I was very excited going into this story - I love greek mythology and growing up in one of the original 13 colonies, I have always had a fascination for the settler's lives. However, this story was so confusing I could not wrap my head around what was happening.

Given the connections to mythology and history, this book sounded right up my alley. However, this was not for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine | Dell for this ARC Copy!

I was so intrigued by the idea of this book. The premise was so interesting and the opportunity to have a sapphic story set in colonial America had so much opportunity to do the right thing, but I really wisht that the Native Americans has been a more central focus into this story. The author did include a note at the end of the book that it was not their story to tell, and while I understand the sentiment, I do not fully agree. Taking a story that focuses on the persecution and suffering of women can not really be told parallel to the suffering and abuse of others while ignoring one side completely.

A very lyrical poetic depiction of the siren story! I thoroughly enjoyed this implosion of the two worlds in one common goal of enhancing the woman's plight in a patriarchal world. The intense feeling of righteousness with the justice served unto men, chef's kiss! The underlying torment of a woman's desire weaved through the ugliness of men's dominance enhances the turmoil of the story. I would highly recommend this debut by Shannon Ives, especially in this world we live today, it will stir up emotions to change the direction of society.

Really fun read! I like how it brings in Roman mythology and uses it to explain a real word mystery. Very character driven but still has an interesting plot.

I enjoyed the alternating time lines in this book and the tie in to the lost Roanoke colony! This was a very enjoyable examination of the treatment of women during that time and female rage and relationships overall. I liked all the female characters and enjoyed the closure Thelia got at the end.

After reading several of the popular books based on Greek or Roman mythology, Those Fatal Flowers drew my interest. Shannon Ives draws a parallel between goddesses and women who inhabited Roanoke, a colony that mysteriously disappeared. The duel timelines were difficult for me to follow. I enjoyed the imagery in the book, but the storyline did not resonate.

This debut novel is a mash-up of Greek mythology and the myths and mystery surrounding the Lost Colony of Roanoke. Thelia, one of the Sirens condemned to reside on Scopuli, and given hideous forms although capable of turning back to human women each time they killed sailors lured into their trap, many centuries later somehow manages to make it in a small boat from near the coast of Italy across the Atlantic where she lands on the Virginia shore and is “rescued” by a brutal man who brings her to the house where he lives with his mother—also an unpleasant and devious character.

Not only are there mythology and history, but Sapphic fantasy elements and feminist rage. The women of the colony are horrified by what their men have done to the Natives they have encountered, although I think the story missed an opportunity to incorporate more of that into the tale and would have made it more interesting. The book is a bit gruesome sometimes, and I had some issues with the story’s execution, but overall, a mostly captivating read.


Thanks to NetGalley, Random House, and Ms. Ives for the ARC of this novel.

Rating: 4/5
I received an eARC for my honest opinion.

This book is a beautifully woven tale of betrayal, love, hope and female determination. I loved this woven tale of Greco-Roman mythology, you will meet three sisters that were banished to the island Scopuli, far away from their home and the person that Thelia, one of the sisters loves. They have been turned into sirens, but they’re half-birds and half-humans; they're forced to bring men by luring them from their boats to their deaths all the gods. Thelia with the help of her beloved Prosperpina is brought one male who she is told to save, but there is a reason.

I enjoyed this story with the mythology vibes to it. I found the telling of two-lines sometimes to be a little confusing but after reading it for a bit I was able to understand it more. I loved getting to know more about what happened to the females back in this time and understanding their need for justice. The female rage is perfect in this book, and with it having a mix of American history added into this book as well. I really liked that part of the book. I found the writing to be beautiful, and she will capture you with the words in this book. You will feel the characters emotions as though they were your own. I wanted justice for the sisters, for the females that were taken from their homes and for everything that has happened to them. The author handled heavy topics like sexual violence, murder and the loss of children, you will find a trigger warning in the first of the book. I found the main character to have been written well, and I found myself able to connect with her. I loved getting to know and understand her more. I liked that the second half of side characters that were females had been written well. At times I was upset with them, but the more that I got to know them I could see why they acted like they did.

