The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the oldest stories in the world, carved in stone over four thousand years ago. It tells the story of a king, Gilgamesh, who ruled the city of Uruk with an iron fist. The gods created and sent to Gilgamesh the man Enkidu to distract him from oppressing his people and the two became friends. Together, they went on to slay a demon, Humbaba, piss off the goddess Inanna, and take an epic journey looking for immortality. In the Midst of Omens is a retelling of this ancient story, only with a dash of romance between Enkidu and Gilgamesh.

In this book, the first of the Legacy of Gilgamesh series, Gilgamesh isn’t a tyrant. Instead, he’s an earnest, hard working man who wants to protect his people, strengthen his city, and maybe conquer the world as a treat. He knows all of his 100 soldiers by name and makes certain to praise each one individually; he has many wives and children, but he doesn’t sleep with them unless they wish a child. Then, he’ll do his marital duty; otherwise, they just get to live in the palace and have happy lives, so long as they are respectful.

Gilgamesh walks a tightrope between being a near god (three quarters of one, at least) and being somewhat mortal. It puts him at a great disadvantage in regards to the goddess of Uruk, Inanna, who demands worship and praise … and wants to take Gilgamesh as a husband so that they can create a divine child who will replace Gilgamesh as king when he’s old enough and Inanna is able to kill Gilgamesh. So far, he’s put the goddess off, but it’s been getting harder and harder. It’s building up resentment, fear, and anger, causing dissent in his house because he isn’t doing what the gods ask, and leaving many of his wives and advisors in fear of the future.

Of his own children, all too mortal, Gilgamesh keeps his distance. He’s afraid that if he allows himself to be seen caring for one, loving one, Inanna will kill them to spite him. He solves this problem by loving no one, having no favorites among his children, and only praising and demanding respect for his first wife, Shamhat, who is a friend and advisor, and his favored queen. If he could say the words, think them, he would call her beloved, but to do so might cause her death.

Gilgamesh is a man constantly living in fear, paranoid about everything he loves, and pushing away those who would love him. Instead, he throws all his passion, all his efforts, all his hopes and dreams into his city, into his empire. He wishes to create a legacy that will echo through history, to have every man born know the name of Gilgamesh and the city of Uruk. He clings to it so tightly that he wouldn’t know how to let go even if he wanted to.

And so he’s given Enkidu, a man from the wilds who — like Gilgamesh — is divinely born. He’s someone strong enough to stand against the king, to argue with him, to fight with him, and to withstand the pressure of his divine strength and his love. It’s a slow burn for Gilgamesh who wants, so badly, to believe that Enkidu means what he says, is only what he claims to be, but Enkidu is a gift from the gods and the gods always have their own motives and their own plans, plans that Gilgamesh refuses to listen to, rules he will not obey. It’s a push and pull of want and fear, of anger and admiration, but it didn’t work for me, because of Enkidu.

My problem with Enkidu is that he isn’t a real person. He is, as he is told again and again, a created thing whose sole purpose in life is to love Gilgamesh. He enters into the story with no personality, being a blank tablet for Gilgamesh to carve upon, with no experience beyond Gilgamesh and no goals other than to do as he is made to do. He is a character moved by the plot rather than someone to move the plot. He is a character with no arc and no growth or real depth, and I found him boring and predictable. What you see is what you get, and his ability to make friends is greater the closer he is to Gilgamesh. After all, the king likes him, he lives in the palace, he’s had sex with the queen and the king didn’t mind, how could you not want to be his friend? But those relationships and glimpses of Enkidu beyond Gilgamesh’s shadow never really take shape. He’s just feels… there.

I appreciate the efforts the author made with Gilgamesh, and the glimpses of the city and its culture, and of the gods and their worship were interesting. But anything with Enkidu just left me uninterested. The writing is long-winded in parts, and the pace is leisurely, slowly wandering about until it’s time to actually take action — and that in the last 30% of the book or so. It’s nice to see a book picking up The Epic of Gilgamesh and making Gilgamesh an interesting character. But the romance fell flat, for me, and the pacing made it hard to keep my interest in the book.

If you’re interested in picking this book up, be warned that it ends on a cliffhanger!

