This was such a powerful book about a powerful woman determined to leave her own legacy. I loved every second of it.

The writing is so beautiful and intentional. There isn't a single sentence that feels unnecessary or out of place. Casati effortlessly weaves myth and history together.
I think the most impressive part of the book is the characters. Each character is so alive and complex and real. The way that they all interact and relate to one another, especially with the different viewpoints, is fascinating.

Overall, this book is brutal, bloody, powerful, and amazing. I loved it.

Babylonia is an enthralling dive into the life of Semiramis, the Assyrian Empire’s only female ruler, blending myth and history to bring her extraordinary story to life. From the very first page, Casati’s writing pulls you in, immersing you in a richly detailed world brimming with political intrigue and ambition.

This book gave me serious Game of Thrones vibes, with its intricate world-building, layered characters, and high-stakes power struggles. Semiramis’s journey from orphan to warrior queen is as intoxicating as it is inspiring. Casati doesn’t shy away from exploring the grit and determination it takes for a woman to seize power in a world dominated by men.

The world of the Assyrian Empire is so vividly drawn that you can feel the heat of the desert and the tension of the throne room. The way Casati weaves myth and historical detail together is amazing.

If you’re a fan of stories about powerful women, epic political drama, and a touch of ancient mythology, Babylonia needs to be on your tbr!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This story of Semiramis is an entertaining blend of historical fiction and myth. While the Assyrian queen actually existed in ancient history, the author did a great job of embellishing her story and demonstrating how this character could have played a larger than life role in historical accounts. I really enjoy this type of myth or embellished historical stories about strong women who pursued power and were able to rule in ways that the men could not. The character development in this novel was well done and the story was engaging and unpredictable. Semiramis overcame challenge after challenge and escaped execution or accidental death numerous times. Although she was a warrior, she is also depicted in the story as also being very feminine and very caring towards those she loved. I always appreciate the author’s notes around their research and found the history included after the book to be very interesting. I did get bogged down in the story at times and thought the book was a bit too long but enjoyed it overall.

Dnf at 30%
In this case I dnf’d this because it was a “it’s not you it’s me situation”, I just knew that I wasn’t going to end up liking it and could not get invested in the story or the characters. However I will say that the author is very talented when it comes to writing, the writing style was very lyrical and immersive. And she created such an atmospheric world that I could vividly imagine. Even though I ended up dnf’ing this book it was just because it wasn’t for me. But that being said I would still recommend it to those who enjoy this time period and historical fiction.

Well, this just cemented Casati in my author’s to look out for list. I could not put this book down. The history, the characters, the setting were all brought to such vivid, eloquent life. Semiramis was such a well executed character, the reader loves her and questions her in the same breath. And both Onnes and Ninus, their faults, desires, demons, are so incredibly evocative.

Further, this was a piece of history I knew NOTHING about. And it is fascinating. So often, powerful women are overlooked in history, or later generations try to denigrate the woman’s role or her person in order to show that women cannot be rulers. That is not the case here (although, many men did try), for Semiramis is still viewed as a successful ruler. Like I said for Clytemnestra before this, I cannot recommend this enough. And I cannot wait to see what Casati puts out next.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of this title!

I have had Costanza Casati’s other novel, Clytemnestra, on my TBR for a while and after reading this one it is getting bumped up. Casati does a fantastic job transporting us to an ancient world. She doesn’t shy away from the brutal but still brings humanity to all the characters. I really enjoyed every minute.

Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebook Publishers and RB media for an ARC/ALC.

Thank you to SourceBooks for the advance reader copy! I am a huge fan of modern retellings of Greek myths and loved Casati’s Clytemnestra, so I was really intrigued to try something a little different. Casati’s research shines through as she explores both the truth and myth of Semiramis. I loved the complexity of the characters and Casati’s imagery is beautiful. The third quarter didn’t hit the same way as the other parts, thus the 4 stars, though I’d probably give this closer to 4.5. A really solid book that will likely be one of my favorites this year.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and SourceBooks landmark for the aARC!

This…is easily my top 3 book of 2025. Oh my GOD. As a social studies (soon to be) teacher, I have spent the past MONTH learning about Mesopotamia, Babylon, and specifically, the Assyrians. Semiramis is a real woman, who ruled over Mesopotamia/Assyria for 5 years after her husband died, until her son was born.

Constanza Casati is a POWERHOUSE of a writer. These characters felt so SO raw and real, and the ending truly is one of the most beautiful, gut wrenching twists of a story I have EVER seen. No one in this story is perfect, every character does something to betray somebody else, and yet, I root for, understand, and sympathize with every single one of them.

I am literally in my bed on the brink of tears at how beautiful this novel was. I am so happy I was able to read this before it was realized, and if you love Madeline Miller, you are going to love this.

