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Lilith: A Novel
A triumphantly feminist retelling of the Hebrew creation myth in the tradition of Madeline Miller and Claire North.
Lyrically rendered, this epic U.S. debut tells the story of the woman known as Adam's first wife and her fall from Paradise and quest for revenge.
Before Eve, there was Lilith.
Lilith and Adam are equal and happy in the Garden of Eden. Until Adam decides Lilith should submit to his will and lie beneath him. She refuses—and is banished forever from Paradise.
Demonized and sidelined, Lilith watches in fury as God creates Eve, the woman who accepts her submission. But Lilith has a she has already tasted the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. Endowed with Wisdom, she knows why Asherah—God’s wife and equal, the Queen of Heaven—is missing. Lilith has a she will rescue Eve, find Asherah, restore balance to the world, and regain her rightful place in Paradise.
Lilith’s quest for justice drives her throughout history, from the ziggurats of Ancient Sumer, to the court of Israel’s Queen Jezebel, and to the side of a radical preacher in Roman Judea. Noah’s wife, Norea, Jezebel and Mary Magdalene all play their part in Lilith’s enlightenment. In the modern age, as she observes the catastrophic consequences of a world built on inequality, Lilith finally understands what must be done to correct the wrong done to women—and all humankind—at the beginning of time.
Inspired by ancient myths and suppressed scriptures, Lilith is a thought-provoking and ambitious novel with an evocative literary voice and a triumphantly engaging heroine.
Lyrically rendered, this epic U.S. debut tells the story of the woman known as Adam's first wife and her fall from Paradise and quest for revenge.
Before Eve, there was Lilith.
Lilith and Adam are equal and happy in the Garden of Eden. Until Adam decides Lilith should submit to his will and lie beneath him. She refuses—and is banished forever from Paradise.
Demonized and sidelined, Lilith watches in fury as God creates Eve, the woman who accepts her submission. But Lilith has a she has already tasted the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. Endowed with Wisdom, she knows why Asherah—God’s wife and equal, the Queen of Heaven—is missing. Lilith has a she will rescue Eve, find Asherah, restore balance to the world, and regain her rightful place in Paradise.
Lilith’s quest for justice drives her throughout history, from the ziggurats of Ancient Sumer, to the court of Israel’s Queen Jezebel, and to the side of a radical preacher in Roman Judea. Noah’s wife, Norea, Jezebel and Mary Magdalene all play their part in Lilith’s enlightenment. In the modern age, as she observes the catastrophic consequences of a world built on inequality, Lilith finally understands what must be done to correct the wrong done to women—and all humankind—at the beginning of time.
Inspired by ancient myths and suppressed scriptures, Lilith is a thought-provoking and ambitious novel with an evocative literary voice and a triumphantly engaging heroine.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 17, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,905 reviews
July 13, 2023
My Lilith is not bioessentialist, nor is she so stupid she'd zone out for millennia at a time or accept 'just because' as an answer to, oh, literally anything.
It is 2023, can we stop defining womanhood as the ability to give birth and ~create~ please, for the love of all the gods.
Some really good ideas were executed very badly, and a great deal more made no sense at all. The ending in particular doesn't work without ignoring the whole first half of the book.
Full review to come, but wow, major fail.
13th July: review
HIGHLIGHTS
~scary angels are dickhead jocks
~God is a brat
~the heroine women have waited 6000 years for is an idiot
Where the fuck do I start.
I can see what Marmery tried to do here, and why some other readers are going to feel so EmpoweredTM by this book, but honestly? It’s a trainwreck. The internal logic is whatever Marmery wants it to be at any given moment, rather than something that actually, you know, makes sense and holds the story together. Lilith breaks its own rules constantly, culminating in the absolutely ridiculous ending, which only works if you let none of your braincells anywhere near it. And the entire book is one loud, preachy lecture on the kind of bioessentialist Woman PowerTM nonsense I thought we were done with in the 80s.
Lilith is the First Woman, created at the same time as Adam in the garden of Eden. All is well until Adam starts becoming obsessed with power and control, inventing money and weaponry and The Patriarchy, basically. Just in case we didn’t get the message that he’s a terrible person, he also rapes her – but it’s fine, because Lilith shrugs it off like it was nothing, insulted but otherwise unaffected. The reader belatedly discovers that Yahweh is not the One God at all, because He has a wife and partner, Asherah; it is Asherah who created Adam and Lilith (and presumably everything else in Eden), because, and I quote,
Yahweh only named things, you see, which is meaningless, because
Asherah has bestowed upon Lilith the Secret, which makes Lilith capital-w Wise. This Wisdom is more or less summed up as ‘man and woman are equal, and have no dominion over the earth, because they are a part of it.’ But Asherah is missing, and the book really gets moving when Lilith abandons Eden to go look for Her. Although she doesn’t find Asherah, she does discover that she and Adam are far from the only humans in the world; later, she discovers that Yahweh and Asherah are far from the only gods to exist, too.
(This is important.)
