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Reviews tagging 'Blood'
Psyche und Eros - Denn wahre Liebe ist mehr als ein Mythos by Luna McNamara
9 reviews
val_theburrowofstories's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I enjoy Greek Mythology retellings so much and this was not an exception.
I remember reading a bit of the story of Eros and Psyche in that book by Rick Riordan talking about a bunch of different characters from Greek Mythology. But I’m glad I picked up this book that was mainly about this couple because I learn more stuff about their lives (even if it was to the interpretation of the author). It's so interesting to see the differences the authors do in retellings, and yet some major things don't change (like who is married to who, who is child of who, who kills who, who rules what).
It was so interesting to see other characters like Atalanta, Achilles, Patroclus, and especially Clytemnestra, Iphigenia and Agamenon because I just finished the book “Elektra” last month.
I love how Psyche was such a different female character. She was trained, she was prepared, she was ready for a fight with a monster, she literally went to the Underworld for Eros even after learning the truth about the curse. My girl was the hero here.
I just remembered Queen Charlotte (Netflix) saying “I will stand with you between the heavens and the Earth” and that’s so Psyche and Eros coded.
I love how this book made it sound like Persephone was the true ruler of the Underworld. But also made me remember how much of a b*tch Aphrodite and other Goddesses can be. Like, Hecate and Medusa who have “bad reputations” were better women than them.
I enjoyed the dual pov audiobook! I really like his voice but I’m sorry to say her voice was not doing it for me.
Overall, it was a 3.5 ⭐ for my taste. I’m happy for their happy ending <3
Graphic: Sexual content, Murder, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Death of parent, Rape, and Pregnancy
Minor: War
- Sexual content: mention de naked body of Aphrodite, sexual relations of humans, of course Psyche and Eros they have sex.
- Rape: Medusa told Psyche her story.
- War: There’s mention of the Trojan War.
- Death / Death of parent: She loses so many people.
- Blood / Murder: We all know what happened with Iphigenia at the hands of her father.
- Pregnancy: Psyche is pregnant when she does the tasks for Aphrodite.
withlivjones's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Torture, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Blood, Pregnancy, and Misogyny
Minor: Animal death and War
kayceeisbookish's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Chronic illness, Grief, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual content, War, Emotional abuse, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Vomit, Infidelity, Alcohol, and Confinement
booktalkwithrae's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I enjoyed this book, but I was hoping to love it. I am someone who knows a general amount of knowledge of Greek mythology, so I’m not sure how someone with an advance understanding of Greek mythology would feel about this book as it seems like the author took a lot of liberties with the Psyche & Eros myth.
First off, I loved everything to do with the gods and goddesses. It was so enjoyable and exciting to read about them in a fun setting. Psyche and Eros characters were good but I expected more from Eros especially because he is one of the older gods.
The trials that Psyche had to go through felt very much like your typical Greek mythology, which I enjoyed the nod towards that. I also appreciated the brief instances where psyche was talking to popular characters in Greek mythology, that we all know in love such as Odysseus and Achilles. Even though it did from the myth, I appreciated it.
I think my biggest gripe with this book I wanted more romance. Considering this is a myth about love and desire I really expected to feel a lot more than I did. Although I understand that it started off as a curse and it didn’t really feel like it was love. I was waiting to feel the love that the characters are feeling at the progress and it just wasn’t there for me (maybe I read too many romances).
Minor: War, Blood, and Sexual content
sarahsbooklife's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I thought that this was a great retelling and couldn't put this book down.
A great feminist take on this classic myth. Blended with the stories of a few other heroes and gods. I loved the romance, the adventure and the stakes shown in this story. A must read Greek myth retelling 🏺🏛
Graphic: Death, Murder, Blood, and Grief
Moderate: Cursing and Violence
Minor: War, Misogyny, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, and Vomit
preciouslittleingenue's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Anyone who thinks this is a one-dimensional ~girlboss story is completely brain dead. The way the author delivers gut punch after gut punch about the plight of women...yes, all women. Even Clytemnestra, who is characterized so unlikeably in this retelling...once she reveals (after the sacrifice) how she was
Eros's character growth was just stunning to read. He went from being so completely apathetic to everything and everyone for his entire, extremely long life, to learning how to care about someone. He had to go through all of that to realize he not only needed Psyche, but needed SOMEONE. He even realized that the sister he spent his whole life despising was someone he actually needed as well. The actual romance itself, to me, was not front and center, and THAT'S OKAY. Some people listed that as reasons their reviews lost stars, and I get that, that's valid. But to me, this was a character piece, and an examination of the Greek Myth as a whole through a retelling of one popular one, and I don't mind that the "romance" suffered because of it. I wasn't shipping then any less or squealing any less loudly once they got their happily ever after. Which, by the way, was REALLY NICE. BECAUSE THAT SIMPLY NEVER HAPPENS IN GREEK MYTH LMAO.
10/5 stars. I can't wait to buy the stupid expensive limited edition hardcover and annotate and tab it and have it on my shelf. I adore it. I hope McNamara does more stories like this. This is right up there with Madeline Miller's work for me. Cannot recommend enough.
The following are direct quotes from the book, and the way I've formatted it is not allowing me to hide it with the spoiler feature, so you've been warned. These are quotes that made me go "OH MY GOD" and rewind to make a bookmark. Will be marking these up once I get my physical copy:
Chapter 4 Eros:
- “…a young woman at that brief age when mortals seem almost as beautiful as the Gods.”
- “Prometheus had designed humanity in the Gods’ image, but he had only succeeded in wrapping all our worst traits in their flimsy mortal shells.”
- After he pricks himself with the arrow while looking at Psyche: “Oh,” I whispered. “Fuck.”
- “My heart broke upon itself like a crashing wave, throwing up a glittering swarm of needle-sharp diamonds that embedded themselves in my chest like arrow points.”
- “I did not want to live in a world where a daughter was worth less than a fair wind to Troy.”
- “I thought of my naivety upon hearing the tales of the blind poet all those years ago, when I thought a glorious kill was what made a hero. I saw now that the legends were drenched in blood: the blood of women.”
- “I never chose Psyche, you know. She was foisted upon me by the curse, like…like my immortality” … “You’ve chosen her now, haven’t you? You could’ve gone anywhere once you slipped Aphrodite’s chains…”
- “I may not deserve her, but this world does.”
- “Psyche reached out a hand to touch me, running her fingers lightly over the contours of my face. That was how she had known me in the darkness, and that was how she truly recognized me now. … ‘It really is you.’ “
- “ ‘It [the curse] is gone, and I am still here.’ ... The Greeks have three words for love, and that night, we knew them all.”
- “ ‘She’s so small, and wrinkled! What did you do to her?’ ... ‘Nothing,’ I replied. ‘She’s a baby.’ “
- “Well, some girls becomes Goddesses, and some Gods become more than they were.”
Graphic: Gore, Blood, Death, and Misogyny
Minor: Death of parent
eenicem's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
Graphic: Confinement, Suicide, Animal death, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Sexism, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Death of parent, Torture, Child abuse, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, War, and Cancer
cattheteawitchfairy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Death of parent, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Death, Murder, Pregnancy, and War
natashaleighton_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Pregnancy, Violence, Kidnapping, and War