The Witch of Colchis is everything I could ever have wished for in a retelling of the Greek myths. It is lyrical, evocative, and unflinching in its feminism. Rosie Hewlett provides Medea, arguably the most famous woman of the ancient world, with the voice she was always going to need.

The writing is beautiful without ever feeling off-putting. I devoured the pages, totally caught up in Medea's transformation from cast-out princess to dreaded witch. Her history is created with so much attention that her decisions, however horrific, are made compelling. She is not sugarcoated—her darkness is exposed—but we also encounter the desperation and vulnerability that make her sympathetic and horribly frightening.

Jason, on the other hand, is so immaculately odious that I was grinding my teeth whenever he was mentioned. Hearing his scheming over Medea's desperation to leave him was heartbreaking and maddening in alternating turns. The supporting actors like Atalanta add depth and texture so that this is never a one-woman performance.

Other than the characters, the novel is excellent at weaving in observation about the role of women in the ancient world with issues that, unfortunately, are still worryingly in the present day. Women who threatened to defy expectations were punished, demonized, or obliterated. Medea's decision to take on that demonization is as lethal as it is liberating, and the final chapter sent shivers down my spine.

Gloomy, evocative, and endlessly readable, this is without a doubt one of the greatest Greek mythology retellings I've ever read. This is coming from someone whose favorite book (top two, anyway) is Song of Achilles. If Jennifer Saint or Natalie Haynes are your bag, this needs to be on your shelf now.

A wonderful, compelling, and at times, heartbreaking retelling of Medea's story. Hewlett's writing is beautiful and draws you in. It reminds me of Miller's Circe but with more anger and darkness. Medea's character development was realistic and excellently done. I'm looking forward to read more from this author.

I had a lot of mixed feelings about this one. I think if you liked Circe by Madeline Miller you’d like this too but I had similar misgivings about both books. I think the author writes really well, but I just didn’t love the character. I feel like this was truly a bell curve for me. I was really invested in the beginning and in the end, but the middle dragged and felt flat. It was somewhat repetitive and it didn’t feel like this was a powerful woman making choices to be powerful, it felt a lot more like showcasing her as a victim over and over again. I didn’t know any of the myth going into the book, and I don’t think you’d need to.

I received an audiobook from NetGalley and RBmedia in exchange for my honest review.

"The Witch of Colchis" centers Medea in her own story. The author explores inner turmoil and how her relationships affected her. There are some incredibly points thoughts in this book. I would read more from this author.

I do so enjoy a Greek mythology retelling and I did enjoy this one, but I found Medea so unbelievably frustrating as a protagonist. The way her actions and decisions were written throughout the narrative irritated me so much that it really did detract from the story. Overall, this was good, but it didn't quite work for me.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I was craving a magical story to dip away from my norm, and this delivered! A re-telling of Medea with a new perspective.

I listened to the audio format, and enjoyed the narration by Kristin Atherton.

*many thanks to RB Media and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

I really enjoyed this book. A great retelling of the tradition myth of Medea and Jason etc but from Medea's point of view. I felt that it really highlighted how events and people's actions can be twisted to suit the narrative of the person telling the story, how often women are silenced and their actions turned against them so men can use them to boost their own reputations and manipulate situations for their own benefit.

A really strong, riveting, thought-provoking book.

The book stayed pretty close to the original myth - at least from what I could remember from it. It's just that the books that talk about Medea usually portray her either as a villain or as a victim that in the end makes a sort of stand for herself but it always leaves me waiting more for her and for her story. And that's exactly what happened here; I was furious for almost all of the book. I saw glimers of what could be when she was training with Circe in the beginning. By the end, it's a good book. But I felt it's more of the same when it comes to Medea.

I liked the narrator a lot. I thought she did a nice job in the quiet moments and in the more dramatic moments.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the ARC.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

I got more than I thought I would when I requested this! Really interesting, and while I am not super familiar with the mythology it is based on I thought it did a great job at bringing the characters to life. I would read more by this author.

So, this one is a mixed bag. I enjoyed the main character as she developed/honed her skills, but a lot of the story line didn't seem to fit into the storyline. The narration was pleasing though.

Audiobook ARC from the publisher via NetGalley, but the opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book a lot. When I got this I didn’t know it was also Madea. I have the book so I did a tandem read of both listening and reading the book. I can’t wait for the authors next book. I lov d the character development. I think people who enjoy Greek mythology retelling will love this book.

A mid mythology retelling. Unlike the majority of books, the second half of The Witch of Colchis is actually better than the first half - I am always curious to see how writers choose to justify Medea's infanticide, and I think Miss Hewlett did that successfully (watch out: it's very, very sad). It's also a convincing treatise about domestic abuse and gaslighting in particular. This Jason right here is perhaps the most manipulative asshole I have encountered in all of Greece, and that's saying something.

