★★★★

I’m obsessed with stories of women triumphing and also with Costanza Casati’s writing, so here I am.

Following the rise of the orphan Semiramis to the throne of Assyria, we witness the hardships, prejudices, and betrayals endured by its only female ruler. We also encounter everyone she meets: the village boys who taunt her, her husband who has a particularly close relationship with the king, slaves who know and aspire to more than they should, the king’s council who underestimates her, and innocent villagers who cross her path. It is through the eyes of these other characters that we also see who Semiramis is, and the consequences—good and bad—of her actions.

It’s hard for me to not compare this book to Clytemnestra. Where Clytemnestra felt a more relatable and vivid protagonist, Semiramis did not. Where Clytemnestra’s setting was more easy to imagine, Babylonia’s was not. It’s hard for me to determine if this is due to my familiarity with Greece over Mesopotamia, or to the writing’s clarity.

Otherwise, the writing is gorgeous, with so many lines that encapsulate each character’s personality, fears, and ambitions, as well as their lots, succinctly and poetically.

I prefer Clytemnestra, but this was still a worthwhile read!

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the e-arc!

This will be a 3.75 star for me. I enjoy Costanza Casati’s writing a lot and I would read anything she puts out. In Babylonia, I felt myself drifting away from the story a little more than I would have liked and found I had to direct my focus. It would’ve been a 4 star for me if not for that.

“Women are at war every day of their lives because they’re expendable”

‘Babylonia’ is a mythology set in 9th century Assria telling the story of a nobody named Semiramis, a common girl adopted by a shepherd after her mother’s death who works here way into power by marrying a governor and climbing her way to becoming the first queen of Babylon.

I absolutely loved ‘Clytemnestra’ and I can still say that Costanza Casati creates multi-dimensional characters and takes a woman in myth who has been historically demonized and gives her a voice of beauty, power and strength. ‘Babylonia’ follows Semiramis’s life in a male dominated world, with both ambition and resilience. She goes into battle, falls into love, falls out of love, trusts the poor and tricks the rich, ultimately proving that women can get sh*t done!

Also, the romance is messy and heartbreaking but Costanza Casati does a great job at sharing multiple character point of views so we can emphasize with love and loss.

“You think queens are made? That is true. It is the woman who makes the queen, not the title, not her husband, not her son.”

4.5 stars rounded up because it was such a beautiful ride.

This is the kind of read for which I didn’t have much background/context knowledge going in, yet I still felt fully immersed throughout. I can see the writing not being for everyone, what with its “floweriness,” but I think it adds a lot of intriguing, dramatic personality. I may update this later on, with deeper thoughts, but for now I think I have to let it sit in my mind for a little, so I can process it all properly.

My thanks to the author (Costanza Casati), the publisher, and NetGalley for providing the eARC through which I was able to read the work and write this review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the early read. Costanza Casati has firmly cemented herself as a reliably unique re-teller of mythological/historical women. I enjoyed Babylonia just as much as her debut Clytemnestra. She takes women that had such a small role and expands their identity in a complex and crucial way. I will continue to follow any upcoming projects!

5 stars

my first 5-star read of 2025!

babylonia reimagines the rise of semiramis, the only female ruler of the assyrian empire. casati draws on both the mythological semiramis and the historical queen sammuramat to tell the remarkable story of a fierce, ambitious woman who ascended from obscurity to claim the throne.

i was captivated from beginning to end. when i wasn’t reading babylonia, i was thinking about it: semiramis’ strength and ruthlessness (truly, no one writes complicated female characters quite like casati), the triangular relationship at the heart of this novel, the parallels to the epic of gilgamesh, the delicious court intrigue (perfect for fans of the early seasons of GOT), the subtle exploration of how stories intertwine with immortality, even the leopard.

as in clytemnestra, casati’s storytelling is vivid and immersive and rooted in meticulous research. her lyrical writing and attention to detail truly set her apart in a genre that feels a bit overcrowded lately. here she brings ancient assyria to life through the eyes of semiramis, king ninus, and ribat the slave, depicting a brutal yet glorious empire from the perspectives of its highest and lowest inhabitants. there is no lazy application of anachronistic values; casati’s characters are complex and flawed and fascinating, but she doesn’t shy away from the fact that they exist in a culture very different from our own. she depicts the horrors of war and violence as well as the triumphs, and deftly explores the trauma the people of such a society must have experienced. the effects of that brutality—of power and the lack thereof—are a driving force throughout the novel, as kings fall and queens rise.

though semiramis is renowned in mythology—albeit as an “immoral” woman, a seductress—historical records of queen shammuramat are scant. babylonia is a story of love and lust, glory and power and madness, but it is also a myth within a myth. it asks us who tells these stories, and why, and to what end. it is everything i want in a retelling of a myth.

