Jezebel was born to lead. A princess of Tyre who became the Queen of Israel, she was determined to create her legacy from an early age. When Jezebel arrives to Israel at age fifteen she sees a country in need of improvement, and she begins to introduce the gods she grew up with to her new home. Even as prosperity comes to Israel alongside the changes ushered in by Jezebel, her reputation begins receding. Elijah, prophet of Yahweh and Jezebel’s former lover, begins speaking out against Jezebel, calling her a harlot and pitting the followers of her gods against those of Yahweh. What was temporarily the prosperous land of Israel sees famine, drought, and violence, as a war of faiths and reputations haunts the people and royalty who live there.

I have become a devoted fan of mythical retellings, and this is a beautifully written reiteration I think many will enjoy. I was unfamiliar with the story of Jezebel that many might know from Christian Lore, but I still knew her name is often associated with promiscuity. I love reading the reclaimed stories of women who have often been used unfairly throughout history, either as unimportant side characters or creatures of wickedness. I would gladly recommend this entertaining and thought provoking read!

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House, PRH Audio, and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book! Jezebel was released on July 25, 2023.

I’m still really in my feelings about what it means to be a woman after seeing the Barbie movie last week, so this book could not have been more timely for me.

Jezebel, by Megan Barnard, is a retelling of the famous character from the bible. Take everything you thought you knew about Jezebel and throw it out the window! The story begins with Jezebel as a young child and how she came into the world fierce and angry. She is very strong in her faith and belief in her gods. As a royal princess, she is married off at a young age to the prince of Israel despite her wishes (as one does.) The prince and those who live in Israel believe in only one god, and this is a constant battle throughout the book. Despite being desperate for her island home of Tyre, Jezebel does her best to make Israel her home and see it prosper. She does this while fighting through misogyny and patriarchy. She often goes too far due to her religious beliefs and her experience growing up as the daughter of a king who killed to take his own throne. The story ends with how it came to be that she was known as a harlot. I keep hearing, “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story,” in my head and will probably hear it for days.

I am not religious and consider myself an atheist, but for some reason I am a sucker for books like this. However, I will say the religious fervor in this book from both the Tyrians and the Israelites had me rolling my eyes often. The lengths people will go to in the name of religions is as old as time, clearly, and also not something I will ever understand. Jezebel was a very complicated character, indeed. If you like books like The Red Tent or The Book of Longings, you will enjoy this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books for the ARC.

This book was fantastic and I also felt conflicted by the history of Elijah and Jezebel. Each follows their God(s) and the war. I enjoyed learning more about Jezebel and the city of Tyre. I had no idea what the term Jezebel meant. This book and in history broke my heart all the death over religion. God vs Gods.

Jezebel is an interesting retelling of a biblical story. This book gives Jezebel a unique voice as she makes her way in a new country, marriage and faith. She fights against the worlds view of women to ensure her name is in the scrolls along side her husbands. It's a savage and difficult time with the gods.

The heroine is a fascinating character with ambitions prohibited during the time. The ending is a tough pill to swallow as she fought so hard for ALL. I enjoyed part one and two but three felt rushed to the conclusion.

Thank you PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Books for the complimentary.

I was really into this book from the beginning. I enjoyed the character of Jezebel, her motivations, and what she wanted to do for Israel despite her selfish reasons. I don't know if this was the author's intent, but there is a message in it about religion and it's tendency to hold people back and in particular for Christianity, repressing women's roles in creating history. Jezebel herself said it that she will go down in history but as the bad guy as all women are in men's stories. I really liked that element to the story.

This book did slow down for me in the latter half, mainly when we get to Jezebel's story as a matriarch with adult children, trying to guide them. That part dragged for me, and I was ready for it to end. Jezebel and her later relationship with Elijah after he became Yahweh's prophet, I think some of that could have been cut. That part of the story was a bit too long for me too, and I think that had to do with Jezebel the character. With that said though, I did like this portrayal of a woman who struggled after her pregnancies and the author's inclusion of mental health topics in the book.

