Well of Souls: a queer romantic tragedy

Well of Souls

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An ancient katabasis, retold.

Eurydice, a superstitious bard-turned-huntress living the good life with her sellsword wife Phoebe, is compelled to venture into the depths of the Underworld to save the souls of her estranged once-lover and fellow bard Orpheus and that of his new wife after their royal wedding ends in tragedy. With only the goddess Hecate to help and guide her, Eurydice must survive not only taunting spirits, but her own psyche as well.

Nestled between Xena: Warrior Princess and the works of Madeline Miller, Well of Souls is a queer reimagining of the mythological tale of Eurydice and Orpheus—a novella filled with love and tragedy in equal measure, featuring a trans bi Eurydice prone to anxiety and a bi Orpheus.

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About Well of Souls

Well of Souls is a reimagining of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, retaining the general sentiments of the original tale and classic Greek tragedy while also maintaining hope and love. Its setting is based on the lands of ancient Macedon, Thrace, and northern Greece, with elements brought in from Classical mythology and customs. Everything else is pure fantasy.

Lyrics within are composed in dactylic hexameter, which is often imperfect in English as it was developed by ancient Greeks, and their language had a different natural cadence.

One final note: writing a story does not necessarily mean the author condones the actions taken in said story. But here’s the thing about tragedies: they’re tragic. And though this story is romantic, it is not a romance.

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Length: 111 pages (novella)

Content to be excited about includes:

trans joy, sapphic love, bi4bi love, queer romantic love, and queer platonic love

Content to be wary of includes:

unintentional and informative deadnaming, body dysmorphia (brief), queerphobia (mention only), bloodletting via self-inflicted wounds, character injury and violent death, abusive ex-partner (brief), unwanted physical contact (brief), murder, dismemberment, violence and gore, depictions of the afterlife, malevolent spirits, jealousy, trickery, psychological trials and trauma, suicide, and survivor’s guilt