I was quite excited when I saw this book pop up. It's only been in the last couple of years that I started to enjoy Shakespeare, after struggling with it in school. 'Romeo and Juliet' and 'Macbeth' are the only works of his that I truly enjoy, but there was something that drew me towards this book, despite me not being as keen on 'The Tempest'.

I love stories about misunderstood women, and 'Sycorax' was honestly brilliant for this. Hetherington has cooked up a truly interesting back story for Caliban's mother, and although it took me some time to get into, I smashed through half of this book in a few hours. The friendship between Raven/Sycorax and the crow was heartwarming, and I found myself getting very emotionally invested in the last 100 pages of the novel.

I really do think 'Sycorax' is worth a read, even if Shakespeare isn't your thing!

Please bear with me while I have a little nerd out. The Tempest is one of my favourite Shakespeare plays, so I was thrilled to discover that Sycorax, an often unseen but incredibly powerful character, was getting her own book. In the play, Sycorax is a vengeful witch and the mother of Caliban, one of the island’s few native inhabitants. But what we know about her is limited: she was banished from Algiers while pregnant with Caliban and exiled to the very island where Prospero is stranded, leaving her story largely untold.
This is exactly where Nydia's Sycorax comes in—a beautifully written, lyrical take on this mysterious character. Narrated by Sycorax herself, the story immediately drew me in. It’s so refreshing to finally hear her voice, especially since she’s so elusive in The Tempest. The dialogue is seamlessly woven into the prose, which I really liked—it feels natural and keeps the story flowing effortlessly.
I absolutely loved how Nydia brought nature into the narrative—elements like the ocean, fire, and animals—creating an atmosphere that mirrors Sycorax's internal struggles. It’s not just about the setting; it highlights the delicate balance between humans and the natural world, which is a powerful undercurrent throughout the story.
While I enjoyed the novel overall, I did feel that it took a little while to get going. However, once it picks up, it’s hard to put down. Sycorax's journey from troubled childhood to adulthood is complex and moving. Raised on an island, she battles chronic pain and is viewed with suspicion by the locals, who label her a witch simply because she is different. Watching her navigate these struggles was one of the most compelling parts of the book.
The structure of the book was another highlight—using “Acts” and “Scenes” instead of chapters adds a nice touch, connecting the novel to The Tempest in a subtle yet meaningful way. The writing itself is gorgeous, with a dreamlike quality that pulls you in. It provides the space to explore deep themes like grief, loneliness, betrayal, and feminine rage, all while keeping the focus on Sycorax’s character. The author’s inclusion of chronic illness, influenced by her own personal experiences, adds another layer of depth to Sycorax’s story that I found both powerful and moving.

I loved that this was dedicated to chronically ill and disabled spoonies! A Feminist Retelling of The Tempest, where we get to hear from Sycorax who in the play isn’t present except in reference, and is long dead at the time of the play.

I love retellings and wanted to love this but unfortunately I couldn’t finish the book. While the writing is beautiful, it’s very slow paced and I never felt engaged by the story or characters. There are many others who’ve loved the book so I’d recommend trying it and maybe it’ll be a better read for you!

Sycorax by Nydia Hetherington

Apologies in advance, this is going to be a long review because there is so much positive feedback I want to mention!

I picked up this book because I recently reread The Tempest and I, like the Nydia was captivated by the powerful, evil witch; the blue-eyed hag named Sycorax, so when I saw this marketed as a feminist retelling of that character, I knew I had to read it. I was not disappointed and enjoyed every moment of this book. I loved that the scenes were short and snappy, meaning you could fly through the book without it feeling like too much of a task; and I liked that the author chose to use “Acts” and “Scenes” rather than chapters as it made it feel more linked to the play which was its inspiration. I also really appreciated how the author focused mainly on the beautiful lyrical prose style writing and let the dialogue/narration take a back seat; it made the novel have a dream-like quality and really ensured the powerful themes, quotes and moments were driven right into the hearts of the readers. The writing style of this novel was incredible and I have fallen in love with the way this author writes.

