It’s not often that my breath is taken away multiple times while reading a historical fiction, what can I say that I hope you understand that is a work of art this audio book has an amazing narrator ! The book starts off with the back story of our main character, Semiramis. She had a completely horrible upbringing but fate brings her face to face with the man that will save her from that life , although I truly believe the “gods” in the book saw her compassion and her humanity and granted her the life she was “owed” or deserved. I some how truly believe that many women will relate to this character and want to live up to this life we have in our minds . When reading or before is say definitely look at content warnings because there’s definitely things that are hard to read in this . Most of this story surrounds war and death . Thank you #netgalley for this beautiful read !

Perfect audiobook! As someone with ADHD, it can be difficult for me to sometimes truly connect or imagine a world because I am trying to focus on what I'm reading so listening to this audiobook whilst reading my hardback edition was truly magical! I loved this audiobook, the narrator was brilliant and I felt truly immersed the entire time!

Babylonia follows the story of Semiramis in 9th Century Assyria. The story starts with Semiramis being orphaned at birth and adopted by a shepherd. The story follows her unconventional rise to power and love affairs that helped her get there. She is a woman in a man’s world proving that if you want something bad enough, you can take it.

Honestly, I did not love this retelling. It wasn’t for me. I was so excited going into this book because I have read so many great reviews and it left me feeling disappointed. It was interesting but I had a hard time getting through it. I just found it lacking and boring at times. With that being said, you should most definitely read this book if you are interested and give it a try. Just because I didn’t enjoy it, doesn’t mean you won’t.

I want to thank NetGalley and Recorded Books for the opportunity to listen and review this book. I appreciate the opportunity.

While I've read a lot of really great books this year, this has been my favorite book so far. Babylonia by Costanza Casati is so well written and performed by the audiobook narrator. I actually pre-ordered this book based off of the description alone, but was lucky enough to get an audiobook copy.

I've found that in the last few years, there's been a resurgence in amplifying the stories of the female queens who shaped our world as we know it. Whether it be through their policies or the backlash to having a strong female ruler. Previous queens such as Brunhilde and Fredegund played a crucial role in the development of western Europe but are commonly overlooked in favor of the Merovingian and later Carolingian kings. Similarly, in histories of Babylon and Assyria I had not heard of queen Semiramis until I read this book.

Semiramis's story is shrouded in myth and legend, but Casati peels back those layers to make a very human queen. Semiramis overcomes incredible difficulties through her own shrewdness and cunning in order to become a queen who reshaped the Assyrian empire. Casati weaves a tale that pulls in the myth and legend, and does so in such a way that the reader is immediately immersed and invested in Semiramis's life. Casati also applies critical thought to how the brutality of war and Hammurabi's law would impact the people living in those worlds. One has to be careful about applying modern analysis and emotions to different periods of time but I think the way Casati did it really showed the humanity and was not out of the realm of possibility to how people throughout time would experience and respond to death and torture. She made the characters feel very human and very relatable.

As far as the audiobook narrator, Ayesha Antoine was an amazing pick for this role. Her pacing and delivery was excellent. The way she narrated, I was immediately sucked in and I think that's part of why I enjoyed this book so much. Not to be cliche, but Antoine brought the story and the characters to life. The emotion and depth to which she played each character shows how talented of a narrator she is, and just why she was the right pick for this book. I'll be looking at more of her works, as I'm really impressed by just how well done the audiobook was for this book.

Overall, again this is one of my favorite, if not my favorite read so far this year. I highly recommend it, and if you're an audiobook person you will love the way the narration was done.

Please be advised I received an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

5/5
Entirely captivating from the very first chapter, where the curiosity beat out the confusion and I was enthralled to see what was going to happen!
I tend to shy away from mythology retellings as the author usually very clearly doesn't know what they're talking about OR they're shoving lore down your throat so clumsily that it appears as if they just want you to know they're smart, but this author struck the PERFECT balance. They clearly know their stuff but the lore didn't overtake the plot in a distracting way.
Love the character relationships (hello throuple!) and the love-hate vibes that show the comp[exity of their dynamics. Definitely want to check out the author's other work!