Yahweh, here, is characterised as the ultimate Old White Cis Dude, insisting that He is the only one with power, the only god, that everything male is good and everything female is, at best, disgusting. He is petulant, spoiled, and bullying, a figure who would be pathetic if He didn’t have the power to enforce His horrible views on the world. He is a petty child next to the infinite wisdom and grace of Asherah.
I find this incredibly lazy writing. There is absolutely no nuance here, and what’s weirder and worse is that this is very clearly an ex-Christian take on God. I sympathise, because yeah, this is pretty much the impression of God I was left with too after I got far the fuck away from my Catholic upbringing – but Lilith isn’t a Christian figure. Lilith comes from Jewish folklore, and I’m not at all saying there is no dodgy patriarchal bs in Judaism – but there is an enormous difference between the Christian and Jewish views and approaches to God. I feel like the least you could do, in telling Lilith’s story, is respect the culture and faith she comes from.
If that doesn’t bother you, nevermind, there are plenty more things this book does badly. The writing itself, for example, can’t decide what it wants to be; it swings wildly from fancily archaic to dissonantly modern (Adam describes the Wisdom as ‘mumbo-jumbo’), with quick dips into the bizarrely juvenile (Lilith calls the angel Semangelof ‘the scariest of the three [angels]’ – ‘scariest’, as if she’s a child rather than a grown adult). Later, disappointed that she can’t find Asherah, Lilith literally zones out for a thousand years sitting in one spot, until another character comes along to info-dump everything that’s happened while she wasn’t paying attention. She immediately takes an enemy’s word for it that her long-lost companion could have returned to her any time he wanted, and gets mad about it, despite having every reason not to trust the person who told her this. While on the hunt for a woman with a specific birthmark, centuries later, it takes her sixteen years – of sleeping beside her, bathing her, dressing her, etc – to notice that the woman she’s hung her hopes on does not have this birthmark. And when she does find her prophet, she accepts that this woman ‘has to die’ despite no one providing any reason why this death has to happen. It’s ‘just because’.
‘The heroine women have waited 6000 years for’? Hi, you made her an idiot.
Read the rest at Every Book a Doorway!
It is 2023, can we stop defining womanhood as the ability to give birth and ~create~ please, for the love of all the gods.
Some really good ideas were executed very badly, and a great deal more made no sense at all. The ending in particular doesn't work without ignoring the whole first half of the book.
Full review to come, but wow, major fail.
13th July: review
HIGHLIGHTS
~scary angels are dickhead jocks
~God is a brat
~the heroine women have waited 6000 years for is an idiot
Where the fuck do I start.
I can see what Marmery tried to do here, and why some other readers are going to feel so EmpoweredTM by this book, but honestly? It’s a trainwreck. The internal logic is whatever Marmery wants it to be at any given moment, rather than something that actually, you know, makes sense and holds the story together. Lilith breaks its own rules constantly, culminating in the absolutely ridiculous ending, which only works if you let none of your braincells anywhere near it. And the entire book is one loud, preachy lecture on the kind of bioessentialist Woman PowerTM nonsense I thought we were done with in the 80s.
Lilith is the First Woman, created at the same time as Adam in the garden of Eden. All is well until Adam starts becoming obsessed with power and control, inventing money and weaponry and The Patriarchy, basically. Just in case we didn’t get the message that he’s a terrible person, he also rapes her – but it’s fine, because Lilith shrugs it off like it was nothing, insulted but otherwise unaffected. The reader belatedly discovers that Yahweh is not the One God at all, because He has a wife and partner, Asherah; it is Asherah who created Adam and Lilith (and presumably everything else in Eden), because, and I quote,
Naming is to man what birthing is to woman.
Yahweh only named things, you see, which is meaningless, because
naming holds no power.
Asherah has bestowed upon Lilith the Secret, which makes Lilith capital-w Wise. This Wisdom is more or less summed up as ‘man and woman are equal, and have no dominion over the earth, because they are a part of it.’ But Asherah is missing, and the book really gets moving when Lilith abandons Eden to go look for Her. Although she doesn’t find Asherah, she does discover that she and Adam are far from the only humans in the world; later, she discovers that Yahweh and Asherah are far from the only gods to exist, too.
(This is important.)
Yahweh, here, is characterised as the ultimate Old White Cis Dude, insisting that He is the only one with power, the only god, that everything male is good and everything female is, at best, disgusting. He is petulant, spoiled, and bullying, a figure who would be pathetic if He didn’t have the power to enforce His horrible views on the world. He is a petty child next to the infinite wisdom and grace of Asherah.
I find this incredibly lazy writing. There is absolutely no nuance here, and what’s weirder and worse is that this is very clearly an ex-Christian take on God. I sympathise, because yeah, this is pretty much the impression of God I was left with too after I got far the fuck away from my Catholic upbringing – but Lilith isn’t a Christian figure. Lilith comes from Jewish folklore, and I’m not at all saying there is no dodgy patriarchal bs in Judaism – but there is an enormous difference between the Christian and Jewish views and approaches to God. I feel like the least you could do, in telling Lilith’s story, is respect the culture and faith she comes from.
