The writing itself was well done but it needed more Indigenous representation. I felt like this was a very one sided tale, even with the multiple POVs.

Thank you to NetGalley and PRH Ballantine for giving me an eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review!

I loved to much about this novel— the myth/history retellings, the sapphic yearning, the unapologetically (for a time) evil women, the winged women, did I mention the sapphic yearning? It was beautifully and lyrically written, and I binge-read the last fifteen percent of despite telling myself at the end of each chapter that I *really* should go to sleep.

What I didn’t love about this book was essentially just one thing— the misandry. At first, it felt warranted— then it felt gratuitous. It would have been different if at the end of the story Thelia had unlearned her misandrist ways, but we didn’t really ever get that. She met *one* good man, but other than realizing that women can also be evil, she never really got to the other side of the coin— that men can also be good.

This book was, at its core, about the wrongs done to women at the hands of men, so I absolutely understand why Thelia’s realization of “monsters are made, not born,” wasn’t really dwelt on, but it still felt disingenuous to her character growth to not give that growth room to breathe. The misandry absolutely had a place in the book, it just felt like it was taken a bit too far.

This was a good read and it used the source material well. I had never read the combination of myth is that were brought together in this book and it makes me want more like it!

I enjoyed this book, but I found that I struggled to really delve into it at times. The author certainly has a beautiful writing style, and I think someone who is an avid enjoyer of mythology will get some enjoyment out of this book. That being said, sometimes I was a bit bored! The story didn't resonate with me as fully as I had hoped, but I think it's still a very acceptable story with a very decent narrative.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, Dell, Shannon Ives, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.

In Those Fatal Flowers, Shannon Ives weaves Greco-Roman mythology with historical fiction to retell the story of Thelia and her sisters, handmaidens to Proserpina (Persephone), the goddess of the spring. When Proserpina is captured by Dis (Hades) and taken as his queen to the Underworld, Thelia and her sisters are punished by Ceres (Demeter), transformed into half-bird, half-woman monsters and banished to the island of Scopuli.

The story is told between two alternating timelines - Before, on the island of Scopuli, and After, in the City of Raleigh, the ancient lost colony of Roanoke where Thelia must carry out a plan to free herself and her sisters from their curse.

I was really intrigued by the idea of combining mythology with early American history, the underlying theme being bad men doing terrible things. I found the alternating timelines easy to follow, and actually adds to the suspense of the story, trying to figure out how the two timelines come together.

Thelia’s story is beautifully written, the way she grapples with her own monstrosity while seeking to punish the men for their wrongdoings, and trying to reconcile the guilt she carries about her role in losing the girl she loves.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone who enjoys Greek or Roman mythology retellings, specifically told from the perspective of women.

I think this book will either be loved or dnf’d. I came in somewhere in the middle. I thought this book had such potential at the beginning but by the middle I was forcing myself to stay to stay interested.

This one is hard for me to write a review about. If it wasn't an arc, I may not have finished it, but I'm glad I did because the last 15% of the book was the best part. The story has some good lines about how tragedy can turn people into monsters, but aside from that I wasn't particularly moved by it. Maybe my opinions of this will change after some time has passed, but as of right now it just doesn't really sit right. Maybe it was the extreme hatred of all men that went as far as including an unborn baby that rubbed me the wrong way. That was a wee bit too far for me.

A very interesting retelling of the story of Proseperina's handmaidens, who became the Sirens. This story centers the story of women - and highlights the many ways they had/have to pay for being who they are. Ives draws vivid scenes and characters, and we're drawn into their lives as if we were part of the story. There's an interesting angle and connection to colonial-era America as well, and I appreciate how Ives tied together the ancient Greek tale with much later history.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher (Random House) for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this novel. I recommend this read if you like stories of strong women, enjoy mythology and appreciate speculative fiction.

🌸✨ "Those Fatal Flowers" by Shannon Ives is an absolutely mesmerizing read! If you’re into stories where mythology meets historical mystery with a twist of sapphic romance and fierce female power, this one’s for you. Thelia’s journey from cursed siren to her adventures in Roanoke is so gripping—I couldn’t put it down! Ives’ writing beautifully captures the longing, rage, and resilience of women, and the dual timelines are handled masterfully. It's like Madeline Miller's "Circe" meets Jennifer Saint's "Ariadne" with a touch of Natalie Haynes’ wit. A must-read for anyone craving a fresh, empowering take on myth and history! 💫📚❤️

I enjoyed Those Fatal Flowers much more than I expected to. While I love Myth retellings, I'm not sure I'd classify this book as one since it doesn't focus on that aspect of the characters history. I wasn't sure how the plot would work, but surprisingly it came together well. This was a relatively quick read with an interesting premise that contains strong feminist undertones.

I did not finish this book. Some of the reviews about glamorizing colonization were a bit concerning so I stopped reading.