Okay this is incredibly hard to review because the audio was a DNF. The narrators voice, while lovely, was so low and soft it seemed to almost have an echo to it.

The story has an interesting premise and I’d love to pick it back up as a physical read one day.

"Babylonia" by Costanza Cosati is well-researched historical fiction set in the 8th century in the Assyrian Empire. It is about Semiramis, the first queen to rule this Empire. She comes from humble beginnings as an orphaned taken in by a man who later turns out to be abusive.

She runs away with the Governor, Onnes, and her life changes. This was a violent time, and there are scenes of war. There are lion hunts that are brutal. Semiramis saves a leopard who is going to be part of the next hunt. The leopard becomes her protector, almost like a pet.

The writing is spectacular! It's very descriptive and clear and yet not overdone. You can really see yourself there and imagine the place and the people. The characters are clear and fully developed. Despite all this, I didn't like the story. I didn't care for the violence and war at all. If that doesn't bother you, you'll probably really enjoy this book.

There is a gay love story as part of this narrative that I found refreshing.

The 16+ hour long audibook is expertly narrated by Ayesha Antoine.

Characters - 5/5
Writing - 5/5
Plot - 4/5
Pacing - 3/5
Unputdownability - 3/5
Enjoyment - 2/5
Narration - 5/5
Cover - 4/5
Overall - 31/8 = 3 7/8 rounded up to 4 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, RB Media, and Costanza Cosati for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This was a do not finish for me. It was just to hard for me to stay focused. It was a different read for me which is probably why I couldn't get into it.

I requested the audiobook ARC of Babylonia because I had previously read and enjoyed Constanta Constanzi’s Clytemnestra, and I’m glad I did—this story delivered another richly imagined world full of myth, emotion, and power struggles. The narration added a lot to the experience; I especially appreciated the narrator’s voicing of the characters and her thoughtful pacing, which helped bring the story’s emotional undertones to life. While there were a few spots where the pacing of the plot felt uneven, the overall experience was immersive and rewarding. Constanzi continues to have a distinctive voice as an author, and I look forward to what she writes next.

5 glowing stars! I absolutely loved this book! It is a creative reimagining of a true event in history, the rise to power of the Assyrian Empire’s only female ruler. Casati expertly weaves in ancient Mesopotamian history with beautiful writing and masterful storytelling to tell the tale of a poor girl named Semiramis with a horrific home life who comes from nothing. One day, a governor visits her small town and she decides to take a chance in an effort to improve her destiny. This leads her to a bigger adventure than she could have ever imagined.

I actually went into this book blind and had not read the synopsis beforehand so I was incredibly shocked with some of the major developments. The story captured my attention from the beginning and there were many twists and turns throughout that really caught me by surprise. There are multiple continuously evolving relationships and plot lines that kept the story moving and changing. I felt incredibly invested in many of the major characters, what decisions they would make, and what would ultimately happen to them. It was easy to stay engaged, wondering what events would take place next and where that would lead.

Semiramis is the perfect FMC heroine and it was amazing to watch her confidence, interactions, and abilities grow throughout the novel as she learned who she could and could not trust. Casati is brilliant at building mystery and tension, then pulling the rug out from under you when you least expect it. This is my first book by this author and it definitely will not be my last! I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was excellent, I loved her accent and listening to her voice tell this story and felt engaged throughout! I highly recommend this one, especially if you love stories of the ancient world, historical fiction, and mythology. Thank you to NetGalley, Costanza Casati, Sourcebooks Landmark, and RB Media for the gifted ARC in an exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this author's debut book! The writing is gorgeous and the stories are absolutely fascinating. The voice actor was great!

Thank you Netgalley for the ALC. I really enjoyed this audiobook, I enjoyed the history that is uncovered in the book as well and the setting of it. Mythology always gets me hooked and I will forever be buying anything Costanza Casati creates!

