This was an interesting collection of tales that was well curated and explored. The art was beautiful and that was the strongest element of the book for me as the stories were okay but they were a bit meandry and some of them spent too long focusing on other topics that were not entirely relevant to their character's tale.

A truly gorgeous book (one perfect for a christmas gift or even just as a decorative piece to spruce up a coffee table!) that carefully and lovingly recounts tales of mythological women from cultures across the globe. It revels in their strength, their duality and their passion, and sheds far more light oft-overlooked figures of male-dominated mythologies. Brilliant just to flick through, or to spend an hour reading and researching.

This is a beautiful book - I thoroughly enjoyed it - for people wanting to get to know some female mythological characters, some of which are still revered today. Hodges brings up both more well-known goddesses, spirits and fairies, but also some that might not be that familiar to everyone, and she spans many different regions of the world., not just the Greco-Roman region, but also Basque, Hawaiian, Welsh, Lithuanian and Vietnamese deities, fairies and other characters are introduced for the reader. Their stories are presented and modern examples of their importance for everyday lives of people and popular culture are woven into the text.

The illustrations by Harriot Lee Merrion are beautiful and adds a lot to the overall appeal of the book.

This book is DOPE. Such a cool concept, so well executed. I find it important to celebrate the female past and mythical, rather than only focusing on what we want to change in the future. This book does that and more. Not to be missed.

If you are interested in global mythology, this is a detailed and well researched coffee table book with beautifully drawn illustrations. I can think of many people who would absolutely love this and I think it would be suitable to people of many ages.

I adore this book! It is similar to Angel, Spirits and Goddesses by Susan Greg that I've also read and reviewed for Netgalley.
It is informative and the modern illustrations for each of the 50 women are gorgeous. I definitely want a hardcopy of this for my bookshelf.
I can highly recommend this as research material or as I'm using it for further study for my art.

Thank you so much Netgalley for granting a wish.

This book is a bit of a puzzler. I was incredibly excited to learn about a variety of female lore and whilst the list of them is sufficient, the explanation within is a bit of a letdown. If you're looking for rudimentary explanations of babba yaga, the furies, and pele with beautiful art then this book will serve your purpose. However, the writing itself leaves a bit to be desired. I didn't find the stories written in a compelling way which is so unfortunate given the vibrancy of these historical matriarchs. I wanted to love this book but it just left me wanting.

I loved learing about mythological women and spirits from around the world. I wish it had gone more in depth about each one though. It was a good geeral overview however and I enjoyed it.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of.

I received this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This book is dynamite! Packed to the gills with mythology, Warriors, Witches, Women explores legendary female figures.
For having so much information it's a surprisingly quick read!

Warriors, Witches, Women by Kate Hodges is like a who’s-who of the women of folklore who have influenced the women of the world. There are many that cross different regions and may be named differently in different locations. The details show that many were very independent until the male rulers modified the stories slowly. Often these women were used to try to influence women from trying to be too independent.

This book made me want to read more about each. This is our history. It’s too bad we don’t continue to share with our future generations. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn of these strong, and powerful women.

I received this book free of charge from Netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion Publishing but the opinions above are my own.

Loved this so much! Need to get my hands on a physical copy as this was very clunky to read as an ebook.

Especially loved the mythological women playlist listed at the end!

A powerful, informative and quick read for anyone interested in mythology and feminism.
Kate Hodges delivers a good overview of mythological women from all around the world (and not just Graeco-Roman, Nordic and Celtic like most mythology collections would). The chapters are short, which is a strong point of the book: you don't have to fight through a lengthy biography of each one, but instead get a to-the-point summary of who they are and why they are important. I can recommend reading one chapter a day before bed or after waking up for the ultimate feminist mythological inspiration.
Chapters end with a paragraph on the importance of myths in today's world, proving that just because a myth is thousands of years old, doesn't mean the overarching theme of it isn't relevant any more. Kate Hodges does not only retell myths, she gives them a place in the continuing struggle for equality.
The illustrations are simply gorgeous and really add to the magic. Furthermore, the book comes with a glossary, further reading and playlist section, three things I wish more books would do.

