In the beginning. . . .Eden had a few more parts than 3 (Adam, Eve and Snake). And who knew Eve was a stand-in? Not this reader.

For all the myths I do know and have studied, this one has been carefully kept from me. . .although it may be less intentional than it feels. So for those who are in my same boat, Lilith comes from books older than our Genesis, with an original story that is more original than the ones we learned in Sunday School. Lilith was Adam's original date (tasked with fertility, newborns and mothers), created from her own dust as was Adam (tasked with naming things). The notorious Tree (hung with pomegranates?) was part of the set, as per usual, with the original warning to Not Partake. At this point Eve is not only not offstage, she 's still a rib. Adam's, of course, just doing rib stuff in the beginning. Father God checks in now and again (he's busy), while Mother God's been boots on the ground, as mothers do (handing out recipes, answering questions, etc), to ensure A Team success - wanting everyone to be happy.

I'd say time goes on, but time isn't a thing yet, so Events Happen especially sex (cuz that's fun), and as with all couples things that bug show up - like Adam always wants the last word, and favors a missionary position that just isn't working for Lilith. She suggests a variation on that theme (she's on top), and it all goes south. From there with the admission of nakedness (?!who told you that?!), and a new road is forged for the creation story - Characters are tossed outta Eden, and Adam has surgery. Man on Top becomes The Position. (PS: Snake was just a snake, no whispering wickedness. You'll never guess who spills the beans.)

From there the story is a March from Eden to New Humans, to Naked Noah, to Babes in Babylon (new wicked, evil women gods), to Baby Y in the manger, hitting all the historical high spots, through today and passing beyond us to the cold empty ruined earth - a Howl against the path of the patriarchy. I get rage, but for this reader all that new info bundled together with a new origin story that explains mansplaining (and more) from a new and different beginning. . . .it was a lot. I'm still pondering, and will continue to hear and consider the howl, but will suffice with an admission of leaving the read a little shook up. It's like Sleeping Beauty couldn't get by without adding Cinderella AND Snow White to the tale.

So for me and my house? 3 mostly neutral stars, reserving the right to Read Again.

*A sincere thank you to Nikki Marmery, Alcove Press, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and independently review.* #Lilith #NetGalley

Excellent premise, not as excellent of an execution. I didn't expect a book like this to be so bioessentialist. This had the potential to be another excellent feminist retelling of a myth and it sadly was not.

A beautifully written retelling of the first woman, Lilith. It's a story of how women came to be controlled by men, Lilith is not the only biblical woman we meet and the story really covers how women came to be subjugation by men

Lilith is a historical character; she is said to be the first wife of Adam. She was rebellious from the beginning and didn't comply with Adam's wishes to be submissive to him. For that act of rebellion, she was ousted from paradise. She used her tenacity to try to save other women. The story is well written and gives historical background on Lilith. Lilith comes to life in this story and the author makes the reader root for her.

Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for this review copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was really hoping to love this one. It wasn't bad. The premise was interesting and the cover is gorgeous, but the beginning of the story is really slow and hard to get into. Overall this isn't a quick read, but once it gets going it is a little easier to stick with. Still, I am not sure many readers will since it takes so long to captivate the reader.

This book was a DNF for me. It was slow-paced, and not my style. Additionally, I felt that the narrative that womanhood is centered on the ability to give birth was reductive and transphobic.

I don’t really feel like it’s fair to rate this book because when I had requested this book off of Netgalley I thought it was more of a fantasy - romance type book. This is not that. It’s very heavily themed around the Bible and the events of Adam Eve and Lilith. That was a complete misunderstanding on my part and if you feel like this book might be for you I would give it a try. The writing is good and I will look into other books from this author. Again it was only a mistake on my part.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC for exchange of my honest review.

