Circe, a nymph and the novel’s protagonist, is the daughter of the Titan Helios and a naiad, Perse. Odysseus once said of her that “he had never met a god who enjoyed their divinity less” (380), an observation that’s upheld by her disdain for the cruel immortals. Frequently painted as sensitive and empathetic to the pain of others, particularly of mortals, Circe is unlike the other gods. Over time, she discovers that she is a witch capable of changing the world by drawing out the magical properties of herbs. In youthful pride, she transforms her would-be lover into a god and the nymph he chooses over her into a monster. After confessing her misdeeds, she is exiled on the island of Aiaia. Over thousands of years, she masters her craft, struggles with monsters, makes enemies, falls in love, suffers heartbreak and abuse, raises a child, and chooses her own destiny.

The strongest Titan alive and god of the sun, Helios sided with Zeus during the great war and keeps a tenuous peace with the Olympians, though he is not fully averse to an uprising. Austere, proud, and commanding, Helios tolerates no perceived disrespect—“however gold he shies, do not forget his fire” (6).