This is a great book, and I will be recommending it.

I want to thank NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to review this book.

Those Fatal Flowers (Paperback)
by Shannon Ives
wow what a great fractured mythology. The monsters, women cursed by the gods to live forever have to risk so much to find forgiveness. A monster Thelia left Scopuli the isle of the lily eaters to find food and forgiveness. Thelia finds herself in Roanoak, with a girl similar to her beloved Proserpina. She has to struggle against the needs of humans, the gods, and legends. She has to find her place in the world, and find sustenance for her remaining aging sisters.

Thelia and her sisters were once the Goddess Proserpina's maidens, sworn to protect her. Now, they are monsters now trapped on the island of Scopuli as punishment for allowing Proserpina to be kidnapped. There, they live out their days luring sailors who cross their path and sacrificing those who live to the Goddess Ceres. However, Ceres has grown apathetic to their torture, allowing Thelia and her sisters to starve. Finally, after almost a decade of nothing Thelia hears a familiar voice promising her food in exchange for a sacrifice worthy of the Goddess she had once betrayed, Proserpina.

Thelia agrees and sets out on the open ocean with a mission and a human form that will last her 6 turns of the moon. Eventually, she washes ashore at the newly settled Roanoke colony, and although there are plenty of men for her to offer, luring them out without giving herself away proves to be far more difficult than she had anticipated. Can she convince these hate-filled settlers to follow her back to Scopuli before time is up? Or will the dangers of the patriarchy and her growing care for her love interest prove to be too deadly? All the historical horror and more in Those Fatal Flowers.

This book was heart-wrenching, unexpected, and full of horror. The idea of Greek mythology being intertwined with the disappearance of the Roanoke colony is a fun twist on two classic tales. I would have never thought to put them together, but what a horrific and fun story it turned into. I enjoyed the plot and characters, especially Thelia’s internal and moral battle over her quest. I have also hated fewer characters than Thomas and his mother. I was seething every time they were on the page and flew through this book to see them get their karma.

The pacing and dual-timeline structure are the only two things I wasn’t a huge fan of in this book. The first two chapters felt like they went on forever. Whenever Thelia described their time on the island, I wanted to skip to the current timeline. Not that those chapters didn’t give crucial backstory and context; I just thought they were a bit long for what they were trying to say. This relates to the pacing, which was a bit slow for me. I understand why it was necessary, but it did drag in places.

However, overall the book was great. The writing was interesting and flowery yet contained visceral instances of violence. Not to mention the grueling emotional experiences such as assault, misogyny, miscarriage, and homophobia. As much as it contained graphic grotesque scenes, it was equally filled with the horrors of humanity and the depravity of men. The men in this book were horrid, I have never read something so anti-man and I loved it. I was scared it would veer into “not all men” territory at some point but it didn’t. It was a fantastic balance of hating the patriarchy and acknowledging how some individuals are redeemable. It added depth to the plot and helped to give meaning to Thelia’s quest.

All in all this monstrous historical story is a must-read. From the bloodied shores of Scopuli to the cruel colony of Roanoke you will not want to put it down. Not to mention going and renting a Greek mythology book just to brush up. If you hate men and love monsters, you are in the right place. Happy reading!

CW: Abortion, abusive relationship, alcohol, alcoholism, assault, attempted murder, attempted rape, blood, bones, cannibalism, death, emesis, emotional abuse, famine, gore, homophobia, kidnapping, miscarriage, misogyny, murder, physical abuse, pregnancy, rape, religion, sexism, sexual assault, starvation, and violence.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for sending this eARC for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

For more sapphic reviews follow @the.lebian.library on Instagram, StoryGraph, Goodreads, and Tiktok

While the premise of Those Fatal Flowers originally sounded intriguing to me, the fact is the mash up of Greek/Roman Mythology and colonial Roanoke doesn’t quite work for me. In all honesty, I found it kind of strange and the two timelines too distinct on their own to be mashed together.

