For fans of emotional depth, lyrical verses, and fresh takes on mythological retellings.
Feature image credit: Simon & Schuster
From the Irish-Indian poet of 2019’s Great Goddesses and 2020’s The Girl and the Goddess comes another divinely inspired book, this time in the form of a single retelling. Nikita Gill’s Hekate serves up the story of the Greek goddess of witchcraft.
Unlike many other popular ancient Greek retellings in today’s market, this one begins at the end of the Titanomachy, otherwise known as the war between the Titans and the Olympians. Mythology fans will know that the Olympians come out on top, while Titans like Hekate’s father Perses and her mother Asteria are punished or banished, or in Asteria’s case, willingly transformed into an island for eternity. Poor Hekate is left as a young girl without her parents who flees to the underworld realm ruled by Hades, where she comes to terms with her own power through the friends and foes that she makes.
This is really a coming-of-age story largely driven by Hekate’s internal world, but other familiar figures do make appearances, from Styx and her river to Charon the ferryman. Several important events in Greek lore are covered, however briefly, including the Trojan War and the aftermath for unfortunate Trojans like Queen Hecuba.
Though this is fantasy, several of the themes will be familiar to contemporary readers, even if they’ve never studied Greek mythology. Concepts like misogyny and female rage, war, family, and purpose are explored in depth, as the dramatic events of Hekate’s outer world seem to pale into insignificance compared to her emotions and revelations.
The entire book is written in verse, except for a few pages that are whole blocks of text with no paragraphs. This style might not work for everyone, but it does read like one long narrative rather than a collection of poems. Though I’m not usually a reader of poetry, I found the writing beautiful and easy to follow, and the lyricism even outshined the plot points. The narrative felt a little distant at times, while Hekate’s character arc and the words themselves became the focus.
Author Gill nailed the voice of Hekate, which made it easy to immerse in as a reader. Fans of mythology should definitely give this book a try, even if they’re not used to poetry, and it also might appeal to those who like a good coming-of-age story in a fantasy setting.
Reviewed by Vanessa Elle
Instagram: @vanessaellewrites
The views expressed in this review belong to the author and not Glam Adelaide, its affiliates, or employees.
Distributed by: Simon & Schuster
Released: September 2025
RRP: $34.99
