A review by cozyhosie
Jezebel by Megan Barnard

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

 "My name would be remembered. It would be written down in the manner of kings."

"I wonder sometimes if all that came might have been avoided if I had trembled. If what they wanted was for me to be like their women. To be afraid of the dark."

Jezebel has gone down in history as a harlot queen, patron to false prophets. In her new book, Megan Barnard attempts to give back a voice to a woman who has only been spoken of by men. While reading her story, you can't help but root for Jezebel. Regardless of your feelings on her motivations, you cannot deny that Jezebel is a strong woman who is determined to achieve her goals despite the influence and ire of the men surrounding her.

This book reminded me a lot of Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel, which was one of my favorite reads of last year. In both, the evil queen is given her own voice and allowed to tell her own story. Jezebel is remembered as the villain in a man's story, whispering in the ear of her husband to tempt him into betraying God. In her own story, Jezebel is desperate to be remembered as herself. She is avid in her desire to mold Israel into a great country, modeled after her own home country of Tyre. I struggled to identify with Jezebel while I was reading. Some of her choices and motivations felt so strange to me. I don’t know if it’s because I’m unfamiliar with much of the source material or if there was just a disconnect for me while I was reading. Regardless, I did enjoy this story and I would recommend you read it if you enjoyed other books such as Kaikeyi, Circe, Elektra, or any other retelling where a woman was given back her voice.