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Young, headstrong Psyche has captured the eyes of every suitor in town and far beyond with her tempestuous beauty, which has made her irresistible as a woman yet undesirable as a wife. Secretly, she longs for a life away from the expectations and demands of men. When her father realizes that the future of his family and town will be forever cursed unless he appeases an enraged Aphrodite, he follows the orders of the Oracle, tying Psyche to a rock to be ravaged by a monstrous husband. And yet a monster never arrives. When Eros, nonbinary deity of desire, sees Psyche, she cannot fulfill her promise to her mother Aphrodite to destroy the mortal young woman. Instead, Eros devises a plan to sweep Psyche away to an idyllic palace, hidden from the prying eyes of Aphrodite, Zeus, and the outside world. There, against the dire dictates of Olympus, Eros and Psyche fall in love. Each night, Eros visits Psyche under the cover of impenetrable darkness, where they both experience untold passion and love. But each morning, Eros flies away before light comes to break the spell of the palace that keeps them safe. Before long, Psyche’s nights spent in pleasure turn to days filled with doubts, as she grapples with the cost of secrecy and the complexities of freedom and desire. Restless and spurred by her sisters to reveal Eros’s true nature, she breaks her trust and forces a reckoning that tests them both—and transforms the very heavens. Told in bold and sparkling prose, The Palace of Eros transports us to a magical world imbued by divine forces as well as everyday realities, where palaces glitter with magic even as ordinary people fight for freedom in a society that fears the unknown.
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The Palace of Eros wrecked me in the best way. This book was an emotional journey from start to finish, leaving me in tears by the end, but also filled with warmth and compassion. I flew through the last half of the book in one sitting because I simply couldn’t put it down.
Psyche was such a powerful character. She learned not to let others define her, carving out her own path despite the expectations placed upon her. She was compassionate and empathetic, yet strong in ways the world often refused to acknowledge. Even when given impossible trials, she found a way to overcome them, proving that resilience and love can reshape destiny itself.
The story is beautifully written, weaving together themes of love, identity, and belonging with breathtaking prose. The characters felt so raw and real, their struggles deeply human, and their triumphs all the more powerful. Every moment built toward an ending that was both heartbreaking and hopeful, leaving me reflecting on what it means to truly see and protect one another.
The message at the end of the book about being the guardian of souls and wanting to reshape the world so we could all exist was especially moving. It stayed with me long after I turned the last page, a reminder that love, real unconditional love, is an act of defiance and creation.
This is a story that will break your heart and then gently piece it back together. If you love books that make you feel deeply, The Palace of Eros is an absolute must-read.