Circe by Madeline Miller

From Goodreads

From the Orange Prize-winning, internationally bestselling author of The Song of Achilles comes the powerful story of the mythological witch Circe, inspired by Homer's Odyssey

Chosen as must-read book of 2018 by the Guardian, Independent, Mail on Sunday, Sunday Express and Stylist

In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe has neither the look nor the voice of divinity, and is scorned and rejected by her kin. Increasingly isolated, she turns to mortals for companionship, leading her to discover a power forbidden to the gods: witchcraft.

When love drives Circe to cast a dark spell, wrathful Zeus banishes her to the remote island of Aiaia. There she learns to harness her occult craft, drawing strength from nature. But she will not always be alone; many are destined to pass through Circe's place of exile, entwining their fates with hers. The messenger god, Hermes. The craftsman, Daedalus. A ship bearing a golden fleece. And wily Odysseus, on his epic voyage home.

There is danger for a solitary woman in this world, and Circe's independence draws the wrath of men and gods alike. To protect what she holds dear, Circe must decide whether she belongs with the deities she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love.

Breathing life into the ancient world, Madeline Miller weaves an intoxicating tale of gods and heroes, magic and monsters, survival and transformation.

My thoughts

Firstly, can I say that this is not a story in a genre that I usually read. This was a book chosen by a reading group that I am in. I gave this a 3 stars or 6/10. I am glad that this book was chosen by the group, as it wasn't one that I would have chosen and it does us good to read outside our comfort zones and preferences from time to time.

Well this was a different read. Based on mythological Gods, characters and creatures, Madeline Miller has taken the legendary stories and woven her own take on what happened in them. This book took me a while to read as I was also reading others alongside it.

Focusing on Circe, who was scorned by her kin and soon forms relationships with mortals, which in turn lead her down paths not normally taken by the Gods. Only Circe can decide for herself, which path to ultimately stay on and whether it's linked to the mortals or the Gods. Turning to witchcraft, which she has a great affinity for, she becomes an instrumental and helpful person to know. As her powers can be honed and used to aid others and herself.

To find out which path she chooses you'll need to grab a copy of this one for yourself.