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Eros: Queer Myths for Lovers
A sexy modern take on ancient Greek myths that embraces the history and endurance of queer love, from an exciting Australian writer.
She keeps her eyes on me while she lights the end of my cigarette. I stare back at her. Something in the pills and in her eyes is opening up my muscles like hands parting from prayer, like trees breathing.
Eros is a stunning collection of short stories, grounded in truth and coloured with dazzling imagination and alluring unpredictable mystery. Revealing how queerness, nature and myth have been intertwined for eternity, these are stories of gods and of Zeus, of Aphrodite, of Hermaphroditus, of Icarus before he flew into the sun. Stories of queer life, lust, revenge, wrath, passion and sex. Of yearning, love, loss. Some stories span across a life, and others, an evening. Perspectives will shift. Houses will burn. Lovers will learn their fate.
Zoe Terakes has skilfully blended myth and modernity to illuminate the complex and enduring truth of trans lives, resisting a history of erasure and delivering a sexy, soul-touching book to read to your lover . . . or yourself.
She keeps her eyes on me while she lights the end of my cigarette. I stare back at her. Something in the pills and in her eyes is opening up my muscles like hands parting from prayer, like trees breathing.
Eros is a stunning collection of short stories, grounded in truth and coloured with dazzling imagination and alluring unpredictable mystery. Revealing how queerness, nature and myth have been intertwined for eternity, these are stories of gods and of Zeus, of Aphrodite, of Hermaphroditus, of Icarus before he flew into the sun. Stories of queer life, lust, revenge, wrath, passion and sex. Of yearning, love, loss. Some stories span across a life, and others, an evening. Perspectives will shift. Houses will burn. Lovers will learn their fate.
Zoe Terakes has skilfully blended myth and modernity to illuminate the complex and enduring truth of trans lives, resisting a history of erasure and delivering a sexy, soul-touching book to read to your lover . . . or yourself.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published October 28, 2025
79 people are currently reading
1060 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
November 6, 2025
i’ve often struggled to hold my queerness and my greekness at the same time. reading this book healed something in me.
January 27, 2026
2.5 stars (edited bc im mad again)
I wanted to love and adore this one, it seemed like it would have been the perfect book for me but it just fell short near the end.
The first two stories were okay (I did have some issues) but I will say throughout this book the writing is beautiful and the stories are expertly told. The way nature is written and spoken about is beautiful and there were lines in the preface I adored.
My one big issue is can we PLEASE start putting content warnings in books, labelling this as a reimagining of queer myths and leaving in the heavy scenes does make sense cause they were there to begin with but it’s already so hard being a trans queer person and twice I had to close this book because it filled me with so much rage and sadness. I wanted so badly for more than one happy end, I don’t mind tragedy it’s in most of the myths I love, but so much pain and no reward is a hard pill to swallow.
Regardless just put some content warnings in there, you have a preface so you can easily let people know you’re dealing with some heavy shit and that there’s SA twice! If you know the myths you might be expecting it but if you go in blind it’s not fun.
I wanted to love and adore this one, it seemed like it would have been the perfect book for me but it just fell short near the end.
The first two stories were okay (I did have some issues) but I will say throughout this book the writing is beautiful and the stories are expertly told. The way nature is written and spoken about is beautiful and there were lines in the preface I adored.
My one big issue is can we PLEASE start putting content warnings in books, labelling this as a reimagining of queer myths and leaving in the heavy scenes does make sense cause they were there to begin with but it’s already so hard being a trans queer person and twice I had to close this book because it filled me with so much rage and sadness. I wanted so badly for more than one happy end, I don’t mind tragedy it’s in most of the myths I love, but so much pain and no reward is a hard pill to swallow.
Regardless just put some content warnings in there, you have a preface so you can easily let people know you’re dealing with some heavy shit and that there’s SA twice! If you know the myths you might be expecting it but if you go in blind it’s not fun.
November 13, 2025
A collection of 5 short stories based on Greek mythology and the queer undertones that have been forgotten with time. A great premise, a letdown to read.
The vulgar language was jarring to read and frankly unnecessary. When trying to showcase queer love and how natural it is, the constant use of graphic words was misplaced. I feel the author was trying to be subversive but I don’t think it payed off. I would write what words they are but only mum + her book club read my reviews so you can just guess.
The short stories never allowed us to truly understand how the protagonists ever felt. The final story is based on the Greek myth of Hermaphroditus who wakes up one day presenting female after living as a male all his life. Instead of exploring how this made the protagonist feel, we got descriptions of safe houses and sex work on kings cross, therefore missing the opportunity to explore identity and disphoria, which I would like to think was the whole point?
Disappointed, sorry
The vulgar language was jarring to read and frankly unnecessary. When trying to showcase queer love and how natural it is, the constant use of graphic words was misplaced. I feel the author was trying to be subversive but I don’t think it payed off. I would write what words they are but only mum + her book club read my reviews so you can just guess.
The short stories never allowed us to truly understand how the protagonists ever felt. The final story is based on the Greek myth of Hermaphroditus who wakes up one day presenting female after living as a male all his life. Instead of exploring how this made the protagonist feel, we got descriptions of safe houses and sex work on kings cross, therefore missing the opportunity to explore identity and disphoria, which I would like to think was the whole point?
Disappointed, sorry
November 12, 2025
i really enjoyed terakes’ writing style. some of the stories in this collection were stronger to me than others. sometimes i felt a little confused as to what was going on but i think that is also because i there are certain greek myths i am less versed in. i think this was a beautiful and positive exploration of queerness and transness and desire tho. still ruminating on proper thoughts. keen to see them talk about this book in person in a couple days.
*edit: the more i think about this book and each story i'm just like actually you know what this was kind of a perfect book.
*edit: the more i think about this book and each story i'm just like actually you know what this was kind of a perfect book.
January 11, 2026
2 stars. The prose was competent, sometimes evocative (especially when describing 90s suburban migrant Australia). But I could not get behind most of the author’s actual ideas about the original myths (and eroticism).
The myths took place in a weird mix of timeless myth-world (for some) and grounded Australian urban/suburban life (for others). Much preferred the latter, which felt autobiographical. But I found the discrepancies strange - they didn’t fit in the same book.
Some of the stories completely missed the original point of the myth. Which would be fine if there were some clear intention - turning the myth on its head somehow. But, no. Orpheus and Eurydice turned into “Orpheus is actually gay and sucks and never goes to hell to find Eurydice” ok so what was the point of retelling that myth then??????
There was also an incessant focus on phallicism, even where it wasn’t at all relevant to the story or characters, which I know is probably appropriate to the original myths but I still found it offputting.
I took issue with the last story - I know that rape is the inciting incident in the myth itself, but it felt very unnecessary in the retelling. Doubly so the racial aspect of it, and the fact that it was a lesbian assaulting a (then) gay man???? I don’t even know what to do with that. I guess the author is about blurring lines and expansive ideas of queerness, but I did not enjoy when they took those ideas into sexual assault.
