Story-Wise

1. Any fan of Old Hollywood aesthetics and all the drama that traipsing through tinseltown brings will 100% love this

2. Evelyn herself. The book features a strong female lead unafraid to depict female desire in media and fights tooth and nail to make it in Old Hollywood

3. Evelyn's a study in contrasts. Her decisions are not always the best... in fact her ambition gets the best of her. But you'll follow her through the story anyway. Takes a lot of skill to get readers to root for a morally gray character.

4. THE LOVE OF HER LIFE. It's a spoiler but their relationship is the lifeblood of this book. And it's a very pleasant surprise

5. The representation! Evelyn is a Cuban woman who made it in Hollywood. BIPOC, LGBTQ+ characters have very fleshed out plots. I can speak a lot for BIPOC characters more though (as a BIPOC).

6. The character dynamics. Through character actions, you'll definitely be invested with Evelyn's relationships (friendships and romance alike!)

7. The emotional thread that runs through the 7 husbands. Kinda spoilery *wink* that Evelyn gets married quite a bit in this book. But the story behind it is quite satisfying and will make you burn through the book in one or a few sittings.

Of course, it's not a perfect book. Find out more in this honest spoiler-free review: https://youtu.be/szVp8f1fPSA

Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCGSE0fc5nzEi1woR0MqMIeQ⁠

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/103051560⁠

Twitter: LYJimenez_⁠

Instagram: LYJimenez_writer

Rating: 4.5/5

Overview:

Circe is about daughter of the titan Helios who was banished to the island Aiaia because Zeus was threatened by the fact that she, like her siblings, knew witchcraft.

The Pros:

1. The story covers 1000 years, but remains cohesive!

Two things keep us latched on: a compelling character arc where we watch a fledgling witch becomes a powerful enchantress.

The other thing is this tension between gods and mortals. Miller doesn't shy away from showing how cruel the gods can be.

But this only emphasizes how strong Circe's affections for human beings, which makes us care about her even more!

2. Miller's imagery choice is spot-on.

To avoid spoilers I'll give you one example:

" [Odysseus] would have always been looking for the hidden meaning, the knife in the dark. But Telemachus carried his blade in the open."

In two sentences, Miller perfectly describes the difference between Odysseus and his son.

3. It expresses feminism without it feeling forced.

Ancient Greece was largely patriarchal. Sadly.

And Circe is a feminist retelling of the Odyssey. So, it could easily feel forced and preachy.

But it's not!

Miller cleverly avoids this and allows the characters and scenes to speak for themselves.

Ultimately, the premise itself is feminist. In the Odyssey, Circe's only function was to tempt the male hero and prevent him from continuing his journey.

In Circe, we get a fully realized individual, which is what makes it so entertaining.

The best part? She's a witch, meaning her power doesn't come from the gods. As Circe says, it comes from sheer will.

The CONS:

1. The cameos.

Certain character appearances served only to ensure that it was faithful to the source material. It felt like these scenes could be easily skipped over, without much consequence to the plot.

Still, any lover of mythology can appreciate it to an extent.

Conclusion:

If you love feminist retellings and/or Greek Mythology, this is definitely a book for you.

As ya'll know the Raiden Shogun Character teaser dropped this week giving me ALL OF THE FEELS. Let's talk about her friends.

Dead Friend #1: SASAYURI

Sasayuri was a tengu general who faithfully served the Raiden Shogun known as Baal. He died during the clash between Orobashi and Raiden.

Orobashi, who was worshipped by the Sangonomiya clan suddenly attacked Narukami Island. Baal defended the island and successfully killed Orobashi, but one casualty was Sasayuri.

Orobashi is also seen in the trailer shortly before Sasayuri disappears:

Source(s): Sangonomiya Chronicles

Dead Friend #2: CHIYO

Chiyo was an oni warrior of the Mikoshi Clan who was a close ally of Baal. 500 years ago, during a "dark disaster" (WHICH I THINK IS KHAENRIAH) Chiyo was swallowed by an abyssal beast.

Chiyo survived but was corrupted and attacked Baal, who had to kill her own lieutenant and best friend.

Sources: Emblem of Severed Fate, Mask of Kijin

Dead Friend #3: Lady Kitsune

She was a descendant of a Kitsune goddess and the Hakushin clan. She was also a close friend of Baal's.

During the same dark disaster that corrupted Chiyo, Lady Kitsune was also tainted and lost her memories. All that is left for her is a familiar face from The Story of Konda world quest known as ??? or Kazari.

Sources: Hakushin Ring, World Quests, Shimenawa

Which brings us to current Baal

IWith the loss of her friends came the obsession with eternity.

Several questions emerge:

Will Baal get a redemption arc?

Will Kazuha die?

Is the real antagonist Celestia?

More on this on my first video!

SOCIALS:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LYJimenez_

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/103051560-ly-jimenez

As ya'll know the Raiden Shogun Character teaser dropped this week giving me ALL OF THE FEELS. Let's talk about her friends.

Dead Friend #1: SASAYURI

Sasayuri was a tengu general who faithfully served the Raiden Shogun known as Baal. He died during the clash between Orobashi and Raiden.

Orobashi, who was worshipped by the Sangonomiya clan suddenly attacked Narukami Island. Baal defended the island and successfully killed Orobashi, but one casualty was Sasayuri.

Orobashi is also seen in the trailer shortly before Sasayuri disappears:

Source(s): Sangonomiya Chronicles

Dead Friend #2: CHIYO

Chiyo was an oni warrior of the Mikoshi Clan who was a close ally of Baal. 500 years ago, during a "dark disaster" (WHICH I THINK IS KHAENRIAH) Chiyo was swallowed by an abyssal beast.

Chiyo survived but was corrupted and attacked Baal, who had to kill her own lieutenant and best friend.

Sources: Emblem of Severed Fate, Mask of Kijin

Dead Friend #3: Lady Kitsune

She was a descendant of a Kitsune goddess and the Hakushin clan. She was also a close friend of Baal's.

During the same dark disaster that corrupted Chiyo, Lady Kitsune was also tainted and lost her memories. All that is left for her is a familiar face from The Story of Konda world quest known as ??? or Kazari.

Sources: Hakushin Ring, World Quests, Shimenawa

Which brings us to current Baal

IWith the loss of her friends came the obsession with eternity.

Several questions emerge:

Will Baal get a redemption arc?

Will Kazuha die?

Is the real antagonist Celestia?

More on this on my first video!

SOCIALS:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LYJimenez_

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/103051560-ly-jimenez