Book Review: Medea by Eilish Quin

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Witchcraft relies on the connection among all things, the intrinsic links that tie us all together. And as far as voids go, I would imagine that all of us are mostly made up of space—although whether or not that qualifies as emptiness is another matter.”

When it comes to Greek mythology and feminist retellings, I find it difficult to look away. I’ve been looking forward to reading a retelling of Medea, who I consider one of the most complex and fascinating characters in Greek mythology and I’m glad to say that debut author Eilish Quin’s retelling of Medea’s story does not disappoint!

Granddaughter of Helios, Titan god of the sun, Medea was born to the sorcerer King Aeetes of Colchis and Oceanid nymph Idyia. The novel follows Medea through her formative years, growing up in Colchis with her older sister Chalciope and younger brother Phaethon for whose care she assumes responsibility after their mother returns to the sea despite the prophetic visions and the sense of foreboding that had prompted Idyia to distance herself from her daughter. Her relationship with her father is complicated. Aeetes oscillates between complete disregard for his daughter and disdain for her wild ways unlike her more demure and lady-like sister, and begrudging acknowledgment when he realizes she possesses a gift for knowledge not unlike his own or his sister, the powerful sorceress Circe, which prompts him to agree to help her in the study of the art of Pharmakon- the power of herbs and flowers. But Medea goes a step further and hones her skills in private, fully aware that her father would never allow her to experiment as she does, leaning toward darker practices. We follow her through the years as she meets Jason and the Argonauts on their quest, a turning point in her life that brings with it an opportunity for freedom from her stifling life in Colchis, love, marriage, chaos, betrayal, grief and a shocking act of revenge that earns her the reputation of one of the most maligned and vilified characters in Greek mythology.

"'Heroes,' I explained bluntly. 'Those who seek only their own aggrandizement, and glory, who are more concerned with their legendary legacies than with the realities of those around them, who serve as unlucky collateral. In a thousand years, stories of your greatness may still abound, while the lives and aspirations of the less charismatic mortals who served and adored you utterly, drift away into obscurity, forgotten. What truth is there in that?'"

Medea by Eilish Quin is a captivating novel and an impressive debut. Beautifully written and vividly descriptive with a fluid narrative, I thoroughly enjoyed the feminist take on Medea’s story, especially the first half of the novel set in Colchis. The narrative is shared from the first-person PoV of our protagonist. Medea’s willfulness, intellect and desire to learn, her enterprising nature and the risks she takes render her a compelling character. Those familiar with Medea’s story are aware that there are elements that are upsetting and needless to say some scenes might be difficult to read but the author manages to portray the “archetypal femme fatale, a mother, a sorcerer, a sister, a murderess” as a dutiful daughter, a loving mother and a faithful wife to a husband who does not appreciate all she has done for him. Her pain, her rage and her grief are palpable and despite everything we know about her, the reader would find it difficult to not feel a certain degree of sympathy for her and this is where the author succeeds in humanizing the scorned witch we read about is different versions of the myths. Having said that, I thought the author exercised considerable restraint in exploring the darker side of Medea’s story and I would have enjoyed the novel even more had Medea’s darkness been explored beyond necromancy in the second half of the novel. Given this is a feminist retelling and though she is mentioned once in the context of the Argonauts, I also would have appreciated Atalanta’s presence in the segments featuring the Argonauts, but I respect the author’s choice to omit the same and this point did not influence my rating.

Do read the Author's Note where she discusses her love for Greek mythology, her take on the characters from the myths and her inspiration for this novel.

Overall, I found Eilish Quin’s Medea to be a compelling read that I would not hesitate to recommend to fans of Greek mythology and/or feminist retellings/reimaginings of the same.

Many thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.