Ever been tasked by your mother to kill a woman out of displaced jealousy only to then offer to marry said woman to protect her and fall madly in love with her in the process? Well, Eros sure has.
In the second installment of the Dark Olympus series, Katee Robert enchants readers with the story of Psyche and Eros. In this modern retelling, Psyche, daughter of Demeter—Aphrodite’s nemesis—knows that it’s only a matter of time until Aphrodite will start trying to take out her frustrations on Demeter’s daughters. As someone who’s job is literally to be in the spotlight with her carefully curated Instagram that focuses on body positivity, keeping out of Aphrodite’s greedy hands proves difficult for Psyche already.
But when a chance encounter at a party leaves Eros and Psyche in the tabloids with people speculating about their relationship, Aphrodite wants Psyche out of the picture. Eros is used to being his mother’s errand boy, making people who defy—or simply annoy—Aphrodite disappear. But Psyche has shown Eros kindness, something he hasn’t been given in years. His solution to the conundrum of having to kill Psyche? Ask her to marry him and live under the protection of the adoring public—after all, if you’re in the spotlight, suddenly “disappearing” will certainly cause trouble and leave suspicions at Aphrodite’s doorstep. Psyche agrees to the marriage until they find a way out of this mess. But as days pass, lines blur and loyalties shift—and suddenly, neither wants the marriage to end…Can Eros and Psyche find a happily ever after in something that literally started as a scam to survive?
Oh, Dark Olympus series, how I love thee. This romance series has quickly become one of my all-time favourites and no one does tropes like Katee Robert does. Case in point, marriage of convenience.
Both Psyche and Eros were such interesting characters to follow. Now, truth be told, I’m not too familiar with the original story so I don’t have anything to compare this retelling to, but I absolutely loved how these characters that on paper wouldn’t seem compatible turned out to be the perfect match for each other.
Both Eros and Psyche had to keep their true selves hidden for as long as they can remember and it’s taken a psychological toll on them. As errand boy following his mother’s whims, Eros has a hard time connecting to anyone for real, often fearing what his mother might make him do to whomever he’d show kindness to (and obviously for good reason considering Aphrodite wants Eros to murder Psyche because of a freaking tabloid front cover?!) and thus is mostly isolated and cold. Meanwhile, Psyche knows as well as anyone else that it’s only a matter of time until she’ll be used like a pawn in her mother Demeter’s plans for world domination. Still, she has built a brand for herself and is self-sufficient and not to be trifled with. Like all the daughters of Demeter, she would do anything for her family.
There’s also much to be said for the way Robert approaches body representation in this novel. Psyche is fat and while she’s resigned to how her comments section on Instagram can look, Eros is absolutely baffled—I loved how we got this fat-positive representation without ignoring the very cruel ways in which fatphobia can seem so “casual” yet be able to absolutely devastate someone. All the barbs and remarks that Psyche has come to accept as part of the deal of being in the public eye were so relatable and I honestly love that we get to see more of this in romance—not just having fat protagonists for the sake of it but actually have great representation that shows the reality of it all.
Psyche and Eros’s romance was also downright sizzling. Sure, there’s some insta-lust going on, but Eros redeems that almost immediately by being all in when it comes to Psyche. The ways in which he tells (and shows *wink wink*) her how desirable and beautiful he thinks she is, turned me into a downright puddle. For two characters who have had to keep their true selves hidden for the most part of their lives—because in this world, to seem fragile is to put a target on your back – and to then find another person they can be wholly themselves with? Chef’s kiss. Also, I’m an absolute sucker for the “you may be a monster, but you’re my monster” trope and whoo boy, did Electric Idol deliver on that.
As far as complaints go, the only thing that lowkey annoyed me was the amount of repetition in one certain ‘telling instead of showing’ aspect. Obviously, it’s a marriage of convenience and thus neither of the characters is truly certain about the intentions of the other which makes for a lot of pining and misunderstandings – my kryptonite. But the actual part where the stakes are mentioned, i.e. that Aphrodite is going to try to kill Psyche if they can’t pull off the “happy couple” look in front of the press and all their family and friends was mentioned a lot. And I mean, a lot. Not a chapter passes without either of the two of them repeating the stakes and just how important it is to play their parts well. It turns monotonous and I found myself wanting to skim every time Eros or Psyche would go off on the same tangent about how there is trouble ahead. I would have wished for a bit more showing the actual stakes than repetitiously telling me they were high earlier on in the novel. This obviously changes once some powerful players pop up and once Eros and Psyche’s romance develops, which made me root for them much more in the end.
The final showdown in Electric Idol is downright ruthless and I loved it. I don’t want to spoil anything, but let’s just say that I would expect nothing less smart and cunning from a daughter of Demeter as what goes down in the final chapters. I definitely didn’t see this twist coming, but in hindsight, it all makes sense.
Beyond the actual story of Psyche and Eros, we also get to see old characters and a few new ones. While seeing Hades and Persephone again was obviously a highlight, we also get introduced to one of the characters we’ll follow in the next installment and that little glimpse was already so enticing! Most riveting of all, at least for me, is that we get to see the new Zeus who is quite different from the last one—more alert, more cunning and definitely not someone to be trifled with. Though Wicked Beauty, the next installment in the Dark Olympus series that I’m dying to get my hands on, doesn’t follow Zeus and his new fiancée, I can’t wait for his cameos.
Sexy, cunning and entertaining, Electric Idol reimagines the story of Psyche and Eros in a high-stakes, ruthless world. With sizzling chemistry and a marriage of convenience that turns into so much more, this captivating follow up to Neon Gods will leave readers breathless.
Electric Idol is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of January 18th 2022.
Will you be picking up Electric Idol? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
He was the most beautiful man alive.
And if I wasn’t careful, he was going to be my death.
*A scorchingly hot modern retelling of Psyche and Eros that’s as sinful as it is sweet.*
In the ultra-modern city of Olympus, there’s always a price to pay. Psyche knew she’d have to face Aphrodite’s ire eventually, but she never expected her literal heart to be at stake…or for Aphrodite’s gorgeous son to be the one ordered to strike the killing blow.
Eros has no problem shedding blood. But when it comes time to take out his latest target, he can’t do it. Confused by his reaction to Psyche, he does the only thing he can think of to keep her safe: he marries her. Psyche vows to make Eros’s life a living hell until they find a way out of this mess. But as lines blur and loyalties shift, she realizes he might take her heart after all…and she’s not sure she can survive the loss.
