Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance reader's copy of the book 'Bad Bitches of Antiquity: Badass Stories from Mythology's Fiercest Goddesses, Heroines, Warriors, and Titans.' I have always loved mythology and I appreciate how the author provides different angles to stories I know. There are numerous mythological characters in this book and I was excited to dip into the book and see how it illustrates those legendary women to life.

The title immediately caught my eye, and I loved the different characters included in the book. It is always thrilling to see the women in mythology to the forefront, and the book adequately captures their strength, resilience, and complexity. The writing is straightforward, and provides entry to people who may not already know these stories.

The tone is distinctly modern and conversational—like your witty friend telling you a story over coffee. At times it is extremely effective and lightens up an otherwise dry narrative. However, in other instances, especially in sections dealing with more traumatic or sad aspects, the informal, overly casual approach is simply off-putting and feels as if the essence of the Myth is being punctured by a punch line. . While it is undoubtedly an interesting piece of work, that tone is def out of place, considering the emotional and psychological depth that these stories embody.

That said, for me, personally, it was not a a monumental read for me. It was enjoyable, but it didn’t leave me with the kind of lasting impression I get with other re-imagined or retold mythological works. I found the collection decent enough, somewhat entertaining at times, and generally educative, but not particularly groundbreaking or transformative.

Bad Bitches of Antiquity was an okay read, and that’s not a bad thing. I would recommend the book to people interested in a basic overview of mythological women or to those who appreciate short, incisive works featuring legendary women. I may not have come out of it transformed, and yet I did enjoy myself while engaging with the text and understand it having a tremendous impact on the right type of audience.

I have always been a fan of myths from around the world and with the recent surge of retellings from female perspectives I was very intrigued to see what this book would be like.

It told me a lot about goddesses and women I already knew but I also discovered many that were new to me. Each bite sized tale was easy to digest and very interesting. I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in myths from around the world, especially women who have often been the sidenote in the stories.

I love books like this, because they're quick to read, I always learn something new, and who doesn't love reading about bad bitches?

This was okay for me, short, punchy, and full of goddesses and female warriors from across mythological cultures. It reads a bit like a mythological Wikipedia, organized into love, warrior, and other categories. That can be fun, but I think readers without some prior background in these myths may struggle to get the most out of it. I had no problem with the Greek sections, but the parts on India and Africa felt harder to connect with, as if I’d been dropped into the middle of a story I didn’t quite recall. The illustrations are beautiful, though, and there are plenty of personal authorial notes, which may resonate with some readers but left me feeling more detached than engaged.

Thank you to Ninth Bridge and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest opinion.

Love the concept, this would be a great coffee table / gift book but overall I was a bit underwhelmed. While I LOVED the stories (and these bad bitches) this was a very brief primer/summary of tons of stories and I wanted MORE!! (I love these bitches)

This is an often hilarious, frequently acid-tongued, decidedly feminist take on a number of goddesses and other lesser females of antiquity and turns their stories around. All these women function. In a paternalistic societies. Let’s face, pretty much all societies were up to modern times and I still have my doubts although we are getting better.

It often gives a pass on some pretty outrageous and often brutal actions which, thanks to some overbearing male- often a god- was their only defence. Sometimes it was payback and these woman could match some of the men with pettiness. It is fun to go through these exploits viewing them from a new and revealing perspective. My only complaint is they had a couple of the women in more than one section. The text was identical so the reader had a sense of Deja vu. Still it was entertaining and fun. Four purrs and two paws up.

Thank you for the ARC - I loved loved this book! It was awesome to learn about goddesses and figures from a wealth of different cultures, and I can definitely see myself gifting this to friends come Christmastime.

It is nice for the powerful women of antiquity to finally get the attention they deserve. They are often overlooked or ignored in stories.

I had to DNF that one, sadly. I expected factual introductions to various women, with their history, their background... Instead, it's a succession of short vignettes in the 3rd-person POV of each woman, giving a very superficial and not even fully correct account of their story. The whole thing is written in a very sarcastic tone, which could have worked better if it wasn't to the detriment of quality. As it is, I feel like the author was more focused on writing funny quips than on actually faithfully representing these women. Could be a fun read if you're completely new to the subject and/or just want some light reading but I was hoping for something with far more depth, that I could learn from.

Loved it. I discovered a lot of story about strong women which were so interesting and from a wide variety of culture. The stories are short, sometimes too short, but tell the significant part of their myth. I really learnt a lot and enjoy my time with it.

3 stars
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Bad Bitches of Antiquity features bite sized, humor filled tales of women throughout mythology and legend and their badassery.

This book is such a fun modern take on mythology and it's stories. The stories are short and palpable, but some felt too short and lacking real context. This was especially apparent in the more unfamiliar myths. I wish their had been more non-Western, especially non-Greek, myths and legends because the book felt very white. But overall, not a bad collection of stories.

