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!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an eARC for this review.

Im the vein of feminist retellings of mythology comes the third book by Hannah M. Lynn, Queens of Themiscyra. We follow the Amazon women led by Queen Hypolyte and their interactions with Greek heros Heracles and Theseus, ending with the Trojan War.

I am torn on my feelings for this retelling since I love Greek mythology, but calling this a "feminist" retelling feels misleading. I would consider it woman focused, but something I noticed with this, and Lynn's retelling of Clytemnestra & Elektra, is that it is extremely focused on motherhood. Like, so focused on it that it almost feels like tradwife stuff.

Marketing this to younger women feels almost like propaganda?? Like, the great Amazon Queen, leader of a society of women that do not need men, is "tamed" by Theseus and becomes basically a housewife. Women don't need breaking, we don't need to be tamed. It feels extremely disingenuous to call this feminist.

On the other hand, I just simply enjoy exploring Greek mythology. I haven't read much regarding the Amazons previously, so it was nice to delve into their society. Other reviewers may point out it not being "accurate" to the myths, but that's kind of the point of retellings? They are meant to be bew takes, and stories/myths/legends change over time naturally.

Overall: I do think it's a good read that pairs well with Ariadne, giving you another look at Theseus being a P.O.S. but has lots of not so subtle themes that are less than feminist.

Love greek myths and I haven't read this before. Loved Hippolyte and Penthisilea's stories. It was so heart rending and I really can't wait to read more about the Amazons

I'm living for the female empowerment, add in anything greek mythology and i am fully on board. Definitely read this book, you will not be disappointed. Hannah Lynn is a must read for me!

Amazons, the fierce warrior women of Ancient Greece! Queens of Themiscyra follows sisters Hippolyte and Penthesilea, daughters of Ares, as they both struggle under the weight of being Queen of the Amazons. Hippolyte, chosen by her father, is a fair and just Queen, a harsh fighter, and a brilliant tactician, but when she is taken from the Amazons, the life she once knew is gone, and in its place, she learns there are other ways to live. Penthesilea takes her sister's place as Queen, but she is a shrudder and harsher Queen than her sister. Still, the Amazons thrive under her. When tragedy strikes, how will these fierce warrior women survive, and who will they choose to be? It is a tale of four sisters, Princesses, and Queens of the Amazons, but they are still just women at the end of the day.

Hannah Lynn has done it again! This novel is equal parts romance and adventure. I found myself relating with and bonding to the character of Hippolyte. While I don't view myself as a fierce fighter, I could relate to her struggles and her love for her child; what type of parent would I be if I didn't fiercely protect my child? At first, I found Penthesila to be crass and heartless, but I began to feel for her as the story advanced and realized she was just as caring and loving as her sister, even if she showed it differently. This book tore my heart out, made me laugh and cry, and gave me a desire to look up the story of the Amazons. Combining several versions of the Greeky Myths, Hannah Lynn has created a heartfelt story of love, self-discovery, duty, and honor.

Disclaimer: While I received a free advanced reader copy of this novel, the thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

I thought this was pretty interesting, since I haven't read much mythology around the Amazon women before. However, it painted Hippolyte quite simplistically. I wasn't that invested in what happened to her or her sister Penthesilea by the end of the book. Not sure that Hannah did anything worthwhile, in my opinion, by rewriting this tale.

Received a free copy from Netgalley.

I'm a sucker for Greek mythology mixed with a little female strength. There's sisterhood, drama, battles and war, and boundless love. Two sisters faced with impossible choices and so many people to think of other than themselves.
I really enjoy Hannah's writing, I've read multiple books by her now and her writing never gets old. She keeps details from traditional mythology but intertwines her own creative ideas and storylines so it's not re-reading anything else or reading a boring old textbook. Love her stuff :)

Okay, I have been reading a lot of greek retelling recently. Most of them have been from the same series and author, and being honest they were all interesting.

This one too. A lot of this greek stories I don't remember the originals (until this one). I like the pacing and the writing. I do think it was a bit long and I just wanted it to end.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was interested to see how/if Hannah Lynn would combine many of the myths of the great Amazons together into a conhesive story here. I did think she did a pretty good job turning so many separate myths into a relatively cohesive plot line.

Beyond that, I ws disappointed. Hippolyte is the strongest Amazon queen there is. She and her women warriors are feared everywhere. Yet when Theseus comes along, everything changes. Lynn does a good job of making Theseus just as awful as he should have been. He drugs Hippolyte, abducts her, and carries her off to Athens because he's obsessed with her (because she says no to him). And after that Hippolyte isn't the same person anymore. She talks about him loving her "in his way" and that she loves him too. Why? No idea. The whole thing after she's abducted is actually pretty awful. It was like Lynn chose more to stay closer to the original myth that doesn't talk about Hippolyte's thoughts and choices than use her imagination and give the Amazon Queen believable reasons she might stay. But she has Hippolyte love an awful man for no reason and Hippolyte becomes more of a broken, abused woman than the strong queen we started the book with.

Penthesilea was more uneven for me. She felt like a stronger character until she had to take over as queen. Then, especially after the seige of Athens, she is broken too. But I was disappointed in how Lynn had her handle her guilt, always running away from what should have been responsibilities or actions she could have seen as ones Hippolyte would have wanted her to accept and seeking death instead.

The book dragged for me. The end felt rushed more than anything else. While I liked that Lynn pulled no punches showing how the Greek "heroes" were not great men, and I don't expect main characters to have no flaws, I felt disappointed in Lynn's amazon queens.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I loved watching mesmerized Amazonia Princess, Diana the Wonder Woman when I was a girl. And who isn't ? She is strong, fierce and brave female warriors. Before Diana off couse I want to know another female warriors from this tribe, so famous until Greek mythology were recognized them. This is my second read from the author and this time she introduced us not only one but two great Amazonia Queen. Hippolyte and Penthesilea.

The narrative is captive my attention since early pages. The plot thicker, with right pace and strong storytelling style. We also got alot romantic scenes at this installment. All characters well describes, flesh out and memorable enough
I enjoy detail about battles, strategies and all aspect dynamics life as Amazon women.

It is give fresh voice to readers who familiar with Greek Mythology. We knew how stories describe and treats women. Damsels or villains. Actually I wishes Amazonia Queens will live their hype, but after being kidnapped and married Hyppolyte become tame. I didnt any fighting spirit from her. The part when Penthesilea searching inner peace also feel dragging. Greek Mythology come from several version, I love my heroine become villains more than damsels.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark UK for providing copy of this ebook. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Expecting Publication : 23 April 2024

Queens of Themiscyra by Hannah Lynn is the second book I have read in this trilogy (I have already reviewed Spartan's Sorrow) and I am just on to the third book, Daughters of Olympus.Absolutely brilliant series and I am hooked!

Thank you to Netgalley, Sourcebooks Landmark and Hannah Lynn for this fantastic ARC. My reviews are left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

3.5 Stars rounded up.

I went into this book not really knowing what to expect, just knowing it was about ancient Greece, and I think that served me well in this case. I love retelling’s of Greek mythology, even if I am not incredibly familiar with all Greek mythology. This is a retelling of the Queens of the Amazon, Hippolyte and Penthesilea. One day, a ship arrives and Hippolyte is swept away by Theseus to Athens, and Penthesilea steps into her new role as the new Queen of the Amazons. What follows is a tale of love, leadership and war, and tells more about how both Hippolyte and Penthesilea are both devoted to the Amazons, even if they show it in separate ways.

Content warning: Brief description of sexual assault

Many thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for an advanced copy to read in exchange for an honest review.