Reviews

Queens of Themiscyra by Hannah Lynn

readinginviolet's review

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

I really wanted to like this book but was massively disappointed. My biggest point of contention is Hippolyte - she is completely unlikeable and honestly pathetic. We are told she is a great queen, but all we see of her is someone indecisive and easily domineered. None of her supposed strength is there. And then there’s the fact that she forgives Theseus for literally drugging and kidnapping her because they’re in love so that means it’s fine? And then he abandons her and forcibly separates her from her child and then she dies for him??? She has utterly no conviction and is constantly indecisive and it makes for a deeply unlikeable character. Hippolyte also seems like an absolute idiot, who is shocked that Theseus abandons her, saying she would never expect cruelty from him towards her (she’s fine with it happening to other people, apparently) even though he literally fucking kidnapped her. This book also plays into a lot misogyny, with Hippolyte literally thinking she would always be unhappy because she can’t have kids, and then has a child and it becomes the only thing that matters to her. I basically hate-read the last 300 pages, also partially for Penthisilea, who is this book’s best character, but even she is ruined by a rushed conclusion, and the fact she basically ruins her own life for Hippolyte, who seemingly cared for her very little as she abandoned her for a man who, again, literally fucking kidnapped her. The pacing is also all over the place, with years passing in single paragraphs and then entire chapters being dedicated to a day. The conclusion is also incredibly rushed, and the epilogue should really be called a concluding statement rather than an epilogue. The descriptions were very pretty, but at times felt very info-dumpy and often were about things completely irrelevant to the scene. The romances are also subpar, with one of them literally being between a kidnapper and his victim, and the other being a sapphic relationship which is not set up at all but we are simply told they are in love now, and are reminded of it every few chapters. I think a lot of the issues with the book come down to the author telling us things instead of showing them, and also the fact it probably needed another edit. But similarly, the plot of the book is inherently flawed. The author attempts to be accurate to the original myths but gets caught between two versions, and instead of committing to one, attempts to follow them both, and consequently ends up with a plot that is inherently misogynistic and a deeply unlikeable protagonist. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

blondkkyu's review

adventurous challenging emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

jsuispoesie's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

I can't excuse the romanticisation of abusive relationships. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Sexual violence

sophiareads_'s review

adventurous dark emotional slow-paced

4.0

hopelesswonderer's review

adventurous emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

benedettal's review

5.0

A great myth retelling, focusing on the life of the Amazon queens, Hippolyte and Penthesilea. The Amazons are intertwined in some of the most famous myths, including Herakles, Theseus and the Trojan war, so telling the story from their perspective is bound to make for a rich novel, even more so because as footnotes to other heroes’ stories, their lore has a lot of contradictions. Hannah Lynn has masterfully weaved together the ancient sources to give us not only a coherent, but an extremely satisfying narrative that flashes out the Amazon queens as characters with strong motivations and a much greater role in the larger myths they traditionally appeared in. I especially appreciated the final section that takes us through Penthesilea’s journey towards her demise. Both protagonists are extremely compelling, they face tough challenges and make hard decisions, and the book really coveys their strength beyond the battlefield. Never slow, never pointless, the story progresses naturally and uses the sources so well, I could talk about it for hours, just great stuff! 

monicafrederickwrites's review against another edition

4.0

for fans of mythology!

I enjoyed this reimagining of the Amazon Queens Hippolyte and Penthesilea. This read as a serious imagining of their lives, unlike other fictions that have made the Amazons into a joke. There was a lot in this book and it seemed to include every story from myth that involved the Amazons. I do wish this could have been broken into two different books to let us sink our teeth into each event. But for all stories presented in this book, I think it was well done and well worth the read! I love mythology and I especially love retellings because they are the easiest way for someone casually interested in these Ancient stories to step into the world of mythology. And I certainly want more people to be interested in these stories. This book will be a good one for anyone ranging casually interested in mythology to totally invested. I’ll be following Lynn from now on and I’m interested to see what other stories she’ll tell!

cazxxx's review

adventurous medium-paced

3.5

m_rys's review

adventurous emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

marziareadsbooks's review

adventurous emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0