Babylonia

"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." - The Washington Post, 10 Noteworthy Books for January

"Mesmerizingly intricate...Captivating and historically insightful...A resonant page turner." - BookPage

"Casati chronicles the ruthless rise of Assyrian queen Semiramis in this masterful saga...No matter how much cruelty Semiramis dispenses, Casati never loses sight of what drives her heroine to achieve a status where she need not obey anyone else. Admirers of Robert Graves's Claudius novels will be riveted." - Publishers Weekly, STARRED review

"Casati renders the ancient world Semiramis inhabits in vivid detail, bringing in the perspective of a slave in her household, and together, the pair illustrates the influence even the most unlikely actors can have on history. Casati's compelling second outing portraying the Assyrian empire's only queen is another triumph." - Booklist

"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; they carve out their space in our hearts, and in our shared humanity." - Annie Garthwaite, author of Cecily

"A stirring, addictive and intoxicating tale with a deft weaving of myth and history. Emotionally rich and lyrically genius, Babylonia cements Costanza Casati as one of the most skilled and exciting writers of historical fiction, bringing an incomparable vibrance to the genre. An incredible novel." - Bea Fitzgerald, bestselling author of Girl, Goddess, Queen

"To read Babylonia is to witness something special. Incredibly richly drawn, sensuous in its imagery of gold and animals, clay pressed images and shadow, it's superbly done. Semiramis herself is a brilliant character-one you will care very much for." - Conn Iggulden, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Emperor and Conqueror series

"I was up late reading Babylonia last night-it's a work of art. Even better than Clytemnestra. How does Costanza do this? Brava a thousand times-this is a masterpiece." - Elodie Harper, international bestselling author of The Wolf Den

"Babylonia was, in short, a vicious delight. With the resplendent prose that truly distinguishes her work, Casati plunges us into an untapped age of antiquity. In doing so, she also draws us into a world of intrigue, beauty, and necessary ruthlessness in the name of power. Readers will revel in the tale of the enigmatic Semiramis from its first page to its last. This is a story richly rendered and utterly captivating." - Ayana Gray, New York Times bestselling author

"Babylonia is rich with emotion, fire and fury. I am in awe of Costanza Casati's ability to weave together a historical epic, while bravely laying bare all the complexities of the human heart. She is a master at work!" - Pim Wangtechawat, author of The Moon Represents My Heart