A unique reading experience that places a spotlight focus on women's role in mythology....and it has some very lovely pictures to help our mental imaginings. Each story brings the female role to the front, showcasing her strengths and weaknesses while still telling the story of how she fits into this piece of fiction. A very good read made even better by being centered on the women's roles.

Title: Warriors, Witches and Woman
By: Kate Hodges
Published by: Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion Publishing
Publishing Date: Pub Date 03 Mar 2020
Genre: History, Nonfiction (Adult)
Review on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3092049458

Warriors, Witches and Woman tells us stories of exactly that. Historical female Warriors who fought against men, with men or leading men into battle. It included those most hunted of females, Witches, whether they were real occult members or just herbalists this book told us how they lived and died. Then lastly the majority of what we are just a Woman, persecuted simply just for existing.
Real or not these women’s stories will inspire readers. The stories of myth, legend and history will show just how powerful we truly are. It connects all of us women no matter where we are or where we come from.
It is obvious from the title that this is a feminist read. Warriors, Witches and Woman dose not just tell you about these women it also explains how through history these women have been pushed and dragged of pedestals. Mainly this happened though two ways, a change in political hierarchy or religious orders.
One thing I found particularly interesting was about St Bridget. When the Catholic church branded her a Saint they left out the story of how she had performed an abortion.
The art work too showed not just the beauty of the female figure but the poise, strength and power of it, even if they were half human only. Though the female and male body may differ it is the mind that shone through in these stories.

From Baba yaga to St Bridget this book brings them all to life even if they have only ever been myth. The ill treatment of women through the centuries but even more so in the last thousand or so years. I found the three-page, one illustration format great, I had enough to get me interested and learning something new. It also meant that the piece was short enough that I never found it boring.
The only thing I would perhaps have changed was that if the same character appeared more than once that the stories be closer together but I do see why they weren’t. It’s just a personal thing. I did appreciate that their previous mention was noted at the bottom.

As a longtime fan of mythology and a feminist by nature, this book was a perfect for me. It covers both well known entities as well as those who are not. The variety is astounding, and as someone who has read so much, it was a breath of fresh air to read about ladies not typically covered, particularly in more mainstream media. I also appreciated that they showed them in a different light. Many times, these females entities are shown as th.e antagonists or opposing force to a male hero. This showed them as more dynamic and complex.

Overall, a lovely addition to anyone's library.

This ARC was not quite what I expected. I am big time into mythology and was leaping out of my chair at the chance to get a chance to read this book. The artwork is very tasteful and eye-catching for sure but I was a little let down by the writing. I think I wanted more details on each woman. The basics of each one is covered nicely but I just couldn't help wishing there was more substance. Still, overall this is a very solid read.

In my life as a woman so far I have frequently strove to be both warrior and witch, to varying success. In my quest to be thus, I have frequently been in need of a role model, of inspiration. A book like Warrior, Witches, Women would have gone a long way to help me out. Thanks to Quarto Publishing Group, White Lion Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Hodges displays a wide variety of women, warriors, goddesses and witches in her book. Some of them, lke Circe, I knew, some, like Ame-no-Uzume, were completely new to me. The mythology that comes down to us can be very whitewashed the way that the Grim fairytales were in later editions. No more hacked off toes, no more dancing in hot-iron shoes. Hodges gives us the tales straight up with relish, not hiding away the odder or more unusual parts of mythology. Whether it's the double-edged sword that is Kali or the life-giving gifts of the White Buffalo Calf Woman, each of the women mentioned in Warrior, Witches, Women has left an imprint on a culture or a society. Hodges tracks how their stories have changed and evolved, both for the better and the worse, and what impact they have today.

Warriors, Witches, Women covers 50 different women, goddesses, spirits, messengers, from all over the world who each receive a page or two in which their tale is told. Alongside this are stunning illustrations by Harriet Lee-Merrion. There is a timeless simplicity to them which I found very affecting. I would love to frame these and hang them up in my house. The cover is, clearly, Medusa, and the colourful calm that Lee-Merrion brought to play is beautiful. WWW would make a perfect coffee table book, to be picked up by a little girl or boy, bored of the conversation happening around them. To me, it felt a little bit like a gateway, a first step into reconnecting with some of the mythology we have forgotten or never been told. Here is a whole range of stories, ready to be explored. I took notes, I Googled, and I listened to the songs recommended at the end. By the end of Warriors, Witches, Women I felt enriched and surely there is nothing more you could ask for?

Warriors, Witches, Women is a beautiful introduction to the sheer volume of amazing myths and legends around women. Let it inspire you to look further and to discover some fo that rebellion and rule-breaking within yourself.

4.5 stars.

I enjoy reading mythology and was interested in this since it was written through a feminist lens. Though it was fun reading through them, I can't help but feel like it was getting a bit repetitive with the feminist aspects in each entry because there were many.

Each entry explained the history of each woman and the original story about them before the male authors of the past changed their description to be more wicked or weak and dimmined their strong aura so that people would not follow/worship these powerful women.