Thank you NetGalley and RBmedia for the ARC of this audiobook for my honest review

I would love to reread this physically to be able to give this the review it deserves. Because of the jumps in time and the consistent pace, also the many unique names it was hard to follow in the audiobook. However physically I’d feel like that would be a much easier read. It was very unique and the relationships were MESSY which was hilarious when I found out it was based on reality or culture. A very interesting historical fiction though with interesting beliefs at that time. I always am very intrigued by that kind of stuff and that was great. The writing was amazing I feel like it was almost poetic. Though there were only 2 likeable characters to me and yeah it’s probably because of the time period and the power greed so it’s understandable but I just struggle to get into a book without characters that I love. I won’t put that against the book though it’s just the plot and time period but it did make it slightly less enjoyable. Can’t wait to read it physically though.

I'd like to preference this by saying, I think audio books are just not for me. I struggle to keep my mind focused on just the book and tune out the rest of the world. Because of that I feel like audio books give me a less immersive reading experience.

So, with that said, I did still enjoy listening to this! The book itself is a good story, and the Narrator gave a great delivery.

But I do feel like because I have a hard time staying focused on the audio, I did miss certain details of the story. But that's at no fault of the author or narrator, and I do plan on getting a physical copy of the book to read!

I absolutely loved this book; I could not put it down. In recent years, I’ve come to really enjoy historical fiction set in this time period, and I think this was an excellent example of a story that was both engaging and informative. Looking forward to reading more from the author!

My first 5 star read or the year!

Babylonia brings to life the incredible story of Semiramis, the only female ruler of the Assyrian empire. The novel beautifully blends romance, tragedy, and palace intrigue, immersing readers in the emotional and political complexities of her reign. the world building was exceptional with well-researched and vivid descriptions of Assyrian culture. The central love triangle was written with depth, and the novel raises thought-provoking questions about violence, survival, and legacy. While the story could have benefitted from more focus on Semiramis’s later reign, the historical facts, myths, and the author’s own creative interpretations blended seamlessly, making for an immersive read. The audiobook narration was excellent as well, with the narrator giving each character a distinct voice. A truly powerful and engaging novel that brings an often-overlooked corner of history to life.

Costanza Casati is an autobuy author for me after Clytemnestra, and I was excited for a retelling outside of Greek and Roman mythology/history.

Babylonia offers a lush experience through beautiful prose that depicts a story of power, legacy, resilience, trauma, and love. The relationship between Semiramis, Onnes, and Ninus showcases Casati's talents in fleshing out individual characters while weaving together their stories in a way that they cannot exist on their own.

The narration by Ayesha Antoine is beautiful and well-paced. There is an air of elegance, but also the emotion and brutality of some moments really show through when it matters. I wish there had been a slight distinction between the points of view as I found myself backtracking a couple times if I lost focus for a bit.

Thank you so much for letting me listen to this audiobook. I got emersed in this story fairly quickly. A gripping tale of a powerful woman.

Picked this up because there isn't nearly enough historical fiction out there set in the Mesopotamian empires, much less ones about female and queer monarchs. It did not disappoint in delivering a very vivid and well-written tapestry of the politics and the intrigue and the fraught emotional and social landscapes of the times. I wish the audiobook was multicast as it was multi-POV across VERY different characters. Would've made the sprawling and long narrative a bit more engaging, since I found myself taking long breaks between picking this up when the narration got too monotonous for me. Perhaps in order to do the real history justice, the length was necessary, but I wish the story had cut to the chase a little bit more at times. As much as I was surprisingly moved by the fraught dynamics of the "love triangle", each of whom was approaching love and ambition from a place of deep trauma, I wish it was cut by at least a third so we could get more of Semiramis's actual reign as Queen and everything she accomplished. Instead, all we get of that is an epilogue. Regardless, I'm glad I got to spend time in this overlooked corner of history with characters that are so evocative of a world and people we could stand to learn from more in the current zeitgeist.

“He thinks both of them have been drowning. But rather than fight the storm together, they have lost each other at sea.”

My first Costanza Casati book but definitely not my last! The prose of Babylonia is so lyrical, it was amazing how solid the characters felt.

I listened to the audiobook which is powerfully narrated by Ayesha Antoine I definitely don’t think I’d have been pronouncing the characters’ names correctly without hearing them.

Sumeramis is a woman born with nothing who radically changes her life through incredible bravery and determination. This book is one for all historical fiction fans!