Natalie Haynes expertly takes us through some of the goddesses of Greek mythology. She always brings somethign new to whatever tale she tells, whether in her works of fiction or non-fiction books.

Haynes explores and pieces together the original texts for each goddess, be it the Muses, Athena, Demeter or others, challenging some of the commonly held beliefs or assumptions some of us hold about them. But she also gives a really interesting insight into more modern takes and where we can find retellings in popular culture.

Whether this books inspires you to explore the original stories, some modern retellings (I highly recommend Haynes' own fictional tales) or to watch The Hunger Games in a new light, this is a fascinating and insightful read.

I was so confused at first when reading this as I assumed it was a fiction book. And so when I first started it, I thought Natalie was giving a little background in the introduction as to why she was writing the book. I thought at first it was a character talking, but then she started talking about the internet and Wonder Woman and Batman, so I thought "okay, she's giving us a little background information".

But then that viewpoint didn't change. So I went back online and looked it up and, yes, it is a non-fiction, which made a lot more sense to me. And if I'm honest I think I prefer that. I've said before that I have never been a huge fan of mythological retellings, they've never really hit the mark for me - except for the brilliant Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati earlier this year - but I also like Natalie's work, so I went in with an open mind. But I love history and so enjoyed this more as a non-fiction than I think I would as a fiction. I recently got a tattoo of one of the muses from Disney's Hercules, and I felt it was almost telling me to read this book.

If I'm honest, I was overjoyed to see Natalie had paid homage to Hercules early on in the book. Animated films generally don't get the credit they deserve for teaching audiences. They're seen as too lowbrow. But I'm sure I'm not the only person who has had their first taste of history, and how history can be cool and fun, through Disney animation. And to see a popular author using it to make a pint about historical events, it was just wonderful to see. Even if it did have a mix of The Gospel Truth and Zero to Hero in my head throughout.

She has mentioned a lot of artwork, poems, books, and stories, and in such detail that I sat there Googling, wanting to see the artwork for myself as she described them, making note of the books mentioned so I may look them up for further reading.

I admit, like many others, that when I think of Gods, I do only think of Gods, I rarefy think about Goddesses, even if the female counterparts proved the most important (in my opinion). It's fascinating that all this history (whether true or mythological) has been lost all because we teach and learn through a male viewpoint. That's not necessarily a bad thing. I don't think we need to force a feminist or masculine viewpoint just because, I'd rather we learnt everything from a neutral viewpoint. But looking back, we are often taught about the Gods like Zeus and Poseidon and Hades, but very rarely do we learn about Hera and Eris and Gaia or Nyx. They're names we might recognise but we're not familiar with their stories. And I think this book is a great starting point if you want to learn more about Goddesses. Its not something I would have thought all that much about before, but she's really piqued my interest.

It's not an easy book to read. It's not one to read when there's other distractions, with the telly on, or with company, or if you're waiting for the oven timer to beep. It requires your full attention, and that can be intense. But it's worth it.

Aw man I really wanted to love this one, but just couldn't sink my teeth into it! I struggled to stay interested, although I can't fault the writing, it was easy to understand and read. I also learned a lot, and learned things I never knew before, so the book was both educational and entertaining. I did like it, just didn't love it.

Book Review 📚
Divine Might by Natalie Hayes - 4.5/5 ⭐

Not my first Hayes book and certainly will not be my last. She has such a beautiful skill in writing about Greek Mythology in her books and it's captivating. So much detail and description behind her words, truly phenomenal.

Her knowledge never ceases to amaze me when reading one of her books, you can quite clearly tell just how much work is behind her writing. Hayes' writing is so vivid and enchanting that I can, and will always, be engrossed by her books.

Divine Might takes a closer look at the Goddesses in Olympus and their stories. Hayes, somehow, makes the Goddess life like and relatable? It's honestly impeccable how she does this. But once again she's produced a phenomenal piece of writing that will keep me coming back for more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for allowing me to read this ARC - this is an HONEST review from my own personal opinion.

Divine Might is a book all about the goddesses throughout Greek Mythology, and how different authors interpreted their stories. I had read and thoroughly enjoyed Pandora’s Jar and knew that I was going to love Divine Might just as much, and I really did. The author is one of my favourites and I love her writing style and the humorous approach to certain situations, with contemporary references sprinkled throughout to draw in a modern reader to an ancient environment and allow us to connect and reflect on the past. I was lucky enough to meet Natalie Haynes in an event a while ago, and I was really excited to hear she was bringing out a new book, so I’m beyond grateful to have been given the chance to read this ARC, because it was definitely one of my most anticipated reads of the year and I can’t wait to get my own physical copy! I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in Greek Mythology and the way both women and goddesses are portrayed throughout.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc, I was very excited for this as the author is well established in her field
As always Natalie Haynes writing and knowledge is outstanding, she weaves such great tales with humour
In this book she examines the roles of the goddesses in Greek myth
This was beautiful and such a joy to read from start to finish
Recommended for mythology fans

For some time now, Natalie Haynes has established beyond question her impeccable credentials with respect to presenting stories from Greek mythology. Her writing brings vividly to life the Gods of the Greek pantheon, from their powers to their pouting tendencies.

And perhaps more importantly, given the traditional male lens that dominates myth as much as it does history and much of our present-day reality, Haynes provides us with a unique look at the Goddesses.

In a way, her previous (re)writings have all been leading up to this, a magnum opus of sorts. And she provides a fascinating insight into her logic (and by extension, her creative process) in the introductory essay with which the book begins.

In Divine Might, Haynes takes a closer look at the female characters of Olympus - not just the Goddesses, but also the crucially important "supporting characters", like the Furies.

Her sympathetic gaze teases out unexpected nuances, and in some case, she sets the official narrative on its head, making characters often derided seem far more relatable; and in some cases, more justified in their actions and reactions.

From the long- suffering Hera to the immensely powerful but too often underestimated Aphrodite (what, you thought the Trojan War was just the result of Helen being a pretty woman?!), Haynes allows us to see the women of Olympus very differently from the way that they are traditionally portrayed. Indeed, perhaps more as they would themselves wish to be portrayed...