What if Medousa was a victor,
not a victim?
A Greek Myth
Retelling...
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Pharmakides
by Alice Abyss
A story about witches
in ancient Greece...
You may have heard the word 'pharmakon' used to describe ancient potions, or the word 'pharmakis' used to describe Kirke/Circe and Medea. I want to introduce you to a new, old word. 'Pharmakides' is the Greek word for a group of witches. How do they manage the magic of the universe. What trades do they strike in order to achieve balance? What happens when they meet Medousa?
This standalone, debut novel is an ode to Ovid's Metamorphoses and Brian C. Muraresku's The Immortality Key.
Medousa & Poseidon
What is the origin
of their relationship?
When Medousa bubbles up from the sea, she is born into a cursed life. She nearly drowns in the same ocean which created her. This novel is like no other, because Poseidon is more than a character. He is a force of nature. He embodies the reality of the ocean, by being both impartial and ruthless.
Pharmakides explores the relationship between gorgones and Poseidon in a new way.
Bird Magic
“Bird-diviners knew the things that were, were to be, and had been before.”
-Homer's Iliad (Book 1, lines 68-69)
When Medousa emerges from the sea, a stork is watching over her. Follow the mortal gorgones' from stork to swan, on her way from the sea and into the stars. Each chapter is narrated by a different bird. Pharmakides will cast a spell on you, and allow you to fly with ancient Greek's iconic birds. Bird's reveal their backstories, observations of Medousa, and alliances with the stars.
Pharmakides is based on the ancient practice of ornithomancy, coined augury by the Romans. This ancient practice still reflects modern truths and is worth examination.
Pharmakides Reviews
immersive
breath-
taking
avant-garde
