Thelia and her sisters were once the Goddess Proserpina's maidens, sworn to protect her. Now, they are monsters now trapped on the island of Scopuli as punishment for allowing Proserpina to be kidnapped. There, they live out their days luring sailors who cross their path and sacrificing those who live to the Goddess Ceres. However, Ceres has grown apathetic to their torture, allowing Thelia and her sisters to starve. Finally, after almost a decade of nothing Thelia hears a familiar voice promising her food in exchange for a sacrifice worthy of the Goddess she had once betrayed, Proserpina.

Thelia agrees and sets out on the open ocean with a mission and a human form that will last her 6 turns of the moon. Eventually, she washes ashore at the newly settled Roanoke colony, and although there are plenty of men for her to offer, luring them out without giving herself away proves to be far more difficult than she had anticipated. Can she convince these hate-filled settlers to follow her back to Scopuli before time is up? Or will the dangers of the patriarchy and her growing care for her love interest prove to be too deadly? All the historical horror and more in Those Fatal Flowers.

This book was heart-wrenching, unexpected, and full of horror. The idea of Greek mythology being intertwined with the disappearance of the Roanoke colony is a fun twist on two classic tales. I would have never thought to put them together, but what a horrific and fun story it turned into. I enjoyed the plot and characters, especially Thelia’s internal and moral battle over her quest. I have also hated fewer characters than Thomas and his mother. I was seething every time they were on the page and flew through this book to see them get their karma.

The pacing and dual-timeline structure are the only two things I wasn’t a huge fan of in this book. The first two chapters felt like they went on forever. Whenever Thelia described their time on the island, I wanted to skip to the current timeline. Not that those chapters didn’t give crucial backstory and context; I just thought they were a bit long for what they were trying to say. This relates to the pacing, which was a bit slow for me. I understand why it was necessary, but it did drag in places.

However, overall the book was great. The writing was interesting and flowery yet contained visceral instances of violence. Not to mention the grueling emotional experiences such as assault, misogyny, miscarriage, and homophobia. As much as it contained graphic grotesque scenes, it was equally filled with the horrors of humanity and the depravity of men. The men in this book were horrid, I have never read something so anti-man and I loved it. I was scared it would veer into “not all men” territory at some point but it didn’t. It was a fantastic balance of hating the patriarchy and acknowledging how some individuals are redeemable. It added depth to the plot and helped to give meaning to Thelia’s quest.

All in all this monstrous historical story is a must-read. From the bloodied shores of Scopuli to the cruel colony of Roanoke you will not want to put it down. Not to mention going and renting a Greek mythology book just to brush up. If you hate men and love monsters, you are in the right place. Happy reading!

CW: Abortion, abusive relationship, alcohol, alcoholism, assault, attempted murder, attempted rape, blood, bones, cannibalism, death, emesis, emotional abuse, famine, gore, homophobia, kidnapping, miscarriage, misogyny, murder, physical abuse, pregnancy, rape, religion, sexism, sexual assault, starvation, and violence.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for sending this eARC for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

For more sapphic reviews follow @the.lebian.library on Instagram, StoryGraph, Goodreads, and Tiktok

While the premise of Those Fatal Flowers originally sounded intriguing to me, the fact is the mash up of Greek/Roman Mythology and colonial Roanoke doesn’t quite work for me. In all honesty, I found it kind of strange and the two timelines too distinct on their own to be mashed together.

As handmaidens, Thelia and her two sisters are cursed by Ceres after failing to protect her daughter Porserpina, the goddess of spring, from being kidnapped by Dis of the underworld
The sisters are banished to the island of Scopuli to live as siren/harpy/human hybrids where they lure in male sailors to their deaths in hopes to favor the gods and eventually break the curse. After eons, when the ships stop coming in and their bodies begin to weaken, they have to figure something else out.
Thelia begins to hear Porserpina’s voice asking her something, sparking a dangerous quest. In an effort to break the curse, Thelia sets off to sea to bring back a group of men to the island.
Eventually she finds herself washed up on the colony of Roanoke. She poses as a princess with a dowry of treasure and a wrestling competition for her hand in marriage.
While on the colony she sees it is a dangerous place, mostly for women and finds herself drawn to Cora who resembles Porserpina.

