3,75☆

Having read 'Athena's child', I had a lot of expectations regarding this book, and let me tell you, it did not completely disappoint, especially the beginning.
Hannah's writing style is beautiful and compelling, and so I read the book in one sitting.

The story was also really interesting. I am a fan of Greek mythology, so I love reading retellings, but sometimes those said retellings are more a compilation of myths than an actual retelling. It was not the case with this book, which I absolutely love.
However, towards the end of the book, I felt everything became very rushed, and the ending was completely disappointing for me.
At the same time, I got the feeling that the characters are underdeveloped and their personality is a contradiction, especially when it comes to Hippolyte.

Still, it is a very enjoyable book, and I absolutely loved seeing more about the Amazons.

3.75!

I love Hannah's writing style, it feels like watching a movie because its so vivid and gripping However in this book the first 70% of the book was so captivating that I was actually loving it (I even thought of giving this book 5 stars) but the last 30% of the book fucked itself so hard and the ending doubled the fuckery, this was the same problem I face while I was reading her other novel A spartans sorrow I was enjoying it until it decided to end in the most ridiculous ways. I get she wants to write sad endings and I truly do enjoy bittersweet/sad endings BUT only if they are done right and sadly here it wasn't done write.

I have always been fascinated by the Amazonians and was even more when I watched wonder woman, I didn't really know the complete lore surrounding them and I wanted to learn more, I just knew that there were strong, capable, fierce women who were also the strongest warriors and I wanted to learn more about Hippolyte and there was romance with minimal but sufficient spice to keep me intrigued. The book was going so good, I was actually loving how hard choices Hippolyte had to make, the things that she had to sacrifice and the loyalties that bound her and I was actually shipping her with Theseus but then the plot twist happened and all I wanted was revenge and like?? I didn't even get that. Hippolyte was supposed to be strong, not someone who was a doormat with no backbone, in this book she was literally a disappointment to any female warrior alive because what the fuck??

SPOILERS

So I knew that Theseus used her and then discarded her like she was nothing an brought a new wife, he never really saw Hippolyte as an equal and throughout the book she was proclaimed as this strong warrior that everyone feared but she couldn't even do a single thing to Theseus, LIKE OK he drugged you and took you away from your home but you still chose to understand him and what he was trying to do because you loved him? and then started treating you like you were worthless and replaced you and when the time came for you to kill him you were fooled by two of his words and jumped in front of him to take an arrow that was meant for him and then fucking died?? and Peninthsila (watev her name was) deserved a better end, killing her made no sense.

SPOILERS END

I did like Hippolyte's relationship with Theseus's father and I also liked how the book was split into two povs and how well balanced it was.

Overall, it was an enjoyable book until the last 30% messed it up. I have another arc from this author of her new book Daughter of Olympus which sounds so good! I want to read it as her last chance despite loving her writing style and the way she thinks I will not read her books, if the ending part is not well thought or well written.

3.5 stars.

As someone who doesn't typically read mythology retellings, I went into this one without any existing knowledge of the events and characters covered (I also haven't read anything else from this author).
I read some other reviews for context and to help me frame my own thoughts, and I see a lot of people talking about the difficulties inherent in the source material with Greek mythology especially as Theseus was just an absolute wrong'un.

While I enjoyed the strong feminist vibes between the sisters themselves (I'm here for an Amazonian warrior princess, taking what she wants, every day of the week), I couldn't get past my issues with Theseus, the kind-of love interest. His actions left a bad taste in my mouth, and I found the subsequent romance and Hippolyte's actions difficult to believe.

The book itself is beautifully written. The prose is engaging and poetic and I've seen from other reviewers that other books in the series are even better, so I'm intrigued enough to add them to my TBR list. While "Queens of Themiscyra" may not have been the perfect fit for me, I can appreciate the author's style and would recommend it to fans of the genre who are willing to overlook some questionable character choices.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC.

Very good book! I was very impressed with the female dynamic! The cover is very beautiful also! Great job!

When King Theseus of Athens arrives in Themiscyra, he disrupts the lives of the Amazons by ensnaring the heart of their Queen Hippolyta, who is supported in her reign by her sister, Penthesilea.

Leaving her kingdom to Penthesilea, Hippolyta relocates to Athens only to discover a restrictive lifestyle for women that is very different from the independence of the female Amazon warriors. How will she cope with these very different circumstances? And how will Penthesilea and her sister Amazons manage in Hippolyta's absence?

This is a wonderful feminist retelling of Greek mythology, where Hannah Lynn has done justice to her fascinating material.

