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bleadenreads's reviews
491 reviews
Psyche and Eros by Luna McNamara
4.5
I do love a Greek myth retelling!
I devoured this in one day in perfect holiday reading conditions by the pool and sea 🌊
I had heard the Psyche and Eros myth before only briefly and had been SO intrigued to finally to have a full novel to read.
I loved the strength and power of Psyche, especially as she was trained by Atalanta. She had strong Wonder Woman vibes with her prophecy like destiny.
Eros was a fascinating character - as one of the earliest gods who was born from Chaos and we finally saw more of Gaia (will someone please tackle her retelling PLEASE) through him. I enjoyed seeing a God that resented his powers and feared their impact. The tension between him and Aphrodite was incredible - she is an easy character to hate!
There were some fun cameos of different gods, goddesses, heroes and best of all - Medusa! She had the best cameo to help Psyche challenge her concept of a hero and it's problematic talent for killing apparent "villains".
There were a couple of plot holes with a pregnancy that seemed to last a long time... but I thought this was a brilliant retelling that covered a lot of gods, goddesses and heroes, and ultimately love.
Also for once - a greek myth retelling with a happy ending!
I devoured this in one day in perfect holiday reading conditions by the pool and sea 🌊
I had heard the Psyche and Eros myth before only briefly and had been SO intrigued to finally to have a full novel to read.
I loved the strength and power of Psyche, especially as she was trained by Atalanta. She had strong Wonder Woman vibes with her prophecy like destiny.
Eros was a fascinating character - as one of the earliest gods who was born from Chaos and we finally saw more of Gaia (will someone please tackle her retelling PLEASE) through him. I enjoyed seeing a God that resented his powers and feared their impact. The tension between him and Aphrodite was incredible - she is an easy character to hate!
There were some fun cameos of different gods, goddesses, heroes and best of all - Medusa! She had the best cameo to help Psyche challenge her concept of a hero and it's problematic talent for killing apparent "villains".
Also for once - a greek myth retelling with a happy ending!
Trespasses by Louise Kennedy
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
5.0
I knew from @booksandbristol praise that this was going to be something special.
This was beautifully written, not hiding away from the grim and tense reality of the Troubles in 1970s Belfast.
I found Cushla an utterly fascinating character, who I rooted for throughout despite some of the decisions she makes, often naively.
I found Michael one big ick and the detached narration style definitely pointed out to the readers how he took advantage of Cushla.
This made me feel like I was right in the middle of Belfast in the Troubles with them—truly transported me. There were big shocks and twists in this, and the author did not refrain from depicting the violence, discrimination and instability. I enjoyed trying to predict what was going to happen and honestly rooted for the lovely Gerry and his guitar throughout.
I saw someone describe this as tender and foreboding which is so accurate. I really enjoyed this and would love any recommendations for more fiction/non fiction about the Troubles or other periods in Irish history.
Yet another stellar read from the @womensprize
This was beautifully written, not hiding away from the grim and tense reality of the Troubles in 1970s Belfast.
I found Cushla an utterly fascinating character, who I rooted for throughout despite some of the decisions she makes, often naively.
I found Michael one big ick and the detached narration style definitely pointed out to the readers how he took advantage of Cushla.
This made me feel like I was right in the middle of Belfast in the Troubles with them—truly transported me. There were big shocks and twists in this, and the author did not refrain from depicting the violence, discrimination and instability. I enjoyed trying to predict what was going to happen and honestly rooted for the lovely Gerry and his guitar throughout.
I saw someone describe this as tender and foreboding which is so accurate. I really enjoyed this and would love any recommendations for more fiction/non fiction about the Troubles or other periods in Irish history.
Yet another stellar read from the @womensprize