by Ayana Gray
First published 2025
Medusa has always felt like a supporting character in someone else's story. While her sisters shine with divine beauty and her parents hold minor positions among the Olympian gods, she remains painfully mortal. Life on their island becomes unbearable as her differences from her family grow more pronounced. When Athena invites her to train as a priestess, Meddy seizes the chance to finally belong somewhere. She throws herself into temple service, rising to become Athena's favored acolyte. The role gives her both acceptance and a taste of real power. But her prominence catches Poseidon's attention, setting her fate on a devastating new course. After he assaults her, the gods blame Medusa for the crime. Her punishment transforms her hair into writhing serpents. Rather than accept the label of monster, Meddy refuses to let their cruelty define her future. Caught between her deepest longings and the cruel games of divine politics, she must forge a new identity and claim her own narrative as an agent of justice.
Genres: mythology, fantasy, greek-mythology, ancient, historical-fantasy
Vibes: dark, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: chosen-one, found-family, redemption
Setting: Olympus
Period: Ancient Greece
336 pages · Hardcover · Random House
Content warnings: sexual-assault, violence