If that doesn’t bother you, nevermind, there are plenty more things this book does badly. The writing itself, for example, can’t decide what it wants to be; it swings wildly from fancily archaic to dissonantly modern (Adam describes the Wisdom as ‘mumbo-jumbo’), with quick dips into the bizarrely juvenile (Lilith calls the angel Semangelof ‘the scariest of the three [angels]’ – ‘scariest’, as if she’s a child rather than a grown adult). Later, disappointed that she can’t find Asherah, Lilith literally zones out for a thousand years sitting in one spot, until another character comes along to info-dump everything that’s happened while she wasn’t paying attention. She immediately takes an enemy’s word for it that her long-lost companion could have returned to her any time he wanted, and gets mad about it, despite having every reason not to trust the person who told her this. While on the hunt for a woman with a specific birthmark, centuries later, it takes her sixteen years – of sleeping beside her, bathing her, dressing her, etc – to notice that the woman she’s hung her hopes on does not have this birthmark. And when she does find her prophet, she accepts that this woman ‘has to die’ despite no one providing any reason why this death has to happen. It’s ‘just because’.
‘The heroine women have waited 6000 years for’? Hi, you made her an idiot.
Read the rest at Every Book a Doorway!
July 7, 2024
‘That men would have them believe disobedience was Eve’s vice, when it was her greatest virtue.’
Just finished reading "Lilith" by Nikki Marmery, and wow, what a ride! This book reimagines the story of Lilith, Adam’s first wife, and it’s nothing short of captivating. Marmery breathes life into a character often sidelined in traditional narratives, turning Lilith into a fierce, independent woman who demands to be heard.
The writing is engaging and vivid, pulling you right into the ancient world. Marmery’s attention to detail and rich descriptions make everything feel so real. I loved how she wove in themes of autonomy, gender roles, and power, all while keeping the story compelling and relatable.
Lilith’s journey is both heart-wrenching and inspiring, filled with moments of triumph and despair that keep you hooked. It’s a refreshing take on a classic tale, and I couldn’t put it down. If you’re into historical fiction with a strong, nuanced protagonist, Lilith is definitely worth a read. Marmery has done an excellent job of bringing this enigmatic figure to the forefront, and it’s a story that will stay with you long after the last page.
I Highly Recommend
4.5
Just finished reading "Lilith" by Nikki Marmery, and wow, what a ride! This book reimagines the story of Lilith, Adam’s first wife, and it’s nothing short of captivating. Marmery breathes life into a character often sidelined in traditional narratives, turning Lilith into a fierce, independent woman who demands to be heard.
The writing is engaging and vivid, pulling you right into the ancient world. Marmery’s attention to detail and rich descriptions make everything feel so real. I loved how she wove in themes of autonomy, gender roles, and power, all while keeping the story compelling and relatable.
Lilith’s journey is both heart-wrenching and inspiring, filled with moments of triumph and despair that keep you hooked. It’s a refreshing take on a classic tale, and I couldn’t put it down. If you’re into historical fiction with a strong, nuanced protagonist, Lilith is definitely worth a read. Marmery has done an excellent job of bringing this enigmatic figure to the forefront, and it’s a story that will stay with you long after the last page.
I Highly Recommend
4.5
May 19, 2023
’For women everywhere. Be your own gods. Your Mother commands it.’
’Of Adam’s first wife, Lilith, it is told
(The witch he loved before the gift of Eve,)
That, ere the snake’s, her sweet tongue could
deceive, And her enchanted hair was the first gold.
And still she sits, young while the earth is old,
And, subtly of herself contemplative,
Draws men to watch the bright web she can weave,
Till heart and body and life are in its hold. --Dante Gabriel Rosetti
’At first, I loved him. How beautiful he was in those days.
There he stood, legs planted wide in the rich soil of our Paradise. Hands on hips, his muscled arms firm and knotted as a young fig tree. His hair fell shining, raven-feathered, to his shoulders. His dark eyes beckoned.’
This story was inspired by ‘ancient myths and suppressed scriptures.’ It is a beautifully written story of how women came to be suppressed, controlled by men. Lilith, not Eve, is the first woman, although Lilith is banished when she makes it clear that she believes that she is equal to, and not less-than Adam. Adam, of course, disagrees and dismisses any ideas she has because, well, she is a woman, and thus less than him. She couldn’t possibly be capable of ’knowing’ anything of value to him, of having a worthy idea.
This includes several biblical characters Noah, Na'amah - Noah’s wife, Jezebel, Mary Magdalene, and Norea, and more, it also covers ‘events’ that most will recognize, including the building of the Ark, and the story that follows. But this is less a story of the origin of man, or of religion, than it is a telling of the beginning of the subjugation of women.
While this is a story based on ’tales as old as time’, and - like the bible - it is filled with multiple characters - Jezebel, Mary Magdalene, Noah, his wife Na'amah, Norea, and others whose stories are shared over time, it never felt disjointed. I loved how the story is shared, there is a balance that seems to show how much, and how little, things have changed, but offers hope for our collective future.
