Wow, wow, wow. Nothing I say will truly capture how much I loved reading this. From the prologue, I knew I was going to be hooked.

Mythica shines a spotlight on women. Each chapter focuses on a different woman from the works of Homer, and by using archaeological, historical, and scientific evidence from the Bronze Age, it reimagines these figures of myth. The book demythifies them and roots their stories in reality in a way that feels fresh and fascinating. It also challenges many longstanding assumptions about the role of women during that time, which I found so interesting.
And as someone with a science background, I was especially excited by the mentions of ancient DNA!

What really stood out for me, though, was Hauser’s storytelling. She weaves fiction and non-fiction together so seamlessly, creating a compelling and thought-provoking narrative in each chapter.

I don’t usually gravitate towards non-fiction, and I’m not a classicist (most of my knowledge comes from some brilliant podcasts), but I still adored this book. It’s incredibly accessible, even if you’re not typically a non-fiction reader—so I’d really encourage you to give it a try.

Thank you so much to Double Day UK for the eARC of the brilliant Mythica!

This has to be one of my favourite releases of 2025 and where was it when I was researching dissertation ideas in 2023?

I feel like I constantly repeat this but Penelope is one of my favourite characters from ancient literature so I was sold on this book the minute I knew there was a section dedicated to her. I want to highlight that this is not a retelling or fiction but a detailed look into the women behind the tales.

Dr Emily Hauser's work is well-researched and written in an engaging way perfect for those wanting to learn more behind the stories of The Iliad and The Odyssey. I love the combination of archaeological evidence and translated works to help get a broader picture. I really could have done with this when looking at Helen, Penelope and Circe as part of my portrayal of Homer's women in my dissertation.

I highly recommend picking up a copy of your interested in a more in depth look at those featured in The Iliad and Odyssey!

Hauser is one of my favourite classicists, so receiving this ARC was a real honour and it did not disappoint! Mythica is an incredibly well researched exploration into the lives of the women on Homer, both well-known and not, giving light to their stories rather than focusing on the men who are so well known.

I am already a huge greek mythology nerd but Hauser’s work helped broaden my own knowledge and provide a massively rich and exciting history to the women that are often brushed aside. Hauser’s introduction and mentions of museums and archeology are also incredibly interesting and an important topic.

Hauser did a brilliant job of intertwining storytelling with historical research, to create an immersive recount of how these woman might have lived; and gave us so much more insight, something we don’t usually get with research of the same topic.

Writhe with feminism, racism, misogyny, colonialism and identity - Mythica is a must-read for anyone interested in classics, greek mythology and the history of women.

Thank you to NetGalley and Double Day and Random House UK for the ARC!

Thoroughly loved the multi-layers of information in this book. She may be a non-fiction read but she is immersive, captivating and interesting! Storytelling interwoven beautifully with an abundance of information about the ancient world and mythology. Bringing women to the forefront both as mythological or historical characters, but also as retellers and researchers of their stories.
I had pre-ordered the audiobook of this but so grateful to have the ARC e-book, as actually think that for this I am able to take more in reading it rather than listening.⁠ It feels like a chapter at a time read, not a binge read, as there is so much interesting information and thoughts in here to spend time pondering.

Mythica is an incredibly researched, brilliantly vivid exploration into the lives of both the famous and the relatively unknown women of the Bronze Age.

As a huge greek mythology fan, this book was the perfect way to deepen my own knowledge and provide even more rich history of the names I know and love, from Athena, Cassandra and Circe, to Eurycleia Hera to Calypso.

Emily did a fantastic job of combining the fictional storytelling (especially from Homer’s poems of The Iliad and The Odyssey) with non-fiction historical research, to create an immersive understanding of how Bronze Age woman might have behaved, lived and died; and went into such vivid detail to highlight how these stories differed from real-world scientific discovery.

I learnt so much about how these stories interweave with feminism, colonialism, racism, misogyny and misinterpretation- and it was a fascinating mixture of archaeology, geography, classics and literature. I highly recommend this to any mythology or history fan, especially if you love The Odyssey or The Iliad!

Just as an aside; I’d like to make clear how this isn’t a mythological retelling, and is a historical text based on non-fiction, with supplemented fictional stories to help flesh out the evidence. I was a little unsure about how this book was marketed at first, but it made much more sense once I was into the main body of the book.

Thank you so much to Emily Hauser, NetGalley and the publisher Double Day & Random House UK for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book ahead of its release.

A triumph of research and writing, Emily Hauser brings to the fore the overlooked and silenced women of classical literature and mythology. The male oriented view in the translations of Homer has relegated even the most powerful women to the margins. Reexamination combined with the more recent techniques in archaeology (DNA etc) makes for a fascinating new perspective of the women in ancient cultures. I probably don’t read enough non fiction these days but this enthralling book is one that I will buy a physical copy of for future reference.

I really, really enjoyed this. @emilyhauserauthor not only looks at the Homeric basis of this but draws in the actual historical facts that we have discovered through archaeology over the years and the new things being revealed through new scientific processes and research. Hauser explores the roots, the kernels of truth in each of the legendary myths and unveils real recorded and fascinating women of the ancient world across the Mediterranean and the modern middle east from Hittite queens, great royal wives of Egypt, and the remains of royalty and aristocracy uncovered at sites like Mycenae, and Hisarlik - the most likely site of ancient Troy.