"Bad Bitches of Antiquity" by Lorelei Wilder is a collection of fifty bite-sized chapters featuring epic female and nonbinary figures from antiquity. While we have some names that are more familiar, such as Aphrodite, Athena and Clytemnestra, we're also introduced to many others that I personally hadn't heard of. I was impressed that so many cultures were covered: Greek, Egyptian, African, Indian, Mesopotamian, Hawaiian and more! That being said, the focus was still mostly on Ancient Greek mythology (I believe I counted 25 Greek Goddesses and Demigods out of the 50 entries).

While I wish we'd been able to dig deeper into the stories, especially that ones that were new to me, I understand that the focus of the book is lighthearted introductions that are accessible and fun. Because of that, some of the myths that have more than one telling or more nuanced details were at times distilled to a more generic, surface level. Think of them as an invitation to dig deeper into your favourite stories.

As the title of the book should indicate, the general tone of the book is casual and filled with modern slang. That makes this again a very accessible read, but can be a deterrent if one is expecting a more somber tone especially when it comes to darker topics covered in the stories. That being said, I knew exactly what to expect again from the title so I didn't mind this!

The absolute best thing about the book, however, is the art. Most of the stories are accompanied with gorgeous illustrations that I wish I could purchase as wall art. I thought they really captured the drama, beauty and strength of all of the figures and I was always looking forward to seeing the next one.

Overall, if you are looking for an accessible, beautifully illustration collection of epic goddesses, you will adore this. I just discovered there's an audiobook so I'm looking forward to trying that, as well!

Bad Bitches of Antiquity by Lorelei Wilder is a vibrant and visually stunning introduction to goddesses from cultures all around the world. From Greek and Roman mythology to African, Hindu, Shinto, Mayan, Norse, and beyond, Wilder presents a diverse lineup of powerful female figures whose stories are both mythological and deeply human. The book’s structure is divided into themed sections like Love & Beauty, Skill & Strategy, and Strength & Resilience, making it easy to explore different aspects of each goddess’s role, personality, and impact. The interconnected nature of their stories helps readers see shared themes across cultures, making this a fascinating and inclusive read.
The illustrations are a standout feature, vividly capturing the strength, mystery, and elegance of each goddess. While the writing is often engaging and informative, the tone can feel uneven. Wilder blends modern slang and dated pop culture references with more formal or mythological language, which sometimes disrupts the flow. As a reader, I found myself pausing to look up certain terms—something that may be confusing or frustrating for younger audiences who might miss some of the intended meaning. A pronunciation guide for the names would also have been helpful, especially for those unfamiliar with non-Western pantheons.
Despite its occasional stylistic hiccups, the book offers a fun and empowering experience. I appreciated learning about lesser-known goddesses and discovering new layers to the ones I already knew. Wilder’s approach celebrates feminine strength, resilience, and complexity across cultures, making Bad Bitches of Antiquity a great pick for YA readers interested in mythology, feminism, and global stories. It’s a bold, colourful invitation to explore the ancient world through a fresh and unapologetically fierce lens.

I really enjoyed this as a retelling of women in the world mythology. I loved that it wasn't just Roman or Greek or just myths and Goddesses that we all knew already. I was invested in each story and how they became something new, I enjoyed the way Lorelei Wilder wrote this and was able to take these tales into something new. I'm glad I got to read this as it was everything that I was wanting and enjoyed learning about new Goddesses and women in myths that I didn't know.

A fun compendium of legendary women, goddesses, and deities. A quick and enjoyable read to learn more about these legendary women from all around the world. I loved learning about the stories of Hawaiians and Africans that I hadn't heard before.

I picked this up on a whim and ended up totally obsessed. Bad Bitches of Antiquity is sharp, clever, and full of mythic women who weren’t here to play nice. It dives into the real power behind names like Medusa, Persephone, Ixchel, and the Morrígan. Gave ancient goddesses and sorceresses the sharp, clever, chaotic energy they deserve. I laughed, I learned, I made notes like a nerd. Highly recommend if you love mythology like i do. #bookstagram #books #reading #readersofinstagram #greekmythology #bookrecs #booksreview #bookrecommendations

A series of stories about women from antiquity with a feminist spin. It gives brief summaries of their key stories and what they are known for.

I thought this encompassed a lot of great stories of women, and I liked that it was not only goddesses. There are a lot of Greek ones, but there are also women from other pantheons. It groups them by theme, but I think it might have just been better alphabetically. The themes didn't really add anything for me personally.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Loved the wide variety of cultures in this book! Only complaint is that I wish it was longer! Artwork is beautiful and I enjoyed the fresh take on some of the mythologies presented.

This is a refreshing take on mythology that highlights the power, complexity, and agency of ancient deities. I love that I can flip to any page and quickly find engaging insights about a figure I’m curious about, whether it’s Demeter, Medusa, or the Morrígan. The writing is sharp and witty, making it a fantastic reference book that challenges traditional narratives. There are also many figures I was previously unaware of. A truly enjoyable read. This would be a great resource in an English class for exploring voice and perspective, or in a classical history course to examine how ancient myths can be reinterpreted through a contemporary lens.

Thanks to Netgalley and Benbella Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A great compilation of strong mythological women! I always love when a collection has goddesses I haven't heard of before and this one definitely did that. The illustrations were also extremely well done.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.