Book Review: ‘Hekate’ is Nikita Gill’s Dark, Female Empowering Take on Greek Myths and Magic

Is this Greek Mythology retelling of a notorious character written entirely in verse going to be for everyone? No. But for those who love poetry, specifically narrative verse, and coming of age stories, Hekate by Nikita Gill might be one of your new favorite reads. I absolutely loved this, but the audiobook is a requirement in my opinion. It was absolutely beautifully done. And to be honest, I’m not sure I would have loved this book as much if I was just reading it. The formating into the “poems” actually felt a bit unnecessary. The words flowed beautifully when read as one continuous narrative. This was also my first read about Hekate. Yes, I’ve heard the name before, but I didn’t really know what to expect—if she’d be the traditional villain or a misunderstood girl trying to find her place in the immortal world. There is plenty of female rage, and stopping at nothing to find your purpose in life. If you love Madeline Miller’s Circe, I think you’ll also love this book.

P.S. the first edition printing of this book is absolutely stunning in person and has some heft to it. It’s a perfect addition to your sprayed edges book collection.

Things to Know:

• Greek Mythology

• Poetry (written in verse)

• Retelling

• Female Rage

• Coming of Age

• Titans vs Olympians

Hekate is a child when this story begins. On the run with her mother trying to escape the war of the gods. And as a child of War, we see her lose both of her parents, as she’s thrust upon her aunt Styx in the Underworld. And the Underworld is NOT a place for a child. Dangers lurk everywhere. But as the child of Titans, Hekate is no ordinary child. I loved getting to see her grow up, pursue her curiosities and find her purpose. We also get to see different parts of the Underworld in a new way, and how Hekate befriends all of these traditionally scary characters in the Pantheon.

There also a hint of a romantic subplot that I also thoroughly enjoyed. It was also refreshing to see the other gods through a different perspective than we usually see. When I got to the epilogue, I wasn’t ready to say goodbye yet to these characters, which is always a good sign. I would absolutely read a sequel if she were to write one.

Again, this is a book where I would say the audiobook is actually a MUST. And I didn’t realize this until I finished, but the author is also the narrator, which is super cool! You can find the audiobook on Audible or Libro.fm (ProTips: Audible is 99 cents/mo for three months right now AND you can get two free audiobooks on Libro.fm with the code SWITCH right now).

Favorite Quotes:

“It seemed to me that anything unpredictable was named dangerous by gods and men alike. But the word unpredictable seemed reserved for women alone. A woman they cannot control, whether goddess or mortal, is a dangerous woman.

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“The crown is tempting to all, other than the one who must wear it.”

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