Jezebel is a beautiful retelling of a classic, controversial woman. i am in love with Jezebel's drive to be known and to have the powerful recognition she deserves. These retellings that have been so popular have been an amazing view into WOMEN, and Jezebel is a great addition.

Jezebel, a historical fiction, is an adaptive take of a historical figure who has been called controlling, promiscuous, and a power-hungry woman.

I am extremely fascinated by stories that are based on historical figures. Especially the ones where women did not fit into society's mold of that period. Jezebel is one such character. In this novel, the author has done an excellent job of portraying her character, who wants to be remembered. She wants her story to be known. She wants to be as powerful as a king because she is making decisions for the prosperity of her country. She misses her homeland, but is expected never to see it again. She wants to worship her goddesses, but the beliefs are questioned. She is unapologetic, and that's a huge problem.

I really enjoyed this book. Jezebel, as a character in this book, is jaded, and she is not perfect. She is strong, but at the same time, she is vulnerable. I loved getting to know Jezebel.

Thank you, Penguin Group and Netgalley, for this book. All opinions are my own.

<b>4.5/5 stars</b>

Jezebel is a strong and power hungry woman, filled with rage. She wants power, to be known and remembered as a woman better than any king. In a lot of ways, Jezebel reminds me of Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth.

The book tackles themes such as misogynistic expectations for women from their very own families, women struggling to gain power that is handed to men from the very moment they are born, religion, love, men craving idolized versions of women, miscarriage, some themes of infertility, female friendships and rage.

This book is so short yet so powerful. We get to see the entirety of Jezebels life and I felt so strongly for her, both anger against her for certain acts and against those around her for how they treated her. I thought that this was an interesting story, especially since I don't know the biblical story very well. Unlike others, I didn't know where the story was going or the relevance of Elijah. I found the story interesting. I liked the dual perspective of multiple faiths and how Jezebel pushed against, what she felt, was a jealous god. I also liked learning about the temples and places of worship.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books for an e-ARC of this novel.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Megan Barnard for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Jezebel coming out July 25,2023. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Jezebel was born into the world howling. She intends to leave it the same way.

When Jezebel is told she can't be a king like her father, she promises herself she will never become someone’s decorative wife, with no name and lost to history. At fifteen she’s arranged to marry Prince Ahab of Israel, despite her objections. There, she tries to gain power and remake the dry and distant kingdom in the image of her beloved, prosperous seaside Tyre. She has temples built to worship the gods. As her initiatives usher in an era of prosperity for Israel, her new people love her, and her name is known throughout the land.

Then Elijah, the prophet of Yahweh and her former lover, starts to preach against her. Bitter at having been abandoned by Jezebel, he lashes out, calling her a harlot and a witch. And the people, revering their prophet’s message, turn against her.

As ancient powers and faiths are set against each other, bloodshed falls on Israel and Jezebel must face the downfall of her legacy.
Destined to make Israel a great nation, she must decide how far she's willing to go to protect her family, her throne—her name.

I received this book directly from NetGalley. It isn’t a book I probably would’ve picked out myself, but I did find it fascinating. I do love books set during biblical times. It’s interesting to think about what happened during that time and how people conversed with each other. It’s hard to know what it was like with little evidence. Jezebel was certainly a strong, ruthless character in this story. She was royalty and wanted to be remembered. Obviously there aren’t a lot of women known by name from those times, so I could understand her ambition. I thought the writing was excellent.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys ancient historical fiction.

