Bringing together greek/roman mythology to the disappearance of the Roanoke colony is INGENIOUS! Thelia is banished to the island after she fails to protect Proserpina, goddess of spring (Persephone). This is a sapphic retelling of a woman who is trying to save her sisters and enact revenge for the woman she loves

First of all, I really enjoyed this book!

The book is a split timeline but same character type of format. It gives the reader glimpses into the Greco-Roman island of Scopuli and then the mysterious town of Roanoke in America. I liked the split timelines and how they meshed together in the weaving of this story. Starting with some strong mythology always helps me and the leading into America was fascinating.

I have to warn that there was a lack of indigenous American people in this story and some harshness against women in this book. I tried to get lost in the story for what it was but I know that might be a trigger for others.

Those Fatal Flowers is a unique mythology retelling that incorporates the location of the original story and an unexpected time and location in history. Thelia has been banished to the island of Scopuli with his sisters and cursed to live as sirens luring men to their deaths to please the gods.
The alternate time involves the very unexpected location of the Roanoke colony during their early settlement. When Thelia arrives in Roanoke, barely alive, she sees a community of mistreatment for women. This story is strongly feminist and includes action, mystery, romance, and importantly the survival and empowerment of women. I liked the author's writing and how they created a powerful narrative. The seemingly unconnected dual timelines eventually came together cohesively. I found the story to be a quick read and easy to enjoy. Shannon Ives is a debut author. I will be looking forward to what she writes next.

Thank you NetGalley and Dell for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

Greek mythology and colonial America!? Yes please!! I really enjoyed this story and it completely gripped me from the beginning! I hope Shannon Ives writes more like this! Thank you to NetGalley and to Random House for my digital ARC!!

4.25 stars...first off, thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the eARC of this book. I am a sucker for retellings and mythology, so this ticked all the boxes for me. I really enjoyed this book. It was heartbreaking, gory, unsettling at moments, but I am glad with how it ended and the bad guys didn't win. I would definitely recommend if you enjoy mythology mixed with a little bit of American historical ideal.

I want to say thank you Shannon Ives, Random House Publishing, and Net Galley for access to an advanced copy of this book. All opinions of this book are my own.


3.5 - a very cool book!! This had a bit of everything: mythology, colonial America, dumb men, badass women. It definitely was a more strange plot but I had fun with this read, especially in the context of observing a mythical creature experience colonialism, patriarchy, organized religion. At the same time, the loose navigation of female camaraderie through various struggles, especially against power-hungry and disgusting men, was a nice addition to the plot I didn’t expect. You have to work your way through the beginning for a bit, but it puts into perspective what our society has normalized and let’s you reflect on the danger that our systems and structures have. This definitely has a bunch to impact, but thankful for the chance to experience this read!

the literary world is filled to the brim with greek myth retellings and while this one brings an interesting virginian spin to it all, i can’t help but feel like this has been done before, and better

soooo gorgeous! this was really romantic you guys. i enjoyed the romance and the writing was top tier and for that, i read it in one solid sitting. which leads me to my question of why i found some parts lacking…it felt like maybe the pacing was off? overall a good read though

“Eve’s cursed after all. Her ability to create life is never regarded as a gift. It’s a punishment, a way to make us ashamed of our achievements, heartbroken over the feats our bodies can achieve”

A must read for fans of Roman/Greek mythology!

A sympathetic tale of the curse and fate of the Sirens.

Thelma has found the chance to achieve freedom from the curse she and her sisters bare. Thelia travels to an American colony searching for what she needs to break the curse Ceres placed.

What she did not expect to find was friends or love. Especially love in that Thelia believes it is her fault that her first love, Proserpina, ended up in the Underworld in the first place.

A sapphic fantasy tale that will keep readers engaged.

