Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! This is gritty and dark in the best way and a surprising breath of fresh air in the retellings space. Women gaining agency in their own stories is the trend, but this book takes it a step further I think. While not a happy story, I still felt something positive when reading about Madea here, because the way she stood up for herself and didn’t hold back is inspiring.

If you came here after reading The Song of Achilles, Circe, or Clytemnestra, you’re in the right place. Medea will always hold a special place in my heart and Rosie Hewlett’s writing brings to life the devastating story of Medea in a raw and visceral way guaranteed to transform the way you view humanity as a whole.

The bewitching and enchanting story of Medea of Colchis, a heroine and villain looking for the freedom to be herself.

If you like your mythology stories dark and twisty, this one is for you.

I didn’t really know anything about Medea going in, so I’m unsure how accurate it is to the original myth, but I was interested in the character development that Medea underwent as the story progressed.

I read this as part of a readathon for the prompt ‘righteous female anger’ and it was certainly that. Unfortunately I would imagine that most women reading this book will be able to empathise with some part of Medea’s struggles and experiences.

It’s certainly not a feel good book, and I’m not sure to say that I enjoyed it would be precisely accurate either, as I didn’t find any of the characters to be particularly likeable, but I was interested and invested in the story.

If you like dark mythology, this is one for you!

I loved this book - and I really don't like Jason.

Rosie's version of Medea was sharp and cutting. While a lot of greek retellings focus on giving women back their voices (or just their agency in their storylines), this retelling stood out to me. Not only is Hewlett's Medea powerful, but she's unapologetic and doesn't shy from the uglier parts of her witchcraft.

4/5

I’m not very big on Greek mythology , I’ve not read a ton of Greek mythology books but I’m someone who will read anything that has the word witch anywhere in the title or summary so this book intrigued me just from the title and that stunning cover. Thankfully I really enjoyed the story within as well!

I love a good Greek myth retelling and this one was definitely up there on the list. I loved starting in Medea's childhood and getting to witness her backstory. If the description of the book alone is not enough to sell readers on this story the dedication certainly will, "For all the women who have ever been called 'too much' or 'not enough'."

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-copy of this book!

I was not looking forward to reading this book. I just finished reading another Greek mythology retelling that I really did not enjoy and this book felt very similar to that one at the start. I was so annoyed and wasn't sure if I would be able to force myself to finish this book. But I pushed through and I'm so glad I did, because I ended up really enjoying this book! Now, I am pretty unfamiliar with Greek mythology, so I got to be shocked by the ending. Well, maybe not "shocked" as there was a lot of pretty heavy handed foreshadowing going on, but I still didn't know exactly what was going to happen. It was really interesting reading a story about a woman willing to do whatever it takes to be accepted and loved. I haven't read many books where the main character has a negative character arc. I'm going to have to seek out more stories with this. I'm happy I received an ARC of this book, otherwise I probably would've quit reading it a couple chapters in. Highly recommend giving this a read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"The Witch of Colchis" by Rosie Hewlett, formerly titled simply "Medea", tells the story of the famed sorceress, Medea, of Greek Mythology. She who betrayed her family to aid Jason and the Argonauts in gaining the Golden Fleece. She who married Jason and gave him two sons in exile. She who was betrayed by Jason and abandoned for him to marry the young and pretty princess of Corinth. She who got her revenge by destroying what Jason loved most, cementing her place in myth as murderess, witch, and one disdained by both gods and men.

I finished this book about two weeks ago, and I just haven't been able to write a review yet because I'm so haunted by the writing of this sad, sad story. For context, I've been a big fan of the mythological character of Medea for a long time - I've directed two plays based on feminist retellings of her story, and I taught Euripides version to my students. As a director, my goal has always been to get the audience to empathize with Medea; I want them to feel her rage and root for her, while simultaneously fearing the end we all know is coming. This book completely succeeds in the goals I've always had for Medea's story.