These stories did not embody “eros” at all to me. No yearning found here; only explicit, matter-of-fact and repeated descriptions of every character’s dick.
I think I have a problem with how this book was presented. How are these “queer myths for lovers”?Queerness is already explicit in most of the myths (Iphis, Artemis/Kallisto, Hermaphrodite) and the retellings didn’t do much to improve on this. It seems like the author’s idea of “centring queerness” = centring cocks. For the other myths (Icarus, Eurydice) the introduction of queerness felt confused, and served actually to steer the myths in an odd direction, robbing them of meaning.
And “for lovers”? I listened to this on audiobook with my gf and we both hated it in unison. So there’s that.
The myths took place in a weird mix of timeless myth-world (for some) and grounded Australian urban/suburban life (for others). Much preferred the latter, which felt autobiographical. But I found the discrepancies strange - they didn’t fit in the same book.
Some of the stories completely missed the original point of the myth. Which would be fine if there were some clear intention - turning the myth on its head somehow. But, no. Orpheus and Eurydice turned into “Orpheus is actually gay and sucks and never goes to hell to find Eurydice” ok so what was the point of retelling that myth then??????
There was also an incessant focus on phallicism, even where it wasn’t at all relevant to the story or characters, which I know is probably appropriate to the original myths but I still found it offputting.
I took issue with the last story - I know that rape is the inciting incident in the myth itself, but it felt very unnecessary in the retelling. Doubly so the racial aspect of it, and the fact that it was a lesbian assaulting a (then) gay man???? I don’t even know what to do with that. I guess the author is about blurring lines and expansive ideas of queerness, but I did not enjoy when they took those ideas into sexual assault.
These stories did not embody “eros” at all to me. No yearning found here; only explicit, matter-of-fact and repeated descriptions of every character’s dick.
I think I have a problem with how this book was presented. How are these “queer myths for lovers”?Queerness is already explicit in most of the myths (Iphis, Artemis/Kallisto, Hermaphrodite) and the retellings didn’t do much to improve on this. It seems like the author’s idea of “centring queerness” = centring cocks. For the other myths (Icarus, Eurydice) the introduction of queerness felt confused, and served actually to steer the myths in an odd direction, robbing them of meaning.
And “for lovers”? I listened to this on audiobook with my gf and we both hated it in unison. So there’s that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 8, 2025
So creative, so imaginative, so poetic, so much fun to read!! Every sentence is perfectly constructed it is such a joy to read. My fave was iphis and ianthe but all the stories rocked
December 8, 2025
The kind of book that you put down and colours seem brighter, the sun feels hotter, sweat tastes sweeter. Words capture desire so well.
November 26, 2025
love love greek retellings
December 25, 2025
quite a confused collection. i really enjoyed the modern versions of myths, but couldn't understand why some seemed to be set in the timeless mythic world and some were so solidly contemporary. the former is filled with anachronism, so i'm not sure why Terakes chose this approach. the accentuated queerness throughout these myths is beautiful, but the pointless vulgarity for vulgarity's sake (the constant insertion of the word "fuck" in sentences that don't need it) didn't work for me. i think it's a collection that's better in theory than in practise.
December 8, 2025
A disappointing read that I would not recommend. Eros had an interesting premise that makes you want to read it, but the book itself lacks any substance beyond a string of increasingly tedious erotic scenes that are cringe worthy with how poorly written they are.
Each story felt thinner than the last, relying on shock through crude smut rather than any meaningful plot, character development or emotional depth.
This book was painful to push through. If I hadn’t been reading it for a queer book club, I would not have finished it.
Each story felt thinner than the last, relying on shock through crude smut rather than any meaningful plot, character development or emotional depth.
This book was painful to push through. If I hadn’t been reading it for a queer book club, I would not have finished it.
November 6, 2025
This book is a masterpiece, more of this in the world, Terakes makes their phenomenal debut into the literary world.
December 4, 2025
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I loved the weaving of nature and the erotic. Moreish indeed.
January 12, 2026
If this book is for lovers, this review is for haters.
The concept of reimagining myths to revel more in their queerness is a great one - practically a queer author's rite of passage - and so I had high hopes. Unfortunately either the book fails to fit its brief, or this is an inaccurate description of the whole project. I felt conflicted at best and appalled at worst.
The simple, recounting style of storytelling makes sense in the context of myths, but it becomes very telling which images are lucky enough to be dwelt upon. Throughout Eros, words are disproportionately spared for descriptions of characters' phalluses, to the point where the book felt completely obsessed. In the Eurydice story especially, the use of genitalia as the primary descriptors for GNC characters felt weirdly ogling rather than liberatingly matter-of-fact. The descriptions of sex and violence felt like attempts to shock and repulse, even when ostensibly erotic. Less time was spent actually building sexual or romantic tension.
The original meanings of the myths were often displaced - not inherently a problem, but the myth format does imply the presence of some sort of message, so it was frustrating not to find coherent ones in the new versions. Story #2 lost the hubristic element I love about the Icarus myth, but rather than being replaced by a decision to pursue reckless longing, consequences be damned, there was a vague 'they just did the thing, and somehow believed it would be okay'. In the absence of coherent motives or clear reinterpretive intention it ended up as, if anything, a cautionary tale against gay love.
The book's greatest (perhaps only) strength in terms of execution was in evoking Australian suburban migrant settings. This felt like a significant reimagining and had a memoir-like depth that stood out from the other stories. The book as a whole would have benefited from understanding this recontextualisation as its essential purpose. Story #4, Artemis and Kallisto, is the best example and the one story I particularly liked. It feels more real, more bittersweet, and more coherent as a retelling because it doesn't alter or forget the trajectory of the myth so much - just adds colour that makes the reader consider the original and new contexts as connected. I could see real power in a collection of stories more like this one.
Stories #3 and #5 had promise in their interesting settings (a sort of drugged-out bush doof and historical Kings Cross, respectively) but the incoherence of the stories themselves really disappointed. All the nuance of the Orpheus and Eurydice story was summarily dismissed as Orpheus was just a dick, and it was hard to figure out what was actually happening or what it meant besides 'fuck Orpheus'. Given that Orpheus was secretly getting off to his male best friend and Eurydice ends up queer too, did they hate each other because they were both gay? Honestly unclear what the angle here was.
#5, Hermaphrodite, is the best encapsulation of what's wrong with this book. The old-school Cross setting has the potential to be great but most of the time-based worldbuilding comes from using slurs that wouldn't be used now. It lacks the verisimilitude of story #4, presumably because it's less familiar to the author. The rape that's central to the original myth isn't reconceptualised but made worse and more incomprehensible. In it, a butch lesbian rapes the protagonist (who is at the time a gay man). It is unclear why she does this, save for earlier references to ethnic conflicts and the use of sexual violence in them? The rape then triggers Hermaphrodite's feminisation/genderqueerness, which was galling as a choice made by a queer author purporting to bring queer joy to these stories. The random aggression of this lesbian and the marked centering of masculinity in this story made me wonder whether it could stem from some frustration on the part of the author, who is transmasc-nonbinary, at being thought of as feminine or as a butch lesbian. I couldn't otherwise understand it. Everything that happens after the rape feels disconnected, a threadbare rendition of the queer found family. I could not tell you what the overall point of the story was intended to be.
