Hekate

A propulsive, electrifying and enraging retelling in verse of the life of Greek goddess Hekate, child of war turned all-powerful goddess of witchcraft and necromancy, by internationally bestselling poet Nikita Gill.

Born into a world on fire, Godling Hekate has never known safety. After her parents find themselves on the losing side of the war between the ruling Titans and the new Olympian Gods, Hekate is taken by her mother Asteria to the Underworld, where Styx and Hades agree to raise her. Meanwhile, Asteria is pursued across the world by Zeus and Poseidon and, to escape their clutches, transforms herself into an island in a stormy sea.

Orphaned and alone, Hekate grows up amongst the horrors and beauties of the Underworld, desperate to find her divine purpose and a sense of belonging in the land of the dead. 

When she finally uncovers her powers and ascends to Goddess status, she realises that even the most powerful Olympians are terrified of her. But when immortal war breaks out again, threatening to destroy everything from Mount Olympus to the Underworld itself, the Goddess of witchcraft and necromancy is the only one who can bring the deadly conflict to an end...

Review

‘Hekate must be a work of stunning witchcraft, because I was spellbound from its very opening pages. Gill's lyrical prose is pure magic and brings the captivating, enigmatic Hekate to life so beautifully, exploring the life of a goddess fighting to find her place and power in the world’ ROSIE HEWLETT, author of Medea

‘A magical journey of survival and discovery through the Greek Underworld, from the mist-filled Asphodel meadows to the blessed Elysian fields and the deepest pits of Tartarus. Populated with unforgettable gods and titans and narrated in dream-like poetry, Hekate is a unique creation and the most original addition to the retelling genre I have read in a while. A powerful reflection on magic, power, family and the consequences of war. I absolutely loved it’ COSTANZA CASATI, bestselling author of Clytemnestra

‘A vivid and imaginatively wrought divine world that is monstrous, magical and beautiful. It's a timely and achingly resonant reflection on conflict, fear and the unbreakable bonds of family conveyed in exquisite, evocative poetry’ JENNIFER SAINT, bestselling author of Hera and Ariadne

‘In a wholly original, incandescent take on the myth of Hekate, Nikita Gill captures the beauty, brutality and otherworldly strangeness of the ancient world like no other writer... This poem is pure magic’ ELODIE HARPER, bestselling author of The Wolf Den trilogy

About the Author

Nikita Gill is an Irish-Indian poet who has the attention of 750,000 Instagram followers worldwide for her work. Her work offers a shift of perspective which centres women in both Greek and Hindu myth as well as folklore. She has given a TEDx Talk, spoken at every major literary festival in the UK and been shortlisted for the Goodreads Choice Award in poetry three times, the Childrens Poetry Award two times and longlisted for the Jhalak Prize. Gill has written seven poetry collections and two verse novels. Her book of fables for children, Animal Tales from India (Walker Books), and her newest verse novel for Doctor Who, The Angel of Redemption (a 2010s story) (BBC Children's Books), were both out in October 2023