Really informative and interesting, I loved how in-depth it was on the women covered, I was expecting just snapshots but it’s really helpful going over back story and I loved how it is shades of grey, no painting the women as hero or villains , brilliant

When I saw the name of the book, I knew I had to read it. The Ancient African world is filled with fierce woman leaders and warriors, so I was disappointed that only the first few women are actually from Antiquity (which, for me personally, was misleading). I liked that each of them has their own around 20 page exposé, which makes it super easy to read, even if you don't really have any free time. Some of the reviews mentioned that it has some extra information, but I actually enjoyed it, maybe it is the historian in me, but context, relevance, and heritage make it feel more complete to me. That being said, I did notice a few historical unaccuracies, not only in the title of book, but I think tgat for a broader market, it is OK, as I don't think people will notice or remember them, but they will find out more about these amazing women, which let's be honest is way important than a few samll facts.

Overall, I think for the general population it will be a pretty good read, but if you know more about the subject, you may be left a bit disappointed.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read the ARC copy of the book.

I appreciated learning about African women that I had not heard about or hadn't heard a lot about. Get this book as a resource to inform oneself about the ancient world and the influencers and leaders in it. I could see this as an essential resource for scholars, writers, historians and more.

This is a very readable history of 9 African women leaders of the ancient--and not so ancient--world, some of which you may probably have heard of and others that you may not. Each one is only about 15 to 20 pages in language which anyone can understand; you do not have to be a history scholar to read this.

I really appreciate that these women are depicted in a complex manner. They are neither saints nor sinners. Some of the actions of some of these women would be considered deplorable by our modern sensibilities, i.e. killing children, but you could not be a leader if your could not be ruthless at times. And the men were no better.

Clark gives a description of the landscape of each area that the women ruled which gives an idea of the diverse societies and environment of Africa. At times, though, they did seem to go on a bit long and I would have preferred a bit more analysis. I also found the discussion of the location of Sheba a bit confusing and I'm not sure where the author lands on that issue.

But those are small things. I think it is a good introduction to some of the amazing women in Africa's history and there is a lot more we can all learn.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

I loved this book! It's a fascinating look at the often-overlooked stories of powerful African queens. The author does a great job of making the history accessible and engaging – it's easy to read and understand, even if you're not a history buff. It also makes you rethink what you know about powerful women in ancient Egypt. Thanks to Pen & Sword and NetGalley for the ARC to read and Review.

This book unveils the untold stories of powerful African queens—such as Amanirenas, who defied Rome, and Nzinga Mbande, who resisted the slave trade. The book highlights the queens’ military prowess, political acumen, and lasting impact on history, bringing their often-overlooked legacies to light.

This book does a great job of revealing how women wielded power in African cultures, from ancient to modern times. The author uses an engaging storytelling style and presents the material in a way that’s easy to understand. The book reflects how our view of Hatshepsut and Nefertiti continues to evolve, revealing how women’s influence in Egypt may have been greater than previously thought.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

It shouldn't come as a surprise that I love learning about women history from antiquity to more recent times. Seeing that my family is originally from Egypt, when I saw that this book is about African women of the Ancient World, I was immediately intrigued. Now I admit that I thought it'd cover more about everyday women from the time, but I will always be excited to meet more epic queens. Especially lesser-known ones.

The book covers nine different queens and female leaders from different countries including Egypt, Ethiopia, Algeria and others. Each chapter is around twenty or so pages which allows for relatively quick reads.

While I enjoyed learning about some of the less familiar figures, I admit that the flow of the book didn't quite work for me. While it does cover epic women, the book often went into detailed tangents that in my opinion made it difficult to focus on the figure being discussed. While I will always appreciate background context especially about topics that are new to me, in this case, the extra context was often about secondary topics that ultimately weren't particularly important or related. Significant time was often spent on the tangents making me feel like I've only learned the basics about the titular woman in the end.

I was also surprised that the book had figures from the 16th century and even the 19th century as I thought, per the book’s title, the focus would be on antiquity. I do wonder if perhaps a shorter time period could've given more focus allowing for more details and cohesion across the book.

There were unfortunately two incorrect facts stated in the book that I've since then shared with the awesome people at Pen and Sword, who were not only supportive but immediately took action to see them corrected. While I didn't appreciate that the author didn't do due diligence for the topics, the publisher as always went above and beyond for the readers and that's why despite my many problems with this one book, I cannot wait to read more books by the publisher.

Wow, just wow! This was a really good book. It was informative but also easy to read and understand. I definitely recommend this book for anyone interested!!

A fascinating look into a world that deserves more literature out there: African women who made their mark in the Ancient World. This goes beyond that of the Egyptian women, who usually hog the spotlight in the history shelves, and brings to light those we hear little about.

A bold non fiction title which highlights African queens both known and unknown. It was detailed and full of new facts. The research was well done and it is evident that the author is very up to date with the topic. The writing was uncomplicated and easy to grasp. It was not unnecessarily dry on did not drag. A perfect book to binge read for any history lover. (Full rating; 4.5 out of 5 stars).

This is a comprehensive, well-researched and thought out book. It gives a lot of information about forgotten African Women in a way that keeps readers engaged. I enjoy history and reading about these phenomenal women is right up my alley. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves history.