Tl;dr, I kind of wish this book hadn't been published. At a minimum, it should have been published without the stated purpose of reclaiming myths' queerness with joy. But the worst aspect for me was choosing to retell well-known myths without seeming to have any conversation with the source material - any subversive message, any coherent take at all. There is something promising here, but it's absolutely stifled by the rest of it.
The concept of reimagining myths to revel more in their queerness is a great one - practically a queer author's rite of passage - and so I had high hopes. Unfortunately either the book fails to fit its brief, or this is an inaccurate description of the whole project. I felt conflicted at best and appalled at worst.
The simple, recounting style of storytelling makes sense in the context of myths, but it becomes very telling which images are lucky enough to be dwelt upon. Throughout Eros, words are disproportionately spared for descriptions of characters' phalluses, to the point where the book felt completely obsessed. In the Eurydice story especially, the use of genitalia as the primary descriptors for GNC characters felt weirdly ogling rather than liberatingly matter-of-fact. The descriptions of sex and violence felt like attempts to shock and repulse, even when ostensibly erotic. Less time was spent actually building sexual or romantic tension.
The original meanings of the myths were often displaced - not inherently a problem, but the myth format does imply the presence of some sort of message, so it was frustrating not to find coherent ones in the new versions. Story #2 lost the hubristic element I love about the Icarus myth, but rather than being replaced by a decision to pursue reckless longing, consequences be damned, there was a vague 'they just did the thing, and somehow believed it would be okay'. In the absence of coherent motives or clear reinterpretive intention it ended up as, if anything, a cautionary tale against gay love.
The book's greatest (perhaps only) strength in terms of execution was in evoking Australian suburban migrant settings. This felt like a significant reimagining and had a memoir-like depth that stood out from the other stories. The book as a whole would have benefited from understanding this recontextualisation as its essential purpose. Story #4, Artemis and Kallisto, is the best example and the one story I particularly liked. It feels more real, more bittersweet, and more coherent as a retelling because it doesn't alter or forget the trajectory of the myth so much - just adds colour that makes the reader consider the original and new contexts as connected. I could see real power in a collection of stories more like this one.
Stories #3 and #5 had promise in their interesting settings (a sort of drugged-out bush doof and historical Kings Cross, respectively) but the incoherence of the stories themselves really disappointed. All the nuance of the Orpheus and Eurydice story was summarily dismissed as Orpheus was just a dick, and it was hard to figure out what was actually happening or what it meant besides 'fuck Orpheus'. Given that Orpheus was secretly getting off to his male best friend and Eurydice ends up queer too, did they hate each other because they were both gay? Honestly unclear what the angle here was.
#5, Hermaphrodite, is the best encapsulation of what's wrong with this book. The old-school Cross setting has the potential to be great but most of the time-based worldbuilding comes from using slurs that wouldn't be used now. It lacks the verisimilitude of story #4, presumably because it's less familiar to the author. The rape that's central to the original myth isn't reconceptualised but made worse and more incomprehensible. In it, a butch lesbian rapes the protagonist (who is at the time a gay man). It is unclear why she does this, save for earlier references to ethnic conflicts and the use of sexual violence in them? The rape then triggers Hermaphrodite's feminisation/genderqueerness, which was galling as a choice made by a queer author purporting to bring queer joy to these stories. The random aggression of this lesbian and the marked centering of masculinity in this story made me wonder whether it could stem from some frustration on the part of the author, who is transmasc-nonbinary, at being thought of as feminine or as a butch lesbian. I couldn't otherwise understand it. Everything that happens after the rape feels disconnected, a threadbare rendition of the queer found family. I could not tell you what the overall point of the story was intended to be.
Tl;dr, I kind of wish this book hadn't been published. At a minimum, it should have been published without the stated purpose of reclaiming myths' queerness with joy. But the worst aspect for me was choosing to retell well-known myths without seeming to have any conversation with the source material - any subversive message, any coherent take at all. There is something promising here, but it's absolutely stifled by the rest of it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 21, 2025
4 stars
i've been really excited about this collection since i first heard about it, and so was super happy to be able to grab a copy of it! i also read this entirely at the beach, which was so perfect as many of these myths feature the beaches and landscapes of crete (which are objectively more stunning than that of williamstown, but hey, it was the closest i could get). overall, i really enjoyed this book, but i think i'll still comment on each story individually as i felt some were definitely stronger than others.
iphis and ianthe
a super strong start to the collection. i was completely unfamiliar with this myth before reading (and still am tbh) but i really loved terakes' interpretation! i thought this trans story was really beautiful and well written.
icarus and apollo
this one is my favourite of the book. for some reason i didn't realise how this was going to end until i was halfway through the story, even though i know the story of icarus? so that was incredibly devastating for me of course. i loved this interpretation and the writing of it.
eurydice (and orpheus, sort of)
i fear i'm a hater 😭 as a hadestown fan, i HATE the interpretation of orpheus being selfish and eurydice being unhappy in her relationship with him (and yesss i know there's textual evidence for this and it's totally valid but i still hate it so much). there was nothing wrong with the story or writing, but i just can't with orpheus's characterisation here.
artemis and kallisto
i found this one quite interesting, as it was (i think) the longest story in the collection. it did feel overly long at times, but i really liked the story from when artemi met kallisto. again, as someone who's not familiar with greek mythology, i GAGGED at the end of this story. i didn't love it, but i didn't hate it either.
hermaphroditus
i LOVED the modern setting of this story (if you can call 90s sydney "modern" lol) and found this story very engaging and interesting. it's clear that terakes has done their research when writing this story. it did feel majorly disconnected from the source material, but i don't really hate that. interestingly enough, the stories in this collection seemed to drift further away from the original myths as they progressed... not sure if that was intentional or not, but it was a cool touch.
i've been really excited about this collection since i first heard about it, and so was super happy to be able to grab a copy of it! i also read this entirely at the beach, which was so perfect as many of these myths feature the beaches and landscapes of crete (which are objectively more stunning than that of williamstown, but hey, it was the closest i could get). overall, i really enjoyed this book, but i think i'll still comment on each story individually as i felt some were definitely stronger than others.
iphis and ianthe
a super strong start to the collection. i was completely unfamiliar with this myth before reading (and still am tbh) but i really loved terakes' interpretation! i thought this trans story was really beautiful and well written.
icarus and apollo
this one is my favourite of the book. for some reason i didn't realise how this was going to end until i was halfway through the story, even though i know the story of icarus? so that was incredibly devastating for me of course. i loved this interpretation and the writing of it.
eurydice (and orpheus, sort of)
i fear i'm a hater 😭 as a hadestown fan, i HATE the interpretation of orpheus being selfish and eurydice being unhappy in her relationship with him (and yesss i know there's textual evidence for this and it's totally valid but i still hate it so much). there was nothing wrong with the story or writing, but i just can't with orpheus's characterisation here.
artemis and kallisto
i found this one quite interesting, as it was (i think) the longest story in the collection. it did feel overly long at times, but i really liked the story from when artemi met kallisto. again, as someone who's not familiar with greek mythology, i GAGGED at the end of this story. i didn't love it, but i didn't hate it either.
hermaphroditus
i LOVED the modern setting of this story (if you can call 90s sydney "modern" lol) and found this story very engaging and interesting. it's clear that terakes has done their research when writing this story. it did feel majorly disconnected from the source material, but i don't really hate that. interestingly enough, the stories in this collection seemed to drift further away from the original myths as they progressed... not sure if that was intentional or not, but it was a cool touch.