Pub Date: 17 Oct 2023
Many thanks for the ARC provided by Alcove Press
September 4, 2023
As soon as Yahweh said "and if the woman told you to jumpeth off a cliff, would you?" I knew I had to put it down.
I was already pretty sure I was going to dnf this but that was the final straw. Only made it 10% of the way into the ARC. I love retellings, especially ones that take a "misunderstood" female character from literature/folklore/mythology/etc and expand upon her story -- Circe and Kaikeyi were absolutely riveting to me. but Lilith had none of the intrigue, character development, and beautiful writing that made those stories great. Lilith conveniently grows wings because of Asherah's blessing. Except that Asherah is missing and Lilith has to find her so how is she being blessed by her??? Eve is to blame for her subservience and also she's not as pretty as Lilith -- don't forget that. The fact that Adam invents patriarchy, capitalism, and rape casually and Lilith is just like Bummer. WHAT. Also, I don't know, this felt very modernly anti-Christianity in a way that is weird to do with a figure of Jewish and Mesopotamian mythologies. It just felt out of place.
This read like a baby's first feminism take on Lilith and also was so grossly equating motherhood, birth, and menstruation with womanhood. Not only is that transphobic but it's so reductive and demonstrates a woeful misunderstanding of what should be the fundamental priorities of feminism.
Disappointing.
Thanks to Netgalley and Alcove Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was already pretty sure I was going to dnf this but that was the final straw. Only made it 10% of the way into the ARC. I love retellings, especially ones that take a "misunderstood" female character from literature/folklore/mythology/etc and expand upon her story -- Circe and Kaikeyi were absolutely riveting to me. but Lilith had none of the intrigue, character development, and beautiful writing that made those stories great. Lilith conveniently grows wings because of Asherah's blessing. Except that Asherah is missing and Lilith has to find her so how is she being blessed by her??? Eve is to blame for her subservience and also she's not as pretty as Lilith -- don't forget that. The fact that Adam invents patriarchy, capitalism, and rape casually and Lilith is just like Bummer. WHAT. Also, I don't know, this felt very modernly anti-Christianity in a way that is weird to do with a figure of Jewish and Mesopotamian mythologies. It just felt out of place.
This read like a baby's first feminism take on Lilith and also was so grossly equating motherhood, birth, and menstruation with womanhood. Not only is that transphobic but it's so reductive and demonstrates a woeful misunderstanding of what should be the fundamental priorities of feminism.
Disappointing.
Thanks to Netgalley and Alcove Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 21, 2023
as poetic as “lilith” is, it is both too modern and too archaic. the way that lilith speaks is wrought with dry humor and wit, but it is so modern. i did not feel rooted in place in the garden of eden nor any other mortal land we visited. i did not feel particularly moved. her portrayal of god (as well as every other character) was from a very christian point of view; very big booming voice / sky daddy. from a jewish perspective, this novel doesn’t make much sense. i wanted to see more of lilith’s emotional state, more of her power.
physicality is not described in any way, but i did. enjoy the way marmery portrays the evils that men do. adam is not glorified but shown as a man capable of rape. noah is not a hero. she does not shy away from the realities of male brutality.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
physicality is not described in any way, but i did. enjoy the way marmery portrays the evils that men do. adam is not glorified but shown as a man capable of rape. noah is not a hero. she does not shy away from the realities of male brutality.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
January 22, 2025
Loved this! ❤️
👉 Check out my Best books of 2024 on BookTube. 👈
This book also features in my video of sinfully good books with Satan & demons .😈
"I wonder: will a woman's message ever be heard? Or will it always be too weak, too angry, too impassioned? Too irrelevant for all mankind (by which they mean: for men)?"
Did you know that before Eve, Adam had a wife named Lilith who’s remembered as a demoness? In Lilith we get a feminist take on her origin story.
Lilith and Adam are equals in the garden until Adam demands that Lilith submit to him. When Lilith refuses, she’s banished from Paradise. And because she’s a woman who refused to conform to male authority and traditional gender roles, she’s demonized.
Lilith has a secret. Before she was forced out of Paradise, she tasted the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. That’s why she knows about God’s wife Asherah, the Queen of Heaven, and the fact that she’s missing.
Lilith is determined to restore balance between men and women by enlightening Adam's new (subservient) wife Eve, finding the missing Queen of Heaven, and regaining her rightful place in Paradise. And because tasting the forbidden fruit made Lilith immortal, her quest for justice spans centuries that see her crossing paths with figures like Noah and Mary Magdalene.
Lilith is a story steeped in themes of independence, bodily autonomy, and breaking free from patriarchal constraints. And it's written with gorgeous prose reminiscent of Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell. Highly recommend, especially the audiobook!
👉 Check out my Best books of 2024 on BookTube. 👈
This book also features in my video of sinfully good books with Satan & demons .😈
"I wonder: will a woman's message ever be heard? Or will it always be too weak, too angry, too impassioned? Too irrelevant for all mankind (by which they mean: for men)?"
