Reviews with content warning for Cannibalism - Circe

4/5 ⭐️

At first, I was leaning towards rating this 3-3.5 stars, but the latter half of this book made me bump it up to 4.

The prose is beautiful and poetic, and extremely efficient in detailing events that happen over thousands of years. It reads like a cautionary tale told by the fireplace, sardonic and reflective, which is highly accurate for the vibes of this book and the stuff that happens in it. As someone who liked to call themselves a Greek myth nerd, I also thought all the cameos were exciting and the portrayal of their characters intriguing.

The reason I originally wanted to rate this 3 stars has a lot to do with Circe’s character. I don’t hate her necessarily, but the fact that she wailed about her misfortune for so long (the whole first half of the book) but still groveled at the feet of those around her was…unappealing, personally. I almost DNF’d it because I can’t stand mc’s who grovel and are docile and too easily swayed. I understand that it is a part of her growth, and that growth indeed paid off. By the end, I found her character to be a lot more endearing and sympathetic. It was the kind of character development that makes all the sighs of frustration and facepalms worth it.

That being said, I did overall enjoy Circe’s character more than I disliked it. Her capacity for mercy, sympathy, and understanding sets her apart from the mercilessness of everyone around her, and her need for independence but cluelessness in obtaining it is frustrating yet endearing. Her defiance against the gods is hard earned, and that makes this book all the more enjoyable.

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sophietje19's review against another edition

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While I wanted to love it, it felt endlessly repetitive and I felt there was no development. I felt like I was forcing myself to get through it and it never got interesting.

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bhu's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

Circe is a retelling of Greek mythology from the POV of a relatively minor character. It is the story of a nymph without a divine voice in a world of gods; also the story of a woman in a world of men.
In spite of being based on myths from the far past, the characters feel real and relatable. Circe the nymph is well-rounded with understandable strengths and flaws, the supporting characters are three dimensional too.
The plot was engaging throughout - our main character interacts with multiple figures and events from Greek myths in a cohesive story that doesn't feel like a just series of scenes stitched to each other. The only part I liked less was the final one-fourth or so which felt like it dragged out the ending, but it does come to a satisfying conclusion.
Overall I loved this book and would like to read more of this author's work. I would recommend this book to anyone who like fantasy and historical fiction.

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ednam0dewannabe's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Now I understand why many people recommend this book and the author. I found it super original and beautiful in both the narrative and the use of lesser-known aspects of Greek culture and myths, especially the way in which the novel is divided. The fact that we learn about Circe's life through the compilation of various tales reminds me of the way in which various myths are written/passed down.

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