trigger warning
<spoiler>rape, arranged marriages, child murder, abduction</spoiler>

Warriors, Witches, Women includes a list of females from mythologies all around the world, sorted into the kind of role they fullfill - witches, warriors, so on. The set up is simple: Four pages per person, one being illustrated, and three on which you can read where this person is found, if she's a goddess, a spirit or something else. The author tried to give the first instance of their appearance in texts, how they could be seen as a modern role-model, and how they might be occur in modern media.

I liked this a lot. From the Gree/Roman, Egypt, Mesopotamian and Celtic pantheons I knew everyone, but so many other mythological persons were new to me. Of course, this can only serve as an introduction and it's not a complete list of every female mythological figure. But it's informative, has suggestions for further reading. You are entertained while learning something, and I know that I repeat myself, but I like that a lot.

I recieved a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Gorgeous book a book of mythology of fantasies of women. The sketches are gorgeous all the tales of these women are fascinating to read.Would make a perfect gift for your warrior women.#netgalley#quarto

What if history was written by women? What if mythology was shaped by women’s stories? Warriors, Witches, Women looks at stories and histories of women from around the world. They can be dipped into for inspiration - each character only takes a few pages. I think my daughter will love this.

I would have preferred to have this book in actual print rather than having to read it on my computer. Still, I did enjoy it and thought the illustrations and writing were lovely and informative. Particularly enjoyed the fact that the author included non-Celtic tradition female mythological characters, something that is often overlooked and there were indeed a couple I never heard of before.

This book is gorgeous and beautifully put together. Pared down, yet pretty illustrations accompany text that tells the reader about all kinds of mythological women. Perfect for older children, a word of warning though, a couple of the women are a little gruesome so maybe read first if intending to give to younger children.

Really enjoyed this book!

Warriors, Witches and Women is like a PR refresh for history's misunderstood and villanised women in history who are cautionary tales for women to behave.

I enjoyed learning about Goddesses and real women I'd heard of like Circe, Baba Yaga and Athena to ones I had a vague idea of like Jezebel and finding out about the historical roots of each of the myths and women.

All of the women come from different parts of the world and it's a fascinating way to find out how women are viewed across the globe.

Would highly recommend!

5 out of 5 stars

We are the granddaughters of the witches you weren't able to burn.

I have read a few books regarding witchcraft and mythology but this I can't deny is my favourite. From the introduction I knew I would fully connect with the author. Reading the background of these women is so fascinating.

Kate briefly yet descriptively explains to background of 50 famous 'female big names'. Most I'd heard of but the I learnt something from each I didn't know.

I also loved the section of 'Bringers of Misfortune'. Including villians! I love it!

If you want to look into the history or iconic women I definitely recommend this. I flew through this. Everyone please read this. This is easily a new favourite for me .

I will be my review on Goodreads closer to the publication date. (I don't want people to forget about this read and purchase it straight away!)

Really loved this book! The illustrations in the book are beautiful and the range of women that are covered is fantastic. A really perfect gift for someone interested in mythology and heritage.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This is another title for which I wish I had a physical copy, because it would make such a wonderful coffee table book or gift! This book is chock-full of fascinating stories and lore from cultures all across the world. There are beautiful illustrations for each different woman/goddess/etc. which make this a delight to read. I would definitely purchase this book as a gift for a friend or family member so they can enjoy its wisdom and learn about the belief systems and lore of different cultures!

I found myself majorly surprised twice by this book, both in the best of ways. First, while there is a sizable showing of figures from Greek mythology, they thankfully do not end up dominating the book as a majority, a phenomenon that I feel like I have unhappily encountered in too many mythological collections of stories and characters. Instead, they are just a fraction of a genuinely diverse array who hail from faiths, tales, myths, and traditions from around the world.

