Though I haven’t read Costanza Casati’s debut novel, Clytemnestra, I was instantly curious about her newest release, Babylonia. That stunning cover drew me in, as did its title, evoking ancient times in Mesopotamia. The book is out today and absolutely worth picking up.

Why I Chose This Book:
There is so much historical fiction set in Ancient Greece, but I’ve been craving something set equally far back in time but in another civilization. Babylonia immediately captured my interest for its setting in Mesopotamia in the 800s BCE. I’ve never read a book about the Assyrian Empire! I also love its focus on a woman who rises from nothing to become a ruler.

What I Liked:
- Ancient Mesopotamia setting and the Assyrian Empire
- A woman rising from nothing to becoming a ruler
- Intricate politics, from the king to his governor, mom, spymaster, and more
- Love triangle!
- Queer characters (and acceptance of them)
- Perspectives from Semiramis (an orphan who becomes a governor’s wife), Ninus (the bookish king), Onnes (the governor), and Ribat (a slave)
- Leopard!
- Excerpts of ancient poems and epics
- The author’s use of language. Such beautiful, simple, evocative sentences. Very thought-provoking.

Final Thoughts
It got off to a slow start, but bit by bit, Babylonia completely absorbed me. It’s written so beautifully, with sentences that make you pause and ponder them. I loved that, instead of the overdone retellings of Greek mythology, this one takes readers to a difference ancient civilization: Assyria. With royal dynamics, a woman rising up from nothing, a love triangle, and war, Babylonia offers so much. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from Costanza Casati.

I absolutely love Costanza Casati's writing. With this particular book, though, I did have a more difficult time getting in to it and the characters just because there were so many. I'd say that's most likely because I began with only the audiobook, which I loved, but once I added the ebook I was able to pick up on the pieces I'd missed. None of that was due to the narrator because she was very good. It's because I started when I was on the road and there was heavy traffic so I got distracted.

The Prologue intrigued me immediately and hooked me on the story. Then, when we get to Chapter 1, the story begins with Semiramis and her journey. Her character was amazingly strong. She had been an orphan who grew to become the one who sat on the throne. Her story was empowering, especially for women. She (and I) went through the gamut of emotions, and touching me emotionally is always a win!

There was so much in the plot: love, death, living life, struggles, power, forgiveness and non-forgiveness, happiness and sadness, and much more. I honestly don't think some people, if they are too emotional, could handle this one. At least not without tears and tissue. Casati definitely knows how to write in such a way to make the reader feel multiple emotions and I do mean feel.

Additionally, it was very descriptive and detailed. Some people might think there was too much detail, but I loved every bit of it. And her diction was perfect to me. She obviously was careful in her denotation and connotation of the words she chose. I felt as though I were there several times throughout the book and eventually became "friends" with the characters. I cared what was going to happen to them. I've said in quite a few of my reviews that I am more character-driven (of course the plot must be good too) and if they don't resonate with me then I normally can't get into the book. In this case, I would recommend this book for others who are also especially character-driven. And, not to mention, Babylonia being a historical fiction book just made it even that much better. Greek mythology and history and the research that Casati must've put into this book blew me away.

This is one book that I also recommend that you don't read summaries of it prior to reading it and the same with the blurb. Go into it blind and just go along for the ride and I think you'll love it too. The narrator was excellent and I loved the e-book version as well. I highly recommend listening to it on audiobook and possibly reading along.

I’m a bit late on this review but this one took me a bit to get through. At first I was having a hard time getting hooked but once I was I couldn’t put it down. All the twists and the messiness made this a pretty solid read. I only wish we got to see more of her reign. It felt like that part was cut short but otherwise a good story that I enjoyed. I would recommend others check this one out.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

I read Babylonia as my first by Costanza Casati. It is a daring look at the only woman to rule Assyria as regent while her son came of age to be King, yet nearly the entirety of the book engages with her upbringing and ascension to the throne, with the birth of that future king delayed for dramatic effect. Her story is intriguing, layered with ambition, love, and fear of not being enough. The narrative feels heavy-handed though, and the characters are often unpredictable, which is odd in a historical fiction novel. This is very researched, but also a true work of fiction. I did not enjoy reading this as much as I thought I would, though I deeply appreciate learning from both the author and my inspired research about this very interesting character from the past.
Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the advanced copy to review!

Costanza Casati is at it again with the strong female lead! This is the story of Semiramis and how she started with nothing and rose to power in Ancient Assyria. Casati has woven a tale that is both fantastical and historically accurate at the same time. Much like Cleopatra, Semiramis defied the odds, reshaping her destiny and claiming her place among the powerful women of history. In this tale, kings do fall and queens do rise.