Hewlett's writing evokes such sadness, bitterness, and those rare fleeting moments of hope that we hang onto. By starting at Medea's childhood, we get to see a rarely explored side of Medea's life - her family, the beginnings of her power, and what would push her to eventually betray them for Jason. There were so many sections where we see that Medea is clinging onto the idea that Jason loves her and her power instead of being disgusted by it - I was sad for her to accept the drippings of love she thought she deserved, and yet, I know that I and many women I know have done and felt that way. The middle section about Jason's family was new to me, and it was horrifying and sad to witness. I felt like this story dealt the best with Medea's children - there was a level of peace there that I haven't felt elsewhere. I think this is due to Hewlett's deft hand with Medea's growth and thought processes.

Overall, if you are a fan of Greek myth retellings, women getting revenge, and tragedies, you'll love this book. I was hooked from the dedication:

"For all the women who have ever been called 'too much' or 'not enough'."

The Witch of Colchis tells the story of Medea from a young girl who seeks to understand her magic to a queen balancing the consequences of her magic. Greek mythology retellings are one of my favorite genres so this was a bit of a miss in my reading. While the story of Medea is undeniably dark in her actions this novel introduces the narrative of trauma and abuse suffered at the hands of her father and brother to her lust for power. It is early on in the story that we see how quickly she takes to Jason, a man she has as he later describes having spoken only five words to before deciding to betray her family and run away with him. The promise of taking her away from her abusive home is what drives her to love him and to begin committing terrible acts at his request. There is a lot of protestation on Medea's part that she is doing this because she loves Jason and he loves her in kind, that she is not just a magical weapon that Jason can add to his life and use. Her ignorance went on for a bit too long that discredited her intelligence.

I did particularly enjoy the author's writing of her relationships with other women though. Circe in her childhood as a loving teacher turned rival sorceress when she begins to deny Jason. Chaliope the younger sister wed to the man Medea hoped would be her escape is the first in a line of those that Medea would do anything to protect. The best of all is Atalanta. the only woman amongst the Argonauts and the only one who very clearly sees what Jason is doing and that Medea is being manipulated.

Another odd nitpicking thing is that there was a lot of modern language and a few anachronisms that would take me out of a scene. While in some cases it was utilized well - the connecting of this ancient story to our modern life - others made the story feel truly out of place.

Greek retellings are my thing. I've loved them almost as much as I've loved reading, so I was super excited to read the Witch of Colchis. Medea has always been one of the most fascinating characters in Greek myth and I was excited to see what Hewlett would do with the character. And what I got was something that was incredibly readable, but nothing so different from the actual myth of Medea. The first half of the book where she meets Jason is the most refreshing since it retells the myth of Jason and the Argonaughts from Medea's perspective, but the second half is just...Medea by Euripides and I didn't think anything from the first half made the second half more impactful then if I had just read the second half as is. That being said, I did enjoy Medea's voice and seeing just how much Jason sucks is really well done.

This book was a great retelling of the Medea myth, it really makes you think of her as a real human being and in a way understand why she did what she did. Great book if you like Greek mythology.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of The Witch of Colchis in exchange for an honest review.

This is actually my third Medea retelling and I would probably put it at the top. This was the Medea retelling that explored the most elements of her story, like her father and brother's abuse and manipulation, Phrixus's betrayal, Circe, being on the Argo, and life after with Jason. The author absolutely excelled at making me feel for Medea and HATE Jason. I actually had to put the book down and walk away a few times because Jason's gaslighting was absolutely infuriating. After Medea did SO much for him and sacrificed everything, he manipulated and betrayed her countless times. She lived a sheltered life filled with abuse and you really can't blame her for wanting to escape and have a perfect life with a prince. Unfortunately, he was the worst person she could have trusted. This really was a sad tale about how trauma breeds villains. While I'm happy that Medea eventually took over her own narrative, it was such a shame that it came with so much grief and trauma.

I love love loved the Atalanta aspect. I think this was also my favorite portrayal of Atalanta's in a retelling. I liked that she continuously stood up for Medea and Medea learned to stand up for her. It was great that there were several strong women in the story and I liked that the author showed up both the good and bad parts of Atalanta's journey too. While she was portrayed as a strong self assured hunter, she was still repeatedly meant to silence herself and hide her opinions just to earn a spot among the Argonauts as a woman. It goes to show that weak men love to manipulate strong women.

