webtoon review: lore olympus

note | My review is of chapters/episodes 1-115, which make up the entirety of Season 1.

content | on the page rape, other sexual abuse, child abuse, domestic violence

visibility | Trauma responses and other mental health symptoms are shown well. Eros is queer coded.

reader health | I think the author handles intense topics well so far. I don’t have any complaints except for how much it hurts me to see Hera mistreated and almost everything having to do with Apollo breaks my heart. I will say the author excels at showing the differences between healthy and unhealthy behaviors.

education | N/A

characters | If you’re a lover of retellings or a lover of the Greek mythology or pantheon, you might enjoy this. I’m a Hellenic witch so sometimes it’s hard for me to read these kinds of retellings, but the author depicts Hera with love which I strongly appreciate. Each character is distinctly different from the others and each one has depth, believability, and humor to them. I have issues with some of the characterizations, but mostly because they hurt me in the way only a well-written story can. Lastly, the romance is excellent in that Hades and Persephone are constantly checking in on each other emotionally, being genuinely good friends to one another, having intimate conversations of the painful and concrete varieties, and are both enjoyable to witness and good enough models of behavior for readers.

story-telling style | The author does a fun thing where they go back and show the same time frame from multiple characters’ POV; they don’t do this often but it’s something that stands out for me and entertains me. The artwork deserves a mention aside from being beautiful it’s also fluid and creative, perfect to depict deities.

plot & entertainment/pleasure | It’s deeply engaging, exciting, romantic, medium-paced without banking on plot devices like misunderstandings. It’s as jolly a good time as something that has tons of PTSD and IPV can be.

etc. | I rated it ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐; add to tbr?

book review: circe

author: Madeline Miller

note | I read this for a group read on a discord server; otherwise this would not have struck my interest as I attempted to read Song of Achilles and couldn’t get into it.

content | on the page rape in chapter 14, bullying, family rejection, threats of harm, bestiality, brutal childbirth twice

visibility | Bi/pansexuality appears to be the common sexual orientation, though the label is never used.

reader health | The absence of misogyny is clear in the author’s narrative and in Circe’s wisdom itself. Circe is revealed to be clever and observant, though the author is careful to make clear she is not all-knowing and the chapter about her sister is beautiful regarding this. It’s deeply validating to watch her address misogyny often and prevail.

education | Those of you who are mild nerds about the Greek gods will probably love the mentions like I did.

characters | Circe is a wonderful character to spend an entire book with. She is an underdog, underappreciated and rejected, and she grows before our eyes from child to so much more. Some of my favorite spiritual figures are mentioned, like Prometheus and Hera, and some of my favorite fictional characters like Medea, so I was giddy throughout. All of the characters are brilliantly written, full of kaleidoscopes of personality traits and behavioral strengths and mistakes. I loved experiencing them through Circe’s eyes.

writing style, plot, & entertainment/pleasure | If I may be so bold, this was an epic. At first it reads like a formula: Circe is in the middle of something, conflict ensures, Circe suffers; but after a bit of that the story expands as we see Circe grow from her experiences. There were some sentences in here that are life-changing, as fit for a book about a goddess. I enjoyed every moment of it and dreaded its ending, though I appreciate the way the author handled that as well.

etc. | I rated it ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐; add to tbr?