I love the idea of Jezebel as a powerful female character, and I appreciated the author's feminist take on empowering this much maligned Biblical character. I had hoped to connect with this a bit more, but felt that the prose was a bit clunky - which given the comparisons to Madeline Miller set up the reader for disappointment. Some of the characters felt a bit cartoonish and I just really struggled to like this one past the premise. The book gained its footing more toward the end, but by then it felt a bit like homework to finish.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the eARC of this title.

If you are a fan of Circe, Clytemnestra, or Stone Blind, you’ll love Jezebel. This was a wonderfully written retelling of a complex character who was doing her best with what she was given. It’s tragic and brutal and completely captivating.

In "Jezebel," we encounter a fierce princess from Tyre and her quest to leave her mark on history. From her defiant birth cry to her determined stance against patriarchal norms, Jezebel refuses to fade into the shadows. Married off to Prince Ahab of Israel at a young age, she navigates the complexities of power and religion, determined to reshape her new kingdom in the image of her homeland. However, when her former lover, Elijah, turns against her, labeling her with hurtful epithets, Jezebel finds herself at the center of a struggle between ancient powers and faiths. As bloodshed descends on Israel and her legacy hangs in the balance, she must confront the depths of her resolve to protect her family and her throne. This stunning revision of a notorious queen's story is a thrilling debut, capturing the resilience of a woman determined to make her mark on history.

With exquisite detail and lyrical prose, "Jezebel" offers a captivating reimagining of an infamous queen's story, showcasing her as a symbol of legendary feminist rage. From her rise to power to her fall from grace, Jezebel refuses to be a mere ornamental bride, challenging misogyny and religious zeal at every turn. This powerful debut delves into themes of power, femininity, and the intersection of gender and religion, painting a multifaceted portrait of a woman adored, feared, and despised by those she governs. "Jezebel" is a resounding ode to women who refuse to be forgotten and deserve to be heard.

Coming into this with the comparison to Circe by the publishers is such a disservice to this novel.

I'm not sure how this story will be perceived by those who are familiar with the historical story of Jezebel, but for someone who isn't, this was great. The story is well developed and kept my attention the entire time.

This is a captivating retelling of a strong woman born before her time. In a world where woman were commodities, she learns that she cannot be a leader like her father. Married off at 15, she does what she must to become a leader for the people of Israel. However, she quickly learns how fleeting the people's opinions are, and how easily swayed against a woman they can be. I wasn't incredibly familiar with this story, so I found it fascinating and enthralling, and there was much more to the story than I originally knew. Megan's writing draws you in, and keeps you engulfed. For lovers of history, definitely check this one out!

I've started and stopped this one a few times and I just don't think it's for me. Fully believe this could be someone else's fave book and it has a lot of potential! *graciously bows out*

Jezebel by Megan Barnard is a notorious woman from the Old Testament, depicted as a symbol of what a vile and sinful woman. In this feminist reimagining of Jezebel we are offered a new perspective on her determined struggle to be acknowledged and remembered in a predominantly patriarchal society. If you are a fan of female-focused retellings of historical women, this is the book for you!

I knew nothing about Jezebel besides the fact that she's in the bible and there's a really good movie with Bette Davis that's titled that. So I came into this with nothing more than basic knowledge of how awful she supposedly was.
It's a story of a strong woman in a world that doesn't even acknowledge the power of women. Barnard writes about the strength of passion and the feelings of betrayal that inevitably follow it, mingling with it the clash of religions and their use as weapons that still plagues the world.
A fascinating twist on a story historically seen only from one angle and imagined from the point of view of the woman whose name is synonymous with sin. Jezebel is a woman with agency in a world that denies her the acknowledgment of her hard work and ends up condemning her for it.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books for the great read!

This was probably my favorite retelling so far. The story of Jezebel has been familiar to me since I was a child but I never thought of it from any other perspective. It's a bold move to take a story from the Bible about a notoriously pagan queen and flip it on its head. But I think the result is worth any of the ire that would come of it.

I felt that this gave Jezebel more personality than a lot of the other feminist retellings (I'm looking at you, Circe). She had agency and was brought to life in a way that I've found missing in most other stories. This was rich and compelling in a way that I wasn't expecting, and I'm glad I took the time to read it.

Thank you to NetGalley for this free digital download, for my opinion. I enjoyed this book. I loved the spunk and sass of the main character. I loved the historical aspects but have not done any additional research of my own to find out more about this particular era and person. Thank you for this opportunity.

This was an interesting take on the story of Jezebel. History tends to from on strong women and malign them for being strong and independent. While this story did a good job of showing how Jezebel was smart and strong I feel that it slightly missed the mark and the ending just wasn't for me.

This book was excellent. I loved every minute. You almost like her and feel sorry for her, and then she does something else abhorrent. Great read.

This book is a really diluted version of the actual story of Jezebel. With that being said it was published as fiction and did not follow her true story closely. It was told from her perspective and to be quite honest this version she seemed dilusional in the way she thought. I wished it would have given more context on Elijah when he left, but other than that it was well written and gave a different perspective on her thought process. Make no mistake she truly was an evil, vile satanic woman.

Upon delving into "Jezebel" by Megan Barnard, my knowledge was initially limited—I knew Jezebel as a notorious woman from the Old Testament, depicted as a symbol of fallen femininity. However, this novel unfolds as a captivating feminist reimagining her tale, providing a new perspective on her determined struggle to be acknowledged and remembered in a predominantly patriarchal society.

