Huzzah!
Good evening, and welcome back fair travelers.
I hope that you all enjoyed our first run through a tome together. Thank you to all who inspired this club, and those who have participated and made it so fruitful. I know I have been having a wonderful time.
Now we step into a new world. I again extend my gratitude to the wonderful suggestions, and the ease of voting as it takes a lot of stress off my plate.
I’m excited to dive into this new piece with you all. Let us use this week for sourcing and preparation.
For grit and glory,
Sir Kadean
P.S. If you are new here, you can find all the past editions of the herald here, still held by our previous overlord.
Also make sure you are enlisted to receive future editions by subscribing below
Description
(sourced from GoodReads)
“In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child--neither powerful like her father nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power: the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.
Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts, and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus.
But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from or with the mortals she has come to love.”
Sourcing note:
Adventurers, before venturing to the vast empires of online booksellers, consider stopping by your local library or a small bookshop first!
Supporting these havens of knowledge keeps the magic alive in our communities—and libraries have much more to offer than just letting you borrow tomes for free. If your book is elusive in the wild, then by all means, turn to the larger markets, but let’s give the smaller and more communal options our first allegiance!
Resources for ye:
Spend this time sourcing and preparing to dive into your tome.
Quick note on how we break up tomes:
Preparation
Obtaining the tome and pre-reflection
Segments 1-?
We break up our books as it logically flows, but hopefully landing around 3 or 4 segments to line up the experience with a calendar month.
These segments will always line up with key breaks (chapters, parts, book of x, etc.)
I will additionally provide clarity of “pages 1- ~100” as a sort of guide so you can understand the volume you are about to tackle, as sometimes it is not an even break (one segment might be heavy, but much shorter than others). This is not me saying stop around page 100 and ignore the main guide point (chapter, book of x, part x, etc). The approximate (~) is there as different versions between languages/digital and non will not always line up.
Just clarifying this as a couple people asked why we weren’t following chapters, even though we were and I didn’t want you all thinking I was just being silly with that hahaha
Reflection
Allows time for everyone to catch up, and we reflect on the whole piece.
Judging a Book by it’s Cover
Much can be gleaned from the art that is chosen to represent a piece of media. Analyze the book’s cover— what symbols jump out, colors strike meaning, ect. Compare to other pieces of media you are familiar with. What can you guess about the plot ahead and style with what you see (and see alone—no cheating!)Setting the Linguistic Scene
Circe is a figure from ancient myth, but this is a modern retelling. Additionally, Madeline Miller is known for careful, poetic prose. What expectations do you have for tone, language, or perspective when myth is filtered through a contemporary voice?Which Witch?
What comes to mind when you think of a "witch" in myth vs. a witch in fiction?
How do you imagine someone like Circe might be seen by the gods—or by mortals? What kind of personality do you expect from her?Bridging Prompt
Looking back at our last tale, Laurus by Eugene Vodolazkin, what types of power did we witness—emotional, political, magical, or otherwise? How did characters wield or resist it?
Now, think ahead to Circe. What kinds of power do you expect to appear in a story named after a mythic witch? What might her relationship to power be?
Source your Tome
From library, store, or digital landscape— you need the tome to participate!
Action: Secure a copy of Circe by Madeline Miller
Pack for Exile
Is it a spoiler if it’s from the classics? Not sure, anyways—
Action: Choose three items you would take if you were exiled to a quiet island. They could be practical or symbolic. Gather them, draw them, or list them plainly. What would you keep, when all else is stripped away? Share with the group
Epithet Generator
In the old myths, names were more than identifiers—they were invocations.
Action: In the spirit of Homeric tradition: Choose your own epic name to carry into this next story. Let it reflect something true about you
The Last Word and The First One
Before we enter into a new realm, leave a message behind, and set one aside for the future.
Action: Write a note to Laurus, or to the world you just left. It can be a farewell, a question, or a blessing. On the same page, write your hello to Circe. Stash the note at the end of your tome, or in a safe space, to reflect on at the completion of the story.
Sweep the Threshold
We don’t always need to know what we’re stepping into, but we can choose how we arrive.
Action: Prepare your space. Clean a surface, clear a digital tab pile, or make a place to rest your book. This isn’t about aesthetics. It’s about honoring your time and focus. A little intention goes a long way.
Rewards for this week’s quests: 🌊
(a note- you may want to keep track of these, they could be of use to you later in the guild)