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.

You just can't beat a great mythological retelling and this was fantastic.
A must read if you enjoy titles such a Circe, Stone Blind and Amy Jennifer Saint books

Another job well done by Rosie. Medea's story is truly heartbreaking and the whole time your torn between loving her or hating her. I have to say though, that I'm really glad I've learned the phonetic alphabet as it allowed to pronounce all the names correctly.

Unlike Medusa, I had never heard of Medea or Jason before this book, but I'm sure I won't forget about her.

I've always been intrigued by Greek mythology and I love how real Rosie let the myths become. History is always told one way, but giving us this point of view, makes every story more tragic than they already are.

This book was action packed from the start and made it very hard to put down. I'm so grateful to have gotten a chance to read it through Netgalley and I'm sure I will get my hands on a physical copy once I get the opportunity to do so.

I can't wait to see which story Rosie brings to life now!

An excellent retelling of the Greek myth of Medea, casting her in a more sympathetic light. A great read for fans of Jennifer Saint.

Fans of Madeline Miller’s Circe look no further! An excellent retelling of a tragic Greek myth, Rosie Hewlett does a great job of finding justification for Medea’s heinous acts, namely her fathers abusive upbringing and Jason’s manipulation and betrayal. Medea is usually portrayed as the villain but Hewlett manages to create great empathy for her. I look forward to reading more from this author and will definitely be reading her debut, Medusa.

Thank you Netgalley, Random House and Rosie Hewlett for this ARC.

I am grateful to NetGalley and Random House for the chance to read and review a PPC of this book.
This is another in a long and increasing list of books re-imagining the Greek myths from a female or feminist perspective. I love these myths so am always interested to see what is made of them.
At first it seemed formulaic and most of the characters rather wooden.
Unlike others of the genre it is impossible to retell the story of Medea without embracing the magic that she wielded. It was what enabled her to help Jason succeed in his quest for the Golden Fleece.
Hewlett draws a distinction between the ‘earth magic’ learned from her aunt Circe and the dark magic which Medea adopts and finds increasingly difficult to control. Medea’s character and behaviour is given its origins in an extremely abused childhood, regularly beaten by her father and bullied by her brother while her mother looks on unwilling or unable to help.
As the story progresses the characters of Jason and Medea are developed: Jason as an egocentric, manipulative adventurer who readily seeks Medea’s help then blames her for everything that goes wrong; Medea as a driven woman, desperately in love but driven by her demons to greater and more terrible crimes. A desperate attempt is made to explain, if not to justify, the murder of her own children - rescuing them from being the bad men they would become when the bald truth is that it was simple blind revenge on her husband Jason.
There are some minor faults of English grammar and one error: on page 366 Eros is said to be the son of Athena. He was the son of Aphrodite.

Medea by Rosie Hewlett is such a beautiful but entertaining book, the author did such an amazing job of the retelling of Medea from Greek mythology.

This was such a heartbreaking book about Medea, who has spent all her life being used for her powers, moving from prison to prison and her family who were horrible and either feared or hated her. Reading about her love for Jason but as you get further in Jason is just using her for her powers when all Medea wants is just freedom.

I really enjoyed this book; it was such an interesting but entertaining book that delves into Greek mythology, it was written incredibly well, and the overall writing is so smooth and very well done that captures the readers into the heartbreaking story of Medea; my heart bled for her and the actions and decisions that were took. Such a capturing book for readers, sad and hard for the character and overall makes such a fascinating read that you will think about afterwards.

A massive thank you to Netgalley and the publishers Random House UK and Transworld Publishers for the copy of this arc in exchange of an honest review.

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!

4.75/5
My heart breaks for Medea. She spent almost her entire life being used for her gift and she went from one prison to another when all she wanted was freedom. The only time people were grateful for her power was either when she was doing their bidding and staining her own hands with blood in the process, or when she was saving their life. Other than that: Witchcraft = Evil.

