Babylonia: A Novel

LOVED this book! What an amazing story of Semiramis and her journey to the throne. I absolutely loved the writing and how it made you feel like you were in Mesopotamia 3000 years ago. ❤️

Fair warning that I’m super biased bc I loved Clytemnestra! After reading that book earlier this year I knew that I would buy anything that Costanza Casati writes in the future bc of the way she portrays powerful, strong women who are surrounded by troubled men. This is a retelling of the myth of Semiramis and her climb to the top of the Assyrian Empire. Casati manages to make every sentence meaningful. The prose is so perfect, exactly what you want for a story like this. The characters are v flawed and you can feel the intensity of each emotion that they are going through, whether it’s rage or devotion, love or grief. This scratched an itch I didn’t know I had so now I’m off to read anything I can find on Mesopotamia 🤓

A retelling of the story of Queen Semiramis from the Ancient Mesopotamian times. This book does a truly wonderful job telling us Semiramis' story. Of her love, loss, humble beginnings, and her eventual queendom. Like with Clytemnestra, Costanza does a terrific job of staying true to the original myths and legends. While also giving the characters a new depth and life that the originals usually miss. "As long as I breath, I will sob for him" Beautifully written and a joy to read. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this arc. I am sure this book will be considered one of the best releases of 2024.