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Sycorax
Born of the sun and of the moon, disfigured by fire and malady, comes the most powerful witch Algiers has ever seen...
This is the story of a young woman, treated with utter disdain, complete distrust and even, hate, when all she tried to do was help... This is the story of Sycorax.
A beautifully written and deeply moving imagining of what came before Shakespeare's The Tempest.
This is the story of a young woman, treated with utter disdain, complete distrust and even, hate, when all she tried to do was help... This is the story of Sycorax.
A beautifully written and deeply moving imagining of what came before Shakespeare's The Tempest.
390 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 27, 2025
40 people are currently reading
1064 people want to read
About the author
Nydia Hetherington
2 books61 followers Nydia's first memories are of the Isle of Man, where she lived as a small child. When her family relocated to Leeds, she grew up dreaming of fairies and of the sea (she still does). In her early twenties she moved to London to embark on an acting career, then to Paris, where she continued her theatre training before creating a theatre company and becoming a clown (red nose included). Returning to London almost a decade later, she worked in a shoe shop while studying for a creative writing degree at Birkbeck University. To keep the wolf from her door she's had many jobs, including working in shops and cafes and kitchens, sometimes in offices and most recently in an art gallery. These days she lives on the edge of London with her husband and plump (she's got big bones) cat.
Her favourite books often have a touch of the magical about them. At the same time, she loves fierce writing that reaches into the depths of the human experience.
Nydia is also a novelist living with chronic illness. She says:
"The world of the unwell is similar in many ways to the world of the well. In fact, they intersect and intertwine. As someone with an 'invisible illness' you would not at first know that I'm living in that slightly other world. For that is what we are. Other. Or at least, so often, othered. It would be an untruth to say that the disease I have does not define me. It does. I spend so much of my time 'managing' it, in both the physical and emotional sense. It's a part of me and it is me -- alongside so many other things that make up a life, of course. Sometimes my writing is shot through the prism of my pain, reflecting it back onto the page. Other times, like the disease itself, it simply can't be seen in the words and sentences, in the magic and the stories. But one thing is sure. It is always there."
Her favourite books often have a touch of the magical about them. At the same time, she loves fierce writing that reaches into the depths of the human experience.
Nydia is also a novelist living with chronic illness. She says:
"The world of the unwell is similar in many ways to the world of the well. In fact, they intersect and intertwine. As someone with an 'invisible illness' you would not at first know that I'm living in that slightly other world. For that is what we are. Other. Or at least, so often, othered. It would be an untruth to say that the disease I have does not define me. It does. I spend so much of my time 'managing' it, in both the physical and emotional sense. It's a part of me and it is me -- alongside so many other things that make up a life, of course. Sometimes my writing is shot through the prism of my pain, reflecting it back onto the page. Other times, like the disease itself, it simply can't be seen in the words and sentences, in the magic and the stories. But one thing is sure. It is always there."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
March 23, 2025
Sycorax is a fantasy retelling that reimagines the life of the powerful witch from one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, The Tempest, but no previous knowledge is necessary to read this standalone novel. In the play, Sycorax is mentioned but never seen—known only as the powerful sorceress and mother of Caliban, who is later enslaved by Prospero. Nydia Hetherington gives a voice to this mysterious figure, adding depth to her character by exploring the reasoning behind her physical appearance and shedding light on chronic illness—challenging her portrayal as a villain. She also includes a historical note that inspired Shakespeare to write The Tempest to give context. The novel follows Sycorax from birth to her transformation into the legendary witch, offering a compelling first-person perspective that immerses readers in her world.
The book explores themes of chronic illness, solitude, womanhood, and more. Hetherington’s prose is lyrical and immersive, creating a world that is both magical and compelling. “It is cold. The island hums. It knows I cannot sleep and tries only to soothe me. Moonlight touches my face. I lift my chin a little, bathe in the brightness, and blink. White beams reach like arms into my cave as I crouch on the smooth rock at its mouth. As always, the Moon’s beauty makes me gasp. Hairs rise on the back of my neck. I like the sensation. Resting heavily upon my staff, my trusty aid, still fragrant with the sap of the tree it came from, I enjoy the fresh bite of the cool night air. It will be hot when daytime comes, sweat will cling to us.”
The narrative, initially, tells the tale of Atlas and Sunny, told through Sycorax’s perspective. “My mother was of the Moon. My father was of the Sun. Together they were night and day.” As the story progresses, we learn that Atlas’s ancestors suffered from a physical malady passed down through generations. “Every evening she’d ask her friend the Moon to save her from a family malady, a cruel, painful stiffening she’d watched many women in her family struggle with.” Hetherington cleverly interprets the hunchback posture and the use of a cane for support due to arthritis, though the name is never explicitly mentioned. Chronic diseases are rarely explored in ancient tellings, making this book unique in that aspect. “When I tried to move, I couldn’t. Where once I was made of flesh and bones, now agony seemed the very fabric of my being. I named the illness Aamon. For truly, it was the devil prince, and I was its prey.”
The slow pace of Sycorax might not be for everyone, and even though the writing is of high quality, and the character development is strong, not much happens. Sunny’s characterisation, as well as that of Sycorax’s father, felt unfinished, superficial, and inconsistent. The choice of words at times felt odd, in my opinion. ”... scattered with human and equine meat.” "Equine" is a scientific term and does not fit well here, although this might be nitpicking. The historical aspect serves only as a backdrop, a missed opportunity to ground the tale more firmly. Perhaps this is why the novel reads like fantasy YA from the middle to the end.
Overall, Sycorax is an accomplished retelling that may appeal to fantasy readers who enjoy strong character development (but little plot), feminist retellings, and Shakespearean reinterpretations.
Thank you Nydia Hetherington and Quercus Books for the digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
The book explores themes of chronic illness, solitude, womanhood, and more. Hetherington’s prose is lyrical and immersive, creating a world that is both magical and compelling. “It is cold. The island hums. It knows I cannot sleep and tries only to soothe me. Moonlight touches my face. I lift my chin a little, bathe in the brightness, and blink. White beams reach like arms into my cave as I crouch on the smooth rock at its mouth. As always, the Moon’s beauty makes me gasp. Hairs rise on the back of my neck. I like the sensation. Resting heavily upon my staff, my trusty aid, still fragrant with the sap of the tree it came from, I enjoy the fresh bite of the cool night air. It will be hot when daytime comes, sweat will cling to us.”
The narrative, initially, tells the tale of Atlas and Sunny, told through Sycorax’s perspective. “My mother was of the Moon. My father was of the Sun. Together they were night and day.” As the story progresses, we learn that Atlas’s ancestors suffered from a physical malady passed down through generations. “Every evening she’d ask her friend the Moon to save her from a family malady, a cruel, painful stiffening she’d watched many women in her family struggle with.” Hetherington cleverly interprets the hunchback posture and the use of a cane for support due to arthritis, though the name is never explicitly mentioned. Chronic diseases are rarely explored in ancient tellings, making this book unique in that aspect. “When I tried to move, I couldn’t. Where once I was made of flesh and bones, now agony seemed the very fabric of my being. I named the illness Aamon. For truly, it was the devil prince, and I was its prey.”
The slow pace of Sycorax might not be for everyone, and even though the writing is of high quality, and the character development is strong, not much happens. Sunny’s characterisation, as well as that of Sycorax’s father, felt unfinished, superficial, and inconsistent. The choice of words at times felt odd, in my opinion. ”... scattered with human and equine meat.” "Equine" is a scientific term and does not fit well here, although this might be nitpicking. The historical aspect serves only as a backdrop, a missed opportunity to ground the tale more firmly. Perhaps this is why the novel reads like fantasy YA from the middle to the end.
Overall, Sycorax is an accomplished retelling that may appeal to fantasy readers who enjoy strong character development (but little plot), feminist retellings, and Shakespearean reinterpretations.
Thank you Nydia Hetherington and Quercus Books for the digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
March 3, 2025
3.5/4
Sycorax tells the story behind the mother of Caliban, a woman who is portrayed as a vengeful and powerful witch in The Tempest. So, like all right thinking people I assumed she was actually just a woman who knew how to heal people or a midwife. Confession: I've never read/seen The Tempest.
Of course I was only half right and I was delighted that Nydia Hetherington gives some powers to her heroine. I still like some mystery to my myths. Sycorax is not seen in the play but in the book she is disabled physically and her eyes are kept covered because her mother believes the population would fear her daughter.
As usual Sycorax's gifts are used against her and she is abused by the men and women of her community. She has only two friends- a crow and Yemma, a wise woman. It certainly doesn't take much for dislike to turn to hatred and hatred turn to violence.
In the Acknowledgements Nydia Hetherington tells the very moving and personal story that led her to write this novel. It certainly puts her treatment of Sycorax's story in a new light.
In all I found this novel interesting and with some magical parts it was certainly supernatural enough for me.
Recommended.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Quercus Books for the advance review copy.
Sycorax tells the story behind the mother of Caliban, a woman who is portrayed as a vengeful and powerful witch in The Tempest. So, like all right thinking people I assumed she was actually just a woman who knew how to heal people or a midwife. Confession: I've never read/seen The Tempest.
Of course I was only half right and I was delighted that Nydia Hetherington gives some powers to her heroine. I still like some mystery to my myths. Sycorax is not seen in the play but in the book she is disabled physically and her eyes are kept covered because her mother believes the population would fear her daughter.
