First published 2018
Circe is born in the palace of Helios, the sun god, but she lacks the beauty and divine voice her family expects. Her relatives mock her ordinary appearance and weak powers. Desperate for connection, she seeks out mortal companions and stumbles upon witchcraft, a forbidden art. When she uses a dark spell motivated by love, Zeus punishes her with exile to Aiaia, a distant island. Alone on her island prison, Circe develops her magical abilities and learns to draw power from the natural world around her. Her solitude breaks when famous figures arrive at her shores. Hermes visits as a divine messenger. The master craftsman Daedalus appears. Jason's ship passes by carrying the golden fleece. Odysseus stops during his long journey back to Ithaca. As a woman living without protection, Circe faces constant threats from both mortals and gods who resent her independence. She must choose between the immortal family that rejected her and the mortal world that has taught her about love and loyalty.
Genres: mythology, literary-fiction, historical-fiction, fantasy
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: chosen-one, found-family
Setting: Aiaia, Ithaca
Period: Ancient Greece
599 pages · Library Binding · Thorndike Pr
Content warnings: violence