This book boasts the most captivating first sentence I've ever encountered, it unfortunately falls short in its delivery.

I would like to apologize in advance that this book review turned out to be more of a critique.

"Medea: Priestess, Princess, Witch" by JJ Taylor is a Greek mythology retelling centered on the granddaughter of the sun god Helios, who plays a significant role in the myth of Jason and the Argonauts.

I appreciate the author's choice of exploring a lesser-known woman from Greek mythology and attempting to delve deeper into her narrative. It's refreshing that this particular character doesn't seem to be primarily motivated by romance, in contrast to many other stories. This intrigued me, especially since I had always envisioned Medea as being smitten by Jason in other interpretations.

But the challenge with retellings lies in the readers' expectations. Those familiar with the original story anticipate the author's thorough research on the topic. So if you happen to be familiar with the original narrative, as I am, and notice deviations, you might either commend the author for a skillful revision or find it to be a distracting element.

Having delved into Medea's lineage through readings like Madeline Miller's "Circe," I'm well aware that she is the daughter of Aetes and an ocean nymph. Thus, when the narrative referred to her father as “mortal”, I couldn't help my disappointment, and that discomfort lingered with me like a sore thumb.

I found myself overwhelmed by the overtly direct feminist ideas, particularly in Chapter 2. The abundance of dialogues seemed to forcefully emphasize these ideologies, which, despite aligning with my beliefs, felt overly aggressive and intrusive. Subsequent chapters followed a similar pattern, consistently delivering dialogues essentially proclaiming, "I am a strong woman." Personally, I believe these themes could have been conveyed more subtly, preferring a show-don't-tell approach.

I found myself being consistently informed about the emotions of the characters, almost as if I were expected to simply accept the transitions from anger to tears, for instance. However, these emotions failed to resonate with me; they were merely conveyed through narration without any genuine heartfelt connection.

The initial chapters also struggled with maintaining a consistent narrative tone. The abrupt shifts between a more formal prose and a colloquial language left me feeling disoriented, disrupting my immersion in the story.

The persistent emphasis on the idea that Medea's feelings towards Jason were not genuine but rather dictated by a God made it challenging for me to establish a connection with the characters. There was a noticeable absence of any meaningful build-up. The recurrent backhanded insults that Medea contemplates about Jason only added to my dissatisfaction. After Jason acquired the fleece, my indifference grew, as it became evident that they were destined for an unfavorable outcome.

Medea, in my perception, appeared excessively narcissistic. Her constant self-praise and thoughts of her own power, almost reaching a god-like status, became exasperating. The relentless trash talk about Jason left me with nothing to appreciate about his character either. The lack of any compelling elements to root for left me disengaged from their journey.

And boy did that journey dragged. It dragged on and on as they moved from one town to another, following a repetitive pattern. They would enter a town, meet with a guide, Medea would pray at the temple, and seemingly, by some mystical force, be blessed by whichever god resided there. The reason for her being chosen, not just by one god but by many, remained unclear and unanswered.

The only redeeming aspect for me was how the narrative chose to portray Medea as a loving mother. I've always been horrified by the Greek Mythology version where Medea kills her own children, so I appreciate that this book took a different route in its depiction.

In general, I recognize significant potential in this book, but there were too many minor details that bothered me, and unfortunately, I couldn't shake them off. The ideas are present, but the execution fell short.

Considering this is the author's first book, I am positive that with continued growth in their craft, they will be able to produce more refined and engaging works. But given the nature of my critique, I sincerely hope that the author never stumbles upon this review.

Medea by JJ Taylor is a wonderful read. it is a story from Greek mythology but written for the modern reader. With a cast of strong women, this is a must-read for all women who need inspiration and empowerment to stand in our truth and strength.

The story follows most of the myth but gives Medea a true voice of her life events. The story contains great adventures, love, and life. My favorite parts were her learning new powers with the help of the goddesses such as Hecate and Hera to allow her to be a priestess and witch.

The author weaves in big questions for all of us - how much of our life is by choice and how much is fate or maybe even already decided for us by the universe?

I definitely recommend this book.

#netgalley #medea #jjtaylor

Medea was like a breath of fresh air with a strong heroin that always tried her best in a god-run patriarchal society, searching for freedom her entire life. It was beautifully written and very descriptive, and I actually quite enjoyed the skipping back and forth from young Medea to aged Medea, as if she was telling us, the readers, her story. Yet, the pacing was sometimes an issue, since some stops on their journey were over-descriptive and too long, and it lulled my reading. The balance of action=packed sequences and whatever else was very strong in the beginning, but I got a bit bored later on.

