I love a good retelling of Greek mythology from a female perspective! Medea drew me in and I enjoyed the simple but effective plot. I found this to be a very quick and easy read.

I enjoyed the complexity of this book, giving a deep and compassionate narration to a ‘villain’ of Greek mythology. The current trend to give voices to the often sidelined women in Greek mythology (those who aren’t part of the Pantheon) is long overdue. Hearing the stories of the women who uplifted the ‘Heroes’ is a genre with endless possibilities, perhaps none more so than Medea.

Medea is traditionally villainised for her ‘evil’ deeds and this novel portrays her story along with, first, her father Aeetes’ hunger for power and, subsequently,Jason’s hunger for fame and adoration. Rosie Hewlett gives Medea a rich and vibrant character development, which left me feeling compassion for her and the tragic decisions she made. I don’t want to give any spoilers away so I’ll not say more about Medeas backstory but I felt it was credible and fitting for her character.

I enjoyed this book and I’ll be seeking out Rosie Hewlett’s Medusa to read. It’s a fascinating Greek myth retelling, with a great demonstration of the psychological impacts of love, trauma and more and the decisions they can lead to.

Well, this is the book that brought me back to retellings of Greek mythology and I'm glad it did. I'd gotten a bit bored prior to this one (nothing against any books or the genre in general, I'd just read one too many and wanted a break from it) but this was so enjoyable to read.

It was so easy to get drawn into the story and I thought Hewlett did such a good job of exploring Medea's characterisation and story to really explore her life and actions. Medea becomes such a compelling character throughout this retelling. Atalanta and Circe were both fantastic side characters too. I'll certainly be picking up more from Rosie Hewlett in future.

Medea is Rosie Hewlett’s second novel. It follows Medea from Greek Mythology as she dreams of a new life. In her childhood Medea was treated badly by her brother and father, her mother is indifferent to her and her sister is separated from her. The hero Jason arrives with his argonauts to claim the Golden Fleece. Medea decides to help Jason and go with him on his adventures. This was enjoyable to a certain extent, it was easy to sympathise with Medea considering her life situation. The novel was easy and quick to read. It’s obvious this author has a good knowledge of Greek Mythology because I was never confused with what was going on or who was who. The writing in this wasn’t great for me though, I just don’t think this author has the type of writing that I connect with. I just don’t personally feel much towards this but I can see others enjoying it. I am giving it 3 stars because it was enjoyable but I’m not sure how memorable this will be for me. This was quite flat for me and I felt quite removed from it. Plus I didn’t really like how the Argonauts and Atalanta were portrayed.

I absolutely love to mythology retellings. And this one did not disappoint. It was the perfect mix of feminist update and staying true to the source material.

Rosie Hewlett's Medea was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024. Medea has been a character from Greek Mythology that I have been long fascinated by, and I have been pleased to see the attention turn her away.

This was a really good read, and I blazed my way through it, devouring the story. The writing was fast paced and easily accessible, the world and mythology easy to fall in to - even if you're not familiar with it. Hewlett did not actually focus too much on the world of Greek Gods, sprinkling in characters and monsters and some lore here and there.

Medea is in nature a very complicated, divisive character and I enjoyed seeing Hewlett's take on her. She was vengeful, yes - but there was more nuance and care shown to her here than that. We got to see the manipulation, and how far one would go for freedom - not realising before it's too late how even more trapped they've become.

What is stopping me from giving this a higher rating is that outside Medea all the other characters - aside from Circe, and Atalanta - fell flat. We didn't really get to see much of anyone else - the narrative, of course, was heavily focused on Medea - and when we did they did not feel like people. They had no personality other than the scraps Medea prescribed to them. Jason is free from this, as he was purely terrible and I think the attention given to his character was fitting to the story.

Atalanta, with the very small part she played in this story, was actually one of the highlights of the novel. I really liked her character and wish we got to see more of her - I'd be interested to see Hewlett take on her tale in a novel of her own.

The writing was good, however I felt like the time jumps became too much. While it moved the story and plot along nicely, Medea's inner voice never felt any different so if it wasn't for the obvious clues (i.e., subheadings about the time jump) or comments in the narrative (like saying someone was older as it had been x many years) it would have been hard to notice or even believe time had moved forward.

I think Hewlett's take on Medea was interesting and well explored, I just wish more time was spent on the characterisation, and that the story felt like it wasn't rushing to get to the next phase. So much happened and yet it felt like not much at all.

A fantastic second novel from Rosie Hewlett, I enjoyed this much more than Medusa. A new look at Apollonius' Argonautica and Euripides' Medea with some bonus mythology thrown in, 'Medea' gives us a complex heroine whose faults are complicated but not entirely excused by the behaviour of those around her. I found the depiction of Medea to be one of the most effective I've read, carefully picking the line between victim and villain, and I appreciated the deep dives into myth that many retellings skate over. A worthwhile entry into the retelling genre, and an interesting challenge to the tendency to unproblematically reclaim 'bad' mythical women. Recommended reading for those into Greek mythology!

