This was a weird mash-up of settings, but I enjoyed the book. Those Fatal Flowers combines the myth of the sirens (with their backstory of being friends with Persephone and failing to save her from abduction by Hades) with the abandoned Roanoke colony from American history. Honestly, I would have preferred the story if the colony had remained unnamed, as it was kind of weird to know too many specifics about the lands mentioned in the book. It also seemed like another random Americanization of Roman history. Having said that, though, I was invested. This book was dual timeline and I preferred reading about the Sirens surviving on their harsh island during their exile, but both were interesting and I wanted to see where everything ended up. Overall, I would recommend it to others who already like this genre.

I found the premise of this book to be super interesting, however, it did take me a majority of the book to "get into it" so to speak. And while I definitely appreciate the feminine rage present in this book, I can't really get past how the author chose to totally exclude colonialism and Native Americans from a book that takes place in the Roanoke Colony. This was touched on in the author's note at the end, but I found it to be a weak excuse.

I really enjoyed this. I have also had a soft spot in my heart for the story of Persephone, but I was unsure how to feel about this one initially because of how much it differs from the original tale. That being said if you add any sapphic element to anything, I am naturally reeled in. I think the beginning of this does drag a little bit however, especially the scenes in the before as I found the chapters in Roanoke to be more compelling as there was much more meat to that part of the story. About halfway in, it does begin to really pick up and I couldn’t put it down. It was really unique to blend the story of the Abduction of Prosperina and the mystery of Roanoke and while this book is particularly harsh to men, I don’t mind because so am I. Otherwise, I think this is a fun take on a Roman myth that stands out from all the others that we are being inundated with as of late. I recommend!

Thank you to Random House - Ballantine & NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The grief and rage of violence endured, witnessed, and enacted is a cornerstone of greco-roman mythology. Ives captures the nature of those tales wonderfully in this novel. The sorrow of a curse endured and eventually embraced in some forms was the driving interest of this book. While the continued mythology of the "lost colony" Roanoke did not really hit for me, that particular setting seemed more out of structure use than anything. As gendered experiences of society and homosocial expectations have shifted, early colonization was an easier in point for the novel than others. Ives and her story are more interested in stark gendered experiences, especially as they pertain to violence and survival than anything else. This is what drives community and character. Comprehension of monstrosity depends upon understanding survival this novel and what that is versus what is choice for enjoyment.

Those Fatal Flowers by Shannon Ives, I was very into Thelia’s story and was captivated by her love for Percepina, but when she landed in Roanoke and they not only had houses, servants, a meeting hall, and a tavern, I was totally thrown off the story. not to mention there’s no interaction with the Algonquin tribe nothing. So as a historical read this really failed big time as a love story I was was into the story, but not as much as I would’ve been had she got the historical details at least close to correct I could see stretching the truth, but they have a whole town and a tavern, as if they had ways to get alcohol to their little colony. IDK, there was just too much missing. I mean, reading the story. It looks like instead of going missing the people of Roanoke prospered and even had commerce and did it with no interaction from the tribes. I mean, why pick Roanoke and not even make the environment close to resembling that there wasn’t even mention of John English the man who brought them there no mention of Virginia the first baby born there nothing nothing that made you think oh they must be in Roanoke I just didn’t like this book. I’m sorry maybe I know too much about the reality of the stories involved and it ruined it for me either way this was not my type of story. i’m not someone who believes just because the story is set in colonial days. They should have negative interactions with the colonizers and others, but don’t say the book is based off Roanoke and have them one, not interact with Indians and two, live in the town as if they did well there. #NetGalley, #ShannonIves, #ThoseFatalFlowers,

I ended up DNFing at 13%. I wasn't vibing with the writing style and felt kind of confused because even during the "now" chapters there were flashbacks and it made the timeline kind of wonky. I wasn't really sure of the plot at that point, but re-reading the synopsis I don't think this will be for me.

"Those Fatal Flowers" by Shannon Ives is a unique mix of mythology and historical fiction, combining the Greco-Roman story of Proserpina (Persephone) and the mystery of the lost colony in Roanoke. Filled with feminine rage and a touch of romance, this is the perfect read for fans of "Cerce" by Madeline Miller and "Ariadne" by Jennifer Saint. It would also be a great selection for a book club because there are a lot of interesting and important topics to unpack and discuss.

