Circe

Circe

By Madeline Miller
Published: Little, Brown and Company, 2018
Pages: 393
Genre: Fantasy, Historical
Amazon, Goodreads

I could taste the venom in my mouth. It was a pleasure to see him frighten at last. "You think that will stop me? You have never understood how strong I am."
His look I will remember all my life. A man who has seen the veil lifted and beholds the true face of the world.

Set in the cruel world of Greek mythology, Circe is an enchanting novel.

Growing up in the home of of Helios, Circe is an outcast: she lacks the striking beauty and vocal melody of typical gods and has a conscious towards mortals. Though Circe is not blessed with the same powers as her ancestors, she soon discovers she has other talents that are feared among gods and mortals alike. So begins the story of Circe, the witch of Aiaia.

Circe is spell-bounding. Miller creates an captivating ambience that makes the novel too good to put down. Spanning across centuries, the book definitely seems more character-driven to me. Readers see Circe living in exile and finding her powers, but we also see Circe figuring out her place as a goddess. Of course, Circe is wise and powerful, but there is a part of her that has always been mortal. The ending is perfect. I don't post spoilers but just know that you won't be disappointed.

There's something about Circe that speaks to me as a human; mortals may live only a fraction of what the gods do, but perhaps they live more fully and make life more worth living. The gods may be immortal, all powerful and can have basically whatever they want, but they are also cruel and can kill another god or mortal without batting an eye... the only emotion they seem to feel is rage. Would you rather be a human able to fully love and feel all range of emotions or would you rather be a wrath-filled god/goddess?

Circe is a fantastic novel that I'd recommend to anyone!

RATING (out of five puppies):