📆 Publication Date: 20th November 2025
⭐️4/5 stars
📖 Length: 336 pages
📱 Format: ePUB
⏳ Read Time: 10 days
Synopsis
Meddy has spent her whole life as a footnote in someone else’s story. Out of place next to her beautiful, immortal sisters and her parents-both gods, albeit minor ones-she dreams of leaving her family’s island for a life of adventure. So when she catches the eye of the goddess Athena, who invites her to train as an esteemed priestess in her temple, Meddy leaps at the chance to see the world beyond her home.
In Athens’ colourful market streets and the clandestine chambers of the temple, Meddy flourishes in her role as Athena’s favoured acolyte, getting her first tastes of purpose and power. But when she is noticed by another Olympian, Poseidon, a drunken night between girl and god ends in violence, and the course of Meddy’s promising future is suddenly and irrevocably altered.
Her locs transformed into snakes as punishment for a crime she did not commit, Medusa must embrace a new identity-not as a victim, but as a vigilante-and with it, the chance to write her own story as mortal, martyr, and myth.
Exploding with rage, heartbreak, and love, I, Medusa portrays a young woman caught in the cross currents between her heart’s deepest desires and the cruel, careless games the Olympian gods play.
What I thought
I, Medusa is a really strong retelling of one of Greek mythology’s most famous “monsters,” and I loved the way Ayana Gray approached Medusa’s story. One thing that really worked well for me was how the book opens almost at the end, before jumping back into everything that led Meddy to that moment. It instantly hooked me and made me want to know how it all unfolded.
The pacing throughout the beginning is great, and I was fully invested in Medusa as “Meddy.” Her voice feels real, emotional, and grounded in a way we don’t often get with this myth. It’s also clear that Gray did her research; the world-building and mythological touches feel thoughtful and intentional without ever overwhelming the story.
I thought everything flowed really well, up until the moment Meddy is punished and her hair is transformed into snakes for a crime she didn’t commit. After that, the story suddenly speeds up, and it almost felt like a sprint to the finish. Still enjoyable, but definitely a noticeable shift after such a strong, well-developed first half.
Gray choosing not to fully name Medusa’s killer was the best. He’s referred to in the book as “a favoured champion” and only gets a fleeting presence in the epilogue. It felt incredibly powerful, shifting the weight of the myth back onto Meddy and keeping the focus entirely on her story. Here, he is not the hero.
Overall, this is a good, engaging retelling that gives Medusa far more depth than the typical “monster” label and I really enjoyed seeing a more human, nuanced side to her.
You can grab your copy of I, Medusa by Ayana Gray from trusted retailers:
On Amazon – here
Bookshop.Org – here
Thanks to NetGalley, Bonnier Books UK and the author for this ARC in return for an honest review.
Until next time… 🐍🦉
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