What proved to be just as unexpectedly rich were all the individual entries. Besides providing each woman's actual myth, they often included historical context and their cultural importance in both the past and present. There was even occasionally a thoughtful question or statement included just for readers to mull over.

Overall, this compendium does a marvelous job highlighting and honoring the great women tales from lands and cultures from all over, and lovers of all things mythology-related should not hesitate to go out and enjoy "Warriors, Witches, Women" at their first available convenience.

***I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.***


If you’re looking for a “typical” book on mythology, this one is definitely not it. I love that it is about the strength of the female, and not needing someone to rescue her. I really enjoyed the fact that the majority of the characters in this book were ones that I’d never heard of, and that so many cultures were included. The musical playlist at the end was the icing on the cake.

This book is amazing. I found it highly informative and interesting. The graphics and images went with it so well. I would definitely purchase this for myself and others.

I didn't get the whole way through this but, of the stories that I did read, most were interesting. I do have to say that some of the tales were a bit tangential, talking about things that didn't feel particularly relevant to the specific stories being told of each woman.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

What an amazing book this is! Every page has been carefully researched and has an abundance of knowledge just waiting to be devoured!
This book is all about women - made up or real women? You decide.
So many powerful kind, good, evil, wicked women to find out about in this book and I was shocked that I had only heard of about 1/4 of the women and spirits listed in this book!
A fantastic read that i will be exploring again very soon.

This book provides a very nice selection of women of lore from across the globe. While most books like this focus solely on Greek/Roman or Japanese stories, this one includes many more cultures. Most of the stories are just a gloss of the background of these women, however so if you want to learn more you would need to do a bit more research and reading in other volumes. The artwork is fine, not my personal preference.

I received this book for free in exchange for a review, all opinions are my own.

Having trouble with the format of this book! Will update if I have better luck with downloading. I am looking forward to this, as I love mythology!

I mostly read the parts about greek mythology because this is what I was interested in and I loved how the author talked about modern women through mythical figures. I'm definitely gonna read the other parts soon because it got me curious!

Thank you to #NetGalley for the advance readers copy of Warriors, Witches, Women by Kate Hodges

I enjoyed this collection that explores and discusses some well known and some lesser know Warriors, Witches, Women. Each section highlights a variety of important individuals. The artwork adds to the presentation and lore. If you are interested in these types of collections I strongly recommend it.

A great introduction to women of various world mythologies. The author flies her intersectional feminism flag by making sure a variety of stories are told not just from popular myth and not just about women who represent "good" values. The author also tries to reclaim some of the women as role models or demonstration of modes of being. Their stories are not only presented as a summary of different texts but also with a clarification of how it may have been modified when filtered through the lens of a dominant culture. The mythology that we know was not always recorded by the peoples who believed the stories.

Occasionally the author will veer a bit toward remarks on current political events which can be off-putting.

For the person in your life who is interested in mythology and wants an introduction to a variety of cultures.

Although I have placed this on my nonfiction shelf I know not all of it is factual. This is a book I would love to spend much more time with to study. It educates and inspires. I read it as a digital copy via Netgalley but would love to own it in a coffee table size book.
The illustrations are beautiful. The stories make one dream big . They are empowering.
A Beautiful books not only for women but for people of many cultures, all genders and ages.

I have missed feelings about this book.
I love the text. The author gives background of origin of each fierce woman and details the various tales around each figure. I loved learning new goddess and revisiting witches I already knew.
I wasn't big on the art. It's lovely but it takes really give the spirit of the warriors listed in this book.

Special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital ARC of this book!

Warriors, Witches, Women, is a beautiful collection of history and legend, compiled into a single book for you to devour. Delivering succinct histories of the women within its pages, this book not only gives you a nice overview of the life and legend of each woman - but gives you historical context, and snippets of quotes, text, and mentions from more recent times that will help you connect each warrior, witch, or women, with how you might know them already.

A mystical, whimsical ride through the history of often downcast, or feared women.

