I, Medusa by Ayana Gray Review (Gifted/AD)

Hello Readers,
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Zaffre Books for the early copy of I, Medusa. I received a complimentary eBook in exchange for an honest review. With the book publishing today there’s no need to worry this review is completely spoiler-free.
 
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the cover image featured in this post. It is used under Fair Use for the purposes of review and recommendation, in line with sections 29 and 30 of the Copyright Act.
 
Happy Publication Day
 
Title: I, Medusa
Author: Ayana Gray
Genre: Historical Fiction, Fairy tale, Historical fantasy
Pages: 336
Cover Image:


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.


Miniature Review

I, Medusa is a fiercely lyrical and emotional Greek mythology retelling that breathes vivid life into one of myth’s most misunderstood figures. Going in, I thought I knew Medusa’s story, but Ayana Gray transforms this familiar tragedy into something richer, sharper, and breathtakingly human. I’m sure I say this after every Medusa retelling I read, but this is easily one of the most powerful interpretations I’ve read.

From the very first pages, Ayana immerses readers in the beauty and brutality of Ancient Greece, capturing both the shimmering wonder of adventure and the ugly, unflinching cruelty of the Olympian gods.

Ayana doesn’t hold back on the viciousness we’ve come to expect from the gods’ interference and politics; more than once, I found myself angry, appalled, and desperate to reach through the page. And yet, woven through the darkness is a thread of tenderness, sisterhood, first love, and the quiet resilience of claiming your own story.

What makes this feminist mythology novel stand out is its depth of character. Medusa is no longer the monster of legend; she’s a young woman seeking purpose, connection, and freedom long before the world tries to define her by violent myth.

Ayana’s gorgeous writing has perfect pacing, and heartbreaking symbolism makes Medusa’s journey feel painfully real. By the end, it’s impossible to see Medusa as anything but a survivor shaped by the cruelty around her.

Beautiful, devastating, and deeply relevant, I, Medusa is a mythic reimagining that demands to be heard.

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