The Castaway and the Witch by Ioanna Papadopoulou

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While this is only the second work by Ioanna Papadopoulou that I have read, she has already become one of the authors I keep an eye out for. Her debut was a wonderfully vicious retelling of the Demeter and Persephone myth from the POV of Demeter, Winter Harvest, which I previously reviewed for The Horror Tree. Her most recent work, The Castaway and the Witch, is out today from Ghost Orchid Press. It is a loose retelling of the Circe and Odysseus myth from my favourite book of all time, The Odyssey.

Papadopoulou's novella is not a straight retelling. Her witch, Nefele, is not a powerful goddess, but a terrified young girl. She washes up on the shore of a mysterious island next to her dead father. There, she grows into a woman and the magic of the island claims her as its own. Nefele is the latest in a long line of witches who have inhabited the island, which is both home and prison to those who land there. She uses the island's power to protect herself when other castaways come to her island until one in particular, Simon, causes her to rethink everything the island and its past witches have taught her.

This is a tale that defies genre. Firmly in fantasy, perhaps, but it is also a fairy tale, a horror story, a love story, a mystery, and a tragedy, yet not at any point does this feel overwhelming. All of the genre pieces fit together nicely and make for an engrossing read. Anyone who is familiar with the Circe myth can see its fingerprints all over the tale, but it is not a blueprint for the story. I appreciated the nuances, but enjoyed that this was its own story.

The characters are limited, but complex. Nefele is more than a simple, lost girl. She has a terrifying strength and commits unspeakable acts, yet remains endearing through her vulnerability and her desire to be better. Simon is more mysterious and while he treats Nefele with kindness, his past hints at a hidden darkness within his soul. 

It is these hints that make the story seem larger than it is, but also leave the reader potentially unsatisfied. The island is a mystery that never gets solved, which I think is proper for this kind of story. Explaining the island fully would rob it of its magic, but not knowing the backgrounds of either Nefele or Simon left me a bit frustrated. There are questions about both of them that are never answered and this is what held the story back for me a bit in the end. 

Overall, the story is a delight, and if you aren't scared off by a little ambiguity, you will enjoy this one.



I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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