Gill has a gentle, unhurried way of writing which felt particularly satisfying for a story involving the underworld. I’ve read so many different stories from the Greek Mythology world but only heard of Hekate in passing. This retelling of her story was absolutely fascinating and beautifully done. I like the way other gods, both titans and Olympians, were portrayed and found this truly interesting from start to finish.

Thank you Hachette Audio for the alc via Netgalley!

As soon as I saw this cover I was intrigued. Then, reading the description got me very interested due to my love of mythology.

There have been so many retellings in recent years from the perspective of these strong women that have been so immersive and enjoyable to read.

I received an audiobook version of Hekate that was read by the author, Nikita Gill. Her voice was very soothing and full of emotion to bring the story to life. It’s always interesting to have an audio version to get the multi-faceted sides of characters and tone.

It took me some time to get used to the formatting of the audio and I’d be so curious to see what a printed version looks like. It reads as poetry or short stories so they are quite quick and easy to digest, but at the same time introduces so many characters that, once a segment was over, sometimes I wondered how well I’d paid attention as we went into the next part of the story.

I’d be so curious to read other work by the author as I know she has other publications on more mythology and fairy tales.

Thank you so much to the author, Nikita Gill, Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the audio ARC of Hekate!

I like Greek mythology retellings but sometimes, despite the lyrical beauty of the prose, the story lacks depth.

You can tell the author is more comfortable writing poetry. It wasn't uninteresting but it just wasn't to my taste.

Hekate by Nikita Gill, is a 3.75⭐️ read.

Hekate is a beautifully ferocious reimagining of a forgotten goddess. If you crave myth drenched in lyrical ferocity, trauma spun into transcendence, this is a realm you’ll want to inhabit.

It’s the perfect form of feminist, mythical, heartbreaking… and it leaves a mark. And a Greek myth for fans of books such as Circe and Lore.

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

And

“Anything unpredictable was named to be dangerous by men and gods alike. But the word Unpredictable, seems reserved for women alone.”

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Production: I always love when the author narrates their own book. It just adds something extra to the story, the characters, etc. The only issue I encountered was the editing. It took some time to get used to. There were pauses, which I can only assume were splicing of the audio, that felt disjointed and was distracting. Once I got used to it, it was fine but initially, I had to rewind the story feeling like I had missed something when it was just an extended pause.

Story: Absolutely loved the story. I always love a badass female main character. Hekate was no exception. She didn’t see her own power which allowed for a humbler approach but once she realized what she could do (spoiler free) she truly embraced it. Like Kill Bill vibes with much less killing. 😊 I tend to struggle with mythological retellings – even though I find it interesting – but I was pulled in early on this story and stayed locked in. This was a story I had not heard before and really enjoyed learning more about this character. I am excited for more books in this series.

I got this as an audio arc on Netgalley and it will come out in a few days. I loved this. This retelling was a bit more closer to the source material than most nowadays and it doesn't try to take the brutality out of the Greek myths. The narrator was a good choice. Her voice was very soft but deliberate.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I do not think there is anything inherently bad about this book, I think it was just not for me. The writing was beautiful, lyrical and poetic, something that could be very enjoyable for a lot of people. I personally am not a huge poetry fan and I think if I had realised that this book would basically read like poetry that I would not have picked it up. That being said, it was done well, just not for me. The story was interesting and I always love learning more about greek mythology so I enjoyed that. I think this author is very talented, this book just wasn't for me.

I did enjoy that it was the author herself narrating the audiobook, I always love when authors do that. I would definitely recommend this book to people that enjoy this kind of writing and storytelling and especially this audiobook version. Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for this early review copy.

I haven't read much by Nikita Gill, but I recently read Ekhō by Roslyn Orlando and was excited for another Greek myth-inspired poetic novel. Due to this, I had to spend time determining why I didn't connect with Hekate. Gill explores themes of generational trauma, war, isolation, sexual violence, and the struggle to belong. However, it felt like I was being told what was happening, rather than being invited on the journey with the characters.