January 19, 2026
I love Greek mythology. I love queer literature. I love Benjamin Law, who provided the quote on the back cover. I love Zoe Terakes, who wrote the book. And I love a shiny book cover featuring gay men cuddling on it.
So it probably won’t surprise anyone that I A) bought this book, and B) absolutely loved it.
Eros is a collection of short stories grounded in Greek mythology and reimagined as modern love stories. It’s unabashedly queer, with beautifully handled trans storylines, and it never once feels like it’s playing it safe. Each story is written in a distinct style, giving readers the option to lean more heavily into traditional myth or into contemporary Australia, depending on where the narrative wants to land.
Personally, I loved the first two stories the most. The ones that felt most steeped in mythology. Icarus and Apollo, the second story, genuinely took my breath away. The writing is magnificent: poetic, whimsical, sexual and emotionally devastating in all the best ways. It’s the kind of story you want to reread immediately, just to sit inside the language a little longer.
This is Zoe’s debut, which honestly feels unfair given how assured and confident the collection is. I hope they write a million more books from this worldview. In fact, if I were a publisher, I’d already be begging for another Greek mythology short story collection from them.
So it probably won’t surprise anyone that I A) bought this book, and B) absolutely loved it.
Eros is a collection of short stories grounded in Greek mythology and reimagined as modern love stories. It’s unabashedly queer, with beautifully handled trans storylines, and it never once feels like it’s playing it safe. Each story is written in a distinct style, giving readers the option to lean more heavily into traditional myth or into contemporary Australia, depending on where the narrative wants to land.
Personally, I loved the first two stories the most. The ones that felt most steeped in mythology. Icarus and Apollo, the second story, genuinely took my breath away. The writing is magnificent: poetic, whimsical, sexual and emotionally devastating in all the best ways. It’s the kind of story you want to reread immediately, just to sit inside the language a little longer.
This is Zoe’s debut, which honestly feels unfair given how assured and confident the collection is. I hope they write a million more books from this worldview. In fact, if I were a publisher, I’d already be begging for another Greek mythology short story collection from them.
October 7, 2025
This novel shines with such an interesting perspective; it is unlike anything I have ever come across, and yet both are relatable and tell familiar stories. It is so well written. It's so typical for someone to write a grammatically correct sentence and be hailed as a saint, but every sentence of this book is beautiful. Every word has been considered and refined until perfect, and you can tell in the best way.
The preface sets the scene to discuss queerness, Greek myth, and Cretan culture, as well as how all are deeply embedded in nature and life. Each story sinks you deeper into all of these topics. Each one empowers queer people to bring them into the light and rip off the cover that historians have shoved over everything, over and over, to hide queerness and make it shameful.
Despite this book being written so well, unlike many classics (as this deserves to be), it is easy to read and doesn't smack you over the head with metaphors.
The first story, Iphis and Ianthe, is my favourite. You can never go wrong with romantic tragedy, especially with Greek myth. This story is told in a way that no matter who you are, you can't help but feel close to and have empathy for the characters.
This book made me want to annotate it, and it hasn't ever been published yet.
Everyone should read this; it's impossible not to cherish it.
The preface sets the scene to discuss queerness, Greek myth, and Cretan culture, as well as how all are deeply embedded in nature and life. Each story sinks you deeper into all of these topics. Each one empowers queer people to bring them into the light and rip off the cover that historians have shoved over everything, over and over, to hide queerness and make it shameful.
Despite this book being written so well, unlike many classics (as this deserves to be), it is easy to read and doesn't smack you over the head with metaphors.
The first story, Iphis and Ianthe, is my favourite. You can never go wrong with romantic tragedy, especially with Greek myth. This story is told in a way that no matter who you are, you can't help but feel close to and have empathy for the characters.
This book made me want to annotate it, and it hasn't ever been published yet.
Everyone should read this; it's impossible not to cherish it.
November 16, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
I really loved this! The writing was easy to read and the short story format made it very quick to get through.
My favourite of the stories was definitely Iphis and Ianthe. It wasn’t a myth I’d heard of before and I think the retelling was beautiful. The most classic retelling in the book as opposed to the later modernised myths.
The last two myths, whilst engaging, potentially lost it for me a bit in their modern-Australian-ness. I enjoyed it but also wish I was more familiar with the classical myths so I could appreciate the modernisation a bit more. The last myth didn’t feel as fleshed out as the earlier stories, not a whole lot of explanation. Where as the others you get the gist without needing to look up the original myth.
Overall very good book! Has got me back into my Greek mythology era and has also made me mad there aren’t more gay Greek mythology books.
I really loved this! The writing was easy to read and the short story format made it very quick to get through.
My favourite of the stories was definitely Iphis and Ianthe. It wasn’t a myth I’d heard of before and I think the retelling was beautiful. The most classic retelling in the book as opposed to the later modernised myths.
The last two myths, whilst engaging, potentially lost it for me a bit in their modern-Australian-ness. I enjoyed it but also wish I was more familiar with the classical myths so I could appreciate the modernisation a bit more. The last myth didn’t feel as fleshed out as the earlier stories, not a whole lot of explanation. Where as the others you get the gist without needing to look up the original myth.
Overall very good book! Has got me back into my Greek mythology era and has also made me mad there aren’t more gay Greek mythology books.
December 26, 2025
Like any short story collection, there are some that are hits and some that are misses. I loved how this book started off, but I found the move to the contemporary era in the last three stories a little jarring, seeming more like narrative loosely inspired by Greek mythology rather than an actual telling of the myth.
Even so, the contemporary stories did a wonderful job of examining the migrant experience, and the tensions between history, connections to land, and alienation that can be found in Australia.
Even so, the contemporary stories did a wonderful job of examining the migrant experience, and the tensions between history, connections to land, and alienation that can be found in Australia.
October 12, 2025
So creative, clever and very HORNY!! Did I also mention how magnificently written these stories are? So good. I don’t usually like short stories or Greek myths but damn Zoe really created something magical here with this book. 4.5 stars.