Sapphic romance, pining and a whole lot of female rage. All good things. And it’s told in alternating timelines of Now (on Roanoke) & Before (on Scopuli).
The writing is beautiful, descriptive and flows almost like poetry. The pacing was quite nice and I was intrigued enough with Thelia to continue reading.
I did find the dialogue very modernized and I think the book would’ve benefited from a bit more historical dialogue.

I did have an issue with how quickly Thelia became comfortable with the colony members and the insta-love she felt for Cora. Unfortunately the romance, or lack there of honestly, didn’t work for me as it was mostly because of Cora resemblance to Porserpina.
Not to mention that we are on a colonial island during colonization and not one indigenous person is mentioned. There is a brief alluding to them. While I can understand that is due to them perhaps not being a key part of this particular story, indigenous peoples were a large part of colonization and it feels more like erasing them because the author isn’t sure how to tie them into the storyline. All the more reason why I don’t think the mash up.

Plus I was kind of bothered by how much hate there is for men, which I usually I condone. Female power and down with the patriarchy!
However, the one scene depicts just how much hated there is for the male species in this book and it kind of bothered me. I don’t have hatred for men for simply existing. Historically it has been men who have made the most terrible decisions, but I don’t believe men are inherently bad. I definitely think there’s a nurture vs nature factor to it and the societal norms of the era that determine the way men are.
“…traitorous body was harboring a boy…”
I will say the author tries to remedy this viewpoint with another scene.
“Monsters are made. Not born.”

Ultimately, I can see what the author was doing with this book and it will work for some people! For me it was a middle of the road read with some issues that I couldn’t let go. And a romance that wasn’t super believable.

TW: violence, SA, miscarriage

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this Sapphic Greco-Roman mythological fantasy sounded really interesting, and I’m so glad I got the chance to read it.

If you’re in the mood for some feminine rage, this book delivers. The story switches timelines between “before” and “now,” which I thought was a great way to keep things moving. In the “before,” Thelia is a siren cursed by the gods (though she gave me major harpy vibes), and in the “now,” she’s temporarily human and on a mission given to her by the goddess Proserpina (her true love).

The dual timelines worked really well, showing us Thelia’s backstory - being trapped on an island, luring men to their death - and her present as she’s navigating life in Roanoke, disguised as a princess. There’s a mix of redemption, revenge, and even a love story that parallels her past, which added great layers to the plot.

The ending wrapped everything up in a way that felt really satisfying. I liked how all the plot lines came together and left me feeling like the story was complete. If you’re into mythology with queer representation and a strong, rage-filled FMC, I’d definitely recommend this one.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Dell for this eARC!

Disclosure: This book was provided as an eARC from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This review does not include any spoilers. My thoughts including spoilers can be found on my blog here: https://tatimothys.com/review/tff/

I can't help but think that this book will be my "hear me out" pick from now on. When I read the premise, a mashup of Greco-Roman myth and the Roanoke colony, I was skeptical, but *Those Fatal Flowers* exceeded my expectations and really did pull it off in an interesting way. The main character, the siren Thelia, has clear motivations that are unraveled well in the dual timeline, giving enough insight into the character to keep things interesting without overwhelming the reader with backstory. Understandably, the core of this book revolves around female relationships, both romantic and platonic, as Thelia navigates the politics of the Roanoke colony, exploring how the women of the colony are restricted by their society, often choosing the lesser of two evils for the future of their lives. Thelia's storyline mirrors these women, often putting her in situations without a clear right answer. This is where the book is at its best, and fits well within the thematic elements highlighting female rage, all while a slow burn sapphic romance simmers in the background, where you almost don't dare to hope that these women can find happiness in such a patriarchal, structured society.