Babylonia had an incredibly strong first 2/3rds of the story, but once that final 1/3rd hit the pacing started to feel off. There was a lot of character growth and change in a short time, which felt very off-putting after the nice and easy first 2/3rds.

The love is definitely a hard pill to swallow a times because of the half-sibling nature of two of them. I know this is the Ancient period of earth, so it was much more common amongst royalty in places like Egypt, for example, but with our modern day interpretations, you cannot help but feel grossed out. It just feels very icky. That being said, you can tell just how much research and effort when into this story for the historical context alone. And writing a coherent and majestic story is even tougher than research, in my opinion. I thought it was very well executed. I'll always love reading fictional books about the Ancient period of human history.

While I still enjoyed this book quite a lot, it does not go into the same category of favorite as Clytemnestra, which was definitely a perfect book.

This book takes place in the ancient world of Assyria and nearby (Mesopotamia) from 823 to 813 BCE. This ancient world comes to life in this historical fiction book. There is such empowerment in this book, from the strength of this orphan, of this woman, doing what other say only men could do. Learning how to defeat her fear, how to treat others that would otherwise be ignored, she taught many.

As with historical fiction, the author’s note is always something I look for and here it included an ancient Babylonian calendar. She did thorough research and for what is known that happened that long ago is accurate in the book.


This term fantasy has been applied to this book, I find that incorrect. This is historical, maybe mythological, a retelling of what was found in an ancient scroll. The people back then believed in many gods, they interpreted the world differently than we do now. But there was no magic, no one had special powers, people were just people with different ways of living.

Why aren't more people talking about this? My childhood obsession with Babylon and Mesopotamia has been unlocked.

I loved this book. It was so well written, and Casati's prose is amazing. At the same time, the DRAMA. This family is messy and I absolutely love it. Semiramis was such a great and complex character, and I can totally understand why everyone hates/loves her. Her political playing, her mind, and her legacy is amazing. The mother queen is so annoying and hateful AND I LOVE IT.

I need more mythology books like this.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

This novel follows the intertwined lives of several characters, from the ambitious queen to the cunning priestess, the rebellious scribe to the enslaved craftsman. Through their eyes, we experience the grandeur and decadence of Babylon, its opulent palaces, its bustling markets, and its hidden underbelly of intrigue and desire.

Casati's prose is exquisite, rich in imagery and sensual detail. She masterfully evokes the atmosphere of ancient Mesopotamia, from the heat of the desert to the cool waters of the Euphrates. This story explores themes of power, desire, and the enduring human struggle for freedom and self-determination.

"Babylonia" is a reminder that even in the most ancient of civilizations, the passions and desires of the human heart remain timeless.

Recommended for readers who enjoy historical fiction, lush prose, and stories that explore the complexities of human relationships and the enduring power of desire.

I teach Mesopotamia to 6th graders, but had never heard of Semiramis. I loved all the history and research that the author was able to fit into this story. She really made this time period come alive. The character of Semiramis was hard to like in the beginning and made so many choices that seemed to not make sense and then when it all is made clear, it just makes sense. The way woman were treated and underestimated was so clear and I love that we know what Semiramis was able to achieve in her real life. I'm so glad that there is now this book to teach others about her and what she did. I definitely recommend this to anyone who loves ancient history and stories of strong women.

To start, Costanza Casati is a genius. I really enjoyed her debut 'Clytemnestra', but 'Babylonia' solidified that she will be an auto-read author for me. After reading the author's note, I appreciate how much time and research goes into her writing.
This story was captivating! Drew me in right away. I immediately was rooting for Semiramis, a girl who was abandoned at birth, left with nothing, raised and beaten by a shepherd in the village of Mari. She meets Onnes, the governor of Eber-Nari, and she sees something in him. But is it love... or just a way out? She goes with him to Kalhu, capital of the Assyrian Empire, and her entire life starts to change. She has a cold greeting from Ninus, the King, who is also Onnes' best friend, half-brother, and... more? The love triangle and toxicity between these three was insane; a car crash that I could not look away from. It was emotional, and my heart hurt for all of them.

"The poets say that men are made for glory, but gods want glory for themselves.
So to make men vulnerable, they gave them the gift of love."

There was so much more to this story though than just the romance and heartbreak. All of the characters, from royalty to slaves, I loved getting different viewpoints from each of them. The politics, the action and detailed battles, it was all great. A true story of ambition and resilience, especially as a woman; the determination to come from nothing, but claw your way to the top of everything. Is the legacy worth what you may lose while building it though?

"She knows that they will meet again in the house of dust:
the common woman who became queen,
the governor she married,
and the king who loved them both."

I'm a little behind on my ARCs, but Thank you to NetGalley & Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read this! 4.5 stars!

I loved this story so much - I support women and I support women's wrongs. This was such an incredible story and it delivers on a female character I will think about for ages.

