilles very well. The story of Psyche and Cupid is an interesting one in canon, and I feel that Gladstone adapted it into a very compelling novel.

One of my issues with Greek/Roman myths is the lack of agency female characters have, including goddesses. This novel gave its female characters that agency and the ability to make a difference in their own lives, while still emphasizing that those who had that agency were not the norm in their society and time.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the relationship posed between Psyche and her sisters, and the emphasis on how life and perception changes through womanhood, motherhood, and being a wife. Many myths lack complex female relationships, but those between Psyche and her sisters felt very realistic and raw.

Thanks again to NetGalley and Forrest Gladstone!

This reimaging of Psyche and Cupid is one of my favorite versions of the Greek mythology. The relationship between Psyche and her sisters was one of my favorite aspects in the book. The sisters in many versions are not as fleshed out, but with this one, it's important in the story. I did like Venus as well, Cupid's mom, because of being a mother and the struggles she went through. This book does go into depth about being a mother and being a woman. The expectations of how your life is destined to be, becoming a mother, and the struggles your body has to bear. All these women have different conflicts with their male partners. Cupid and Psyche's relationship is interesting because of how dynamically it changes throughout the story. This story is not as focused on the romance aspect but more on the characters' development and their advocacy for themselves. Gladstone's writing on mythology is one of the best I have read. I also really liked that they used the Roman version of the name instead of the Greek. I would recommend this book to lovers of Greek Mythology.

Thank you, Netgalley and Bosque Publishing, for the review copy.