I am so into retellings of greek myths right now, and this was up there with the best of them. Fans of Circe, Stone Blind, troy, and others will love this.

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC copy gifted in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Publishing for the ARC.

Not bad but just not great...it was hard for me to become engrossed in this story. Idk what it was because I enjoy Greek mythology. The book is a short and easy read and maybe the next person will enjoy it more than I did.

The author of this book says in her ending notes that she didn't include a central Indigenous character because she felt that "wasn't her story to tell". Yet at multiple points, she attempts to draw a line between the suffering of the white women within Roanoke under the patriarchal colony leaders and those same leaders' enslavement and slaughter of Indigenous women. Beyond a single line of dialogue, there is no commentary on the specific racial dynamics behind the history of this. She is clearly hesitant to question whether even her "good" settler characters should be here at all, often waving it aside with that they were forced to by their husbands and it therefore doesn't matter what role they're playing in the theft of native land - even going so far as to frame the portion of forest lived in by a woman who is exiled from Roanoke as being 'hers'. I would ask where on earth the sensitivity reader for this book was, except I suspect any such reader would have told the author what a disastrous premise this is. The lost colony of Roanoke was a colony, and it does not exist divorced from its subsequent legacy of colonization and genocide. Letting white women have revenge while the only Indigenous bodies on the page are corpses who their actions killed isn't any story about "female rage" that I find compelling or subversive.

Those Fatal Flowers by Shannon Ives was really interesting! I enjoyed the writing a lot, very good book.

The story flows well and keeps the reader invested in the main character's journeys. While hesitant about the two interwoven timelines, I ultimately found that they provided intrigue and the right amount of background knowledge. I also recommend reading the Endnotes for an explanation of specific Greek names used within the Roman mythological story.

Wow, I loved Those Fatal Flowers! The plot line is a mythological retelling of the sirens, specifically focused on Thelia. It gave background information of what happened in the past, going back in time and then back to the present, to show readers how Thelia and her sisters became cursed and what they are now trying to do to change their fates. The “now” portions of the book are set at the settling of Roanoke Island by white colonists. I liked that the author mentioned the brutality of the colonists and didn’t try to gloss it over, and I also liked the LGBTQ representation within the story. Overall, I loved how the story showed how the corruption of man leads to consequences for victims, and how we all need to fight against this corruption to make real change.

This really didn't work for me. The split timeline was really distracting, and it felt kind of like the author wanted to do both historical fiction AND greek mythology but couldn't decide, so they decided to do a mish-mash of both... meaning the story didn't stand out in either genre. I didn't feel for any of the characters -- the sirens themselves were pretty unhinged. I couldn't get behind the Cora romance because Cora felt kind of like a mean white lady. It felt kind of abrupt to go from "we're suffering women" to "let's murder all our husbands" too.

I also wish that the indigenous voices were more present as part of this narrative. It felt wrong to have them be a part of the backdrop but not include their story in detail.

Greco-Roman mythology with a historical fiction twist? SAY LESS. The cover grabbed my eye first, and then I stayed for the story and ended this book being very pleased with the end result.

It took a little bit to sort through the names of the characters not on Roanoke, as it was a mixture of the two (Greek and Roman) I would have liked to have seen only one being used as it would have allowed for an easier entry into the story. Less mental gymnastics at least.

That said….this was an absolutely beautiful sapphic story that I was not expecting. The characters were so well written, and I found myself raging at moments, crying in the next, and just truly pleased with how everything was wrapped up. I didn’t know how the legend of Roanoke and the story of the Sirens of Scopuli would combine, but goodness it just came together in such a beautiful and authentic way that honestly left me wanting this to be the true history.

4.5 ⭐️, but rounding up to 5

Thank you Penguin Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for this ARC read.

I’ll be the first to admit I burnt myself out on Greek retellings a while ago, but I couldn’t not pick this one up. I really enjoy the tales of the “villains” in mythology like Medusa and Scylla or in this case, the Sirens.

I’m so glad I did.

This was beautifully written in the way a lot of the retellings I read are. It flows and the descriptions are musical almost, which is nice as this is a book about the Sirens of Scopuli. The plot is split into two timelines, a before and a now. This is actually one of my favorite ways to keep me hooked in as I appreciate putting together the pieces of the puzzle myself. I also LOVE that she used a colony that mysteriously disappeared and has plagued historians ever since, it has a realness seeped into it I haven’t seen in other retellings.

The characters. Thelia’s development is top notch, truly. I love that she gets to have her cake and eat it too instead of the tragic ending I’m used to in these books. The revenge is sweet and Thelia’s ruthlessness (rightful at that) is perfect.

This book is very anti bad men. Not all men, but bad men. It was a fun journey to see Thelia realize the difference.

I’m very happy for the opportunity to read this ARC through Netgalley. 4.5⭐️