Circe: The First Witch

Circe by Madeline Miller Published by Bloomsbury.

Release Date 19th April 2018

Madeline Miller has impressed me once again with a beautiful and accessible re-telling of Circe's life. I adore THE SONG OF ACHILLES and it has to be one of my favourite novels of all time and so I was a little apprehensive about Circe, but I need not have worried.

Circe is so very different from TSOA that it is like comparing chalk and cheese. Miller's new novel still has the beautiful lyrical prose that held me captivated through Patroclus' tale. But here the strength lies in Circe's flaws and weakness and how she learns to wield her own powers and strength through oppression. Throughout this book, there is a sense of satisfaction when Circe wins her vengeance, she stands up to the powers that have belittled her and she makes people stop and listen to her. Overall Circe is the tale of a woman's struggle in a male-dominated world, where women are pushed to the side and lack agency. Circe is the tale of one woman's life through pain, love, desire, heartache and motherhood. Circe thrives by the end of the novel, honing her witchery and she shows great strength through sheer force of will. I loved this novel and I adored the last chapter how it reversed the myth ending, was pure genius.