Warriors, Witches, Women: Mythology’s Fiercest Females is everything the title promises, and more. This is a novel that collects dozens of famous mythological women and puts them all into one place. So whether you need a reference book or are simply curious about goddesses and lore, this is one worth checking out.
Kate Hodges did a wonderful job with this book. Not only did she organize it really well, but she went out of her way to bring in as many fierce and independent women as possible. I can honestly tell you that some of the warriors, witches, and goddesses that she pulled into this book I had never heard of before now. And I was fascinated to read more about them.
Hodges had the book divided into easy to follow (and reference) categories. You can probably make a good guess at those categories thanks to the title itself. It also made for easy reading, knowing thematically what was going to follow.
Another element I loved about this book was the inclusion of artwork. Each and every woman featured here had her own imagery included, but they were all drawn in a similar style. That is a fine line to balance on, and yet it was done nicely here.
I read Warriors, Witches, Women all in one read, and I have no regrets about that. Though I do think that I’ll sit down and reread it all at a slightly slower pace next time around. At first I was just too eager to absorb as much information as possible. So feel free to take that as the proof needed to show how much I enjoyed this book.

This book starts off with a great introduction. You really get a feel for the authors’ appreciation, awe, and love for the characters she will be presenting. This in turn drives her desire and hope for us to feel the same way. With such a great platform set, I was certainly intrigued to start the journey.

The references to modern culture, arts, novels, and movies also gave the characters relevance in today’s age.
I also loved the ‘Bringers of Misfortune’ chapters and how so many of the fables originated as stories to stave of danger in the pre-digital era.

I do wonder about the target audience for this book. Although it was enjoyable, I really don’t think it was for me. I see it as a coffee table book for a casual gander, or as a totem for feminists perhaps

I've always been interested in myths and lores and i was very happy to review this book. It's composed beautifully of mythical women all over the world and written perfectly to give the reader an oversight of the women's' stories. It's a book I will be buying to add to my physical collection.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Warriors, Witches, Women is yet another fine addition to the massive pile of feminist fiction that's been pouring out of publishing houses since the beginning of the Me Too movement. As someone who loves mythology (especially when it's considered to be monstrous), I enjoyed this collection of stories. All the best and most fascinating women from mythology are here, including one of my favorites, Baba Yaga.

Even better than the stories themselves is the artwork. This book begs to become a coffee table display piece in the home of every woman who embraces the warrior and witch inside of all of us.

What is better than super strong and fierce women who proliferate cultures and history, making their places known?! This book is an intense study of fierce women from around the world and all throughout time. I loved how this book divided the figures into different "types" of beings and really didn't discriminate or leave much out. It is flattering to read about strong women and how important these ladies were. The simple line art in this book is amazing and gives this book such a light and ethereal feel. I really loved reading this book and learning so much about famous women!!

Thanks to Quatro Publishing Group- White Lion Publishing for granting my wish on NetGalley.

I enjoy reading about strong women in both fiction and nonfiction and this collection of fab women from different mythologies from around the world was a superb read. Divided into five sections( witches, warriors, bringers of fortune, elemental spirits, and munificent spirits) and accompanied by a glossary, suggestions for further reading, and a mythological women playlist, this book was a great reading treat. There were the women that I knew from the Greek/ Roman, Celtic, and Norse traditions, but so many more that were fresh and new to me. All-powerful women that were important to their cultural stories but faced the threat of being put in their place by men or organized religions. Each woman has been given her 1-2 page allotment which offers the origin stories and connection to both religious and historical context and their relevance even in today's world. About the artwork that accompanies the text, I thought it gave an idea of how each woman was sometimes portrayed in her culture.

Goodreads review published 02/01/20
Publication Date 04/02/20

Warriors, Witches, Women is full of information on a wide variety of mythical women ranging from goddesses to monsters, fairies and spirits from all over the world.