In spite of that, I can't call the monologues, characters, and worldbuilding anything but unintentionally anachronistic. I don't think, for example, that the argonauts would have used the word "ok". And despite being the birthplace of the protagonist and main setting for the first part of the book, Colchis, as well as any other place described here, remains a flat backdrop, devoid of lore and culture.

Witch of Colchis is a captivating retelling of Medea’s story, offering a fresh perspective on one of Greek mythology’s most misunderstood characters. This version of Medea is not just a villain, but a woman with depth—powerful, yet vulnerable, torn between love, loyalty, and survival. The story delves into her complicated emotions and her fierce, often painful, desire for something more than the fate handed to her by men who never truly understood her.

The world-building is lush and vivid, bringing the myth to life in a way that feels both timeless and deeply personal. The magic, the battles, and Medea’s journey through betrayal and heartbreak are all engaging, but what really stood out was the emotional complexity of Medea herself. She’s a character who’s easy to empathize with, even as her story takes darker turns.

That being said, while the book is beautifully written, it does feel a bit heavy at times. The pace can be slow as it delves deeply into Medea’s inner world and the complexity of her relationships. But if you’re a fan of mythological retellings that offer a new lens on classic stories, The Witch of Colchis is a compelling, heart-wrenching read.

I listened to the audiobook version. It was well done and engaging. I typically listen at a faster pace, this book I was able to listen at a slightly faster pace than normal. The story was a good twist on the mythology but not overdone or redundant.
The story is about the daughter, Medea, who is a powerful witch that is abused and hated by most of her family and community for possessing the gifts she was born with. It follows her journey as she falls in love and how that love destroyed her relationships and life leading to her well known mythology of betraying her family. I liked this take on her story that was more about they why she could fall into this pattern of behavior where you root for her throughout the book and then feel sorry for her by the end but unable to support her actions.

I love anything Greek retelling and this was like everything I had hoped for. It didnt change the story drastically, told it beautifully without being "boring" history. Medea was really well developed and the author made you wonder if you actually liked her -- which I love, as a sign of a multifaceted character. Its a darker story as Greek myths often are, I highly recommend if you enjoy Greek mythology.

This is how you do a Greek mythology retelling! I love the story of Medea and this was not disappointing- and my first Rosie Hewlett book, I am definitely going to check out more of her books.

The characterisation of Medea in this was so good. Medea is a morally grey character and is depicted as such, you are constantly torn between sympathising with her and being horrified at what she's doing. The book doesn't shy away from Medea's darker side and the brutality with which she uses her magic.

On top of that, Jason is wonderfully hateable and adds another layer of emotion to your feelings towards Medea as you can see how he is manipulating her, which was so frustrating but brilliant to read.

I loved everything about this book, all the characters, the setting of Ancient Greece and all the different places and journeys Medea goes on, the development of Medea's character. It was all perfect, I can't fault it. I will definitely be purchasing this book for our school library.

I can't wait to see what Rosie Hewlett does next!

Circe but for Medea. Feminine rage, magic, tragedy, and let’s not forget a not so flattering view of Jason of the Argonauts.

# The Witch of Colchis
# 12/16/2024 ~ 12/19/2024
# 5.0 / 5.0

In a Nutshell: A retelling of the story of Medea from Greek mythology. Excellent character development and plot structuring. You don’t need to know the original myth, though you will certainly appreciate the book better if you do. Much recommended to fans of the genre.

Plot Preview:
Seventeen-year-old Medea, the princess of the island of Colchis, has always been reviled by her family for her natural tendency towards witchery. Her only support is from her younger sister Chalciope and her aunt Circe, but both of these too soon wander away from Medea’s life. So when the dashing hero Jason arrives with his band of argonauts to claim the magical Golden Fleece that is protected on the island, Medea decides to help him in his challenge, in return for his aid in escaping. This decision becomes a life-changing one for our young lead, taking her on a path that she hadn’t foreseen, and one that isn’t easier than what she left behind.
The story comes to us in Medea’s first-person perspective.

I had read this author’s self-published debut novel, ‘Medusa’, in 2021 and was blown away by her writing. It makes me glad to see that her second book has come through trad publishing, thereby potentially reaching a wider audience. She deserves every bit of success.

This book, published in the UK as ‘Medea’ and in the USA as ‘The Witch of Colchis’, contains all the positives from her first work, and pushes the bar even higher. At 464 pages, this book is more than double the length of Medusa (which was 204 pages long.) I was worried that this might indicate a dragged story, but the pacing of this narrative is perfect for the genre.