𝗠𝗘𝗗𝗘𝗔
—𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝘄𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁 | 𝟰.𝟱🌟

‘𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺. 𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥. 𝘑𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘰, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶? 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯. 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘶𝘴 𝘰𝘤𝘤𝘶𝘱𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨.’

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲:
✨Greek mythology
✨Strong female main character
✨Fast paced
✨Sorcery

𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀:
Medea has been gifted magic by the goddess Hecate, and this story demonstrates how this gift is both a blessing and a curse as Medea longs for love and is met with constant hostility.

“𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘶𝘨𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘩 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥?”

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
Rosie Hewlett somehow manages to take the 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗴 and 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 myth that is Medea: 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵, 𝗺𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗿, 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿, and… 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 her.

This book is essentially Medea’s 𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆, and it’s a testament to the author just how 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 it is and just how 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘆 it is to 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁 in not only the small parts of 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 in Medea, but in her 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 too.

The character that Hewlett creates is 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼𝘅𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 and with every slight against Medea, I felt my thirst for 𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 growing alongside Medea’s. Her story is one of the most well known in Greek mythology, but the author gives Medea so much more 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁: the childhood trauma, a toxic marriage, the searing need to never be a victim again. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴.

Of course, as Medea’s one of the most well known myths, it’s also well known that there are multiple endings interpreted in ancient history that allude to Medea’s later life, but I promise that none are more so 𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗳𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 than the one in this book.

𝗞𝗮𝘆𝗹𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵 | 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗵 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘆

I haven't read many Greek mythology books so I hadn't heard of Medea before reading this and for most part of this book I was sadly shaking my head so much that I developed a stiff neck after some days. But seriously, Medea was such a complicated character with so many layers and shades and If I am being truthful I can actually understand why Medea chose the decisions she made, even if they were wrong ones. I found Medea's fixation with Chalciope and the way she returns to the memories of her sister at odd times fascinating. And there are so many strong women characters in this story, Atlanta the only woman warrior in the Argonauts army who clearly sees through Jason's façade and of course, Circe- the exiled sorceress and aunt to Medea who warns Medea of the consequences of using the dark powers of Magic.

But despite all that happened to her Medea was stronger than the circumstance thrown at her in her life. She's one strong hell of a woman, even if it took decades for her to realize it. The writing was fluid and the book was so well-written it was a pleasure to read it. In fact I want to read Medusa from the same author now. A thoroughly enjoyable retelling.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for copy of this book. It definitely rekindled my interest in reading more of Greek mythology.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for sending me a copy in exchange for a review.

I'm a big lover of historical fiction - it's what brought me back to reading after a few years between primary and secondary when you try to fit in with every one else rather than have your own likes and wants - and ancient Greek historical fiction is having it's time right now, which I'm really enjoying.

I've always liked stories of women who take their own power and don't bend to the will of men, so I knew the story of Medea but Hewitt brought a delicate edge to Medea that the translations don't give her - they paint her as a monster whereas Hewitt allows her to have human emotions and we understand why she does the things she does.

This will definitely appeal to fans of Circe and any Jennifer Saint retelling, or just fans of women getting revenge.

I will be yelling about this book for a long time.

Have you ever read a book that made you side with the "villain"?

This compelling story tells the tale of Medea, a dark witch from Greek mythology, most well known for killing her own sons. But there is so much more to her than that.

Medea has been shunned and persecuted all her life, due to something she cannot control - due to an inner power within her. The sorceress seeks freedom in the famed hero Jason, who promises to save her if she secures him the Golden Fleece. Medea's choices that day set in motion a story of betrayal, vengeance, and tragedy.

Medea's powerful voice shines through in this book, and I could feel her emotions bleeding through the page. Her desperation was palpable, and her obsessive love was enthralling. It is incredibly well written, full of palpable tension and gut-wrenching lines about love and loss. Whilst Medea undoubtedly made dark choices, I found myself rooting for her, urging her on and being drawn into her hatred as if it were my own - which is a testament to the authors writing and characterisation!

Thank you to Transworld/Bantam and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

"You are a monster, Medea. You have no soul, no heart.' he spits, and I wipe the residue slowly from my cheek. 'You are right, and why is that? ... Because I gave those things to you. I gave you all of me. I loved you Jason, so deeply, so painfully ... but do you know what is stronger than a lover's love? Their hate.'"

The story of Medea is one of my favourite tales from Greek mythology— and one that has ironically and painfully been misunderstood. Medea is a strong, powerful woman who was betrayed, diminished and pushed down by the men in her life who used her might to enhance their own. Her story may end in bloodshed and betrayal, but she is one of the earliest cautionary tales of a woman scorned and one I was so excited to see being retold.

This story captures Medea and reclaims her voice, much like the Medusa, and widens the lens past her final catastrophic act to shift the focus to the countless crimes against her that she weathered before she snapped.

The narration was absolutely beautiful, breathtakingly rich and descriptive with a steady flow despite its intricate storytelling. Each character carves out a unique voice through monologues and direct prose that still captures the original essence of the text but with a more readable and modern twist.