As handmaidens, Thelia and her two sisters are cursed by Ceres after failing to protect her daughter Porserpina, the goddess of spring, from being kidnapped by Dis of the underworld
The sisters are banished to the island of Scopuli to live as siren/harpy/human hybrids where they lure in male sailors to their deaths in hopes to favor the gods and eventually break the curse. After eons, when the ships stop coming in and their bodies begin to weaken, they have to figure something else out.
Thelia begins to hear Porserpina’s voice asking her something, sparking a dangerous quest. In an effort to break the curse, Thelia sets off to sea to bring back a group of men to the island.
Eventually she finds herself washed up on the colony of Roanoke. She poses as a princess with a dowry of treasure and a wrestling competition for her hand in marriage.
While on the colony she sees it is a dangerous place, mostly for women and finds herself drawn to Cora who resembles Porserpina.

Sapphic romance, pining and a whole lot of female rage. All good things. And it’s told in alternating timelines of Now (on Roanoke) & Before (on Scopuli).
The writing is beautiful, descriptive and flows almost like poetry. The pacing was quite nice and I was intrigued enough with Thelia to continue reading.
I did find the dialogue very modernized and I think the book would’ve benefited from a bit more historical dialogue.

I did have an issue with how quickly Thelia became comfortable with the colony members and the insta-love she felt for Cora. Unfortunately the romance, or lack there of honestly, didn’t work for me as it was mostly because of Cora resemblance to Porserpina.
Not to mention that we are on a colonial island during colonization and not one indigenous person is mentioned. There is a brief alluding to them. While I can understand that is due to them perhaps not being a key part of this particular story, indigenous peoples were a large part of colonization and it feels more like erasing them because the author isn’t sure how to tie them into the storyline. All the more reason why I don’t think the mash up.

Plus I was kind of bothered by how much hate there is for men, which I usually I condone. Female power and down with the patriarchy!
However, the one scene depicts just how much hated there is for the male species in this book and it kind of bothered me. I don’t have hatred for men for simply existing. Historically it has been men who have made the most terrible decisions, but I don’t believe men are inherently bad. I definitely think there’s a nurture vs nature factor to it and the societal norms of the era that determine the way men are.
“…traitorous body was harboring a boy…”
I will say the author tries to remedy this viewpoint with another scene.
“Monsters are made. Not born.”

Ultimately, I can see what the author was doing with this book and it will work for some people! For me it was a middle of the road read with some issues that I couldn’t let go. And a romance that wasn’t super believable.

TW: violence, SA, miscarriage

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this Sapphic Greco-Roman mythological fantasy sounded really interesting, and I’m so glad I got the chance to read it.

If you’re in the mood for some feminine rage, this book delivers. The story switches timelines between “before” and “now,” which I thought was a great way to keep things moving. In the “before,” Thelia is a siren cursed by the gods (though she gave me major harpy vibes), and in the “now,” she’s temporarily human and on a mission given to her by the goddess Proserpina (her true love).

The dual timelines worked really well, showing us Thelia’s backstory - being trapped on an island, luring men to their death - and her present as she’s navigating life in Roanoke, disguised as a princess. There’s a mix of redemption, revenge, and even a love story that parallels her past, which added great layers to the plot.

The ending wrapped everything up in a way that felt really satisfying. I liked how all the plot lines came together and left me feeling like the story was complete. If you’re into mythology with queer representation and a strong, rage-filled FMC, I’d definitely recommend this one.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Dell for this eARC!

Disclosure: This book was provided as an eARC from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This review does not include any spoilers. My thoughts including spoilers can be found on my blog here: https://tatimothys.com/review/tff/

I can't help but think that this book will be my "hear me out" pick from now on. When I read the premise, a mashup of Greco-Roman myth and the Roanoke colony, I was skeptical, but *Those Fatal Flowers* exceeded my expectations and really did pull it off in an interesting way. The main character, the siren Thelia, has clear motivations that are unraveled well in the dual timeline, giving enough insight into the character to keep things interesting without overwhelming the reader with backstory. Understandably, the core of this book revolves around female relationships, both romantic and platonic, as Thelia navigates the politics of the Roanoke colony, exploring how the women of the colony are restricted by their society, often choosing the lesser of two evils for the future of their lives. Thelia's storyline mirrors these women, often putting her in situations without a clear right answer. This is where the book is at its best, and fits well within the thematic elements highlighting female rage, all while a slow burn sapphic romance simmers in the background, where you almost don't dare to hope that these women can find happiness in such a patriarchal, structured society.