This book was a truly captivating experience. Listening to Gill narrate her own lyrical retelling of Hekate’s origin story felt incredibly intimate—her gentle voice, with its soothing cadence, brought a new depth and warmth to the myth.
The story itself is a poetic and propulsive reimagining of Hekate’s early years during the Titanomachy—a time when chaos and war tore the universe apart. I was immediately drawn into her world, feeling her fear, strength, and vulnerability as she and her mother are forced to flee their home and seek sanctuary in the underworld. Gill’s lyrical prose painted vivid images of a war-torn childhood, and I found myself completely engrossed from the very first minute of the audiobook.
One of the most powerful moments for me was Hekate’s separation from her mother and her subsequent life with Styx and Hades. Gill captured the heartbreak and resilience in that scene beautifully, making me feel both the pain and the hope that drives Hekate’s journey. Her relationship with Thanatos, tender and complex, added layers of emotional richness that stayed with me long after listening.
I loved how Gill’s poetic style infused the myth with a human-like vulnerability, turning this ancient goddess into a relatable figure discovering her strength and purpose amid chaos. The lush, lyrical language made the story feel like a personal odyssey—an origin tale that hints at the immense power Hekate will someday embody, especially as she begins to embrace her identity as goddess of witchcraft and necromancy.
While “Hekate” isn’t a plot-heavy story—more an evocative exploration of her early life—it offers a profound sense of her humanity. This book left me eager to learn more about Hekate’s future exploits.

Text 3.5 stars
Audiobook 1.5 stars

The author chose to narrate this audiobook herself. This likely works when she is reading out her own poetry…. But this novel has loads of super amazing characters - all of whom would have benefited from an audio-actor fleshing out their voices. The result, instead, is an incredibly flat depiction of this mythic story.

Many can simply choose to pick up the physical book or e-book rather than listen to the audio. Alternatively, I am disabled and ONLY have access to books in their audio format. As such, I have enjoyed thousands of both fiction and non-fiction via listening. I have even listened to different voice actors take on the same book, and enjoyed the different renditions. But the absolute worst and most disappointing audiobooks are when they contain a wonderful tale that would lend itself well to narration by a talented voice actors, only to be read out as if by the most boring parent at night to their child.

As to the tale of Goddess Hekete herself, I don’t know it well enough to comment on its accuracy. The text, as written, could certainly have benefited from further editing and the removal of the cheesiest of “superhero movie” lines. But, it was fun and entertaining and most likely aimed at a much less choosy witch than myself!!

Huge gratitude to NetGalley, and the publisher, Hachette Audio, for an Audio-ARC of this book, in exchange for my scandalously honest review

Hekate was an amazing book, from someone who loved her story this book did a fantastic job of keeping the core while also making it feel like something new.

This was a pleasure to read!

I didn’t know much going into this but I love reading about Greek mythology, especially the Gods and Goddesses so when I saw this one was about Hekate I knew I wanted to read it right away!

Also have to mention the cover caught my attention immediately as it’s absolutely stunning!

I wasn’t expecting the whole book to be written in prose but it was such a pleasant surprise! I haven’t read a book written like this in a while so it’s refreshing to see it again.

I love the journey we got to see Hekate go through from childhood to adulthood. She suffered so much and never forgot about her family. She was always searching for her purpose to hopefully be able to free her parents one day.

Hekate starts off in the beginning of the book as a small children who is fearful of everything but as the book progresses she turns into the powerful Goddess she is meant to be and all the Gods are fearful of her! However, the humans are not fearful and they seem to worship her since she helps them out.

I loved reading about her helping out the puppy, Kore, and the human army she built. She had so much drive to do better and be better.

The side love story with Thanatos was so sweet and beautiful too. I wasn’t expecting this as I don’t remember any myths with this two but it was still really sweet!

Overall I really enjoyed this book! I only wish we had gotten more of Hekate through adulthood since most of the book was her childhood.

I will definitely be buying this one it comes out!

