I received an Advanced Reading Copy of Circe from NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley! Circe is out April 10, 2018.
Circe by Madeline Miller is the story of goddess and witch, Circe. Greek mythology is written like historical fiction in this amazing book, which gives a detailed picture of Circe, most infamously known from her brief appearance in Homer's The Odyssey, where she turns Odysseus's crew into pigs.
I've adored Greek Mythology since I was a child and learned about Odysseus and Helen of Troy, the long suffering Penelope, sirens and Circe and Cyclops, and I am thrilled to have Miller's take on this story. But this book is so much more then a retelling of The Odyssey-Miller knows her mythology to be sure, and she provides such an intimate portrait of Circe, an outsider to the Gods and humans alike.
The book begins with the birth of a daughter of Helios, the sun god. Circe is a girl who does not fit in with her Titan family. She is a strange child, ridiculed and ignored, longing for love and attention. By accident, she finds that she is a powerful witch, and when her magic threatens Zeus's own power and control, she is banished to a desert island. Here she hones her craft, takes wild animals as pets, and has encounters with famous figures: the Minotaur, Daedalus, Hermes, Medea and Jason, and , of course, Odysseus and his crew. But her ways and welcome of humans place her in a dangerous position, one where she faces the wrath of the gods and is placed in a situation where she must protect what is most beloved to her. As the story concludes, Circe faces choices that will determinate just who she really is.
This book will surly be on all the "Best of 2018" lists this year. The writing is beautiful and clear, and the story is both heartbreaking and powerful. A must read!
Overall: 5/5
Circe, Madeline Miller
Genre: Fiction, Greek Mythology
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Out: April 10, 2018
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