This is a good debut novel and I enjoyed parts of it immensely. There is some beautiful writing that paints a vivid picture of the world Ms. Ives imagined for her characters. However, it is dense in many places and moves more slowly than I would like. I, like many other early readers of this book, found it troubling that the author chose to largely exclude what the colonists did to Native Americans. She included so many other heavy topics in detail, why minimize the tragedies caused by colonization that should be so central to any story involving such colonization? Why include this setting at all if you are not going to include it fully?

Overall, this was a good, but not great, novel. I enjoyed it enough to be open to reading other offerings from this author but not enough that I would read it again.

Nothing gets me going like Greek mythology retellings, and tied into one of the biggest mysteries in the U.S., Roanoake, had me requesting this faster than you can say American Horror Story. I loved the back and forth between past and present, and how the myth of sirens was presented. The sapphic romance was the perfect accompaniment to a story like this, and if you like historical fiction with a bit of magic thrown in, this is for you.

Greek mythology meets American Roanoke colony mystery in this epic female rage adventure. Three sisters are cursed to live out their centuries long life as sirens on an island of Scopuli for after the daughter of queen is taken to the underworld. For the three sisters to survive, they must sing to lore sailors to the island and they sacrifice the sailors to the queen. But one day, the curse is partially lifted allowing a sister, Thelia, to leave the island as a human in a boat and it finds it way to Roanoke. With jewels in tow, the men of the Roanoke colony want to discover Scopuli and its riches.

This is beautifully written with mythology woven into present day where the themes, regardless of era, are the same. Men are powerful and women are beneath them. The women in the story, despite their differences and upbringings, join together in hatred of men. While yes, the book briefly mentions the natives of Roanoke, the story isn't about that. So to read this for what it is, it's a great book.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

DNF at 51%. I may finish reading this book at some point, since the sections that happen in the past with the three sisters on their island I find interesting, but nothing else about the plot has kept me engaged enough to want to continue. Plenty of other people have mentioned the glaring lack of native Americans present during the scenes that take place in Roanoke - and yet there are plenty of mentions of massacres of native peoples as well as those taken to be enslaved - so I won’t go too in-depth with that here. In all honesty, that issue is not why I decided to stop reading this book. I just could not get over how poorly I felt the plot of the two locations in this book were stitched together.

The scenes on the island felt natural, and I did enjoy the ability to see the passing of time based on the names and outfits of the sailors - as compared to the siren sisters who are stuck in one place and from the time they were banished. However, once the main sister washes ashore on Roanoke, I felt like the plot fell apart entirely. You would have me believe that these people simply believed that a woman, by herself in a boat surrounded by treasure, washed ashore and their response was to simply believe that she is actually a princess looking for a husband? Huh? This part felt so poorly formulated I was in disbelief when her plan had come to light, because it seemed absolutely wild that anyone would ever believe this story - and especially not a bunch of godly people living in the harshness of the New World. Everything that happened during the “Now” parts felt unrealistic and like it only existed to make the story move forward.

I also found the story to be oddly told - with only bits and pieces being shown to us as we read, and yet already kicking off the plot with the much later actions. The entire reason Thelia is at Roanoke is because, apparently, she was told by Proserpina that she could reverse their curse if “she had more blood” but. That’s it. I don’t know how she was the one chosen to go to Roanoke, how they decided on the plan to shove her in a boat with treasure, how or when they were changed back into humans, nothing. And I would like to clarify that yes, I know I haven’t finished this book, but I feel like those are very reasonable plot questions that should have been answered earlier and when they were occurring. Especially about the boat with the treasure, or why Thelia was chosen, or why she chose the ridiculous reasoning for her presence that she did. Once again, I stopped reading because I felt like half of the plot was so poorly held together it stretched the imagination past believability.

I also felt like the “romance” that was presented in this book was uncomfortable. The entire reason our main character is attracted to the woman that she is is because she, apparently, looks exactly like her former love of Proserpina - and for no other reason. Every description of the woman forces us to be reminded that she is only interested in her because of someone else, and never by her own merits. In my opinion, as the “romance” progressed and we see the beginnings of the love interest being attracted to the main character, I was rooting for her to NOT be because she deserved better than to just come as a runner-up to someone Thelia has been in love with for millenia.

This book also goes to great lengths to show us how every man in this world is cruel and evil, and how our main character cannot talk to a single one without thinking about how he should be killed. Practically every woman in this book is shown to be trapped and unhappy with her lot in life, and every man is shown to be completely happy doing the trapping. I’m not saying that plenty of women weren’t oppressed during this time, but - even for the scenes outside of Roanoke - we cannot get one single mention of a man without the negative commentary about his actions or personality, even if he hasn’t actually done anything by that point. Instead, we (within the mind of the main character) are simply waiting for him to prove our disdain, every single time. It got extremely tiring and repetitive after a while.

