I got an e-arc in exchange for a honest review. Thank you Net Galley and sourcebooks Landmark.

I have really enjoyed reading all 3 parts of the Grecian Women series! This was book 3 and it focuses on the legendary Amazon women.

This story was extremely descriptive and captivating! It was an amazing story of what it means to fight for sisterhood!

I found our main three characters to be very complex and formidable women!

Hannah M. Lynn has an amazing way of taking stories that when traditionally told can be hard to follow and turning them into stories that are easy to follow/ comprehend with out taking away from the complexity of the story!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an eARC for this review.

Im the vein of feminist retellings of mythology comes the third book by Hannah M. Lynn, Queens of Themiscyra. We follow the Amazon women led by Queen Hypolyte and their interactions with Greek heros Heracles and Theseus, ending with the Trojan War.

I am torn on my feelings for this retelling since I love Greek mythology, but calling this a "feminist" retelling feels misleading. I would consider it woman focused, but something I noticed with this, and Lynn's retelling of Clytemnestra & Elektra, is that it is extremely focused on motherhood. Like, so focused on it that it almost feels like tradwife stuff.

Marketing this to younger women feels almost like propaganda?? Like, the great Amazon Queen, leader of a society of women that do not need men, is "tamed" by Theseus and becomes basically a housewife. Women don't need breaking, we don't need to be tamed. It feels extremely disingenuous to call this feminist.

On the other hand, I just simply enjoy exploring Greek mythology. I haven't read much regarding the Amazons previously, so it was nice to delve into their society. Other reviewers may point out it not being "accurate" to the myths, but that's kind of the point of retellings? They are meant to be bew takes, and stories/myths/legends change over time naturally.

Overall: I do think it's a good read that pairs well with Ariadne, giving you another look at Theseus being a P.O.S. but has lots of not so subtle themes that are less than feminist.

Love greek myths and I haven't read this before. Loved Hippolyte and Penthisilea's stories. It was so heart rending and I really can't wait to read more about the Amazons

I'm living for the female empowerment, add in anything greek mythology and i am fully on board. Definitely read this book, you will not be disappointed. Hannah Lynn is a must read for me!

Amazons, the fierce warrior women of Ancient Greece! Queens of Themiscyra follows sisters Hippolyte and Penthesilea, daughters of Ares, as they both struggle under the weight of being Queen of the Amazons. Hippolyte, chosen by her father, is a fair and just Queen, a harsh fighter, and a brilliant tactician, but when she is taken from the Amazons, the life she once knew is gone, and in its place, she learns there are other ways to live. Penthesilea takes her sister's place as Queen, but she is a shrudder and harsher Queen than her sister. Still, the Amazons thrive under her. When tragedy strikes, how will these fierce warrior women survive, and who will they choose to be? It is a tale of four sisters, Princesses, and Queens of the Amazons, but they are still just women at the end of the day.

Hannah Lynn has done it again! This novel is equal parts romance and adventure. I found myself relating with and bonding to the character of Hippolyte. While I don't view myself as a fierce fighter, I could relate to her struggles and her love for her child; what type of parent would I be if I didn't fiercely protect my child? At first, I found Penthesila to be crass and heartless, but I began to feel for her as the story advanced and realized she was just as caring and loving as her sister, even if she showed it differently. This book tore my heart out, made me laugh and cry, and gave me a desire to look up the story of the Amazons. Combining several versions of the Greeky Myths, Hannah Lynn has created a heartfelt story of love, self-discovery, duty, and honor.

Disclaimer: While I received a free advanced reader copy of this novel, the thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

I thought this was pretty interesting, since I haven't read much mythology around the Amazon women before. However, it painted Hippolyte quite simplistically. I wasn't that invested in what happened to her or her sister Penthesilea by the end of the book. Not sure that Hannah did anything worthwhile, in my opinion, by rewriting this tale.

Received a free copy from Netgalley.

I'm a sucker for Greek mythology mixed with a little female strength. There's sisterhood, drama, battles and war, and boundless love. Two sisters faced with impossible choices and so many people to think of other than themselves.
I really enjoy Hannah's writing, I've read multiple books by her now and her writing never gets old. She keeps details from traditional mythology but intertwines her own creative ideas and storylines so it's not re-reading anything else or reading a boring old textbook. Love her stuff :)

Okay, I have been reading a lot of greek retelling recently. Most of them have been from the same series and author, and being honest they were all interesting.

This one too. A lot of this greek stories I don't remember the originals (until this one). I like the pacing and the writing. I do think it was a bit long and I just wanted it to end.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was interested to see how/if Hannah Lynn would combine many of the myths of the great Amazons together into a conhesive story here. I did think she did a pretty good job turning so many separate myths into a relatively cohesive plot line.