Did you know that before Eve, Adam had a wife named Lilith who’s remembered as a demoness? In Lilith we get a feminist take on her origin story.
Lilith and Adam are equals in the garden until Adam demands that Lilith submit to him. When Lilith refuses, she’s banished from Paradise. And because she’s a woman who refused to conform to male authority and traditional gender roles, she’s demonized.
Lilith has a secret. Before she was forced out of Paradise, she tasted the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. That’s why she knows about God’s wife Asherah, the Queen of Heaven, and the fact that she’s missing.
Lilith is determined to restore balance between men and women by enlightening Adam's new (subservient) wife Eve, finding the missing Queen of Heaven, and regaining her rightful place in Paradise. And because tasting the forbidden fruit made Lilith immortal, her quest for justice spans centuries that see her crossing paths with figures like Noah and Mary Magdalene.
Lilith is a story steeped in themes of independence, bodily autonomy, and breaking free from patriarchal constraints. And it's written with gorgeous prose reminiscent of Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell. Highly recommend, especially the audiobook!
October 23, 2023
3 "meh" stars - I’ve always been intrigued in the mythos of Lilith, biblical Adam's purported & greatly vilified "first wife”. And while I enjoyed the concept, I did have a few issues with this book and found it rather hard to get through, particularly the whole section with Jezebel, which was just too over-the-top. Moreover, it took me way too long to tackle for it's page count, I just couldn’t sustain a lot of interest in it. That said, the book's beginning with the Garden of Eden & the Ark were exactly what I wanted to read. I would recommend for anyone who thinks they'd be interested in this mythology and has the patience for it.
May 12, 2025
Started out strong, but it started meandering too much, kept repeating itself, and ended up being a one-woman show about why the world, especially women, needs to worship Asherah, why men ruined the world, and all the horrible misogyny they've wielded. By the end, she was just whiny. Rather disappointed.
August 30, 2023
"Lilith" is the literary equivalent of the Barbie movie for all women, but especially for those healing from religious trauma.
Every page was beautifully written. I laughed, I cried, I raged alongside Lilith and the other women of the bible as their stories were told from a new lens. From the lens of a woman who understands them, not a man who is dominant over them.
This book healed parts of me that I didn't even know were there, let alone broken. I feel more whole after reading this book than I ever felt in my years of reading the bible.
Reading "Her" capitalized for a goddess was a glorious experience throughout the book.
I can't recommend this book enough!!
Every page was beautifully written. I laughed, I cried, I raged alongside Lilith and the other women of the bible as their stories were told from a new lens. From the lens of a woman who understands them, not a man who is dominant over them.
This book healed parts of me that I didn't even know were there, let alone broken. I feel more whole after reading this book than I ever felt in my years of reading the bible.
Reading "Her" capitalized for a goddess was a glorious experience throughout the book.
I can't recommend this book enough!!
October 6, 2023
“Why did I stay, you rightly ask, when I had such little joy…”
That’s a quote taken out of context from the book, but I found it relatable as I tried to get through Lilith.
Let me tell you why I stayed, though.
I could not write this off as a DNF. Once I confidently understood how I felt about the story, I did not feel I could actually abandon it. I wanted to express my already developed thoughts on it fairly, and I felt I could only do that by seeing it through.
Lilith frustrated me with its heavy handedness. The author doesn’t simply spoon feed her message to readers. She shoves it down their throats. The irony here is that this is a tale that aims to dismantle the biblical origins of the abuse and misogyny that women experience. Now, isn’t one of the very things we have had pounded into us for centuries the idea that we cannot think for ourselves? But this author does not trust us to do so, either. She does not believe we’ll understand her intent if she doesn’t make it completely transparent. Marmery used Lilith’s voice to report on the misogyny, instead of simply illustrating it in the story.
It’s not that it’s a terrible message. In fact, I’ve given this a second star because I do, at least, applaud that intent. I also liked Marmery’s attempt to convey that men are not inherently evil, although she tells us they are not born this way, instead of allowing it to sit as an illustrated point. I feel this could have easily been an essay, weighing the author’s beliefs against the Bible, instead of a flimsy retelling.
I am supportive of anything that illuminates and attacks spiritual abuse, including the well documented misogynistic practices within the Bible. But inserting misogyny into biblical stories where it had previously been absent, especially with the countless overt examples that were not included, did not seem logical to me. That’s not to say that she did not draw from some examples accurately. However, because of certain contortions, I don’t feel she grappled with the toxicity of these biblical stories in a truly meaningful way.
Furthermore, despite this being Lilith’s story (and one she is telling herself), her presence did not feel particularly strong. I didn’t find her to be a rich character or a fundamental symbol of feminism. She came across as a spectator, and one who experienced little to no emotion, even when encountering traumatic and tragic experiences.
I also want to address the actual writing style. It is often overly descriptive, although I believe the author was aiming for a lyrical pitch. There were some lovely phrases, but they kept getting louder when they should have quickly been reduced to a quiet hum. Additionally, the language used vacillated between archaic and modern, which I often found quite irritating. I didn’t expect perfection, but it should have leaned harder into the former.
