The Witch of Colchis: A Novel by Rosie Hewlett
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Web ID: 19876587Not just a villain origin story
Non-Spoiler Review Of The Witch Of Colchis. Medea is the princess of Colchis. She has been forsaken by her family and ridiculed by the people around her. Medea has dealt with this treatment since childhood, all because she is a witch and people fear what they don’t understand. One day a man shows up to claim the famed Golden Fleece. Medea sees this as a chance to flee her home and the hatred of everyone who has shunned her since childhood. Medea escapes her home just to go on a journey that is going to help her discover herself and what she is truly capable of and what the world can do to her. This is a dark fantasy retelling of the Greek myth of Medea. This retelling really shows you how sometimes we ignore the “red flags” to see what we want, even when your friends try to show you the truth. I really did feel for her in a lot of the harder situations she was put in, we are all a product of our environment. She grew up scared and alone, and now she’s in the world trying to navigate without knowing how. I think some of us will connect with her on a deeper and somewhat darker level, this really highlights childhood trauma and how it influences our choices and how we view people. This was beautiful and heartbreaking all in one, with just the right amount of vengeance and angst. Thank you Net Galley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the copy for my honest review.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
An amazing accurate telling of Jason and Medea
An amazing accurate telling of the Jason and Medea story from Medea's POV! What it is about: Medea lives in ancient Colchis as a princess. However, after discovering she has been blessed with magic abilities by the goddess Hecate, she is treated anything like a princess. Her aunt Circe helps Medea understand her magic but warns her against dark magic and its dangers. One day Medea never sees her aunt Circe again. Feeling lost, alone, and unwanted by her own parents Medea desperately wants to find a way to escape her circumstances. So when the beautiful and charming Greek hero Jason arrives in Colchis to try and retrieve the golden fleece from her father the king, she instantly falls in love and makes a plan. Medea could have never guessed how wrong that plan could go. What I think: This was a wonderful telling of the Jason and Medea story from the POV of Medea. As a Classicist I greatly appreciated how incredibly accurate this book is! The author did an excellent job at creating Medea’s perspective while incorporating the culture of ancient Greece. Medea is not just the mad/crazy women that the ancient myth makes her out to be. She a complex character that is in love, makes mistakes, and wants revenge.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A great book for fans of Greek myth!
4.5 Stars I have yet to read Hewlett's first book "Medusa" but now I want to. As a fan of Greek myth I am always enthused when a mostly forgotten character is given new life and that is Medea. Whether you are familiar with her story or not, I encourage you to read this book! If you are fans of "Circe", you get to see her here too! I adore the way Hewlett wrote Medea as a tragic heroine of sorts; one who thinks she can manipulate darkness into happiness but ultimately meets the same calamity as most Greek characters. My only wish was that we could have been with Medea over the time jumps (especially the Five year one) because I loved how her character grew and changed with each situation. Overall, a satisfying story of love, power, sacrifice, and choice.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
PERFECTION
Wow! First let me say that Medea is my favorite myth. She has fascinated me for literal decades. So I have very high expectations when it comes to her story. Thankfully I can say that my expectations were exceeded. The thing about Medea is, I need to see the passion, the rage, the love, the madness, the justification. I I got everything I wanted. I raged for her treatment by her family. I was swept up in Jason with her. I was hurt with her by the rejections of her actions, especially when Jason got the adoration. I tipped over the edge into darkness with her as she was asked of more and more by Jason. I ached with her as she broke ties with Circe and Atalanta. And I rage, oh how I raged, with her in Corinth. It’s an almost out of body experience when you’re justifiably angry and a man tells you that you’re being hysterical. The great tension in these stories is, how will her story end? We know what Euripides wrote. I will not spoil it for you. But as much as I raged and cried and felt her pain, I think this version of the story really works. I think Hewlett did a masterful job here, and highly recommend this retelling. Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the preview. All opinions are my own.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Chilling!
Medea is such a complex character in Greek Mythology and the Hewlett was able to capture her so well. Her grief, as well as her power and strength. You are horrified and yet you are rooting for Medea the whole story!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com