Hekate

I always tell people I do not like poetry because I can never interpret the stanzas, which is 100 percent true. Give me a poem laden with hidden meaning, and I will miss all of it. Any poetry I voluntarily read will be in the form of a book. And wouldn't you know, those are almost always among my favorite books of the year. HEKATE by Nikita Gill is this year's choice for completing the poetry genre in a reading challenge, and I absolutely adored every line.

I don't know why I enjoy novels in verse so much, or why my brain finds it easier to interpret them versus the more traditional poetic format, but I do. In HEKATE, I appreciate the gorgeous imagery Ms. Gill's verse brings to her story. Plus, I find it much easier to understand and show more evoke the emotional turmoil of the story's main character through prose. That's a good thing because Hekate is experiencing major emotional turmoil at this stage in her life. From the loss of her mother to her missing powers to her unknown purpose, her early years are so very lonely. You ache while reading about it.

HEKATE also provides an excellent opportunity to bridge the gap between the end of the Titanomachy and the emergence of the more well-known Olympian gods with whom we are more familiar. The first thing we learn when studying the Olympian gods is that Zeus defeated his father. However, you never understand how complicated the war between the Titans and the lesser gods would have been when you remember they are all related to each other.

Ms. Gill remedies this lack by showing us the impact of the war on spouses, siblings, and more distant relatives. It is as complicated as everything about the gods is. Yet, it also provides a greater context that helps to make the complexity more understandable. More to the point, Hekate's life, as detailed or imagined by Ms. Gill, is fascinating. Living on the edges of the Underworld, neither a goddess nor mortal, her life on the fringe has a lasting impact on who she later becomes. She is an immensely likable character, something which entices you to keep reading to see what happens next in her story, which ends way too quickly for my liking.

HEKATE is the first book in a trilogy about the goddesses of the Underworld. Each book is essentially a standalone novel, exploring one goddess at a time. Given how much I enjoyed HEKATE, I will most definitely read the next book in the trilogy. I'm sad to see my time with the young goddess come to an end, but I appreciate the care Ms. Gill took to craft her story. Hekate is one of those entities whose identity has been tarnished in modern times with its association with witchcraft and, therefore, with darkness. Ms. Gill banishes that connection with her beautiful story of a young girl who wants a place where she belongs. That she does so using verse makes it that much more impressive a story. show less

Many of us only know of Hekate through her appearance as the leader of the three witches in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. This story of a young girl who grows up to become a powerful goddess of the Underworld is far more textured and interesting. Gill’s retelling, written in verse, provides the story behind the goddess of witchcraft and crossroads.

Hekate, daughter of the Titans Asteria and Perses, flees her home with her mother during the Titanomachy, the war between the original gods and the Olympians. Asteria brings Hekate to the underworld for protection and then leaves her, abandoning her with love and hope for her safety.

This story is divided into three parts and told from Hekate’s view: as a child of war, through a perilous show more youth, and ultimately, as a woman of power. Along her journey, the reader encounters other gods from Greek mythology, such as Zeus, Styx, Charon, Hades, and Thanatos. Her story involves heartbreak and fierce determination. All Hekate wants is to learn what her power is. But as Hekate grows from a sad child to a goddess of great and frightening ability, it becomes apparent that it is not only mortals who fear her power; some of the other gods do, too.

Hekate is an easy read and one that anyone who enjoys Greek mythology will want to savor. It is the first in a planned trilogy; presumably each book will focus on a different goddess of the underworld. show less

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