A lovely book with tales and info on the many dark goddesses from all over the world The chapters were nice and short, the tales were interesting while the info was accessible for beginners. I really loved all the beautiful artwork spread throughout the book. This would make a lovely gift

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book tells the stories of goddesses from around the world. Each story is just a small glance into the myths of these women.

The book is interesting and the artwork if stunning. I came away wanting to learn more about the women. I would love to see a physical copy of this book to see the illustrations.

Thank you to NetGalley, V. Castro and Watkins Publishing for this ARC

#bookstagram #books #mythology #strongwomen #goddesses #mythsandlegends #talesofthedarkfeminine #vcastro #netgalley

Tales of the Dark Feminine



Rating: 3.5



An interesting retelling of 26 famous women of myths and lore, giving their story then giving a modern-day explanation around this figure.



A short and fun read with beautiful illustrations throughout.



I did enjoy the chapter endings, the important lessons to take from these powerful women from legend, religion and mythology. A smidge cheesy, but very enjoyable.



Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC!

Tales of Dark Feminine is a mesmerizing collection that reimagines goddess myths and folktales from around the world, offering readers both haunting beauty and empowering wisdom. It’s the perfect read for anyone embracing their own strength, exploring the shadows of femininity, or simply drawn to the allure of goddess retellings.

The book features a wide range of deities, some of which were familiar, others completely new to me, which made the experience both comforting and eyeopening. Each retelling is followed by a short piece of wisdom or life advice taken from the myth, grounding the myth in a way that feels deeply relevant. I especially appreciated how the stories were paired with insights into the goddess’s history, symbols, and core energy, giving each tale a resonance beyond the narrative.

The collection shines in its variety: stories that are tender, sensual, grotesque, or unapologetically dark, all unified by a celebration of feminine power in its many forms: mother, warrior, hunter, spirit. The pacing is tight, with short but atmospheric tales that pack an emotional punch.

Visually, the book is stunning. The black-and-white illustrations set the tone beautifully, elegant and alive, pulling me into each story before a word was read. I can only imagine how striking they will be on the printed page. I think there's a lot of bookstagram content that could be made from the images and piece of life advice/wisdom for each retelling.

If I had one critique, it's just that I wanted more. Tell me where the goddess originated from, or group the stories by regions or culture. Delve into the stories more, rather than keeping them a couple of short pages. I would love to see more details regarding each goddess' story. That extra context would have strengthened the flow. Still, the overall impact was powerful and left me feeling both initiated into new myths and reconnected with forgotten archetypes.

Richly illustrated, deeply empowering, and filled with dark magic, Tales of Dark Feminine is an excellent introduction to the vast and varied female deities and spirits that have shaped cultures worldwide. It’s a book that lingers long after the last page, whispering reminders of the divinity within.

This is the perfect collection for any one feeling female rage, who has forgotten their own divinity, or just loves a good spooky retelling of goddess stories.

Some of the deities featured I'm familiar with or had at least heard of before, but quite a few were new to me as so many cultures and stories were shared.

I loved the little piece of wisdom/life advice the followed each story and the unique spins most of the retellings took.

I was instantly drawn to this book and it did not disappoint. Tales of Dark Feminine is a rich tapestry of breathtaking artwork and beautifully empowering retellings of legends and folktales featuring female deities and spirits from across the globe.

I particularly loved how each story is complemented by additional insights into the goddess’s history, symbols, and core energy, giving the tales even greater depth and resonance.

The book celebrates the strength and transformative power of women in all forms, whether as mother, hunter, or warrior, through stories that range from the tender and sensual to the grotesque and hauntingly dark.

This is a stunning exploration of the dark feminine and an excellent introduction to the vast array of powerful female archetypes found worldwide.

Castro has collected interesting female characters with dark feminine personas/energies.
These are the women from the myths, and tales, who break the norms, fight against patriarchy, and do tough stuff.
A couple of them are more ambiguous or evil.
They are introduced with a short tale, sometimes modernised by the author, and next we have a brief explanation about the tale, how the character is generally depicted, and about their origins - information like that. Next we have wisdom from each tale, which were the highlights of this book for me.
Read during a trip, and enjoyed plenty. The tales themselves are not necessarily told in a fresh or literarily rich way, however, the overall idea and the wisdom were great.
3.5 stars.

I love the variety of goddesses that are looked at in this book. There's a little something for everyone. I can't wait to see what the illustrations look like on real paper.

I found myself drawn into a world where goddess legends come alive in vivid, unexpected ways. Each story, about powerful, fierce female deities and spirits from across the globe, felt like a whispered secret passed down through time. The blend of myth, horror, and feminist magic made it feel more like an initiation than a simple read.

The pacing worked well, short tales packed with atmosphere and emotional punch. The art that precedes each story drew me in at every turn; those black and white illustrations felt elegant and alive, setting the mood before a single word was read. Even where prose wasn’t lush or overblown, I appreciated that clarity: it let the energy and wisdom in each goddess’s story shine without distraction.

One thing I wanted more of was a clearer sense of where each figure came from. Knowing, for example, that Medusa is Greek or Oshun is Yoruba could’ve helped ground each tale. Also, grouping stories by culture or region might’ve made the flow feel more cohesive but that didn’t dampen the overall impact for me.