I'm not normally a non-fiction reader but I devoured this and my bestie was getting weary of my frequent exclamations and info dumping about fascinating things I was learning.

Mythica is a fantastic ride, it doesn't just talk about the myths and recast them from imagination - Hauser has already done that as have many other excellent authors - but reaches into historical fact to look at how these stories not only generated but have stuck with us for so many millennia.

If you're a Greek Mythology and ancient Greece history nerd, I can wholly recommend this book. It's utterly fascinating, brilliantly and engagingly written.

Massive thanks to @penguinukbooks for the approval on@netgalley!

When I say this book blew me away, it is an understatement. This book perfectly mixes the ancient world with the modern. Interwoven stories of the Ancient Greek myths with stories from the 19th and 20th centuries all presented with 21st century science evidence. It sounds like it shouldn’t work but it does in the most compelling way possible. Well known mythological women’s stories are presented in a way in which we can see how their real life counterparts would have lived. Whilst obviously these women didn’t exist, Dr Emily Hauser provides evidence and stories to give us a glimpse into the lives of women long forgotten and whose stories have never been told. Women are often forgotten, a mere note in the literature of the ancient world, Dr Emily Hauser enables their story to be told in a new, exciting and relatable light. New evidence is put forward, new stories are told such as Puduhepa, the Hittite Queen, one of the most influential women of the ancient world however so little is written about her. Her voice along with many others is shouted across this wonderful book. It’s got everything, archeology, mythology, DNA sequencing and so much more. I throughly recommend picking this up especially any students of the Ancient world. Wonderful. 9.5/10 🩷

What a stunningly refreshing reinterpretation of the ancient Greek myths. Seen through the eyes of female scholarship and research. A very readable but important scholarly work.

Well researched and beautifully written, this book delves into the untold stories of women in Ancient Greece. This was a blend of historical, archeological and scientific information woven together to give these silent women a voice.

If you love Greek mythology and want to delve further into the world of Homer this book is for you!

As a huge fan of the recent resurgence in myths, but from the women’s point of view, I found this non fiction book to be informative & beautifully written. Emily Hauser has written a modern classic.

Mythica is a fascinating and impressive work, offering a detailed study of the women in Homer’s epic poetry. The author brings fresh and modern insights by drawing upon a wide range of studies, including archaeology, microbiology, genetics, linguistics and geology. Many aspects of women’s life in the ancient world are considered, taking each female character or group of characters as a starting point. It also considers the wider picture of the Bronze Age and the world beyond the Mediterranean, highlighting how interconnected the various civilisations were.
It’s lengthy but very readable and anyone wanting to refresh their knowledge of the Classical world, or seeking to gain an understanding of Homer beyond the traditional male-centred viewpoint, will find it worthwhile.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

A really detailed, informative, and insightful account of the lives of women through Homer's epics.
It is very clearly grounded in archaeological evidence, and I liked how it highlighted lesser-known or overlooked women who have contributed to research in this area, too. Textual evidence from The Iliad and The Odyssey are frequently drawn upon, and whilst some context is provided, I think knowledge of these poems is helpful to not only recognise the women being analysed and how they might reflect the lives of women more broadly, but also understand the wider significance of their placement in a male narrative.
Sometimes in the book's archaeological rigor, it felt like it took a while to get back to the main discussion about how it relates to women in Homer's epics, but the author is very intentional with the structure of the book, and it works well.
I'd recommend particularly to anyone with a background in Classical Studies looking for a more in-depth look at women not only in Homeric texts but the Late Bronze Age in general. I wouldn't say this is necessarily introductory, though - as mentioned, I think knowledge of the two texts and the women within them is helpful to appreciate this book.

Wow, I have to start by saying that the amount of research and dedication that has gone into writing this book is amazing.
It took me a while to read this book but only because it continuously made me analyse what I was reading and question today’s society and how little things have really changed when it comes to certain things.
This book gives a voice to the women of the Iliad/odyssey/Ancient Greece and beyond using scientific research and archaeological evidence. As a lover of archaeological it still amazes me the amount of information we can gleam about he past from something as small as a tooth or piece of fabric. What Emily discusses in this book is the need to go back and look at previous finds without the pre misconception of things such a gender roles and allow scientific advancements to provide further insights and information.
Thank you NetGalley and Random house UK for a copy of this Arc.

From the introduction I could already tell how important this book would be, first within the realm of Homeric scholarship, and secondly within the realm of feminist history and women’s studies.

This book highlights how important it is to continually revise our study of ancient history - particularly the ancient epics - to reflect the world around us.

Emily highlights that, in recent years, there has been a small but concerning movement to rewrite and reinterpret the ancient epics for a misogynistic and racist audience. Therefore, the reinterpretation of the ancient epics by women and minority groups is more important than ever. Whether this reinterpretation be in scholarship or modern retellings, Emily highlights the importance of both to our modern society in order to fight back against the single-minded and harmful use of ancient history by these groups.

