The Good Counselor Chapter One: The Unseen One and The Apollonian
Metras’ weekly review of @therkalexander‘s previews of her latest novel, The Good Counselor.
[Spoilers ahead]
We are introduced to the son of Apollo and all of his musical glory, bathing and ridding himself of his gross mortal man-stink. Can we just give our dear author a high five for the details and well-articulated accuracy incorporated into every nook and cranny of her work? Rachel continues to focus so well upon every aspect of her writing that it’s almost impossible not to feel as if you were standing right next to the young man, listening to him sing with the birds and douse himself in olive oil (only the finest EVOO this side of the Aegean, kids).
Nevertheless, I doubt that the choice of introducing us to Orpheus through his human routines was quite deliberate. My curiosities surrounding Orpheus continue to grow. What could this Hellenic Snow White do that would sway Ananke? In the prologue, he is shrouded in mystery, talked of in secrecy and in hushed tones, told only through tales of invoking the birth of gods. I expected a well-adorned, confident follower of the Chthonic deities, glowing with the surety of the son of both a muse and a god.
Instead, we find…just a man. A musical man, who carefully crafts his tunes from the world around him, of course, but…just a man. At first, this seems to work against a preconceived notion about Orpheus and his renowned charm and power. He’s even dressed plainly in cloth that isn’t even dyed. Correct me if i’m wrong, but don’t most followers of any certain god or gods dress in accordance to their beliefs, adorning themselves in the image of their god(s)? Well, it would be for naught either way, because despite his upbringing in the care of Eumolpus and the shadow of Karpophoros, he states that his allegiance isn’t specifically to any one god (not even the ones he was raised to praise or even his alleged father).
It’s interesting to also note the way Orpheus seems to interact with his worship of Persephone especially. The epithet that he has chosen to refer to Persephone by is Karpophoros, which makes complete sense as even in DoL, the mortals of Eleusis – wherein it can be assumed that Orpheus spent most of his life – referred to her as such for her role in the bringing of blossoms and fruit. Superstition seems to dictate that most gods be referred to by their greatest epithets, so as to not offend them by calling upon them directly. However, our mysterious musician seems to make a slip of the tongue and calls upon Persephone by name, which is something he seems to not be used to. This is…odd for a man who has been reputed to call upon the birth of gods, and the founder of the lower Mysteries. It makes me think that maybe he is…afraid of Persephone, in some capacity. Why is that?
Well, Persephone of course does translate into “destroyer of light”, enacts curses upon man, and is also known as Praxidike, goddess of vengeance. Even without the reaffirmation of superstitious thought from Orpheus’ perspective, it’s pretty clear to see that Persephone isn’t exactly the sort of god you would want to call upon by name. It goes without saying that, in her winter countenance, she is to be as feared as she is respected.
Enter the invisible god! Hades- oops, sorry, the god of Nysa (way to be subtle, Aidon) demands an exchange of sorts with the hymnist. The price of loyalty and silence would be exchanged for the infamous harp that Orpheus would later use to charm the world, rocks and all. But the promise of such a lyre requires Orpheus to relinquish his morals to ensure the secrecy of the rites’ performance. Nevertheless, an agreement is reached, and business is a go.
I absolutely loved the foreshadowing of the line “But you yearn for something nonetheless. Something only one of my kind can procure for you.” Holla at ya girl, Eurydice. Of course, they’re only talking about the lyre right now. Of course, juuuust the lyre…for now. (Also, quick side note, I loved the usage of the word hemitheoi instead of demigod, because I don’t think I can look at that goddamn word the same way anymore since reading Percy Jackson).
I think, if I had to pick a favorite part of this chapter, it would have to be the moment where Orpheus names Zagreus and Aidon seems to get super excited on the down low, because he’s super collected but even Orpheus feels his emotions wash over him, and i’m sure Aidon’s thinking like “holy shit i’m gonna have my baby boy”. Only I doubt that everything will go exactly to plan. After all, the fates have had no cares for Aidoneus’ plans before…
As always, i’m excited for the next chapter, and will continue to write my review essays as each installment is uploaded. Feel free to add your own thoughts to this, as I love to open up a forum of discussion!
The Good Counselor is the continuation of Rachel Alexander’s Hades and Persephone series, and follows her first two publications: Receiver of Many and Destroyer of Light. You can catch weekly chapter previews up to the eighth chapter every Wednesday at midnight PST. Follow @therkalexander for more details!