Speaking of the romance, this book is messy in the best ways. What starts as a bit of a love triangle becomes a love square, then a pentagon, then maybe a pentagram? Either way you have people finding themselves in relationships for relatable and realistic reasons, while still pining after other characters. Given the themes and setting of the novel, I was constantly wondering how this mess could be unraveled, and delighted that I could see a hundred different ways for it to end.

While the book far outstripped my expectations for the premise, there were still places that the book stumbled. I found the prose interesting, occasionally reaching the heights of the comped Madeline Miller, and just as often proving frustrating that it wasn't reaching those same heights. Along with that, the plot and character development felt well earned for the majority of the book, except one specific point that left me feeling whiplash, flipping back to see if I had skipped a chapter. Honestly I was able to overlook these issues and enjoy it nonetheless, but there has been one aspect that didn't quite fit for me thematically. Without spoilers, there are a few character elements around finding love and comfort where you can, even when in love with another, that were explored deeply in one context, but not extended through to one of the central relationships in the book. I really wish that had been addressed/interrogated in some way, as it completely colors my view of the ending.

Overall, this book was such an interesting read, and I only wish that I had convinced a few friends to read it with me. While I am rating this book 3.5/5, I think this would be an exceptional book club read, where you could soak in the messiness and rage with your friends. And who knows, maybe it will inspire some patriarchy toppling in modern day America.

This is a captivating read for fans of epic, atmospheric storytelling, historical fiction, and romance, particularly those who appreciate strong, complex female characters, LGBTQIA+ representation, and explorations of femininity, power, and the human (and monstrous) condition.

Those Fatal Flowers by Shannon Ives was such a fun and unique story filled with action, mystery, and a touch of romance.
A very intriguing take on Greco-Roman mythology.
I really enjoyed devouring this story.
Well written with fantastic characters.

DNF at about 40%
I was bored by the story and could often not differentiate characters.
I will not be posting about this on social media.

Mythology seems to have gotten its own type of reboot lately and I have to say that I love it. #ShannonIves doesn't disappoint with her story of Thelia and her sisters who find themselves banished to the Island of Scopuli where they can never leave, their bodies go from divine to half bird, half woman luring men to their deaths and sacrificing them to Cere's the goddess of agriculture. Ceres is the one who put them there as punishment for the loss of her daughter Proserpina. Thelia feels responsible for the loss as she is the one who betrayed Proserpina when the god Dis came after her. After many centuries Thelia gets the chance to save her sisters and maybe earn forgiveness. She finds herself on Roanoke and in the clutches of the same men that she has always feared, the same men that she and her sisters have been tasked with punishing.

In this tale #ThoseFatalFlowers we are told another tale of Hades and Persephone told from Thelia's poin of view. Views both past and present Theila takes us on a heartbreaking journey.
I want to thank #Netgalley and #PenguinRandomHousePublishing for the chance to read #ThoseFatalFlowers by ShannonIves in return for a fair and honest review.

I did not love this. I wasn’t able to become invested in these characters or what they were doing. I liked how we got to see Thelia’s current and past perspectives in every other chapter until the end whenever the flashbacks catch up to her current time. However, I found this story boring despite its immense potential to tell a powerful and compelling story.

I never expected to read a tale combining the sirens of Greek mythology with early Virginia colonizers. And wow, was it intense. Told in dual timelines, with such beautiful prose (when not grotesque). I found this story quite unique and extremely captivating. Read this if you’re in the mood for a big dose of feminine rage.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC!

Those Fatal Flowers is an ambitious blend of Greco-Roman mythology, historical mystery, and feminist revenge fantasy. The premise—sirens responsible for the lost colony of Roanoke—immediately grabbed my attention, and I appreciated the dark, atmospheric writing.

