Wow. This retelling was everything I wanted it to be! Medea is one of my favourite Greek tragedies and so I had massively high hopes for this book and my goodness did it deliver.

I love that this stayed truthful to the stories (i particularly loved the nods to the original play such as the Corinthian women) but really delved into the abuse and manipulation that Medea was subjected to by the men in her life. I could not put this down and Rosie Hewlett is definitely going on my auto buy author list 😂

Whether you love Greek myths/tragedies or not this is a beautiful and moving story. This was without a doubt a 5 star read for me ⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC

I absolutely loved "Medea" written by Rosie Hewlett. My highlight of giggles from this book was the opening, where the main character, Medea, turned her brother into a pig simply because he behaved like one, lol. Quite soon, I was captivated by how well Medea's story was written. I absolutely loved how the main character was developed; the pages were written almost as diary entries from Medea's perspective, and her personality is truly captivating. She hasn't had a good start in life; in fact, her volatile family with a lack of love is what made her choose certain paths in life. My heart trembled with hope for kindness and love when she encountered some, and I too hoped that it would be genuine and lasting. She made some tough choices, and some might not agree with what she did in order to live and the choices she made for her first children. Yet, I get it. The last chapter, which is a visit from her sister, was the perfect wrap for the story. I thoroughly enjoyed this read. Thank you to Rosie Hewlett and NetGalley for the ebook ARC.

It’s safe to say I’m a Greek mythology nerd, and I’ve read a lot of retellings in recent years and have become picky about what I read.

I was intrigued by Medea because I hadn’t seen her story developed like this before. I’d seen her crop up in feminist retellings of the Theseus and Jason myths before but never as the central character but Rosie Hewlett masterfully handles Medea’s character and her situation. Hewlett’s Medea is not a likeable character but she is very compelling. In a tightly woven and pacy narrative she goes from a headstrong, angry and damaged young woman to the powerful, dangerous woman of legend.
Hewlett carefully and expertly handles the abuse that shapes and forms Medea, from the physical and emotional abuse of her father to the coercive control Jason exerts over her and the long term effects that has on someone who is simply desperate to be loved.

I loved Medea’s relationships with the other women in her life and her determination that she would be different, even as experience screams at her to listen.

This is 100% a retelling any good feminist Greek mythology nerd needs on their shelf

Loved Medusa and I loved this one too !! Rosie Hewlett, for both of her retellings of women in myth, has done a fantastic job of making the reader really care for the character. Can’t wait for more from this author

What a brilliant book! Medea has always been portrayed as an evil witch who killed without remorse, but I loved how RH really delved into the other side of the story, and all the events that lead up to what happened. I love Greek mythology, but I'm finding more and more of the stories increasingly frustrating as they always depict the men as heroes and the women as disposable temptresses to be used and then thrown away. I loved RH's debut, and Medea has more than lived up to my expectations

“I [am] the shadows cast by the sunbeam, dark and twisting”

Medea - Rosie Hewlett (Arc)

⭐️ - 4.75

Euripides’ “Medea” is probably my favourite of the Greek tragedies so Rosie Hewlett had a high bar to meet and definitely succeeded for me. This was a beautiful retelling of Medea’s story.

If you are unfamiliar with the myth, Medea is the witch who helps the hero Jason win the Golden Fleece and goes on to become his wife and then some wild stuff happens from there.

Hewlett really leaned in to the fantasy, magical aspects of Medea’s power which I think really helped the story feel grand in scale and for those of you who like witchy books I think you’ll love this.

I also loved the way that Hewlett used the story to explore different forms of abuse and gaslighting and the way that it affects a person in a really poignant way. I thought it was handled really well and actually made me quite emotional.

For me the story was both helped and hindered by the fact that I knew the mythology so well. The first half felt a tad slow to me but I think that was because I was so looking forward to see what Hewlett did with the ending and it definitely paid off. I also enjoyed the little nods to the source material with things like the “gaggle of women” outside the house, for those who have read the original it was nice to see those links.

My main criticism is that at times I felt that, by trying to create justifications for some of Medea’s more questionable actions early on in the book, it sometimes felt as though some of the character’s agency was taken away. However, I can see where Hewlett was going with it and it did work overall for me.

If you like myth retellings, villain origin stories, or Madeline Miller’s “Circe”, you will love this book. Definitely recommend.

