"Do not fall in love. A woman is a pitfall, a hole, a ditch, a woman is a sharp iron dagger that slashes a man’s throat."

<i>In the ninth century BC, one woman ruled an empire stretching from the Mediterranean coast in Syria to present-day western Iran. Her name was Sammuramat, meaning ‘high heaven’. The Greeks called her Semiramis</i> and this is her story beautifully written by Costanza Casati with inspiration from Epic of Gilgamesh.

I liked to mention a part of the author's note regarding her main character from a historical point of view:<i>Semiramis as a lustful, sinful figure prevailed for centuries in the literary tradition, from Petrarch and Boccaccio to Rossini and Voltaire. In his Inferno, Dante puts Semiramis in the Circle of Lust, next to Helen, Dido and Cleopatra.</i>

Semiramis, a common girl or daughter of a river goddess (based on where you will look at), is the story of a girl who built everything from nothing for herself and took the costs...
If you don’t run fast enough, the past will come and grab you. But now she has left too many behind, and they all reach out to her with desperate hands.

Poor men, not everyone can endure their choices as easily as Semiramis!
‘Regret is etched onto my skin. It flows in my blood with my anger and my weakness.’

I appreciate the writing style, and the character development was great. However, discussing the story too much would spoil it because it beautifully and slowly reveals itself in a very steep and interesting way, making it captivating.

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.
*****
What is love? Now, years later, he understands.
Love is the willingness to lose oneself, to enter a dark room without knowing what dangers lie inside, to be held by someone even if she could slit your throat.

Many thanks to RBmedia and NetGalley for ARC. I have given my honest review.

ALC review of Babylonia by Costanza Casati.

“When kings fall, queens rise.”

Babylonia is an epic tale of the rise and rise of Semiramis, the only attested female ruler of ancient Assyria. Born to lowly standing, through her cunning, courage, and adaptability, she rises through society to the highest of heights.

In a world where ghosts and magic are but a breath away, and power and control are as tenuous as the wind, everyone must claw to keep their place. Exploring the violent realities of the time (c800 BCE), Casati does not shy away from realism, tackling the impact of bloodlusting warfare head on. I admit, the detail was too shocking for me at times, but so too was it for characters accustomed to this society. The exploration of the impact of vicious brutality on the psyche of soldiers was a fascinating way of drawing parallels between the ancient and modern worlds. In showing the mental challenges of trauma and PTSD, Casati makes her characters real.

I knew little to nothing about ancient Assyria before coming to this book so I thoroughly appreciated the peppering of source material from The Epic of Gilgamesh and other Assyrian texts throughout. I listened to this book in audio form and found myself pausing to research place names and people for greater context, and so, Babylonia felt like an excellent primer on ancient Mesopotamia.

Narrator Ayesha Antoine does an excellent job of conveying the story in an engaging way with good pacing throughout.

Highly recommend to fans of ancient history, mythology, and strong female characters.

Big thanks to NetGalley and RBmedia for this ALC. Babylonia is available everywhere now!

Loved the historical fiction in this book it really made Babylon and the Assyrians came to life. I just wish there was more fantasy elements in this than there was. Otherwise a fantastic book

I really enjoyed this one a lot more than I thought. I love the narrator's voice and how she was able to make me feel all the character's feels. I highly recommend this one to everyone. Also I won't lie I was drawn into wanting to read this by the cover. I am a sucker for an awesome cover.

I enjoyed this story. It gave me Greek Game of Thrones vibes but sadly the ending felt slow and drawn out. It left me expecting and wanting more from such a build up.

Thank you, Netgalley for the copy!

4.5
I have read so many Greek myths that this time period and setting are not unfamiliar to me. So, when I picked this up, I was ready for a story that would show me some things from the other side. There were some familiar aspects here but this story remained solely in our MCs sphere. Not much in ways of crossover. At first I was a little bummed by this but as the story went on, I was just as captivated by our MCs journey as I am with mythology that I've grown familiar with over the years. I will say the middle of this book drags a bit, which is what holds me back from a full five star rating. However, the characters were great, the story was engrossing and the setting, while familiar felt new to me.
Highly recommend!

I heard so many good things about Costanza Castati's first book Clytemnestra but I did not read that one. I am generally not a big fan of retellings or historical fiction. All of the rave reviews as well as Babylonia being chosen as a BOTM book for January, led me to choose this book. I absolutely loved the tale of Semiramis coming into power. I did not know before reading this story that Assyria ever had a female ruler. The narration was great, and I liked how she told the tale. Now, I will go back to read Clytemnestra and anything else Casati writes.