I loved the book, especially the way the characters were brought vividly to life, and their stories told with equal parts empathy and passion. Highly recommended, it gets 4.5 stars.

I enjoyed this book. I'm a sucker for myth retellings, and especially retellings that focus on the women of myth. I had a lump in my throat for most of the final chapters - something about the women choosing to band together got me.

“Queens of Themiscyra” is a novel of strength, love, family, loyalty, freedom, tradition, betrayal, female relationships, and the queens of lifetimes past - the Queens of the Amazons.

This novel is moving, heartbreaking, thoughtful, filled with action and adventure alongside moments of tenderness and insecurity in a time and a place where the Amazon women were feared and revered. They were indomitable, fierce, loyal warriors who Lynn juxtaposes against the women of Athens and many other places of the time where women were to be hidden away, admired, coveted, and could be taken as property. This myth shows that even the fiercest warrior in all of us is not infallible. I appreciated the depths of emotion shown by Hippolyta’s character and the changes that occurred upon her departure to Athens. Despite this we have glimpses showing that even in the Greek world of mythology there were women who were loved and adored for who they were. Primarily the story of two of the daughters of Ares, princesses/Queens Hippolyte and Penthesilea, I only wanted to read more about the women: their way of life, their upbringing, training, connections with each other, their sisters, and the other Amazons. I ached for Penthesilea in the last part of the novel as she tried to come to terms with who she was and all that she had done. I admired their strength and fierce connections to each other and their home.

Filled with heart pounding danger and moments of pathos so heart breaking they made you want to curl up and cry, the Queens of Themiscyra will live in my mind as the mighty Amazon women who could do it all.

Thank you to @bookmarked and @netgalley for the advance ebook of “Queens of Themiscyra.” I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and am looking forward to reading her next book in the “Grecian Women” series. Available for preorder now, you can find this title on shelves on May 7, 2024.

#sourcebookslandmark #queensofthemiscyra #hannahlynn @hannahlynnwrites #bookstagram #bookstagram #bookgeek #booknerd #bookworm #fictionbooks #bookreview #bookrecommendation #youshouldreadthis #greekmythology #grecianwomen #amazons #penthesilea #hippolyte #mythology #historicalfiction

thank you so much to netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

and i'm gonna be real honest... WHO needed this story told (in this way, at least)? while i wasn't too knowledgeable about these particular women in greek mythology (ok i only remembered their names because of wonder woman), this can't actually be the best modern "feminist" retelling for their stories, right? did we need theseus playing such a huge part in this? everything i read about that slimy man just keeps getting worse!

i think i enjoyed penthesilea's pov more, if only because i'm more familiar with anything trojan war related.

3.5 ⭐️

"She had been a wife, she had been a mother, but she would always be an Amazon."

Choosing the rating for this one was really hard because the writing is excellent, every sentence is beautiful, but the story itself made me so angry so many times it left me very conflicted (i might have permanent frown lines bc of this).

“Since you are here, it seems wrong not to make some use of you,” she said, still holding the sword as she straddled him. “But do not disappoint me, or I will end you.”
“I was born to serve you, my Queen. That I promise.”

So here we have Hyppolite, the strongest most badass and powerful Amazon Queen, who enjoys some d time with lover boy Theseus until he drugs her and kidnaps her 🤨 typical Greek mythology event moving on that's not the issue, in fact it was an interesting moment to read UNTIL SHE HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO KILL HIM AND DOESN'T.

“This is what you want,” he said, the blood trickling from a cut above his eyebrow. “You want a man who can control you. Who can best you.”
“There is not a man on this planet who can control me."

Right so in 2 weeks she got head over heels for baby boy despite a lifetime of using men for their body and living in a community of self sufficient women. Okidoki let's go then!! oh wait that backfires and she gets terribly wronged by him???? naurr who could have expected it 😧

“You? It was not you that was never enough. You were too much for him, sister. Always too much. Too strong. Too powerful. Too smart. Too compassionate. Too brave. Too loving. He tried to bring those things down in you, but he could not succeed. He did not replace you because he wished for something better, my darling sister, believe me. He replaced you because he knew you were more than he could ever live up to.”

I wont spoil anything so I can't even describe the most infuriating, revolting, scandalous, and any other intense and dramatic adjective TURN OF EVENT that left me absolutely dumbfounded and by this point forward I gave up on these women having any sense. Since the book also follows her sister Pe- (can't remember the name for the life of me) and her own stupid decisions, as if the status of Amazon never meant anything and they just let men win over them time and again (and refuse to listen to sound advice, which is a personal pet peeve).