I love a good historically based novel that retells the stories we’ve heard but through a different point of view. While Ancient Greece and Rome are often the focus, Babylonia brings a new dimension to the ancient world by exploring the rich history of Mesopotamia. It’s the classic story of ambition, power, and downfall—but set in a fascinating time and place that makes it a must-read.

From the great reviews I’ve seen, I feel like I read something completely different. This was tiring to read, and I was incredibly bored. I didn’t care about the story or characters to continue after forcing myself past 100 pages. It seems to be that this just wasn’t for me.

A must read for fans of ancient historical fiction. This was brutally intense at times with characters that were deeply unlikeable but also highly complex as they navigated court politics and survival in a culture that valued wealth, status and conquering lands with no regard for humanity. The intimate portrayal of Semiramis and what it might’ve been like for a woman to rise to power in such an era was very entertaining and intense. Cosati is a fantastic author and she excels at crafting vivid atmospheres; I already can’t wait for her next book! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of Babylonia.

Did I finish this book or did this book finish me?

Two weeks after I finished reading, I cannot stop thinking about this book. If there was ever a book tailored to every hyper-specific thing I love in stories, it would be Babylonia. From heart-wrenching romantic entanglements, visceral battle scenes, and quiet yet simmering feminine rage, every scene had me gasping, crying, screaming, and anxiously turning the pages. Even now, words fail to capture just how much I love this book with every fiber of my being.

Casati excels in subtlety. From the prologue and very first chapter, her strategic inclusion of small details (cultural, visual, sensual) made the world feel effortlessly immersive without becoming infodump-y or flowery; I often found myself voluntarily rereading sentences just so I could savor and admire her descriptions. Casati emulates the straightforward narrative style of epic poetry, yet she masterfully avoids falling into the “telling” trap by layering every scene with character interiority and emotional stakes. Every sentence is intentional and meticulously crafted in a way that is simply beautiful. In a market stuffed with purple prose and a tendency to tell over show, Casati’s simple yet evocative prose is incredibly refreshing.

Despite the epic political scope of the plot, Babylonia is an impressively character-driven and intimate portrait of Semiramis and her rise to power as the only female ruler in neo-Assyrian history. Casati perfectly balances the interiority of Semiramis’ unrelenting quest for recognition and power with intricate external subplots of courtly intrigue, complex webs of loyalty and romance, and inter-kingdom warfare. Although most of the plot is told through Semiramis’ perspective (as it should be!), I particularly loved the inclusion of Ninus and Ribat’s POVs. Not only did the additional POVs deepen the worldbuilding, they also contextualized just how hard it was, on a purely political level, for low-born people to rise to power, much less women. I will admit that Semiramis’ political adeptness could, at times, read a bit unrealistic, but for a book that fictionalizes, mythologizes, and reconstructs a life that we know very little about, I didn’t mind it too much.

On that note, where Babylonia truly shines is with its cast of fascinatingly complex and nuanced characters. The cast of characters listed in the beginning of the book may seem daunting at first, but I struggle to think of a single character that was unnecessary, even the ones I spent the entire novel despising. Sure, there were characters I loved to hate (ahem, Nisat and Marduk) and slippery ones I didn’t trust but secretly rooted for (Sasi), but all of them had clearly explained motives that never felt archetypical or assigned to a good-bad/moral-immoral binary. Of all the side characters, I’m particularly fond of Ribat—his quiet perseverance and emotional intelligence spoke volumes in a genre dominated by swaggering, sword-wielding, hypermasculine men. His story arc was tragically poignant, and Casati’s decision to end the novel with his POV was heartbreakingly beautiful and profound.

Side characters aside, the book’s tragic main character threesome (?) lives in my head rent free because I still think about Ninus, Onnes, and Semiramis on a daily basis. Ninus won me over from his very first chapter (I’m an absolute for the secretly softie scholar-king trope), Semiramis perfectly articulated my quiet yet simmering feminine rage at institutional gender oppression, and enigmatic Onnes had me simultaneously rooting for him and wanting to shake him by the shoulders to jolt him out of his emotional constipation. The sole critique I have of this book is that I did not get nearly enough of Onnes’ interiority. Adding more of Onnes’ POV, even in a limited manner, would have added yet another dimension to a book that already does a fantastic job of investigating the emotional toll of court politics and rule.