As usual Sycorax's gifts are used against her and she is abused by the men and women of her community. She has only two friends- a crow and Yemma, a wise woman. It certainly doesn't take much for dislike to turn to hatred and hatred turn to violence.
In the Acknowledgements Nydia Hetherington tells the very moving and personal story that led her to write this novel. It certainly puts her treatment of Sycorax's story in a new light.
In all I found this novel interesting and with some magical parts it was certainly supernatural enough for me.
Recommended.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Quercus Books for the advance review copy.
March 5, 2025
A moving book, written in lyrical prose. A feminist imagining of the life of a minor character in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, seen through the lens of disability and chronic illness. An authentic portrayal of chronic illness and the reality of being ‘othered’.
March 6, 2025
Sycorax is tale of self-discovery, empowerment, and the struggles of being an outsider in a society that fears and misunderstands the unknown.
📚 A reimagining of the life lived by the powerful witch Sycorax before her banishment to the island in William Shakespeare's The Tempest.
Born of the sun and of the moon and disfigured by fire. This is the story of a young woman, treated with utter disdain, complete distrust and hate, when all she tried to do was help.
✨ Review ✨
In The Tempest by Shakespeare sycorax is betrayed as a vengeful and powerful witch. Although she is a big presence in the story she's long since past and we never get to meet her. I loved getting her story and following along with how she came to be, making her more than just the 'blue eyed hag' she is a woman, she is a human and she deserves to be seen and heard.
We also have some fantastic disability representation. The author herself has Rheumatoid Arthritis so she is coming at it through a lived experience. I will say this explores how unkind and fearful people can be of disabilities so if that is a trigger this may not be for you. There are also other triggers so check them before reading if you need.
The fantasy is very much on the low end so I wouldn't go into it if you want fantasy, but I found she captures the world really well.
The writing was great and I really liked sycorax as a character. The side characters were also strong in there own right.
Having said that even though this is a heavy story with how it explored ableism, grief, loneliness, misogyny and the entitlement men feel towards women i would have liked a stronger emotional impact. I felt for her but it was missing something. Still fantastic though and I would definitely read more of this authors work.
📚 A reimagining of the life lived by the powerful witch Sycorax before her banishment to the island in William Shakespeare's The Tempest.
Born of the sun and of the moon and disfigured by fire. This is the story of a young woman, treated with utter disdain, complete distrust and hate, when all she tried to do was help.
✨ Review ✨
In The Tempest by Shakespeare sycorax is betrayed as a vengeful and powerful witch. Although she is a big presence in the story she's long since past and we never get to meet her. I loved getting her story and following along with how she came to be, making her more than just the 'blue eyed hag' she is a woman, she is a human and she deserves to be seen and heard.
We also have some fantastic disability representation. The author herself has Rheumatoid Arthritis so she is coming at it through a lived experience. I will say this explores how unkind and fearful people can be of disabilities so if that is a trigger this may not be for you. There are also other triggers so check them before reading if you need.
The fantasy is very much on the low end so I wouldn't go into it if you want fantasy, but I found she captures the world really well.
The writing was great and I really liked sycorax as a character. The side characters were also strong in there own right.
Having said that even though this is a heavy story with how it explored ableism, grief, loneliness, misogyny and the entitlement men feel towards women i would have liked a stronger emotional impact. I felt for her but it was missing something. Still fantastic though and I would definitely read more of this authors work.
February 15, 2025
Sycorax by Nydia Hetherington
Apologies in advance, this is going to be a long review because there is so much positive feedback I want to mention!
I picked up this book because I recently reread The Tempest and I, like the Nydia was captivated by the powerful, evil witch; the blue-eyed hag named Sycorax, so when I saw this marketed as a feminist retelling of that character, I knew I had to read it. I was not disappointed and enjoyed every moment of this book. I loved that the scenes were short and snappy, meaning you could fly through the book without it feeling like too much of a task; and I liked that the author chose to use “Acts” and “Scenes” rather than chapters as it made it feel more linked to the play which was its inspiration. I also really appreciated how the author focused mainly on the beautiful lyrical prose style writing and let the dialogue/narration take a back seat; it made the novel have a dream-like quality and really ensured the powerful themes, quotes and moments were driven right into the hearts of the readers. The writing style of this novel was incredible and I have fallen in love with the way this author writes.
Right from the prologue, I knew I was going to love this book. It was a heart-wrenching introduction to the character and immediately shows Sycorax to us as a mother, a woman, a human being rather than just a “witch” or “hag”, as marketed by Shakespeare. Although the first few scenes (or really the first Act altogether) was perhaps a bit slow to get going, I still thoroughly enjoyed every moment. The world building was intense and wonderful, drawing the reader into this intriguing but dangerous land to which Atlas has travelled. Watching Atlas and Sunny’s love story was beautiful but heart-breaking at the same time; seeing how the universe drew them together and how their love blossomed made me swoon, yet seeing how Sunny began to question his love for his wife and daughter simply because of the hateful opinions and beliefs of the townsfolk around him was agonising to read. One of my favourite moments in this book came when Atlas soothes the mountain lion, walking with it away from the town, this was a beautiful image of trust and female strength/bravery. I loved the way the author wrote of Raven’s birth into the world, and how with her birth came a flock of birds which then became her mothers constant companions (I am very jealous, I’d love a whole group of chirping besties to follow me around!). I also enjoyed the author's exploration of grief as we watch Raven (Sycorax) attempt to cope with the death of her parents; it was a tragic series of events to read through and makes the reader feel desperately sad and uncomfortable, which only shows how totally immersive Nydia’s writing is. Anyone who has experienced this all-encompassing grief and rage at the world must have related to these emotions which the author has so masterfully depicted on the page.
The way the author explores and writes about such painful topics is truly admirable. Themes of grief, loneliness, betrayal, friendship, fear, self-love and feminine rage bleed throughout the pages making this a truly remarkable piece of literature. Also, the author’s brave choice to include topics of chronic illness and use her own personal experiences with this to influence the character’s struggles was compelling; I loved how Sycorax named it after a demon, as it is was a separate entity from herself. I found the way the crippling pain and the daily management of this was explored to be really moving and raises important conversations around chronic illness and the stigma this can carry.
I also found the scenes surrounding Sycorax and Afalkay the Beautiful to be deeply troubling and yet raised an important discussion around men, their sense of entitlement towards women’s bodies (trigger warning needed for sure), their fear of strong women and their need to tear women down in order to maintain their own fragile masculinity. I threw up in my mouth when he said “I had desires, I am but a man after all” and then, after Sycorax told him of the damage his assault had caused to her, “You’re an ungrateful foul slut”. Unfortunately we still live in a society where this is a common attitude amongst some men and these quotes from Afalkay highlight an important feminist discussion that we must continue to have until such time as women no longer have to fear this mistreatment from entitled men. This may be the feminine rage in me talking but I was secretly hoping through the entire book that she would curse Afalkay and he would drop dead, because the hatred and loathing I felt for him was so strong. However, I liked that after Sycorax slowly begins to understand the true nature of Afalkay and see him for who he truly is (a manipulator, a narcissist, a rapist and an overall evil person) his name changes to be Afalkay the Unbeautiful. The situation with Afalkay gave us many powerful quotes, a few of which include; “Grace and Beauty can hide a bloody nature. Alluring but terrible. Charming but violent” or “Was it for his own amusement that he’d watched me and used me? I could see no other reason” or “My body felt like a stranger… The councillor had somehow erased bits of me”- all which made me feel desperately heartbroken for Sycorax and every woman out there whose story is similar.
I was sobbing multiple times whilst reading this book. Never did I think I would cry so hard over the death of a crow but there I was blubbering like a baby; the friendship between Sycorax and her crow was so sweet and pure I mourned the loss of it, especially as it was torn from her in such a cruel way by people so full of fear and hatred that they would rather kill then try to accept or understand that which is different to them. I cried at Sycorax’s final speech to the townsfolk where her anger and agony at their treatment of her is clear to see; when she cried out to them to see that she is but a woman, a human just like them and yet she was abused once again, beaten and tortured for the crime of simply being different. “...the townsfolk had seen nothing like her before and some, in order not to fear her, filled their hearts with hate”. The way the author writes about the townsfolk, their suspicion, their fear and their hatred towards the “witch” was harrowing, especially considering all she ever tried to do was fit in, help them and contribute to the very society that shunned her at every turn.
The epilogue was an incredible way to end such a moving book. I loved how the island on which Sycorax finally found freedom, trust and joy took on its own voice, very much becoming an omniscient narrator in its own way. I loved how it described Sycorax in such a loving, beautiful way, as if the land itself worshipped everything she had become and everything she stood for- something she had sadly never received from the townsfolk around which she spent the majority of her life. The final words will not be easily forgotten, had such a powerful feminist undertone, and were also something many women both today and in history would relate to; “If a jealous man comes along… he might be inclined to claim the work as his own. He might even cast her in an evil, wicked role, make her invisible and silent. Men do so hate to be outdone by women…. I know the power of stories and of voices. Even silenced ones”. The author ensured by writing this book that anyone who ever reads The Tempest in the future will not allow Sycorax to be forgotten or discarded again; “Sycorax who lived. Sycorax who made. Sycorax who sang. Sycorax who thrived.”
