Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free ALC novel in exchange for an honest review.

This was a well-done, short, and interesting take on Hekate the goddess of necromancy and witchcraft. The story was told somewhat in verse, which made it unique and provided a graceful lilt to the prose. Seeing the struggles that Hekate had to deal with and the changing relationships she had with some of the characters like Hades were told in such a well-done Greek myth fashion. Female empowerment is displayed throughout the book as well as the strong love and sacrifices of mother, the viciousness of the gods, and their lack of care.

I found this quote particularly powerful in the story: "Perhaps this is what womanhood was. The dangerous knowledge of who you are and what you could do with that power if pushed." If you like Madeline Miller's work, I really think you will like this book as it did remind me a lot of Circe. I definitely will be reading more by Nikita Gill in the future!

Thank you to netgalley for providing the audiobook ARC.
3.5/5 stars

It took me a little bit to get into the writing, but I will recommend this as an enjoyable read for anyone who likes retellings of Greek myths.
I really liked getting to follow the origin story of Hekate and her journey from losing her mother in childhood to growing into the goddess she is meant to be.
The exploration of the love between mothers and daughters, sacrifice and grief, as well as a girl coming-of-age was great and i think this was a beautiful depiction of complicated family dynamics, of growing into oneself and reclaiming power when all you've known has been vulnerability and chaos.

The book is rather short and so it is definitely a quick read to get through. The narration in the audiobook was good, the voice fit well with the character.

I will probably be buying a physical copy of this for my bookshelf when its released!

The Godling Hekate was born during the war between the ruling Titans and the new Olympic Gods. As the war ends and her family falls on the losing side, Hekate is taken by her mother to the Underworld, where Styx and Hades agree to keep her safe. It is here that Hekate grows up, hoping to find her divine purpose, and eventually growing into her powers and her status as a Goddess. As war breaks out again, Hekate comes to find that her powers are far beyond what the Gods ever imagined.

I love a unique Greek mythology retelling, and I felt like this one definitely fit into that category. I haven't seen a lot of books that center around Hekate (also spelled Hecate), and the ones that do focus on her as a source of magic for other witches and deities. It was interesting to get to see her grow up in the Underworld and begin to discover her powers. If you're into Greek mythology, you'll love all the nods to other well-known mythological figures such as Odysseus and most of the pantheon of Olympic gods included in this book.

This book wasn't terribly long, and I do wish we'd gotten to see more of her "adult" life and learn more about her magic and powers. I noticed this is the first book in a series, so I'm hoping we'll get to see more of Hekate in other books.

I listened to this one on audio, narrated by the author (Nikita Gill). While I appreciated her effort, I wasn't in love with her as a narrator. The speed of her speech seemed to change at times, and I found some of the voices she gave to Hekate as she was growing up to be annoying. This is one I would probably recommend reading with your eyes.

Read if you like:
Greek mythology
Prophecy
Self-discovery
Magic
Necromancy

Books in verse are hard to pull off and this one didn't work for me. The writing style made me feel very removed from its subject. The plot and characterization were quite surface level. I also didn't like some of the choices that were made in this retelling.
It was narrated very well by the author.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a fascinating read told in verse and poetry, which was a first for me. The main setting is the underworld, and I absolutely loved that this story depicted the River Styx in goddess for. There is a strong emotional pull as Hekate grows to learn more about her history and grapples with the conflict between rescuing her parents and her concern for how the former Titans are being treated in the underworld. I also loved the exploration of the friendship between Hekate and Charon. Also love a Persephone/Cora appearance!!

For how short this book was, I feel like it really tied everything together nicely. It gave a great look at the imprisoned Titans, the Olympian Gods, and provided a satisfying look into Hekate's journey and self discovery.

The audiobook narration was excellent—very emotional, energetic, and expressive. I was a little thrown off by the narration's long pauses at first, but I quickly realized it was due to the unique cadence of the verse chapters, and I got used to it. While this style of writing wasn't my favorite, I'm glad I had the experience of reading something so different.

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Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review. Release date 9/16/25.

Nikita Gill mesmerises with both her incredible writing and expert narration.

I was completely hypnotised listening to this story of Hekate from her early childhood to the discovery of her powers and godhood and onto her carving a path of her choosing for her life. Whilst I have some familiarity with Greek mythology and a little knowledge of the Titanomachy, Hekate's story is one that I don't know at all; this book is the perfect introduction to her. As a resident of Hades, her story overlaps with gods of myth that I was previously familiar with like Styx, Charon, Thanatos, Hades, Kore, Hermes, and more. Gill summons these gods that feel like the ones you know so well whilst also feels fresh and unique which was an utter delight.

There are many lines throughout this audiobook that took my breath away and I can't wait to re-read this book, likely alongside listening to the audio again as Gill has the velvety voice of a true storyteller. I am ready with my highlighter in hand!

4.5 ⭐️

This was a wonderful YA/Young reader intro to the dynamics of the Greek gods in a non-patriarchal approach. As this looks to be a series, Hekate was the perfect goddess to start. I have read so much mythology but never have I read someone give her a whole story, from childhood through discovering her powers and understanding her strength as a Titan in an Olympian world.

This would be perfect for any middle/high school age student who is interested in Greek mythology - or any adult who wants a quick intro.

I'm definitely going to keep my eye out for book 2 in this series.

Thanks to Little Brown and Hachette Audio for the preview. All opinions are my own.

I’ve never read a novel in verse before, and my brain was struggling with it, so I was so thrilled to get the audio. I feel like Gill narrating their own work is how this should be experienced.

I think fans of Circe will especially enjoy this story. We get Hekate’s tale from her first experiences and her mother’s sacrifice for her at the end of the war between the Titans and Olympians. And throughout, the story explores family, mother-daughter relationships, sacrifice and love, and the capricious nature of the gods. I loved the triumph of Hekate claiming her powers and her own control over her life.

“Perhaps this was what womanhood was. The dangerous knowledge of who you are and what you could do with that power if pushed.”