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone wanting to read a captivating mix of Mesopotamian mythology, with some elements of Beauty and the Beast, and LGBTQ+ representation.

This book caught my attention when I saw it was the story of Gilgamesh and I thought hmm, that name is definitely familiar, why don't I remember anything about him at the moment? Well ha ha irony.

I will say this book was incredibly well written. It had incredible prose and told a story well, for the most part. But it didn't all come together well enough because of pacing. I felt like the world building was pretty straightforward in a good way - it wasn't overly complicated. But at the same time, there weren't the political complexities I was expecting.

I think this book suffers from trying to be two things at once and it doesn't meet either audience's expectations. As a fantasy reader, I wanted more court intrigue and politics. As a romance reader, I wanted more intimacy between characters (which we get, but it takes so long to get there).

I ended up putting this book down around 58% because I was getting incredibly bored even though on paper I had no reason to be bored given the good writing and interesting story.

Overall I did like this book. Gilgamesh's complex family, his focus on being remembered we're all really interesting. Enkidu learning about the world for the first time added some humor to the mix. Shamhat? Fucking badass, I would read a book about her.

In the end though, the conflicts were too easily resolved (like the seven terrors - I would have read an entire book about those) and the story just not quite compelling enough to get a higher rating. The events at the end make me think maybe it'll be worth picking up book 2 now that we have the baseline information sorted. But, that's to be seen.

I really loved this. I was a big fan of Bailey's 'Apollo Ascending' series and was super excited for this and it didn't disappoint. It did have a slow start and I was afraid I wouldn't like it but the pace soon picked up and I warmed up more to Gilgamesh who initially came off as very abrasive but it made sense and worked for the character as the story progressed.

This is well-written and well researched and I really enjoyed it.

This was an emotional and well-written novel that has a lot packed into it. It was a slow starter for me but once it got going it was impossible to put down. I absolutely loved Nicole Bailey's 'Apollo Ascending' series and it had me on tenterhooks for the entire series, whilst I didn't love this as much as I did the first in that series it was still addicting and I really enjoyed it.

It felt like there was a lot of research done for this and it was woven in incredibly well. The world-building is extensive and very thorough, I felt it paired great with the story and pace. The characters were also very well written and had a lot of personality. I loved how Shamat was portrayed and how she was presented as an ally and loved one of Gilgamesh rather than an obstacle which she could have been. The story is very close to the actual text of the 'Epic of Gilgamesh' but with some changes that let it stand on it's own beautifully and those changes seem very tastefully done.

I'm a little pissed off at the ending, mostly because I have to wait until August to read the sequel. So, that's not a complaint at all really.

Overall I really enjoyed this and can't wait for the sequel.

Let me start by saying that I love when authors actually give you glossary for words that they use throughout the book as something that you can reference if you are ever confused. I've read so many where the words are just thrown in there and you never actually know what they mean and you are just forced to use context clues.

Ok now on to the actual review.

This is my first time reading a retelling of The Epic of Gilgamesh, so I had very high hopes that this would want me to do more research and read more about this. And it did not disappoint.

Gilgamesh was a great main character with great progression throughout the story. He starts off as a stoic man who is very focused on his responsibilities, fulfilling his duty, and being remembered/having his name live on. Due to this, he is quite ruthless and has taken many wives, and had many children to secure alliances. Basically, he was pretty unlikeable. However, there is more to him than meets the eye and as you read on, you learn more about his true character.

Enkidu is a man who was blessed by the gods and raised by the wolves. According to the gods, Enkidu must assist Gilgamesh by changing his outlook on life and trying to make him be a better man. Of course, after living in the woods and being raised by wolves, he is quite innocent, so of course he and Gilgamesh tend to butt heads in the beginning.

The romance was definitely a slow burn but the wait was so worth it. The way that Gilgamesh and Enkidu interacted once they got to know each other was so sweet and caring.

Shamhat was also a great character because she was a no nonsense queen. She was not afraid to put Gilgamesh in his place when he needed to be. Her interactions with Gilgamesh were so full of trust and care and they were the perfect (platonic) husband and wife.

