Babylonia was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025 and it lived up to my expectations. I often find myself being a bit of a critic of retellings since I read so many of them, and just from reading this one book I would say she is one of the greats! If you haven't tried one of her books yet this is your sign to!

When kings fall, queens rise’”. I mean that really sums it all up doesn’t it. This is a sweeping tale re-imagining Semiramis’ (the only Assyrian female ruler) life and rise to power.
Imagine a world where as a woman you hold little value. What would you do to escape being beaten to death by your father? Attacked by any man who happened by? That sets the story up for our FMC (can’t really call her a heroine). Semiramis is wonderfully morally gray. Actually every single character in this book is incredibly flawed and yet when viewed from the lens of the author we can see the underlying good in them all. Everyone does what they must to survive. Some are lucky enough to even find love along the way, even when that love eventually causes heartbreak.
Casati doesn’t shy away from the more taboo aspects of the time period (ahem brother in love with brother), but even that is done tastefully. Perhaps the only reason this wasn’t five stars for me is that it is an incredibly long book and the world building overtook the story at several points in my humble opinion. I wish we had more time with Semiramis and her rise to power vs the extra time spent on world building.
Overall a must read for fans of ancient civilization fiction.
I received an ALC of this title, all opinions are my own

I was able to finish this book after all. I loved Clytemnestra so I was set up to have high expectations. Babylonia didn't quite live up to its predecessor and at times the characters and their relationships were easy to mix up. Overall though it was enjoyable and engaging historical fiction.

Additionally, the audiobook reader was good but the "s" in "bas relief" is silent.

Babylonia is a mythology retelling about the Assyrian empire's only female ruler, Semiramis. She was determined to raise her standing in life - starting as a common girl raised by a shepherd, she navigates the male dominated world to become a ruler. The author did a great job combining myth with the limited history of Semiramis's rule. Politics, marriage for status, and plenty of drama to go with it. Perfect for those who like Greek mythology and historical fiction.

I am rating this up on here as I give it a 4.75 I actually got to listen to the audio book thanks to net galley. This was a fascinating story, was a slow start but I blame that on not being familiar with the story itself. Once I got into it, I did reread it, and it was better but being that I don't know the story I needed more of a character intro. Which I know the actual book has that at the beginning so maybe adding it to the audio book would help.
This story was so good, and the narrator actually felt like it was Semiramis telling her story. I will say I think I though the same thing when I read Clytemnestra, I felt the same thing, so they are good at getting narrators for her books. She made Semiramis a Strong character, and she felt real like so many of the other characters I felt like I was there.

This was a fascinating tale set in ancient Mesopotamia that I greatly enjoyed reading. It felt very similar in style to Madline Miller’s Circe and Jennifer Saint’s Ariadne. The story follows Semiramis an orphan girl who eventually marries a governor and then rises to be queen. Myth and ancient history are beautifully blended together to tell the story of the only known female ruler of the Assyrian empire. There was so much that I learned about Assyrian culture through reading this book, which I loved. The men in Semiramis’s life, King Ninus and Onnes are often compared to Gilgamesh and Enkidu from The Epic of Gilgamesh. I loved this parallel, and having recently read Emily H. Wilson’s Inanna and Gilgamesh, I was able to have a deeper appreciation for this connection as those books explore The Epic of Gilgamesh. The story is gripping, and I found myself having a hard time putting it down. I loved the exploration of what life was like for women during this time, especially as we see this from the perspective of the nobility and commoners. I greatly enjoyed how Casati framed the story, which comes to light at the very end of the book. I found it a clever way to retell a story that is a blend of history and legend. I found the characters to be very well-developed and intriguing. This was a wonderful read, and I loved that it gives readers the opportunity to explore a culture that doesn’t typically take the spotlight in literature. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone, especially lovers of myth, history, or women’s stories.

Despite being 17 hours long, the plot was well paced and it kept my interest the entire time. The characters were well thought out and believable as real people. It was an interesting book set in a time period that I am not generally as familiar with!