I would've never been able to finish this without also being approved for the audiobook. The beginning was very slow and I was going to give up. I was only 30% through after more than a week. I just had no desire to pick it up. Once I got the audiobook, I cruised through it. I was interested in what was happening, I was engaged. But the story also picked up itself. I enjoyed the narrator a lot. Future historical fiction like this will be audio only for me.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc and an alc!

costanza casati has firmly cemented herself as a reliably unique reteller of mythological/historical women. i enjoyed babylonia just as much as her debut clytemnestra. she takes women that had such a small role and expands their identity in a complex and crucial way. i will eagerly continue to follow any upcoming projects!

the narrator for the audio did a fantastic job.

not to mention, my page & wick edition (that i received last year😅) is absolutely stunning.

"Babylonia" by Costanza Casati is a sweeping and atmospheric historical novel that transports readers to ancient Mesopotamia. Casati vividly brings the legendary city of Babylon to life, exploring its rich culture, political intrigue, and the lives of its inhabitants. The narrative weaves together the stories of several compelling characters, offering a glimpse into the complexities of this ancient civilization. With its meticulous research and evocative prose, "Babylonia" is a captivating read for fans of historical fiction who enjoy immersing themselves in the past.

A powerful tale of determination and empowerment, the rise of a woman from oppression to power and her will to overcome every obstacle in her path. I enjoyed the rich setting and the depth of the characters. The audiobook was well done and the new cover is gorgeous.

Thank you to NetGalley for my digital copy. These opinions are my own.

Though I haven’t read Costanza Casati’s debut novel, Clytemnestra, I was instantly curious about her newest release, Babylonia. That stunning cover drew me in, as did its title, evoking ancient times in Mesopotamia. The book is out today and absolutely worth picking up.

Why I Chose This Book:
There is so much historical fiction set in Ancient Greece, but I’ve been craving something set equally far back in time but in another civilization. Babylonia immediately captured my interest for its setting in Mesopotamia in the 800s BCE. I’ve never read a book about the Assyrian Empire! I also love its focus on a woman who rises from nothing to become a ruler.

What I Liked:
- Ancient Mesopotamia setting and the Assyrian Empire
- A woman rising from nothing to becoming a ruler
- Intricate politics, from the king to his governor, mom, spymaster, and more
- Love triangle!
- Queer characters (and acceptance of them)
- Perspectives from Semiramis (an orphan who becomes a governor’s wife), Ninus (the bookish king), Onnes (the governor), and Ribat (a slave)
- Leopard!
- Excerpts of ancient poems and epics
- The author’s use of language. Such beautiful, simple, evocative sentences. Very thought-provoking.

Final Thoughts
It got off to a slow start, but bit by bit, Babylonia completely absorbed me. It’s written so beautifully, with sentences that make you pause and ponder them. I loved that, instead of the overdone retellings of Greek mythology, this one takes readers to a difference ancient civilization: Assyria. With royal dynamics, a woman rising up from nothing, a love triangle, and war, Babylonia offers so much. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from Costanza Casati.

I absolutely love Costanza Casati's writing. With this particular book, though, I did have a more difficult time getting in to it and the characters just because there were so many. I'd say that's most likely because I began with only the audiobook, which I loved, but once I added the ebook I was able to pick up on the pieces I'd missed. None of that was due to the narrator because she was very good. It's because I started when I was on the road and there was heavy traffic so I got distracted.

The Prologue intrigued me immediately and hooked me on the story. Then, when we get to Chapter 1, the story begins with Semiramis and her journey. Her character was amazingly strong. She had been an orphan who grew to become the one who sat on the throne. Her story was empowering, especially for women. She (and I) went through the gamut of emotions, and touching me emotionally is always a win!

There was so much in the plot: love, death, living life, struggles, power, forgiveness and non-forgiveness, happiness and sadness, and much more. I honestly don't think some people, if they are too emotional, could handle this one. At least not without tears and tissue. Casati definitely knows how to write in such a way to make the reader feel multiple emotions and I do mean feel.

Additionally, it was very descriptive and detailed. Some people might think there was too much detail, but I loved every bit of it. And her diction was perfect to me. She obviously was careful in her denotation and connotation of the words she chose. I felt as though I were there several times throughout the book and eventually became "friends" with the characters. I cared what was going to happen to them. I've said in quite a few of my reviews that I am more character-driven (of course the plot must be good too) and if they don't resonate with me then I normally can't get into the book. In this case, I would recommend this book for others who are also especially character-driven. And, not to mention, Babylonia being a historical fiction book just made it even that much better. Greek mythology and history and the research that Casati must've put into this book blew me away.

