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Medea

A Novel

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Medea

By: Eilish Quin
Narrated by: Gail Shalan
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Discover the full story of the sorceress Medea, one of the most reviled and maligned women of Greek antiquity, in this “haunting, deeply moving” (Claire Legrand, New York Times bestselling author) debut in the tradition ofCirce,Elektra, andStone Blind.

Among the women of Greek mythology, the witch Medea may be the most despised. Known for the brutal act of killing her own children to exact vengeance on her deceitful husband, Jason, the leader of the Argonauts, Medea has carved out a singularly infamous niche in our histories.

But what if that isn’t the full story?

The daughter of a sea nymph and the granddaughter of a Titan, Medea is a paradox. She is at once rendered compelling by virtue of the divinity that flows through her bloodline and made powerless by the fact of her being a woman. As a child, she intuitively submerges herself in witchcraft and sorcery but soon finds her skills may not be a match for the prophecies that hang over her entire family like a shroud.

As Medea comes into her own as a woman and a witch, she also faces the arrival of the hero Jason, preordained by the gods to be not only her husband but also her lifeline to escape her isolated existence. Medea travels the treacherous seas with the Argonauts, battles demons she has never imagined, and falls in love with the man who may ultimately be her downfall in this fresh and propulsive “must-have” (Library Journal, starred review) read in which you will finally hear Medea’s side of the story through a fresh and feminist lens. Classics Genre Fiction Greek Mythology Literary Fiction Magic Users Ancient Greece Witchcraft Women's Fiction Fantasy Mythology Magic Ancient Fiction Ancient History Historical Fiction
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Critic reviews

"Gail Shalan approaches this story of one of the most controversial figures in Greek mythology in a tone of hushed gravitas. When young Medea gains the favor of the goddess Athena, her path to notoriety paved in blood and magic is sealed. Shalan’s vocal agility is undeniable; one minute she is Medea as a child, high-pitched and naïve, and the next, she embodies Medea’s father, the sorcerer king Aeëtes, who has the tone of one who has glimpsed a grim future. Particularly effective is Shalan’s rendering of Medea’s mother, Idyia, a sea nymph and oracle whose lilting voice—marked with surprising intensity during moments of prophecy—effectively renders her intimate yet distant relationship with her husband and children."
Sympathetic Portrayal • Complex Character • Compelling Retelling • Feminist Perspective • Poetic Prose

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I fell in love with the re-imagination of Greek mythology from a woman's perspective when I first read Circe. Medea is just as well written. The story is well ploted and the voice dramatization is awesome. Thank you for offering a new version of this ancient story. I enjoyed it.

Beautifully written, lovely re-imagination of Medea

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I loved this story, loved the narrator. I was completely captivated. The Circe cameo was my fav part

Really great!!!

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This white washed version of Medea’s story dilutes her madness and complexity. The narration is bleating.

I flew between delight and rage listening.

Unlistenable and interesting

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I hate to give a book a lesser rating when it is likely based on opinion & unmet expectations rather than the quality of the book itself. I understand this book is based on mythological characters. However, I was under the assumption the characters would be portrayed in a more realistic manner.

In this story, the characters maintained their mythological attributes which made it very unrealistic & unrelatable. Additionally, there was witchcraft & sorcery woven throughout as well as references to otherworldly creatures. I don’t mind some elements of witchcraft in historical fiction because I realize these practices were not uncommon throughout history, but here it all seemed very farfetched.

Again, this might be an entertaining story for those who enjoy books based on mythology & fantasy, but it simply wasn’t my cup of tea. All that being said, I would like to add that the narrator was superb!

Disappointing

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I'm only on chapter 3, but this is going to be a return. The narrator is atrocious. The delivery is a constant variation of average speech and breathy, whispery, and difficult to hear. Male voices "shound like thish" with the 's' being pronounced as 'sh'. I don't think I've ever returned a book based solely on the narrator. This shall be a firSHt. (insert eye roll and vomit emojis here)

Terrible narrator

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