A few other memorable quotes I wish to mention; most of which I found deeply relatable or which had powerful feminist undertones:
“Why must it be women who are made to suffer this? Is it because we bleed that we must hide behind our fathers?.... All so we might be chosen by a husband… then kept at home like an animal, with little dignity and freedom. I am not a goat”.
“There was a mourning too. As if my childhood self had been ripped, unbidden, from my person” (a feeling many women share when going through puberty and experienced male lust for the first time).
“I felt like a prisoner, bound by my father’s care and fear, just another of my mother’s faulty products… useful but wrong, misshapen”
When finding out she had been dubbed ‘Sycorax’ by the hateful townsfolk: “I’d not let it be a statement of filth and suspicion… I’d carry it, like the mountain lion as he walked beside my mother, with pride”
There are so many more I could mention as this book is so beautifully written, but these are some of the most remarkable, the ones that stick out the most to me.
Overall I rated this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. I cannot recommend this book highly enough and I will most definitely be on the lookout for any future books this author decides to write. I have fallen in love with the way she writes and the powerful messages her stories carry beneath the words. A huge thank you to Netgalley and Nydia Hetherington for this ARC.
Apologies in advance, this is going to be a long review because there is so much positive feedback I want to mention!
I picked up this book because I recently reread The Tempest and I, like the Nydia was captivated by the powerful, evil witch; the blue-eyed hag named Sycorax, so when I saw this marketed as a feminist retelling of that character, I knew I had to read it. I was not disappointed and enjoyed every moment of this book. I loved that the scenes were short and snappy, meaning you could fly through the book without it feeling like too much of a task; and I liked that the author chose to use “Acts” and “Scenes” rather than chapters as it made it feel more linked to the play which was its inspiration. I also really appreciated how the author focused mainly on the beautiful lyrical prose style writing and let the dialogue/narration take a back seat; it made the novel have a dream-like quality and really ensured the powerful themes, quotes and moments were driven right into the hearts of the readers. The writing style of this novel was incredible and I have fallen in love with the way this author writes.
Right from the prologue, I knew I was going to love this book. It was a heart-wrenching introduction to the character and immediately shows Sycorax to us as a mother, a woman, a human being rather than just a “witch” or “hag”, as marketed by Shakespeare. Although the first few scenes (or really the first Act altogether) was perhaps a bit slow to get going, I still thoroughly enjoyed every moment. The world building was intense and wonderful, drawing the reader into this intriguing but dangerous land to which Atlas has travelled. Watching Atlas and Sunny’s love story was beautiful but heart-breaking at the same time; seeing how the universe drew them together and how their love blossomed made me swoon, yet seeing how Sunny began to question his love for his wife and daughter simply because of the hateful opinions and beliefs of the townsfolk around him was agonising to read. One of my favourite moments in this book came when Atlas soothes the mountain lion, walking with it away from the town, this was a beautiful image of trust and female strength/bravery. I loved the way the author wrote of Raven’s birth into the world, and how with her birth came a flock of birds which then became her mothers constant companions (I am very jealous, I’d love a whole group of chirping besties to follow me around!). I also enjoyed the author's exploration of grief as we watch Raven (Sycorax) attempt to cope with the death of her parents; it was a tragic series of events to read through and makes the reader feel desperately sad and uncomfortable, which only shows how totally immersive Nydia’s writing is. Anyone who has experienced this all-encompassing grief and rage at the world must have related to these emotions which the author has so masterfully depicted on the page.
The way the author explores and writes about such painful topics is truly admirable. Themes of grief, loneliness, betrayal, friendship, fear, self-love and feminine rage bleed throughout the pages making this a truly remarkable piece of literature. Also, the author’s brave choice to include topics of chronic illness and use her own personal experiences with this to influence the character’s struggles was compelling; I loved how Sycorax named it after a demon, as it is was a separate entity from herself. I found the way the crippling pain and the daily management of this was explored to be really moving and raises important conversations around chronic illness and the stigma this can carry.
I also found the scenes surrounding Sycorax and Afalkay the Beautiful to be deeply troubling and yet raised an important discussion around men, their sense of entitlement towards women’s bodies (trigger warning needed for sure), their fear of strong women and their need to tear women down in order to maintain their own fragile masculinity. I threw up in my mouth when he said “I had desires, I am but a man after all” and then, after Sycorax told him of the damage his assault had caused to her, “You’re an ungrateful foul slut”. Unfortunately we still live in a society where this is a common attitude amongst some men and these quotes from Afalkay highlight an important feminist discussion that we must continue to have until such time as women no longer have to fear this mistreatment from entitled men. This may be the feminine rage in me talking but I was secretly hoping through the entire book that she would curse Afalkay and he would drop dead, because the hatred and loathing I felt for him was so strong. However, I liked that after Sycorax slowly begins to understand the true nature of Afalkay and see him for who he truly is (a manipulator, a narcissist, a rapist and an overall evil person) his name changes to be Afalkay the Unbeautiful. The situation with Afalkay gave us many powerful quotes, a few of which include; “Grace and Beauty can hide a bloody nature. Alluring but terrible. Charming but violent” or “Was it for his own amusement that he’d watched me and used me? I could see no other reason” or “My body felt like a stranger… The councillor had somehow erased bits of me”- all which made me feel desperately heartbroken for Sycorax and every woman out there whose story is similar.
I was sobbing multiple times whilst reading this book. Never did I think I would cry so hard over the death of a crow but there I was blubbering like a baby; the friendship between Sycorax and her crow was so sweet and pure I mourned the loss of it, especially as it was torn from her in such a cruel way by people so full of fear and hatred that they would rather kill then try to accept or understand that which is different to them. I cried at Sycorax’s final speech to the townsfolk where her anger and agony at their treatment of her is clear to see; when she cried out to them to see that she is but a woman, a human just like them and yet she was abused once again, beaten and tortured for the crime of simply being different. “...the townsfolk had seen nothing like her before and some, in order not to fear her, filled their hearts with hate”. The way the author writes about the townsfolk, their suspicion, their fear and their hatred towards the “witch” was harrowing, especially considering all she ever tried to do was fit in, help them and contribute to the very society that shunned her at every turn.
The epilogue was an incredible way to end such a moving book. I loved how the island on which Sycorax finally found freedom, trust and joy took on its own voice, very much becoming an omniscient narrator in its own way. I loved how it described Sycorax in such a loving, beautiful way, as if the land itself worshipped everything she had become and everything she stood for- something she had sadly never received from the townsfolk around which she spent the majority of her life. The final words will not be easily forgotten, had such a powerful feminist undertone, and were also something many women both today and in history would relate to; “If a jealous man comes along… he might be inclined to claim the work as his own. He might even cast her in an evil, wicked role, make her invisible and silent. Men do so hate to be outdone by women…. I know the power of stories and of voices. Even silenced ones”. The author ensured by writing this book that anyone who ever reads The Tempest in the future will not allow Sycorax to be forgotten or discarded again; “Sycorax who lived. Sycorax who made. Sycorax who sang. Sycorax who thrived.”
A few other memorable quotes I wish to mention; most of which I found deeply relatable or which had powerful feminist undertones:
“Why must it be women who are made to suffer this? Is it because we bleed that we must hide behind our fathers?.... All so we might be chosen by a husband… then kept at home like an animal, with little dignity and freedom. I am not a goat”.
“There was a mourning too. As if my childhood self had been ripped, unbidden, from my person” (a feeling many women share when going through puberty and experienced male lust for the first time).
“I felt like a prisoner, bound by my father’s care and fear, just another of my mother’s faulty products… useful but wrong, misshapen”
When finding out she had been dubbed ‘Sycorax’ by the hateful townsfolk: “I’d not let it be a statement of filth and suspicion… I’d carry it, like the mountain lion as he walked beside my mother, with pride”
There are so many more I could mention as this book is so beautifully written, but these are some of the most remarkable, the ones that stick out the most to me.
Overall I rated this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. I cannot recommend this book highly enough and I will most definitely be on the lookout for any future books this author decides to write. I have fallen in love with the way she writes and the powerful messages her stories carry beneath the words. A huge thank you to Netgalley and Nydia Hetherington for this ARC.
January 20, 2025
4.5 stars
Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
This has been on my wishlist ever since I first read about it and I am thrilled to have been given an early digital copy.
I loved the cover of this book. I know we don't judge books by their covers (we totally do) but this one stood out.
I also loved the dedication to those who suffer from chronic illness. I knew there was this chronic illness representation from a tweed I'd seen, so when it came, it was really touching. It's very hard for someone who is in pain to explain in words what that pain is like, and it was really refreshing to see it written down so clearly.
It has been a very long time since I last read The Tempest, and so I admit the name Sycorax didn't mean much to me.
It wasn't a genre I was particularly interested in before, but in the last few years I have read some epic adaptations - from Greek and Roman myths to Shakespeare - and it's a genre I am here for, every day of the week.
It is very prose heavy, very narrative heavy, which I like. I tend to write in more narrative than dialogue. It helps set up the environment, and we get to know our characters. It's narrated by Sycorax herself which was an immediate plus for me. Nydia has given this invisible character her voice back. There is some dialogue in it but it's worked within the prose itself which I quite liked.
I loved Nydia's use of the natural world - the ocean, fire, animals. It helps us chart Sycorax's journey, but reminds us of the importance of the balance between human and nature.