Right from the prologue, I knew I was going to love this book. It was a heart-wrenching introduction to the character and immediately shows Sycorax to us as a mother, a woman, a human being rather than just a “witch” or “hag”, as marketed by Shakespeare. Although the first few scenes (or really the first Act altogether) was perhaps a bit slow to get going, I still thoroughly enjoyed every moment. The world building was intense and wonderful, drawing the reader into this intriguing but dangerous land to which Atlas has travelled. Watching Atlas and Sunny’s love story was beautiful but heart-breaking at the same time; seeing how the universe drew them together and how their love blossomed made me swoon, yet seeing how Sunny began to question his love for his wife and daughter simply because of the hateful opinions and beliefs of the townsfolk around him was agonising to read. One of my favourite moments in this book came when Atlas soothes the mountain lion, walking with it away from the town, this was a beautiful image of trust and female strength/bravery. I loved the way the author wrote of Raven’s birth into the world, and how with her birth came a flock of birds which then became her mothers constant companions (I am very jealous, I’d love a whole group of chirping besties to follow me around!). I also enjoyed the author's exploration of grief as we watch Raven (Sycorax) attempt to cope with the death of her parents; it was a tragic series of events to read through and makes the reader feel desperately sad and uncomfortable, which only shows how totally immersive Nydia’s writing is. Anyone who has experienced this all-encompassing grief and rage at the world must have related to these emotions which the author has so masterfully depicted on the page.

The way the author explores and writes about such painful topics is truly admirable. Themes of grief, loneliness, betrayal, friendship, fear, self-love and feminine rage bleed throughout the pages making this a truly remarkable piece of literature. Also, the author’s brave choice to include topics of chronic illness and use her own personal experiences with this to influence the character’s struggles was compelling; I loved how Sycorax named it after a demon, as it is was a separate entity from herself. I found the way the crippling pain and the daily management of this was explored to be really moving and raises important conversations around chronic illness and the stigma this can carry.

I also found the scenes surrounding Sycorax and Afalkay the Beautiful to be deeply troubling and yet raised an important discussion around men, their sense of entitlement towards women’s bodies (trigger warning needed for sure), their fear of strong women and their need to tear women down in order to maintain their own fragile masculinity. I threw up in my mouth when he said “I had desires, I am but a man after all” and then, after Sycorax told him of the damage his assault had caused to her, “You’re an ungrateful foul slut”. Unfortunately we still live in a society where this is a common attitude amongst some men and these quotes from Afalkay highlight an important feminist discussion that we must continue to have until such time as women no longer have to fear this mistreatment from entitled men. This may be the feminine rage in me talking but I was secretly hoping through the entire book that she would curse Afalkay and he would drop dead, because the hatred and loathing I felt for him was so strong. However, I liked that after Sycorax slowly begins to understand the true nature of Afalkay and see him for who he truly is (a manipulator, a narcissist, a rapist and an overall evil person) his name changes to be Afalkay the Unbeautiful. The situation with Afalkay gave us many powerful quotes, a few of which include; “Grace and Beauty can hide a bloody nature. Alluring but terrible. Charming but violent” or “Was it for his own amusement that he’d watched me and used me? I could see no other reason” or “My body felt like a stranger… The councillor had somehow erased bits of me”- all which made me feel desperately heartbroken for Sycorax and every woman out there whose story is similar.

I was sobbing multiple times whilst reading this book. Never did I think I would cry so hard over the death of a crow but there I was blubbering like a baby; the friendship between Sycorax and her crow was so sweet and pure I mourned the loss of it, especially as it was torn from her in such a cruel way by people so full of fear and hatred that they would rather kill then try to accept or understand that which is different to them. I cried at Sycorax’s final speech to the townsfolk where her anger and agony at their treatment of her is clear to see; when she cried out to them to see that she is but a woman, a human just like them and yet she was abused once again, beaten and tortured for the crime of simply being different. “...the townsfolk had seen nothing like her before and some, in order not to fear her, filled their hearts with hate”. The way the author writes about the townsfolk, their suspicion, their fear and their hatred towards the “witch” was harrowing, especially considering all she ever tried to do was fit in, help them and contribute to the very society that shunned her at every turn.