Overall, it was fun to read about these women from different culture though it had too many modern references to the point it was spoilery at times.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with the digital copy for an honest review.

Easy to read, engrossing, short essays take a look at the mythical women of antiquity from all over the globe - and give them an interesting twist, viewed through a 21st-century feminist lens. The accompanying artwork was great too.

A wonderful mix of characters from mythology full of strength and character , all female. I absolutely adored this and I love all mythology but this was an extra special read, some tales in here I hadn’t read much about before. I loved it so much I need a copy in hardback as soon as it’s out, a wonderful read, perfect for the fan of mythology, feminism or just great strong women.


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

My thanks to Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion Publishing for a temporary digital edition via NetGalley of ‘Warriors, Witches, Women’ by Kate Hodges in exchange for an honest review.

Its subtitle is: ‘Mythology's Fiercest Females’ and contains the stories of fifty global entities grouped around five categories. These are: Witches, Warriors, Bringers of Misfortune, Elemental Spirits, and Munificent Spirits. Each entry is accompanied by a delicately coloured illustration by Harriot Lee Merrion.

Kate Hodges acknowledges the fluidity of myth and legend and how over time a figure can change to come to mean different things to different people. A good example is the opening Goddess Hecate, filed under witches, who has undergone many changes throughout time.

Although referencing literature through the ages she also includes pop culture references such as appearances in film, genre fiction, music, and even fashion. Her language is also quite modern (referring to Queen Pasiphae as having ‘nerdy knowledge’ amused me). It isn’t intended as an academic study even though from her references it was clear that she was familiar with scholarly sources.

I thought that the artwork was lovely and I was quite impressed with how much information was provided in the few pages allocated for each entity. While in no way this could it be more than a taster, I felt that it Hodges had done an excellent job of curating this volume and that it was quite inclusive of world mythology. I certainly encountered some new entities to explore.

Kate Hodges’ Introduction set out her own experiences and her desire to see these fierce women celebrated to serve as an inspiration for new generations. I could certainly relate to the cultural references she mentioned that contained powerful beings like Medusa and Morgan le Fay and had rooted for them as well.

After the fifty entries Hodges has included a glossary, index, suggestions for further reading, and even a Mythological Women playlist. Overall, I felt that it provides a good introduction for anyone wishing to explore world mythology from a feminine perspective.

While I was reviewing a digital edition, I expect that this will be a luxurious coffee table book in hardback and make a wonderful gift. I hope to buy my own copy in due course.

I love how many cultures they Hodges incorporates with her book and that she doesn't focus on just one area. I wasn't a big fan of the artwork, and there were lots of blank spaces which I wasn't sure meant that they didn't have anything to fill it or that they hadn't added in artwork or other things yet. While I appreciate that there are a lot of awesome women mention in here, I do dislike that there is so little done, and that typically there's only a broad overview of their stories told. I know that there is further reading available for those mentioned, but it still felt that you were just getting a sample and not a real good history of them. Still, I am glad to know about more parts of history/folklore to look into now.

Copy provided by NetGalley.

I thought this was a great read. I really enjoyed it. I love learning about the different warriors, witches, and women in this book. It was informative and entertaining.

I mostly flipped through and skimmed this but from what I saw and read it seems like a very interesting and informative take on the goddesses that were featured. The art was really great and I liked that they pulled from many different pantheons from all over the world and there were actually a LOT of goddesses that I hadn't even heard of before. It's definitely a bit denser and more text heavy than a lot of similar books I've read, which is why I mostly ended up skimming, but I think it's definitely a good reference and has a lot of other books you can check out in the back of the book as well.

I found this one to be informative and engaging. The author's writing was detailed and the progression of ideas was easy to follow. Perhaps a bit long winded in areas, but over all a great read. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Fifty strong women, some goddesses, some witches, some women thrust into legend, all the heroines of their own tales. From Medusa to the Morrigan, Helen to Pele, the Harpies and Furies, they have been celebrated even as some were cruelly treated or made the spoils of war.

I enjoyed the richly coloured imagery and the global theme.
Great work.
I downloaded an e-ARC from Net Galley. This is an unbiased review.

Warriors, Witches and Women is such a great title for a book about strong females. The fifty strongest and determined women have their stories retold. I loved the book and the true life stories as well as the myths. If you could choose to be one of these women, which would it be? The bad girls(women) or the ones who seek justice? Hang on to your seats as you are about to meet the women who are rebellious, powerful and strong willed. Let's go on this journey together and find out. Great book filled with great information. I received this book from Net Galley and Quarto Publishing for a honest review.

An examination of old fairytales and folklores and particularly the women portrayed in them in a new light. Contemporary themes are explored such as feminism and the me too movement through the exploration of women featured in old tales. Thanks so much to the publisher and netgalley for the arc.

BOOK REVIEW - ⭐⭐⭐

Warriors, Witches, Women: Mythology's Fiercest Females by Kate Hodges

This book is a guide to mythical women and female creatures across history and across the globe. It's clearly a very feminist interpretation of these women's stories and for that reason I really liked it. Kate Hodges has several sections to the book that split the mythical female creatures into different categories: warriors, witches, bringers of misfortune, elemental spirits and munificent spirits.

