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A Novel
by Ayana Gray
From New York Times. bestselling author Ayana Gray comes a new kind of villain origin story, reimagining one of the most iconic monsters in Greek mythology as a provocative and powerful young heroine.
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 the colorful market streets of Athens and the clandestine chambers of the temple, Meddy flourishes in her role as Athena's favored acolyte, getting her first tastes of purpose and power. But when she is noticed by another Olympian, Poseidon, the course of Meddy's promising future is suddenly and irrevocably altered.
When her locs are 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 crosscurrents between her heart's deepest desires and the cruel, careless games the Olympian gods play.
2026 first quarter besties
What a great list Anne. Thanks for posting! I got off to a slow start this year because of reading a long book, but so far here are my faves: The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny - Kieran Desai The Bridge on San Luis Rey - Thornton Wilder (I picked up this old classic and loved it—some of the most b...
-Roberta_Winchester
"In this stirring fantasy, bestseller Gray reimagines Medusa as a fierce heroine given to righteous anger, with a strong drive for justice and a deep desire for acceptance, all of which puts her squarely at odds with the capricious gods...Both empowering and infuriating, it's a strong take on the classic character." —Publishers Weekly
"An engaging, imaginative narrative hampered by its lack of subtlety." —Kirkus Reviews
"Ayana Gray brings her fresh, dynamic storytelling to one of the most monstered, maligned, and misunderstood women of Greek myth, imagining all the girls that Medusa was and could have been." —Jennifer Saint, bestselling author of Ariadne
"A vivid, searing reimagining of the infamous villain ... By deftly peeling back the layers to reveal the young, misunderstood woman inside the legend, Ayana Gray has crafted a bold new classic as heartbreaking as it is hopeful." —Ann Liang, New York Times bestselling author of A Song to Drown Rivers
This information about I, Medusa was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Ayana Gray is a New York Times bestselling author. Her works have been translated into eleven languages across five continents. She currently lives and writes in Arkansas. I, Medusa is her adult debut.
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