Oh my. What a wonderful, beautiful, tragic story!

Costanza Casati may just be my new favourite historical fiction author. Babylonia was a wonderful journey through ancient Assyrian history and culture. As a biblical scholar, I thoroughly enjoyed the foray into ancient history as it shed light onto biblical-era culture, way of life, and religion. For those who are not biblical scholars, do not fear; Babylonia has nothing to do with Israel or the Bible. Instead, it is an exploration of the brutally violent Assyrian culture.

Casati asks the question: What would life have been like for both the average and royal Assyrian person who is steeped in a culture that venerates violence?

The story tells the rise of ‎Shammuramat, the powerful Assyrian queen, from a rural and common orphan girl known as Semiramis. Without spoiling, I'll simply say that it contained sufficient intrigue, betrayal, and personal ambition to captivate me. Told primarily through the perspective of Semiramis, we also glimpse the brutality of what life was like as a woman within the Assyrian empire. Casati's writing style is gripping and beautiful while not losing the audience to too many details regarding the historical context. She brings Semiramis and Assyria vividly to life.

That said, the book is for adult audiences. It is deals with mature subject matter regarding war violence and PTSD related to war violence. There is a hint of incest, mildly graphic sexual behaviours, and prevalent drug use. I highly recommend Babylonia to all readers interested in ancient history, particularly the little-told role of women in ancient history. I am also looking forward to getting my hands on Casati's Clytemnestra.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

What a stunning and gorgeous read, wow. The writing in this was so incredibly evocative, and the background was clearly very well researched. I love how all of the characters are deeply flawed - and the world itself is incredibly beautiful - it makes for a poignant reading experience with lots of moral conflict. I feel like I learned a lot AND thought about the world a lot, all while falling in love with the characters!