Book Review: Circe

Circe by Madeline Miller

From the enchanting tale of Odysseus and his encounter with the “witch of Aiaia,” comes the story of the goddess of magic Circe and her view of the meeting with Odysseus. When a daughter is born to the God of the sun, Helios, it is immediately apparent that she is different. She is not strong or powerful like her father, or overwhelmingly beautiful like her mother. Circe spends the first half of her life trying desperately to fit in, only to find herself further distanced. The second half is spent turning to mortals for companionship. She first discovers her powers, when she turns a mortal to a God, with the hopes of him marrying her. Intimidated by her abilities, Zeus banishes her to an island forbidding her ever to leave. This island is where she tames wild animals, perfects her craft and encounters many of the most famous mythological beings. With power comes danger and Circe feels the wrath of both God and man. To protect what she loves, she must face one of the most vengeful of all the Olympians and ultimately decide whether she belongs to the God’s she was born from or the mortals that she so loves.