Thank you to netgalley for the advance listening copy! I loved that the author Nikita Gill also narrated this book so we knew exactly how this story was supposed to be told!

Format: digital and audio
Thank you to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Hachette Audio, and NetGalley for advanced copies in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

First of all, I highly recommend to do this as an immersive read!

Overall:
The story, the characters, and the setting were amazing. I love a good mythology retelling. This time, it was about Hekate, a lesser known character in the not-Pantheon of Greek gods. What was cool about this whole novel was seeing all the other more popular gods from a different point of view. If you like reading mythology or its retellings, then I highly recommend this!

I did think that the format of writing this in verse was a bit distracting and detracted from the overall story. And maybe it's because I'm not used to this format? The author talked about why she used the verse form in her introduction. It makes perfect sense, but I could totally imagine this as an immersive novel or even a graphic novel -- now this one I would totally buy! The setting was pretty visceral and epic and would make for good visuals.

Audiobook version:
Single narrator. Read by the author.

The audiobook infused the story with life and I really liked her accent. The characters were differentiated and I could tell who was saying what. The only gripe I have is that I wish the introduction, which was available in the written version, was included in the audiobook. If you go into this without any context that this book is in verse form, it would feel disjointed whenever there was a long pause because you wouldn't really know that the long pause was like a chapter heading for each verse grouping.

Did I already mention that I highly recommend to do this as an immersive read?!

I loved the lyrical way Hekate's story was told. With it being from her perspective, I was completely engrossed from the first page, well the first minute since I listened to the audiobook. I love when the author narrates their own book, I feel like it pulls me even further into the story.

My only complaint with the audiobook was that ever chapter had a long pause at the beginning and the end and I was constantly checking to see if the audiobook had somehow managed to pause itself. (or more likely that my cats found the pause button, it's their favorite game). I did listen to an advance copy of the audio, so hopefully some of those pauses will be cut out before it is widely released.

If you like Greek mythology I would definitely recommend checking this out.

Thank you so much to Hachette Audio for the gifted audiobook.

I listened to the audiobook version of Hekate, read by Nikita Gill herself, and it was fantastic. Gill’s performance brought her prose to life—she knew exactly when to pause, when to breathe, and how to let her words land with the weight they deserved. Hearing the story in her own voice added an intimacy that made the experience even more powerful.

One of the most emotional moments for me came early in the book, when Hekate is forced to separate from her mother and live with her aunt and uncle in the underworld. Gill captured the heartbreak and strength in that moment so beautifully that it stayed with me long after listening.

I think both the audiobook and print versions are equally valuable. The print version allows the reader to interpret the words on the page in their own way, while the audiobook gives you the chance to experience the story as Gill intended it to be heard.

I’d recommend Hekate especially to fans of mythology. Gill’s choice to tell Hekate’s story in prose gave it a fresh, compelling spin that blends the ancient with the modern in a way only she can.

It was… fine. Not bad, but not the kind of book that sticks with me either. I usually love Greek mythology retellings, and that’s what pulled me in, but this one didn’t quite hit as hard as I hoped.

That said, it’s definitely stronger than The Girl and the Goddess, which I struggled with. But I keep realizing that what I really love from Nikita Gill are her poems and short stories — like Great Goddesses or Fierce Fairytales. That’s where her writing really shines brightest for me.

So, if you’re into mythology and you’re curious, it’s worth a listen. But if you’re looking for Gill at her best, I’d still say her poetry collections are where the magic really lives.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Audio, and the author for providing this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Nikita Gill's narration was so beautiful, Her voice is perfect for her writing; I LOVED the narration of this book.

However, as much as I enjoyed the narration, I think that this book would have been so much better to read physically. The prose is so beautiful and well written and I think that listening to the book on audio does not really do the writing justice. It was lyrical and at times meandering (in a very good way) which made it difficult to follow on audio.

Hekate is often an overlooked figure and I loved this story. I really just wish I'd been able to fully appreciate it and read it on the page! Gorgeous novel.