Overall, this was a four star read because I enjoyed how the author, JJ Taylor, portrayed Medea. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book.

Greek mythology was my childhood playground, so retellings of Greek myths are hit or miss for me, and indie books are hit or miss for me as well. However, I thoroughly enjoyed JJ Taylor's "Medea," and I was intrigued from the very first paragraph. The author's background in the classics and creative writing shines through between her treatment of the material and the composition of her prose.

I am also not a purveyor of literary fiction, but this was an enjoyable read. JJ Taylor writes well the push and pull between choice and destiny. I am pleased to have been gifted this ARC via NetGalley!

To take on Euripides’ stunning villain Medea is a real ambitious move and one that JJ Taylor meets eye to eye. This book completely reimagines her, humanises her and repaints her. I enjoyed the portrayal, which painted her as flawed but manipulated.

The writing was overall good. The pace could have been either quicker at the start or slower at the end, it just jarred a little in juxtaposition. But I enjoyed some gorgeous imagery, loved the portrayal of Jason (described as having a “spine made of water”) and enjoyed it overall. Lovely, rich world and didn’t shy away from incorporating mythology, as so many retelling do nowadays.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc for this wonderful book! And happy pub day! Admittedly, it took me a while to get in to, and, consequently, to finish, this book, but I am so glad I stuck it out! I loved the way it was written, the way I visualised it truly felt reminiscent of a Greek play. Medea was a fascinating character, and I was able to connect and empathise with her in a way I never had before. The author did a great job with her story!

This was a wonderful book! It is so amazingly immersive, it’s got beautiful writing style, and it’s just the right pace. I am so happy I got to read this, as it definitely sparked me back into loving Greek mythology retellings! I can’t wait to see what else JJ Taylor will write!

This is not the story of the woman you think you know. You know only the tales told through the ages. No, this is the story of a dangerous woman fighting for her freedom in a world dominated by cruel gods and ego driven men…

In the house of King Aeetes on the shores of the Black Sea, Medea plays with gods in the forest as visions of a dark future haunt her. Descendant of Helios and daughter of sea nymph Idyia, Medea holds the kind of power meant for the heroes of the epics, the heroes who have yet to arrive in the world. But as a woman, her place is decided by the men around her. Until Jason and his Argonauts arrive, bringing with them the winds of change and the goddess’s voice ringing out of Medea’s lips.

Sacrifices. Politics wrapped in layers of deceit, blood, and ego. Gods with their own agendas not meant for mortal flesh. Magic. Monsters. Love. Who will Medea become in her desperate search for freedom?

I’ve been obsessed with Greek mythology since I was a teenager, so I was really excited to get this arc! I was familiar with the story before I read this book, but this retelling is from a different perspective. Medea is a strong, female, main character and the book has amazing feminist vibes. The relationship between Medea and Kip is refreshing and realistic. Following along on Madea‘s journey was so much fun, and I felt drawn to her character as such a strong, independent female, Add to that all of the references to the Greek myths and I was eating this book up.

The timeline does switch between past and present often, which I usually don’t enjoy. However, the author did a wonderful job of tying things together, so it made sense. I feel like if the story was written in a linear method, you would not get the full effect intended.

Thank you so much NetGalley and JJ Taylor for this arc in exchange for my review!

"Medea" by JJ Taylor is an epic and brutal retelling from Greek Mythology.
The novel captures, in Medea's character, the kind of mortal embodiment that would have the strength to be a conduit of the gods. Emboldened and ruthless, Medea is a woman both flawed and relatable. The novel encompasses the life of Medea, from her early days as an aide to Jason until her later years as a queen jaded and reflective.

Taylor's retelling parallels the tone of Greek Mythology well, because the plot is both adventurous and gruesome. The plot gives the reader a feeling of anticipation as to what the gods have planned for Medea, especially in the earlier part of the novel. Additionally, Taylor's portrayals of other mythological figures, amidst Medea, gave them complexity and personality in a way that the original tales do not. The narrative mainly explores female gods, and presents an interpretation of each of them as formidable, which is refreshing considering much of Greek Mythology is littered with misogyny.