Release date: 21 March 2024

❗️Content warnings (SPOILERS): domestic abuse and abusive relationships are a big theme in this, spicey content including some SV, violence, child death

From start to finished I was hooked on this incredible retelling of Medea's story, bringing together both the story everyone knows, with its origins and her role in Jason and the Argonauts. It's rooted in a lot of the stories and myths you know, but gives it a gripping through line and weaved in a way that flows so well. From someone with a degree in Classics as well I would highlight recommend it.

I have sometime struggled with the play Medea's lack of witchiness/magic to the sudden appearance of a dragon, but this ties a lot of these loose ends for me. It brings magic firmly into the story and the careful balances that Medea battles with her use of it. Whilst this is still dark, this isn't simply about good vs evil, but really highlights the nuances in the story and brings every element to life.

As I'm sure many reviewers will say, if you loved Circe, you will adore this book. I read it in Greece as well which of course made it even better.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

I'm a sucker for Greek Mythology and hence I had to request Medea by Rosie Hewlett when I saw it. And I'm glad I was given a review copy.

This is a very well-written book and moves forward quite nicely. It doesn't drag and doesn't bore you. I was so engrossed in Medea's story and how I hate Jason now. I kept asking myself why is she letting Jason lead her on. But I won't divulge much. I will only say that You must read it. If for nothing but to know about one of the most complicated characters in Greek Mythology.

Medea by Rosie Hewlett is the story of the witch Medea and the truth behind her actions in the story we already know, Euripedes' play.
I recently read the play in preparation for my studies and found Medea to be a sympathetic character. I was expecting to find that this retelling gave her a bit more agency in her own story and was surprised by the novel's direction. I really enjoyed how much I despised the character of Jason and at some points Medea herself.
The story was dark and didn't really have a happy ending which I think a lot of Greek mythology retellings try to change about the myths, so it was refreshing to see that whilst the story didn't end where we knew, it was still as unsatisfactory.

I simply cannot get enough of Greek mythology and Medea surpassed my expectations. Medeas story is not one I know, but I absolutely loved the voice Rosie gave to her.
I’m already excited to read Medusa as I loved Rosie’s writing and her portrayal of some of the better known Characters such as Circe and Atalanta.
Medeas tale raises various emotions throughout the book, it provokes pity, sorrow, anger.
Is Medea a victim or a villain? Her actions towards her children are unforgivable.
Her actions fuelled by her betrayal from her husband Jason.
This was a 5 star read for me, I loved this one!

Thanks to the publisher for this arc on Netgalley.

I really enjoyed the book. The start was a bit rough, as it took some time for me to find into the story. Gladly and after a couple of chapters I was unable to put the book down. Its fantastic written and all characters are lovely described. A lot of things are happening and it never got boring.

I give 4/5 stars to Medea and I m hoping there will another book coming out, soon from this author.

Thank you NetGalley for gifting me a copy of this book.

I was NOT expecting to read a book THAT good. It was the first time I was reading about Medea and her story and I loved it. She is such a complex character but I just kept being behind her and hoping she would finally get to be the woman she wants to be: free and loved.

The writing is incredible and even though the book has more than 400 pages, I was always interested. I don’t think there was a single moment when I wanted to put it down and stop reading.

I would 1000% recommend it!!!

5 stars. Every now and then a book comes along and instantly transfixes me and this was one. I LOVE Greek mythology retellings and I love when its from a female main characters point of view. From the very beginning opening line of 'When I was a child I turned my brother into a pig' I could tell Medea was going to be a hard character.

The book is a dizzying mix of magic, brutal battles, murders, love and hate.

A great mixture of tales interwoven, Circe, Jason and the Argonauts, Atalanta all appear.

Jason is a true modern day definition of 'f*ck boy' Narcissist , gaslighting and manipulative, he is the cause of all Medea's problems.

The writing was exceptional and had me engrossed from the start. I will be recommending to others and looking out for more from Rosie

Initially, I came across Medea while I was reading Circe. I was so intrigued by her character that when I saw this book, I just knew I had to read it! I loved this book so much! The writing is so beautiful!

Medea's story is dark in nature. She was abused by her father and later manipulated by Jason. They treated her as a weapon rather than a human being. They suppressed her because they feared her.

I loved how Medea embraced her true self. She understood the power she possessed and became a powerful woman.

There were just two people who wanted the world for Medea: Atalanta and Chalciope. Medea’s friendship with Atalanta was so wholesome! She always looked out for Medea. The last chapter from Chalciope's POV had me tear up. It is the perfect end to her story.