Beyond that, I ws disappointed. Hippolyte is the strongest Amazon queen there is. She and her women warriors are feared everywhere. Yet when Theseus comes along, everything changes. Lynn does a good job of making Theseus just as awful as he should have been. He drugs Hippolyte, abducts her, and carries her off to Athens because he's obsessed with her (because she says no to him). And after that Hippolyte isn't the same person anymore. She talks about him loving her "in his way" and that she loves him too. Why? No idea. The whole thing after she's abducted is actually pretty awful. It was like Lynn chose more to stay closer to the original myth that doesn't talk about Hippolyte's thoughts and choices than use her imagination and give the Amazon Queen believable reasons she might stay. But she has Hippolyte love an awful man for no reason and Hippolyte becomes more of a broken, abused woman than the strong queen we started the book with.

Penthesilea was more uneven for me. She felt like a stronger character until she had to take over as queen. Then, especially after the seige of Athens, she is broken too. But I was disappointed in how Lynn had her handle her guilt, always running away from what should have been responsibilities or actions she could have seen as ones Hippolyte would have wanted her to accept and seeking death instead.

The book dragged for me. The end felt rushed more than anything else. While I liked that Lynn pulled no punches showing how the Greek "heroes" were not great men, and I don't expect main characters to have no flaws, I felt disappointed in Lynn's amazon queens.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I loved watching mesmerized Amazonia Princess, Diana the Wonder Woman when I was a girl. And who isn't ? She is strong, fierce and brave female warriors. Before Diana off couse I want to know another female warriors from this tribe, so famous until Greek mythology were recognized them. This is my second read from the author and this time she introduced us not only one but two great Amazonia Queen. Hippolyte and Penthesilea.

The narrative is captive my attention since early pages. The plot thicker, with right pace and strong storytelling style. We also got alot romantic scenes at this installment. All characters well describes, flesh out and memorable enough
I enjoy detail about battles, strategies and all aspect dynamics life as Amazon women.

It is give fresh voice to readers who familiar with Greek Mythology. We knew how stories describe and treats women. Damsels or villains. Actually I wishes Amazonia Queens will live their hype, but after being kidnapped and married Hyppolyte become tame. I didnt any fighting spirit from her. The part when Penthesilea searching inner peace also feel dragging. Greek Mythology come from several version, I love my heroine become villains more than damsels.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark UK for providing copy of this ebook. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Expecting Publication : 23 April 2024

Queens of Themiscyra by Hannah Lynn is the second book I have read in this trilogy (I have already reviewed Spartan's Sorrow) and I am just on to the third book, Daughters of Olympus.Absolutely brilliant series and I am hooked!

Thank you to Netgalley, Sourcebooks Landmark and Hannah Lynn for this fantastic ARC. My reviews are left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

3.5 Stars rounded up.

I went into this book not really knowing what to expect, just knowing it was about ancient Greece, and I think that served me well in this case. I love retelling’s of Greek mythology, even if I am not incredibly familiar with all Greek mythology. This is a retelling of the Queens of the Amazon, Hippolyte and Penthesilea. One day, a ship arrives and Hippolyte is swept away by Theseus to Athens, and Penthesilea steps into her new role as the new Queen of the Amazons. What follows is a tale of love, leadership and war, and tells more about how both Hippolyte and Penthesilea are both devoted to the Amazons, even if they show it in separate ways.

Content warning: Brief description of sexual assault

Many thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for an advanced copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Queens of Themiscyra by Hannah Lynn is a dual-POV retelling of the story of Queens Hippolyte and Penthesilea of the Amazons . When Heracles comes to Themiscyra to bring Hippolyte’s zoster to Greece, Theseus goes with him and asks Hippolyte to come with them. She refuses only for Theseus to return and pursue her even more. When Theseus kidnaps Hippolyte, Penthesilea goes to Athens to bring her sister back.

Antiope and Hippolyte are perhaps the most famous of the Amazon queens, so having Penthesilea as a POV character was a nice change of pace and let us see the different ways she and Hippolyte rule. Amazonian culture is explored a bit with mentions of architecture and the tradition of the Amazons going to the Gargareans to create new generations.

One thing that I really liked was how Hippolyte and Penthesilea are both very devoted to the Amazons but they show it in different ways. Hippolyte would have returned to Themiscyra if it wasn’t for her son with Theseus and the lingering feelings she has for the man she calls husband. Penthesilea’s devotion is more shown in how she gives young Amazonian women chances to prove themselves in battle.

Content warning for a brief depiction of sexual assault

I would recommend this to fans of feminist retellings of Greek mythology, readers interested in the Amazons, and those who are looking to dip their toes into Greek myth retellings and like stories about women warriors.

I have very mixed feelings about this book considering the nature of the relationship between Theseus and Hippolyte in the original mythology. Lynn’s writing never fails to draw me in, her sentence-level craft is beautiful and poetic and really immersed me in the setting.
Mythology retellings hardly ever focus on the Amazons so I was very happy to read about something fresh for a change I must say that there weren’t an overwhelming reference to Grecian women despite being part of the Grecian women collection but that’s not a massive fault.
Overall I really enjoyed it despite one of the periphery characters being Theseus (who’s never been my favorite regardless of any retellings).

