Not my typical genre but this was a great read (listen?). A beautiful Greek mythology retelling. I will definitely be looking more into the culture as well as looking forward to more from this author.

Babylonia is an epic mythological tale telling the legend of Semiramis. This was a slow burner for me and I really struggled to get into the first quarter of the book but got more into it as the book went on. Because of that I stuggled to really connect with the characters in the book. I was interested in the political dynamics and power struggles but wanted I didn't feel that attached to the characters. I wanted to read more about the relationship between Onnes and Ninus. Still a solid novel and plenty to keep my interested. Will be adding Clytemnestra to be to be read list.

I loved listening to Ayesha Antoine read this book. Her voice sounded like a queen as she told the tale of Semiramis, and made each chapter, even those not from Semiramis' view, vivid and enrapturing. I had never heard the story of Semiramis before in any form, but Casati's version told from multiple perspectives featured an honest portrayal of women's lives in the Assyrian empire, the struggle for power among those born into high status and those trying to achieve it, the trauma felt by both those who win a battle or war and those who lose it and a subplot of an enslaved person becoming a free scribe, and potentially, being one of the first to record Semiramis' incredible journey to power in writing. From the author's note, and the details included in the story, Casati has based her plot and world building on Assyrian art and texts from that period while also including her fictitious representations of real historical characters, changing their names slightly and creating connections and conversations to add a bit of fantastical detail to Semiramis' story. The time skips in this book felt natural and unforced. I don't think I missed anything between any time jumps, and that a credit to Casati's writing ability. I loved learning about this powerful female ruler, and all she achieved for the Assyrian empire. This is a book I can definitely imagine rereading in physical form, but with Ayesha's voice still in my head to give the words greater weight and a regal ambience.

This has a really slow start and I just couldn't get into it enough to make it past 50% I think I'll try reading it physically

This author has immaculate storytelling abilities! These mythology retellings are so captivating and I think she does an excellent job of filling in the blanks with their own original details of the story.

I was hooked right from the beginning. Semiramis was a captivating character from her first introduction in the book. A beautiful mix of historical fiction and mythology, this book had me audibly gasping and tensing throughout.

Onnes and Ninus were beautifully complex character as was the bond between them. The dynamic between Semiramis, Onnes, and Ninus had me excited to see what would happen next when they were all together. Ribat and Sasi held a special place in my heart too.

I received this as an audiobook ARC and I think it was the perfect way for me to consume this story. The pronunciation of names, places and mythology were not something I was knowledgeable about. Ayesha Anotine did an incredible job narrating the audiobook and I could clearly distinguish between the characters.

If you're a fan of the blend between history, mythology and fiction to the likes of Madeline Miller or Natalie Haynes I highly recommend this book (or audiobook).

Wow! I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting, but this was blew my expectations out of the water! Just so intense, dynamic, and powerful! The FMC knew what she wanted and went after it! And the narrator for the audio was incredible! Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for my audio ARC!!

I love this author and I would have loved to listen to this ARC, but the file didn’t work and kept glitching out on me.

Este libro es una vívida reinvención de la antigua Asiria y la leyenda de Semiramis. La escritura está llena de detalles históricos, aunque a veces puede resultar abrumadora. El comienzo fue lento para mí, pero se volvió más interesante con toda la intriga política. Aunque disfruté más este libro que Clytemnestra, tuvo los mismos problemas: me hubiera gustado ver más sobre el reinado de Semiramis y su forma de gobernar, ya que solo tenemos quizás tres capítulos en los que realmente es reina.
Los personajes son cautivadores, pero hubo algo que me impidió conectar completamente con la protagonista. Nunca logré estar del todo de su lado; en cambio, me interesaron más los personajes secundarios. La relación entre Semiramis, Onnes y Ninus fue compleja y fascinante, pero desearía que el autor la hubiera explorado con más profundidad, especialmente Onnes, cuyo misterio me dejó con ganas de más.
Algunas partes de la trama y los diálogos se sentían demasiado similares a Game of Thrones: Sasi, el espía, era prácticamente Varys, y Nisat era Cersei. Aun así, si te gustan la mitología, las luchas de poder y un toque de lirismo poético, este libro es una lectura intrigante, aunque algo densa.

🎧and 📖 review
4.5 ⭐️

I read and listened to Babylonia and found it so interesting! The narrator was so good and had such a soothing voice. It’s a time period I’ve never read about so I basically read it as fiction even though I’m aware it’s written about an actual queen in Assyrian history, Semiramis. The love triangle wasn’t my favorite, and the relationships were quite toxic, but seeing her start from nothing and climb to power over the years held my attention so well! Semiramis was so calculated in every move she made, rising in rank and risking so much to get there. The writing was so descriptive, it was like I could picture everything in my mind.

There were a lot of characters to keep track of and I really appreciated the list of characters at the beginning of the book to keep them all straight. There is a lot of extra info at the back of the book that made me worry the story would be hard to follow but it wasn’t overly complicated and still so fascinating. I’m definitely putting Costanza Casati’s other works on my TBR immediately!

Thank you to NetGalley for the audio copy. I read along with my own purchased hard copy and enjoyed it so much.