And.... dear Author...... I need the sequel now. You can't end it like that. Please don't do this to me :(

𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗦: ᴍʏᴛʜᴏʟᴏɢʏ. ʜɪꜱᴛᴏʀɪᴄᴀʟ. ɢᴀʏ. Qᴜᴇᴇʀ. ꜰᴀɴᴛᴀꜱʏ.
📖ᴀʀᴄ 🏳️‍🌈⁠

I would probably read anything queer that has a mythology plot to it. Fantasy, mystery, paranormal and horror books, I read despite the sexuality or identity of the MCs. I have not read much of Nicole's work but I did read that first book in "Apollo Ascending" series and I liked this. This one has been a really wonderful development and I definitely going back to binge that Apollo series, continue this one and then I have seen some sapphic work on her GR account and I am most definitely checking those out as well.

Now, this was a fabulous read so I am really excited for book 2. I got so many warm feelings while reading this book. All those lovely 186 highlights brought me such high feelings. The plot is good, I read that it is a retelling but I don't know that OG story. The chemistry between the MCs was so well paced and soft, I immensely adored it. The different relationships and interactions were well-written with a sweet sensitivity, it was really touching. I am wholeheartedly intrigued and interested in book 2 because that cliffhanger was really sad.

PS: Why is it that hetero women are occasionally the main villains in gay relationships? That awful wench ruined a beautiful moment and HEA.. So, I have expectations for book 2, since I hunger for emotions, that stuff better be gut-wrenching but with a sweet therapeutic ending because as much as I love emotions, I hate unnecessary trauma.


𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙍𝘾 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙫𝙞𝙖 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙜𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙨𝙤 𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬.

In the Midst of Omens by Nicole Bailey was an epic Gilgamesh retelling!
The storytelling was so well done.
And the characters are beyond entertaining.
I had a lot of fun reading this one.

Thank You NetGalley and Victory Editing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

In the Midst of Omens by Nicole Bailey is visceral, emotional and powerful. Pulling on the legend of Gilgamesh and Enkidu, it tells a tale that brings the legends to life, adding complexity and humanity to the stirring tale. As soon as I began reading the novel, I was drawn in by the voices of Gilgamesh and Enkidu, the emotions stirring and their voices powerful.
One of the elements I loved the best is the real human emotions that Nicole Bailey explores, the pressures of being a king but adding in the supernatural elements of the gods and goddesses. The story also explores the dynamic between Gilgamesh and Enkidu believably, adding in the romance in a realistic manner and demonstrating the close bond between the two. While it would have been fantastic to get the full legend in one book, I like that the book is only part one of the story because it allows room to develop the relationship and adds complexity. I can’t wait for the second half.
If you like stories of legends and gods, this is the novel for you. It takes the legend of Gilgamesh and breathes life into the narrative, adds complexity and emotion, while adhering to the supernatural and historical elements. Nicole Bailey is true to the essence of the legend while giving us a visceral and emotional story that is realistic even with the more fantastical notes. It is powerful and romantic.

Wow! This book took my little English undergrad heart who kept reading classic texts and thinking “this is kinda gay”, and gave it everything they ever wanted. This book is for lovers of Song of Achilles and gay chemistry. What a kickoff for pride month 2024.

Nicole Bailey did her research. She did a commendable job at staying true to the myth while also making it her own. Rewriting a classic text such as the epic of Gilgamesh could easily become cheap or boring, but I think this novel kept that deep world building and exploration while also letting the characters be their own people.

Certain parts felt slow while others felt jarring, and I do think this is a book for those who love a thorough world building fantasy. I’m not sure if those who don’t know the myth well will pick up on a lot of the nuances and if they will get lost, but for me, as someone who hasn’t read it since freshmen year of college, I loved it. We’ll see if I pick up the sequel—bring back standalones, please, I can’t take this anymore!

Thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the eARC! Here is my honest review.

In this novel, Nicole Bailey retells the Epic of Gilgamesh and brings mythohistoric Ancient Sumer to life. In the cradle of civilization, gods fight for worship and adoration, monsters lurk in cedar forests, and kings and warriors strive to forge a legacy worth remembering.

This novel was everything I dreamed of while learning Mesopotamian mythology in ancient civilization classes in high school and university. I feel like this mythology has been slept on by authors for so long during an age where mythology retellings are more popular than ever, and Bailey skillfully shines a light on the mythology which is as old as human civilization itself. It’s apparent that Bailey researched culture, clothing, and religion during the writing of this novel, and brought all of that to the table in In the Midst of Omens. It is also apparent that Bailey has closely read the Epic of Gilgamesh (I can only imagine how many times!), and holds the original text in high regard while crafting a unique and original version of it.