I did enjoy it, it has a lot going for it, great narration and scene building and interesting characters. But I must admit, I felt it was a little slow to get going. It's a very well written character exploration, which I loved. It was written well, interesting, entertaining, and I'd highly recommend it. But yeah, I was waiting for the BIG things to happen just a smidgen earlier, but that's my one criticism because what IS there is fabulous.
I don't think it's a spoiler to say that at times in this, Sycorax has her eyes covered. I don't know how much of that is true to the original play, but I liked it in this. It's like Nydia appreciates and acknowledges that Sycorax is not visible in the play, and though she has made her very visible in this, the covering of the eyes is almost a subtle nod to this invisibility.
I thought it was an interesting idea to adapt the story of an 'unknown' woman. I've read a lot of retellings recently and they're usually about the big names - Persephone, Medusa, Lady Macbeth etc. and so to pick someone who 1) doesn't even appear in her own play, and 2) who I imagine is unknown to those who don't study Shakespeare, is a brave but interesting choice.
I'm not sure if we're meant to be feel empathy towards Sycorax or not. At times I didn't, but overall I really did feel for her. She didn't start life in the most 'normal' or easiest of ways, and it only got worse and more complicated as it went on. And I really did feel she deserved so much better than her lot.
It is a heavy story. Whether you know about Sycorax going into it or not, it's not always an easy thing to read. There is death and illness, injuries, deformities, rumours, hatred, anger, loneliness, witchcraft, and lots of other things I think you need to read for yourself. So yes, whilst I think you will enjoy it very much, just be aware it is not a light read. It really gets your mind and your emotions running.
Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
This has been on my wishlist ever since I first read about it and I am thrilled to have been given an early digital copy.
I loved the cover of this book. I know we don't judge books by their covers (we totally do) but this one stood out.
I also loved the dedication to those who suffer from chronic illness. I knew there was this chronic illness representation from a tweed I'd seen, so when it came, it was really touching. It's very hard for someone who is in pain to explain in words what that pain is like, and it was really refreshing to see it written down so clearly.
It has been a very long time since I last read The Tempest, and so I admit the name Sycorax didn't mean much to me.
It wasn't a genre I was particularly interested in before, but in the last few years I have read some epic adaptations - from Greek and Roman myths to Shakespeare - and it's a genre I am here for, every day of the week.
It is very prose heavy, very narrative heavy, which I like. I tend to write in more narrative than dialogue. It helps set up the environment, and we get to know our characters. It's narrated by Sycorax herself which was an immediate plus for me. Nydia has given this invisible character her voice back. There is some dialogue in it but it's worked within the prose itself which I quite liked.
I loved Nydia's use of the natural world - the ocean, fire, animals. It helps us chart Sycorax's journey, but reminds us of the importance of the balance between human and nature.
I did enjoy it, it has a lot going for it, great narration and scene building and interesting characters. But I must admit, I felt it was a little slow to get going. It's a very well written character exploration, which I loved. It was written well, interesting, entertaining, and I'd highly recommend it. But yeah, I was waiting for the BIG things to happen just a smidgen earlier, but that's my one criticism because what IS there is fabulous.
I don't think it's a spoiler to say that at times in this, Sycorax has her eyes covered. I don't know how much of that is true to the original play, but I liked it in this. It's like Nydia appreciates and acknowledges that Sycorax is not visible in the play, and though she has made her very visible in this, the covering of the eyes is almost a subtle nod to this invisibility.
I thought it was an interesting idea to adapt the story of an 'unknown' woman. I've read a lot of retellings recently and they're usually about the big names - Persephone, Medusa, Lady Macbeth etc. and so to pick someone who 1) doesn't even appear in her own play, and 2) who I imagine is unknown to those who don't study Shakespeare, is a brave but interesting choice.
I'm not sure if we're meant to be feel empathy towards Sycorax or not. At times I didn't, but overall I really did feel for her. She didn't start life in the most 'normal' or easiest of ways, and it only got worse and more complicated as it went on. And I really did feel she deserved so much better than her lot.
It is a heavy story. Whether you know about Sycorax going into it or not, it's not always an easy thing to read. There is death and illness, injuries, deformities, rumours, hatred, anger, loneliness, witchcraft, and lots of other things I think you need to read for yourself. So yes, whilst I think you will enjoy it very much, just be aware it is not a light read. It really gets your mind and your emotions running.
April 30, 2025
I was obsessed with the blurb of this one, and I was so excited to dive in. I even searched for a Synopsis of The Tempest so I could see Sycorax' placing in the book, although the author does give us some background to her.
I loved to see the epigraph to readers about anyone who lives with chronic illnesses.
I realised after a while, The Tempest doesn't have any real baring on this story, but as a historical fiction in its own right? I loved it.
I loved to see the epigraph to readers about anyone who lives with chronic illnesses.
I realised after a while, The Tempest doesn't have any real baring on this story, but as a historical fiction in its own right? I loved it.
February 3, 2025
Seer. Sage. Sorceress.
A tale based on Shakespeare’s vicious and foreboding witch from The Tempest. This literary fictional novel delves into the character of Sycorax and discusses womanhood, interconnectedness to nature, and the fear of femininity. All in all, this is a story of defiance. Defiance against the structural norms of a patriarchal society. And defiance against chronic illness. In spite of all the isolation, hatred and misogyny, Sycorax remained vigilant and fortuitous. Much of Sycorax’s strength is attributed to her upbringing with her tenacious and otherworldly mother. But Sycorax’s faith in her inner strength is something to admire throughout this story. Because of this, she is vehemently hated among her townsfolk. There’s nothing like a woman with great knowledge to get men fearful, lighting a pyre, and screaming “WITCH!”. My heart for Sycorax was continuously shattered. She bought forth no harm and yet suffered for her heritage, physical appearance, and knowledge.
I think Hetherington’s writing style is beautiful and filled with descriptions that makes you feel as though you are the character. I was never bored with the story and was constantly wondering what was going to happen next. This novel is definitely for readers who love a retelling of a misunderstood character. And I think those who loved Circe by Madeline Miller will enjoy this novel as well.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for sending me this eARC!
A tale based on Shakespeare’s vicious and foreboding witch from The Tempest. This literary fictional novel delves into the character of Sycorax and discusses womanhood, interconnectedness to nature, and the fear of femininity. All in all, this is a story of defiance. Defiance against the structural norms of a patriarchal society. And defiance against chronic illness. In spite of all the isolation, hatred and misogyny, Sycorax remained vigilant and fortuitous. Much of Sycorax’s strength is attributed to her upbringing with her tenacious and otherworldly mother. But Sycorax’s faith in her inner strength is something to admire throughout this story. Because of this, she is vehemently hated among her townsfolk. There’s nothing like a woman with great knowledge to get men fearful, lighting a pyre, and screaming “WITCH!”. My heart for Sycorax was continuously shattered. She bought forth no harm and yet suffered for her heritage, physical appearance, and knowledge.
I think Hetherington’s writing style is beautiful and filled with descriptions that makes you feel as though you are the character. I was never bored with the story and was constantly wondering what was going to happen next. This novel is definitely for readers who love a retelling of a misunderstood character. And I think those who loved Circe by Madeline Miller will enjoy this novel as well.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for sending me this eARC!
February 13, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A reimagining of the backstory of Sycorax, the mother of the character Caliban from Shakespeare's The Tempest.
Sycorax, blessed with healing gifts, bent and troubled by chronic pain, is raised on an island by her parents, and viewed mistrustfully by the local town's residents.
We follow her through childhood and early adulthood as she struggles to win the confidence of the locals in a world where any woman being different from the norm is accused of witchcraft.
I very much enjoyed this story. The prose was gorgeous and I loved the character of Sycorax. The characters around her were also very interesting in their own right. The first three quarters had me incredibly invested, I just felt it wasn't as strong towards the end. Overall a story I'm glad I read and one I will remember.
A reimagining of the backstory of Sycorax, the mother of the character Caliban from Shakespeare's The Tempest.
Sycorax, blessed with healing gifts, bent and troubled by chronic pain, is raised on an island by her parents, and viewed mistrustfully by the local town's residents.
We follow her through childhood and early adulthood as she struggles to win the confidence of the locals in a world where any woman being different from the norm is accused of witchcraft.
I very much enjoyed this story. The prose was gorgeous and I loved the character of Sycorax. The characters around her were also very interesting in their own right. The first three quarters had me incredibly invested, I just felt it wasn't as strong towards the end. Overall a story I'm glad I read and one I will remember.
August 12, 2025
I very much enjoyed this book and I haven't read the tempest but Nydia writes so your very invested in the characters and the book flows beautifully. I feel the judgement of illness as does the main character
August 13, 2025
I was worried I wouldn’t like the writing style of this but I actually loved it. I think this was very beautifully written and I enjoyed sycoraxs story. However I do feel it was a little bit long towards the end and dragged out just a tad.
April 21, 2025
"Men do so hate to be outdone by a woman."
August 11, 2025
I really wanted to like this book but unfortunately it wasn’t for me.
The writing is of high quality, and the character development and world building are strong but sadly the story develops too slowly and in the end not much happens.
The writing is of high quality, and the character development and world building are strong but sadly the story develops too slowly and in the end not much happens.
