A Gender-bend retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice. Orphia is both a skilled warrior and a gentle poet. Eurydicius is the ultimate soft boy. The novel seeks to question “typical” gender roles in relationships and celebrating those who break free of the expectations of society.

We meet Orphia during her warrior training under the supervision of Apollo, until her estranged mother Calliope brings her to Mt Parnassus to study the art of poetry under the guidance of the muses.

The book is so poetically written and there are some lines that made me melt. It showcases such a deep, passionate love so strong it transcends death. The line that stayed with me the most was “Let me live again, if only for a moment, with my soul repaired”.

As with many myth retellings there are strong feminist themes that I really enjoyed. In particular the criticism of men in myth become tragedy while women become a cautionary tale.

I would definitely be interested to read more gender-bending myths in the future!

My thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.