This book was okay, but it wasn't my cup of tea. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

I absolutely loved this collection! Tales of Dark Feminine is a stunning and transformative exploration of fierce female deities and spirits from around the world. Each story is a modern retelling of legends that highlights the power, sensuality, and complexity of these women — from warriors and mothers to hunters and goddesses who embody the grotesque and the terrifying.

The book is both enchanting and illuminating, weaving myth and history in a way that makes these ancient figures feel alive and relevant today. I especially loved the portrayals of Kali, Sekhmet, Yemaya, and Hecate — each with a distinct energy that challenges, empowers, and inspires. The inclusion of each goddess’s history, symbols, and core energy adds depth and context, making this more than just a story collection; it’s also a guide to understanding feminine power across cultures.

What I Learned:
This book reminded me that embracing the full spectrum of feminine energy — the fierce, the nurturing, the sensual, and even the dark — is a powerful act of self-acceptance. These tales show that endings can be transformative, strength can be both gentle and terrifying, and true empowerment comes from owning every part of yourself. They also teach that mythology and folklore are not just stories from the past, but lessons we can apply to understanding ourselves today.

Unique collection of stories to honor a variety of goddesses and dark feminine figures. I especially was drawn to Hecate and Lilith. This is a beautiful breath of fresh air among story collections.

Dive into the dark feminine with V. Castro! This book reclaims the goddesses demonized by history and Catholicism, celebrating unapologetic feminine power and wisdom. A must-read for anyone curious about mythology, empowerment, and redefining strength.

I loved this one. The graphics are stunning! The stories are enthralling and informative!

There’s honestly not much to critique here. The stories are nice and short so it’s a quick read. I’m sure at least some of these stories are shortened from their originals but they’re not all ones that I’m familiar with to say for sure.

The graphics would be stunning in color; but I know cost can often be an issue in that regard. But they’re stunning in black and white too.

The only thing I would add is to the chapter/story name page is the origin of the story (I.e. Greece in the case of Medusa). But overall very quick, entertaining read.

The illustrations were absolutely the highlight of this book.

As for the tales, I was underwhelmed based on the description. While it says these are modern retellings, very few feel to be retellings, much less modern. These are a great high level overview of many great female characters with references for people interested in learning more, but that’s not what I was expecting.

An informative and rather well informed collection of short stories that gives you a glimpse into the legends of the world's most powerful deities. I loved how it has a story section and another described the goddess a bit. An enjoyable read for anyone and everyone who enjoy strong female characters and are into mythology.

This was a very enjoyable collection by V. Castro. Each goddess comes with beautiful artwork, an engaging (but short) story, a bit of context/history and so wisdom we can glen from their mythology. I greatly enjoyed the range of goddesses/spirits contained in this collection - the vast majority were completely new to me! Some of the wisdom bits was a bit general/basic but others (like for Oshun and Amaterasu) I really enjoyed it. I would not say that V. Castro's writing is incredibly lush or descriptive but I appreciated that each goddess/spirit had her own unique tale even if mythologies (not cultures) overlapped.

Thank you to Watkins Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Watkins Publishing for the ARC of this absolutely stunning book!
Folk legends and mythology are explored from almost everywhere in the world throughout this book. With 26 modern retellings of bad ass, beautiful, and sometimes scary Goddesses, there is a story for everyone!
The artwork at the beginning of each story was stunning and set the scene, and the personal reflections at the end were refreshing and summarised the stories perfectly.
I really enjoyed all of the stories in the book, however I found some of it a little bit disjointed as we went from one end if the world to the other, and then back again. My only criticisms of the book would be to tell us, under each name, where the goddesses come from (some did, but most didn’t). And the other would be to group them together by country or region. Africa, Asia, Europe, American and South American etc. this would have created a bit more flow throughout.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed myself and know that others interested in the divine feminine or any folklore would love this book. I will be adding this to my wish list!
4.5⭐️

I really loved this collection of powerful femminine goddesses retold in a modern sense. This is a collection that I will add to my personal library as well as my work ones. These short tales of empowerment, strength, and feminine rage were jsut wht I needed right now. It is a big middle finger to anyone trying to tell you who you are or where your value lies in a modern construct ruled by old white men. 4.5 Stars.

An atmospheric formula diving into the stories that inspired the darkness in various goddesses across cultures. V. Castro features both popular goddesses while making space to give the podium to lesser-known goddesses. The inclusivity is impeccable with an incredible amount of research written into a brief space. I enjoyed the format with the beautiful art of each goddess and the origins of their lore that describe their essence. I appreciated the variations that were mentioned and the imaginings of the kind of wisdom these goddesses intend to instill in our lives. A riveting insight into the stories that give life to the goddesses above and below.
What is the dark feminine? An essence of embracing your femininity so unapologetically that masculinity seeks to redefine your strength. That is the theme amongst the various goddesses V. Castro chooses to introduce to readers familiar and new. There were moments I would argue that it is almost too positive in the V. Castro’s words of wisdom from the goddesses – but she is shedding light on how to redefine how we see these “dark” figures. The narrative takes away the demonized version of the goddesses that Catholicism has done to damage these divine ladies reputations. Come into this with an open mind to learn the lore and take away a perspective beyond demonized ideals. Thank you Netgalley, Watkins Publishing, and V. Castro for this advanced digital copy.