I absolutely loved that Casati did not shy away from the reciprocal nature of their love triangle—while not polyamorous, seeing a love triangle in which each character genuinely loves the other two was such a refreshing challenge to modern-day Western heteronormative monogamy. Just like her prose, Casati layers every intimate moment with such a deep emotional undercurrent that the sheer tension is more romantic than any physical intimacy. I squealed and screamed JUST KISS ALREADY countless times at the forbidden yearning between Ninus and Onnes, smiled (and then sobbed) at the simple intimacy of Onnes and Semiramis, and savored the emotional healing between Semiramis and Ninus. The mythological parallels between Ninus/Onnes/Semiramis and Gilgamesh/Enkidu/Ishtar only elevated the emotional devastation, making their romance(s) beautiful, tragic, and poignant all at once. Babylonia single-handedly redeemed the love triangle trope for me—I genuinely could not pick a single relationship to root for because all three characters deserved happiness no matter their partner, and I struggle to think of another book that made me sob as hysterically as I did when only one of them was rewarded with happiness (? even that’s debatable lol) at the end.

Brimming with truly fascinating characters, heart-wrenching romance(s), and an intriguing plot that refuses to let you rest until the apotheosis, Babylonia is intoxicating in the best way possible. It’s a five star read on emotional resonance and impact alone, but add on masterful storytelling and writing craft, and you have a contender for one of my favorite books ever. Epic, intimate, and everything in-between, Babylonia stirred my very soul and left me a devastated mess at the end. A breathtaking, beautiful, and truly masterful work of epic historical fiction.

5/5 stars
Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for the e-ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This novel joins a shortlist of books that I will think about weekly for the rest of my life. I printed out regional maps of the Iron and Bronze age within a few chapters because I was so immersed, and after I finished the book I spend DAYS researching deeper.

I will say that I love books that teach me about culture and society, specifically from marginalized perspectives. I had started to drift from this historical genre because of the influx of greek/roman retellings (though I do love them). This book revitalized my interest, and I am now extremely interested in non-western historical retellings and history.

First and foremost, I would like to give a huge thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for lending me this ARC to review. I read slower on an ebook and wedding planning kept me occupied but I finally finished it. For those who don't know, I've taught Ancient Civilizations for five years (two at the high school level, three at the middle grade level) and was so excited for a book like this because it seems that we so rarely get books about Mesopotamia.

The book follows the rise of Semiramis, a mythological queen based on the real queen of Assyria Shammuramat. She grows up in an abusive household and eventually catches the eye of the governor of her territory. Semiramis proves herself to be clever and much of the book centers on her navigating the politics of the Assyrian court. She fights and barters with male diplomats and goes so far as to serve as a warrior queen on numerous occasions.

As a historian, I found it interesting to see how many sources Casati uses to weave together the story of Semiramis. So many ancient historians wrote about her with many having differing observations surrounding her rise and what exactly she did. Even in the modern era, Christian philosophers have tried inserting her into religious histories. I never thought a book could encourage me to finally read Herodotus, but I'm tempted to start now. It also makes me want to read Casati's previous book on Clytemnestra. Casati has a way of creating such an amazing anti-heroine and while it is slow to start, it is impossible to put down as you get further into the book.

This was such a powerful book about a powerful woman determined to leave her own legacy. I loved every second of it.

The writing is so beautiful and intentional. There isn't a single sentence that feels unnecessary or out of place. Casati effortlessly weaves myth and history together.
I think the most impressive part of the book is the characters. Each character is so alive and complex and real. The way that they all interact and relate to one another, especially with the different viewpoints, is fascinating.

Overall, this book is brutal, bloody, powerful, and amazing. I loved it.

Babylonia is an enthralling dive into the life of Semiramis, the Assyrian Empire’s only female ruler, blending myth and history to bring her extraordinary story to life. From the very first page, Casati’s writing pulls you in, immersing you in a richly detailed world brimming with political intrigue and ambition.

This book gave me serious Game of Thrones vibes, with its intricate world-building, layered characters, and high-stakes power struggles. Semiramis’s journey from orphan to warrior queen is as intoxicating as it is inspiring. Casati doesn’t shy away from exploring the grit and determination it takes for a woman to seize power in a world dominated by men.

The world of the Assyrian Empire is so vividly drawn that you can feel the heat of the desert and the tension of the throne room. The way Casati weaves myth and historical detail together is amazing.

If you’re a fan of stories about powerful women, epic political drama, and a touch of ancient mythology, Babylonia needs to be on your tbr!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This story of Semiramis is an entertaining blend of historical fiction and myth. While the Assyrian queen actually existed in ancient history, the author did a great job of embellishing her story and demonstrating how this character could have played a larger than life role in historical accounts. I really enjoy this type of myth or embellished historical stories about strong women who pursued power and were able to rule in ways that the men could not. The character development in this novel was well done and the story was engaging and unpredictable. Semiramis overcame challenge after challenge and escaped execution or accidental death numerous times. Although she was a warrior, she is also depicted in the story as also being very feminine and very caring towards those she loved. I always appreciate the author’s notes around their research and found the history included after the book to be very interesting. I did get bogged down in the story at times and thought the book was a bit too long but enjoyed it overall.