You’ll find such women/agender/gender fluid (I guess I could have just as easily said non-male) folk as Hecate (Greek goddess), Baba Yaga (Slavic witch), Ame-No-Uzume (Japanese goddess), and Pontianak (Malay ghost) just to name a few. They are divided into categories: Witches, Warriors, Bringers of Misfortune, Elemental Spirits, and Munificent Spirits.

Each entry has a fairly dense block of text to accompany it (at least a full page, which is kind of unusual for this kind of book – they’re usually fairly information-lite). Unfortunately the extra information causes there to be less room for entries. I wish the book had twice as many entries, at least – but, for that, I guess I’ll always have The Encyclopedia of Goddesses and Heroines. But you know what that book lacks? Harriet Lee Merrion’s gorgeous illustrations. I really love them – they’re simple, but beautiful.

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is a cool book for anyone interested in learning more about mythical women, or who appreciates quality artistic interpretations of said women. Like I said, it covers global territory, which is really great. The only thing that keeps me from giving it five stars is that I just wish it were longer. I wish that more figures had been covered.

“We will not wait to be offered leftovers from the feast. We will arrive in a whirl of wings and talons and pick off what belongs to us. Yes, we are angry, yes we are making a noise about it, and yes, we are hungry for change. We are harpies.”

I have always been fascinated by mythology, in all it’s iterations. From Disney’s Hercules, to Wonder Woman, Saint Seiya, Inu Yasha and countless others, I developed an early interest in all things mythological since childhood. And as a twenty something latina woman I have discovered the power in other women’s stories – to learn from those who carved the path for where we are today.

This books was the almagamation of those things for me. It is a true celebration of mythology’s fiercest females – the ones who we recognize at a glance, the ones that are still fighting not to be erased from the narrative and everything in between.

This books is a spark. For me it was a catalyst to seek out those figures that I wasn’t yet familiar with, those whose struggles I related to.

It acknowledged all the variations in the mythos – never claiming one true definite story, but recognizing how they changed over time and what that meant.

Among my personal favorites are the Pontianak, the Harpies, Medusa, Banshees, The Morai (The Fates) & the futakuchi-onna.

I love the idea of celebrating these stories and giving the back their power – from magazines claiming the name of Jezebel, Medusa’s luxurious comeback as – literally – the face of Versace, even Pokémon has claimed one of my new favorites and my inner nerd is so so happy.

If you need some fuel for your fire, I'd pick this up sooner rather than later.

Pleasantly surprised by this book. It was nice learning about these kinds of women throughout different cultures. I voluntarily read this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a beautifully constructed book that I'd recommend for fans of Taisia Kitaiskaia's "Literary Witches." It's pages feature a different female figures. The information doesn't delve too much (like Edith Hamilton's "Mythology"), but it's a solid primer for a well rounded book! The graphic design is the real showstopper here, the pages are lovely.

A unique reading experience that places a spotlight focus on women's role in mythology....and it has some very lovely pictures to help our mental imaginings. Each story brings the female role to the front, showcasing her strengths and weaknesses while still telling the story of how she fits into this piece of fiction. A very good read made even better by being centered on the women's roles.

Title: Warriors, Witches and Woman
By: Kate Hodges
Published by: Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion Publishing
Publishing Date: Pub Date 03 Mar 2020
Genre: History, Nonfiction (Adult)
Review on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3092049458

Warriors, Witches and Woman tells us stories of exactly that. Historical female Warriors who fought against men, with men or leading men into battle. It included those most hunted of females, Witches, whether they were real occult members or just herbalists this book told us how they lived and died. Then lastly the majority of what we are just a Woman, persecuted simply just for existing.
Real or not these women’s stories will inspire readers. The stories of myth, legend and history will show just how powerful we truly are. It connects all of us women no matter where we are or where we come from.
It is obvious from the title that this is a feminist read. Warriors, Witches and Woman dose not just tell you about these women it also explains how through history these women have been pushed and dragged of pedestals. Mainly this happened though two ways, a change in political hierarchy or religious orders.
One thing I found particularly interesting was about St Bridget. When the Catholic church branded her a Saint they left out the story of how she had performed an abortion.
The art work too showed not just the beauty of the female figure but the poise, strength and power of it, even if they were half human only. Though the female and male body may differ it is the mind that shone through in these stories.

