Circe
Circe is a Greek mythology story of Circe, daughter of a sun god and a naiad. Therefore, she is a half god and half nymph who grows up to be a very powerful witch. Her childhood was difficult, everyone in her family deemed her ugly and unworthy because of which there were ugly emotions inside of her and one of them was of jealousy. Under the influence of that emotion, she did something horrible and as a result she was banished to a remote island for life. There she fulfilled her true potential and became the powerful witch as she was destined to be. Circe is shown as a beautiful, flawed, just character. She encountered so many powerful men in that island like God Hermes, Odysseus but tackled them like the brave woman she is. Circe is one character in Greek mythology which everyone should read about, and I highly recommend this book to start with. I am in awe of Circe also known as ‘the witch of Aeaea’.
The Once and future witches
Unintentionally, this second book recommendation is also with the theme of powerful witches, but this one is very different from Circe because The Once and future witches doesn’t have a mythological setting but rather it is a story of 3 ordinary sisters who got separated from each other after a very difficult situation at home but their reunion in a place called New Salem brings about the wave of change and the revolution of the past crimes which happened in Old Salem.
We have all heard about the burning of witches in Salem. The storyline is based on that, and the three sisters are the main characters of the story. I was so impressed by their personalities, character arc, story line, power, and the mystery. It’s a must read if you like magic and fantasy themed stories with women rights at the center.
The henna artist
This is a special book for me on this list because it is set in India. I could realistically imagine the setting presented by author in the story. It is based in Jaipur, which is one of my favorite cities to visit in India. Alka Joshi did justice to the beautiful Jaipur and its characters.
The main character of the story Lakshmi who is a Henna artist in Jaipur catering to some of the powerful families of the city. Her life was going smoothly till her little sister came to live with her and became involved with one of her client’s son. I really admire Lakshmi’s zeal towards her goal, her rise from extreme poverty to where she is in the book and the art of navigating in the world of rich, egoistic humans who solve all their problems with money and by controlling the underprivileged. I am confident that you will fall in love with Lakshmi’s character and this love will continue further in second book as well called The secret keeper of Jaipur.
Where the Crawdads Sing
Where the Crawdads Sing is a hugely popular book by Delia Owens. It has now been adapted into a movie as well. This is a story of a girl called Kya who has been abandoned by everyone in her family and now lives alone in her family house near the Marsh. The locals call her ‘the marsh girl’. It is a fascinating novel about Kya’s survival, her determination to be independent, her love for the birds and wildlife of marsh and to keep the readers hooked she becomes a suspect in a murder investigation too. I don’t know whether it is possible for a young girl to survive on her own in such a harsh environment in real life or not but in the book, this was one hell of a story. A must read!
Firekeepers daughter
Firekeepers daughter is the story of Daunis Fontaine who is an important member of the Native American community, and her life turns upside down when she witnesses her best friend getting murdered right in front of her eyes.
I found Daunis to be a strong character at such a young age who not only fulfills her own desires, but she strives to take her community, her loved ones along with her as well. She tackles the difficult situations smartly and makes her presence known wherever she is. Author described the tribe’s culture and traditions beautifully. There are some heavy subjects as well in the book like suicide, drug abuse, etc. so dive into it carefully. I, personally cannot wait to read its sequel ‘Warrior girl unearthed.’