The first half of Babylonia was very slow to get through, I typically don't enjoy historical fiction but it sounded really good so I thought I would give it a go. The second half however picked up pace and was fantastic!

Like Clytemnestra, I also really enjoyed this book by this author. I hope she writes more stories based on ancient history. The author definitely has a knack for it. I’ve never heard of this Queen of Assyria before but now I’m very curious about her. I like how the author selects more obscure ancient historical figures to write about.

I love a book with a strong female lead like this one. The main character was such a fascinating woman. However, I don’t think she was as clever as the queen mother. I think the main character was just more likable and lucky. The relationships between the characters were so complicated to say the least. It’s hard to tell if the characters actually had feelings for the other characters or if the characters were just trying to use the other characters or both.

This book focused on her rise to power but not what she did once she achieved that power. I now want to know more about this queen’s time ruling Assyria. I would definitely read a sequel to this book if it was ever written and published.

This is the story of Semiramis’s unlikely rise to power in Assyria. The fighting may be brutal, but when the characters are this complex and beautifully written, you thoroughly enjoy the entire journey. You can tell the history and mythology of the regions were well researched, which really bring the world to life. I cannot wait to read whatever else Costanza Casati writes!

What a masterpiece! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC for this. Babylonia is a vivid look into the Assyrian Empire through the eyes of some of the most compelling characters I've read in a long long while. Casati did a brilliant job of taking Queen Shamurammat, or Semiramis, and weaving together the myth and the facts to bring us a fully-realized, beloved protagonist. I was completely under her thrall throughout the entire book and never wanted the story to end. What a thrilling and emotionally engaging novel.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

Babylonia is a captivating, complex reimagining that blends ancient history with political intrigue, love, and power.

This one was fascinating. I adored the inclusion of ancient history, myths, and the story of Gilgamesh. The characters were well-developed and intriguing. Costanza’s writing was beautiful and complimented the story and characters well. The settings, political intrigue, and love stories were compelling, and I enjoyed the ending. The pacing occasionally felt slow, but overall, the story progressed at a comfortable speed. I would absolutely recommend this one to fans of retelling and ancient historical fiction!

Ayesha Antoine narrated Babylonia beautifully. Her voice added wonderful depth and emotion to the story, making it even more immersive.

Thank you to the publisher for the free ALC!

Ancient history is even more appealing to me than more recent history, mainly because there’s so much that we don’t know, and uncover new information all the time. Reading historical fiction set in the distant past takes on a life of its own, as we are introduced to settings we aren’t familiar with, and commonly follow the stories about the lives of people who lived in those times. Kind of like how Pompeii is endlessly fascinating because we’re still making groundbreaking discoveries about the site.

Although I didn’t read Clytemnestra, I have seen a lot of positive reviews. So when Casati directed her focus to ancient Assyria, I couldn’t resist. The audiobook format made it a little harder for me to follow what was going on at first. I must have listened to the first 10% four times before I finally got it, because the beginning is complex. We’re introduced to the three main characters, Semiramis, Onnus, and King Ninus, all historical figures from the ninth century BCE.

Multiple restarts of the book really worked out well for me, because I was finally able to immerse myself in the ancient Assyrian Empire. The beginnings of the novel are complicated because we’re being introduced to an empire that has long passed, the specifics of the lives of the three main characters, and most importantly, the intrigue and politics in play amidst the running of the empire. After things finally clicked, I was very invested in the story. I’m glad that I didn’t DNF this one, which I was considering, until I saw a ton of positive ratings for it.

Semiramis is the perfect character for her story, and it really made me think about how neither could be separated from the other. I don’t think any other woman would be able to take the reins of the Assyrian Empire, especially in the time period in which she lived, when women could only aspire to be wives and mothers. Semiramis doesn’t just not fit in the societal box of expectations, she completely demolishes it. She grows up as an orphaned child when her mother committed suicide, and she is raised by a man who took her in, but is abusive. So her worldview is informed by trauma, loss, and insecurity. It makes sense that she grows up so focused on improving her lot in life, mainly by tying her destiny to that of a powerful man, since that is the only way she’ll rise in society.

Today, a woman like Semiramis would be celebrated, and probably rocking a career in politics, where the sky is the limit. But back then, the best a woman could hope for was to marry a man who treats her well and gives her healthy children. Semiramis is aware that she wants more for herself than this lowly village life, and fortune is on her side when a powerful governor is sent to her town by the king. She quickly enchants him with her beauty and brains, and before she knows it, she’s no longer scraping by, but instead is married to the governor, Onnus.

