'Electric Idol' book review: Katee Robert has done it again

This Electric Idol book review discusses Katee Robert’s second Dark Olympus book, all about Eros and Psyche.

If you read my Neon Gods book review, you’ll know how much I loved the first book in Katee Robert’s Dark Olympus series. Hades and Persephone’s story was decadent beyond belief, and I was more than happy to drink in every detail along the way.

In addition to those spicy scenes, I also loved the world Katee created, as well as the story she told in the first book. Suffice it to say, then, that I couldn’t wait to pick up Electric Idol to find out what happened next.

I’ve always entered into a beloved novel’s sequel with a little trepidation—or, at least, I try not to get my hopes up. Sometimes that first book if everything you wanted and more, and—through no fault of the author—the followup just doesn’t hit the same.

And that’s totally fine. You don’t need to love the second book in the same way as the first one, and you can still enjoy both while having a clear preference.

While Neon Gods might still be at the top of the list for me, I was shocked to find Electric Idol rivaled the first book in every way. The characters, the spice, and the action-packed plot had me hooked from the first page. I think I read this one even faster than the first!

Trust me when I say this Electric Idol book review is going to be a glowing recommendation.

The story picks up not long after Neon Gods concluded. We get a few updates on Hades and Persephone throughout Electric Idol, and we even get to see them a few times through the eyes of Eros and Psyche. It was enough to quench my thirst for the couple without taking away from the new story.

We had previously met Psyche in Neon Gods, but there’s nothing quite like reading chapters from her point of view to cement what kind of character she is. And if I thought I loved Persephone, then I was not ready for her sister.

I didn’t know (or maybe didn’t remember) going into this book that Psyche was a plus-sized character, but I loved the way Katee Robert handled it. Psyche likes the way she looks, even if she’s aware that she doesn’t fit the beauty standard in Olympus. It’s a great balance between never shaming Psyche for being fat while also acknowledging the fact that she’s treated differently because she is.

And just like her sister, Psyche is a good person. She’s kind and she cares about the people around her. There may be stereotypes about social media influencers, especially those who focus on fashion, but Psyche is anything but vapid. She’s just as intelligent as her sister, and she’s been around long enough to play the game in a way that shocks even seasoned members of the Thirteen.

Once again, I never felt like Psyche was weak or that she lost her personality just because she was hooking up with Eros. Sure, she needs to lean on him from time to time to accomplish what she can’t, but even when she’s being passive or submissive, her mind is always going a mile a minute, coming up with plans on plans to get the job done.

If you don’t want to know anything about this book, then I suggest not reading this Electric Idol book review. I’m not giving away anything that isn’t in the synopsis, but just in case…this is your one and only warning.

After being photographed with Eros by accident, Aphrodite calls for Psyche’s heart on a platter—literally. Eros finds that he can’t go through with the job, so he protects her the only way he knows how: by asking her to marry him.

If you’re into the fake dating or fake marriage trope, then this book is for you. I found it was a little bit light on the BDSM, but it certainly made up for it with all of the tension between these two characters. Their marriage is supposed to be a ploy to keep them both safe, but their resistance is no match for their desire. And boy is that hot.

For his part, Eros is a damaged man. He’s a trained killer: the knife his mother uses to carry out her every whim. He’s turned off his humanity in every facet of his life, but there’s something about Psyche that reignites his conscience. She reminds him that he can be more than the monster his mother has made him out to be.

When I began reading Electric Idol, I thought I would have more empathy for Psyche than Eros. As a plus-sized woman myself, I figured that was enough to seal the deal for me, but I found myself falling harder and harder for Eros. (And it didn’t hurt that the chapters were split 50/50 between the two, unlike in Neon Gods.)

His mother is, by every definition of the word, abusive, and his shock at Psyche’s family dynamics and his overwhelming desire to be loved and accepted brought me to tears on more than one occasion.

I said it with my Neon Gods book review, and I’ll say it with my Electric Idol book review—I may have come for the spicy scenes, but Katee Robert knows how to create a compelling story, and I was just as invested in these individual characters as I was in them as a couple.

I truly love the Dark Olympus series. Not just because it’s a modern retelling of some classic Greek stories, and not even because the book is sexy and satisfying in every way, but because Katee Robert doesn’t forget to populate the world with characters we love and hate.

Aphrodite is a miserable person, and it’s interesting to see how she manipulates everyone around her—and, eventually, how she comes undone. We also get to meet the new Zeus, as well as revisit Demeter and each of her children (some more than others).

I also enjoyed getting to know Helen a little better in this book, since she’ll be the star of Wicked Beauty when that hits shelves on June 7. This series is so addictive, and I’m happy to keep reading them as long as Katee Robert wants to keep writing them.