In Those Fatal Flowers, Shannon Ives has woven a tale of love, betrayal, and perseverance. Inspired by Greco-Roman mythology and basic human nature. Thelia and her two sisters are banished to the island of Scopuli, far away from their home and the woman Thelia loves. Tranformed into sirens, they live as half-birds and half-humans, forced to survive by luring the men of passing ships to their deaths. As the years pass, fewer and fewer boats come until finally there are none, and the sisters' lives are in danger. Sparked by the voice of her beloved Prosperpina, Thelia sets out into the world on a dangerous quest to colonial America in an attempt to save her sister's from certain death.

I enjoyed this story and love the mythological vibes it gives off. It is told in alternating timelines, past Thelia and present Thelia, which I found slightly confusing at first but overall added to the unfolding of the story. I also appreciate that this story acknowledged the difficulties women faced in that time period and focused on survival and the strength of women. Even adding in some unfortunate betrayal by a greedy woman for some added realism.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, for an advanced copy of Those Fatal Flowers in exchange for an honest review.

The plot of this book had me a little skeptical, but as a Madeline Miller fan I was intrigued. I got sucked in at the beginning, then felt like it lost me in the middle, but pulled me right back in at the end. Overall, I think this is a great debut novel and I would definitely read more from Shannon Ives! I would recommend to my fellow Madeline Miller fans or sapphic romance girlies.

Immediately, I was impressed by the writing itself and knew that I was going to enjoy the story. There are some beautiful and thoughtful quotes throughout. I also really enjoyed the ending and the main character's development. I think Ives did a nice job tying everything together and wrapping up the story.

I generally prefer more complex villains, which is why it lost me a little bit in the middle. I felt a little confused on their motives. Otherwise though, a pleasantly surprising read!

Thank you to Random House - Ballantine and Netgalley for providing me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

It’s rare to find a feminist twist to ancient myths, but this book did so in a wonderful fashion!

Thelia was charged with protecting the goddess Proserpina and eventually fell in love with her. Proserpina is kidnapped under Thelia’s watch and she and her sisters are banished to an isolated island. Where they once roamed palace halls, they now cursed as sirens. Ships eventually stop coming to the island and Thelia ventures into the world.

She is “rescued” by villagers of the Roanoke settlement and is immediately intrigued by Cora. The two being a tentative friendship that eventually blossoms into something more. The men of the settlement, however, prove dangerous to the women around them.

The book takes place in alternate timelines, but both mirror the same story. Men thinking they are invincible and can take what they want. Men are lured to their deaths in both timelines and they are far from the innocents as they are sometimes portrayed.

Thelia knows how dangerous men can be and won’t let another love be taken from her. Roanoke settler, Cora, is deeply unhappy in the life she is trapped in as a 16th century woman. Thelia at first intrigues her and then captures her heart completely. Despite the very real threats they face, Thelia and Cora also face a future neither thought possible.

An excellent book that proves love always finds a way and always wins in the end.

This book is a Greek mythology retelling blended with the mystery of the lost colony of Roanoke.

I have honestly never read a book that has this mix of times, and yet it worked wonderfully. The integration of these two distinct times in history was seamless and created a very unique story. In my opinion, this has been one of the most captivating retellings that I have read this year.

This book has sisterly bonds, friendships, and feminism, and is also a sapphic romance. These characters were unique and interesting, and I genuinely cared about every single one of them. Ives is also talented at writing villains that anger and infuriate you while also having a terrifying factor to them.

This book was brilliant and such a strong five-star read for me! Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for allowing me to read and review this arc <3

I was really intrigued by the idea of combining mythology with early American history, the underlying theme being bad men doing terrible things. I found the alternating timelines easy to follow, and actually adds to the suspense of the story, trying to figure out how the two timelines come together.

This book merges Greek/Roman mythology with colonial American history, and the blend mostly works well. The sections on Thelia and her siren sisters are the standout parts, offering a fierce and intriguing look at their cursed existence.

The Roanoke storyline feels like a separate story at first but becomes more enjoyable, particularly when Thelia reacts to the lack of goddesses in biblical tales. However, this part could have explored issues like sexism and classism more deeply, and the representation of indigenous people is minimal.

Overall, the ending brings everything together in a satisfying way. The book stands out for its feminist and queer-friendly approach, and if you’re open to its unique premise, it’s worth a read.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for providing the ARC.

