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bookforthought's review
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.5
Clear, engaging and entertaining, Queer Villains of Myth and Legend is a fun and informative celebration of famous villains throughout the ages, exploring their impact on culture and the many different ways their identities developed.
These often-overlooked characters finally take centre stage, getting the recognition they deserve while accompanying us on a tour from ancient myths to modern TV and cinema. There is a truly wide range of characters on display here, some possibly slightly more famous than others, and I deeply enjoyed discovering villains I hadn't previously heard of while catching up on bits of trivia and information on characters I had already encountered. Many of the characters are explicitly queer, while others are queer-coded and/or became particularly significant for the LGBTQ+ community, which made it a varied bunch of characters to explore.
While I enjoyed the free-flowing, friendly writing style (making this an easy read indeed), it felt slightly out of place at times and, coupled with the speed with which the characters were analysed, left me wanting just a bit more complexity and nuance than I got. The short chapters work very well to keep the reading flowing and fast-paced but seem to leave little room for deeper reflections and discussions.
Overall, Queer Villains of Myth and Legend is an enjoyable read, and works especially well as an introductory text, sharing clear and accessible portraits of key characters, but may not fully satisfy readers looking for a deeper level of analysis.
I received a digital review copy of this book for free from the publisher as part of the blog tour organised by Random Things Tours. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.
I received a digital review copy of this book for free from the publisher as part of the blog tour organised by Random Things Tours. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.
kjkbooks's review
4.0
Thoughts:
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is a great book all round. The villains are from mythology, pop culture and real history so there’s a wide variety of individuals represented. The subtitle of summaries for the queer elements was a great way to really hammer home the queer issues. There’s research and references used to back up many claims made throughout and the images are absolutely beautiful.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is a great book all round. The villains are from mythology, pop culture and real history so there’s a wide variety of individuals represented. The subtitle of summaries for the queer elements was a great way to really hammer home the queer issues. There’s research and references used to back up many claims made throughout and the images are absolutely beautiful.
mhmrose's review
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
4.75
Dan Jones was always a favourite of mine and Queer Villains of Myth and Legend solidifies this. Queer Villains of Myth and Legend takes a new look at the "villains" of history, showing their queerness that sometimes is easy to ignore. I fell in love with the humour and tidbits of information around each person, creature, etc. It was a fun read that is perfect for any Mythology, history, and even comics fans.
Thank you, NetGalley and Octopus Publishing for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you, NetGalley and Octopus Publishing for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
elementarymydear's review against another edition
4.0
This was such a fun whistle-stop tour of queer villains through the ages!
The book is comprised of lots of short chapters, each one about a different figure. While the title specifies ‘myth and legend’, it actually takes a much broader scope, starting in antiquity but also discussing figures from literature, film and TV, and even some real people who have become legendary in their own right, such as Anne Bonny.
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While the majority of the characters mentioned in this book are explicitly LGBTQ+ - such as Carmilla, Dark Willow, etc – many are queer in the sense that they represent something outside the norm, or have become an icon to many in the queer community. A huge range of characters were explored, and I think it’s generally a good collection of those who have been villainised for their ‘otherness’.
The writing style reminded me a lot of tumblr back in the day: very chatty and witty, with a few sweeping generalisations here and there. While there were some points that I think would have benefitted from more nuance and depth, on the whole it made for a very entertaining read. It felt like the goal in this book is to celebrate as much as to study queer villains, and that came across in the best way!
Overall this was a fun read, that is a great go-to guide for queer villains. There are definitely some books and films I will be checking out after reading this!
I received a free copy for an honest review.
The book is comprised of lots of short chapters, each one about a different figure. While the title specifies ‘myth and legend’, it actually takes a much broader scope, starting in antiquity but also discussing figures from literature, film and TV, and even some real people who have become legendary in their own right, such as Anne Bonny.
📚Blog📖YouTube📖Instagram📚
While the majority of the characters mentioned in this book are explicitly LGBTQ+ - such as Carmilla, Dark Willow, etc – many are queer in the sense that they represent something outside the norm, or have become an icon to many in the queer community. A huge range of characters were explored, and I think it’s generally a good collection of those who have been villainised for their ‘otherness’.
The writing style reminded me a lot of tumblr back in the day: very chatty and witty, with a few sweeping generalisations here and there. While there were some points that I think would have benefitted from more nuance and depth, on the whole it made for a very entertaining read. It felt like the goal in this book is to celebrate as much as to study queer villains, and that came across in the best way!
Overall this was a fun read, that is a great go-to guide for queer villains. There are definitely some books and films I will be checking out after reading this!
I received a free copy for an honest review.