There are certainly aspects of the original Epic which Bailey has altered in this retelling, but the alterations are made in such a way that still nods to the original text, rather than ignoring it, which I find deeply endearing, and given that story-telling conventions have somewhat changed in the last thousands of years, I think some changes were necessary in order to make the audience eager to spend time with and route for Gilgamesh as a character. Bailey artfully walks this tightrope, and succeeds in spades, as far as I’m concerned,.

There’s a peculiar kind of dramatic irony that comes inherent with skillfully told myth retellings, where the reader knows the ending, and finds themselves drawn through the narrative regardless, watching the inevitable destiny of the characters unfold and being unable to stop it or to look away. Bailey evokes this feeling beautifully in this novel.

With lovely prose, an evident love for the source text, a charming cast of characters, and the fated chemistry between Gilgamesh and Enkidu, In the Midst of Omens is perfect for fans of Madeline Miller and Sarah Underwood. You don’t need to have familiarity with the Epic of Gilgamesh or Mesopotamian mythology to enjoy In the Midst of Omens, but if you do, you’ll appreciate Bailey’s attention to detail and original flair.

If you’re looking for a sometimes-spicy, entirely heart felt mythological read, with throughlines of impending grief, the endurance of the human spirit and the human heart, and the deeply human need to leave something behind worth remembering, then you won’t in any way be disappointed with this novel. I, for one, eagerly await Bailey’s next novel and the continuation of her retelling of this most ancient of tales.

Epic of Gilgamesh yaoi yessss YESSS. I honestly only requested this because the idea of a Gilgamesh/Enkidu cliche romantasy retelling made me giggle while scrolling through NetGalley, BUT I enjoyed myself!

I struggled through the opening scene/s, and I was worried for a minute that, given the nature of the source material (which I did read for an Ancient Literature class that I Did drop out of in the middle of Tale of Genji 👍), this retelling might have a darker tone, but it didn't, which I was grateful for. I did not want an edgy gay problematic retelling of The Epic of Gilgamesh. If I wanted that I would simply read The Epic of Gilgamesh.

I liked the family themes in this, and I really liked how Gilgamesh thought about his son in his internal narration. His relationship with Shamat was great also, I worried before I started that Shamat would be painted as some sort of jealous skank but No! Feminism wins!

I am actually really intrigued to read the sequel because I want to know if it will get as bleak as it potentially could, and if it does I won't complain. I like tragic doomed yaoi. Because I have TASTE.

Thank you to NetGalley, Nicole Bailey, and Victory Editing for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

If in depth world building is your thing, I think you will very much enjoy this work. I was very much looking forward to a new rendition of Gilgamesh’s story. In my case, it’s been some time since I read his original telling so I could go into this piece with practically fresh eyes. I enjoyed Gilgamesh’s interactions with his Queen but his ambition stopped me from truly enjoying his character, which in some ways that could be part of the point? I like how much depth the author gave to the support characters. This story personally wasn’t what I was expecting. My heart was very attached to Enkidu. I appreciate being given the opportunity to receive this book as an arc to read from Netgalley.

DNF @ 10%
This is a case of "it's not you, it's me". Given that this is a retelling of the Epic of Gilgamesh, the oldest story ever, I expected the writing style to be more classic and prose-y, but the writing feels really modern fantasy, which threw me off.

Thank you Nicole Bailey and team!
This was a home run retelling, and I usually hate them! Even with the familiar trope of a still loved fairy tale, this was fresh. All of the cozy familiarity of a story but so many differences at the same time.

How do you bring a God King down to earth? You give him something that he’s never had before.

This is the premise behind the Epic of Gilgamesh and it forms the core tenant of In The Midst of Omens by Nicole Bailey, a new take on the great story. And what a story it is.

When we are introduced to Gilgamesh, we meet a man, a God, who is hellbent on securing his legacy. He wants to rule everything the sun touches. He wants to leave behind a legacy that will see him remembered forever.