August 26, 2025
Sycorax is the mother of Caliban in Shakespeare's The Tempest, and although she has died prior to the beginning of the play, she still exerts influence over the events that take place during it. References to her within the play, are far from flattering, and are wholly misogynistic and cruel. She is depicted as a villainous, cruel, evil witch, of the darkest kind.
In Sycorax, Nydia Hetherington is redressing the balance, with this
beautifully written, lyrical and deeply moving imagining of Sycorax's backstory. She has created a much more nuanced, sympathetic and understanding version of her, and it is a strongly feminist imagining at that.
Beautifully written, richly imagined, poetic and evocative, the prose truly casts a spell over the reader, with its blend of myth, magic, supernatural and realism.
The Tempest's main themes are power and control; revenge; forgiveness, reconciliation, and redemption; colonialism and slavery; magic and the supernatural; and the way nature and nurture shape an individual's character.
The author stays faithful to these themes as she cleverly weaves them into her novel, adding in additional themes of her own, which are in sympathy with, or are reflected within, Shakespeare's original play. Themes such as love and loss; loneliness and connection; women's lack of power and agency; male domination and control; living with chronic illness; and being at one with nature and respecting the natural world.
You really don't need to have read The Tempest to appreciate and enjoy this novel, and it can be enjoyed in its own right, in the same was as any other of the retellings of myth and legend that have found popularity with contemporary readers.
However, if you are familiar with The Tempest, the novel will reveal even more layers of meaning and richness, showing just how skilled and clever the author has been in writing it.
I absolutely loved it. It is completely compelling, and immersive, and incredibly heart-breaking and emotional. It's a triumph of a debut, and the character of Sycorax, and her plight, will live long in my heart and mind.
4.75 stars
In Sycorax, Nydia Hetherington is redressing the balance, with this
beautifully written, lyrical and deeply moving imagining of Sycorax's backstory. She has created a much more nuanced, sympathetic and understanding version of her, and it is a strongly feminist imagining at that.
Beautifully written, richly imagined, poetic and evocative, the prose truly casts a spell over the reader, with its blend of myth, magic, supernatural and realism.
The Tempest's main themes are power and control; revenge; forgiveness, reconciliation, and redemption; colonialism and slavery; magic and the supernatural; and the way nature and nurture shape an individual's character.
The author stays faithful to these themes as she cleverly weaves them into her novel, adding in additional themes of her own, which are in sympathy with, or are reflected within, Shakespeare's original play. Themes such as love and loss; loneliness and connection; women's lack of power and agency; male domination and control; living with chronic illness; and being at one with nature and respecting the natural world.
You really don't need to have read The Tempest to appreciate and enjoy this novel, and it can be enjoyed in its own right, in the same was as any other of the retellings of myth and legend that have found popularity with contemporary readers.
However, if you are familiar with The Tempest, the novel will reveal even more layers of meaning and richness, showing just how skilled and clever the author has been in writing it.
I absolutely loved it. It is completely compelling, and immersive, and incredibly heart-breaking and emotional. It's a triumph of a debut, and the character of Sycorax, and her plight, will live long in my heart and mind.
4.75 stars
Want to read
February 20, 2025 Thank you NetGalley and publishers for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 🌟🙌🏽
July 16, 2025
“They’ll call us witches, accuse us of bad things, for they’ll not abide a woman with knowledge and ability�� - ‘Sycorax’, Nydia Hetherington
——————
I cannot recommend this book highly enough - it is a truly beautiful & heartbreaking story, full of pain, love, loneliness and feminine rage. Particularly if you are a fan of magical realism & feminist retellings of mythological figures, this is absolutely the book for you! This is also a very character-driven & prose-heavy tale, and I fell in love with it very quickly. I am so grateful to NetGalley, Quercus Books and Nydia Hetherington for letting me read this ARC, I feel very privileged to have gotten to experience this story.
Nydia Hetherington writes in such an enchanting yet grounded way. Her choice to centre this latest book on Sycorax - a witch who is briefly mentioned in a few lines of Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’ - was inspired, and the seeds she grew from those brief Shakespearean mentions, creating such an awe-inspiring & sympathetic main character, is wonderful to experience. Sycorax is flawed but extremely relatable & endearing, and I felt for her throughout the story (some joy, some full-blown rage); she’s a very well-written character.
This story gives an incredibly insightful look at the realities of living with a chronic pain condition, and living as a woman in a misogynist world, and the strength it takes to bear those burdens. I particularly loved getting to hear about the lives of Atlas, Sycorax and Yemma - showing us many different facets of the experiences of women and anyone perceived as an ‘outsider’ - throughout the narrative. A lot of the physical pain that Sycorax experiences was described so vividly & effectively; I would go so far as to say this book is an important read for anyone who has no experience of chronic pain themselves but wants to better understand it.
As there are some heavy themes touched on in this story, I will list Content Warnings for those who find them helpful. So please look away now to avoid MINOR SPOILERS BELOW:
——————
Content Warnings:
——————
I cannot recommend this book highly enough - it is a truly beautiful & heartbreaking story, full of pain, love, loneliness and feminine rage. Particularly if you are a fan of magical realism & feminist retellings of mythological figures, this is absolutely the book for you! This is also a very character-driven & prose-heavy tale, and I fell in love with it very quickly. I am so grateful to NetGalley, Quercus Books and Nydia Hetherington for letting me read this ARC, I feel very privileged to have gotten to experience this story.
Nydia Hetherington writes in such an enchanting yet grounded way. Her choice to centre this latest book on Sycorax - a witch who is briefly mentioned in a few lines of Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’ - was inspired, and the seeds she grew from those brief Shakespearean mentions, creating such an awe-inspiring & sympathetic main character, is wonderful to experience. Sycorax is flawed but extremely relatable & endearing, and I felt for her throughout the story (some joy, some full-blown rage); she’s a very well-written character.
This story gives an incredibly insightful look at the realities of living with a chronic pain condition, and living as a woman in a misogynist world, and the strength it takes to bear those burdens. I particularly loved getting to hear about the lives of Atlas, Sycorax and Yemma - showing us many different facets of the experiences of women and anyone perceived as an ‘outsider’ - throughout the narrative. A lot of the physical pain that Sycorax experiences was described so vividly & effectively; I would go so far as to say this book is an important read for anyone who has no experience of chronic pain themselves but wants to better understand it.
As there are some heavy themes touched on in this story, I will list Content Warnings for those who find them helpful. So please look away now to avoid MINOR SPOILERS BELOW:
——————
Content Warnings:
July 16, 2025
⭐ 2 stars ⭐
One of my favourite novels is Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood — a retelling of The Tempest that is sharp, self-aware, and unusual in its form. I was hoping for something similar from Sycorax, and I was excited to read from the perspective of the so-called blue-eyed hag — a figure who haunts the narrative of the play without ever taking centre stage. But instead of feeling radical or refreshing, Sycorax is a slow, meandering novel that seems more in love with its own language than with the story it’s trying to tell.
Set before the events of Shakespeare’s play, the novel follows Sycorax through her early childhood and into adulthood as she gradually comes into her power. I found the pacing glacial. The book seems unsure whether it wants to be a novel, a long prose poem, or a myth — and in the end, I don’t think it fully succeeds at any.
The biggest let-down for me was that this didn’t feel like the story of Sycorax. If you removed her name from the narrative and skipped the first and last chapters, there would be little to tie it to The Tempest at all. There’s no real emotional payoff, and I found myself wishing the novel had focused on her time on the island raising Caliban — something that could have paralleled the protagonist’s relationship with her own mother.
That said, there are elements I appreciated. The depiction of chronic pain and disability clearly comes from a place of lived experience. Sycorax’s pain and physical limitations are depicted with clarity and care, and it’s clear that her relationship with her body is central to the way she moves through the world. However, given how often Sycorax has been racialised in both scholarship and performance, I found it disappointing that the novel doesn’t engage with race in the same way. The author intentionally focuses on disability as the central lens — but for me, a more intersectional approach could have made this reimagining feel richer and more urgent.
You should read this book if you like:
+ Quick reads 🏃
+ Retellings with a twist 🌪
+ Depictions of chronic pain 🤕
One of my favourite novels is Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood — a retelling of The Tempest that is sharp, self-aware, and unusual in its form. I was hoping for something similar from Sycorax, and I was excited to read from the perspective of the so-called blue-eyed hag — a figure who haunts the narrative of the play without ever taking centre stage. But instead of feeling radical or refreshing, Sycorax is a slow, meandering novel that seems more in love with its own language than with the story it’s trying to tell.
Set before the events of Shakespeare’s play, the novel follows Sycorax through her early childhood and into adulthood as she gradually comes into her power. I found the pacing glacial. The book seems unsure whether it wants to be a novel, a long prose poem, or a myth — and in the end, I don’t think it fully succeeds at any.
The biggest let-down for me was that this didn’t feel like the story of Sycorax. If you removed her name from the narrative and skipped the first and last chapters, there would be little to tie it to The Tempest at all. There’s no real emotional payoff, and I found myself wishing the novel had focused on her time on the island raising Caliban — something that could have paralleled the protagonist’s relationship with her own mother.
That said, there are elements I appreciated. The depiction of chronic pain and disability clearly comes from a place of lived experience. Sycorax’s pain and physical limitations are depicted with clarity and care, and it’s clear that her relationship with her body is central to the way she moves through the world. However, given how often Sycorax has been racialised in both scholarship and performance, I found it disappointing that the novel doesn’t engage with race in the same way. The author intentionally focuses on disability as the central lens — but for me, a more intersectional approach could have made this reimagining feel richer and more urgent.
