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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
Loved this Greek mythology collection of poems about Artemis. I love how powerful and feminine the verses were. Will definitely read Shelby's other poetry books
Possibly one of the most interesting poetry collections I've read in a while. These poems are told in mostly Artemis' POV, though other goddesses make an appearance as well.
I really liked quite a few of these poems and several struck a chord with me. I'll be thinking about the topic of these poems for some time to come.
I really liked quite a few of these poems and several struck a chord with me. I'll be thinking about the topic of these poems for some time to come.
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
I received an ARC of this poetry collection in exchange for a review, thanks to the author.
Content Warnings: blood, sexual harassment, body objectification, misogyny, internalised arophobia, naked body imagery, sexual imagery, deliberate use of acephobia, representation of alcohol misuse, issue of lack of consent, drunken behaviour
So, I was surprised by this collection. I thought it would be an automatic 5 stars, but it wasn’t. The poetry collection explores asexuality and aromantic representation. It was really refreshing to see the ace spectrum illustrated as these orientations are often seen in absolutes. My main criticism of the poetry collection is that it started strong but it fluctuated in clarity for me. There were some powerful hecking lines and poems in there, but I struggled to connect to some of the poems which kinda upset me.
Content Warnings: blood, sexual harassment, body objectification, misogyny, internalised arophobia, naked body imagery, sexual imagery, deliberate use of acephobia, representation of alcohol misuse, issue of lack of consent, drunken behaviour
So, I was surprised by this collection. I thought it would be an automatic 5 stars, but it wasn’t. The poetry collection explores asexuality and aromantic representation. It was really refreshing to see the ace spectrum illustrated as these orientations are often seen in absolutes. My main criticism of the poetry collection is that it started strong but it fluctuated in clarity for me. There were some powerful hecking lines and poems in there, but I struggled to connect to some of the poems which kinda upset me.
This is a poetry collection about the goddess Artemis as she grows into her role as a warrior and protector. It's written from her own perspective and the perspective of other goddesses and explores her feelings of asexuality and aromanticism. I really liked the concept of the collection, but I found the poems to be a little hit-or-miss. Some are powerful and lyrical, but others don't hold the same wow factor. Regardless of this, I did really enjoy how central asexuality was to the collection and Artemis is one of the more well-known gods, but she still doesn't get a lot of air-time compared to Zeus, Athena, Poseidon and others. So it was great to read a whole book about her.
as always shelby eileen writes powerful poetry that speaks to me... loudly. this was unique and magnificent. a book that leaves you stronger by the end.
I read this in one sitting. I devoured it. I came out of this book feeling whole. I actually cried. My aroace heart cannot believe this exists and I’m just so grateful.
I treat the forest as my kingdom
because it is the only place that's ever given
me
strength
without asking for something in return
I'm not an avid poetry reader, I don't know why. I guess it's because of high school and the mental association I immediately make with reading poetry and having to analyse every single aspect of it. However, when I saw this aroace poetry collection—written by an own voices author— free on Kindle, I couldn't help myself.
I don't usually read poetry but this collection resonated with me. Be it because I'm asexual and because I'm on the aro spectrum, or because it was filled with mythology I know because it's part of my culture, I don't know. I just know that I adored reading this. I adored seeing Artemis embracing her identity despite living in a world where romantic love and sexual attraction are forced upon us.
Trust me to know this; love happens to some people, but it does not have to happen to you.
4.5/5 Stars
I treat the forest as my kingdom
because it is the only place that's ever given me
strength
without asking for something in return
Shelby Eileen has crafted a powerful poetry collection that explores themes of asexuality and aromanticism through the lens of the Greek moon goddess, Artemis. Here, we see a character who is strong, resilient, and complete. In a world were romantic love and desire are almost forced upon us, Artemis lives with purpose and lacks for nothing. I was extremely moved by this work and would love to read more of Shelby Eileen's poetry in the future.
I treat the forest as my kingdom
because it is the only place that's ever given me
strength
without asking for something in return
Shelby Eileen has crafted a powerful poetry collection that explores themes of asexuality and aromanticism through the lens of the Greek moon goddess, Artemis. Here, we see a character who is strong, resilient, and complete. In a world were romantic love and desire are almost forced upon us, Artemis lives with purpose and lacks for nothing. I was extremely moved by this work and would love to read more of Shelby Eileen's poetry in the future.
I'm somebody who loves Greek mythology, so the premise of this chapbook already appeals to me on a deeply personal level, and Artemis as aroace just makes it that much sweeter. Plenty has been written about the 'virgin goddess', but surprisingly little from her own perspective, and this is the niche that Eileen's book slips into. The 100-page book flips between snapshots of moments in the life of a goddess (usually Artemis; sometimes Leto, or Persephone) and short poems, all filled with a richness of language that both lives up to and surpasses the promise of sunfish.
Particularly notable is the poem on page 73.
"the tips of my arrows pin all your racing thoughts in place
the sharp edges of my disinterest halt you in your tracks
this is what it feels like to know people are afraid of you
afraid to try
afraid to get too close"
This is the kind of rhythm and emotional vulnerability that Eileen brings to their work all the time, but the layers of mythology and metaphor here make it that much more visual. Artemis is certainly spoken of in somewhat hushed tones in the Classical works, and the power in the poetry in 'Goddess of the Hunt' is how it gives her the room to be terrifying, to be a warrior, to be the fierce virgin goddess, while also talking about her softness and her desire for closeness. Just because I don't want what everybody else does, Artemis sings, doesn't mean I won't protect you with my life.