Read
December 11, 2025i finished this a while ago and was hoping to fix my kindle glitches and share my notes but it simply has not - anyways this was lovely and going to the book launch and meeting the author was very coool - definitely interested to see the future adaptations of this
November 21, 2025
super creative and does well intertwining myth with the modern-day
February 19, 2026
I was so ready to love this, but I ended up with mixed feelings. I think 3.5 would be more accurate, because the goods and bads of this ebb and flow like the tide.
I should start this by saying I'm a white nonbinary queer, so although I'm not in the exact target demographic and will not dare to speak over them on issues of Greekness and immigration, I am a part of the queer culture that Terakes is delving into here. And I have some... thoughts... on that aspect.
I will try to keep this spoiler free and write in broad strokes. I will review each story individually before gathering those thoughts below:
Iphis and Ianthe - ★★★★★ - 5 of 5
Clearly the impetus for this whole compilation. The beginning of Terakes' strength's showing in full force. Whilst reading this, I could feel the deep authenticity of the trans experience dripping off of the page. It was an extremely strong first impression, even if I felt Ianthe didn't have much time to shine outside of being a female love interest. It left me excited for more, especially as I became enraptured in Terakes' very personal and very intimate descriptions of Crete. Nature -meaning both the environment and the human body - are clearly an extension of Terakes' soul... they write about it brilliantly with sharp, intelligent prose.
Icarus and Apollo - ★★★★☆ 4 of 5
I love the idea of Icarus and Apollo being tragic lovers, forever separated by distance, the threat of death, and their standings as mortal and God. This story works best when it's leaning on that tragedy. The best part was the beginning, describing the birth of the Bull and Icarus coming into manhood, falling in love with the Sun all the while.
Beyond this is where some cracks began to show.
After the dizzying beauty of Terakes' Crete began to wane, I realised that with all their talent, dialogue is not something that comes naturally to them. Anachronistic ways of speech were everywhere, which would have been fine if they were consistent, but they were not. I laughed out loud at multiple moments that were meant to be impassioned. Two moments come to mind, one where Apollo lost all Godly gravitas and grandeur by saying that Icarus was "fuckin' hot", to Apollo making a beautiful speech about what he would do if he lost Icarus, only to end that by saying "Touch your cock, boy!"
A good story with rough patches. Still worth reading, but you will need to suspend your disbelief hard. Also, if you're anything like me you will be constantly wondering why Icarus doesn't get melanoma, and it will drive you a little bit mad.
Eurydice (and Orpheus, Sort of) - ★☆☆☆☆
Hoo boy, the absolute worst of the worst. Those seeking a queer twist on Hadestown - abandon hope, all ye who enter here. Orpheus is a deadbeat and that's really all there is to him. There is no empathy or tenderness living within his description. He is neglectful and inconsiderate, in a way that feels borderline cruel and pointed.
Eurydice, though... unlike other reviewers, I actually like the disgusting, gory, shocking way that Hell is described and what the inhabitants do. There is no reservations with these descriptions, and it was at this point I actually wish the book was marketed as a queer horror with romantic elements. Terakes has a way to make the reader's eyes bulge at their descriptions of a contorted victim of Hell. I believe smut and horror are two sides of the same coin, yet when it comes to this book, the side of smut is rusted and muddy while the other is polished.
If it was just a splash of good horror, I wouldn't have rated it 1 star, but unfortunately the story continues. It continues to bash us over the head with the insistence that Eurydice is only free now that she is damned (not a bad concept, but poorly executed) and that she would have never really gone with stinky old Orpheus anyway. This is apparently fine because they are both into the same-sex now with no build up with random original characters (why not other mythological characters?) and Orpheus is not given the same grace of finding his queerness as Eurydice is.
It's bitterly hilarious that Terakes refrences Hadestown twice (!) in the book, and in the acknowledgements, yet their depiction of the famous couple is so... cold and unfeeling.
I could honestly write a lot more about my distaste for this one, but I'll try to summarise:
I don't care that Orpheus was written as an asshole. In fact, it's interesting. I care that it was rushed and handled with all the grace of a wad of bloodied phlegm being hurled into a dirty ashtray... and missing.
Artemis and Kallisto - ★★★★☆ 4 of 5
Finally, some sapphic love that was given the proper space it deserved to breathe and grow! I can't go into it too much without spoilers, but this is one of the stories that will be the hardest for people to read. It is crude and gross and shocking. It is also weird and cathartic like peeling off a scab. I really like it, and it made me very uncomfortable. I think that's the point.
I love Greek myth, but I actually didn't know of this story beforehand. Reading about it was compelling and upsetting, like most myths are. I love that Kallisto was given sympathy and understanding instead of being painted as a betrayer of Artemis. I really loved Terakes' depiction of immigrants making a life in Australia/Afstraliá. What a vivid, horrible, wonderful, beautiful, and awful life this family led. This is where some of Terakes' original characters actually shine, as they bolster the bare bones dynamic of Zeus and Artemis to a believable family unit with all its disjointed moving parts.
There is, once again, an emphasis not on eroticism but on fucking that can be jarring. Not sex, not making love, not connecting, not even becoming wild and feral and primal - just fucking. They use the term liberally, and that's all we really know about the character's sex lives. Terakes' smut is blunt, dry, and boring, but I think that worked in their favour when this story was anchored more by how Artemis and Kallisto reacted to the environment around them.
I hated the ending, but I loved the pay off. I thought it was clever that Bear became Whale (if you know, you know.) I especially loved the cliffhanger final moment. I would devour this if it was a standalone book.
Hermaphroditus - ★★☆☆☆ 2 of 5
This feels like a perisex person clumsily viewing a famously intersex story through a transfem lens. That's not a bad thing, necessarily, because the Hermaphroditus myth is not good or reflective of being intersex. However... Good lord. This reeked of a strange lesbophobia that I couldn't shake. I understand that the nature of the myth requires a "bad guy", but why is it the only major masc lesbian in the book? Is it internalised queerphobia? Is it coming from a patriarchal idealisation of masculinity soaking into the story's worldview? Is it satire?
And then, after the inciting incident... our protagonist leaves their former life behind. They immediately throw themselves into sex work (because transfems almost always have to be depicted in sex work, right?) and we are seemingly supposed to forget about who they were before. There is a great chasm between the "before" and "after" and although I sense a tenderness and love coming from Terakes when writing the protagonist's found family, I constantly find myself wondering what could have filled that chasm.
Terakes did some hands on research for this one, stating in the Acknowledgements that they stayed at trans safe houses and interviewed transfems for this, so there's a gentle authenticity that I like. Unfortunately, it is too top-heavy, weighed down heavily by the build up to the inciting incident and only really finding its footing at the end. It was a confused and under-baked story to end on. I also found myself wishing that there was at least a hint, a whiff, a whisper of acknowledgement that intersexness is often tied into this myth. It pains me that this aspect of our queer community is so often overlooked.