Jezebel is not portrayed as entirely likable throughout the story, yet this portrayal seems intentional. Despite this, her fervent desire to make a lasting impact in a society that systematically undermined women resonated profoundly with me. Her transformative initiatives for Israel, aiming to reflect the prosperity and richness of her native Tyre, are commendable, even if they remain largely unrecognized. Every character surrounding Jezebel is meticulously crafted, contributing to the depth of the narrative. Elijah, her former lover and the prophet of Yahweh, emerges as a particularly detestable figure in my eyes, reflecting the unsettling aspects of religious doctrine that can perpetuate condemnation and judgment against those who worship differently.

Although I embraced the narrative with immense interest, the progression of time within the story posed minor challenges. Years would elapse within mere paragraphs, occasionally causing confusion regarding the chronological events of Jezebel's life. However, this small qualm barely affected my overall appreciation of the novel. The subtle complexities of each character, coupled with Jezebel's unwavering resolve to bring forth change, make this book a remarkable exploration of a woman's relentless pursuit to exist and be remembered in the annals of history. Thanks to the author, Penguin Group, and NetGalley for the free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3/5 stars. I really wish this wasn't compared to Circe so much, but it seems any kind of retelling these days is automatically compared to a Madeline Miller work. This really just seemed like the latest book in a series of attempts to redeem famous villains/antagonists. I'm honestly tired of this need to justify every female villain as actually being a victimized woman. Sometimes I just want a good female villain. I didn't need Elijah to be reduced to a one dimensional character in order to further characterize Jezebel.

Jezebel is feminist retelling of the Biblical figure from her perspective. Much like Kaikeyi and Circe, this controversial figure's life, relationship, values, and desires are reimagined and contextualized from her point of view. My only familiarity with Jezebel before reading this book was knowing that she was from somewhere in the Bible and that people use her name to imply promiscuity. It turns out there is way more to her than than and I found myself frantically reading Wikipedia as I was reading this book to get some background on Jezebel because it turns out that I didn't know anything about her!

So it turns out that the Biblical figure of Jezebel isn't even mainly associated with promiscuity, which is WILD! I really thought that she was a fallen sex worker who spurned Jesus or something. I had no idea that she was a queen of Israel but was born elsewhere and worshipped other gods. Her story seemed to me like the bedrock of "othered" women who don't fit in with mainstream norms, have a significant amount of power, and dare to use some of it. I was really bothered by just how much people have run with the "Jezebel" name over the years when it really doesn't seem warranted.

I thought that the writing was really good and I liked the side characters. Jezebel herself was interesting and all of her actions made sense within the context of her life.

If you are a fan of female-focused retellings of historical/mythological women, this is the book for you! 4 stars from me. Thank you to Penguin Books and NetGalley for the electronic advanced reader's copy of this book, my thoughts are my own!

This is a feminist retelling of the story of Jezebel, whose name has become synonymous with evil women. I didn't really know much about her story itself, so did a quick Google search before jumping into this to get the bullet points.

The book did a good job of making Jezebel a sympathetic character and showing reasons that she may have done some of the horrible things she did. Since it was a fairly short book though, under 300 pages, I feel like it could have been expanded a little more. The pacing was a little weird for me as well, since whole years were just skipped over. Also, it felt like nothing really happened for the majoriy of the book.

I'm not religious at all, but the whole choice with her relationship with Elijah was controversial, and I could see how they would offend some people. This book makes Elijah and Yahweh the enemies as well, so I would probably skip this book if that sounds offensive to you.

I really enjoyed this book! The plot was well-paced and engaging, and the details of the setting and time period were vivid and realistic. I especially appreciated the way the author explored the themes of female power, religion, and culture clash.

One of the things I liked most about the book was the way it humanized Jezebel. In the Bible, she is often portrayed as a wicked and manipulative woman, but Barnard's novel shows us a more complex and sympathetic side to her character. We see her as a strong and ambitious woman who is determined to make a difference in the world, even if it means stepping outside of the traditional roles for women.

However, I did find that some of the characters felt a bit underdeveloped. For example, I didn't really feel a strong connection to Jezebel's husband, Ahab, or her son, Joram. I also thought that the ending of the book was a bit rushed.

Overall, I thought Jezebel was a well-written and thought-provoking novel. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, especially stories about strong female characters.

I liked how the author used historical details to ground the story in reality. For example, she mentioned real-life events such as the drought and the famine that occurred during Jezebel's reign. I also appreciated the way the author explored the different perspectives on Jezebel. We see her through the eyes of her supporters, her enemies, and even herself. This helps us to understand the complexities of her character and the challenges she faced.

Overall, I thought Jezebel was a well-researched and well-written novel. It is a thought-provoking story about a complex and fascinating woman. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

I'll admit, I only vaguely knew who Jezebel was - I've heard the name thrown around in a derogatory way, and I knew she was a character from the bible, but otherwise, I did not know her story. So I was intrigued to read a reimagining of her life.

There were aspects that I enjoyed - I liked seeing a powerful woman portrayed, I liked the historical period and the way Elijah was made to appear more human (though I know that will likely upset a lot of people).

But I would have loved to have had more historical details. This felt like the author was just retelling the biblical story, rather than fleshing it out as a historical piece. Which is fine, it just wasn't what I was expecting it to be. I also found the ending of the book to be very rushed.

This was a decent retelling of Jezebel. I had a decent time and enjoyed the writing style. Having grown up religious, I have heard the story many times, so for me it was a it repetitive.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books for an advance copy.