An astounding retelling of an ancient tale that still has startling relevance and appeal - if you haven’t heard the tale of Medea and her final act of revenge and retribution this is the perfect opportunity.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book, it was clear how Medea was manipulated and I could see that that would be her reason for what I knew from the play, that she would end up doing. But I felt the pacing of the novel didn't quite work in the last half, especially the time jumps, and I don't think I ultimately bought why Medea did what she did. I needed her more vindictive or revengeful, to me, she was still acting a victim.

I love Greek myth re-tellings and as Medea has an 'interesting' story, i jumped at the chance to read this arc. We all know the story of Medea - how she betrayed her family to help Jason win the Golden Fleece; how she sailed away with him, became his wife and had two sons; how, when Jason decided that he would discard Medea to marry the daughter of the King of Corinth, she killed the princess and then her own sons to deprive Jason of a new wife and heirs. We know of her as a villain, but Rosie Hewlett gives us so much more. She puts flesh on Medea's bones and gives us another version of events where we see that Medea is as much a victim as she is a villain. We see a life in Colchis where as a child she almost lives in fear of her father, a man who regularly beat hers, her mother and their servants. She adores her younger sister and will take the blame so that her sister is never beaten. As a child she is aware of the magic that she possesses and learns how to use it when her aunt, Circe, takes over her instruction. She falls under the spell of Jason and the escape he offers and in this re-telling, the hero, Jason, does not come out of it well. From her childhood, her marriage we see a woman who is manipulated by the men in her life. She becomes their weapon, a means for them to get what they want. But does this mean that Medea is blameless? In this novel we get a version of Medea that we can empathise with, and we can even understand her motives for killing her sons - not that we would ever agree with that act. We can see that there are times when she is a victim, but there are times when maybe the shouts of 'witch' are justified. I loved this as it allows a 'villain' of Greek mythology a chance to show us that maybe, things are not always black and white.

"They'll either make you his adoring lovesick damsel, or they'll make you the villain. They are the only roles they feel comfortable with us occupying."

After previously reading and enjoying Medusa by Rosie Hewlett, I was really looking forward to reading this - and I'm glad I did.

A very dark villain origin story written from Medea's perspective; this is a story about power and revenge, highlighting fragile masculinity and the male ego in response to powerful women.

Hewlett's retelling does not hold back in showing us both the good and the bad of Medea and you cannot help but feel conflicted almost constantly by her character and her actions. It is so beautifully written, and heart wrenching.

I found the pacing of this book fairly good, and felt it rarely slowed. However there were some big time jumps which did feel a little jarring but they were required to cover the entirety of Medea's life and story without unnecessary filler.

I am really looking forward to what Rosie Hewlett writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

As a play, Medea is known for its dark and disturbing themes. Medea's actions are generally regarded as horrific, and it's almost impossible to avoid questions about revenge, justice and the depths of human emotion while reading it.

I chose this book knowing all this, but hoping for someone who would appreciate Medea's intelligence and resourcefulness, while also recognising the destructive choices she makes.

Hewlett delivered.

It pained me to see Medea so starved for love, validation and affection; it pained me to watch Circe and Atlanta's failed attempts to bring her to her senses. It pained me to see Jason exploit her vulnerability and manipulate her. But it was also refreshing to finally see someone hold him accountable for his part in Medea's crimes.

The book retained the play's enduring relevance: Medea's struggles with betrayal, abandonment and societal expectations still resonate with audiences today, but it also explored new aspects such as domestic and psychological violence and manipulation.

Hewlett crafts an absolutely gorgeously foreboding piece of prose. Brimming with despair, complexity and provoking power. A lovely look into the terrors that can easily sway one towards villainy, or tear them to shreds. I found Medea incredibly relateable, it was hard at times to keep from cursing, knowing the feelings behind being gaslit or emotionally manipulated. This is not an emotionally easy read, but it is an intensely beautiful one. Bravo...

Is very difficult to connect with a retelling. But Medea’s story is told with a nice complexity and experiences are shared with care by the author. Traumatic events and story but very well written and is such a good try of retell the story of this character much of us never knew. Solid easy to read book and I think is a good chance to enter to historic fiction.

As I have never read any mythology before I was a little nervous of reading this book.

The story of Medea was thought provoking, dark reading in places, it showed the lengths that some people will go to get their wish for fame and power. Going from a young girl living in a palace to Medea's life as a married women and the power hungry husband.

Will she use her magic, both dark and light to get revenge, on all those that have treated her unfairly.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this copy

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The retelling of Greek mythology have been so hype online in the past few years that I have stayed away due to fear that these books wouldn’t like up to their hype. However, on reading the description for Medea I decided to give it a go.

I really enjoyed the undercurrent of female rage in this book and found Medea to be a very powerful character. The main issue I had with the book was Jason. From his first appearance, I found him incredibly unlikeable as a character so struggled to relate to him being the love interest. Despite this, the book was easy to read and was a good gateway into more retelling of Greek mythology.