The epilogue was an incredible way to end such a moving book. I loved how the island on which Sycorax finally found freedom, trust and joy took on its own voice, very much becoming an omniscient narrator in its own way. I loved how it described Sycorax in such a loving, beautiful way, as if the land itself worshipped everything she had become and everything she stood for- something she had sadly never received from the townsfolk around which she spent the majority of her life. The final words will not be easily forgotten, had such a powerful feminist undertone, and were also something many women both today and in history would relate to; “If a jealous man comes along… he might be inclined to claim the work as his own. He might even cast her in an evil, wicked role, make her invisible and silent. Men do so hate to be outdone by women…. I know the power of stories and of voices. Even silenced ones”. The author ensured by writing this book that anyone who ever reads The Tempest in the future will not allow Sycorax to be forgotten or discarded again; “Sycorax who lived. Sycorax who made. Sycorax who sang. Sycorax who thrived.”

A few other memorable quotes I wish to mention; most of which I found deeply relatable or which had powerful feminist undertones:
“Why must it be women who are made to suffer this? Is it because we bleed that we must hide behind our fathers?.... All so we might be chosen by a husband… then kept at home like an animal, with little dignity and freedom. I am not a goat”.
“There was a mourning too. As if my childhood self had been ripped, unbidden, from my person” (a feeling many women share when going through puberty and experienced male lust for the first time).
“I felt like a prisoner, bound by my father’s care and fear, just another of my mother’s faulty products… useful but wrong, misshapen”
When finding out she had been dubbed ‘Sycorax’ by the hateful townsfolk: “I’d not let it be a statement of filth and suspicion… I’d carry it, like the mountain lion as he walked beside my mother, with pride”
There are so many more I could mention as this book is so beautifully written, but these are some of the most remarkable, the ones that stick out the most to me.

Overall I rated this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. I cannot recommend this book highly enough and I will most definitely be on the lookout for any future books this author decides to write. I have fallen in love with the way she writes and the powerful messages her stories carry beneath the words. A huge thank you to Netgalley and Nydia Hetherington for this ARC.

A reimagining of the backstory of Sycorax, the mother of the character Caliban from Shakespeare's The Tempest.
Sycorax, blessed with healing gifts, bent and troubled by chronic pain, is raised on an island by her parents, and viewed mistrustfully by the local town's residents.
We follow her through childhood and early adulthood as she struggles to win the confidence of the locals in a world where any woman being different from the norm is accused of witchcraft.
I very much enjoyed this story. The prose was gorgeous and I loved the character of Sycorax. The characters around her were also very interesting in their own right. The first three quarters had me incredibly invested, I just felt it wasn't as strong towards the end. Overall a story I'm glad I read and one I will remember.

This is the poster child for Strong Start and then falling apart in the middle.
Initially I was completely hooked but the first few chapters and was set for this to be in my top reads for the month... but the further I got into it, the less I found myself caring about the characters and the story... it is like the author lost their way and it just repeated itself over and over again, which made it very boring and predicable - like when the characters in a movie say 'lets split up' you know what's going to happen next - that's the vibe I got from this book from about 40% in.

Unfortunately I didn't really enjoy this. Although it started promisingly, I found it quite repetitive and flat. The descriptive world building was occasionally lush but mostly just poop and general grim uncleanliness all round which made this a fairly gross read and I struggled to un scrunch my face and concentrate on what was actually happening. I can appreciate this reflected the tone and made up the atmosphere of this telling but i was too distracted by it. The chronic pain and disability rep was handled beautifully and the prose was really poetic and lush in the main, but the second half just dragged and felt a lot younger. I did enjoy the ending and would of rather heard more about this time of Sycorax's life but that wasn't the point of this story. I think other readers will really like this, it just wasn't for me.
Thanks to Netgalley and Quercus Books for the arc, all thoughts are my own and left voluntarily.

With beautiful prose and nature imagery, as well as a grounded depiction of disability, the story of how Sycorax comes to be on the island holds some promise, but ultimately falls down on its length and repetition

I'm really sorely lacking in my Shakespeare knowledge, but I was still drawn to read this because the premise sounded really good. My expectations tend to work against me, because I just thought this was okay.

