Psykhe re-shapes one of the greatest love stories in classical mythology with grace and soul. A powerful reminder of why Kate Forsyth is one of Australia's most beloved storytellers.'
The story of Psyche and Eros has been told for more than two-and-a-half thousand years. Kate Forsyth infuses it with new vigour as a life-affirming celebration of female strength, sexual desire, and empowerment. It is not wise to anger the gods ... or to fall in love with one.
Psykhe has always been different. Fair as Venus, the goddess of love, and with the hard-won ability to save the lives of those of mortal blood, she is both shunned and revered.
When she unwittingly provokes Venus, she and her sisters lose everything. Psykhe must find a way to make amends and support her family.
Befriended by an old woman, Nokturna, Psykhe finds herself irresistibly drawn to her young friend, Ambrose. But neither is what they seem.
For Psykhe has fallen in love with a man whose face she is forbidden to see. After disobeying this injunction, she must risk everything to try to save him, even if it means travelling down to the shadowy Underworld to face Proserpina, queen of the dead.
The way to the realm of the dead is easy. A thrust of a sword, a sudden fall, a careless bite of toadstool, and the soul is sucked away. It is the return journey that is difficult ....
What sets this fictional retelling apart from the growing stable of myth-lit is Forsyth’s ability to imbue her sentences with a melodic rhythm that echoes the oral tradition of storytelling which birthed these myths, and of which she is an expert.
EMMA HARCOURT, THE AUSTRALIAN
Psykhe is intense and winding; avid fans of Forsyth’s work will enjoy the continued painterly storytelling evidenced here, while first-time readers are in for a strange and lovely surprise
ELLIE FISHER, ARTS HUB
Forsyth’s latest is full of everything her readers have come to love about her work.
BEC KAVANAGH, THE GUARDIAN
Rich with history, magic and beauty, Psykhe re-shapes one of the greatest love stories in classical mythology with grace and soul. A powerful reminder of why Kate Forsyth is one of Australia's most beloved storytellers.
KELL WOODS,
Kate Forsyth is a magical storyteller and, in this passionate and powerful work, she lures us into a vividly reimagined world of gods and mortals, beauty and horror, love and vengeance.
SUZANNE LEAL,
Forsyth skillfully immerses the audience in the original mythos, tackling themes such as fate versus autonomy, female empowerment, and the power dynamics embedded in the patriarchy. Psykhe will appeal to those interested in Greek mythology and readers of Madeline Miller, particularly Circe.
ALEXANDRA ASHBURNER-HILL, BOOKS + PUBLISHING
Everyone loves a good love story, a good fairy tale or myth. In Kate Forsyth's capable hands, her retelling of myths with a modern feminist imagining ticks all those boxes and shows us that mere mortals can love the gods.
JENNIFER SOMERVILLE, GOOD READING MAGAZINE
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