This is one book that I also recommend that you don't read summaries of it prior to reading it and the same with the blurb. Go into it blind and just go along for the ride and I think you'll love it too. The narrator was excellent and I loved the e-book version as well. I highly recommend listening to it on audiobook and possibly reading along.

I’m a bit late on this review but this one took me a bit to get through. At first I was having a hard time getting hooked but once I was I couldn’t put it down. All the twists and the messiness made this a pretty solid read. I only wish we got to see more of her reign. It felt like that part was cut short but otherwise a good story that I enjoyed. I would recommend others check this one out.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

I read Babylonia as my first by Costanza Casati. It is a daring look at the only woman to rule Assyria as regent while her son came of age to be King, yet nearly the entirety of the book engages with her upbringing and ascension to the throne, with the birth of that future king delayed for dramatic effect. Her story is intriguing, layered with ambition, love, and fear of not being enough. The narrative feels heavy-handed though, and the characters are often unpredictable, which is odd in a historical fiction novel. This is very researched, but also a true work of fiction. I did not enjoy reading this as much as I thought I would, though I deeply appreciate learning from both the author and my inspired research about this very interesting character from the past.
Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the advanced copy to review!

Costanza Casati is at it again with the strong female lead! This is the story of Semiramis and how she started with nothing and rose to power in Ancient Assyria. Casati has woven a tale that is both fantastical and historically accurate at the same time. Much like Cleopatra, Semiramis defied the odds, reshaping her destiny and claiming her place among the powerful women of history. In this tale, kings do fall and queens do rise.

I love a good historically based novel that retells the stories we’ve heard but through a different point of view. While Ancient Greece and Rome are often the focus, Babylonia brings a new dimension to the ancient world by exploring the rich history of Mesopotamia. It’s the classic story of ambition, power, and downfall—but set in a fascinating time and place that makes it a must-read.

From the great reviews I’ve seen, I feel like I read something completely different. This was tiring to read, and I was incredibly bored. I didn’t care about the story or characters to continue after forcing myself past 100 pages. It seems to be that this just wasn’t for me.

A must read for fans of ancient historical fiction. This was brutally intense at times with characters that were deeply unlikeable but also highly complex as they navigated court politics and survival in a culture that valued wealth, status and conquering lands with no regard for humanity. The intimate portrayal of Semiramis and what it might’ve been like for a woman to rise to power in such an era was very entertaining and intense. Cosati is a fantastic author and she excels at crafting vivid atmospheres; I already can’t wait for her next book! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of Babylonia.

Did I finish this book or did this book finish me?

Two weeks after I finished reading, I cannot stop thinking about this book. If there was ever a book tailored to every hyper-specific thing I love in stories, it would be Babylonia. From heart-wrenching romantic entanglements, visceral battle scenes, and quiet yet simmering feminine rage, every scene had me gasping, crying, screaming, and anxiously turning the pages. Even now, words fail to capture just how much I love this book with every fiber of my being.

Casati excels in subtlety. From the prologue and very first chapter, her strategic inclusion of small details (cultural, visual, sensual) made the world feel effortlessly immersive without becoming infodump-y or flowery; I often found myself voluntarily rereading sentences just so I could savor and admire her descriptions. Casati emulates the straightforward narrative style of epic poetry, yet she masterfully avoids falling into the “telling” trap by layering every scene with character interiority and emotional stakes. Every sentence is intentional and meticulously crafted in a way that is simply beautiful. In a market stuffed with purple prose and a tendency to tell over show, Casati’s simple yet evocative prose is incredibly refreshing.

Despite the epic political scope of the plot, Babylonia is an impressively character-driven and intimate portrait of Semiramis and her rise to power as the only female ruler in neo-Assyrian history. Casati perfectly balances the interiority of Semiramis’ unrelenting quest for recognition and power with intricate external subplots of courtly intrigue, complex webs of loyalty and romance, and inter-kingdom warfare. Although most of the plot is told through Semiramis’ perspective (as it should be!), I particularly loved the inclusion of Ninus and Ribat’s POVs. Not only did the additional POVs deepen the worldbuilding, they also contextualized just how hard it was, on a purely political level, for low-born people to rise to power, much less women. I will admit that Semiramis’ political adeptness could, at times, read a bit unrealistic, but for a book that fictionalizes, mythologizes, and reconstructs a life that we know very little about, I didn’t mind it too much.