I think this book could have captured my attention better if it had done a better job of using its location properly (it seems odd to specifically mention how you, as the author, didn’t feel like it was your place to write native American characters and then use Roanoke as a location), or improve the plot and characterization. The idea of Greek sirens being the reason for the disappearance of the colony at Roanoke I think could have been interesting, but the way this was written was not and required a lot of suspension of disbelief that kept taking me out of the story. I also felt like the storytelling format fell flat, where decisions would be made and we (as the reader) had no understanding or reasoning behind them - which, when so many of those same decisions were rather absurd - having an ounce of reasoning would have, potentially, helped keep me in the story.

Also. Why the Roman names for everyone? Odd choice.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing this e-ARC.

I usually don't gravitate towards historical fiction, but this one peaked my interest. it took me much longer than I care to admit to start reading it. the plot was decent, and the characters we were interesting. it just took me a while to get through.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The plot was not what I was expecting for a greek mythology retailing but I really liked the creative and original take.

You get so many good things out of this read:
1. strong female characters
2. mythology mix with colonial America
3. characters to root for
4. and an original and creative take.

Loved this. Solid plot. Strong character development. Wonderfully atmospheric. Pretty compulsive read.

Rating: 3.5 stars

This novel blends Roman and Greek mythology with elements of American history, creating a story steeped in feminine rage and touches of sapphic romance. While the prose is undeniably beautiful, the detailed writing made the first half feel sluggish and difficult to push through. However, the final quarter picks up considerably, and I found myself more engaged as the story reached its conclusion.

That said, I didn’t fall as in love with this book as I had hoped. The inclusion of the Roanoke Colony storyline didn’t fully resonate with me—particularly the absence of indigenous perspectives. It disrupted the ancient mythology atmosphere and felt like an odd fit, though I can appreciate its originality.

The author’s talent is evident throughout, and while this book wasn’t entirely my cup of tea, I’m eager to see what she creates next.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing an e-ARC and the chance to share my honest thoughts.

I received a copy through NetGalley for review.

Okay, I don't really know where to start with this one. This was a strange idea for a combo plot.
Combining Roman Goddesses and her handmaidens with the tale of Proserpina and her kidnapping by Dis (Hades and Persephone in another cannon- Greek) and the colony of Roanoke and its disappearance.
When Proserpina is taken, Ceres her mother is furious and curses her three handmaidens, three sisters for her daughter's capture. Thelxiope, Radine, Pisinoe. Turning them into Harpies, and stranding them on an island for centuries. To give payment in the lives and blood of men until Ceres is satisfied with their punishment.
Confined to the Island of Scopuli, they are immortal, but not ageless. Without a steady stream of ships, men and lives to take, to gift in tribute to Ceres, they begin to age, to feel their bodies breakdown, they lose their strength. Game disappears and they have to turn to alternative things for sustenance.

It's clear the Ceres has forgotten them on their island, but Thelia never loses her love and constant searching for a way to get to Proserpina. As Queen of the Underworld she holds considerable power now, than she did as her mother's daughter alone, and goddess of spring.
Proserpina gives Thelia a chance to free her and her sisters, but it will take more blood.

Thelia is put on a boat full of jewels and treasures from their centuries of plundering and she wakes up in South Carolina, on the shores of the Roanoke colony. Taking her as a princess, Thelia must convince the men of the colony to follow her to Scopuli. Their blood to break their curse.
Life in Roanoke is just as bleak as life on the island, as we know they're beginning to run out of supplies and people are turning on one another out of pure greed and malice.

While the portions of the book I enjoyed were the ones of Thelia and her sisters living as Harpies, singing men to their deaths, and their centuries of trying to earn forgiveness from Ceres, it sort of literally lost the plot for me when combining the colony of Roanoke.

It does eventually loop around, with a contented ending after many horrors, but it's a lot to get through.

This book contains to extremely heavy themes: murder, canibalisim, violence of all kinds, ritual killing, rape, sexual abuse, physical abuse, blood sacrifice, mutilation, loss of pregnancy, grief, loss of love, kidnapping, colonialism, death of indigenous peoples. If any of this even vaguely described bothers you, do not read it.

