4.5 Stars

I have yet to read Hewlett's first book "Medusa" but now I really want to! As a fan of Greek mythology I am always enthused when a mostly forgotten character is given new life and that is Medea. Whether you are familiar with her story or not, I encourage you to read this book! If you are fans of "Circe", you get to see her here too!

I adore the way Hewlett wrote Medea as a tragic heroine of sorts; one who thinks she can manipulate darkness into happiness but ultimately meets the same calamity as most Greek characters.

My only wish was that we could have been with Medea over the time jumps (especially the Five year one) because I loved how her character grew and changed with each situation.

Overall, a satisfying story of love, power, sacrifice, and choice.

* Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an eARC*

Thank you Net Galley and publishers for letting me read an arc of this book in return for an honest review.

I love a good mythological retelling and who doesn't love a good witch story. I was quite familiar of the story of Medea and of the "great" hero Jason of the Argonauts so I was excited to read this retelling. Most stories paint Jason as the golden boy who can do no wrong and Medea as the evil witch who betrayed everyone. Jason never would have become the great hero he was if it wasn't for Medea. She did everything for him only for him to turn around and throw her away. But even though Medea is the villain she rose above everything and took what she was owed. No more men telling her what she can't do, hiding her away like their prized weapon. She's a powerful sorceress and this story portrays her as such. You really understand why she had to do the things she did. Such an action packed story, and even though I knew how it would end it was still heartbreaking to read. But in the end she still became a great queen.

3.5 ⭐️

I support women’s rights, but more importantly I support women’s wrongs (sometimes)!! I enjoy reading a female-based mythology retelling where the saying “hell hath no wrath like a woman scorned” really comes to life. And while I definitely saw some of those elements in place during this book, it was hard for me to sympathize with Medea solely based on how she ignored every single obvious red flag that Jason threw her way and ignored every single warning given to her by those who cared about her. I wasn’t too familiar with Medea’s story previous to this book and I’m glad i was able to learn about her life and all the tragedies that ensued within it.

thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Rosie Hewlett for an advanced copy of this book.

I began reading as soon as I received this book and was hooked from the start. Even if you’re not familiar with Greek mythology and Medea, you will be able to easily understand and enjoy this story. It reads like a historical fantasy novel, and pulls you in immediately. I carried the book around with me so I could fit in reading at every chance - it’s that good! Whether you’re a mythology lover or just want to get lost in a brilliant fantasy, don’t miss this one!

Thanks so much for the opportunity to read!

I could not put this book down! Medea was an absolute force of nature in Hewlett’s story and I was completely captivated by her. Seeing her go from a broken young girl taught to fear her magic to a powerful and vengeful sorceress was incredible. I also loved Medea’s relationships in this story. From her ill fated romance with Jason to her mentor Circe and friendship with Atalanta, we got to see so many different sides to her. One thing that was really prevalent was the double standards for men and women. What Jason is praised for, Medea is villainized and it was so hard to watch her let him manipulate and use her. Don’t worry, he gets what’s coming to him. I think anyone who loves Greek mythology, especially fans of Madeline Miller, Costanza Casati and Eilish Quin will enjoy this story so much.
CW: child abuse, domestic violence, animal death, child death, violence

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this one, in the end I barely liked it. I can see why there are readers who really enjoyed this one & I will always encourage readers to form their own opinions but this was not the Medea Mythology book for me.

As a fan of Circe and a promising premise of “an evocative tale of love, murder and magic” I was expecting a complicated and complex yet beautiful love story that develops over time. Components of a “coming of age” or “coming into her womanhood”, as Medea has never been accepted for who she is could have been threaded into this story. The love story could have been just Medea finally accepting herself and loving herself in the end - and not after her abuser dumps her.

Instead, we start off with a scared girl trapped and used for her power by a manipulative father and an abusive household altogether. An opportunity arises for her to escape by helping yet another manipulative man win her father’s trials in order to obtain glory. Surely, she can recognize one manipulative move for another?? No. The beginning of the books holds such promise but the entireeeeee middle is just eye roll after eye roll as Medea continuously falls for the same bullshit. She even has moments of clarity where you think “FINALLY, she is going to see these people for who they are and what they’re doing to her?!” Yet, she doesn’t.