---
I'm not sure where else to mention this, but there's also a... strange obsession with penises, and the word "cock". Every other page will mention one, as if they are the beginning and end of human sexuality and personhood. I'm no prude, and I would have had no problem with this if other body parts were treated with such reverence, but aside from small mentions that have no consequence, it's cocks as far as the eye can see.
I was desperate for vulvas, aching for labias, left parched for switch up mentioning simply a micropenis or perhaps intersex genitalia, but no such luck. Cocks this, cocks that. Perhaps this was Terakes trying to reckon with their own experience with masculinity as a transmac person, but it unfortunately comes across more as a child snickering about willies instead of something with more substance.
Despite its love of penises, I don't think this is a book "For Lovers" at all. It's a gut punch and a bitter pill, exploring how the ugliness of the human condition blends with queer love more than anything. Your mileage with this will vary. I love parts of it because of its ugliness, but it is woefully mismarketed.
It is not tender, and it's most certainly not erotic, despite the title. (Side note, Eros (the God) isn't even in here! That frustrated me more than I expected.)
I will dream of the queer horror anthology that could have been, but alas, this is what we got. It must be said before I finish, this is a bold and strong debut from Terakes. I could read their similes all day, and I hope they will somehow absorb some of the criticism from myself and others and use it to grow from here. Even if I've been a bit blunt in my review, I would still check out whatever they release next and will keep an eye on their career, in both acting and writing.
(Ps. I agree that Terakes should have used their preface to warn readers of the heavy themes that these myths have and continue to have in their retelling, or at least to proceed with caution.)
I should start this by saying I'm a white nonbinary queer, so although I'm not in the exact target demographic and will not dare to speak over them on issues of Greekness and immigration, I am a part of the queer culture that Terakes is delving into here. And I have some... thoughts... on that aspect.
I will try to keep this spoiler free and write in broad strokes. I will review each story individually before gathering those thoughts below:
Iphis and Ianthe - ★★★★★ - 5 of 5
Clearly the impetus for this whole compilation. The beginning of Terakes' strength's showing in full force. Whilst reading this, I could feel the deep authenticity of the trans experience dripping off of the page. It was an extremely strong first impression, even if I felt Ianthe didn't have much time to shine outside of being a female love interest. It left me excited for more, especially as I became enraptured in Terakes' very personal and very intimate descriptions of Crete. Nature -meaning both the environment and the human body - are clearly an extension of Terakes' soul... they write about it brilliantly with sharp, intelligent prose.
Icarus and Apollo - ★★★★☆ 4 of 5
I love the idea of Icarus and Apollo being tragic lovers, forever separated by distance, the threat of death, and their standings as mortal and God. This story works best when it's leaning on that tragedy. The best part was the beginning, describing the birth of the Bull and Icarus coming into manhood, falling in love with the Sun all the while.
Beyond this is where some cracks began to show.
After the dizzying beauty of Terakes' Crete began to wane, I realised that with all their talent, dialogue is not something that comes naturally to them. Anachronistic ways of speech were everywhere, which would have been fine if they were consistent, but they were not. I laughed out loud at multiple moments that were meant to be impassioned. Two moments come to mind, one where Apollo lost all Godly gravitas and grandeur by saying that Icarus was "fuckin' hot", to Apollo making a beautiful speech about what he would do if he lost Icarus, only to end that by saying "Touch your cock, boy!"
A good story with rough patches. Still worth reading, but you will need to suspend your disbelief hard. Also, if you're anything like me you will be constantly wondering why Icarus doesn't get melanoma, and it will drive you a little bit mad.
Eurydice (and Orpheus, Sort of) - ★☆☆☆☆
Hoo boy, the absolute worst of the worst. Those seeking a queer twist on Hadestown - abandon hope, all ye who enter here. Orpheus is a deadbeat and that's really all there is to him. There is no empathy or tenderness living within his description. He is neglectful and inconsiderate, in a way that feels borderline cruel and pointed.
Eurydice, though... unlike other reviewers, I actually like the disgusting, gory, shocking way that Hell is described and what the inhabitants do. There is no reservations with these descriptions, and it was at this point I actually wish the book was marketed as a queer horror with romantic elements. Terakes has a way to make the reader's eyes bulge at their descriptions of a contorted victim of Hell. I believe smut and horror are two sides of the same coin, yet when it comes to this book, the side of smut is rusted and muddy while the other is polished.
If it was just a splash of good horror, I wouldn't have rated it 1 star, but unfortunately the story continues. It continues to bash us over the head with the insistence that Eurydice is only free now that she is damned (not a bad concept, but poorly executed) and that she would have never really gone with stinky old Orpheus anyway. This is apparently fine because they are both into the same-sex now with no build up with random original characters (why not other mythological characters?) and Orpheus is not given the same grace of finding his queerness as Eurydice is.
It's bitterly hilarious that Terakes refrences Hadestown twice (!) in the book, and in the acknowledgements, yet their depiction of the famous couple is so... cold and unfeeling.
I could honestly write a lot more about my distaste for this one, but I'll try to summarise:
I don't care that Orpheus was written as an asshole. In fact, it's interesting. I care that it was rushed and handled with all the grace of a wad of bloodied phlegm being hurled into a dirty ashtray... and missing.
Artemis and Kallisto - ★★★★☆ 4 of 5
Finally, some sapphic love that was given the proper space it deserved to breathe and grow! I can't go into it too much without spoilers, but this is one of the stories that will be the hardest for people to read. It is crude and gross and shocking. It is also weird and cathartic like peeling off a scab. I really like it, and it made me very uncomfortable. I think that's the point.
I love Greek myth, but I actually didn't know of this story beforehand. Reading about it was compelling and upsetting, like most myths are. I love that Kallisto was given sympathy and understanding instead of being painted as a betrayer of Artemis. I really loved Terakes' depiction of immigrants making a life in Australia/Afstraliá. What a vivid, horrible, wonderful, beautiful, and awful life this family led. This is where some of Terakes' original characters actually shine, as they bolster the bare bones dynamic of Zeus and Artemis to a believable family unit with all its disjointed moving parts.
There is, once again, an emphasis not on eroticism but on fucking that can be jarring. Not sex, not making love, not connecting, not even becoming wild and feral and primal - just fucking. They use the term liberally, and that's all we really know about the character's sex lives. Terakes' smut is blunt, dry, and boring, but I think that worked in their favour when this story was anchored more by how Artemis and Kallisto reacted to the environment around them.
I hated the ending, but I loved the pay off. I thought it was clever that Bear became Whale (if you know, you know.) I especially loved the cliffhanger final moment. I would devour this if it was a standalone book.
