Medea, by Eilish Quin: Book Review

This review of Medea by Eilish Quin appeared previously in the February 2024 issue of Historical Novels Review. If you enjoy novels of mythic retelling, this is a good book for you.

Medea, Part of a Renaissance of Retellings

Quin’s Medea joins the current renaissance of retellings that recast the stories of maligned or ignored women from Greek mythology. Redeeming Medea, who killed her children when her husband Jason wanted to remarry, is perhaps the hardest challenge.

Childhood Difficulties and Magic

Quin’s novel portrays Medea’s difficult childhood as the daughter of a Naiad, who ultimately preferred the sea over her children, and the cruel King Aeetes, who only wanted a son. Aeetes commands various magics. For a time, he teaches them to Medea, and she continues training herself. When Jason comes seeking the golden fleece, she has impressive powers. Equally influential on Medea’s development is a prophecy her immortal mother tells her. In response, Medea conducts endless magical experiments.

Striving for Sympathy

From this set of circumstances, Quin develops a version of Medea’s story that aims at winning the reader’s sympathy for Medea and remaking the notorious witch into someone likeable and emotionally compelling. Quin retains the traditional events and persons of the myth, while fitting in new elements to transform the reader’s perception of Medea’s motives and heart.

The childhood chapters are satisfying and draw the reader to Medea. In later chapters, some readers may have a harder time sympathizing with Medea’s actions and her justifications for them. Quin occasionally brushes aside some significant emotional hurdles, character shifts, and plot complexities. Additionally, there are a few anachronistic slip-ups scattered through, such as “waiting seven minutes” and “rocking manically.” The regular use of the word “hummed” instead of the standard “said” as a dialogue indicator distracts from the tale rather than adds.

Highly Recommended

However, overall, the exploration and reworking of this most reviled woman’s inner world are compelling and well worth reading. Quin earns respect for her rich portrait of Medea. Highly recommended.

Further Reading

If you are looking for other mythic retellings in novel form, you might enjoy reading my review of Madeline Miller’s Song of Achilles or my interview with Miller.

If you’d like to buy a copy of Quin’s Medea, here is the link on Amazon and the link on Bookshop.org.