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.
Review:
I’ve always loved Greek mythology—the gods, the heroes, the monsters…all of it. This book included a little of everything and spans centuries, focused solely on Circe’s story.
Naturally, there are a plethora of gods mentioned throughout, but other familiar names from mythology are featured too. Scylla, Daedalus, Icarus, and Odysseus to name a few.
As the main character, Circe is incredibly naïve when it comes to her interactions with the other gods, despite the fact that she is a daughter of Helios and grew up in his court. Her younger siblings were adept at understanding the strange nuances of the other gods, and it baffled me that she wasn’t. She was the eldest, she was raised just as they were, and she witnessed many of the same events growing up. I had a tough time trying to figure out why Circe was so clueless about pretty much everything when compared to her siblings. It didn’t make much sense.
But that aside, I enjoyed the story and the references to classic myths sprinkled throughout. I also liked how Circe evolved through the story; she finally began to understand the nature of the gods and her own unusual brand of divinity, and slowly started to take control of her life, to undo some of the wrongs she felt she had committed.
If you’re a fan of Greek mythology, I definitely recommend reading Circe.
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