The conclusion of the novel, admittedly, was lack luster and felt like a kind of betrayal to the rest of the plot. What Taylor presented as freedom and authenticity in the majority of the book felt done away with during the novel's end. What did not help the novel was that the language was repetitive and slow, at times. While Medea was a powerful force in the novel, her complexity was lacking and was carried by the characters around her, which was disappointing consider this book was in first person.

Overall, this was an enjoyable novel but held more weak points than strong ones.

gorgeous mythological retelling of one of my fav mythological characters. would recommend this one quite a lot. tysm for the arc.

Medea: Priestess, Princess, Witch is a Greek mythology retelling focusing on Medea. This book was my first introduction into Greek mythology inspired stories after Percy Jackson and it was really disappointing.
I put this book down at 10%. From what little I read, the plot seemed to be moving forward nicely but was completely overshadowed by the terrible writing. The writing of both the characters and the prose is horrible.
Let us start with the characters. The characters will behave in ways that are completely incongruent to the story around them. Medea’s father or brother will be angry simply because the author tells us they are angry. Taylor gives no reason or situations for why these characters should be angry, or any actions or descriptors that would lead one to believe that they are angry.
Other times characters will act without reason.
“By the time I got to the temple entrance, I was sweating and filled with dread. I shut the door behind me and slid to the earthen floor.
‘Medea? Whatever is wrong?’ Alkippe, my handmaid and only friend, hurried to my side. She swept my hair from my face and searched my expression. ‘A vision then.’
I nodded and gripped Alkippe’s hand. ‘Men are coming. Foreign men. Kip, I think they’re coming for me.’
‘For you? Why would they come for a priestess of the temple? Surely they seek your father?
I Pulled my hand away and stood. ‘Is it so had to believe I might be wanted?’”
The way Medea went from fear to anger that someone may not actually want her was jarring. Her thought process generally does not make sense, and that can be said for most of the characters in the novel.
Moving onto the prose. The prose is an overwritten mess, full of run on sentences and grammar mistakes. It was painful to read and made it hard to comprehend what was going on. I would find myself rereading passages to figure out what was happening.
Below is an example of a passage that is overwritten and grammatically incorrect.
“Chaliope came racing into the room, her hair loose around her. Two years younger than me, she was the essence of spring, of beauty and optimism, and life.”
Overall, I think this read like a very early draft. This book had potential to good, but needed time to be further developed and edited.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this ARC.

Medea is a character from greek mythology that I've seen pop up in a few other stories, but isn't someone I knew a lot about. I love a female led greek mythology retelling, so this was something I was always going to pick up.

This was such an easy read, and I absolutely flew threw it. I got through 200 pages in a day, and neglected to do everything else I had planned to get done that day it was that good.

Main characters easily annoy me. I find they're usually written in a way that's supposed to be unique, but at this point is actually way overdone and makes me want to roll my eyes straight out of my head. Not once did Medea make me feel that way. She had such amazing growth and was SO relatably stubborn.

This is a world ran by men, a world where women are supposed to keep quiet and do as they're told. Medea is a woman with incredible power, that stands up to these men and says "No." The female solidarity in this book was so powerful and I loved every second.

JJ Taylor has reimagined the tale of Medea into a thrilling and multidimensional character that resonates with the modern day woman. Medea is grappling with her own dreams and desires in a world full of societal norms and divine intervention that keep pushing and pulling her along her quest for freedom.
JJ Taylor's dedication to world building places you alongside Medea as she starts and continues her quest for freedom. Along the way there is political intrigue, magic and emotional depth thanks to the author's dedication to worldbuilding and detail.
The close narrative style allows readers to gain an insight to the inner workings and emotional capabilities of a woman trying to navigate a journey that at times is perilous, complex and emotionally raw. The reader is gripped from the start and feels the ebbs and flows alongside Medea.
I would thoroughly recommended this coming of age tale of Medea who leaves her home in search of the life and freedom she has always wanted and who's adventures and trials will mold and shape her into the powerful protagonist that readers will connect and relate to from start to finish.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overall Review (spoilers)

I am in my greek mythology era again, but specifically my “the women in the greek mythology era” stories. Medea fills all my internal desire for strong female Greek mythology characters who are not heroes but also not villains. Medea doesn’t really fit into the anti-hero trope though, just more a reluctant women who craves freedom and the gods really dig her. I love the accurate portrayal of Jason (who has always been my least favorite Greek mythology character) and the way Taylor is able to explain the way in which women speak a language men will never really understand. The book is written in an adult style, slightly reminiscent of the old myths but for a modern reader, especially a pretentious modern reader. I recommend this book if you were a PJO fan as a kid, a Greek Mythology kid, or love strong female characters with a mean streak.