I must add that due to the slow pacing, I did find this difficult to get through. If the author was aiming to emulate the Bible there, she succeeded.
I wish I could have found more of value within Lilith, but the novel struck me as a way for the author to superficially communicate how she feels about the Bible instead of an intriguing fictional exploration of how the text depicts misogyny and how we, as human beings, have interpreted it and harmfully implemented it into our social construct.
I am immensely grateful to Libro.fm, Highbridge Audio, and Nikki Marmery for my copy. All opinions are my own.
That’s a quote taken out of context from the book, but I found it relatable as I tried to get through Lilith.
Let me tell you why I stayed, though.
I could not write this off as a DNF. Once I confidently understood how I felt about the story, I did not feel I could actually abandon it. I wanted to express my already developed thoughts on it fairly, and I felt I could only do that by seeing it through.
Lilith frustrated me with its heavy handedness. The author doesn’t simply spoon feed her message to readers. She shoves it down their throats. The irony here is that this is a tale that aims to dismantle the biblical origins of the abuse and misogyny that women experience. Now, isn’t one of the very things we have had pounded into us for centuries the idea that we cannot think for ourselves? But this author does not trust us to do so, either. She does not believe we’ll understand her intent if she doesn’t make it completely transparent. Marmery used Lilith’s voice to report on the misogyny, instead of simply illustrating it in the story.
It’s not that it’s a terrible message. In fact, I’ve given this a second star because I do, at least, applaud that intent. I also liked Marmery’s attempt to convey that men are not inherently evil, although she tells us they are not born this way, instead of allowing it to sit as an illustrated point. I feel this could have easily been an essay, weighing the author’s beliefs against the Bible, instead of a flimsy retelling.
I am supportive of anything that illuminates and attacks spiritual abuse, including the well documented misogynistic practices within the Bible. But inserting misogyny into biblical stories where it had previously been absent, especially with the countless overt examples that were not included, did not seem logical to me. That’s not to say that she did not draw from some examples accurately. However, because of certain contortions, I don’t feel she grappled with the toxicity of these biblical stories in a truly meaningful way.
Furthermore, despite this being Lilith’s story (and one she is telling herself), her presence did not feel particularly strong. I didn’t find her to be a rich character or a fundamental symbol of feminism. She came across as a spectator, and one who experienced little to no emotion, even when encountering traumatic and tragic experiences.
I also want to address the actual writing style. It is often overly descriptive, although I believe the author was aiming for a lyrical pitch. There were some lovely phrases, but they kept getting louder when they should have quickly been reduced to a quiet hum. Additionally, the language used vacillated between archaic and modern, which I often found quite irritating. I didn’t expect perfection, but it should have leaned harder into the former.
I must add that due to the slow pacing, I did find this difficult to get through. If the author was aiming to emulate the Bible there, she succeeded.
I wish I could have found more of value within Lilith, but the novel struck me as a way for the author to superficially communicate how she feels about the Bible instead of an intriguing fictional exploration of how the text depicts misogyny and how we, as human beings, have interpreted it and harmfully implemented it into our social construct.
I am immensely grateful to Libro.fm, Highbridge Audio, and Nikki Marmery for my copy. All opinions are my own.
March 14, 2024
{ 4.75 Stars } ~ { Biblical Fiction, Historical, Retelling }
¡Y’ALL!
The only reason I didn’t rate this book 5 stars(which, literal shame on me, I give y’all full permission to bully me) is because I know Nikki Marmery isn’t gonna pay for the therapy bills that I will undoubtedly rack up (✌️😃) once I’ve fully processed everything this book dumped into my brain and my poor/broken/sad/crumpled heart 😭
A visual representation of how I progressed through this novel: 🙂😐😦😟😫😭😵💀
Either way, this review is going to be a little less longer than my traditional reviews because I literally want to spoil NOTHING, since y’all need to start reading this, like, respectfully, right now 👀 …but I also just need to vent 😭 So, nonetheless…
!¡!SPOILERS AHEAD!¡!