As for the content of the book, I am stunned! Without revealing too much, because you should experience this book for yourself, this book is a brilliant intersection of everything that makes ancient history so brilliant to study in the modern day. Both entertaining and informative - the perfect balance of analysis and letting the ancient evidence speak for itself!

I particularly enjoyed the focus on female historians and archaeologists - it really drove home Emily’s message of writing women back into the foreground of history.

Moreover, it was a lovely touch to have each chapter open with a beautiful reimagined snippet from a mythological woman, reflecting Emily’s earlier mythological novels and her brilliant prose, whilst acting as a perfect summary of the feminist message within each chapter.

100/10 - I hope this books inspires scholarship for decades to come 🏺✨

I was incredibly excited for this book, and it did not disappoint. Mythica explores the Iliad and Odyssey through the women- Briseias, Helen, Circe, and, of course, Penelope just to name a few.

@emilyhauserauthor has such a talent for combining stories with research. Each chapter opens with a scene that ties Mythica back to the original text with and gives the perspective of the figure it follows. The remainder of the chapter then examines the archaeology and scholarship surrounding that figure in order to show what the actual women living in the bronze age may have experienced.

This is one of my favorite nonfiction books now. 10000/10, you should definitely read it!

Thank you @netgalley and @doubledayukbooks for the opportunity to read and review this book early!

4.5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an e-ARC to review!

This is a book I wish I’d been able to read when I was a student. Emily Hauser pulls us into the world of Greek mythology and combines literary analysis of Homer’s epics with cutting edge archaeological research to challenge the Western idea that the Iliad and Odyssey were only about the actions of powerful white men. As a longtime fan of Hauser’s feminist myth retellings, it was fantastic to see some of the things that clearly inspired her when writing those books. Going character by character, Hauser explores a vast range of aspects of ancient life, from weaving to rearing animals to ancient law to how the Dark Ages were eventually brought about. She even connects these topics with modern-day issues, from climate change to modern slavery in the fast fashion industry to right-wing parties co-opting Classical iconography for their own purposes. I would have loved some images in the ARC to properly visualise everything that Hauser was describing, but after seeing pages from the finished book that do contain lots of images, I’m just even more certain that I’ll end up buying a physical copy anyway! This is a brilliant, important book that taught me a lot, and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone with an interest in ancient and/or feminist history.

"The gleaming epic of heroes like Achilles is, when you flip the coin to its grittier side, powered by the oppression of women"

I was given an advance copy in exchange for a review.

I've had the privilege of hearing Dr Hauser teach, and this book perfectly encapsulated her ability to bring ancient myths to life. While I'm not usually much of a non-fiction reader, Mythica touches on questions that are sure to appeal to any fan of the ancient world, and draws storytelling, history, and archaeology into one narrative.

The key thing that struck me was how much this book expands upon ancient societies. Rather than just focusing on the Greeks themselves (an approach which has long-since been used to whitewash this period), this draws in a range of civilizations, showcasing the interconnectivity and cultural trade found in antiquity. One thing I would note is that it is not quite introductory material, and would probably appeal more to those with some experience with Classics!

Bringing in her perspective as an academic, Dr Hauser offers a fresh outlook on seemingly innocuous moments from Homeric epic. For anyone with a passion for the classical civilizations, Mythica is an eye-opening exploration into a world of gods, heroes, and forgotten women.

Books with similar vibes - Divine Might by Natalie Haynes, The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood, and Pandora's Jar by Natalie Haynes.

I've been waiting for ages to read this book. Marvellous to have an in depth look at the women completely sidelined in Homer's Odyssey. It was a weighty read, and I found the pace a bit slow at times, but it added so much more to my understanding of the role of women in ancient Greece. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review of the book.

Mythica notes how women have often been written out of history in the place of men. Thus book uses archeological evidence and new DNA testing to unearth the lives of the women who inspired Homers epics of The Iliad and The Odyssey, thus presenting a new history of Bronze Age Aegean societies. This book brilliantly portrays how hard and unfair life was for women in this period, yet also how some of them were not just docile housewives as we believe but had agency and their own aspirations, for example the chapters on the Amazonian women. This book was very informative and throughly researched, yet it’s important to note it is a work of nonfiction and history, despite comments recommending it to lovers of Greek myth retelling such as Circe(Madeline Miller)and A Thousand Shops (Natalie Haynes). It is definitely worth a read, however be wary that it is not a work of fiction.
The book was very enjoyable however it was hard work to get through at times, mostly due to the amount of concentration needed to really take in the points Hauser was making, it was not relaxing but definitely worthwhile. However it was so interesting to read about the women behind the myths and how modern advances in DNA science and archaeological evidence is evolving, for example to reimagine what Helen could have looked like. It has also allowed us to understand how many female remains were almost always attributed to men due to the presence of weapons and other traditionally viewed ‘male’ objects in ancient burials.
Over all this book has left a very good impression and has given me, and hopefully other readers, a lot to think and mull over regarding the Homer epics and the real life women behind such epics in the past.