On that note, where Babylonia truly shines is with its cast of fascinatingly complex and nuanced characters. The cast of characters listed in the beginning of the book may seem daunting at first, but I struggle to think of a single character that was unnecessary, even the ones I spent the entire novel despising. Sure, there were characters I loved to hate (ahem, Nisat and Marduk) and slippery ones I didn’t trust but secretly rooted for (Sasi), but all of them had clearly explained motives that never felt archetypical or assigned to a good-bad/moral-immoral binary. Of all the side characters, I’m particularly fond of Ribat—his quiet perseverance and emotional intelligence spoke volumes in a genre dominated by swaggering, sword-wielding, hypermasculine men. His story arc was tragically poignant, and Casati’s decision to end the novel with his POV was heartbreakingly beautiful and profound.

Side characters aside, the book’s tragic main character threesome (?) lives in my head rent free because I still think about Ninus, Onnes, and Semiramis on a daily basis. Ninus won me over from his very first chapter (I’m an absolute for the secretly softie scholar-king trope), Semiramis perfectly articulated my quiet yet simmering feminine rage at institutional gender oppression, and enigmatic Onnes had me simultaneously rooting for him and wanting to shake him by the shoulders to jolt him out of his emotional constipation. The sole critique I have of this book is that I did not get nearly enough of Onnes’ interiority. Adding more of Onnes’ POV, even in a limited manner, would have added yet another dimension to a book that already does a fantastic job of investigating the emotional toll of court politics and rule.

I absolutely loved that Casati did not shy away from the reciprocal nature of their love triangle—while not polyamorous, seeing a love triangle in which each character genuinely loves the other two was such a refreshing challenge to modern-day Western heteronormative monogamy. Just like her prose, Casati layers every intimate moment with such a deep emotional undercurrent that the sheer tension is more romantic than any physical intimacy. I squealed and screamed JUST KISS ALREADY countless times at the forbidden yearning between Ninus and Onnes, smiled (and then sobbed) at the simple intimacy of Onnes and Semiramis, and savored the emotional healing between Semiramis and Ninus. The mythological parallels between Ninus/Onnes/Semiramis and Gilgamesh/Enkidu/Ishtar only elevated the emotional devastation, making their romance(s) beautiful, tragic, and poignant all at once. Babylonia single-handedly redeemed the love triangle trope for me—I genuinely could not pick a single relationship to root for because all three characters deserved happiness no matter their partner, and I struggle to think of another book that made me sob as hysterically as I did when only one of them was rewarded with happiness (? even that’s debatable lol) at the end.

Brimming with truly fascinating characters, heart-wrenching romance(s), and an intriguing plot that refuses to let you rest until the apotheosis, Babylonia is intoxicating in the best way possible. It’s a five star read on emotional resonance and impact alone, but add on masterful storytelling and writing craft, and you have a contender for one of my favorite books ever. Epic, intimate, and everything in-between, Babylonia stirred my very soul and left me a devastated mess at the end. A breathtaking, beautiful, and truly masterful work of epic historical fiction.

5/5 stars
Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for the e-ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This novel joins a shortlist of books that I will think about weekly for the rest of my life. I printed out regional maps of the Iron and Bronze age within a few chapters because I was so immersed, and after I finished the book I spend DAYS researching deeper.

I will say that I love books that teach me about culture and society, specifically from marginalized perspectives. I had started to drift from this historical genre because of the influx of greek/roman retellings (though I do love them). This book revitalized my interest, and I am now extremely interested in non-western historical retellings and history.

First and foremost, I would like to give a huge thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for lending me this ARC to review. I read slower on an ebook and wedding planning kept me occupied but I finally finished it. For those who don't know, I've taught Ancient Civilizations for five years (two at the high school level, three at the middle grade level) and was so excited for a book like this because it seems that we so rarely get books about Mesopotamia.

The book follows the rise of Semiramis, a mythological queen based on the real queen of Assyria Shammuramat. She grows up in an abusive household and eventually catches the eye of the governor of her territory. Semiramis proves herself to be clever and much of the book centers on her navigating the politics of the Assyrian court. She fights and barters with male diplomats and goes so far as to serve as a warrior queen on numerous occasions.

As a historian, I found it interesting to see how many sources Casati uses to weave together the story of Semiramis. So many ancient historians wrote about her with many having differing observations surrounding her rise and what exactly she did. Even in the modern era, Christian philosophers have tried inserting her into religious histories. I never thought a book could encourage me to finally read Herodotus, but I'm tempted to start now. It also makes me want to read Casati's previous book on Clytemnestra. Casati has a way of creating such an amazing anti-heroine and while it is slow to start, it is impossible to put down as you get further into the book.