The writing is clear and compelling and Jezebel makes for a fascinating character. She is a woman with big ambitions living in a world where few care to hear what she thinks or how she feels. I do not normally read stories focused on/drawing from religion but I was drawn to the premise of hearing Jezebel’s story in her own words.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Having grown up in a vaguely Christian household, I knew who Jezebel was, but I wasn’t super-familiar with her story, although I had come to embrace stories written in a similar vein about women who are maligned in history by men. Megan Barnard’s Jezebel continues in this revisionist tradition, and does so to great effect.
Jezebel is a strong figure from her first appearance on page one, howling as she came into the world. She’s strong-minded and set in her ways, and refuses to be a mere footnote in history as someone’s wife, or worse, completely obscure. I couldn’t help but see elements of one of my other historical heroines, Anne Boleyn, in her, making the fact that Anne was derogatorily compared to Jezebel quite ironic. Like Anne centuries later, Jezebel’s religious practices and the influence they have are considered controversial, and I couldn’t help but notice that Barnard had Jezebel go through issues conceiving a son, while Ahab was easily able to have a child with his mistress.
I was most moved by how Barnard contextualized Jezebel’s relationship with Elijah. Elijah slut-shaming her has so much more weight with the understanding of their romantic history, and the way he uses his divine connection with God to exact revenge on her for rejecting him and refusing to give up her life of luxury and power (does he not understand her at all?) pissed me off. She didn’t behave perfectly in that situation, but she made the best of her situation to ensure she’d be able to make her mark, and Elijah did not respect that was what she wanted.
This was such a beautiful book, and I’d recommend it to fans of feminist retellings of stories of maligned female historical/mythical figures.

I'm curious how those who know the story of Jezebel well feel about this intriguing novel. If you, like me, only know her as sort of conniving woman who forces men into things and is later called a harlot, this is revelatory because it gives her a voice. And taken in that spirit, this is a very good read with twists, turns, and intrigue. The writing carried me along when I felt tangled up and concerned that I was missing where Barnard diverges from the traditional story because I realized that didn't matter, that this stands on its own. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Definitely worth a read.

"Jezebel" by Megan Barnard is a powerful and evocative novel that follows the journey of its strong-willed protagonist, Jezebel, as she defies societal norms to find her identity and pursue her dreams. Barnard's writing captures the essence of the historical setting and explores themes of gender, power, and resilience, making it a compelling and emotionally intense read. This thought-provoking novel leaves a lasting impression and encourages readers to question societal expectations and embrace their true selves.

A fantastic feminist retelling from HER perspective. I love that I live in a time where this is becoming more and more popular, looking at a tale, folklore, popular story and understanding the “villain” from the original. It reminded me of Keykia, Circe, Rhaenyra, and the countless women who were overshadowed by the men around them simply because they were men. Megan Barnard, thank you for writing a female character who doesn’t just give everything up for the man, especially when he’s basically an incel in the end! Love is the pinnacle for many, but Barnard and Jezebel understand the first thing you come into the world with is your name and it’s the only thing you leave with. Don’t let people convince you to compromise yourself or your beliefs, it just leads to xenophobia and vitriol. Thank you for writing this book.

I DNF'd this book about halfway through. I loved the prose, and found Jezebel flawed in a way that sometimes really made me sympathize with her and sometimes made me really dislike her, but ultimately there was something about this story that I couldn't quite get behind and that wasn't quite clicking for me.

Now this book really altered the way I view all sorts of stories I've been told from history. Although this is a work of fiction, it is an alternative interpretation of Jezebel from the Bible. In real life she has become a symbol of evil and scheming based on how she was written in the Bible. However, this book offers a different perspective. Barnard plants a seed in our minds that maybe we don't know the real stories of these historical women. The events of this story are near identical as the ones in the Bible, however we see the WHY behind it. Jezebel is still an imperfect woman- quick to anger and low in empathy, but she was trying to strengthen her kingdom. She was considered to be evil because at the time women weren't supposed to vocalize the fact that she wanted power, that she wanted to be remembered.

This book sat with me for long after I read it. Whether or not this perspective is historically true doesn't even really matter. What matters is that it COULD be true and we wouldn't even know because history has altered women's stories. I would really recommend this book.

3.5 stars
I was unfamiliar with the story of Jezebel and by extension the prophet Elijah. I had heard the name and knew the connations associated with Jezebel but I didn't actually know her story. Obviously I had to find out more. I have said it before and I will say it again: I am a fan of lesser known women in history.