Dnf at 30%
In this case I dnf’d this because it was a “it’s not you it’s me situation”, I just knew that I wasn’t going to end up liking it and could not get invested in the story or the characters. However I will say that the author is very talented when it comes to writing, the writing style was very lyrical and immersive. And she created such an atmospheric world that I could vividly imagine. Even though I ended up dnf’ing this book it was just because it wasn’t for me. But that being said I would still recommend it to those who enjoy this time period and historical fiction.

Well, this just cemented Casati in my author’s to look out for list. I could not put this book down. The history, the characters, the setting were all brought to such vivid, eloquent life. Semiramis was such a well executed character, the reader loves her and questions her in the same breath. And both Onnes and Ninus, their faults, desires, demons, are so incredibly evocative.

Further, this was a piece of history I knew NOTHING about. And it is fascinating. So often, powerful women are overlooked in history, or later generations try to denigrate the woman’s role or her person in order to show that women cannot be rulers. That is not the case here (although, many men did try), for Semiramis is still viewed as a successful ruler. Like I said for Clytemnestra before this, I cannot recommend this enough. And I cannot wait to see what Casati puts out next.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of this title!

I have had Costanza Casati’s other novel, Clytemnestra, on my TBR for a while and after reading this one it is getting bumped up. Casati does a fantastic job transporting us to an ancient world. She doesn’t shy away from the brutal but still brings humanity to all the characters. I really enjoyed every minute.

Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebook Publishers and RB media for an ARC/ALC.

Thank you to SourceBooks for the advance reader copy! I am a huge fan of modern retellings of Greek myths and loved Casati’s Clytemnestra, so I was really intrigued to try something a little different. Casati’s research shines through as she explores both the truth and myth of Semiramis. I loved the complexity of the characters and Casati’s imagery is beautiful. The third quarter didn’t hit the same way as the other parts, thus the 4 stars, though I’d probably give this closer to 4.5. A really solid book that will likely be one of my favorites this year.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and SourceBooks landmark for the aARC!

This…is easily my top 3 book of 2025. Oh my GOD. As a social studies (soon to be) teacher, I have spent the past MONTH learning about Mesopotamia, Babylon, and specifically, the Assyrians. Semiramis is a real woman, who ruled over Mesopotamia/Assyria for 5 years after her husband died, until her son was born.

Constanza Casati is a POWERHOUSE of a writer. These characters felt so SO raw and real, and the ending truly is one of the most beautiful, gut wrenching twists of a story I have EVER seen. No one in this story is perfect, every character does something to betray somebody else, and yet, I root for, understand, and sympathize with every single one of them.

I am literally in my bed on the brink of tears at how beautiful this novel was. I am so happy I was able to read this before it was realized, and if you love Madeline Miller, you are going to love this.

Babylonia had an incredibly strong first 2/3rds of the story, but once that final 1/3rd hit the pacing started to feel off. There was a lot of character growth and change in a short time, which felt very off-putting after the nice and easy first 2/3rds.

The love is definitely a hard pill to swallow a times because of the half-sibling nature of two of them. I know this is the Ancient period of earth, so it was much more common amongst royalty in places like Egypt, for example, but with our modern day interpretations, you cannot help but feel grossed out. It just feels very icky. That being said, you can tell just how much research and effort when into this story for the historical context alone. And writing a coherent and majestic story is even tougher than research, in my opinion. I thought it was very well executed. I'll always love reading fictional books about the Ancient period of human history.

While I still enjoyed this book quite a lot, it does not go into the same category of favorite as Clytemnestra, which was definitely a perfect book.

This book takes place in the ancient world of Assyria and nearby (Mesopotamia) from 823 to 813 BCE. This ancient world comes to life in this historical fiction book. There is such empowerment in this book, from the strength of this orphan, of this woman, doing what other say only men could do. Learning how to defeat her fear, how to treat others that would otherwise be ignored, she taught many.

As with historical fiction, the author’s note is always something I look for and here it included an ancient Babylonian calendar. She did thorough research and for what is known that happened that long ago is accurate in the book.


This term fantasy has been applied to this book, I find that incorrect. This is historical, maybe mythological, a retelling of what was found in an ancient scroll. The people back then believed in many gods, they interpreted the world differently than we do now. But there was no magic, no one had special powers, people were just people with different ways of living.