Thelia’s journey from cursed siren to Roanoke infiltrator is compelling, especially with the dual timeline structure revealing both her past failures and her present desperation. The mythology elements were strong, particularly the sisterhood of sirens and their tragic exile. However, the romance felt underdeveloped, leaning too heavily on the "reincarnation resemblance" trope. The depiction of the English settlers also lacked historical authenticity at times, which pulled me out of the narrative.

While I enjoyed the themes of rage, redemption, and monstrous femininity, the execution was a bit uneven. The novel raises interesting questions about power and vengeance, but some elements felt repetitive or underexplored. Still, for readers who love Madeline Miller or Jennifer Saint, this book offers a unique twist on mythology and history.

Overall, Those Fatal Flowers is a solid read with a fascinating concept, even if it didn’t fully captivate me. I’d recommend it to fans of mythological retellings who enjoy morally complex heroines and dark, poetic storytelling.

Firstly, I'd like to thank NetGalley for giving me access to this as an ARC!

As much as I love the idea of Proserpina and the ill-fated colony of Roanoke, by the end of this book, I discovered that while I still like those stories, I seem to like them separately. After finishing the book, I can't say these stories work well together. We have a dual timeline, which was hard to understand initially. I also share the opinion of a few other reviewers that you cannot tell the story of Roanoke without the representation of the Indigenous people and without making subtle comparisons of Indigenous people to the main character. I did enjoy the feminine rage in some aspects of the narrative, but it was dreadfully hard to get through. This will be the perfect book for someone else, but it wasn't for me.

This story had a lot of fundamental flaws for me under a very interesting premise.

I was initially entranced by the dual timeline from two very distinct places and times. Ancient Roman myth and American history? What a combination! However it became clear that the two timelines were just that - too distinct to relate to one another. A great dual timeline story has a clear reason as to why they relate (or why the reader should care) and this book did not have it for me.

The plots themselves are also underwhelming and confusing at best. I imagine this was in an attempt to make it interesting and mysterious, but it was simply not realistic nor consistent enough to make sense.

I was extremely entranced by the sapphic yearning that was mentioned on the summary. I'm always looking for wonderfully sapphic stories that make my inner queer woman smile, but the romantic aspects were not it for me. My pet peeve with romances is when a MC falls in love with someone because they remind them of a past lover, mostly because it takes away from the character that they are longing over. They deserve much better than that.

As someone who has studied American history and politics in their academic lives, my biggest concern that I would be remiss to mention is that there was no mention of Native American characters other than in the background as antagonists. This juncture in history is where racial dynamics of our modern day are born and perpetuated and it needs to be addressed. A sensitivity reader was incredibly needed here: Colonial America was when white settlers stole land from the indigenous populations by genocide, and that needs to be addressed when we write about that time of history in the modern era. The author includes a note that its not her story to tell, which, no, it isn't, but we are not asking for a story - we are asking for basic representation of what historically happened at that time and having her characters engage in the racial dynamics. Having white women get their victories at the expense of native lives does not excite me as a reader.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Admittedly, I knew very little about mythology, so I approached Shannon Ives's Those Fatal Flowers without comparing it to the original versions from which the inspiration was drawn. The combined Greco-Roman mythology and American colonialism seemed a novel and intriguing prospect. I was swept up in the story immediately and stayed engaged throughout. I was on the edge of my seat in suspense until the very end. 
The writing style was lovely, easy to read and follow, not overly wordy but just enough to really paint the settings, and a bit gruesome at times. I noticed a lot of symbolism as well. Dialogues were clear, and I never lost who was speaking. The characters were complex, and our main point of view was introspective and insightful. 
I enjoyed the sapphic romance between Thelia and Cora. It began with Thelia's infatuation with Cora because she resembled her first love but ended with her understanding the person of Cora as an individual, not just because of her initial impression. I believed the tension between them.
I recommend heeding the trigger warnings that the author gives.
The suffering was long but, ultimately, there was a payoff that I found satisfying. Now we know what happened to the lost colony of Roanoke...

