Pharmakides is the debut novel of Alice Abyss. It is a spellbinding fantasy about Medousa, and her journey from the depths of the ocean to the stars in the sky.
"Stars shone for both scholars and paupers, pharmakides and priestesses, gods and mortals. They shone, but they never went backwards. They never vanished. Sometimes they’d flicker, like a candle, but they’d never be blown out completely.
Not until that fateful morning when Medousa bubbled up from the sea."
Alice Abyss reimagines Poseidon, Chiron, Argos, Nephele, Hekate, Hera, Athena, Philomela, Anthus, Hippodamia, and more characters in the story of Medousa. In this novel you will meet the leviathan, mandrake, stymphalian, pheonix, and more mythical creatures.
Best Greek Mythology Book
Pharmakides is an innovative new story with a unique twist. The story is narrated by birds. Each chapter is an exploration into a different aspect of mythology, from the perspective of a new bird. The story begins with the stork, the symbol of birth, and makes it way through birds. Read Pharmakides to discover the little known mythological origins of each bird. One imposter, a bat, flies his way into the narrative. The multi-POV structure proves to be daring, innovative, and genre-blending. For those who don't know, birds are the divine oracles of the sky. They communicated to ancient Greeks. People called ornithomancers could interpret messages based on the behaviors of birds.
The avian POV allows Alice Abyss to explore mythology from different perspectives. She reframes the narrative about the relationship between Medousa and Poseidon. Alice Abyss looks deeper, into the roots of the story. She discovered that gorgons are symbols for people who had drowned. This, in its own right, is a symbol for what happens to Medousa in Ovid's Metamorphoses.
The story takes place between ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, but with a fantastic twist. There are empty spaces in the sky, because the world is young. The stars are still being born, Medousa emerges from the sea, and she walks the earth. In this era, where stories are evolving, readers can watch the transformation from harpy to mermaid under the cognate 'siren'. This is an exploration into mythology with a broad gaze. Alice Abyss hopes her story captures archetypal truths, especially about the relationship between her characters and the natural world.
Pharmakides makes its debut on Halloween, and it is poised to be one of the best Greek mythology books. This novel has spooky and surreal overtones. The book opens with a look into horses who have been risen from the dead. The book becomes even darker from there. Deception plays a major role in the novel.
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Readers who enjoyed Pharmakides may leave a review on Goodreads. I hope you enjoyed your look into the life of Medousa. Pharmakides was meant to be an enjoyable, meandering, and immersive read.
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Wishing you magic-filled days ahead,
Alice Abyss
Author