From Baba yaga to St Bridget this book brings them all to life even if they have only ever been myth. The ill treatment of women through the centuries but even more so in the last thousand or so years. I found the three-page, one illustration format great, I had enough to get me interested and learning something new. It also meant that the piece was short enough that I never found it boring.
The only thing I would perhaps have changed was that if the same character appeared more than once that the stories be closer together but I do see why they weren’t. It’s just a personal thing. I did appreciate that their previous mention was noted at the bottom.

As a longtime fan of mythology and a feminist by nature, this book was a perfect for me. It covers both well known entities as well as those who are not. The variety is astounding, and as someone who has read so much, it was a breath of fresh air to read about ladies not typically covered, particularly in more mainstream media. I also appreciated that they showed them in a different light. Many times, these females entities are shown as th.e antagonists or opposing force to a male hero. This showed them as more dynamic and complex.

Overall, a lovely addition to anyone's library.

This ARC was not quite what I expected. I am big time into mythology and was leaping out of my chair at the chance to get a chance to read this book. The artwork is very tasteful and eye-catching for sure but I was a little let down by the writing. I think I wanted more details on each woman. The basics of each one is covered nicely but I just couldn't help wishing there was more substance. Still, overall this is a very solid read.

In my life as a woman so far I have frequently strove to be both warrior and witch, to varying success. In my quest to be thus, I have frequently been in need of a role model, of inspiration. A book like Warrior, Witches, Women would have gone a long way to help me out. Thanks to Quarto Publishing Group, White Lion Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Hodges displays a wide variety of women, warriors, goddesses and witches in her book. Some of them, lke Circe, I knew, some, like Ame-no-Uzume, were completely new to me. The mythology that comes down to us can be very whitewashed the way that the Grim fairytales were in later editions. No more hacked off toes, no more dancing in hot-iron shoes. Hodges gives us the tales straight up with relish, not hiding away the odder or more unusual parts of mythology. Whether it's the double-edged sword that is Kali or the life-giving gifts of the White Buffalo Calf Woman, each of the women mentioned in Warrior, Witches, Women has left an imprint on a culture or a society. Hodges tracks how their stories have changed and evolved, both for the better and the worse, and what impact they have today.

Warriors, Witches, Women covers 50 different women, goddesses, spirits, messengers, from all over the world who each receive a page or two in which their tale is told. Alongside this are stunning illustrations by Harriet Lee-Merrion. There is a timeless simplicity to them which I found very affecting. I would love to frame these and hang them up in my house. The cover is, clearly, Medusa, and the colourful calm that Lee-Merrion brought to play is beautiful. WWW would make a perfect coffee table book, to be picked up by a little girl or boy, bored of the conversation happening around them. To me, it felt a little bit like a gateway, a first step into reconnecting with some of the mythology we have forgotten or never been told. Here is a whole range of stories, ready to be explored. I took notes, I Googled, and I listened to the songs recommended at the end. By the end of Warriors, Witches, Women I felt enriched and surely there is nothing more you could ask for?

Warriors, Witches, Women is a beautiful introduction to the sheer volume of amazing myths and legends around women. Let it inspire you to look further and to discover some fo that rebellion and rule-breaking within yourself.

4.5 stars.

I enjoy reading mythology and was interested in this since it was written through a feminist lens. Though it was fun reading through them, I can't help but feel like it was getting a bit repetitive with the feminist aspects in each entry because there were many.

Each entry explained the history of each woman and the original story about them before the male authors of the past changed their description to be more wicked or weak and dimmined their strong aura so that people would not follow/worship these powerful women.

Overall, it was fun to read about these women from different culture though it had too many modern references to the point it was spoilery at times.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with the digital copy for an honest review.