'Goddess of the Hunt's biggest difficulty is probably pacing and the organization of the poems. Every single one of these poems is excellent, with an individual voice and theme, but the final poem leaves off on an abrupt note, while others nearer the middle have a finality to them that perhaps would have been better suited to the end. Like many of the best books, it's one where you can pick it up and read it a poem at a time, but it would be nice to see some of them switched for greater impact.
Particularly notable is the poem on page 73.
"the tips of my arrows pin all your racing thoughts in place
the sharp edges of my disinterest halt you in your tracks
this is what it feels like to know people are afraid of you
afraid to try
afraid to get too close"
This is the kind of rhythm and emotional vulnerability that Eileen brings to their work all the time, but the layers of mythology and metaphor here make it that much more visual. Artemis is certainly spoken of in somewhat hushed tones in the Classical works, and the power in the poetry in 'Goddess of the Hunt' is how it gives her the room to be terrifying, to be a warrior, to be the fierce virgin goddess, while also talking about her softness and her desire for closeness. Just because I don't want what everybody else does, Artemis sings, doesn't mean I won't protect you with my life.
'Goddess of the Hunt's biggest difficulty is probably pacing and the organization of the poems. Every single one of these poems is excellent, with an individual voice and theme, but the final poem leaves off on an abrupt note, while others nearer the middle have a finality to them that perhaps would have been better suited to the end. Like many of the best books, it's one where you can pick it up and read it a poem at a time, but it would be nice to see some of them switched for greater impact.
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
Original review posted on my blog : Word Wonders
*I received an eArc of this book from the author in exchange of an honest review*
Since I read Soft in the Middle and absolutely loved it (review a little farther down) I’ve been looking forward to reading everything Shelby writes, so it’s only natural I was excited about Goddess of the Hunt especially after learning it’s 1/ About Artemis! FREAKING ARTEMIS!!! She’s one of my favourite Greek goddesses. And 2/ It’s hella aroace and I’m here for it. So I jumped on the occasion when the author reached out to me with a review copy and devoured it soon after.
There’s just something about the way Shelby strings her words together to make verses and then her verses together to make poems that works for me. They open me up and pour themselves inside my heart, telling it that it’s not alone in the way it’s feeling, that yes, my feelings are valid.
In this one, we follow Artemis, Greek goddess of the hunt, the forest, the moon and archery as she grows more comfortable in her chastity vow because it’s not just a vow, it’s also part of who she is, of her identity, as she’s aroace and doesn’t want to be with anyone either romantically or sexually. And my favourite poems were the ones exploring this aspect of her, the ones where she talks about being perceived as harsh, where her softness wasn’t welcomed because the other gods and goddesses needed to fit he into this tiny box that she expanded way beyond. How she struggled not because of who she was -which she completely owns- but because of how the others’ look on her, and that made my aro heart sing.
There are also these “guest” poems from other goddesses’ perspectives. One of which was Leto, her mother. I liked these but, to be quite frank, they didn’t do much for me feeling wise, and I’d always get a little startled moving from Artemis’ perspective that made me feel *so much* to someone else’s that just…didn’t move me. Which is why this was a 3.5 stars read for me. The one exception to this is one poem where Leto talks about what people tell her about Artemis being harsh, unlikable and just not the “right” kind of goddess, the kind that’s sweet and soft. That one really hit me. Especially since Artemis IS soft, the other Olympians just refuse to see it because she doesn’t fit their perception of it and it doesn’t fit their narrative.
Original review posted on my blog : Word Wonders
*I received an eArc of this book from the author in exchange of an honest review*
Since I read Soft in the Middle and absolutely loved it (review a little farther down) I’ve been looking forward to reading everything Shelby writes, so it’s only natural I was excited about Goddess of the Hunt especially after learning it’s 1/ About Artemis! FREAKING ARTEMIS!!! She’s one of my favourite Greek goddesses. And 2/ It’s hella aroace and I’m here for it. So I jumped on the occasion when the author reached out to me with a review copy and devoured it soon after.
There’s just something about the way Shelby strings her words together to make verses and then her verses together to make poems that works for me. They open me up and pour themselves inside my heart, telling it that it’s not alone in the way it’s feeling, that yes, my feelings are valid.
In this one, we follow Artemis, Greek goddess of the hunt, the forest, the moon and archery as she grows more comfortable in her chastity vow because it’s not just a vow, it’s also part of who she is, of her identity, as she’s aroace and doesn’t want to be with anyone either romantically or sexually. And my favourite poems were the ones exploring this aspect of her, the ones where she talks about being perceived as harsh, where her softness wasn’t welcomed because the other gods and goddesses needed to fit he into this tiny box that she expanded way beyond. How she struggled not because of who she was -which she completely owns- but because of how the others’ look on her, and that made my aro heart sing.
There are also these “guest” poems from other goddesses’ perspectives. One of which was Leto, her mother. I liked these but, to be quite frank, they didn’t do much for me feeling wise, and I’d always get a little startled moving from Artemis’ perspective that made me feel *so much* to someone else’s that just…didn’t move me. Which is why this was a 3.5 stars read for me. The one exception to this is one poem where Leto talks about what people tell her about Artemis being harsh, unlikable and just not the “right” kind of goddess, the kind that’s sweet and soft. That one really hit me. Especially since Artemis IS soft, the other Olympians just refuse to see it because she doesn’t fit their perception of it and it doesn’t fit their narrative.