|| 5.0 stars ||

This tells the story of Circe, the renowned witch of Aiaia and the unwanted daughter of the sun god, Helios. She was banished by the Gods after she cast a spell that turned a beautiful nymph into a terrifying monster, and was forced to live in exile on an island for all of eternity.
She is most known for the role she played in Homer’s Odyssey in which she turned men into pigs and was described to have her own type of romance with Odysseus.
Now, we get to hear her side of the story.

Truly, if there is one thing this novel does with the utmost perfection it is developing Circe’s character arc. We see her grow from a passive, naive and abused girl to a hardened and wise woman. We are with her through all her loneliness, rejections and pain, and through it all, we see her grow with those experiences. She grows into a woman who demands respect and reverence, which was something she never got before, and she demands it for her character and actions rather than her divinity.

“You are wise.”
“If it is so, it is only because I have been fool enough for a hundred lifetimes.”

When it comes to the writing, I am not even entirely sure how I should explain. I am no wordsmith myself and I will not claim to know all that much about highly esteemed literature. However, I do know a well-written book when I see one, and I can assure you that this was surely that.
The prose was hauntingly beautiful and the pacing was just right. This book is obviously a retelling of a classical story, but while reading it, it felt like an Epos in its own right.

Also, I really liked how we revisited a lot of the popular classical myths, only now from Circe’s perspective. The way we got to see the Gods and the classically famed heroes through the eyes of someone like Circe definitely put a whole new spin on these tales. It was not glory or bravery we saw in them, but instead we saw greed, arrogance and cruelty.

The ending was exactly what I wanted it to be. I was so glad that Circe finally (for the first time in all of eternity) found the person who deserved her and who saw her worth, but most of all, I was so happy to see Circe finally stand up for herself and fight back so she could have her own place in the world. It was deeply satisfying.
It might have been a simple life she would have in the end, but she wouldn’t have wished for anything more than that.

“You have always been the worst of my children. Be sure you do not dishonour me.”
“I have a better idea. I will do as I please, and when you count your children, leave me out.”

All in all, I would say this story came very close to sheer perfection.