Speaking of the romance, this book is messy in the best ways. What starts as a bit of a love triangle becomes a love square, then a pentagon, then maybe a pentagram? Either way you have people finding themselves in relationships for relatable and realistic reasons, while still pining after other characters. Given the themes and setting of the novel, I was constantly wondering how this mess could be unraveled, and delighted that I could see a hundred different ways for it to end.

While the book far outstripped my expectations for the premise, there were still places that the book stumbled. I found the prose interesting, occasionally reaching the heights of the comped Madeline Miller, and just as often proving frustrating that it wasn't reaching those same heights. Along with that, the plot and character development felt well earned for the majority of the book, except one specific point that left me feeling whiplash, flipping back to see if I had skipped a chapter. Honestly I was able to overlook these issues and enjoy it nonetheless, but there has been one aspect that didn't quite fit for me thematically. Without spoilers, there are a few character elements around finding love and comfort where you can, even when in love with another, that were explored deeply in one context, but not extended through to one of the central relationships in the book. I really wish that had been addressed/interrogated in some way, as it completely colors my view of the ending.

Overall, this book was such an interesting read, and I only wish that I had convinced a few friends to read it with me. While I am rating this book 3.5/5, I think this would be an exceptional book club read, where you could soak in the messiness and rage with your friends. And who knows, maybe it will inspire some patriarchy toppling in modern day America.

This is a captivating read for fans of epic, atmospheric storytelling, historical fiction, and romance, particularly those who appreciate strong, complex female characters, LGBTQIA+ representation, and explorations of femininity, power, and the human (and monstrous) condition.

Those Fatal Flowers by Shannon Ives was such a fun and unique story filled with action, mystery, and a touch of romance.
A very intriguing take on Greco-Roman mythology.
I really enjoyed devouring this story.
Well written with fantastic characters.

DNF at about 40%
I was bored by the story and could often not differentiate characters.
I will not be posting about this on social media.

Mythology seems to have gotten its own type of reboot lately and I have to say that I love it. #ShannonIves doesn't disappoint with her story of Thelia and her sisters who find themselves banished to the Island of Scopuli where they can never leave, their bodies go from divine to half bird, half woman luring men to their deaths and sacrificing them to Cere's the goddess of agriculture. Ceres is the one who put them there as punishment for the loss of her daughter Proserpina. Thelia feels responsible for the loss as she is the one who betrayed Proserpina when the god Dis came after her. After many centuries Thelia gets the chance to save her sisters and maybe earn forgiveness. She finds herself on Roanoke and in the clutches of the same men that she has always feared, the same men that she and her sisters have been tasked with punishing.

In this tale #ThoseFatalFlowers we are told another tale of Hades and Persephone told from Thelia's poin of view. Views both past and present Theila takes us on a heartbreaking journey.
I want to thank #Netgalley and #PenguinRandomHousePublishing for the chance to read #ThoseFatalFlowers by ShannonIves in return for a fair and honest review.

I did not love this. I wasn’t able to become invested in these characters or what they were doing. I liked how we got to see Thelia’s current and past perspectives in every other chapter until the end whenever the flashbacks catch up to her current time. However, I found this story boring despite its immense potential to tell a powerful and compelling story.

I never expected to read a tale combining the sirens of Greek mythology with early Virginia colonizers. And wow, was it intense. Told in dual timelines, with such beautiful prose (when not grotesque). I found this story quite unique and extremely captivating. Read this if you’re in the mood for a big dose of feminine rage.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC!