Circe & The Mystery of Nevermore
Jan. 19th, 2020 08:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
under_the_silk_treeMy Seventh book for ljbookbingo is Circe by Madeline Miller for #4 Historical Fiction, card found here:
In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child -- not powerful like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power -- the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves. Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts, and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus. But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love. With unforgettably vivid characters, mesmerizing language, and page-turning suspense, Circe is a triumph of storytelling, an intoxicating epic of family rivalry, palace intrigue, love and loss, as well as a celebration of indomitable female strength in a man's world. ~Amazon Book Description
This book has been recommended to me a couple times over and I have been meaning to read it for awhile. Luckily my library has a copy but unfortunately there was also a long waitlist. Finally after almost a year I was able to get my hands on it. As a preteen I fell in love with Greek mythology and read everything I could get my hands on so this book was right up my alley. Ms. Miller really makes Circe a well rounded sympathetic character. She felt so real and so you really can't help but feel for her and all she goes though. I loved how the author wove the myths and the mythological people through Circe's story while keeping her and her journey at the center. A warning there is a rape scene in the book that is a bit disturbing but you see it coming and can skip it fairly easily.
ljbookbingo is Circe by Madeline Miller for #4 Historical Fiction, card found here:
In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child -- not powerful like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power -- the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves. Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts, and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus. But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love. With unforgettably vivid characters, mesmerizing language, and page-turning suspense, Circe is a triumph of storytelling, an intoxicating epic of family rivalry, palace intrigue, love and loss, as well as a celebration of indomitable female strength in a man's world. ~Amazon Book Description
This book has been recommended to me a couple times over and I have been meaning to read it for awhile. Luckily my library has a copy but unfortunately there was also a long waitlist. Finally after almost a year I was able to get my hands on it. As a preteen I fell in love with Greek mythology and read everything I could get my hands on so this book was right up my alley. Ms. Miller really makes Circe a well rounded sympathetic character. She felt so real and so you really can't help but feel for her and all she goes though. I loved how the author wove the myths and the mythological people through Circe's story while keeping her and her journey at the center. A warning there is a rape scene in the book that is a bit disturbing but you see it coming and can skip it fairly easily.
If you have any interest in mythology or just a really well written story then I would highly recommend this one.
My eighth book for
ljbookbingo is The Mystery of Nevermore by C.S. Poe for #52 Author's Debut Novel, card found here:
It’s Christmas, and all antique dealer Sebastian Snow wants is for his business to make money and to save his floundering relationship with closeted CSU detective, Neil Millett. When Snow’s Antique Emporium is broken into and a heart is found under the floorboards, Sebastian can’t let the mystery rest.
He soon finds himself caught up in murder investigations that echo the macabre stories of Edgar Allan Poe. To make matters worse, Sebastian’s sleuthing is causing his relationship with Neil to crumble, while at the same time he’s falling hard for the lead detective on the case, Calvin Winter. Sebastian and Calvin must work together to unravel the mystery behind the killings, despite the mounting danger and sexual tension, before Sebastian becomes the next victim.
In the end, Sebastian only wants to get out of this mess alive, and live happily ever after with Calvin. ~Goodreads Description
I greatly enjoyed this book. I loved the protagonist Sebastian. He was relatable in his worries and in his hopes, and in this book he has a lot of both. Especially considering his four-year relationship to his boyfriend is on it's last legs and his antique shop keeps getting broken into in order for someone to leave disturbing presents. As the mystery deepens he meets and starts to fall for Detective Calvin Winter, who has his own set of problems. I also loved the mystery and how it was all tied to Edgar Allen Poe, and I found the conclusion satisfying. This is the first book in a series and I will definitely be reading the next one!