I also liked how the author chose to end the book (although I don't think Phrixus needed to be there) with her father and sister. It really made the story come full circle.

Overall, I gave this book 4 stars. Retellings often struggle with adding the author's voice to an existing story. They can feel very similar to one another. But, I felt like this author actually added something to the story and had really vivid and gorgeous writing. This was my first Rosie Hewlett book and I would love to read more! I think I'm going to try her Medusa book next.

Ah, Medea: a woman scorned burns her life to cinders! That's how I remember her from Jason and the Argonauts.

I grew up reading Mary Renault, which sets my historical-fiction bar pretty high. Renault was (among other things) a scholar of Ancient Greece and Crete. Because of <I>The King Must Die<I/> and <I>The Charioteer<I/> my expectation is that if I'm reading about the scandals and dramas of 2500 years ago, it should feel as transportive as science fiction, because <I>that<I/> world is not like this world.

So with that caveat, I saw the lovely cover to <I> The Witch of Colchis<I/>, and thought I would give it a try. This retelling of Medea's story, starts with Medea as a girl transforming her swinish brother into a pig, a sin for which she is beaten by her brutal father. Medea's aunt, Circe, is brought in to reverse the spell and teach the child to control her power.

Circe praises her skills, tells her to accept her power, and warns her not to use black magic. Then Circe does not return one day, which Medea experiences as abandonment, just another trauma for her as a shunned, beaten, unloved child. Fast forward to when Medea is 18 (an old maid! with a miserable grudge-holding brother yammering for her death!), when along comes the extremely charming, sociopathic Jason and his cinematically attractive crew of Argonauts. She falls for Jason instantly. What follows is all too familiar: a woman subjugating her will to a gaslighting mate, betrayal, more subjugating, guilt, and more betrayal until Medea finally snaps.

This novel was not to my taste. It felt strangely modern, both in terms of language (sympathetic Atalanta says, "OK" and commiserates with Medea by saying things like "It must be hard to hear that,") and detail (when did doctors get called in for childbirth? why was lesbianism an alien concept for Medea? was that the first naked body she'd seen?). I was jolted from the narrative by dialogue that might easily translate to facile television repartee.

Ultimately, I didn't find Medea interesting enough as a character -- perhaps because so many of her appalling actions were driven externally. This Medea was easily goaded to action by others, making her more victim than villain. When she reaches for black magic, the spirits of the dead perform her worst sins, making Medea a sort of puppet rather than a person with her own volition and will. Personal preference, but I like a protagonist to take a stand: good, evil, a mix –– but something.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the eARC in exchange for my unfettered opinion.

The Witch of Colchis" by Rosie Hewlett is a must-read novel that breathes fresh life into this timeless story of Medea. Hewlett's engaging writing style adds depth to familiar characters while paying homage to the essence of the original narrative. It's a compelling retelling that honors the legacy of mythology while offering a new perspective, making it a standout addition to the genre of mythological tell-all novels.
It was incredibly hard to put down. Reminded me of Circe by Madeline Miller for sure, but really was it's own, unique take on a powerful woman of ancient Greece.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I truly don't think I will ever get bored of Medea stories. The Witch of Colchis follows the story of Medea and Hewlett's writing is engaging and brings life into a story that has been told so many times. I loved the way Hewlett put their spin on the characters while also paying homage to the original story. The writing keeps tension throughout the book that kept me on the edge of my seat and I found that it was a great telling of the story and it continues the legacy of great mythology retellings.

The Witch Of Colchis is a gripping, harrowing-and at times frustrating-portrayal of Medea, one of the most controversial figures in mythology. Those who are familiar with the stories surrounding her will certainly understand why.

The Witch Of Colchis delves into the people, ideologies and events that help to shape Medea into woman she inevitably becomes. She is a complex character: surrounded by abuse and neglect, naive, yearning for affection and freedom and yet still bound by the the narrow constraints of womanhood despite the remarkable powers she possesses as a sorceress.

Medea’s relationship with Jason, the leader of the Argonauts, is a tragic one tinged with codependency, betrayal and unfulfilled expectations. The moments of gaslighting used against her were not only infuriating to read, but also a symptom of Jason’s own self-deception: as though an insinuation rather than a direct request could remove personal responsibility.

