Circe by Madeline Miller

Synopsis:

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 (From the publisher. Let’s face it – I wasn’t going to do better).

Edition:

First Edition Hardcover

My Thoughts:

I am not sure I’ve enjoyed a book more in recent memory. Miller has an unparalleled way with words. Her writing is evocative and lyrical, and she in Circe she has woven a tale so seamlessly beautiful that I can’t hope to do it justice.

Circe is basically a coming of age story of an immortal witch-goddess. How can it possibly get better than that. I mean, the story covers literal ages. Circe grows from a child desperate for love and attention to a woman who knows her own mind, her own heart, and fears nothing.

All this while, I have been a weaver without wool, a ship without the sea. Yet now look where I sail.

If you want a story featuring a strong female protagonist, this is the story for you. She may start off meek, but Circe has the heart of a lion (not literally). She also has a shitload of actual lions. And pigs. And man-pigs. And there’s tentacle monsters, and some mention of sexual assault (so BIG TW, although it’s not graphically described), and lots of revenge. There’s also many Titans, and gods, and a sea monster which both predates and terrifies even the mighty Titans.

I have always had an appetite for Greek mythology, and Circe, with it’s well crafted narrative and perfect pacing left me feeling satiated. Books are often good, sometimes great, but rarely do they leave me wishing there were more. Circe definitely left me wishing there were just a few more pages. Not because Circe’s story felt unfinished – it certainly didn’t – but because I just wasn’t ready to give her up.

The ocean’s weight piled like mountains on my shoulders. But endurance had always been my virtue and I kept on.

Circe is inspiring in her strength and resilience. She is an unbreakable Bad Bitch.

Rating:

Welp, I’m off to harvest magical plants and learn the ancient art of spell-crafting.

Circe
Madeline Miller
Little, Brown and Company
Mythology, Fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fiction
ISBN:  0316556343
ISBN13:  9780316556347
Published: April 10, 2018
Author's Website