Hermaphroditus - ★★☆☆☆ 2 of 5
This feels like a perisex person clumsily viewing a famously intersex story through a transfem lens. That's not a bad thing, necessarily, because the Hermaphroditus myth is not good or reflective of being intersex. However... Good lord. This reeked of a strange lesbophobia that I couldn't shake. I understand that the nature of the myth requires a "bad guy", but why is it the only major masc lesbian in the book? Is it internalised queerphobia? Is it coming from a patriarchal idealisation of masculinity soaking into the story's worldview? Is it satire?
And then, after the inciting incident... our protagonist leaves their former life behind. They immediately throw themselves into sex work (because transfems almost always have to be depicted in sex work, right?) and we are seemingly supposed to forget about who they were before. There is a great chasm between the "before" and "after" and although I sense a tenderness and love coming from Terakes when writing the protagonist's found family, I constantly find myself wondering what could have filled that chasm.
Terakes did some hands on research for this one, stating in the Acknowledgements that they stayed at trans safe houses and interviewed transfems for this, so there's a gentle authenticity that I like. Unfortunately, it is too top-heavy, weighed down heavily by the build up to the inciting incident and only really finding its footing at the end. It was a confused and under-baked story to end on. I also found myself wishing that there was at least a hint, a whiff, a whisper of acknowledgement that intersexness is often tied into this myth. It pains me that this aspect of our queer community is so often overlooked.
---
I'm not sure where else to mention this, but there's also a... strange obsession with penises, and the word "cock". Every other page will mention one, as if they are the beginning and end of human sexuality and personhood. I'm no prude, and I would have had no problem with this if other body parts were treated with such reverence, but aside from small mentions that have no consequence, it's cocks as far as the eye can see.
I was desperate for vulvas, aching for labias, left parched for switch up mentioning simply a micropenis or perhaps intersex genitalia, but no such luck. Cocks this, cocks that. Perhaps this was Terakes trying to reckon with their own experience with masculinity as a transmac person, but it unfortunately comes across more as a child snickering about willies instead of something with more substance.
Despite its love of penises, I don't think this is a book "For Lovers" at all. It's a gut punch and a bitter pill, exploring how the ugliness of the human condition blends with queer love more than anything. Your mileage with this will vary. I love parts of it because of its ugliness, but it is woefully mismarketed.
It is not tender, and it's most certainly not erotic, despite the title. (Side note, Eros (the God) isn't even in here! That frustrated me more than I expected.)
I will dream of the queer horror anthology that could have been, but alas, this is what we got. It must be said before I finish, this is a bold and strong debut from Terakes. I could read their similes all day, and I hope they will somehow absorb some of the criticism from myself and others and use it to grow from here. Even if I've been a bit blunt in my review, I would still check out whatever they release next and will keep an eye on their career, in both acting and writing.
(Ps. I agree that Terakes should have used their preface to warn readers of the heavy themes that these myths have and continue to have in their retelling, or at least to proceed with caution.)
December 29, 2025
Vulgar ❤️
timeless tales of queer love
timeless tales of queer love
December 23, 2025
I didn't know what to expect going in, and was happily surprised with how much I enjoyed this.
September 21, 2025
❤️🔥4.5 STARS❤️🔥
Just like the gods, this is simply divine. I absolutely devoured it and I feel so full of queer joy 🥰
Just like the gods, this is simply divine. I absolutely devoured it and I feel so full of queer joy 🥰
November 8, 2025
Eros: Queer Myths For Lovers by Zoe Terakes
☀️☀️☀️☀️⛅ (4.5 rounded down)
An unapologetically erotic, passionate and heartfelt take on five tales from Greek mythology, highlighting that queer and trans stories have always been here.
Each of these short stories explores a different perspective or aspect of queerness and/or transness, but they are all infused with so much yearning and self discovery that it makes them unputdownable. They're all very horny, embracing sexuality as a way of uncovering the characters and their relationships with each other.
The first three were more traditional settings for a retelling, whereas the last two were very modern and very Aussie. It was a pleasant surprise to see my own home town reflected back at me on the page. Though I personally prefer the more traditional style, it was so interesting to see the way Terakes infused modern Australian culture within the framework of the tale.
The writing throughout is exquisite. Terakes does an incredible job of distilling ideas into well crafted sentences. I love the metaphors and analogies they utilise without overdoing it; the writing flows like poetry.
As a lover of Greek mythology who is queer I knew this would be right up my alley, but it was vindicating to find that the ideas and the skill of Terakes's writing speak for themselves too. I highly recommend this book for anyone seeking new and exciting interpretations of the classic myths.
"I wanted the hair and the stench and the muscle, but I did not want the insides of a man. I liked my insides better. They made me a better lover, a better son. I knew I was more beautiful inside than the men I worked with in the field, than the boys I took lessons with, than my uncles and my cousins and my father. I envied the way the sunlight beat down on their bare, defined chests. I envied the depth and gravel in their voices after a hard day of labour or a long night of drinking. But I didn't envy what was inside them."
☀️☀️☀️☀️⛅ (4.5 rounded down)
An unapologetically erotic, passionate and heartfelt take on five tales from Greek mythology, highlighting that queer and trans stories have always been here.
Each of these short stories explores a different perspective or aspect of queerness and/or transness, but they are all infused with so much yearning and self discovery that it makes them unputdownable. They're all very horny, embracing sexuality as a way of uncovering the characters and their relationships with each other.
The first three were more traditional settings for a retelling, whereas the last two were very modern and very Aussie. It was a pleasant surprise to see my own home town reflected back at me on the page. Though I personally prefer the more traditional style, it was so interesting to see the way Terakes infused modern Australian culture within the framework of the tale.
The writing throughout is exquisite. Terakes does an incredible job of distilling ideas into well crafted sentences. I love the metaphors and analogies they utilise without overdoing it; the writing flows like poetry.
As a lover of Greek mythology who is queer I knew this would be right up my alley, but it was vindicating to find that the ideas and the skill of Terakes's writing speak for themselves too. I highly recommend this book for anyone seeking new and exciting interpretations of the classic myths.
"I wanted the hair and the stench and the muscle, but I did not want the insides of a man. I liked my insides better. They made me a better lover, a better son. I knew I was more beautiful inside than the men I worked with in the field, than the boys I took lessons with, than my uncles and my cousins and my father. I envied the way the sunlight beat down on their bare, defined chests. I envied the depth and gravel in their voices after a hard day of labour or a long night of drinking. But I didn't envy what was inside them."
December 1, 2025
I was very excited to read this book, especially after hearing the author speak about it during a pride in publishing event. However, it wasn’t quite to my taste. I would like to point out that as a cis, white lesbian I am fully aware I am not the target demographic for this book, so please keep that in mind when reading this review.
I loved the idea of exploring Greek mythology and purposefully highlighting the queer elements that already existed in the original tales, but I found that the way this was written was a bit too gritty for my reading preferences. I enjoyed the first few stories that were set in the more traditional ancient Greek setting of the original tales but wasn't as fond of the later stories as much, although I did like seeing parts of Sydney that I was familiar with pop up.
