Review by lovelymisanthrope - Babylonia

lovelymisanthrope 's review for:

Babylonia by Costanza Casati

3.5

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I selected this as one of my Book of the Months, and I was very excited to pick it up.

“Babylonia” is a fantasy novel that reimagines the story of the Assyrian empire’s only female ruler, Semiramis. Semiramis’s upbringing was fraught with tragedy and adversity. She was orphaned as an infant, and the man that did raise her never truly appreciated her. Her life as a pauper did not stop her, because Semiramis knew she wanted power. Despite the odds, Semiramis rises to power and gains a throne of her own, but life is far from easy or uncomplicated.

I really enjoyed this novel and Semiramis’s story. Her early life was so devastating and my heart continued to go out to her. Everyone underestimated her and mistreated her, but she was still able to create a life for herself.

I was not familiar with Semiramis’s story prior to this novel, which is a huge reason I enjoy these retelling/reimaginings. These types of narratives help to expose readers to stories that they may not have heard of otherwise. It would be so easy to forget ancient history, but novels like this give these people new life.

I definitely recommend this novel, especially if you enjoy novels set in ancient times.

Content Warnings