We begin with a war; the Titans and the Olympians are fighting and, as a child of two Titans, Hekate is taken along by her mother Asteria as she flees from the victorious Olympians. Asteria knows she cannot outrun them forever, especially with a child to care for, so she leaves Hekate under the care of other gods and keeps running.

Hekate grows feeling alone and with no purpose - what is her destiny, what is her place? There is a lot going on, the betrayals and secrets that seemingly everyone is keeping, Hekate's continuous growth in power as she discovers what her fate truly is. Personally, she befriends a young Hades and later on doesn't recognize the paranoid and cruel god she once knew. She longs for family, and when she finds it, she wonders if she can trust them. Her bond with Thanatos is a tender one, but it may spell doom for both of them.

Just as we begin, we end this book with a war, and Hekate's part in it speaks of a goddess who has found her purpose and has embraced who she truly is.

Poetic, lyrical prose and ancient mythology are the perfect blend - the stories of old are so grand and involve such massive versions of the human experience that in this book by Nikita Gill, the lush writing brought out every feeling and gilded the story of Hekate, goddess of witchcraft and necromancy.

Also, and as usual, Zeus is an asshole.

Hekate is not a plot-driven story. If you're hoping to dig into the rich backstory of Hekate and truly understand who she became, this isn't that. Instead, it's a lyrical exploration of her early years - an origin story, if you will - told through the lens of a war-torn child caught in the middle of the Titanomachy (the great war between the old gods, the Titans, and the new gods, the Olympians). It's a refreshingly unique take. For a goddess, it gives her a striking sense of humanity.

This book is perfect for fans of Madeline Miller's Circe. While it doesn't quite carry the emotional gravitas of Circe, the lyrical progression and emotional pacing are similarly compelling. Again, this is more of a personal journey than a sweeping mythological retelling.

I was unfamiliar with Nikita Gill's writing before listening to Hekate, but knowing now that she has primarily published poetry makes a lot of sense. She also narrated the book, which I thought was lovely. I love when authors perform their own work because you know they're interpreting it as they intended. Gill has a lovely Indian accent, voice, and pace. It's very soothing and gentle, and given how Hekate is held apart and different from the other gods, it only enhances how Hekate is interpreted by Western listeners.

I'll admit, of all the major Olympians and Titans, Hekate has always been a mystery to me - so I jumped at the chance to read this. It wasn't what I expected, but not in an unpleasant way. I enjoyed it, and it was a very easy listen.

I see this is meant to be a series, and I hope future installments will offer an equally imaginative exploration of Hekate’s later life. There’s so much left unsaid.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Audio, and the author for providing this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

From the very first line I was dragged into this confusing and spiralling world that Hekate inhabits. It’s full of grief and magic, and every moment was insane from start to finish. It was truly something else, and I will have to check out the other books by this author because I don’t think I will ever get enough of how haunting and poetic their writing was.

If you don’t know anything about Hekate and her myth then this will be such a unique and interesting book to read! She’s the Greek goddess of magic, the night, ghosts and crossroads. She’s the mysterious figure who shows up at the edges of life and death, moments of change (hence crossroads). She is fierce, protective, a little scary but also kind of nurturing (in a dark and protective/powerful way). Nikita Gill captured all of this perfectly 🖤

The imagery throughout was truly insane. I felt like I could feel the fire and the moonlight, the grief and the magic through every word that I was reading. It had me hypnotised and desperate to find out what would happen next, and I frequently found myself pausing on lines, rereading and trying to make sense of every magical thing that was happening.

I also loved how this book weaved in themes from the myth itself, and almost made its self something unique in the sphere of myth retellings. Hekate is a guide, a protector of women, a goddess of transformation and endings, and all of it was captured so beautifully.
This is gonna sound super “woo woo” but reading this almost felt ritualistic and I came out of this one feeling recharged and raw.

If you like greek retellings then please pick this one up. It isn’t so much of a retelling as a reminder, but it was dark and magical, deeply human (ironically). It was wild, messy and completely unforgettable and captured perfectly everything that this myth represents.