This book has a very cool premise, a mashup of Greek/Roman mythology and a story of colonial America. It's a big swing for an author to take, and most of the punches landed for me.

My favorite parts of the story were about Thelia and her sisters (and fellow sirens). This book gave a firsthand account of how they came to be sirens and what their life was like being banished for an eternity, feasting on sailors whom they'd shipwrecked. There is some awesome female rage in these passages, and some interesting insights into finding beauty in strength.

The Roanoke sections were more like, "Whaa? Um...OK" at first for me. It's such a jump that it feels a bit like an entirely different book. But I came to enjoy these passages too. (Particularly the scene where Thelia is horrified at bible study wondering where all the Goddesses were in the story!) I would have liked the author to go even deeper into the experience of the women living in a colony brimming with bored, starving, frightened men.

In some respects the Roanoke sections could have been their own book, as it delves into sexism and classism and homophobia. But we don't really spend enough time in that world either to do that work. (And the plight of the indigenous people whom this settlement has stolen land from is sadly brushed under the rug.) But I enjoyed seeing Thelia build a range of relationships and learn firsthand about the evil humans are capable of.

I particularly enjoyed the ending of this book (which yes, pulls these two disparate stories together in an action-packed and compelling finale.) Overall this is a very feminist, queer-friendly book, (loved this quote..."Men, even the ones who are pleasant to be around, are obnoxiously predictable.") If you can get on board with unique set-up, you might enjoy it.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

“Those Fatal Flowers” 4.5/5 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book!

I should preface this review by saying I adore sapphic romance and Greek mythology. Naturally, this book was right up my alley. Shannon Ives did such a magnificent job capturing the anger, despair, and longing necessary for a story like this. I thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end.

The story follows Thelia, a handmaiden to Proserpina, between two different timelines. First, when she is banished to the island of Scopuli, as a siren, and later, as she travels to the colony of Roanoke on Proserpina’s orders.

I felt so connected to Thelia as she grappled with the consequences of her actions and the loss of the woman she loved. I also felt so validated by reading Thelia get revenge on the men who have harmed her.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Greek mythology, sapphic love stories, and historical fiction! 10/10 read 🫶🏻

Those Fatal Flowers explores what might occur should one of the monsters of Greek mythology find herself in colonial America. It is well written, but there is a lot going on here that made it hard to continue to suspend disbelief. There were so many times when I found myself wanting to cheer on the protagonist, Thelia (monster or siren), but I found it difficult to relate to her rage and barbarism. Some of the acts described was inhuman and hypocritical- a self declared monster presiding as judge and jury over the monstrosities some men commit in their lust for power. Additionally, inviting colonial Christian themes into a story steeped in Greek mythology created dissonance that I personally found distracting more than it added to the story.

Some will love this book, but for me, it was too brutal and graphic.

I’d like to thank Random House and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thelia and her sisters are banished to an island after failing to protect Proserpina from her fate. They are slowly starving to death when they receive a gift from Proserpina, a chance to break the curse. Can Thelia save herself and her sisters by bringing people back from the Roanoke colony?

This was an interesting intersection of Greek mythology and colonial America. It felt a little buy one get one free. It was a little slow to start, but sped up mid-way and kept my interest to the conclusion. I liked the take on sirens which is a little different from the typical and the whole theme of men versus women and inherent goodness and evil fit both timelines well.

However, there were points where I felt the views of the main character were a little simplistic and could have maybe some more back story on why she felt the way she did. Some parts of the story dragged for me. Overall though I gave this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.

Dual time with colonial American and Greco - Roman mythology. Female empowerment, the fight to survive and how tragedy can turn people into monsters.

The writing is rich and the story flowed well. I love how the time periods came together and were woven so well.

However, I don’t enjoy when female empowerment is laid on too thickly, I like it to feel more organic. We got that women could be both good and evil but mostly just saw men being evil. We are all human and have the capacity for both, often at the same time.

Check the content warnings on this one.