by Madeline Miller
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Just released: April 10, 2018
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Genre: Fantasy, Mythology, Retelling
Hardback: 400
Rating: 5
First sentence(s):
When I was born, the name for what I was did not exist.
In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child--not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power--the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.
Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus.
But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love.
With unforgettably vivid characters, mesmerizing language and page-turning suspense, Circe is a triumph of storytelling, an intoxicating epic of family rivalry, palace intrigue, love and loss, as well as a celebration of indomitable female strength in a man's world.
PeekAbook:
My two-bits:
Loved the storytelling style of this lesser known goddess/witch. I liked how Circe and her perspective were presented in a colorful and engaging way - not your usual historical mythological tale that can be a bit unfeeling.
Loved seeing Circe in a different light to the point of feeling empathetic.
* part of Rooster Summer Reading Challenge 2018 (here)
