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A review by _snarkysharky
Medea: Priestess, Princess, Witch by JJ Taylor, JJ Taylor
1.0
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.
** SPOILER **
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.
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.
** SPOILER **
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.