Anyway so those are my main complaints, but as you can see it may just be history related and the author didn't have a choice to make the events that way so the story would make sense. I just couldn't enjoy this book fully while the two most powerful women on God's green earth let men get away with the worst of the worst.

On this note, please if you haven't already, check out A Spartan's Sorrow (2nd book in this series) which was flawless, tragic, beautiful, mesmerizing etc etc a 5 star read no question.

[review posted on goodreads and probably later on Instagram and tiktok]

The Amazons, feared throughout Greece, are led by Ares's chosen child, Queen Hippolyte. The Amazon's skills are well known and on the battlefield, there is no match. The Amazons call Themiscyra home, a place no man is allowed to tread, a place for their women. Hippolyte and the Amazons are returning home when they spot a strange ship off their coast, fearing the worst they prepare for a battle on their lands. The ship however carries men searching for the help of Hippolyte and a man that wants the Queen as his wife.
Hippolyte is taken to Athens and begins building new bonds within its walls. Her sister Penthesilea is now Queen of the Amazons. For six years Hippolyte lives and loves in Athens. Meanwhile, the Amazons are growing stronger under the mighty rule of Penthesilea. However, when Hippolyte's world is flipped upside down she returns home to Themiscyra and her sisters for their help. Now Penthesilea must make the choice that could change the fate of the Amazons.

I loved this story. This is a story on the strength of women and love. Lynn did a great job creating a story that never felt slow. The feminine rage I felt while reading this book was so strong. The story is rich with Greek culture and the characters have distinct and realistic personalities. This is the second book I have read by Hannah Lynn and her writing has proven to be consistent, I cannot wait to read more. She may be my new go-to Greek Mythology author. I cannot describe how many emotions I felt while reading this book but I can say I cried. I hope that Lynn decides to write more stories on Grecian women because I will preorder it immediately.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such an amazing story! Although I am kicking myself so hard for not realizing that this is the third book in a series, I still had a good time with it. Because of my lack of information/storyline, my review isn't what it truly deserves, had I had all of the information, it definitely would have been higher!

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.
It took a bit for me to get into this book, but once I did, I was captivated. Told from the perspectives of Hippolyte and Penthesilea, it captures the Amazons at their height and facing their greatest (and best-known) battles.
I loved getting both of the queens’ perspectives. They are different and it is clear within the narrative that they approach many situations differently, but also throughout the novel, both grow and change. As Anatolians, the Amazons do not follow all the rules of the Greeks that those familiar with mythological retellings might expect, on top of their particular habits of solo queenship and female warriors. And Lynn does not shy away from the realities of what those different attitudes would mean when the different groups interact. When Hippolyte is in Athens, what is her experience of life like and how is it different from Themiscyra? Well, it’s quite clear in the book and engaging to read (I won’t spoil it here).
As Amazons and women are the main characters, there is a lot of discussion of motherhood and pregnancy. At times, it felt like a lot of time was spent restating the same points about getting pregnant and how babies were dealt with in the ancient world and its different cultures. If that is not your cup of tea, perhaps steer clear.
As someone who has spent a lot of time with Greek mythology, I loved how different myth moments were handled and the foreshadowing or mentions of other moments and figures. Even though I knew the rough outline of what should happen, I was still captured by the story and eager to turn the page. No one is perfect in the book, certainly not any of the major characters, and I was so happy with Lynn’s treatment of known characters. The different loves that appear throughout the book, maternal, sibling, romantic, etc., were all insightful. I honestly really just wish that the gods were more heavily involved, as the book seemed to quite clearly state their existence, but little is seen of their influence.
This was a great retelling of Hippolyte and Penthesilea’s stories. I loved it. The pacing is a little slow, but it carries you along once it gets going.

This is the story of the Amazon Queens, Hippolyte and Penthesilea, set against the backdrop of ancient Themiscyra. The story begins with Hippolyte, revered for her warrior skills, finding unexpected love in Athens—a stark contrast to her life as a queen. Back home, her sister Penthesilea rises to power with a ferocity that both inspires and terrifies. Lynn intricately explores their divergent paths and the deep, complex bond they share. This book captures themes of empowerment, loyalty, and the enduring strength of women, making it a compelling read for anyone fascinated by mythology and the dynamic tales of warrior women.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for my eARC. All opinions are solely my own.

This is the third book in the Grecian Women Trilogy by Hannah Lynn, though you can read them independently of each other. In this we are following the Amazon warrior women, Queen Hippolyte and her sister Penthesilea, King Theseus of Athens, the strength of the bonds of sisterhood, and how far we would go for those we love.