The writing is definitely Hetherington's biggest strength. The prose was very lyrical and flowed like the sea whenever the plot called for somber moments or the most tumultuous ones. It almost felt lifted straight from Shakespeare's pen himself.

Sycorax is a pretty strong character, too. In the face of sexism and fear of her knowledge and powers, she takes it all in stride, all while battling an auto-immune disease. The author spoke of the personal stake she had in writing this, as she was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and had to deal with a lot of misogyny while she was seeking treatment. That experience definitely reflects much of Sycorax's struggle through a lot of the book, but it doesn't define her, whatsoever. The parts I enjoyed most with her are those she shared with her old widow friend Yemma, who is delightfully chaotic and an amazing friend to the main character.

The reason why I didn't rate this higher was because I found the story to be too long. Despite the pretty writing, it got repetitive and lengthy a lot of the time, especially whenever Sycorax was alone and was having internal reflections. Those bits bored me and took my enjoyment away from the story.

All in all, for someone who hasn't read The Tempest yet, I still think this is a good reimagining of an unseen, but vital, character. People who love the play may get a lot more joy from this novel than me, but all for the best, really.

Good historical fiction about the origins of Sycorax and how she came to be banished to the uninhabited island. I did find it a bit disjointed but that could have just been the way the e book was.

I was so hyped for this book because I love The Tempest, and the premise felt like a breath of fresh air from mythology retellings, which I'm a little tired of. I found the prose beautiful: the descriptions of the natural world are like a fairytale, which I think is stunning. Unfortunately I can't rate this higher because I found it quite small in its scope. Sycorax knows so few people, who are all quite flat characters, and her life is so limited, that it wasn't expansive and powerful like I'd hoped. Her magic is natural and drawn from organic systems, which is a nice feature, but I'd hoped for globe trotting and real, dangerous power, which I felt was missing here. That's probably the fault of my expectations! But I don't think this will stay with me.

“They’ll call us witches, accuse us of bad things, for they’ll not abide a woman with knowledge and ability” - ‘Sycorax’, Nydia Hetherington

——————

I cannot recommend this book highly enough - it is a truly beautiful & heartbreaking story, full of pain, love, loneliness and feminine rage. Particularly if you are a fan of magical realism & feminist retellings of mythological figures, this is absolutely the book for you! This is also a very character-driven & prose-heavy tale, and I fell in love with it very quickly. I am so grateful to NetGalley, Quercus Books and Nydia Hetherington for letting me read this ARC, I feel very privileged to have gotten to experience this story.

Nydia Hetherington writes in such an enchanting yet grounded way. Her choice to centre this latest book on Sycorax - a witch who is briefly mentioned in a few lines of Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’ - was inspired, and the seeds she grew from those brief Shakespearean mentions, creating such an awe-inspiring & sympathetic main character, is wonderful to experience. Sycorax is flawed but extremely relatable & endearing, and I felt for her throughout the story (some joy, some full-blown rage); she’s a very well-written character.

This story gives an incredibly insightful look at the realities of living with a chronic pain condition, and living as a woman in a misogynist world, and the strength it takes to bear those burdens. I particularly loved getting to hear about the lives of Atlas, Sycorax and Yemma - showing us many different facets of the experiences of women and anyone perceived as an ‘outsider’ - throughout the narrative. A lot of the physical pain that Sycorax experiences was described so vividly & effectively; I would go so far as to say this book is an important read for anyone who has no experience of chronic pain themselves but wants to better understand it.

As there are some heavy themes touched on in this story, I will list Content Warnings for those who find them helpful. So please look away now to avoid MINOR SPOILERS BELOW:

——————

Content Warnings:

- angry/judgmental parent, potentially triggering for child emotional abuse
- animal cruelty & death
- bereavement & death, including death of a parent
- chronic pain condition (throughout, described in detail) and ableism
- depression
- misogyny (throughout), including rape culture & predatory behaviour by a man in a position of power against teenage girls
- pregnancy & childbirth (mentioned multiple times throughout, one instance of childbirth described in detail)
- sexual content (not described in detail)
- sexual harassment & assault/rape (some described in detail)
- slavery, including brief description of slave ships
- violence - including mob violence, war/invasion, and semi-graphic injury (description of burning flesh)
- xenophobia

Sycroax is engaging and eloquently written. A beautiful and harrowing tale of a gifted woman and her unique journey. So unique! For fans of mythological retellings.