I think if you enjoy stories focusing on masculine pride, especially trans masculine pride, than you will resonate with this book a lot more than I did. I also found that the short story format of the book was very good at presenting these new renditions of old tales and I loved the way culture was so predominant throughout the stories. This feels like an important book to read if you want proof of queerness in mythology but I would have loved to see this presented as more of a non-fiction exploration of how we can look at the original myths and extract the queer elements from them and see ourselves within them. Hopefully, one day the author gives us an insight into this by documenting the process they went through to write this book.
I loved the idea of exploring Greek mythology and purposefully highlighting the queer elements that already existed in the original tales, but I found that the way this was written was a bit too gritty for my reading preferences. I enjoyed the first few stories that were set in the more traditional ancient Greek setting of the original tales but wasn't as fond of the later stories as much, although I did like seeing parts of Sydney that I was familiar with pop up.
I think if you enjoy stories focusing on masculine pride, especially trans masculine pride, than you will resonate with this book a lot more than I did. I also found that the short story format of the book was very good at presenting these new renditions of old tales and I loved the way culture was so predominant throughout the stories. This feels like an important book to read if you want proof of queerness in mythology but I would have loved to see this presented as more of a non-fiction exploration of how we can look at the original myths and extract the queer elements from them and see ourselves within them. Hopefully, one day the author gives us an insight into this by documenting the process they went through to write this book.
January 14, 2026
I appreciated reading something as unique as Eros, a thought-provoking fusion of modern trans identity, and Cretan natural and cultural history. You can obviously tell that the author has put their heart and soul into the characters and plot progression, likely drawing on rich anecdotes and intimate personal experiences growing up within these worlds.
The author is strongest when weaving these elements with tactful showing, and not telling - I was particularly touched by the resolution of Uncle Yanni’s character. However, Terakes forgot this storytelling magic when describing sex and the appearance of characters, Icarus being an exemplar. As such, I do also agree with other reviewers in their contention that these eroticisms were mostly brackish and frankly repulsive, sharply contrasting with the beautiful description of the natural environment surrounding these characters. I just felt it was edgy for the sake of being subversive, the balance resultantly waning. Furthermore, some characters' arcs just straight up made little sense and are resolved in a confusing way - Zeus (the reasoning, or clarity behind the lack of reasoning for his brutishness towards family) and Hermaphroditus (becoming a rip off Pose) being prime culprits.
I found some of the plot-lines to lack depth and didn’t justify the new spin (Apollo and Icarus particularly), some ideas would have been better off disinvited (Eurydice), with other stories deserving their own book (Artemis). I'm still uncertain if I liked the fusion and progression from weathered fables to modern anachronisms; perhaps these two elements could have been cleaved and expanded upon in two different books? Another thought of mine that could enhance the book is there being some more explicit literary thread that would act to bind these stories together. There is something that I feel is missing, a common idea.
Ultimately, I really revel with the mission of the book and of Terakes; as mentioned previously, to highlight the eternal existence of transness throughout history, championing it during a time where this being is smothered and written out of public life, whilst spiced by an appreciation for Cretan culture. A solid debut for the author.
The author is strongest when weaving these elements with tactful showing, and not telling - I was particularly touched by the resolution of Uncle Yanni’s character. However, Terakes forgot this storytelling magic when describing sex and the appearance of characters, Icarus being an exemplar. As such, I do also agree with other reviewers in their contention that these eroticisms were mostly brackish and frankly repulsive, sharply contrasting with the beautiful description of the natural environment surrounding these characters. I just felt it was edgy for the sake of being subversive, the balance resultantly waning. Furthermore, some characters' arcs just straight up made little sense and are resolved in a confusing way - Zeus (the reasoning, or clarity behind the lack of reasoning for his brutishness towards family) and Hermaphroditus (becoming a rip off Pose) being prime culprits.
I found some of the plot-lines to lack depth and didn’t justify the new spin (Apollo and Icarus particularly), some ideas would have been better off disinvited (Eurydice), with other stories deserving their own book (Artemis). I'm still uncertain if I liked the fusion and progression from weathered fables to modern anachronisms; perhaps these two elements could have been cleaved and expanded upon in two different books? Another thought of mine that could enhance the book is there being some more explicit literary thread that would act to bind these stories together. There is something that I feel is missing, a common idea.
Ultimately, I really revel with the mission of the book and of Terakes; as mentioned previously, to highlight the eternal existence of transness throughout history, championing it during a time where this being is smothered and written out of public life, whilst spiced by an appreciation for Cretan culture. A solid debut for the author.
November 26, 2025
Let’s take it story by story
- Iphis and Ianthe: 5⭐️ This is obviously the standout story of the collection and the inspiration behind the entire work. I think Zoe could have easily just published this as a short story and it would have been a perfect work, it’s clearly what they are most passionate about and it just reads so beautifully. None of the other stories compare.
- Icarus and Apollo: 4.5⭐️ A new take on a very famous story. I think this version does lose some of the meaning of the original fable but I love this version too and it’s a lovely, well-written story that depicts an all-consuming love so well. At this point in the book I am starting to really like Zoe’s writing style.
- Eurydice (and Orpheus, sort of): 1⭐️ Such a flop, what is this crap? Don’t do my loves dirty like this. This is originally a beautifully tragic straight story and I don’t think this modernist queer retelling added anything at all or was subversive or clever in any way. Soz.
- Artemis and Kallisto: 3.5⭐️Quite a strong queer modernist retelling although the actual ‘retelling’ part takes quite a while to get to and is very very loose. It’s good but not amazing. Needs trigger warnings.
- Hermaphroditus: 2.5⭐️ We learn very little about how the main character feels about any of the very massive life changes they go through in a very short period which makes this short story feel quite empty. Also needs trigger warnings.
Overall- 3.25⭐️
- Iphis and Ianthe: 5⭐️ This is obviously the standout story of the collection and the inspiration behind the entire work. I think Zoe could have easily just published this as a short story and it would have been a perfect work, it’s clearly what they are most passionate about and it just reads so beautifully. None of the other stories compare.
- Icarus and Apollo: 4.5⭐️ A new take on a very famous story. I think this version does lose some of the meaning of the original fable but I love this version too and it’s a lovely, well-written story that depicts an all-consuming love so well. At this point in the book I am starting to really like Zoe’s writing style.
- Eurydice (and Orpheus, sort of): 1⭐️ Such a flop, what is this crap? Don’t do my loves dirty like this. This is originally a beautifully tragic straight story and I don’t think this modernist queer retelling added anything at all or was subversive or clever in any way. Soz.
- Artemis and Kallisto: 3.5⭐️Quite a strong queer modernist retelling although the actual ‘retelling’ part takes quite a while to get to and is very very loose. It’s good but not amazing. Needs trigger warnings.
- Hermaphroditus: 2.5⭐️ We learn very little about how the main character feels about any of the very massive life changes they go through in a very short period which makes this short story feel quite empty. Also needs trigger warnings.
Overall- 3.25⭐️
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