Trigger Warnings
~-~-~
Synopsis
Please don’t read the Goodreads synopsis 😵💫
I kinda hate how the word choices leave the impression that this is a “revenge” story, when it’s really not. (It’s really more about justice or, in all honesty, how to achieve basic human empathy, compassion, and perception across the species and sexes)
If anything, preface the plot as: “What are the truths surrounding Lilith’s story, considering she’s the one actually telling it?” 😊
~-~-~
Everything I Need to Get Off My Chest 🫠
First and foremost, my respectable audience, y’all need to understand how MAD this book made me. And mad is an understatement:
I was LIVID
I was IRATE
I was FUMING with anger at all the (capital S) “Sh*t” Lillith went through in this story
In no way is this a criticism of Marmery’s writing style or ability. (I genuinely think anger and depression are the two most felt emotions anyone would experience throughout this plot 😭); if anything, this is a warning ⚠️: “Nikki Marmey did such a phenomenal job at emotionally connecting us with Lilith that our newly found primal instinct is to viciously maul each and every one of her enemies” 😃👍
There’s so much I also wanna say about each of the characters, each of the chapter endings, and that BOOK ENDING… 🥺 I still literally refuse to spoil anything significant 😅
So, what I will primarily say is that I wholly believe that this book will have a remarkable impact on your life if you’re:
- Someone who’s grown up in Western religious environments and institutions
- Someone who’s grown up in religious environments that have had their historical texts and teachings altered over time, through translation, and to benefit a certain class of person (soooo, this might be… maybe… most… religious institutions 👀)
- A Human Being (come on, y’all! Most of us have been exposed to religion and live under a patriarchy; everyone needs to read this 😭)
As my last Hail Mary (religious pun… intended? 😋): Whether you’re someone who’s been hurt by religion, someone who’s apathetic toward religion, or someone who upholds religion, there’s so much to learn from this book. Even if you already know it 🙏
~-~-~
Closing Thoughts
I feel like this was less of a review, and more of me just ranting and expressing the pain I felt and begging y’all to suffer with me 😅 But, honestly, there are only three other people in my life that I can talk with about this book (and I’ve already talked with them about it), so message me if y’all finish this one because I need more convos 🥹
Let’s see what I’ll review next. Cause I think I’m gonna need to talk about something that’s the emotional equivalent of being smothered by a kennel of puppies 🐶
Here’s to spreading the Mother’s truth✌️
~~~
Book Vibes ~~~> Song Vibes
“The Devil is Human” by Aurora
“The Woman I Am” by Aurora
“Persophone in the Garden” by Aidoneus
“Eve” by Precious Pepa
“the fruits” by Paris Paloma
↺ ᴿᴱᴾᴱᴬᵀ ‖ ᴾᴬᵁˢᴱ ≫ ᴺᴱˣᵀ ˢᴼᴺᴳ
1:35 ───ㅇ───── 3:47 | ᴠᴏʟᴜᴍᴇ : ▮▮▮▮▮▮▯▯▯
(No, but seriously, even if I rated this 4.75 stars… it’s 5 stars. Don’t listen to that earlier version of me. He’s delusional 😌)
¡Y’ALL!
The only reason I didn’t rate this book 5 stars
A visual representation of how I progressed through this novel: 🙂😐😦😟😫😭😵💀
Either way, this review is going to be a little less longer than my traditional reviews because I literally want to spoil NOTHING, since y’all need to start reading this, like, respectfully, right now 👀 …but I also just need to vent 😭 So, nonetheless…
!¡!SPOILERS AHEAD!¡!
Trigger Warnings
~-~-~
Synopsis
Please don’t read the Goodreads synopsis 😵💫
I kinda hate how the word choices leave the impression that this is a “revenge” story, when it’s really not. (It’s really more about justice or, in all honesty, how to achieve basic human empathy, compassion, and perception across the species and sexes)
If anything, preface the plot as: “What are the truths surrounding Lilith’s story, considering she’s the one actually telling it?” 😊
~-~-~
Everything I Need to Get Off My Chest 🫠
First and foremost, my respectable audience, y’all need to understand how MAD this book made me. And mad is an understatement:
I was LIVID
I was IRATE
I was FUMING with anger at all the (capital S) “Sh*t” Lillith went through in this story
In no way is this a criticism of Marmery’s writing style or ability. (I genuinely think anger and depression are the two most felt emotions anyone would experience throughout this plot 😭); if anything, this is a warning ⚠️: “Nikki Marmey did such a phenomenal job at emotionally connecting us with Lilith that our newly found primal instinct is to viciously maul each and every one of her enemies” 😃👍
There’s so much I also wanna say about each of the characters, each of the chapter endings, and that BOOK ENDING… 🥺 I still literally refuse to spoil anything significant 😅
So, what I will primarily say is that I wholly believe that this book will have a remarkable impact on your life if you’re:
- Someone who’s grown up in Western religious environments and institutions
- Someone who’s grown up in religious environments that have had their historical texts and teachings altered over time, through translation, and to benefit a certain class of person (soooo, this might be… maybe… most… religious institutions 👀)
- A Human Being (come on, y’all! Most of us have been exposed to religion and live under a patriarchy; everyone needs to read this 😭)
As my last Hail Mary (religious pun… intended? 😋): Whether you’re someone who’s been hurt by religion, someone who’s apathetic toward religion, or someone who upholds religion, there’s so much to learn from this book. Even if you already know it 🙏
~-~-~
Closing Thoughts
I feel like this was less of a review, and more of me just ranting and expressing the pain I felt and begging y’all to suffer with me 😅 But, honestly, there are only three other people in my life that I can talk with about this book (and I’ve already talked with them about it), so message me if y’all finish this one because I need more convos 🥹
Let’s see what I’ll review next. Cause I think I’m gonna need to talk about something that’s the emotional equivalent of being smothered by a kennel of puppies 🐶
Here’s to spreading the Mother’s truth✌️
~~~
Book Vibes ~~~> Song Vibes
“The Devil is Human” by Aurora
“The Woman I Am” by Aurora
“Persophone in the Garden” by Aidoneus
“Eve” by Precious Pepa
“the fruits” by Paris Paloma
↺ ᴿᴱᴾᴱᴬᵀ ‖ ᴾᴬᵁˢᴱ ≫ ᴺᴱˣᵀ ˢᴼᴺᴳ
1:35 ───ㅇ───── 3:47 | ᴠᴏʟᴜᴍᴇ : ▮▮▮▮▮▮▯▯▯
｡･ﾟﾟ･“What is there at the end? /
A better world. A better story.” •°. *࿐
(No, but seriously, even if I rated this 4.75 stars… it’s 5 stars. Don’t listen to that earlier version of me. He’s delusional 😌)
June 21, 2023
6/21 I’m not enjoying myself and I’m stopping myself right here. When. Feel like the reading of a book is a chore, just no. It’s not for me
6/17 yeah I’m still getting this slight farcical vibe. It’s not really blatant I don’t think. But it’s enough that it makes me feel like I’m sitting crookedly or something. It had a great little beginning except I would have loved more of lillith’s antics. And Adam so fits the ALLMAN THEORY I hold. Sorry I just do I’m extremely jaded for various nefarious reasons. And just as I became quite comfortable with one particular character he’s gone. That better be rectified soon because that dynamic was leading me forward. I don’t think L is a strongly enough developed force to ride out the rest of this book with just occasional visiting occurrences.