I believe the author was trying to portray a toxic and manipulative relationship and to a degree I think it was successful but that being the sole focus for the majority of the book really didn’t lend a hand in painting a picture where Medea develops into her own person. Medea at her core isn’t a great person and she is a product of her violent upbringing. She always had darkness in her but my problem was that this entire book was her doing these harmful things because she fell in love with a manipulative man. I wanted her to do it because she was bad not because a man asked her too or that she fell in love with the first guy who made eye contact with her. Nothing she did in this book was for herself until the very end and honestly that narrative bores me.

I really couldn’t stand any of the characters except for Atalanta, who was the only one with a developed brain but unfortunately we didn’t get enough of her.

Liked the beginning, strongly disliked the middle, appreciated the end. Felt like we finally saw Medea for who she truly ends and that’s what I was interested in reading more about.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK Transworld Publishers for the eArc in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. It is due to be published September 10th.

4 stars, I liked this one a lot! Admittedly, I knew very little of the story of Medea prior to reading this so it was such a great experience to read this version of the story with mostly fresh eyes.

The Witch of Colchis retells the myth of Medea, a mortal princess granted powers from the goddess Hecate. It tells the story of her childhood, growing up with her abusive father and absent mother, and the training she received from her aunt Circe (yes! that Circe!). Medea has always felt separate from everyone around her until one day a handsome stranger and his argonauts arrive on the shores of Colchis in search of the Golden Fleece. These events set a path for Medea and we get to see how these events unfold over the next decade or so.

This was one of the most compulsively readable books I've picked up in a while. I didn't know much of the story going in and admittedly, I knew more about the side characters than Medea herself. But I was so invested from the beginning. Rosie Hewlett did a great job making you feel sympathy for Medea and what she went through without sugarcoating the darkness within her. I would say that the dialogue of the novel left a little to be desired. The writing outside of dialogue was great but perhaps the dialogue felt a little too modern day and thus out of place, compared to the rest of the writing. Also, this book does contain a lot of violence and serious subject matter so keep that in mind. It's not exactly a lighthearted book but was so riveting.

I would say if you enjoyed other retellings of greek myths, you should definitely pick this up! I'm also looking forward to reading Rosie Hewlett's other book about Medusa!

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions below are my own.

Medea does not get nearly enough attention as a fierce woman in mythology. Perhaps because her story is filled with terrible choices and bloodshed. She is a woman controlled by the men around her despite her growing power. She just wants love, acceptance and equity. Intensely bad choice after bad choice finally gets her to a place of power and agency but it leaves her with quite the reputation.

I loved immersing myself in Medea's story. The myths where you know there is nothing but heartache being retold with a little feminist glory through a modern eye really work for me. You want to say you would never make the choices she does and yet when you see why and how it's harder and harder to not relate. My only challenge with this story was the two large time jumps that felt like they glossed over a lot, especially the last one, but I guess it was already 500 pages so I understand the choice.

3.5 rounded up!

The Witch of Colchis (or Medea, to friends across the pond) is a feminist retelling of the story of Medea, truly a woman scorned. Medea is, initially, a young, naive woman who is treated extremely poorly by her parents and craves to be loved. Enter the hero Jason, who comes to her family's island to obtain the powerful golden fleece.

While this book retells a myth of ancient Greece, I found it pretty triggering. Any woman who has been treated poorly by men will see themselves in Medea. In her ease in falling in love with a man for (seemingly) no reason, in her shaping herself to fit his needs, in her unwillingness to listen to the advice of older women telling her she deserves more. I wonder how I would have perceived this book had I read it five or more years ago, when I was mentally in a place much more similar to the beginning version of Medea.