I’m not going to lie, I was intimidated by this book at first, but the story sounded so interesting that I just had to give it a try. It is definitely one that you have to pay close attention to while reading, not quite a “leisurely/fun time” book, but it’s definitely worth the extra attention needed. The writing is absolutely beautiful, and the story itself is incredible. I am glad that I chose to listen to the audiobook, because it probably would have felt a bit slow had I read my physical copy. My only complaint is that it was a bit difficult to determine whose POV chapters were from sometimes. But in all, this was a fabulous historical fiction, with amazing character development and twists and turns along the way!

Not the usual setting of the historical novels I tend to gravitate towards. This story a more ancient setting of the Assyrian Empire.

Semiramis, orphaned as an infant after her mother drowns herself, was taken in and raised by a shepherd along with his son. She escapes his poor treatment of her and when an adult she marries the new governor of Eber-Nari, Onnes.

Onnes is the illegitimate half-brother of King Ninus. Semiramis becomes close to the slaves of the household who become loyal to her and teach her to read, opening the door and paving the way to the throne she is vying for.

This story is loosely based on the historical Queen of Assyria, Sammuramat. I know nothing about this period of time or this empire so I cannot comment on the accuracy of the story to history.

The story was entertaining, seeing the constant power shifting of the triangle of Semiramis, King Ninus and her husband Onnes. Great development of not just the main characters but even the supporting characters.

3.5⭐️ for the depth and storytelling, it was a beautiful story of the rise of a female ruler but I’m just really not sure the setting is my favorite as far as historical fiction goes.

There’s nothing I love more than a historical fiction set in an ancient world.

The world Casati built was vibrant and so real. It was a beautiful mythological retelling of 9th century Assyria. You could tell that she certainly did her research. I felt very much a part of the story.

I was captivated by the story of Semiramis of ancient Mesopotamia. She was a resilient, fierce woman who sought a better life, ultimately rising higher than any other woman in her society.

Casati’s writing was so beautiful; such incredible prose. She has such a command with storytelling and writing as a whole.

I truly hope that Casati takes on other non-Greek mythological retellings because I would absolutely eat it up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to listen to an advanced copy.

If you love historical fiction with strong female characters, you’ll love ‘Babylonia’ by Contanza Casati. Narrated by Ayesha Antoine, the story is brought to life with perfect timing and inflections. This is my first time reading by this author, and I’m blown away by the incredible tale. The narration is equally impressive, with the voice actor’s performance bringing the characters’ emotions to life.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book. I went into this book blind and did not know what would happen. While there are a lot of characters the author does a good job of reminding you how they are related to who throughout. Because of this I was able to listen at a fast 2.5 speed. It is a story that will stay with me for a long time.

A captivating historical fiction which examines the fall of powerful men and the rise of those from humble origins. Drawing on historical sources, Casati breathes life into ancient Mesopotamia and gives voice to many aspects of life then and there.

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.
I listened to the audio version of this book and the narrator was very good. Her voice inflections and portrayal of the different characters was well done.

‘Immortality doesn’t mean living forever. It means surviving even after your heart stops beating and your body is burned; It means living in myth, in stories’. —Costanza Casati, Babylonia.

Story: 5 Stars
Audio: 5 Stars
Narrator: Ayesha Antoine

I read Casati’s novel, Clytemnestra, last year and loved it. I was thrilled to see that her new novel was available on Netgalley for review… yes, please. I am so happy to report that it lived up to my expectations. I liked the multiple POV’s and thought it worked well in moving the story along. A fascinating time period that gets explored rarely in fiction. Highly recommend.

Available on Libby. Listened at 1.25 speed through Netgalley.

***ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! This book was a breath-taking ride.
Set in ancient Assyria, this story is based on mythology, but doesn't have the fantasy/gods aspects that we see in many of the recent Greek myth retellings. Semiramis rises from a nobody to a powerful queen and there are political manoeuvrings to rival Game of Thrones.
I was actually considering abandoning this book about 25% in. I was confused by the characters and didn't know what was going on. But by 50% I was absolutely hooked and did not want to stop reading. I was captivated by the politics and the court relationships. And even though I'm not usually a romance reader, the love triangle in this story was HOT! I found Semiramis fake at the beginning, but I really warmed to her and was fully behind her in her rise to power.
Content warning - there is a lot of graphic violence in this book.

