So this was Madeline Miller's (classics prof, Shakespeare and theatre nerd, this woman stole my identity) second novel, after The Song of Achilles, which is one of my forever faves. Circe has a gorgeous cover (the UK one at least? it's so PRETTY) and features more Greek mythology from a ~new perspective:

In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe has neither the look nor the voice of divinity, and is scorned and rejected by her kin. Increasingly isolated, she turns to mortals for companionship, leading her to discover a power forbidden to the gods: witchcraft.

When love drives Circe to cast a dark spell, wrathful Zeus banishes her to the remote island of Aiaia. There she learns to harness her occult craft, drawing strength from nature. But she will not always be alone; many are destined to pass through Circe's place of exile, entwining their fates with hers. The messenger god, Hermes. The craftsman, Daedalus. A ship bearing a golden fleece. And wily Odysseus, on his epic voyage home.

There is danger for a solitary woman in this world, and Circe's independence draws the wrath of men and gods alike. To protect what she holds dear, Circe must decide whether she belongs with the deities she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love.

At least a couple of us have read it (and/or TSOA) and I like to rant, so. Here we are.

Random starter questions for inspo:
— What did you like about it? What did you dislike?
— If you have also read TSOA, how did you find it compared?
— What did you think of Circe's characterisation? Were there any other of the mythical characters you particularly liked/hated/were interested in reading about over others?
— What did you make of the "plot"? (I say, because... I didn't think it had much of one...)

---

This is a discussion thread for people who have read or are reading the book in question. With that in mind, there are likely to be spoilers throughout. However, in the event of major twists or “how it ends”, please wrap content in spoiler tags.