Orphia and Eurydicius (Elyse John, HarperCollins)

Set against the backdrop of ancient Greece in a time of myth and heroism, Orphia and Eurydicius is a tale of love, courage, feminine power and the strength of stories against the greatest of odds. Orphia is the daughter of a god and a prisoner in her own life. Forced to fight and live on a small hidden island, she longs to live for herself, free to compose poetry and love as she pleases. After pushing the boundaries of her imprisonment, she is taken to the gods to decide her fate. Yet Orphia’s power lies in her determination to free herself from the shackles of destiny and forge her own path. Moving the gods with the story of her life, she is allowed to live and train with the Muses to become a great poet. While her life is now infused with the dangers of greatness—facing dragons, harpies and a descent to hell—her real growth is rooted in the connections she forms with the women around her. As Orphia learns how to stand tall despite the barriers of femininity in her society, to love fiercely and equally, and to accept help and guidance from the women that mentor her, her story transcends the barriers of the original myth and gives life to the many women and goddesses overlooked for the grand tales of heroism. In her debut novel, Elyse John flips the original tale of the poet Orpheus to tell the quiet yet powerful stories of women in the ancient Greek world. By blending beautiful prose with a unique take on the goddesses of mythology, John creates a story worthy of the legendary poet.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Jess Lewis is a writer, publishing editor and science communicator residing in Naarm. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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Category: Reviews