Reviews with content warning for Blood - Circe

Reading this book felt like those late night discussion you have with friends, where they share secrets and life stories.

It made Circe's life, her struggle, fear, pain, joy, loss and sorrow even more real. Finishing this book felt like saying goodbye to a friend.

It is a beautiful story about self-discovery, about overcoming the need for external validation, about becoming our true self and about how it is to be a woman.

Madeline Miller's writing style is mesmerizing (funny for a book about a witch) and it was an absolute blast to read!

Content Warnings

joey_estrada's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

It was cool to see so many different myths from Circe's perspective. Her character development was very interesting. At certain points, it almost felt like each chapter was a short story told by Circe. The ending was very poetic and I think it wrapped everything up nicely.

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olive_ia's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

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

5.0

This was a wonderful book full of stories from Greek Mythology from the perspective of the minor goddess Circe. Circe is a very likeable, powerful, and incredibly well written character, this book made me want to research more about Circe's story in Mythology. The book is fast paced and made me want to keep reading more, I very highly recommend Circe!

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singalana's review against another edition

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adventurous dark reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

I thought giving both the Song of Achilles and Circe five stars was impossible, but I’m glad I was proven wrong!

Madeline Miller specialises in Greek mythology retellings. She takes her time writing her books, and it shows. In Miller’s hands, what might sound like a strange and simply outlandish children’s tale turns into something organic, like the laws of nature. Now, she tells the story of Circe - most people remember her as the witch who turned Odysseus’ men into swine. But she is so much more than that, as Miller shows.

The characters are familiar from Greek mythology. Gods and mortal men all turn into something extraordinary in Miller’s hands, each with distinctive personalities, strengths, and weaknesses. Circe’s story is full of scheming, hubris, vengeance, and love. Sometimes, I had to peek at the next chapter just to find out what happened and what to expect before continuing the story. Very few books have the power to do that.

I marvel at Miller’s writing style: every sentence is crafted beautifully. There are bits of dialogue I want to read over and over again because the words and the message behind them are so masterfully delivered.

But what decided the rating for me was the ending. So be warned, spoilers ahead!

Spoilers!

Madeline Miller knows when to follow the source material and when to divert from it. And I’m glad she did because the book ends on a sad yet hopeful note. In the original mythos, Odysseus and Circe have many children together, and Telemachus eventually kills Circe. But Miller’s ending gives Circe the ending she deserves.

And the cover art is gorgeous.

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