Finally, a consistently overlooked goddess is given some love. What happens when the daughter of the god of the sun is put into the shadows for eternity? Circe by Madeline Miller will renew your love of Greek mythology, and serve as a reminder that even the most powerful can be outcast and rejected by the ones who are supposed to love us. This amazing tale of Circe, daughter of Helios and mean girl Perse was such a delight to read, and addictive to boot. Circe discovers that she has witchcraft abilities, and is put into exile when she mistakenly changes a nemesis into a sea creature. Although cursed into isolation, you soon come to realize that the thing that hurts Circe the most is loss. For unlike many gods, she finds friendship and love with us mere mortals, who will eventually leave her because we are not eternal. She also discovers that gods and mortals alike can be monstrous to each other, and so she must do what she must to protect herself from those who would wish her harm. And that’s where her witchcraft comes into play.

This novel is not for the faint of heart. No Greek mythology truly is, unless of course you are watching the Disney version. Get ready for rape, abuse, murder, war, and how the Minotaur came to be 👀. I loved how Miller interwove the myths we know within this tale. So well done. Despite the craziness and even vile nature of the gods, you will still fall in love with Circe. Her willingness to forgive, her love for her island lions and pigs, her unfailing devotion to her son. A wonderful heroine. Last point I’ll make: I liked that Circe turned the men who tried to rape her into pigs. If only we could do that now.

Dream Cast 🎥 🍿 (I think this should be made into a series, putting this much wonderful detail into a two hour movie would be a crime):

Circe: Eva Green

Telegonus: Brenton Thwaites

Telemachus: Aaron Taylor- Johnson

Helios: Jason Momoa

Perse: Jennifer Connelly

Hermès: Michael Fassbender

Aeetes: Tye Sheridan

Pasiphae: Anya Taylor-Joy

Prometheus: Idris Elba

Athena: Lupita Nyong’o

Daedelus: Timothee Chamalet

Odysseus: Pedro Pascal

Penelope: Keira Knightley