Despina, a young, strong-willed member of the Cupid family, has questions. She is skeptical and has doubts about her father’s business, and of all things, love. Then, on a routine trip in the mid-1940s, she meets a mortal…and gives her heart away.
Everett receives his draft notice. Soon, he’ll go to Europe to fight in the war.
Angry and despondent, Despina returns home, where she steals two special arrows—items always forbidden to so much as touch. Upon her return to Earth, she learns Everett is gone. Entrenched in heartache and bitterness, Despina fires the arrows into two innocent humans in a jealous rage. As time passes, it becomes obvious she has somehow cursed the unsuspecting mortals…a couple who are now her friends.
In the meantime, Zeus, the Lord of Olympus, grows more irritated that Despina is on Earth, when the Gods of Olympus are no longer allowed to live among mortals..
How will the curse ultimately manifest itself? Will Despina’s family suffer for her impetuousness? Can anything—or anyone—help her friends? And, more importantly, will Despina ever find happiness…or Everett?
Despina, a young, strong-willed member of the Cupid family, has questions. She is skeptical and has doubts about her father’s business, and of all things, love. Then, on a routine trip in the mid-1940s, she meets a mortal…and gives her heart away.
Everett receives his draft notice. Soon, he’ll go to Europe to fight in the war.
Angry and despondent, Despina returns home, where she steals two special arrows—items always forbidden to so much as touch. Upon her return to Earth, she learns Everett is gone. Entrenched in heartache and bitterness, Despina fires the arrows into two innocent humans in a jealous rage. As time passes, it becomes obvious she has somehow cursed the unsuspecting mortals…a couple who are now her friends.
In the meantime, Zeus, the Lord of Olympus, grows more irritated that Despina is on Earth, when the Gods of Olympus are no longer allowed to live among mortals..
How will the curse ultimately manifest itself? Will Despina’s family suffer for her impetuousness? Can anything—or anyone—help her friends? And, more importantly, will Despina ever find happiness…or Everett?
Ten-year-old Despina tiptoed down the empty hallway of the palace. It was lit only by rainbow prisms from the beveled glass windows. Her sister was close at her heels. Despina peeked around the door and saw the tall glass front cabinet in their father’s study. Her eyes narrowed in desire. The sisters inched toward it, gazing at the forbidden silver box with its beautiful crystal lid almost beckoning them from a lonesome shelf.
“What do you think they do, Despina?” Voluptas asked in her high-pitched, squeaky voice.
“I have no idea, but I am determined to find out.” Despina tried to pry open the cabinet door with an emerald encrusted metal hairpin from her mother, intended more for control of thick, unruly hair than as an implement of larceny.
“Stand back, Vee,” Despina said. Her younger sister, by two minutes, obeyed…as always. Despina released a slight humming sound, licked her strawberry stained lips, slipped the clip into the brass lock and turned it to the left. The pin snapped in half.
“You better stop,” Vee said.
The sound of footsteps approached, heavy, ominous, and followed by a stentorian voice.
“Why, might I ask, are you in here? That cabinet is not for children. Haven’t I made myself clear countless times?”
“Why, Father?” Despina asked. “What is so special about those arrows?”
Vee mimicked her sister. “Yes, Father. What is so special about them?”
The walls echoed with their father’s rising anger. “Nothing is special about them. Nothing!” I removed that memory from her several years ago, he thought. Could it be resurfacing? With this child’s will and determination, she might over-ride my powers.
“I’m sorry,” Vee mumbled. “Despina made me come in. I didn’t want to.” She hung her head and scurried out of the room.
But Despina stood with hands on hips, almost cute in her defiance. “I don’t understand,” she said. “If they aren’t special, why do you guard them so much?”
Her father moved deliberately to his high-back chair, groaned slightly as he sat, and rested his arms on the silk-covered carved ivory. “Will this ever end, Despina? You have been pestering me for as long as I can remember.”
“No! It won’t.” Despina crossed her arms, awaiting an answer.
“Perhaps I can share my secret now since you are older. But I trust you to keep it as safe.” He gave her a sideways glance, waiting for her reassurance.
