From the youthful offerings of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series to the familiar names of Madeline Miller and Pat Barker, there’s no shortage of authors to choose from for those readers seeking to dive into Greek mythology. And as the popularity of those mythological stories and their retellings continue to rise, it requires evermore skill to reach the lofty heights of success.
Medea by JJ Taylor has all the qualities of a best-seller. The author’s ability to infuse the nectar of life into archaic words turns crumbling ruins into shining temples, wind-blown ashes into born-again human bones, and inevitable death into fabled glory. This is the story of Medea depicted as never before.
An author to rival the greats in the Greek storytelling field, the passion of JJ Taylor brings every inch of Medea’s story to life. The clarity and accuracy with which her journey is told forms a beautiful kaleidoscope of the most common themes oft found in Greek tales; love, lust, war, politics, and of course the everchanging and elaborate whims of the gods. The result is an emotive exploration of Medea’s lived experience as told from her perspective, as she seeks freedom not just from her godly trappings, but from the familial and societal expectations and duties too. What arises is a fascinating representation of a highly dramatic period of history, one in which a flawed character such as Medea seeks to simultaneously obtain love, power, freedom and choice. What the author skillfully captures in this telling of Medea’s story is the very human nature of her story; that power often has a price attached, that freedom and love may not always be as you imagined, but when a decision arises the choice is always in your hands.
Reading Medea does not require any prior knowledge of ancient Greece and its longstanding myths. The abundance of research that has gone into this story is clear on the page, ensuring Medea’s tale is more than suitable for both the Greek novice and the field expert. This accessibility ensures that anyone who cares to pick up this gem of a book will benefit equally from a female-led perspective of an ancient story; only this time Medea’s voice rises again, and again, to reside high above the coercive control inflicted by the men of her time.
The relationship between Medea and her ‘servant‘ Alkippe is compelling, I can’t recall any story which has Greek origins in which a servant is depicted as anything other than just that. Their relationship is refreshingly equal (in so far as it can be), grounded in the longevity of true care and friendship, such that I wonder who else’s ancient story might have similar tangents yet to see the light of day.
Medea is more than a woman scorned. She’s desired, loved, hated, feared, and venerated by humans and the gods alike. But in the end, she’s a woman who dwells in the pools of both light and darkness, and her story deserves to span the history of time, for her strength of character and conviction to shine throughout her well known trials and retributions. Repeatedly ‘god touched’ many of Medea’s visits to other Priestesses’ temples are harrowing, displaying the weight that perhaps no mere mortal should be handed by the gods. And yet, beneath the layers of cruelty, crippling visions, and mysteries, the author deftly draws out subtle links to the many facets of human nature and the moral lessons often still in need of learning.
JJ Taylor’s version of the story of Medea will reconfigure what you believe to be true as she allows Medea to stand in her power and gives voice to her place in time. I would dearly love to see JJ Taylor go on to tell more stories of the ancient Greeks; particularly those individuals whom we believe we know all there is to know of their story; as JJ Taylor would be sure to show you that you don’t.
After all, everybody knows the story of Jason and the Argonauts, some may even know the story of Medea, but what’s for certain is that no one will know the story of Medea as told by JJ Taylor.
I received an ARC of this book from Butterworth Books, in exchange for an honest review.
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