This story was super intriguing. I love that Lynn features strong women in these historical fiction novels. These two were particularly interesting because they were very women-centered in their world: wanted daughters, lived on Themiscyra as a group of women, renowned women warriors, etc.

When Hippolyte becomes enchanted by Theseus, it's almost like she can't allow herself fully, which is why she fights him as much as she loves him. And although she has a son and her "society" has always "discarded" boys in favor of girls, she can't bear to be apart from her son, which is why the Amazons end up going to war with Athens.

I loved the complexity of the characters because that's how people actually are and it evokes human emotion. Though they may be "vicious" or what-have-you, their humanness makes them real and relatable.

If you like strong women leads, or historical fiction, I recommend this one!

Ok, I read this with ZERO knowledge of the actual Greek mythology behind it and this review is written based on that. It’s my understanding that there isn’t much historical accuracy, but I enjoyed reading about the Amazons though I likely could’ve gone without the romance. Still really love this series, but this definitely won’t be the best one of them all.

Queens of Themiscyra is different than my usual reading choices but it sounded interesting so I thought "why not". The book features two sister warriors, parted by circumstances, who will find themselves on opposite sides of a battle that will leave few survivors. It was very easy to become ensnared in the sisters' differences and the battle into which their choice is easy, win or die. I'm glad I took the chance on Hannah Lynn's book and will watch for another of her titles to add to my TBR list.

Queens Of Themiscyra centers on the Amazon queens from Hippolite to Penthesilea with their sisters Antiope and Melanippe featuring as well, of course. The way of the Amazons is a hard but content way to live and to fight centered on a matriarchal societal structure. This book gives a lot more color and feeling to the Amazon Queens who usually only got side parts in the great Greek tragedies be it Theseus‘ story or the Trojan War. Here the daughters of Ares get to play center role and have motives, ideas and dreams all their own, this is still Greek tragedy so it doesn’t change the outcome but I am still a big fan of these more feminist centered retellings of the classic stories.
Shifting the perspective slightly makes it so much fun to reread these ancient tales. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to read about the Greeks but not have the tales centered on Herakles, Hector and Achilles.

Enjoy your reading !

Queens of Themiscyra by Hannah M. Lynn takes on the Greek retelling of Amazonian queens Hippolyte, Penthesilea, and Theseus. Amazonian queens don't need men. They are warriors, and men fear them. But as per the myths, they fell. How and why is the story of this book.

Hippolyte is a daughter of the God of the War, Ares. She is chosen to lead the Amazon woman warriors. They are feared all over, and the tribe thrives under her. They need men only for having children, but the women decide when on their own terms. Enters Hercales and Theseus. Theseus wants Hippolyte as his queen in Greece. The unfolding story changes everything.

I enjoyed this retelling overall since it brings together all the Greek stories of Hippolyte and Theseus. I wish that Hippolyte would have been portrayed a little stronger rather than this weak woman once she was in Athens. It's almost as if she accepts the situation because, for some reason, she loves Theseus. But, I do understand that the stories of them are like that. Greek heroes are definitely more villains than the villains themselves.

Thank you, Sourcebooks Landmark @bookmarked and Netgalley, for this book.

CW: Abduction, infidelity, violence, manipulation, sexual assault, blood, abandonment

Thank you to NetGalley and Hannah Lynn for providing me with a digital arc of this book!

I struggled for a while with how to rate this book. It mixed Greek myths with fiction in a way that confused what was actually myth and what was devised for the story. As a devout lover of Greek myths, this upset me at times, but at others, the choices were methodical and made sense.

This book follows the Amazon warriors and the various battles they were apart of. There is much to this story I did not know, like the Amazon’s part in the Trojan War or Theseus’ relationship with them. At its core, this is a story of found family and bravery, of fighting valiantly and dying even more so. It was tragic and beautiful, angering and hopeful. I enjoyed this story, but I do think it could have been handled more delicately. The heavy topics of rape and manipulation and narcissism seemed not to be handled as well as they ought to have been, instead being used as plot points in this book rather than discussion points. That being said, I enjoyed this book for what it was and all that it was not. I am giving it 3/5 stars.

I got an e-arc in exchange for a honest review. Thank you Net Galley and sourcebooks Landmark.

I have really enjoyed reading all 3 parts of the Grecian Women series! This was book 3 and it focuses on the legendary Amazon women.

This story was extremely descriptive and captivating! It was an amazing story of what it means to fight for sisterhood!

I found our main three characters to be very complex and formidable women!

Hannah M. Lynn has an amazing way of taking stories that when traditionally told can be hard to follow and turning them into stories that are easy to follow/ comprehend with out taking away from the complexity of the story!