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Reading lists

9 holiday reads set in Greece

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The book to read based on your favourite Taylor Swift song

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The best novels based on mythology from around the world

Clytemnestra

FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF BABYLONIA 
 
Mother. Monarch. Murderer. Magnificent . . . meet Clytemnestra, the ancient world's most wronged woman . . . 
 
'Vivid with fury, passion and strength, this is a fabulous myth retelling' Jennifer Saint 
 
'A blaze of a novel, fiery and furious - and alight with murderous revenge' Daily Mail 
 
---- 
 
She is born to a king but marries a tyrant. 
 
She watches helplessly as he sacrifices her child to the gods. 
 
She bides her time. She plots revenge. She knows how to play this game. 
 
If power will not be given to her, then she will take it for herself. 
 
She is Clytemnestra. 
 
---- 
 
*Costanza Casati's new Sunday Times bestselling novel BABYLONIA is out now. Discover the captivating tale of the Assyrian empire's only female ruler, Semiramis, and her rise to power.* 
 
'A passionate picture of a fiercely patriarchal society and her heroine's refusal to be bound by its rules' 
Sunday Times 
 
'A powerhouse of a novel. Clytemnestra's rage, heartbreak and determination radiate off the page' Elodie Harper 
 
'A thrilling tale of power and prophecies, and the fierce Queen who fought back at those who wronged her' Cosmopolitan

Strong and immersive. Well-worth plucking from the pile of chiton-lit

Vivid with fury, passion and strength, this is a fabulous myth retelling. A powerful, thought-provoking portrayal of a fascinating and complicated woman framed in beautiful prose. I loved it

JENNIFER SAINT, bestselling author of ARIADNE and ELEKTRA

Wow! What a powerhouse of a novel. Savage, passionate and absolutely spellbinding. The recreation of Sparta is astonishing - you feel you are with Clytemnestra, completely immersed in the brutal world she inhabits with her siblings, whose complex relationships are drawn with skill and tenderness. Clytemnestra's rage, heartbreak and determination radiate off the page. I was utterly gripped

Elodie Harper, bestselling author of THE WOLF DEN & THE HOUSE WITH THE GOLDEN DOOR

A blaze of a novel, fiery and furious - and alight with murderous revenge. Like Madeline Miller and Jennifer Saint, Casati offers the female perspective on the old, patriarchal tropes of the Greek myths

Rivals House of the Dragon in conspiracies and feminine brutality. Here is a complex and courageous woman, all flesh and blood, simmering with passion. Facing the grimmest of betrayals, Clytemnestra's ruthless desire for revenge powers a thrilling plot. This is an electrifying read that shocks and fascinates in equal measure

LIZ FREMANTLE, the critically acclaimed author of QUEEN'S GAMBIT

A heroine of fierce spirit caught in a world ruled by men, finding a way through with a sharp, unquenchable courage. With the fire and spark of Madeline Miller and the depths of Mary Renault, Clytemnestra will keep you reading well into the small hours, and your dreams will be of worlds where women reach for the gods

A passionate picture of a fiercely patriarchal society and her heroine's refusal to be bound by its 
rules

Clytemnestra, whose name has come to epitomise female wickedness, has found a worthy advocate in Costanza Casati and this fascinating Greek myth retelling . . . Casati brings the blood-soaked world of Greek mythology fully alive in this powerful novel

Costanza Casati renders a singularly vibrant Ancient Greece, absolutely alive with emotion and suspense. Casati reveals a Clytemnestra we've never met before: fiercely intelligent, passionate, and loving - and willing to do anything to avenge the ones she loves

Naomi Krupitsky, New York Times bestselling author of THE FAMILY

A swift-paced telling of the story of Clytemnestra, the fierce but loving princess of often-brutal Sparta . . . The easy-to-follow storytelling and well-rounded characters in the novel really draw in the reader

Ablaze with moments of deep tenderness and visceral ferocity, Casati's Clytemnestra gives the phrase 'fight like a girl' its rightfully heroic and empowering meaning! Beautifully told in a style that pays nimble homage to classic Greek mythology, Clytemnestra is a rich and compelling read, and even more so for every woman who has ever had to fight to reclaim her power. A must-read!

Buki Papillon, author of AN ORDINARY WONDER

Bold and elegant, this novel deconstructs Clytemnestra's infamy and then, with tremendous empathy and wisdom, reconstructs her into an enthrallingly complex figure filled with passion and spirit. This fiery tale of revenge and desire really is the stuff of legend

Sarah Priscus, author of the critically-acclaimed GROUPIES

Powerful and sympathetic, Clytemnestra shines a light on Helen of Troy's overshadowed sister. Crafted with page-turning suspense, Casati spins a mesmerizing story of an ambitious warrior queen who must use all her skill to protect herself and those she loves from men who view women not as equals, but as pawns to be sacrificed upon the altars of lust, greed, and fame. An ancient and intriguing tale made fresh for today's 21st century battles

Liz Michalski, author of DARLING GIRL: A NOVEL OF PETER PAN

A thrilling reimagining of an infamous Greek figure

A thrilling tale of power and prophecies, and the fierce Queen who fought back at those who wronged her

COSMOPOLITAN, 'The best books to look forward to in 2023'

If magical mythological books call your name, Clytemnestra is the one for you

Swift-paced, straightforward storytelling, richly imagined characters. Timeless

Savage, passionate and absolutely spellbinding. Clytemnestra's rage, her heartbreak and her determination radiate off the page

ELODIE HARPER, bestselling author of THE WOLF DEN and THE HOUSE WITH THE GOLDEN DOOR

Costanza Casati was born in Texas and grew up in a village in Northern Italy, where she studied Ancient Greek, and Ancient Greek literature, under one of the country’s most rigorous academic programmes. She is a graduate of the prestigious Warwick Writing MA in the UK, and has worked as a screenwriter and journalist. Her debut novel, Clytemnestra, has sold into 20 territories worldwide, was the winner of the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award and was shortlisted for the Historical Writers Association Debut Crown Award. Babylonia, her second novel, was an instant Sunday Times bestseller.

'When vengeance calls and the gods stop watching, 
what do we do to those who harm the people we love?' 
 
Wife. Mother. Fighter. Conspirator. Queen. CLYTEMNESTRA. 
 
This is the story of a daughter betrayed by her father. Who watches her sister be destroyed by violence and rape. Whose child is sacrificed to ensure her family's power. Who fights as fiercely as any warrior. Who falls in love with her husband's enemy. Who is hungry for otherworldly retribution against both men and gods... 
 
 
This is Clytemnestra, the most notorious heroine of the Ancient World. Know her name. 
 
 
Condemned by Homer and the Greek poets as a sexually faithless, deceitful, murderous woman, Clytemnestra's voice is obscured by the spiteful judgement of history. A judgement that refuses to see her strength and her cunning, her grief and her rage. Costanza Cosati's dazzling debut isn't just a retelling of the consequences of war on women - it is about how women fought their own wars. Because Clytemnestra understood something that the others didn't: 
 
If power isn't given to you, you have to take it for yourself.

Costanza Casati

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Mesmerizingly intricate. . . Captivating and historically insightful, Casati’s Babylonia is a resonant page turner

Based on the ancient Middle Eastern legend of a warrior queen, Casati’s sweeping epic incorporates the era’s brutality but also its cultural richness

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. 
 
That is until Semiramis arrives. A savage love soon erupts between them all. 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.

Costanza Casati

Praise for Babylonia

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

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 ...

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, ...

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

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 ...

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, ...

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

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 ...

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, ...

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