Nightsong: The Legend of Orpheus and Eurydice — Michael Cadnum

A poet journeys into the underworld to rescue his bride 

His name is Orpheus, and he is the greatest poet on Earth. With his lyre, he can make music so beautiful it causes the gods to weep, but they are not who he wants to impress. Orpheus has been in love with Eurydice ever since the first time he heard her voice, and to win her love he sings the most beautiful songs in history. On the day of their wedding, when Orpheus feels happiness just within his grasp, Eurydice is bitten by a snake and dies. The groom is heartbroken, but undaunted. He will rescue his beloved -- even if he must battle death itself.
 
Orpheus's path is fraught with untold dangers, but he presses on -- and a tragic yet beautiful love story emerges from this radical reworking of an ancient tale.