I know it’s unfair to accuse a Greek myth about Medea of being dark but this was indeed a bleak recounting of this well-known tale. I suppose I had wished that the rough edges of the story would be softened by hope and that this feminist retelling would result in empowerment which leads to freedom. Alas, Ms. Hewlett’s tale focused almost exclusively on how Jason manipulated Medea, taking her from her father’s prison into another prison fueled by lust, control, and violence: marriage to feed his egomaniacal plans. I guess it’s safe to say my heart bled for Medea, for the horrible choices she made; and for how, even at the end, she’s still stuck making decisions to feed the greedy aims of gods and men, no matter what she believes about herself. And ultimately, if you’re *not* going to twist the ending towards hope (in regards to Jason and Medea’s children), I’m going to feel sick to my stomach because there is never a justification for violence against children. I don’t mean to come down on heavy on this book. I’m willing to try any mythology books from Rosie Hewlett; I adored her version of Medusa for being poignant and hopeful and a wonderful reflection on overcoming suffering, and for infusing Perseus the demi-god hero with a dose of much-needed humanity. But “Medea” was a little harder to swallow.

This is the story of the mythical Medea, and her love for Jason. It is a story of betrayal and magic. The characters are well drawn with Jason charming at first, because he is using Medea. A terrific tale, I don't know if there have been more novels on Medea, but I love this one. Highly recommended.

Medea by Rosie Hewlett is a great historical fiction that is an entertaining retelling of a fascinating figure in Greek mythology.

I always enjoy a good retelling, or in some circumstances, a new story delving into uncharted territories and exploring an often overlooked or misunderstood figure.

I really enjoyed how smooth, engaging, and interesting this book was. I am picky about my HF involving Greek mythology, and this one passed my expectations. Following along as Medea is slowly transformed…it was bittersweet. Enthralling for the reader…hard for the character…but it makes for an excellent book.

Highly recommend.

5/5 stars


Thank you NG and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Bantam for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 3/21/24.

I read Rosie’s Medusa book when it came out so I quickly jumped at the chance to read this and wow. It was not a disappointment. This novel is just heartbreaking and beautiful.

What a brilliant book. You might think that Medea is one of those notorious characters from Greek mythology who has no redeeming qualities, but you’d be wrong. The author has spun a tale that turns everything you think you know, on its head. Well written, littered with infamous names (special shout out to Atalanta, the only female Argonaut & a legend in her own right), this book makes you look at the ‘heroes’ more closely & reconsider what you think about them. I loved it.

I’ve read many retellings this year, many of which I have given 5⭐️. But Medea absolutely blew them out of the park. The main character, Medea, was perhaps the most real I have experienced since Misaki in The Sword of Kaigen. Absolutely spellbinding. The plot was thrilling and fast paced. Watching as the character’s mind was slowly warped by manipulation and mistreatment was heartbreaking. Absolutely mesmerising. Would recommend to anyone.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this arc. I love mythology retellings and was very excited to be given an opportunity to read this

I devoured this book within 2 days, I loved everything about it. The story was completely engrossing, the pacing was great, top notch writing, excellent characters and descriptions of time and place. This is one of the best mythology retellings I have ever read and it stands up to some of my favourite books. It was quite fast paced so it had me turning the pages and wanting more. I felt so much for Medea throughout and the author has really captured her character so well
If you love mythology this one is not to be missed. Outstanding!

I was looking forward to reading Rosie Hewlett's re-telling of Medea's story, because I hoped it would finally do such a complex character justice. And this book did not disappoint!

Medea's childhood was bleak, with a brother who was a bully, a father who was controlling and condemnatory, and a ghost of a mother, barely present in any meaningful way. Her gentle younger sister was kept away from her until even she began to fear Medea...

And not without reason. Blessed or cursed - depending on how you look at it - by the Goddess Hecate, Medea's magic manifested early, earning her the undying hatred of her brother, and suspicion from others.

Until she met her aunt Circe at the age of 8, Medea had never known anyone else like herself. Unfortunately, her happiest times with Circe were to be all too short.

Desperate to escape her surroundings, Medea was constantly searching for opportunities to do so. Driven by these imperatives, she took a dangerous decision when Jason came to steal the golden fleece, one that would live on in legend...

This is a really well-written story and one that conveys all the emotion and drama inherent in Medea's semi-tragic life. Hewlett brings the characters vividly to life, and having recently reviewed Jennifer Saint's Atalanta, I was also excited at prospect of encountering her again in these pages. A gorgeous book - go get your copy now!