***4.5 stars***

After reading "Clytemnestra" I knew that anything else this author was going to write, I was going to read. And while this didn't hit the same as "Clytemnestra," I still deeply enjoyed it. I think part of that is that I'm not terribly familiar with the Epic of Gilgamesh where inspiration was taken or the actual historical figure of Semiramis. I did, however, really appreciate the writing style and the character development. Semiramis knew what she wanted and took it, though it cost her greatly. The book was full of political intrigue, and it was highly interesting to read about. The author has clearly done her research, and it brings this story to life in a way that feels so immersive and authentic.

Overall, while this book isn't for everyone, I would definitely recommend it to those who love a good historical fiction or retelling. This author is one that I will read from again and again.

Thanks to RBmedia | Recorded Books and NetGalley for my audio arc!

I was able to get the ARC of both the audio and ebooks, so I went back and forth between listening and reading. I enjoyed the story and reviewed the ebook separately, so this response is primarily regarding the audio.

I like the narrator - her/their voice was melodic, though I do wish the individual characters were a bit easier to differentiate when listening. I did end up speeding up the audio but I do that with most audiobooks.

This was fine. I wanted to like it but I couldn’t get into the story. The narrator was good but I found it hard to keep track of characters. Did like the historical fiction.

I received a copy from Netgalley and the publisher.

The characters are wonderfully realized in this book. From the beginning it's impossible not to root for Semiramis. The growth and evolution of her character is strong, but by the end I was wondering if it was actually growth or if she'd been that way from the beginning but just couldn't act on those desires. Really well written. The secondary characters were excellent support for the protagonist and all felt alive in their own right, especially those that were given their own POVs.

The writing was full of imagery but not in a way that felt overdone or detracted from the work. Similarly, the prose is packed full of rich historical details that add to the depth and flavor of the setting. These details are woven seamlessly throughout the exposition and dialogue in a way that made it completely immersive, something I love to see in historical fiction. The inclusion of quotes from historical texts (e.g., Epic of Gilgamesh) complemented the story beautifully. There's also an author's note that is highly informative.

If you like historical fiction, especially those set in ancient settings, then this is a must read. I listened to the audiobook version, and the narrator did a wonderful job bringing the story to life. Many thanks to NetGalley and RBMedia for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Brutal. Powerful. Semiramis is a feminist warrior queen. I found her oscillation between childish and cutthroat to be hugely frustrating and I was not invested in the romance between her and Ninus. I loved Onnes, he was a monster created by his circumstances, and I was deeply invested in his relationship with Ninus. I really enjoyed the inclusion of passages from the epic of Gilgamesh and how the author used some of the lyrical qualities in her own writing. Overall, this book was every bit as brutal as Clytemnestra, but I didn't connect with the main character enough to be emotionally invested in the outcomes or story. I did enjoy the narration and if you like the epic, war-torn stories this may appeal to you more than it did to me.

This book was well written but honestly very confusing to me. I had a hard time keeping track of what was happening and who was who. I gave this book a fair shot but I just don’t think it was for me personally. Thanks to NetGalley and RBMedia for the arc!!

I have only heard good things about author Costanza Casati, so I was excited when I got approved for this audiobook. I went in pretty blind having no idea what the story would be about. I enjoyed the story a lot. It was told well and was fast paced. Because I listened to it I would often find myself getting confused about the names of the different characters and keeping track of who was who.

Babylonia was an interesting historical fiction of a time I knew very little about with a very interesting central character and great character dynamics.

The book follows the rise of one of histories only known female rulers of Babylon and Assyria.

I loved listening to the author's note at the end to find out what was fictionalized and what wasn't. Some of these things surprised me and the author seems to have done their research. I don't know if I would have felt different knowing any history as it was successfully tense with me not knowing how it ends. I figured she would be in power but had no idea how so there was a lot of opportunity for the story to go in different directions.

I liked Casati's writing though I can see how it may be a miss for some people. The characters felt a little disconnected but that felt fair with them being centuries away.

I listened to this audiobook and thought the narrator did a great job!

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review the ALC for Babylonia.

Unfortunately, I DNFed the audiobook at 20%. The performance of the book was elegant and enjoyable. There were no dramatic voice differences for characters, which does avoid the cringe potential but also made it harder to distinguish characters. I really enjoyed the narrators accent, which was the main reason I listened for as long as I did. However, while the book was beautifully narrated, I was not invested enough in the characters or the story at 20% to desire to continue to the end of the book. I found my mind wandering while listening and was not invested enough to stop and re-play parts I missed.

I believe there are readers out there who will find the writing style and storytelling to their liking, but it was not for me.

Thank you, NetGalley and RBmedia, for providing me with an ARC of “Babylonia” by Costanza Casati. This book is undoubtedly captivating, but it’s not a light read. The story weaves through the intricate tapestry of ancient history, brimming with political intrigue, myth, and the rise of Semiramis, the legendary Assyrian queen. While I was thoroughly impressed by Casati’s writing, I found the narrative to be somewhat challenging to follow at times.

Despite these difficulties, the book’s depth and the rich world Casati creates are more than worth the effort. The characters are complex and flawed, adding emotional resonance to the story. While I struggled with the pacing and occasionally felt lost in the detailed world-building, I was also intrigued by the layers of meaning and historical references that Casati weaves throughout the narrative.

If you’re a reader who enjoys immersing themselves in challenging material and doesn’t mind navigating a more complex narrative, “Babylonia” offers a rewarding reading experience.