Medea does learn, along the way, of her naiveté, and I hurt deeply for her. The results of her naiveté are much more significant than the average person's and the consequences will follow her the rest of her life. It is an emotional journey to follow. This was extremely well done, and it was very enjoyable. The ending felt a little slow for me, but I would still recommend it.

Thank you to RB Media and NetGalley for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unflinchingly brutal, this is at times hard to read. But I think The Witch of Colchis does an excellent job of toeing the line between explanation and excuse in what is ultimately a compelling villain origin story. I enjoyed how much the book leaned in to the “witch” aspect and found Medea’s character before the first time jump—young, sheltered from the world and yet abused by her family, desperate for love but more desperate to escape, naive and violent and powerful—to be complex and fitting for the backstory provided. As the story continues, we see both all of the ways in which Medea is manipulated and coerced into taking horrible actions but we also see the women who try to warn her along the way, her own self-doubt, and each chance she had to turn back. The narrative never says Medea isn’t evil. It says Medea is evil AND she suffered in a myriad of ways. I enjoyed that approach and found it to be a nice way of refusing to defang Medea or rob her of her agency and power while still providing a mostly understandable look at why she acted the way she did. (I say mostly because one action is unfathomable, really, but is also a crucial point in Medea’s story).

I would love to read the story of Atalanta by the same author, as I felt like she really shined in the parts of this story where she was present.

I couldn’t get into the story just as I thought. Not disappointed but need more depth, I think. I can't remember when was the last time when I read a book in which the whole plot was 100% equal to what was written in the blurb and nothing more. There was no surprise there, no resolution to any of the plot threads and the whole story was blatantly predictable and painfully dull.

The Witch of Colchis by Rosie Hewlett is the story of Medea and Jason, a story I somehow wasn’t very familiar with. Medea was a difficult character to like, from the time she was a child and turned her brother into a pig, to the end of her relationship with Jason and the damage she did. But from an early age she did not get the love a child deserves from her parents, and then being labeled a witch and locked away in her bedroom, it was no wonder she was so easily slid into getting what she and Jason wanted, no matter the cost.

Jason was not a hero in this story, as his gift was to manipulate others and then claim the outcome for himself, as long as it was positive. Together they were toxic. Plus, from the beginning Medea seemed drawn to dark magic, thinking she was strong enough to control it, even with the warnings from Circe were discounted.

Overall, I enjoyed the story, and following Medea’s struggles being in a man’s world, being shunned for her magic, and then discarded by the man she loved and sacrificed so much for.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the advanced readers copy of The Witch of Colchis; this is my honest review.

This is no Circe or Achilles, but I still liked the story and was glued to it. Goddamn these idiot misogynistic men, even in ancient Greece. Free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, book publishes 9/10

I really enjoy these popular mythology retellings and had never read this author before but this one is a winner! I don’t remember learning about Medea in the past but the story of Jason and his Argonauts is well known. Medea’s perspective on how Jason obtained the Golden Fleece is entertaining and fascinating in this well written novel. I was engaged in the story which was never boring. Medea is such a tragic figure whose powers are exploited by all the men in her life - her father, her horrible brother and then by Jason, her husband. I could feel nothing but anger towards Jason who is portrayed as a liar, a user and the ultimate narcissist in this story. Medea was pretty much abandoned by everyone and blamed for everything but manages to seek and get revenge even by severe and tragic means. This is not a happy story but an entertaining one. I look forward to reading more by this author.

The Witch of Colchis is a mythology retelling following the life of Medea. THIS BOOK BLEW ME AWAY! I absolutely loved seeing how Medea became a "villain" and seeing her connections with other characters. This was absolutely outstanding and I cannot recommend it enough if you are a fan of mythology retellings.

Narration performed by Kristin Atherton was incredible.

I received an ARC and ALC from SOURCEBOOKS Landmark | Sourcebooks Landmark and RBmedia | Recorded Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Medea

“They’ll either make you his adoring, lovesick damsel or they’ll make you the villain. Those are the only roles they feel comfortable with us occupying.”

“Over time, I have learned that [his] love is like the harvest seasons. It swings between days of feast and famine. 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.”