I wasn't familiar with the myth of Medea before reading this so I really didn't know what to expect.
From early on I found myself sympathising greatly with Medea as she was abused, used, and manipulated by all the men in her life.
I found the pacing great in the earlier parts of the book, however, I felt the time skips later on were a bit more than I'd have liked, leaving some gaps where I felt the character could have developed a bit more and could have had a little more build up before the final events.
The last few chapters were quite a difficult read at times, and I came away from this not knowing exactly how I felt about it. While nothing would 'justify' what happened, I just would have liked to have felt a bit more understanding of it, rather than feeling almost like it was a matter of revenge.
Having seen this referred to as a feminist retelling, I suppose I was just hoping that Medea would claim her power in a less bleak way or with an element of hopefulness.

Book Review 📚
Medea by Rosie Hewlett - 4.5/5 ⭐

I cannot get enough of reading Greek Mythology retellings and the last year, there has been a lot! But I can't honestly say, this one is my absolute favourite of them all. And I've read a LOT of them!

Hewlett has done a fantastic job in writing so amazingly about Medea in such a beautiful yet heartbreaking way. There's so much pain and emotion in her writing but it's surreal and breathtaking. There's moments you love Medea and there are moments you hate her. Hewlett really done a phenomenal job in portraying her.

The story was so hard and strong from the beginning, it wasn't easy to put down! It's a book that, even though you know how the story goes, you just have to continue reading until your done! There is so much raw emotion and it's truly an incredible read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for allowing me to read this ARC - this is an HONEST review from my own personal opinion.

So in my experience these retellings are very hit or miss on whether I end up enjoying them or not. I actually became super interested in Medea from the young adult book The Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayon, so to discover this release was extremely exciting! I did not begin this novel having any expectations about what I thought it would be like, but it was such a beautiful and heartbreaking story of a woman with a big heart sharing it with people who would rather bring her down. I have a newfound love for Medea, and she deserves more attention. Make sure you check this one out because it really was an incredible retelling!

“The world tried to make me the victim, so I became its villain.”

I always love reading about Greek myths' retellings, to see how the authors reinterpret the stories, and Medea was such a great book. It was beautifully written, and you can feel her pain and heartache. Medea hadn't an easy childhood, so what she has always wanted was to be happy, to be accepted for who she was. And she thought she had found it with Jason, but in the end he was only a manipulative, selfish man. She sacrificed everything for him, and for what? To be discarded, abandoned like an object. So I can't blame her for what she did in the end.

“I no longer wish to destroy what I am to create a version of myself this world will accept. I will embrace it all. Every dark, ugly, monstrous part of me.”

Rosie Hewlett has done her justice, bringing out the good and the bad, holding nothing back.
Totally recommend this story to every Greek mythology's fan.

An excellent retelling of Medea's story and I was completely enthralled for at least the first half of the book. Her childhood was laid out for us all to see; the brutality of her father and brother, the way she was ignored by her mother and her craving for love despite constant rejection. The episodes with Circe were fascinating and her initial meetings with Jason explained why she was prepared to give up everything in order to help him.

Unfortunately I found the latter part of the book less interesting; too much emphasis on the "shadows thickening" made the book seem overlong but the final meeting between Medea and her sister Chalciope completely redeemed it. The emotion was palpable as Chalciope desperately tried to understand Medea's actions and to show her love.

Greek mythology retold, highlighting the fragility of the male ego, fraught with men who prioritise power and pride over all else, gaslighting and manipulating every step of the way.

“Sometimes, his love fills me so deeply and completely I think I may burst. Far more often, I am left with nothing but a coldness that rattles through me, stealing across the empty plains where his love had grown rich and wild mere days before. There seems to be a skill to this treatment, an art form, like a jailer toying with his prisoner.”

Will feel familiar to any woman whose light was dimmed to allow him to shine. That said, by the end, I was wondering just how reliable a narrator Medea was. She was inarguably a woman driven mad by the men in her life, but the brief suggestion midway through of her experiencing PND after her second-born stayed in my mind and I think undermined the effects of external influence.

Gotta say, I loved what we saw from Atalanta, more was needed.

“Her tone was soft, yet there was an undeniable edge to her words, like a blade wrapped in silken sheets.“

I’d seen comparison to Song of Achilles but I beg to differ. This isn’t quite so strong, and didn’t resonate in the same way. I didn’t like it as much as I thought I should, but I’m not entirely sure why. Im eager to read of others’ experiences. It’s a perfectly fine read, entirely accessible, and held such promise to be so powerful, but it just lacked something, felt too long and ultimately wasn’t remarkable.