Circe by Madeline Miller
Circe by Madeline Miller is a stunning work of fiction that explores the story of a woman who defies the gods and becomes a powerful sorceress. Miller weaves together mythology and history to create a vivid and enchanting world that is both familiar and new.
At its core, Circe is a story about the power of transformation and the importance of finding one’s own voice. Circe’s journey from a powerless nymph to a formidable witch is both inspiring and empowering, and Miller’s writing captures the depth and complexity of her character with breathtaking precision.
The book is filled with richly drawn characters that are both familiar and surprising, and Miller’s use of language is poetic and evocative. The world-building is masterful, and the settings are described in such detail that you can practically smell the sea air and feel the warmth of the sun on your skin.
What sets Circe apart, however, is Miller’s ability to take a well-known mythological figure and give her a fresh and modern perspective. Circe is not just a witch or a goddess, but a woman who struggles with love, loss, and betrayal. Her story is a testament to the power of resilience and the importance of embracing your own power.
In short, Circe is a masterpiece of storytelling that is both timeless and timely. Miller has crafted a tale that is both epic and intimate, and one that will stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page. If you’re a fan of mythology, historical fiction, or just great storytelling, this book is not to be missed.
Available on Amazon in all formats, including audiobook, and also from all over major book retailers.
From Amazon:
“A bold and subversive retelling of the goddess’s story,” this #1 New York Times bestseller is “both epic and intimate in its scope, recasting the most infamous female figure from the Odyssey as a hero in her own right” (Alexandra Alter, The New York Times).
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.
#1 New York Times Bestseller — named one of the Best Books of the Year by NPR, the Washington Post, People, Time, Amazon, Entertainment Weekly, Bustle, Newsweek, the A.V. Club, Christian Science Monitor, Refinery 29, Buzzfeed, Paste, Audible, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Thrillist, NYPL, Self, Real Simple, Goodreads, Boston Globe, Electric Literature, BookPage, the Guardian, Book Riot, Seattle Times, and Business Insider.