An impish smile skipped across Despina’s face as she nodded. She was about to find out about the copper-colored arrowheads.
“While I was training to become Cupid, my mother, your grandmother, taught me how to make the arrows. There are only two kinds. One made of precious gold and the other of lead. My mother had given me clear instructions to be careful, precise, and to work on one metal at a time.” Her father shook his head back and forth, I can’t believe I'm lying to her. But I have no choice. “One day, I thought I’d be smart and do them simultaneously to save time so I could go outside with the other children. To be playful was a luxury I did not often have.”
Despina had never seen her father look so sullen. He kept his gaze downward as if it were hard for him to look her in the eye.
“Well, my impatience rewarded me with a lifelong burden and regret. I was sloppy and rushed. I mixed the metals. Immediately, I was aware of the inaccuracy in their color. It was the first time I had seen an arrow with a copper hue. I had created those two arrows. I tried to destroy them, but they would not break.” This part is true.
“What do they do?” Despina asked, wide-eyed.
“I don’t know, child. No one knows. If my mother knew I had done this, she would have banished me from the kingdom without question. That is why I keep them secure but within sight, to ensure neither has been lost, and to remind me of my error. In that moment, I learned the biggest lesson of all in the virtue of restraint.”
Despina had always considered her father flawless. He was, after all, a god – although a minor one. It comforted her to know that he was capable of imperfection. If Papa can make mistakes – and admit them – maybe I shouldn’t be so hard on myself, she thought. She smirked and raised her eyebrows at the novel idea.
She left the room with a mild sense of contentment at her newfound discovery. However, the long-awaited conversation, which answered one question, only led to more. Now, she wanted to know what the forbidden arrows did.
Despina the Anti-Cupid by Monique Rardin Richardson is a whimsical, emotionally rich spin on Greek mythology set primarily against the backdrop of World War II and the 1940s. The story follows Despina, the overlooked daughter of Eros (Cupid) and Psyche, who rejects her family’s legacy of meddling in mortal love and sets out to discover her place in the world. Her journey takes her from the beautiful, gleaming halls of Olympus to gritty 1940s New York, where she strives to be someone beyond the “Cupid” moniker, while encountering heartbreak and unexpected connections. The conflict centers on Despina’s courageous decision to defy tradition (and her parents), to understand her feelings for the mortal Everett, and to contend with the consequences of forbidden magical arrows—a poignant metaphor for unintended consequences and moral choice.
Richardson’s storytelling truly shines with its humor and clever mythological details, making even the most ethereal gods feel down-to-earth. Despina herself is a refreshingly headstrong but introspective protagonist. Her skepticism about “manufactured” love shows genuine philosophical depth, while her quirks—like her struggles with household chores and her lack of understanding New York slang—give her some humanity. Supporting characters from fiercely loyal Voluptas to the kindly Mr. Blum add an extra layer of warmth and a sense of found family. The author uses a conversational, contemporary writing style, making the myth-heavy plot easier for modern readers to understand. The pacing lags a bit in the middle as Despina’s search for Everett stretches, but the atmospheric details of wartime New York help anchor the narrative during these slower segments. What sets Despina the Anti-Cupid apart is the way it reframes fate and having the ability to choose within a well-loved myth: Despina is neither all-powerful nor powerless, and her choices, whether impulsive or thoughtful, always have long-lasting consequences. Richardson crafts memorable scenes blending magic and realism, such as Despina’s accidental use of forbidden copper arrows and her heartfelt moments with Everett. The book balances romance, humor, and heartbreak without excessive drama. Yet, some readers may wish for more closure on certain secondary storylines, especially regarding her place in Olympus history, leaving other threads open, hinting at future reconciliation.
Fans of mythology will love this novel, as will those who enjoy stories about found families and character-driven historical fantasy. I strongly recommend it for teens and adults who appreciate heartfelt, witty, and empowering spins on classic mythology. Despina the Anti-Cupid is ultimately a tale about forging your own destiny—even when it means questioning the gods.