Although the continued besmirchment of Medea’s reputation throughout the novel helps to assure him otherwise.

Nevertheless, Medea’s darker actions are not excused, though her inner motivations help to illuminate the reasoning behind her decisions. Medea’s initial relationships with her sister Chalciope, her aunt Circe and Atalanta, the only female Argonaut, briefly provide some of the rare uplifting moments within the novel.

These moments feel necessary as the near-conclusion of The Witch Of Colchis is quite bleak. Neither gratuitous nor wholly unexpected, but seemingly the culmination of the continued mistreatment and trauma that Medea experienced.

But it is also not the end of her story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing access to this ebook. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

As someone who takes their degree in Classics entirely too seriously, I was very excited to tear this book apart (looking at you 300). That did not end up happening.

The thing I love the most about myths is how prolific the messages we get from them are. I remember reading Medea for the first time for my undergrad (Euripides' version forever) and being absolutely entranced. We have a myth featuring a highly complicated woman that deals with xenophobia, misogyny, and morality that ends completely contrary to anything the "standard" Greek tragedy says it should. Rosie Hewlett took these themes in stride and went on to tie in another theme that completely modernizes the story.

As your starting this story, you immediately feel for Medea. Not just sympathy, but (at least I did) empathy. It really felt like Hewlett looked inside my brain and stole all the thoughts and insecurities from my high school years. It was a little scary how relatable Medea was, actually. After all, how many times have we ignored the red flags of someone we wished would just take us away from our horrible and mundane lives? How badly have we wished for someone to see us, truly see every part of us, and not balk at the worst parts?

Because I knew of this story before I read Hewlett's version, I obviously knew how it ended. But, Hewlett is such a phenomenal manipulator of her readers' minds that I caught myself thinking many times "Well, this time could be different, right?". Which, of course it couldn't, it never does. That's simply not how Medea's story goes. But Medea believes so deeply that Jason could be the one to save her that she shifts every world view she has to fit this narrative, and it ends up infecting the reader.

All in all, this was an amazing read. Hewlett brings such life to an ancient legend, and makes it so much more relatable for the modern reader. And remember, if not one, but TWO trusted females in your life tell you that your new boyfriend is bad news, listen to them.

This was superb.
No other way to describe it.
This and Clytemnestra, best mythology retellings in recent years, hands down.

"Though, if I have learnt one thing in my life, it is that nobody will hand you your happiness. For happiness is not a gift to be given freely but a prize to be claimed."

I did Medea in school in classics, and was familiar with the story and interested to see how Rosie would deal with the more dramatic and heavy moments.
This book was so compellingly un-put-downable, that even knowing the horrors that were to come, I charged head first so recklessly fast towards it...
And Rosie, Bravo. Those final few chapters were...harrowing! Oh such deliciously sweet agonising words...
Actually, all the words in this book were great. Rosie's prose was honestly excellent. The story was conveyed so clearly and emotionally, and we could see so deeply into the characters mindsets and the customs and feel of the time, she had obviously done her homework on this!

The way she handled Medea herself was superb. The build from young girl to the villainness as we know her from legends and Euripides is such a well constructed and organic journey.
“The world tried to make me the victim, so I became its villain.”
Seeing her evolve from a naive and rather foolish girl was so well handled and all the result of one person...Jason.
Oh man will Rosie make you HATE this guy. Seeing him on the page was honestly like nails across a chalkboard by the end! I just wanted to rip out the pages with him and shake sense into Medea (luckily I was reading on a kindle).
“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. There seems to be a skill to this treatment, an art form, like a jailer toying with his prisoner.”

Honestly, cannot fault this book. 5 stars easily and I will be nagging people to preorder it pretty much on repeat until it comes out...

The Witch of Colchis by Rosie Hewlett is the story of Medea and Jason and how he rides her skirt through life. Claiming credit and glory from her accomplishments, using her magic to save himself, and then ultimately betraying her. This story is a brutal lesson not to give up yourself or your life for anyone.

I love Rosie Hewlett's writing style. This book is a must-read for mythology lovers!

Thank you, NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark, for an advanced copy of The Witch of Colchis in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed it!