Babylonia

Author Costanza Casati
Narrator Ayesha Antoine
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Publish Date 4 July 2024
Run Time 16 hours and 22 minutes
Format Audio
Genre Historical fiction, Myths and Legends.

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What to expect

Brought to you by Penguin.
A CAPTIVATING TALE THAT CHARTS THE CONTROVERSIAL LIFE AND RISE TO POWER OF SEMIRAMIS, THE ONLY FEMALE RULER OF THE ASSYRIAN EMPIRE

There are whispers of her fame, in the land long since turned to dust. The Queen who rose from nothing – and changed everything . . .

Ancient Assyria, 9th century BC.

An orphan is raised on the outskirts of a brutal empire. Heir to a tragic prophecy, Semiramis dreams of wielding power and escaping her destiny.

Far away, a reluctant prince walks the corridors of his gilded palace in a city built by the gods. Ninus would rather spend his days in books and poetry than conquering the world of men. But when he meets Onnes, a broken, beautiful warrior, something awakens in them both. And as they grow into young men, their friendship deepens into something fiercer still.

That is until Semiramis arrives.

A savage love soon erupts between them all, even as a dark threat to the kingdom mounts. And before long, all three will be forced to learn the lesson of the gods – in Babylonia, you must bend the world to your will.

What doesn't bend, you break.

‘A stirring, addictive and intoxicating tale. . . Casati’s Babylonia has cemented her as one of the most skilled and exciting writers of historical fiction’ BEA FITZGERALD, author of GIRL, GODDESS, QUEEN

'An astounding achievement, one of the most vivid, powerful works of historical fiction I have ever read. . . I was utterly swept up in the world of this novel' ELODIE HARPER, author of The Wolf Den

‘Reading Babylonia is like reading an enchantment on the page, in which the unfathomable heroines of legend and history become living people’ ANNIE GARTHWAITE, author of Cecily

©2024 Costanza Casati (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critics Review

Costanza Casati has taken the fragments of stories about this extraordinary woman and recreated her world with a vivid panache

The Times

A wonderfully sweeping epic, Babylonia, not only recreates the ancient world with an extraordinarily tactile vividness, but gives us a portrait of a remarkable woman. Semiramis may be ruthless in her pursuit of power but her courage and passion, rendered in Casati’s supremely confident and fluent style, make her a compelling heroine for our times. I was utterly captivated.

Elizabeth Fremantle, author of Disobedient

Babylonia is an astounding achievement, one of the most vivid, powerful works of historical fiction I have ever read. Semiramis herself is an extraordinary creation – a woman whose rise makes for a thrilling, epic journey, while she also remains deeply human. I was utterly swept up in the world of this novel, in the passions and power struggles of its fascinating protagonists, all of whom completely captured my heart

Elodie Harper, author of The Wolf Den

A stirring, addictive and intoxicating tale with a deft weaving of myth and history. Emotionally rich and lyrically genius, Casati’s Babylonia has cemented her as one of the most skilled and exciting writers of historical fiction, bringing an incomparable vibrance to the genre

Bea Fitzgerald, author of Girl, Goddess, Queen

There is an entrancing quality to Costanza Casati’s writing that transports us to other worlds and past times, then holds us there – willingly enmeshed in story – until the final page is turned. Reading Babylonia is like reading an enchantment on the page, in which the unfathomable heroines of legend and history become living people, who suffer, bleed, dare, and love; and carve out their space in our hearts, and in our shared humanity

Annie Garthwaite, author of Cecily

To read Babylonia is to witness something special. Incredibly richly drawn, sensuous in its imagery of clay pressed images and shadow, it’s superbly done. Semiramis herself is a brilliant character – one you will care for very much

Babylonia had me hooked from its very opening lines. Casati’s prose is arrestingly beautiful, breathing life into the stunning yet brutal world of the Assyrian empire. This is a tale of love, power, and survival, focusing on three central protagonists who are crafted with such depth and nuance, making this an utterly captivating read. Through Babylonia, Casati has proven, once again, why she is one of the most exciting new voices within the historical fiction genre.

Rosie Hewlett

Babylonia consumed me, and I devoured it. It is a searing tale of love and ambition set within the bloody wars of the ancient Assyrian. The depth and strength of this story of Semiramis is extraordinary; her resilience, her passion, and her power. Costanza Casati deals with generational trauma, inheritance and the brutal terrors of war through the eyes of love and ambition. Casati is a beautiful storyteller, and a writer of true brilliance. If you want a story that delves deeper into the past than you have been before, this is the one for you.

Hannah Kaner, bestselling author of Godkiller

The epic rise of the ambitious female protagonist is complemented by truly gorgeous writing, and the spying and scheming was reminiscent of the juiciest Game of Thrones scenes

Cosmopolitan

An epic historical fantasy. . . rich with palace intrigue and passion, including a tragic love triangle. A true escape

AARP

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