Plot Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Genre: fantasy, fiction, greek myths, mythology, retelling, LGBT+ mild rep.

Trigger Warnings: gore, death, SA, sex, sexism.

Medea: Priestess, Princess, Witch by JJ Taylor follows the trend of retelling a Greek Myth for modern day readers.

This tale turns the tale of Medea as a Greek Villain on its head and shows Medea as misunderstood and a women fighting for her freedom and power in a world that undermines women.

This story was an epic from the start which I appreciate. While fast pace it still was maintaining the voice of Medea which was always clear and unwavering. I also appreciated the fact that the language was beautiful and descriptive which I come to expect in a Greek Myth Retelling.

I only wished that the author wasn’t rushed toward the end of the book. While the story was complete, I wished the author spent more time and action with the individual characters at the end of the story as she did in the first part. However, on the other end this is an epic tale and some things do have to be sacrifice to tell the whole story.

Overall this was story I was glad to pick up with characters that you could root for and relationships that were interesting to watch unfold.

Thank you Net Galley, BooksGoSocial, and Butterworth Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This is not the story of the women you think you know. You know only the tales told through the ages. This is the story of a dangerous women fighting for her freedom in a world where she is a pawn in the game of the gods and men. Medea hold the kind of power meant for the heroes of the epics, the heroes who have yet to arrive in the world.

But as a women, her place will be decided by the men around her. Until Jason and the Argonauts arrive, bringing with them the ends of change and the chance for her to seize her freedom. She is still beholden to the gods and they have a path laid of for her, a fate she cannot escape that will end in betrayal and bloodshed. Who will Medea become in her desperate search for freedom?

A phenomenal retelling of the story of Medea, the Witch, the Queen, the Monster. But she isn’t truly a monster, only in the eyes of man but in the eyes of the gods she is their chosen. This story weaves the original myth and the legacy of her history in an intriguing and beautiful way that finally brings the real woman to the forefront of the story. A novel that takes place during her youth as she finds her way to freedom and seeking power from the gods, and her life after the greatest betrayal she would ever know. Not all stories have happy endings but this one just might.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴𝘎𝘰𝘚𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘷𝘪𝘢 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘢 𝘣𝘺 𝘑 𝘑 𝘛𝘢𝘺𝘭𝘰𝘳

"I've paid for my freedom in blood that drowns me in my dreams."

Taylor pulls you in immediately with the opening of the book, and I couldn't put it down. The pacing was a little inconsistent at times, particularly through the middle, and parts of the dialogue were too modern for my liking, I otherwise really liked this fresh perspective of Medea. It was so raw, the writing was imaginative and descriptive, I felt like I was transported to the places written about and experiencing the emotions Medea was. I thought I would hate Jason (and I do) but Taylor was able to make the relationship between the two feel so real and that was so frustrating (in a good way) as it highlighted the complexities between the two and the inevitable ending you knew was coming. That ending was also... so good, I would say that ending alone is the reason so get through the parts where it may feel slow.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I did Medea in my senior year of high school and I thoroughly enjoyed the tale. So being able to read the newest version by JJ Taylor was a treat! I absolutely loved it.

I loved reading Jason and Medea’s dynamic, even knowing the outcome. I struggled to read The Song of Achilles because of the way the story was written, but I didn’t have any issues getting through Medea. And I’m so grateful I got to read it earlier than most.

The plot flowed seemingly effortlessly, and it kept me intrigued as a reader.

I’m so excited for other people to get to read it and I hope they enjoy it just as much.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

Thank you for the ARC copy of this book. Going into this book I knew a bit about Medea and the Greek mythology story line so I was looking forward to reading a retelling. I thought the retelling was well done and in tune with what we see currently with a more feminist lense or a different portrayal of women in myths which I liked. This made Medea come across as a more developed character/lead with many different emotions that were written well. At times the pacing felt a little off but otherwise I really enjoyed this book and this retelling. I would recommend this to anyone interested in Greek mythology.

Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc. I like this book. I don’t think many people are familiar with the story of Medea, I for one am not I’m more versed in the common myths. I cannot speak for the accuracy of this novel,but I did find I somewhat confusing. There were a lot of odd names and places that I’d never heard of, which made it a little hard to follow. I also feel like it kind of dragged most of the good stuff happened in the last 10% of the book in my opinion.