Reading this Novel i love reading retaallings of warriors from long agao. Queen Hippolyte is a queen whose world was interuipted by King Theseus and she now has to fight a war and to protect her kingdom. I love any book aabout the amazonian woman and we got this with this story. This book introduces new powerful women not mentioned before and I got wonder woman vibes and i ate this up in a week. We still have some gods mentioned in Daughters of Olympia. the world building, dialogue, and acton plyed a huge part in making this book good. Hanna's Gredian Women Trilligy was amazing in total and i wish their were more books as i know there are man women in greek Mythology whose stories needs to be told.

I loved Queens of Themiscyra by Hannah M. Lynn so much! It is the third installment in The Grecian Women series, but I really hope it isn't the last. I enjoyed all three books, but I think this one is my favorite. Maybe because I haven't read many stories about the Amazon's and their queens so the story had new details and an unfamiliar stryline, but also because I love the author's storytelling style.
We start with Queen Hippolyte, feared by all for her unparalleled skills in battle, and well- known for her wisdom and compassion. After some serious wooing, she falls for Theseus but is still unwilling to leave her Amazons. In an act of misguided love and manipulation, he drugs her and takes her back to Athens with him. Hippolyte believes she may be in love with Theseus and decides to stay for now.
Penthesilea, Hippolyte's sister, is left to rule in her stead. She is a powerful Queen but rules impulsively, yet the Amazons thrive under her reign.... until Hippolyte returns, then Penthesilea is forced to make a decision that will affect the future of all Amazons.

Thank you NetGalley, SOURCEBOOKS Landmark, and the amazing Hannah M. Lynn for early access to read Queens of Themiscyra in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I'll be hoping and waiting for #4!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC of Queens of Themiscyra!

I was pretty divided on this book. While it was refreshing to read a greek retelling that did not center on the Trojan War (mainly), I think, once again, my problem is not with the book but with how it is marketed. I liked reading the book, I read it in two days. The prose was fine, the amazons were great. However, when I realized that this was a feminist retelling, I was a bit dumbfounded. If they would have just said greek retelling, I would have given it four stars. Obviously, greek history is wrought with misogyny so it wouldn't have been as surprising if I was reading this book like a purely historical retelling. But, I think calling it feminist is absolutely wild. The amazons repeatedly talk trash about other women and how weak they are. Hippolyte falls "in love" with her captor. He drugs her, kidnaps her, humiliates her, finds a new wife after raising a child together, doesn't let her take her kid, and she still jumps in front of him to save his life after all of her sisters put their lives on the line to save her and her child. When the sisters went to kill him, I was psyched. I thought this was going to be her redemption arc and I think that would have made the book 10x better. I was hoping this would end with her killing Theseus and taking Hippolytus with her back to Themiscyra. Obviously, authors want to stay close to what truly happened, but in a retelling, we all know that they can take certain liberties.

Another complaint was that the book ended pretty abruptly and it didn't tie up the loose ends. I think we could have used a few more chapters or a better epilogue. Additionally, the pacing of the book wasn't great. There were a few time jumps that didn't make sense. I feel like we were living in the moment throughout the beginning of the book and then towards the end, nine years pass like NOTHING. It's like the book goes from slow motion to 3x speed.

Some things I did like about the book
- Queer rep/unconditional love
- I absolutely loved the scenes between Priam, Hecuba, Penthesilea, and Hector. It made Hector's death even sadder and I liked reading about at least one king that loved his wife and child
- I liked reading about Amazon culture (although I'm not sure how accurate it is).
-I thought this book was a quick easy read and it didn't have the reading a textbook feeling that some retellings do

Overall, I think this book was solid. I definitely wouldn't call it anywhere close to feminism butI think I will read the two other greek retellings by this author that I haven't read and see how it goes. While I didn't love the marketing, I did mostly enjoy reading the book. 3 stars

Don't worry if you aren't conversant or even familiar with Greek mythology- this is an engaging and accessible novel that takes the story of the Amazon Queens and makes them feel very real. Hippolyte will seem familiar in the sense that she's got relatable (albeit bigger) problems. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I enjoyed this very much.

A refreshing Greek Myth story that introduces a cast of characters so unlike most other myth stories out there, while still weaving itself into the stories we already know.

I had been aware of the legendary Amazon warriors before reading Queens of Themiscyra - think Wonder Woman and all the other references to this legendary race of women scattered liberally through pop culture and popular literature - but this book delves so much deeper. Queens brings context to this extraordinary group of women, arising from Ares, God of War, himself. Yet, it is the complexity of characters themselves and their interpersonal relationships that held me entranced, and although men of fame and renown play significant roles throughout most of the text it is the women - and more importantly the Amazon women - who carry the story and ensure that it is a memorable one.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this e-arc.*