A review by readinginviolet
Queens of Themiscyra by Hannah Lynn

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.