Once the scene is set, and readers are introduced to the very distant world the story is set in. Casati’s writing is so beautifully descriptive, and Ayesha Antoine is fantastic in this role. The perks of reading an audiobook set in a time and place that I haven’t learned anything about other than that they used cuneiform as a writing system. The pace isn’t exactly consistent throughout the story—it maintains a decent pace in the beginning and successfully navigates the thin line between info dumps and not offering enough info, but it isn’t until after the second half of the story begins that the pace picks up. Once that happens, however, the pace keeps speeding up as the novel comes to a close, and there is a lot of action in the second half of the book, when political intrigue and war stalks the pages.

The part of the book that kept me rapt, however, was the love triangle at the center of the story. Casati demonstrates her mastery of the love triangle dynamic by creating a true one—rather than two men fighting for the affection of a woman, each person is caught in a web of connections. Semiramis is married to Onnus but has her eyes on Ninus, while Ninus is in love with Onnus, and Onnus has been raised as a brother to the king. I was so intrigued by Semiramis’s relationship dynamics, and really viewed her as morally gray in actions, but deep down was just trying to ensure that she is safe. As a woman who has never felt safe and always dealt with violence and insecurity, it makes sense that she is the way she is. Add in her experiences in wartime, where she actually goes to the battlefield as a warrior, and it’s clear that she’s dealing with some trauma, although so are the people around her. I was caught up in the actions of Semiramis and the two men in her love triangle.

Overall, this was a good book although it was a bit longer than it needed to be. At times, the story felt like it dragged and there wasn’t a lot going on, while at others, I couldn’t read fast enough to find out what would happen next. For the most part, I really loved exploring ancient Assyria as a kingdom, and look forward to more historical retellings of standout figures in ancient history. I’ll be challenging myself to read more history in the upcoming year, and recommend this for: fans of Casati’s writing, lovers of ancient history, those who enjoy learning more about historical figures, and appreciate reading about powerful women in history.

DNFed this. My mood just isn't in a right spot for this, will probably try again at another date. Saw the special edition in stores and it was beautiful to look at!!

4.5⭐️

Going into the Assyrian empire was a little out of my depths but this author was such an amazing storyteller not once did I feel lost. The story itself is such a beautiful and tragic tale of a fearless woman that rises from orphan to queen, she never shys away from conflict or war. This is my first read from Constance Casati but definitely won’t be my last.

It was cruel and mad from the beginning to the end. But that didn't feel justified. Being cruel for the sake of cruelty and being mad for the sake of madness wasn't something I would expect from this book. It was like this just because the author could do it. Not a single happy moment. I believe that joy is in balance, but the book definitely lacks it. No intrigue, no culmination, just a dull story.

Thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with ARC copy

I support women's rights and women's wrongs. I had no idea who Semiramis was before this book and now she is now my favorite historical figure.

((I listened to the audiobook via NetGalley.))

I love mythology retellings, but what usually holds my interest in the stories is how the author interprets ancient stories. "Babylonia" had me INVESTED in the characters and their terrible decision-making skills. This book is a work of art. I am impressed at how well the author captured grief and depression (re: terrible decision-making.) Ribat's POV was genius. I could feel the characters' desperation, growing hope, longing, pain, anxiety and spiraling madness.

DNF at 45%

Babylonia is written with extravagant, vivid details that leap off the page and features an expert narration by Ayesha Antoine. Despite these strengths, the novel just isn’t for me. At 45% of the way through, I still don’t feel a strong connection to Semiramis or a clear understanding of her ambitions and motivations. While I wanted to enjoy this story, reading it has started to feel more like a school assignment than a personal escape.

That said, readers who love richly detailed historical fiction inspired by ancient myths may find much to appreciate here.

Babylonia is an absolute must-read for fans of historical epics and myth-based stories. Semiramis’s journey is a masterclass in resilience and ambition. Her story plunges you into a brutal world of politics, war, and betrayal.

I really like how Casati portrays like the love triangle at the heart of the narrative—entwining Semiramis, a king, and the man they both love—adds a layer of emotional intensity that will leave you torn and captivated.

If you’re looking for a tale of power, cunning, and fierce determination wrapped in lush prose and ancient intrigue, this is the book for you. A dazzling tribute to a queen who refused to be forgotten 👑✨

I really enjoyed this audiobook and am very grateful I was able to revive a copy of it. The narrator was very expressive and really made the story come to life. I love a history fiction books that happen around this time period because they are so educational but also so compelling.