Kate Hodges made these women much more relevant and accessible to the modern day as she discussed how these women stories came about, how their image changed due to patriarchal pressure. Hodges attempts to almost rehabilitate these mythical creatures to show how there were positive aspects to their stories. She also unpicks as to how some of them have been vilified because they've been the victim i.e. Medusa and Futakuchi-Onna.

I really liked that Hodges included mystical beings from more than just Greek and Norse mythology which I feel like is generally the focus of these kinds of books. She had a gender-fluid Aboriginal god/goddess, Vietnamese goddess, Mesopotamian goddesses, Japanese beasts, African goddess, and Mexican spirits to name a few. Lots of these mythical beings I'd never even heard of.

There were 50 different mythical beings in the book and each one had 3-4 pages about them. Hodges included references to where their stories originated, how their stories changed over time and how that related to modern women. I think the major disappointment for me was that some of these names are in different languages or uncommon to me and just a reference to how to pronounce them would have been really helpful.

I also think that Hodges attempts to bridge her stories to modern day were a little stretched at times. When she wrote about the Japanese being Futakuchi-Onna it felt very generic as to how women are expected to be silent, not expected to eat. However, this "beast" originated in Japan and I feel like Hodges didn't focus enough for me in many instances on why these mythical beings got distorted in these specific cultures. So whilst it was really good she included lots of different beings from across the globe, I still wanted more.

Overall, this was enjoyable but I wasn't quite as immersed as I'd hoped. There was a little something missing from this book. The book came out at the start of this week though, so do check it out.

This book draws together a selection of mythic women to celebrate their enduring power throughout history to the present. The book is split into several sections based broadly on the type of woman. Each section contains women from many different cultures. Each woman has a simple, distinctive drawing alongside a basic description and details of different versions of her myth. Each description ends with talking about how the woman’s powers can be used for inspiration and encouragement in the present day.

This is a really interesting book. While I was familiar with some of the women from myth (mostly Greek, Celtic and Norse), there was information and stories about them that I didn’t know. There are also many goddesses, spirits, and human women from different cultures that were completely new to me and I found these fascinating. I liked how the author made the myths and stories relevant to today’s women.

I recommend this book to those interested in celebrations of women and to anyone interested in mythology and storytelling.

Thank you to NetGalley and White Lion Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this title.

We are the granddaughters of the witches you weren't able to burn

Warriors, Witches, Women is a guide to the legendary mythical female characters which brings old myths and folktales to life by casting them in a modern light. From feminist fairies to seductive temptresses, from fearsome witches to little known goddesses, this book covers a large variety of mythological characters. Divided into five sections, ( witches, warriors, bringers of fortune, elemental spirits, and munificent spirits ) it is accompanied by a glossary and suggestions for further reading.

With beautiful illustrations and lots of information, Warriors, Witches, Women takes look at some of the prominent and some forgotten women in mythologies around the world. In all, Kate Hodges has collated 50 female lives covering the witches and warriors, spirits and benevolent goddesses. Each character profile contains a full-page illustration, their origin stories, and their relevance even in today's world. The illustrations by Harriet Lee Merrion are beautiful, capturing the essence of the character and bringing these fascinating characters to life. Medusa, Baba Yaga, Circe, Cassandra, Rhiannon, Kali, Cihuateteo, Ma ’at were some of the most interesting characters for me.

The choice of characters was really inclusive, with legends taken from all parts of the world, from different times and different cultures. There were a lot of women in this book that you would not be familiar about and it was fascinating to learn about them. The stories not only cover the legend of the woman but also an attempt to correct the negative stereotypes about them and restore their reputations. It does acknowledge all the different narrations over time- how the stories and the characters themselves evolved, with a change in time and culture.

Overall, this book was very informative and engaging. It had lovely illustrations, concise information and a mix of characters from diverse cultures. If you enjoy reading about mythologies from across the globe, then you will surely enjoy reading this book.

Many thanks to the publishers Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC

Warriors, Witches, Women makes an empowering collection about mythology's fiercest women. It's unapologetically feminist and incredibly diverse, as it features legendary figures from all over the world and of different sexual orientations. From Maman Brigitte to Futakuchi-onna, Kate Hodges tells you about these women's stories and their evolution through the years. She gave each one four pages, one of them filled with a stunning portrait. Their stories pique your interest without becoming overwhelming.

Grouped into five sections: these women are Witches, Warriors, Bringers of Misfortune, Elemental Spirits and Munificent Spirits. Their stories are retold and reframed. Even after millennia, they continue to inspire, to remind, to empower. Kate Hodges fights for the demonised and the overlooked. She gives those, taken from their roots, a place.

I want to thank White Lion Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. This review will be posted to the Barnes&Noble website, as well as Goodreads, on the publication date, March 3th 2020. Please contact me if you would like for it to be published elsewhere or at another date.