The title character in Circe is a young, minor goddess in Greek mythology. The estranged daughter of Helios, the powerful titan of the sun, she was born with power but is not what you might expect. Circe is a strong-willed young woman, and we travel through the eras of Greek mythology with her, through the ruthless and quirky gods of her father’s household, to the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, the creation of Scylla, and her affair with Odysseus. Throughout her immortal life, the readers discovers how Circe transforms from a lonely and bitter minor god, into an outcast witch, and finally comes into her own identity.

I enjoyed the audiobook but found it easy to pause and come back to later. Unlike Madeline Miller’s other novel, The Song of Achilles, this was not constantly riveting, probably because Circe was of milder character, and not quite so firm in her beliefs, which comes as a direct result of her being in the journey of finding herself. The character development was excellent, the reader can hear Circe transform, as she is molded by the traumatic events in her life, and she grows stronger and more confident because of them. The story is interesting, as it follows Greek Mythology, with a personal take on it, which is always exciting. A reader rarely gets to hear about Scylla, Odysseus, and King Minos by the same narrator. However, there are no intense action sequences, where you want to know what happens next and feel captivated as a reader, which is mainly why I rated this novel a 3/5.

The book was well written, I really enjoyed Madeline Miller’s prose, and I think that the novel would be an excellent book club read, because there is so much to talk about. Circe is a very strong female protagonist, intelligent, and not the typical promiscuous nymph in Greek mythology. Readers can talk about how events shaped her life, how she dealt with the latter, and whether or not Circe chose her path. The novel is an empowering read for women, although I found some sections depressing, due to the life that shaped the protagonist.

Note: There is a rape scene, without gory details, but it is narrated by the victim, which could be disturbing. Incestuous relationships are present, although because Circe is immortal, it is not as big of a deal as it would be otherwise.

I would recommend this audiobook to someone interested in Greek Mythology, or someone looking for a book with a strong female lead. Someone just picking this up might find it too heavy a read to be fully enjoyed, but this book can be enjoyed greatly, and I recommend it. Similar reads include Madeline Miller’s other work,The Song of Achilles, and for another in-depth read with many themes and a strong female protagonist, I suggest To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.