Sycorax by Nydia Hetherington is masterpiece in book form. This is one of my favorite reads so far. So so good. I rated it 5 stars because it's amazing and the characters are fantastic.

Beautifully written! That's what stuck with me right away, it's like you are riding through the sky in a cloud as you watch everything happen. Being 100% honest I believe this is a great book but could have been way better if it was a little shorter, closer to 300 pages would have been perfect. It was beautifull but the narration sometimes felt like it dragged for way too long. Either way, thank you so much netgalley for letting me read this book!

Sycorax by Nydia Hetherington 🌊🐦‍⬛🐚

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Seer. Sage. Sorceress.

“I know the power of stories and of voices. Even silenced ones. So let me end mine with what I have seen of Sycorax, and assure you again that once, she had a voice, and it was loud and melodious and filled with magic”.

A tale based on Shakespeare’s vicious and foreboding witch from The Tempest. This literary fictional novel delves into the character of Sycorax and discusses womanhood, interconnectedness to nature, and the fear of femininity. This is a story of defiance. Defiance against the structural norms of a patriarchal society. And defiantly living with a chronic illness. In spite of all the isolation, hatred and misogyny Sycorax faced, she remained vigilant and fortuitous. Much of Sycorax’s strength is attributed to her upbringing with her tenacious and otherworldly mother. But Sycorax’s faith in her inner strength and finding her identity in a world that shuns it, is something to truly admire. Because of this, she is vehemently hated among her townsfolk as she won’t disappear to much of their displeasure. There’s nothing like a woman with great knowledge to make men fearful. My heart for Sycorax was continuously shattered and my rage simmered for the injustices she faced.

I think Hetherington’s writing style is beautiful and filled with descriptions that makes you feel as though you are the character. I was never bored with the story and was constantly wondering what was going to happen next. This novel is definitely for readers who love a retelling of a misunderstood woman. And I think those who loved Circe by Madeline Miller will definitely enjoy this.

Thank you to @netgalley and @quercusbooks for sending me this eARC in exchange for an honest review ✨

As an easily pleased reader (you're going to have to work hard to convince me not to give a book 4 stars min) I was still blown away by this book. I don't often read books I would describe as poetic and lyrically written, but I loved the lush writing style and descriptiveness of this story.
I haven’t read Shakespeare for YEARS, so I feel like I went into this with little background, and I don’t think that matters. It is a little heavy, Sycorax goes through a lot of pain and hard experiences, so I know this won’t be for everyone. But I loved the interwovenness of nature and pain and balance in this story. I didn't find it particularly fast paced (even though it covers the years of her life) but I felt swept along by the lyrical storytelling.
There is also a strong thread of feminism and criticism of hoard mentality, so many lines had my heart swelling, think there is so many subtle (and not so subtle) criticisms of society (current and past) woven into this story.
I will think of Sycorax every time I see a lonesome crow. 5 stars, I wouldn’t be able to be convinced otherwise.
Thankyou @Netgalley and @quercusbooks for the opportunity to read this book before it is released later this month!

This was such a unique perspective and a beautiful telling of Sycorax. I remember studying The Tempest in school and never gave much thought to Sycorax and this really opened my eyes to mourning for her. I loved the lyrical prose.

Really enjoyed the premise of this. The first half of the book was brilliant, entertaining and well written but I thought the second half became really repetitive and quite young adult? Which is not necessarily a bad thing but just not to my particular taste. I do think a lot of people will enjoy this when it is published and it is a very special story!!

As someone who reads prolifically but loves a good retelling of a classic, this was right down my alley.

I found the writing style really interesting and it pulled me in the way my English teacher did when teaching The Tempest back when I studied A-Levels. From the get-go, I was invested and I loved the use of language throughout the book. The characters were mostly well-rounded, and I enjoyed the way the novel developed.