In this richly woven historical novel, the author brings to life the fascinating and often tumultuous story of Semiramis, the only female ruler of the Assyrian Empire. With meticulous attention to detail, the book delves into Semiramis’s rise to power, against a backdrop of intricate political maneuvering and a deeply flawed romance.

Semiramis is a complex character—flawed yet determined, fiercely ambitious yet capable of deep vulnerability. Her relentless pursuit of a life beyond the humble beginnings she was born into makes her journey compelling to read. Watching her grow from a young woman desperate to escape her circumstances into a powerful ruler is both fascinating and, at times, tragic.

I didn’t know much about Assyrian history prior to reading this book, but it makes me want to learn more about it.

I listened to the audiobook and thought the narration was well done.

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 NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an audiobook in exchange for an honest review. I’d like to start by saying that I thoroughly enjoyed Casati’s previous book CLYTEMNESTRA. It felt like a true reimagining in that a much maligned queen was given her rightful due and then some. I really appreciated the work the author put in to reframe her story.

Unfortunately, I didn’t feel quite as complimentary about BABYLONIA. For the record, narrator Ayesha Antoine is brilliant - her speech is crisp and engaging. And yet I constantly had to pull my mind back from drifting far, far away. I had to admit that I wasn’t compelled by the book, and I DNFed it a third of the way through.

It’s just that - nothing was really happening. There were a few bursts of action, but generally the story unhurriedly drifted along. Casati provides episodic glimpses into the characters, weaving little vignettes here and there. But the effect is rather disjointed as the parts weren’t coalescing into a coherent, flowing whole. For me, it felt akin to observing a pointillist painting - a collection of lots of little dots that clearly took care and precision to execute, but taken together felt static and dull.

“This is the trouble with history. You can't see what's not there. You can look at an empty space and see that something's missing, but there's no way to know what it was.” Naomi Alderman, The Power

My passion/side project is studying history, culture, and religions. Specifically ones that have been suppressed. More specifically ones about women. Babylonia is the story of Semiramis, though her real name was Shammuramat. She was a prominent queen of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, but as we know, men like to suppress the stories of powerful women. Her story was turned into mythology and passed through the centuries as fiction. Costanza Casati mixes fact with fiction in an attempt to piece together the story which has been lost.

“There is nothing for you here, for you are a woman. You already know your fate.” She feels a pang of anger, followed by hopelessness. It is an ancient feeling, that no matter what power she might achieve, it will never be enough.”I sit with the king's council in the North-West Palace”, she says sharply.
“My husband is the governor of Eber Nari and closest advisor to the king”.
“But you are a woman, still”.
“Are all womens destinies doomed to be the same?”
“You know they are”.
You are wrong, she thinks.


When it comes to what we can uncover from history, sometimes we have to take artistic license and read-between-the-lines. History is not fact, it is the study of the past. When examining the past, sometimes we have to look beyond what we see. Casati seamlessly combines the myth of Semiramis with the very real Shammuramat. She also compares Onnis and Ninus with the epic of Enkidu and Gilgamesh.

'What is love? Now, years later, he understands.
Love is the willingness to lose oneself, to enter a dark room without knowing what dangers lie inside, to be held by someone even if she could slit your throat.'


As someone who is demisexual myself, I loved to see the demisexual representation in the character Ninus. And as a romantic at heart/chronic romance reader, I was really hoping the three of them would come to an arrangement.

'The wind follows her, the spirits of the dead whispering. She doesn't fear them
She knows that they will meet again in the house of dust:
The common woman who became queen,
The governor she married,
And the king who loved them both.'


I want to start deep diving into the world of ancient Mesopotamia and the women the world forgot. If you finish this book, feeling the same way I do, you should read; When God Was a Woman, Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution, and of course The Power!

"Immortality doesn't mean living for ever. It means surviving even after your heart stops beating and your body is burned. It means living in myth, in stories."


Huge thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for a copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review!