To that end he embarks first on a negotiation then a war with the city-state of Umma. The fight there brings him a vision, one that will play a crucial role throughout the story. Disturbed by this he visits his mother, the Goddess Ninsun, and as Goddesses often do, she gives him a hint but nothing more.

His mother and his wife, Shahmat, are conspiring together. Not to bring him down, but to make him realise that the present is what matters. Not the future.

To this end we meet Enkidu, a man created by the Gods to try and satiate and distract Gilgamesh.

Their initial meeting is fraught; full kudos to Nicole Bailey for that genius! Then as they embark on a campaign and as Gilgamesh soothes the man from the wild, love blossoms. A love that cannot be tamed by either man no matter their efforts—and oh how they try!

Gilgamesh, this insatiable man, focused on his legacy is brought to earth and to love when he and his friend confront the dragon stalking the forest. Death and loss and rebirth brings Gilgamesh clarity and brings him and Enkidu together, but at a cost.

For Gilgamesh has tried desperately to prevent Inanna, the patron Goddess of Uruk from consuming him and his beloved city. But at the last, perhaps he is thwarted.

Nicole Bailey has done a fantastic job bringing these legendary characters to life. To adding detail and meat to their bones.

My favourite part of this story was how she showed Gilgamesh, a God King, realising what really matters.

I also particularly liked his relationship with Shahmat, their unusual marriage and the way they complimented one another to fulfil their shared goal.

If you’re a fan of the Ancient Near East, historical fiction or just fantastic writing in general, be sure to purchase In The Midst Of Omens on 4th June.

I adored the Gilgamesh myth when I was younger and I absolutely love that someone decided to make Gilgamesh and Enkidu's bond romantic. I'm always down for some enemies to lovers. I also love any type of retellings so the fact that this book had Beauty and the Beast vibes really excited me. Unfortunately the execution wasn't really for me. I found the story was too slow and I was frustrated with Gilgamesh's excessive ambition. He just seemed like a very cold character and that made it hard for me to get into the romance. However, if you love retellings with MC who's ambition rivals Alexander Hamilton this could be the book for you!

THIS BOOK IS MADE FOR ME 😭

Okay, maybe not literally… but I distinctly remember the first time I read the Epic of Gilgamesh in high school. I wasn't out as gay or trans, hadn't even figured that out for myself yet… but something about Gilgamesh and Enkidu resonated with me.

I was ecstatic to see this ARC suggested. After all these years, here it is! In the Midst of Omens did not disappoint. Bailey takes time to build a fascinating world and explore each character in a way I didn't even know I needed. This makes the slow-burn romance all the more wonderful.

While I initially went into this book for the gay romance, I am in love with how Bailey writes other kinds of complex relationships. For instance, Gilgamesh and Shamhat are a platonic power couple. Love is not a one-size-fits-all concept in this book. This concept feels so refreshing and makes me even more excited for the next book.

Thank you so so much for the chance to read this ARC for free. I'm leaving this review of my own accord.

As my introduction to the Epic of Gilgamesh, this title has me looking forward to both its planned sequel and the original source material!

In the Midst of Omens feels, in part, like a slightly overlong sequence of exposition for those of us (myself included) who are not familiar with the tale. And there is something about the character of Gilgamesh that feels removed from the reader, even as other characters (like Enkidu and Shamhat) seem to draw us closer. Even so, when the novel came to an end I almost jumped up off the couch in anger until I saw that there is a planned sequel! Which to my mind puts to rest any hesitation in thinking well of this story. Now that the characters and setting are established, I'm hoping that the sequel is akin to the last third of this book, which I found to be the most compelling.

A retelling of the Epic of Gilgamesh? Sign me in! Especially a queer one, since the relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu is so strong. I must say "In the mids of Omens" is little bit too modern if atmosphere and vibes compared to my expectation for a retelling of the oldest written story in the world. I was expecting more grit and clay tablet feel, to have the impression of discovering something a bit foreign for my conetmmporary mind.
The book is still good though and will suit readers of fantasy liking strong enough worldbuilding, mythology adaptation and diverse queer relationships. The writing is nice, not the greatest but it suits the story; the rythm is good enough too. I wasn't that involved in the characters, but I think other readers might enjoy the dynamics. It just wasn't for me this time!