You should read this book if you like:
+ Quick reads 🏃
+ Retellings with a twist 🌪
+ Depictions of chronic pain 🤕
September 8, 2025
Sycorax by Nydia Hetherington is a beautifully written and deeply moving reimagining of a character who appears only briefly in Shakespeare’s The Tempest. I found myself utterly absorbed as Hetherington cast a fresh and poetic light on Sycorax’s life, bringing her out of the shadows and shaping her into a fully realised character.
What drew me in first was the lyrical quality of the prose. The story is shaped through Acts and Scenes, a structure that honours the theatrical roots of its inspiration. Dialogue is sparing yet perfectly placed, and the vivid descriptions drew me into Sycorax’s world with ease.
Sycorax is never reduced to the narrow label of witch. Instead, she emerges as a woman grappling with chronic pain, social rejection, and the deep loneliness of being cast as an outsider. Hetherington’s own experience with chronic illness gives these moments a powerful authenticity, making Sycorax’s struggles, resilience, and wisdom feel all the more real.
The novel speaks with striking relevance about misogyny, exile, identity, and empowerment. Its themes of survival, grief, and rage resonated strongly with me, and I was moved by Sycorax’s ability to endure hardship with courage. Her connections with other marginalised women add tenderness and nuance, reminding me of the strength found in solidarity.
I particularly admired the way Hetherington blends myth with reality. This is not just the reclamation of a maligned figure but a layered portrait of transformation and identity, written with compassion and depth.
If you are drawn to literary retellings, complex female voices, or stories that explore the ebb and flow of pain and resilience, Sycorax is a novel to treasure. It lingers long after the final page, a haunting celebration of humanity behind the myth.
Thank you @adventurewritingprize for kindly sending me a copy!
What drew me in first was the lyrical quality of the prose. The story is shaped through Acts and Scenes, a structure that honours the theatrical roots of its inspiration. Dialogue is sparing yet perfectly placed, and the vivid descriptions drew me into Sycorax’s world with ease.
Sycorax is never reduced to the narrow label of witch. Instead, she emerges as a woman grappling with chronic pain, social rejection, and the deep loneliness of being cast as an outsider. Hetherington’s own experience with chronic illness gives these moments a powerful authenticity, making Sycorax’s struggles, resilience, and wisdom feel all the more real.
The novel speaks with striking relevance about misogyny, exile, identity, and empowerment. Its themes of survival, grief, and rage resonated strongly with me, and I was moved by Sycorax’s ability to endure hardship with courage. Her connections with other marginalised women add tenderness and nuance, reminding me of the strength found in solidarity.
I particularly admired the way Hetherington blends myth with reality. This is not just the reclamation of a maligned figure but a layered portrait of transformation and identity, written with compassion and depth.
If you are drawn to literary retellings, complex female voices, or stories that explore the ebb and flow of pain and resilience, Sycorax is a novel to treasure. It lingers long after the final page, a haunting celebration of humanity behind the myth.
Thank you @adventurewritingprize for kindly sending me a copy!
February 20, 2025
Her mother was borne of the mighty and spirited Moon, her father heralding from the all encompassing Sun, her life moulded and shaped like that of the finest clay vase you could imagine yet far from perfect in its creation. Her life was never destined to be one for the feint of heart or mind. And from the day all of nature watched Sycorax come into this world, her lessons in life have been nothing but hardship and sorrow, with only the love from her mother and seldom from her father to keep her growing and somewhat nourished..
An outcast from society, shunned and spoke of behind her back and to her face, Sycorax must look both to her roots, and to her unknown future should she wish to understand her true nature and just how much she has in common with the very land she lives on.
Yet as her powers grow from strength to strength, so too do the suspicions and spite of the local townspeople and to help give her any semblance of normality, her mother veils her unnatural gem-like eyes from the judgement of others for if they gaze upon her true beauty, she will soon face their wrath of what they cannot grasp or ever understand.
Knowledge is dangerous, especially for a woman which most are quick to tell you should never be in the hands of the so-called fairer of the sexes but should they continue to ignore the impending storm on the horizon, Sycorax may find herself in greater peril than she could have ever thought of, and she must come to a realisation that her powers will either save her, or end not only her own life, but that of everyone who has spent countless years turning away from the one person who actually may be able to save them.
A highly emotional and powerful imagining of events that come before Shakespeare’s The Tempest, full of female rage and a memorable tale.
An outcast from society, shunned and spoke of behind her back and to her face, Sycorax must look both to her roots, and to her unknown future should she wish to understand her true nature and just how much she has in common with the very land she lives on.
Yet as her powers grow from strength to strength, so too do the suspicions and spite of the local townspeople and to help give her any semblance of normality, her mother veils her unnatural gem-like eyes from the judgement of others for if they gaze upon her true beauty, she will soon face their wrath of what they cannot grasp or ever understand.
Knowledge is dangerous, especially for a woman which most are quick to tell you should never be in the hands of the so-called fairer of the sexes but should they continue to ignore the impending storm on the horizon, Sycorax may find herself in greater peril than she could have ever thought of, and she must come to a realisation that her powers will either save her, or end not only her own life, but that of everyone who has spent countless years turning away from the one person who actually may be able to save them.
A highly emotional and powerful imagining of events that come before Shakespeare’s The Tempest, full of female rage and a memorable tale.
March 10, 2025
Sycorax by Nydia Hetherington is an absolutely mesmerizing novel that takes readers on an emotional and thought-provoking journey into the heart of magic, identity, and power. The novel’s rich world-building and deeply human characters immediately draw you in, particularly through its protagonist, Sycorax, whose voice is at once enchanting and powerful. Hetherington has masterfully crafted a complex, multi-layered narrative that not only reimagines a classic myth but also brings to light important social and political themes that resonate deeply in today’s world.
What sets Sycorax apart from other works in the genre is Hetherington’s ability to blend lush, lyrical prose with profound insight into human nature. The themes of exile, survival, and transformation are explored in such a way that readers will find themselves reflecting long after the last page is turned. The way the author weaves myth with reality gives the novel a timeless quality, making it both an engaging fantasy and a deep exploration of identity and legacy.
Hetherington’s portrayal of Sycorax is brilliant and refreshing—far from the villainous figure many might remember, Sycorax is a multi-dimensional character who commands sympathy and understanding. The novel is a wonderful reminder that every story has many sides, and no character is truly “good” or “evil.”
With its captivating prose, brilliant world-building, and deep emotional resonance, Sycorax is a novel that will stay with you long after you finish reading. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a thoughtful, rich, and captivating story that challenges the conventions of mythology.
What sets Sycorax apart from other works in the genre is Hetherington’s ability to blend lush, lyrical prose with profound insight into human nature. The themes of exile, survival, and transformation are explored in such a way that readers will find themselves reflecting long after the last page is turned. The way the author weaves myth with reality gives the novel a timeless quality, making it both an engaging fantasy and a deep exploration of identity and legacy.
Hetherington’s portrayal of Sycorax is brilliant and refreshing—far from the villainous figure many might remember, Sycorax is a multi-dimensional character who commands sympathy and understanding. The novel is a wonderful reminder that every story has many sides, and no character is truly “good” or “evil.”
With its captivating prose, brilliant world-building, and deep emotional resonance, Sycorax is a novel that will stay with you long after you finish reading. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a thoughtful, rich, and captivating story that challenges the conventions of mythology.
February 21, 2025
What’s in a name? Sycorax, the unseen witch from Shakespeare’s Tempest is a voiceless archetype. Her name alone is enough to conjure fear and supposition. Nydia Heatherington gives Sycorax a voice, a body, and a life. Growing up in Algiers, she has a father, a mother, and a secret. Born of the Sun and the Moon, young Sycorax is blessed and cursed with gifts that scare those who cannot understand. In a conservative and patriarchal society, she is feared for her foresight and independence. Physically othered by her piercing violet eyes and a genetic disease that causes her crippling agony, she is again placed on the outside. Unlikely to marry, what place has she in her world? Living beyond the bounds of civilisation, she represents a threat to order, a manifestation of the uncontrollable natural world, and an easy scapegoat for people’s fears.
In this gently ferocious novel, Hetherington tells a timeless story of female oppression in a new voice. A captivating tale that will leave you wishing for more of this fresh new character.
Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for this ARC copy. Available for general release on February 27th!
#Sycorax #NetGalley #ARCreader #bookreview #bookstagram
In this gently ferocious novel, Hetherington tells a timeless story of female oppression in a new voice. A captivating tale that will leave you wishing for more of this fresh new character.
Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for this ARC copy. Available for general release on February 27th!
#Sycorax #NetGalley #ARCreader #bookreview #bookstagram
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2025
Such a good read! Nydia Hetherington manages to walk the fine line between poetic cadence, nods to the Tempest and modern English as it is spoke. Sycorax, mother of Caliban, is an exotic, quixotic, magical being but also a flesh-and-blood woman who would understand Me too! Tempest-toss'd in a whirlwind of perplexing relationships, random violence and Mediterranean currents, she contends with extravagantly salty but undependable parents and the realpolitik of Barbarossa's piratic power struggles.