Jezebel grows up as a princess of Tyre and she longs for more. Maybe not longs but demands more from life. Jezebel wants to be remembered as a king so it comes as quite a shock when she learns she's simply a political pawn to her father to be married off. However, Jezebel is indulged by her father and is highly educated (for a woman). Jezebel even has her own scribe, her childhood friend Sapphira. After being sold in marriage to prince Ahab in Israel she immediately sets about reforming the country and making it in the image of her beloved homeland. Part of this involves commissioning temples to be built to the goddess Astarte, angering the worshippers of Israel's god Yahweh. Jezebel also does good, opening schools, building grain silos, and encouraging trade between Israel and Tyre. However, when the prophet Elijah (former scribe of the king and Jezebel's former lover) is called by Yahweh to "cleanse the evil" he and Jezebel are suddenly made enemies with tragic results.

Jezebel was a fascinating character she was self-centered, determined, cruel at times and also occasionally sweet. She was not a particularly likeable character and at times I wanted to shake her because I knew her decisions would have consequences. I really enjoyed her story and her perspective on her gods versus Yahweh.

The only reason I'm giving it 3.5 stars is because I felt the book started meandering a little toward the end. There were a few extra chapters I felt didn't need to be there especially as the author scoots time up in some earlier parts.

Overall though I really enjoyed this book and will definitely check out more books by this author. I highly recommend to fans of historical fiction.

I was provided a free copy of this book through NetGalley.

When I read the blurb comparing this to Circe (a book I loved), I had to grab it. Unfortunately, this book didn't live up to the bar set by the blurb. Yes, they are both "feminist" retellings of female figures from mythology (or the Bible) that try to bring light and context to their experience and their perspective. Whereas Circe was rich and engrossing, Jezebel lacked depth and felt like a slog to read. It was funny, I was somewhat looking forward to getting to the end and reading the author's note that often comes with historical fiction, a bit about the research done and the liberties taken. I was disappointed the Acknowledgements stuck mostly to thank yous and provided no insight into the author's process for this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC, in exchange for this honest review.

I was so excited for this book. I love retellings of historical or mythological characters - especially those about women who are often overlooked or made to look awful with one sided stories. Unfortunately, this just didn't work for me.

If you're familiar with the Biblical story of Jezebel, there isn't a lot of room in this one to see new details. I appreciated learning more about why she may have wanted to take the actions she did. But some storylines were very predictable (for example, what happens with Elijah). The plagues were interesting in how people reacted and the impact they had.

Part III felt rushed and disjointed. The ending made me sad because it felt like such a let down of the independent Jezebel character we've seen throughout the book.

Ultimately, not my favorite of this genre.

A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Jezebel is a ferocious princess of Tyre at the opening of this story, and she soon journeys to Israel to be wed to Prince Ahab. Though she wanted to be a king in her own right, Jezebel accepts that she can still have plenty of influence as a queen, and she is determined that her name will be recorded in the histories for all to remember. Bel sets about her plan to modernize Israel and manages to turn it into a prosperous, happy country with people who love her and her children. Unbeknownst to Jezebel, her former lover Elijah has become a prophet of Yahweh and is slandering her name and her deeds across the country. She is confident that her beloved populace will never turn their backs on her, but can she truly go toe-to-toe with such a vindictive god and triumph?

This was a compelling reimagining of Jezebel's story and I thoroughly enjoyed it! You do not need to be familiar with the historical/Biblical story of Jezebel or Elijah in order to understand this book, so don't fret if you've never heard these names before. Bel is a fierce character with so much spirit and compassion, and when she makes mistakes she truly suffers under their weight. I loved watching her grow from a fiery child into a strong woman, using her intelligence and benevolence to influence the lives of others.

The story did begin to drag for me a bit in the middle, and I would have loved more detail about the world Jezebel lived in. I think it would be beneficial for the finished version of this novel to include an author's note about the "other" story of Jezebel, for readers who are unfamiliar with how this narrative compares to it.

Thank you to Megan Barnard, Penguin Books, and NetGalley for my advance digital copy.