How do you bring a God King down to earth? You give him something that he’s never had before.

This is the premise behind the Epic of Gilgamesh and it forms the core tenant of In The Midst of Omens by Nicole Bailey, a new take on the great story. And what a story it is.

When we are introduced to Gilgamesh, we meet a man, a God, who is hellbent on securing his legacy. He wants to rule everything the sun touches. He wants to leave behind a legacy that will see him remembered forever.

To that end he embarks first on a negotiation then a war with the city-state of Umma. The fight there brings him a vision, one that will play a crucial role throughout the story. Disturbed by this he visits his mother, the Goddess Ninsun, and as Goddesses often do, she gives him a hint but nothing more.

His mother and his wife, Shahmat, are conspiring together. Not to bring him down, but to make him realise that the present is what matters. Not the future.

To this end we meet Enkidu, a man created by the Gods to try and satiate and distract Gilgamesh.

Their initial meeting is fraught; full kudos to Nicole Bailey for that genius! Then as they embark on a campaign and as Gilgamesh soothes the man from the wild, love blossoms. A love that cannot be tamed by either man no matter their efforts—and oh how they try!

Gilgamesh, this insatiable man, focused on his legacy is brought to earth and to love when he and his friend confront the dragon stalking the forest. Death and loss and rebirth brings Gilgamesh clarity and brings him and Enkidu together, but at a cost.

For Gilgamesh has tried desperately to prevent Inanna, the patron Goddess of Uruk from consuming him and his beloved city. But at the last, perhaps he is thwarted.

Nicole Bailey has done a fantastic job bringing these legendary characters to life. To adding detail and meat to their bones.

My favourite part of this story was how she showed Gilgamesh, a God King, realising what really matters.

I also particularly liked his relationship with Shahmat, their unusual marriage and the way they complimented one another to fulfil their shared goal.

If you’re a fan of the Ancient Near East, historical fiction or just fantastic writing in general, be sure to purchase In The Midst Of Omens on 4th June.

I adored the Gilgamesh myth when I was younger and I absolutely love that someone decided to make Gilgamesh and Enkidu's bond romantic. I'm always down for some enemies to lovers. I also love any type of retellings so the fact that this book had Beauty and the Beast vibes really excited me. Unfortunately the execution wasn't really for me. I found the story was too slow and I was frustrated with Gilgamesh's excessive ambition. He just seemed like a very cold character and that made it hard for me to get into the romance. However, if you love retellings with MC who's ambition rivals Alexander Hamilton this could be the book for you!

THIS BOOK IS MADE FOR ME 😭

Okay, maybe not literally… but I distinctly remember the first time I read the Epic of Gilgamesh in high school. I wasn't out as gay or trans, hadn't even figured that out for myself yet… but something about Gilgamesh and Enkidu resonated with me.

I was ecstatic to see this ARC suggested. After all these years, here it is! In the Midst of Omens did not disappoint. Bailey takes time to build a fascinating world and explore each character in a way I didn't even know I needed. This makes the slow-burn romance all the more wonderful.

While I initially went into this book for the gay romance, I am in love with how Bailey writes other kinds of complex relationships. For instance, Gilgamesh and Shamhat are a platonic power couple. Love is not a one-size-fits-all concept in this book. This concept feels so refreshing and makes me even more excited for the next book.

Thank you so so much for the chance to read this ARC for free. I'm leaving this review of my own accord.

As my introduction to the Epic of Gilgamesh, this title has me looking forward to both its planned sequel and the original source material!

In the Midst of Omens feels, in part, like a slightly overlong sequence of exposition for those of us (myself included) who are not familiar with the tale. And there is something about the character of Gilgamesh that feels removed from the reader, even as other characters (like Enkidu and Shamhat) seem to draw us closer. Even so, when the novel came to an end I almost jumped up off the couch in anger until I saw that there is a planned sequel! Which to my mind puts to rest any hesitation in thinking well of this story. Now that the characters and setting are established, I'm hoping that the sequel is akin to the last third of this book, which I found to be the most compelling.

A retelling of the Epic of Gilgamesh? Sign me in! Especially a queer one, since the relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu is so strong. I must say "In the mids of Omens" is little bit too modern if atmosphere and vibes compared to my expectation for a retelling of the oldest written story in the world. I was expecting more grit and clay tablet feel, to have the impression of discovering something a bit foreign for my conetmmporary mind.
The book is still good though and will suit readers of fantasy liking strong enough worldbuilding, mythology adaptation and diverse queer relationships. The writing is nice, not the greatest but it suits the story; the rythm is good enough too. I wasn't that involved in the characters, but I think other readers might enjoy the dynamics. It just wasn't for me this time!

Wasn’t really my vibe. With that said, the writing was good and for people who enjoy extensive world building in their fantasy, I think this will be up your alley. The characters were fine, I think the first few real chapter set my expectations high because it was thrilling, but things started to slow down and I was kinda not living for it?

I think what was jarring to me was it started off really hot and then cooled down immediately. It took me aback. I think it was necessary to establish what Gilgamesh was like, but honestly that was another issue I had. I don’t really care for his character. But he’s written well so I’m not going to go on about it too much. I did enjoy how this relationship with Enkidu unfolded, and his platonic relationship with Shamhat was certainly a highlight for this book.

I appreciated how the queer relationships were written as well. Went into this thinking it was just gonna be M/M, but was pleasantly surprised by the variety in dynamics and relationships that were written. I think the relationships were the highlight for me in this book.

I don’t think I’ll be picking up the next book, but who knows? I think I’ll revisit this and see if my opinion changes with a reread. It might just be a me thing. The makings were all there for a 5 star, just something fell flat for me.

Overall, I think this book would be amazing for someone else. Wasn’t really my cup of tea, but it was written well and I enjoyed the first quarter of it. The relationships were written well and I enjoyed Shamhat! Definitely my favorite character.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the arc copy on exchange for an honest review.

I picked In the Midst of Omens up on a whim, and I'm so glad I did! I haven't read a historical fantasy in a while, and it was a nice change of pace from the contemporary streak I've been on. I was really intrigued because I don't remember seeing a Gilgamesh retelling before, and was curious what it would be like, especially since I had really enjoyed the original mythology, even if I don't remember it anymore. Bailey did an excellent job of breathing life into legends, both Gilgamesh and Enkidu felt otherworldly in their power and perspectives while still having the emotions and flaws of a human. Their romance unfolded beautifully, a perfect match for one another. 

Keeping in mind that I read an ARC of In the Midst of Omens, I felt like the writing was a bit inconsistent at times. There were instances where things were told when they could've been shown instead, but more noticeably, there was a lot of repetition of certain phrases such as describing things as honey, or using "kissed" as a descriptor for the setting. However, the part that annoyed me the most was the use of swearing. Which feels strange to say, but it's not a pearl clutching thing in this case. The swearing was where Bailey's writing felt too modern, rather than historical, and it jarred me from the story each time it happened.

I'm really hopeful that Bailey's writing will improve with practice, and since these points weren't deal breakers for me, I'm excited to see what happens next in the sequel!