"Lilith" by Nikki Marmery is a historical novel that reimagines the biblical figure of Lilith, exploring her life and struggles in a patriarchal society. Marmery's prose is evocative, transporting readers to ancient times and immersing them in Lilith's world. The novel raises thought-provoking questions about gender, power, and autonomy, challenging traditional narratives. However, some readers may find the pacing slow, and the plot lacks sufficient momentum to sustain interest throughout. Additionally, while the character of Lilith is intriguing, other characters may feel underdeveloped. Overall, "Lilith" offers a unique perspective on a well-known mythological figure but falls short in execution, earning a modest 2.5/5 rating.

Lilith is one of my absolute favorite figures from biblical lore, so when I saw this I had to get my hands on it. Sadly the writing didn't work for me and I had trouble keeping my attention on the book.

To say I had high hopes would be an understatement. This novel just did not live up to expectations unfortunately. Something about the voice is inconsistent and even as someone who isn't particularly religious, I could tell this was very skewed in one direction and unfortunately it takes away from the book being even better.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

A very interesting retelling that I found intriguing. This wasn't a fast read, but it was captivating. I loved the retelling of a story many think they know, especially with a feminist turn.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I found the writing in this book monotonous, juvenile, and lazy in turns. Lilith reduces the importance of women to the ability to birth, which is not any different than the position women are placed into within the patriarchal confines of Adam's rhetoric. Upholding this physiological aspect as something sacred and to be worshipped is toeing the party line and the call is definitely coming from inside the house. This supposed icon of feminist values (within 15% of the book) is raped by Adam but is only mildly offended by it, wanders off before she decides to sit still doing absolutely nothing for a millennium, then immediately starts sexing up a dude that says with full chest "who cares about wombs" despite that being literally all she cares about, and let's him call her stupid. At this point I stopped reading, feeling that I've been bamboozled by the book blurb. The cover is really pretty though.

This was an interesting read. I was only vaguely familiar with the story of Lilith, but this brought it to life really well. I enjoyed the feminist twist on it.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ebook for my honest review.

The cover of this book is gorgeous and the premise is very captivating but I'm sorry to say that I couldn't finish it. The pacing was inconsistent, the character of Lilith was unlikeable, and there was overarching misandric theme over everything. Reading the book was a chore.

Lilith had a captivating narration. It was a book with a strong female lead with the guts to face the mortal and non-mortal challenges.

I enjoyed this novel for what it was. I was hoping for a bit more of a fantasy however it felt more like the history of womankind. I usually enjoy these kinds of things but this one just wasn't hitting right. I understand what it was supposed to be but I think it just wasn't for me. I did enjoy the growth of Lilith that there was. The ended felt a little lack luster but I was happy for her.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley! This is a reimagining focusing on Lilith who is thought to be Adam's first wife. Lilith challenges gender norms and makes for a strong character. The other characters didn't feel as thought out which left the story feeling a bit slow in the middle. Read if your a fan of Circe or enjoy women empowered mythology retellings!

To give a brief summary: Yahweh and Asherah create Adam and Lilith, but Yahweh turns against Asherah (the Mother Goddess) just as Adam turns against Lilith; Yahweh and Adam want power and women that will obey them, so Asherah is locked away and Lilith is banished from the Garden of Eden. Thus begins Lilith's long and torturous journey to save the Mother Goddess and spread Her teachings among humanity — that man and woman are equal, that there is no afterlife for nothing lives forever and we must enjoy the lives we have been given, and that we must live in harmony with each other and with the earth. Lilith meets many central religious/historical figures along the way, like Jezebel and Mary Magdalene.

eminist reimagining of ancient creation myths, focusing on the character of Lilith, who is traditionally portrayed as Adam's first wife. The book takes readers on a journey from her expulsion from Eden through millennia of history as she seeks to restore balance and equality in the world.

Lilith is portrayed here as a strong and independent character who defies traditional gender roles. I appreciated the plot's originality and the way it challenges the conventional narrative of Lilith as a demon or antagonist.

While Lilith is a well-developed character, some secondary characters needed more work. The pace tended to lag in the middle of the story. I struggled to maintain interest at times.

I think this book would appeal to readers who enjoy feminist retellings of mythological stories.