With enough background provided for every single character and situation, you don’t need to be familiar with Medea or Jason in order to enjoy this novel better. In fact, if you are unaware of these characters in the original Greek mythology, you will be more thrilled by the twists and turns coming your way. That said, if you do know her story, you will be able to appreciate the author’s angle much better. So there are pros and cons to each side.

The novel is divided in three parts, each coming from a distinct phase of Medea’s life. The first part lasts for about 70% of the book. This was easily my favourite in terms of plotline, as it offered everything that Greek mythology is known for: passion, foolishness, bravery, challenges, revenge, cheating, magic! The second part starts off somewhat boring, as there is a sudden shift in time and circumstances, leading to repetitive events and many inner monologues filled with uncertainty and self-pity. After the fast-paced first section, this sudden dip in pace made me wonder if my rating would plummet. But this situation soon resolves itself and the story takes a strong upwards turn that sustains till the end.

The first-person narrative is put to brilliant use in this book. I love how the author doesn’t dilute Medea’s negative tendencies. Rather, through every decision, we see the human underneath those cruel actions, making us wonder if Medea is a villain or a victim. Perhaps, both.

Though we get to hear only from Medea for most of the book, we still get enough of an insight into other characters such that we can gauge their personality traits as well. Many of the characters are annoying or self-obsessed or pompous or cruel… basically, unlikeable, but all these are trademarks of Greek myth characters and can’t be held against the book. Medea herself is not a picture-perfect angelic girl, and this complexity lends great depth to the plot, makes her a deserving eponymous lead.

The narration does get self-obsessed and rambling at times. Moreover, Medea tends to fixate on the superior anatomical attributes of men quite often, which can get irksome. But it helps to remember that Medea is just seventeen for a major part of the story. And just like most seventeen-year-olds, she is impulsive, allowing her passions rather than her brain to guide her. In fact, throughout the book, Medea ALWAYS acts her age; a brilliant indicator of how carefully the author has crafted her personality. You actually feel Medea's frustration as well as feel frustrated with her.

🎧 The Audiobook Experience:
The audiobook, clocking at 15 hours 24 minutes, is narrated by Kristin Atherton. She is BRILLIANT! She voices every single character and emotion to perfection. I simply loved her performance. The audiobook is definitely an excellent way of reading this long novel. The timeline is straightforward enough to keep track of, so it ought to work for audio newbies as well.

All in all, I mostly had a great time reading this novel. Medea’s obsession with her lover’s physical appeal did get on my nerves, but that issue is more due to personal reading preferences than a flaw of the book.

With two consecutive winners, Rosie Hewlett enters the list of authors whose books I will grab without bothering to read the synopsis.

Much recommended to all those who enjoy Greek mythology retellings. This is the dark story of a complex but flawed female character whose moral compass is skewed to listen to her heart than her head. As such, it also ought to work well with readers seeking a dramatic story of a woman who allows herself to be blinded by love.

4.25 stars.

My thanks to Recorded Books for providing the ALC of “The Witch of Colchis” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.

The Witch of Colchis is a captivating retelling of the ancient myth of Medea, blending rich historical detail with a fresh perspective on a well-known character. Hewlett's prose is beautifully lyrical, immersing readers in the lush landscapes of Colchis and the complexities of its inhabitants. The character development is a standout feature; Medea is portrayed with depth and nuance, making her struggles and motivations relatable.
However, the pacing can be uneven at times, particularly in the middle sections where the plot seems to meander. Additionally, some secondary characters could have benefited from more fleshing out, as they occasionally feel one-dimensional.
Overall, this book is a compelling read that balances magic and realism, enchanting storytelling and emotional depth.

"I became the darkness, so he could shine."

If you are looking for a female villain origin story, THE WITCH OF COLCHIS by @rosiehewlett.author might be just the ticket. Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publisher, @recordedbooks for the audio-ARC.

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A retelling of the story of Greek mythological sorceress Medea, this story has so much bite! From the first chapter, I was dazzled by young Medea's defiance, rage and self-preservation. The story starts with her turning her brother into a pig accidentally which is her first instance of understanding her power. From there, Medea makes a series of decisions for self-preservation only to be betrayed by the man she gave it all up to be with. This story is gutting but also so satisfying.

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One of my favorite parts of this book is the portrayal of the beautiful if fleeting friendship between Medea and Atalanta (the only female Argonaut). Also, I have never hated a man in Greek mythology more than this book made me hate Jason of the Argonauts! F that guy.

☀️☀️☀️

If you are interested in seeing the unfair and biased portrayal of women in mythology turned on its head, cackling and trash talking Jason of the Argonauts, and an incredibly powerful and disturbing story of female revenge, passion and fury, pick this one up ASAP!