This book of female rage is told through Greek Myth and American Colonialism (the mysterious disappearance of the Roanoke colony). I enjoyed the unique premise of this story. I also enjoyed how full of action, mystery, and romance it is.
However, I did not love the writing style or some of the content of this novel. In her notes, the author states that she didn't want to include an Indigenous person as a main character because it isn't her story. Despite this, there are several points in the novel where she tries to parallel the suffering of the white women in the colony to that of enslaved Indigenous peoples. While, yes, women are treated terribly by men, it is quite insensitive to try to link the suffering of a whole group of non-white people to that of white women. Even more so, having the Indigenous people be so low in importance that the white women's actions kill them is an even bigger slight.
While I condone and love stories of female rage, the way this story is told by erasing Indigenous voices and pain by centering white women in a colony does not sit well with me.

This book is a slow burn but the last third of the book redeems the entire thing. Loved the mix of Greek mythology and Roanoke. Lots of commentary about men and women. I enjoyed it but some might not. Overall, a good read.

I received an arc from netgalley and the publisher.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Those Fatal Flowers by Shannon Ives is a first person dual-timeline Sapphic historical fantasy reimagining of the story of Persephone and Hades and the disappearance of the colony of Roanoke. Thelia is one of the attendants of Proserpina and her lover. When Dis, the god of the Underworld, abducts Proserpina in broad daylight, Thelia and her sisters are punished by Proserpina's mother, Ceres, and turned into sirens. Centuries later, Thelia has a chance to free herself and her sisters by taking a sacrifice from Roanoke and she runs into a young woman who looks exactly like Proserpina.

Shannon Ives uses the Roman names instead of the Greek ones that were more common in the recent Greco-Roman mythology trend. I think most of the names were fairly easy to figure out if a reader is family with the original Greek but not the Roman names as long as they have a strong understanding of the story of Hades and Persephone and the broader mythos. Because we see everything from Thelia’s POV and Proserpina is not depicted as interested in her new husband, this version is more for readers who resonate with the interpretation that Persephone was kidnapped and her eating of the seeds had little to do with love rather than the interpretation that she and Hades had a loving, happy marriage.

The major running themes are feminine rage, the harm caused by the patriarchy and white supremacy, the historical lack of power many women had, and how all of those things can blind someone into believing all men are evil and all women are good. Throughout Thelia’s character arc, she struggles to hold other women accountable for their reprehensible actions and views even infant boys as potential monsters. Given the things that she witnessed, it makes sense that she would find all men to be be vile and put women on a pedestal, but it is ultimately unhelpful for women to hold that view because some men are good and some women are just as vile and commit just as much harm and gender essentialism just continues to uphold the patriarchy, just in a new flavor. It takes a while for Thelia to get there, but it is gratifying to see her achieve that understanding eventually. There is also some mentions of the inhumane treatment of Indigenous people at the hands of those who colonized the Americas, though there are no named Indigenous characters who are part of the cast.

Cora and Thelia's love is a very slow build that is hampered by the Queerphobia of the time. Cora looks shockingly like Proserpina to the point that she might be an incarnation or it could have been the luck of the draw. Either interpretation feels fair to me. Thelia is familiar with needing to work around the prejudices of others as Ceres was against her relationship with Proserpina, but that doesn't make it any less heartbreaking that she can't state her feelings freely without fear of judgement or harm.

Content warning for depictions of miscarriage, sexual assault, anti-Indigenous racism, enslavement, and Queerphobia

That you Netgalley for the eARC.

I originally requested this book because I was looking for more sapphic books out there and I saw this one and thought, ‘Hey why not? I love mythology.’

I really wish that Netgalley would start putting any trigger warnings on the info page so that we can see them before we have to request a book.

It is also maybe partially my fault because with Mythology there is bound to be SA. But with this cover, I wasn’t and the summary didn’t hit at that.

I was unable to get through the book with that being a trigger (SA) for me. If it was off-page that is one thing but this book had both on-page and off-page. Super glad that the author included that in the beginning part of her book so that I was not blindsided.

With that being said. I was unable to read it due to the trigger but that is a personal thing and this book may be for many others.

I didn't like the opening to this book.
I don't know my mythology well enough, so I was kind of lost, and I thought I would hate this book. But I'm not a quitter, so I kept reading and I'm so, so glad I did!

This book was thought provoking. The sirens hate men because of what they tried to do to them, and therefor cause their ships to crash to the shore and sacrifice them to their goddess, in the hopes of being forgiven for a past "crime."

When Thelia is given a chance to leave her island of exile, she has one chance to save her fellow sirens - her sister - by convincing the men of Roanoke to come with her to her homeland where she promises them riches. But it's not that easy, because at Roanoke is a woman who is the spitting image of Thelia's lost love.

This story was beautiful and dark and deadly and gorey at times. Even weeks later, I still think about this story from time to time.