The Bard, (with his trademark magical island quaintly imagined in a pre-Easy Jet world) gives her short shrift but does gift her an island and, as the tale winds down, it's this island that gives the best account of her. Where Nydia doesn't know, she makes it up. And she does it with heart, bravery and bawdy gusto! She doesn't flinch as she charts the cruelty insults a traitor body can inflict on its owner and the barbs the cabbage-throwing social order heaps on for good measure. Not ugly enough on the inside to navigate the patriarchy, Sycorax, nevertheless, sets up a series of small exploding triumphs in the heart.
The Bard, (with his trademark magical island quaintly imagined in a pre-Easy Jet world) gives her short shrift but does gift her an island and, as the tale winds down, it's this island that gives the best account of her. Where Nydia doesn't know, she makes it up. And she does it with heart, bravery and bawdy gusto! She doesn't flinch as she charts the cruelty insults a traitor body can inflict on its owner and the barbs the cabbage-throwing social order heaps on for good measure. Not ugly enough on the inside to navigate the patriarchy, Sycorax, nevertheless, sets up a series of small exploding triumphs in the heart.
March 22, 2025
I was able to attend the launch of this powerful book and hear the author, Nydia Hetherington describe the full genesis of the story. Nydia draws from a deep well of personal and worldly knowledge to embark on this narrative journey, which is why I use the word 'powerful' to describe it.
The story of Sycorax is a rich tapestry blended from Nydia's lived-knowledge and love of Shakespeare's themes and language, as a player herself - and of her experience of living with a disability: the anguish, pain and isolation. Blended in is Nydia's reimagining of the story of the sorceress, Sycorax, who plays a silent, but much maligned role in The Tempest, written around 1610.
What struck me most about this compelling book is the rich imagination of the writer and her wonderful command of words, which are at once contemporary, but also have a classical feel.
I really hope that this book is drawn into discussion so that more people will hear about it and want to read it themselves.
The story of Sycorax is a rich tapestry blended from Nydia's lived-knowledge and love of Shakespeare's themes and language, as a player herself - and of her experience of living with a disability: the anguish, pain and isolation. Blended in is Nydia's reimagining of the story of the sorceress, Sycorax, who plays a silent, but much maligned role in The Tempest, written around 1610.
What struck me most about this compelling book is the rich imagination of the writer and her wonderful command of words, which are at once contemporary, but also have a classical feel.
I really hope that this book is drawn into discussion so that more people will hear about it and want to read it themselves.
July 8, 2025
This was such a beautiful book. I enjoyed it so much. It had me feeling every which way. I was joyous and devastated with and for Sycorax. The persecution she faced in her town felt very real.
Reading a character with chronic pain was wonderful. Characters with the same condition as their author are always so raw and personal as the author is describing their own pain. I felt it through the page. The agony that Sycorax experienced was so meaningful to me - which is a weird thing to say about pain but the representation was everything, even though I have a different disorder to Sycorax and her author. Chronic pain is so under represented, reading it done well is like finally taking that one medication that actually works and the relief it causes.
I loved how the book was set out in acts and scenes. The memoir-style prose was fantastic. It felt so different. Diametrically opposed to what's expected.
I'm so glad I randomly picked this up in waterstones.
Reading a character with chronic pain was wonderful. Characters with the same condition as their author are always so raw and personal as the author is describing their own pain. I felt it through the page. The agony that Sycorax experienced was so meaningful to me - which is a weird thing to say about pain but the representation was everything, even though I have a different disorder to Sycorax and her author. Chronic pain is so under represented, reading it done well is like finally taking that one medication that actually works and the relief it causes.
I loved how the book was set out in acts and scenes. The memoir-style prose was fantastic. It felt so different. Diametrically opposed to what's expected.
I'm so glad I randomly picked this up in waterstones.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 2025
Listened as an audio book which was perfectly read by the author whose voice for the story was perfect . This for me added to the depth and atmosphere to the story .
Read for Bookclub and we were lucky enough to have the author come along to discuss with us.
So well written and such depth to the story lots of layers some I missed which came out at book club .
Explored for me isolation ,fantasy pain and women’s place in society . The writing was rich and flowing . I could feel and smell the scenes and characters , even after finishing the book .
Would highly recommend .
Ps Sycorax is the unseen witch in Shakespeare’s Tempest if you know the Tempest that’s another layer you might see .
Read for Bookclub and we were lucky enough to have the author come along to discuss with us.
So well written and such depth to the story lots of layers some I missed which came out at book club .
Explored for me isolation ,fantasy pain and women’s place in society . The writing was rich and flowing . I could feel and smell the scenes and characters , even after finishing the book .
Would highly recommend .
Ps Sycorax is the unseen witch in Shakespeare’s Tempest if you know the Tempest that’s another layer you might see .
March 17, 2025
I don’t have the words for this, I just know that I loved it.
November 13, 2025
I've seen The Tempest, and so I was interested to see an origin story for Sycorax - the most powerful witch of Algiers. Except she isn't the evil monster that Shakespeare has written about. In this story, she is a child, a girl and a young woman. A young woman who knows too much and is too different to the others in her village, protected by her parents up until the point where they are no longer able to protect her.
I love the way in this is written - it's lyrical with a nod to the style of Shakespeare, Nydia Hetherington gives a reason for Sycorax's differences: her physical difference is due to illness and injury, her witch qualities are due to the fact that she simply knows too much for a woman in a time where women shouldn't have known anything beyond childbirth, motherhood and housework.
And then there's the element of magic that runs throughout the novel - which is always a winner as far as I'm concerned. A really enjoyable novel.
I love the way in this is written - it's lyrical with a nod to the style of Shakespeare, Nydia Hetherington gives a reason for Sycorax's differences: her physical difference is due to illness and injury, her witch qualities are due to the fact that she simply knows too much for a woman in a time where women shouldn't have known anything beyond childbirth, motherhood and housework.
And then there's the element of magic that runs throughout the novel - which is always a winner as far as I'm concerned. A really enjoyable novel.
January 30, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC.
Really enjoyed the premise of this. The first half of the book was brilliant, entertaining and well written but I thought the second half became really repetitive and quite young adult? Which is not necessarily a bad thing but just not to my particular taste. I do think a lot of people will enjoy this when it is published and it is a very special story!!
Really enjoyed the premise of this. The first half of the book was brilliant, entertaining and well written but I thought the second half became really repetitive and quite young adult? Which is not necessarily a bad thing but just not to my particular taste. I do think a lot of people will enjoy this when it is published and it is a very special story!!
March 9, 2025
First of all, thank you to Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This is a beautifully written book, which was really the only thing to keep me charmed to the end. As it was otherwise a bit over long and certainly on the depressing side.
I thought the writer using her personal experience of chronic illness was one of the most compelling parts of this work, and praise the ambition of the style.
I have come to the conclusion that the next time I am tempted by a feminist retelling of a long dismissed story I should just not pick it up. I cannot keep surviving the endless sensation that, no matter what I do, fate will always have such cruelty in store for me as has been suffered by the women who came before me. Which is the inherent issue with a retelling rather than an original story, the bones of where we are headed have long since been laid and no matter how powerful we make our heroine, she will still end up there.
This is a beautifully written book, which was really the only thing to keep me charmed to the end. As it was otherwise a bit over long and certainly on the depressing side.
I thought the writer using her personal experience of chronic illness was one of the most compelling parts of this work, and praise the ambition of the style.
I have come to the conclusion that the next time I am tempted by a feminist retelling of a long dismissed story I should just not pick it up. I cannot keep surviving the endless sensation that, no matter what I do, fate will always have such cruelty in store for me as has been suffered by the women who came before me. Which is the inherent issue with a retelling rather than an original story, the bones of where we are headed have long since been laid and no matter how powerful we make our heroine, she will still end up there.
January 19, 2025
𝘚𝘠𝘊𝘖𝘙𝘈𝘟 by Nydia Hetherington has been one of my most anticipated books for a while, and it did not disappoint 🌊
It is a beautiful fantasy novel, exploring misogyny, disability, superstition and magic/witchcraft, girlhood, class divides, and self acceptance.
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𝘔𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘰𝘰𝘯.
𝘔𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘯.
𝘛𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘢𝘺.
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Sycorax isn't a retelling of The Tempest, but it is a prologue, told from Sycorax's point of view, and focussed on her life.
"This damned witch Sycorax" is referred to in The Tempest, but she has died before the play starts, and so we only hear about her through others' commentary. The erasure and patriarchal misrepresentation of women is a common issue in literature throughout history; not only are their voices not heard, but they are directly demonized and silenced.
Hetherington's novel gives a voice and brings life to Sycorax before The Tempest begins. This life is nuanced and rich in many ways, but (as is often the case for women who challenge the status quo) includes many challenging and abusive experiences too.
I also love that as part of her story, Sycorax has a 'real name', and for academic-leaning readers they will no doubt appreciate the sheer amount of care and research/knowledge that has gone into Hetherington's story, including the choice of her name.
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𝘞𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦, 𝘪𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘺; 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮. 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶.
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Sycorax and her mother Atlas are viewed as outsiders, and subjected to xenophobia by the community. Atlas came from the desert and brought magic with her, which she passed on to Sycorax, but it doesn't help that from her birth Sycorax's parents (Atlas and Sunny) bind her eyes and perpetuate an air of mystery and otherness surrounding their daughter.