"The divine, the profane. They’re two sides of the same coin."

The main theme seemed to be a relevant and universal cry of feminine rage from mythological history to the world we find ourselves in today, with hope for justice for the endurance of the misdeeds of evil men (and female enablers).

“'Monsters are made, Thelia. Not born.'”

I read some of the mixed reviews, and I can appreciate the criticisms regarding the lack of depth regarding the plight of the natives during this time. 
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this author's debut novel, and I will look out for more of their work.
#mythology #colonialism #epilogue #historicalfiction #sapphic #sirens #godsandgodesses #patriarchy #religiousoppression #HEA #dualtimeline
I received this free ARC from NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.

A beautiful and powerful blend of history, mythology, and feminist rage. The weaving together of Greco-Roman mythology and the mystery of the vanishing Roanoke colony was done so well.

When I first heard about this book I knew I had to read it because greek-colonial mashup, what? While the concept was very interesting and the writing engaging (yearning for days!), I don't think even saying that it isn't an author's place to tell indigenous stories excuses not grappling deeply with the erasure of natives in a colonial setting.

This was an interesting read for me, and I’m still processing.

Things I loved:
-The time hopping in storytelling was done beautifully! Sometimes it can be disorienting, but in this book it all fit so nicely to weave the story the way the author wanted us to experience it.
-Thelia’s growth and realization that monsters are made, not born. A great message and one that I think we call can be reminded of.
-The concept: Greek mythology meets colonial America? Yes! I think that this idea is incredibly marketable for people like me who love the history and mythology of both eras.


Things I didn’t love:
-The historical representation of Roanoke really kept pulling me out of the story. Some of the dialogue and events just felt too modern to fit in that setting. Further, the lack of indigenous peoples representation in a time and place where that was a major factor felt off. I understand it was intentional, as the author felt it was not their place to speak to those stories, but the complete absence I fear was damaging as well.


That’s it, though. Just the one drawback. As a debut, this definitely holds a lot of promise. And being a new author, I’m hoping Ives begins to find some footing in tackling historical issues rather than avoiding them OR creates a completely fictional setting to avoid this type of concern altogether. The writing style and storytelling were beautiful. It was the history I struggled to get over, so if this was wholly fictional, it could have been a nonissue.

I was super intrigued by the premise of the book, as a long time lover of Greek/Roman mythology retellings I thought this was right up my alley. When coupled that with the American tale of the Roanoke Colony, I was double intrigued.

The story follows Thelia in both the past and present, following her as a Siren in Scopuli, and in “present day” —the colonial Americas on a quest to find her sisters.

I struggled with the representation of Colonists and Indigenous folk, there seemed to be a lot ignored on behalf of some of the white characters, which I did not love. I appreciate a sapphic, feminine rage story, but not at the expense of the portrayal of Indigenous people.

I did like the pacing and representation of both mythological stories, but needed a bit more depth to some of the characters and a bit more care and nuance in the colonial setting.

What a stunning story but Trigger warning for SA. This book was something new and different from anything I had read before. The story follows a character, who we find out is a siren, to the new world. This is a story of love, loss, struggle, and the plight of women for thousands of years. It was a beautiful book with very keen character building, and a timeless story we have heard again and again. However, this book takes a look at both mythology and history with a new lens, and provides a stunning tale for it.

This book was provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC!

This is one of those books that you have to be in the right frame of mind for. I attempted to read it when I first got granted the ARC but I couldn't get into it. The second time around was much better.

I went into this with heavy expectations, hoping for a similar reading experience as "A Song of Achilles" (ok, that's a high bar), "Circe" (another high bar), or any of Pat Barker's books. This wasn't quite it.

That said, I did enjoy the blending of the lost colony of Roanoke with Greco-Roman elements. As many other reviewers have mentioned, despite the note at the end, it feels negligent to not mention the colonization of the Americas.