This book is a vivid reimagining of ancient Assyria and the legend of Semiramis. The writing is rich with historical detail, though it sometimes teeters on overwhelming. The characters are compelling, but there was something that prevented me from fully connecting with the main character. I could never quite find myself rooting for her - instead I was more invested in the secondary characters. If you’re into mythology, power struggles, and a dash of poetic flair, this book is a fascinating, if slightly dense, escape.

SEMIRAMIS. This book had me in such a choke hold once I actually felt brave enough to read it. Readers of Clytemnestra know that Casati does not hold back any punches relating to heartache and violent loss- and this was no exception.

I profoundly believe that Greek mythology needs to MOVE ASIDE and we need more global mythologies being told. Babylonia is about the ancient Assyrian Empire - and the rise of Queen Semiramis, who was a real key historical figure immortalized in mythological retellings. Through her mythical origins, her defying the odds as an orphan and resilience, to eventual rise in the kingdom as a governor's wife, etc. Semiramis has a story worth knowing and being a part of our own mythos.

The book highly focuses on Semiramis and switches POV to Onnes (the Governor and intimate friend of the king), Ribat (the main slave of Semiramis) and Ninus (the current king of Assyria). Cosati portrays the Assyrian Empire as merciless and brutal- for that is how history has remembered it by. I found it lush, full of many interesting people and events thanks to Cosati.

My only real complaint is that I wish I had felt better connected with Semiramis- she was confident and was also at times very kind, looking out for those like her. She was prideful and overall was a good character. The story focused a lot on Ninus so that took away a bit from Semiramis- but I came to love and admire Ninus and was glad for the multiple POV.

Highly recommend for friends who love Greek spin-offs and A Song to Drown Rivers.

Published 1/14/2025

Thank you to NetGalley and to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for my ARC of this book.

*Review will be shared via goodreads and Instagram.

A re-telling of the story of Semiramis, the only recorded queen of Assyria, as she rises from an orphan and gains power through marriage and her own wits. I have only inklings of knowledge on Mesopotamia, so in that sense this was refreshing, as it covered mythology that I’m not all that familiar with.

It’s not mythology and leans more historical, so there’s no “real” magic, but it does talk about magic and spirits and divination and gods because of the time period, and uses real historical characters as well as original ones, with many different POVs, though Semiramis is the main one. She was a compelling character, not afraid to be brutal but also having a heart. The author’s note at the end was interesting, and I did like how she included how such a brutal society and violent wars could impact someone’s mind and cause PTSD, which wasn’t a really defined in ancient times. The very complicated character relationships were dramatic and wild, really, but added an interesting twist.

This is probably just an issue with mythology retellings in general, but sometimes people’s choices feel a little confusing or lacking explanation, but it has to go that direction because that’s how the original story goes. I don’t think this novel was always successful at filling in those gaps for me, so I did question some characters’ decisions and how their relationships seemed to shift suddenly. I didn’t come to care for the characters as much as I wanted, though, and the story didn’t totally stay with me.

Otherwise, I did enjoy this read. The writing isn’t too complicated but it was effective, and it was a really compelling story from a lesser-known historical figure!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC!

It has been a while since I read much YA fiction, and this book, for me, read as YA and not as in-depth and I would have liked. I felt like all the characters were underdeveloped, more caricatures than people. However, I did enjoy this book. Semiramis, a legendary Assyrian queen, is mentioned in all sorts of texts, including one of Shakespeare's plays, but it is hard to imagine how a woman, in a culture so misogynist as that could have had a woman take charge as a queen,, especially a woman not born into a wealthy elite Assyrian family. So, this book provides a story for how that came about. It fits much closer to the mythological Semiramis's life, rather than to the real life woman Semiramis's various legends are based around. So, this book fits in well with the many retellings that have been coming out over the past few years centered around Greek and Roman gods (Circe, Stone Blind, Song of Achilles, etc) and will probably appeal to readers who enjoyed these books..

3.5 ⭐️ rounded down.

I was SO excited to get a novel in this era and geographic location. Assyria and Babylon are empires that I don't see very often in historical fiction novels--I'm not sure if it's because of how jarring the experiences are for people in the modern western world to read or if it's just because novelists aren't interested in researching that portion of history when they're preparing to write a new book. Either way, I appreciated the dive Casati took into this world with Babylonia!!

This book moved fast in the beginning for me, slowed down some in the middle, and then never picked up too much again. There were a few things in the plot that threw me for a loop, but considering the culture in that time and place, maybe shouldn't have been so unexpected. The various romances that existed within these pages were CRAZY. Overall, I liked Semiramis as a character and admire her for all she accomplished as a woman in ancient Assyria, but Ninus was for sure my favorite!

This novel was very good and well-written, but the content isn't for everyone, so if you are interested, proceed with caution and maybe read a few more reviews before moving forward, hahaha. I'm honestly not sure how to say much more without spoilers so I'm going to have to stop here!!