In Shakespeare's time, people very much believed in witchcraft and magic, and this can obviously be seen in many Shakespearean plays. Sycorax embodies many of the tropes of hags and witches, including being able to control the weather, somewhat predict the future, and having a familiar in her pet crow. But in addition to this, the mythology surrounding the power of the eyes (especially pale eyes - "the blue-eyed hag") to enchant, ensorcel, or curse others is prevalent.
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𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘦, 𝘮𝘺 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘤𝘤𝘶𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 colour 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯 ... 𝘛𝘰 𝘮𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘻𝘺 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴' 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺 ... 𝘈𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘫𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥, 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘚𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩, 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦. 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘋𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘺.
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I felt that Hetherington's portrayal of Sycorax's parents was very accurate, in that throughout the generations parents have often shamed and squashed their children, in an effort to simply 'fit in'.
In some respects, we can understand the misjudged attempt to protect children in this way, given that survival often relies on being accepted in society. However, through this othering Sycorax is a symbol for all children (and adult children) who have been shamed and told to make themselves 'less' than what their natural inclinations tell them they should be. It is never worth striving to fit in if it results in killing parts of ourselves.
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𝘐 𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺, 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘣 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘴. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥, 𝘩𝘦'𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘢𝘨𝘭𝘦'𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘦, 𝘴𝘰 𝘢𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘱 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘮𝘺 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴. 𝘐'𝘥 𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘤 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭. 𝘐 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘶𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘮𝘦, 𝘴𝘰 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘫𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥, 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘮 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘳, 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦.
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One quite sad element of the story is how the relationship between Atlas and Sunny evolves.
There is no doubt that they are codependent, and while they do love each other very much (especially at the beginning, and end) their relationship is not a healthy one. Sunny wishes to control his wife and daughter, but cannot, and nor should he wish to.
His behaviour badly lets him down, and while Sycorax does remember him fondly and has some good memories, they are all tinged with the shame and abuse that he imposed on her.
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𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙙𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙚𝙧. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙙𝙤 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙝, 𝙖𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩'𝙨 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙖 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧. 𝙔𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚.
𝘈𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧.
𝙊𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙤𝙬𝙣𝙚𝙙! 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘥.
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Talk about an overinflated ego and self-centric thinking encouraged by a patriarchal society!
Sycorax is also very much in her mother's shadow. Atlas is beautiful, and desired, yet feared. She is often shunned in public or mistreated, yet people seek her out for remedies and to help women who are in labour. This, again, is an accurate representation of women who are healers, and yet who are feared because of their power and knowledge. Anything that threatens the 'norm' in a patriarchal society is usually met with violence and ostracization.
With such parental wounds, it's no wonder that Sycorax is vulnerable, and not just because she is on her own and is disabled.
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𝘐 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴.
𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩.
𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘨𝘪𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘺 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵, 𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘸𝘦'𝘥 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦.
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On the topic of disability, and representation of women and people, it is known that in many myths, stories and fairytales, any sort of difference or deformity has been depicted alongside malice or evil.
Hetherington does a fantastic job of interweaving this throughout Sycorax; not just in terms of her physical disability, but also in terms of a hidden disability and ongoing pain that she experiences.
Sycorax tries to live a normal life, and to find a place in the broader society, but there are times when she can't and has to be absent. And on the back of this she is punished and ostracised further.
This is such an accurate parallel of real life experiences for people with long-term illness and disability, where SO much is still expected, and when the unrealistic expectations can't be met it is responded to negatively.
Sycorax's pain and disability are a key part of who she is, but Hetherington does not write about this topic as though Sycorax is a victim. She is strong, beautiful and powerful with her illness and disability, not in spite of these things. And her life is not consumed by or centred around her disabilities; it is a part of her lived reality that she simply manages the best way she can.
All 'villains' have their origin story, but their being a villain is never due to their difference, illness or disability (only in response to their treatment).
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𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦, 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘴𝘰 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘺.
𝘈𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵, 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭, 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺'𝘴 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 the 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘤𝘤𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘱𝘵, 𝘴𝘰 𝘐 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘧 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘯. 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘬𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘺.
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It is a beautiful fantasy novel, exploring misogyny, disability, superstition and magic/witchcraft, girlhood, class divides, and self acceptance.
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𝘔𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘰𝘰𝘯.
𝘔𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘯.
𝘛𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘢𝘺.
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Sycorax isn't a retelling of The Tempest, but it is a prologue, told from Sycorax's point of view, and focussed on her life.
"This damned witch Sycorax" is referred to in The Tempest, but she has died before the play starts, and so we only hear about her through others' commentary. The erasure and patriarchal misrepresentation of women is a common issue in literature throughout history; not only are their voices not heard, but they are directly demonized and silenced.
Hetherington's novel gives a voice and brings life to Sycorax before The Tempest begins. This life is nuanced and rich in many ways, but (as is often the case for women who challenge the status quo) includes many challenging and abusive experiences too.
I also love that as part of her story, Sycorax has a 'real name', and for academic-leaning readers they will no doubt appreciate the sheer amount of care and research/knowledge that has gone into Hetherington's story, including the choice of her name.
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𝘞𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦, 𝘪𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘺; 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮. 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶.
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Sycorax and her mother Atlas are viewed as outsiders, and subjected to xenophobia by the community. Atlas came from the desert and brought magic with her, which she passed on to Sycorax, but it doesn't help that from her birth Sycorax's parents (Atlas and Sunny) bind her eyes and perpetuate an air of mystery and otherness surrounding their daughter.
In Shakespeare's time, people very much believed in witchcraft and magic, and this can obviously be seen in many Shakespearean plays. Sycorax embodies many of the tropes of hags and witches, including being able to control the weather, somewhat predict the future, and having a familiar in her pet crow. But in addition to this, the mythology surrounding the power of the eyes (especially pale eyes - "the blue-eyed hag") to enchant, ensorcel, or curse others is prevalent.
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𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘦, 𝘮𝘺 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘤𝘤𝘶𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 colour 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯 ... 𝘛𝘰 𝘮𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘻𝘺 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴' 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺 ... 𝘈𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘫𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥, 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘚𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩, 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦. 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘋𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘺.
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I felt that Hetherington's portrayal of Sycorax's parents was very accurate, in that throughout the generations parents have often shamed and squashed their children, in an effort to simply 'fit in'.
In some respects, we can understand the misjudged attempt to protect children in this way, given that survival often relies on being accepted in society. However, through this othering Sycorax is a symbol for all children (and adult children) who have been shamed and told to make themselves 'less' than what their natural inclinations tell them they should be. It is never worth striving to fit in if it results in killing parts of ourselves.
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𝘐 𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺, 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘣 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘴. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥, 𝘩𝘦'𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘢𝘨𝘭𝘦'𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘦, 𝘴𝘰 𝘢𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘱 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘮𝘺 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴. 𝘐'𝘥 𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘤 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭. 𝘐 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘶𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘮𝘦, 𝘴𝘰 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘫𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥, 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘮 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘳, 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦.
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One quite sad element of the story is how the relationship between Atlas and Sunny evolves.
There is no doubt that they are codependent, and while they do love each other very much (especially at the beginning, and end) their relationship is not a healthy one. Sunny wishes to control his wife and daughter, but cannot, and nor should he wish to.
His behaviour badly lets him down, and while Sycorax does remember him fondly and has some good memories, they are all tinged with the shame and abuse that he imposed on her.
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𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙙𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙚𝙧. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙙𝙤 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙝, 𝙖𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩'𝙨 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙖 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧. 𝙔𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚.
𝘈𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧.
𝙊𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙤𝙬𝙣𝙚𝙙! 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘥.
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Talk about an overinflated ego and self-centric thinking encouraged by a patriarchal society!
Sycorax is also very much in her mother's shadow. Atlas is beautiful, and desired, yet feared. She is often shunned in public or mistreated, yet people seek her out for remedies and to help women who are in labour. This, again, is an accurate representation of women who are healers, and yet who are feared because of their power and knowledge. Anything that threatens the 'norm' in a patriarchal society is usually met with violence and ostracization.
With such parental wounds, it's no wonder that Sycorax is vulnerable, and not just because she is on her own and is disabled.
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𝘐 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴.
𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩.
𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘨𝘪𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘺 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵, 𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘸𝘦'𝘥 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦.
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On the topic of disability, and representation of women and people, it is known that in many myths, stories and fairytales, any sort of difference or deformity has been depicted alongside malice or evil.
Hetherington does a fantastic job of interweaving this throughout Sycorax; not just in terms of her physical disability, but also in terms of a hidden disability and ongoing pain that she experiences.
Sycorax tries to live a normal life, and to find a place in the broader society, but there are times when she can't and has to be absent. And on the back of this she is punished and ostracised further.
This is such an accurate parallel of real life experiences for people with long-term illness and disability, where SO much is still expected, and when the unrealistic expectations can't be met it is responded to negatively.
Sycorax's pain and disability are a key part of who she is, but Hetherington does not write about this topic as though Sycorax is a victim. She is strong, beautiful and powerful with her illness and disability, not in spite of these things. And her life is not consumed by or centred around her disabilities; it is a part of her lived reality that she simply manages the best way she can.
All 'villains' have their origin story, but their being a villain is never due to their difference, illness or disability (only in response to their treatment).
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𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦, 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘴𝘰 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘺.
𝘈𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵, 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭, 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺'𝘴 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 the 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘤𝘤𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘱𝘵, 𝘴𝘰 𝘐 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘧 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘯. 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘬𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘺.
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