If you read the author’s previous novel, Clytemnestra, how did the two compare?
Both books were about strong women. Both beautifully written. I am a fan!
I liked Babylonia a lot more than Clytemnestra. Although I don’t mind violence in books at all, the cold-blooded killing of Clytemnestra’s children was hard for me to read about (although based on historical/mythical accounts). Her motivation - revenge - also didn’t draw me in.
Babylonia was the first I have read by this author. However, I enjoyed Babylonia so much that I now want to read more by the author.
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Sorry, I haven’t read Clytemnestra. I do have an ARC of it so need to pick it up in the near future.
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Clytemnestra and Babylonia are both about strong women who achieve their goals by being smart and cunning. The story of Clytemnestra is based on a character found in Greek mythology while Semiramis was an actual woman who lived in ancient Assyria. Both books were intense, rather violent and captivating from the first chapter.
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Both books are about strong women who have been treated with contempt in other writings. I also listened to the author’s interview after reading Cltemnestra and was very impressed by the research that she did. I compare both of these books to books about Joan of Arc by Kathryn Harrison and Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff. All of these books address strong women who have been made to be less than they were by male writers of history.
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I have read both books and there are similarities. Both are depictions of strong women that provide insight into the female perspective. I felt that in both cases the women have been falsely described prior to this book. The author does a remarkable job of describing the details about the food, the clothes and daily life of these worlds, so that I felt I was there!
The main difference is Clytemnestra is from Greek mythology and Semiramis was a real person. Also, due to the Assyrian culture and times, there was more violence described in Babylonia.
I would recommend both books, and I look forward to the next book from the author.
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I read and loved both. Previously, I had not read mythology, but Clytemnestra piqued my interest. I will definitely be watching for her third book and will read it.
I loved both but have to admit that Clytemnestra had such an emotional punch to it. I had a sleepless night following some of the events in that novel. But both were remarkable stories highlighting the role women played in history, even if not appreciated.
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I have not read Clytemnestra, but loved Babylonia and will definitely plan on reading it in the near future.
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I really preferred Clytemnestra. It felt much more immediate, while Babylonia felt like “more of a slog.” I would recommend both books as well written and informative and as excellent historical fiction.
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I read both books, and while they have similar themes, I enjoyed Babylonia over Clytemnestra. Both books take place in similar time periods and cover various grades of violence, but Babylonia appealed to me more because Semiramis was born a commoner and rose to a royal position. I also appreciated that her character was based on a real person and not just mythology.
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