I loved this book. Admittedly, I knew very little of Medea’s story so most of it was new to me which made me want to read more. It’s Greek mythology so you know it’s gonna be heartbreaking and it was. You see a girl who is treated to poorly and taken advantage of and then watch her eventually slip away into the darkness of her power forced by those around her to become the villain they all assume her to be. She makes poor choices because she’s so desperate to be loved and seen and, of course, things don’t turn out the way she’d hoped. Her character felt so real because you go through so many emotions toward her as the reader. Pity, hope, annoyance, excitement, anger, sadness, and, ultimately I think, understanding.
Rosie Hewlett’s writing is top notch. I’ll absolutely be reading Medusa and then anything else she writes. I had such a hard time picking my top quotes because there are so many. Her writing is just beautiful and this book was so great and had such a strong voice.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publishers, and the author for this arc! It was highly anticipated for me and it didn’t disappoint!

Huge thanks to Sourcebooks & NetGalley for the ARC :) This Medea retelling was devastating - I knew what was coming given her tragic story, but to unravel with her and be by her side when she gives in to her darkness was an entirely different experience. I wanted to reach through my kindle screen and shake her when she ditched Circe to go with Jason (like come on, you missed out learning from Circe???). The Chalciope epilogue was interesting, I'm still debating if I appreciated it or not. But all in all, a great retelling and I'm excited for the world to read this!

"Atalanta once told me the world would make me the villain of this story, but she was wrong. The world tried to make me the victim, so I became its villain."

The Medea retelling I never knew I needed and devoured in 4 hours. Fans of Jennifer Saint and Natalie Haynes--this one is for you! If you also enjoy stories with women full of rage and coming into their own power--you can't miss this one.

We see Medea's transformation from mismanaged and abused youth to the brutal Queen of Colchis told in a way that made my blood boil. Medea is truly a tragedy, but not for her actions as many frame her to be--she's a tragic figure because of the tragedy continuously imposed upon her by all of the men in her life in their quest for power. She's beaten down so badly she has no ability to accept hands of friendship from the women around her who try to help her until she is backed into a corner and realizes she has no other options but to do what she believes is right for herself.

You can feel her suffering, feel her rage, feel her internal struggle on every page. I was familiar with the myth prior to reading this, and yet I caught myself willing her to make different decisions, to change course on every page despite understanding why she made the choices she made.

Medea is yet another women in an incredibly long line of women across mythologies that deserved better--and in this story, she almost gets that.

I LOVED this. Devoured it in less than 5 hours and was SO ANNOYED and irritated the entire time. Hewlett's writing is fantastic at drawing out those emotions and having you cheer for Medea and her rage when it's warranted and feeling terribly for her when she uses her powers for the terrible act most are familiar with. I am already SO ready for whatever Hewlett writes next--especially if she wants to continue to provide justice to another mythological woman who deserved better. The gods only know there are a million options available.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the gifted ARC in exchange for a review!! I'm going to need a million more stories like this, thanks.

I enjoyed this book, though I do think it would be enjoyed more by other people. To preface, my only familiarity with Medea is from her brief mention in the Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan, so my idea of who she is may be off. However, unlike other retellings I have read this one does not feel like it has much of a twist to it. I'm sure given the myth it comes from that this is a different perspective, but it does not stand out against other modern books.

I do think the author accomplished her goals with the characters though. Despite surface appearances I think you can get an idea of who everyone really is pretty quickly.

The only major thing that irked me is an issue of word usage. As per arc guidelines I am not including it here currently, but when I get the chance to check a final published copy I will edit this review as needed.

Overall I do think this was worth a read, but I don't think it's something I'd reread.

I really enjoyed this book!
“The Witch of Colchis" by Rosie Hewlett is a historical novel that retells the ancient Greek myth of Medea. The author explores Medea's life, her powerful magic, and her complex relationships. I enjoyed the fresh POV blending historical and mythical elements to provide a deeper understanding of the character and her world. Highly recommend! Thank you for the ARC NETGALLEY!