Interesting, almost lighthearted take on the myth? Would that be the right term? I do question what the book is stating to be the great sin. In school we were always told it was free will. Outside of the classroom we talked about it being fornication. This book said something about creating death?
6/17 yeah I’m still getting this slight farcical vibe. It’s not really blatant I don’t think. But it’s enough that it makes me feel like I’m sitting crookedly or something. It had a great little beginning except I would have loved more of lillith’s antics. And Adam so fits the ALLMAN THEORY I hold. Sorry I just do I’m extremely jaded for various nefarious reasons. And just as I became quite comfortable with one particular character he’s gone. That better be rectified soon because that dynamic was leading me forward. I don’t think L is a strongly enough developed force to ride out the rest of this book with just occasional visiting occurrences.
Interesting, almost lighthearted take on the myth? Would that be the right term? I do question what the book is stating to be the great sin. In school we were always told it was free will. Outside of the classroom we talked about it being fornication. This book said something about creating death?
December 27, 2025
Finally a creation story I can get behind! Lilith's life is told with lovely prose and unwavering truth and honesty. The patriarchy is inherently destructive. When men subjugate and bully and enslave women they lose touch with the natural world—they revel in unchecked violence—they lead poorly with greed and strife and narrow-minded stupidity. This book beautifully illustrates the issues women have struggled with for uncounted generations. Today the patriarchy is, predictably, destroying our country and our world. I hope, as in Lilith's beautifully told story, it is their extinction burst. Every woman should read and savor this book—as should every man who allies himself with the energy of creation rather than destruction.
March 31, 2023
I am so excited for others to read this book. You might have heard of the stories of Lilith, but I guarantee you’ve never heard one like this. As someone who deconstructed from Christianity, I have been waiting, yearning, for retellings of vilified Biblical women. And I am so thrilled to have read the Grandmother of them all (yes, smart people debate if Lilith is canon, but as far as I’m concerned, if not she, then her essence, is).
The only slight stumble was the chapters with Jezebel. I found myself not really caring for either Jezebel or Lilith during this point in the story. Jezebel felt less than fleshed out and Lilith was just along for the ride. However, I really enjoyed the Ark portion of the narrative, especially with how all the myths and legends surrounding Lilith came to be and who was behind them.
The best part was, hands down, Lilith and Maryam. I kept wondering if Maryam (better known to us as Mary…guess which one) was end game each time Lilith would be searching for her prophet, The inclusion of Thunder, Perfect Mind was inspired. The parallel of Lilith and Maryam having their own road to Damascus moment was especially poignant portion of the narrative.
Recommended to those, like me, never saw themselves in the male deities we were instructed to worship and always knew that there had to be more…And trusted ourselves to keep asking questions.
Many thanks to the publisher for providing a free copy for me to review via NetGalley.
The only slight stumble was the chapters with Jezebel. I found myself not really caring for either Jezebel or Lilith during this point in the story. Jezebel felt less than fleshed out and Lilith was just along for the ride. However, I really enjoyed the Ark portion of the narrative, especially with how all the myths and legends surrounding Lilith came to be and who was behind them.
The best part was, hands down, Lilith and Maryam. I kept wondering if Maryam (better known to us as Mary…guess which one) was end game each time Lilith would be searching for her prophet, The inclusion of Thunder, Perfect Mind was inspired. The parallel of Lilith and Maryam having their own road to Damascus moment was especially poignant portion of the narrative.
Recommended to those, like me, never saw themselves in the male deities we were instructed to worship and always knew that there had to be more…And trusted ourselves to keep asking questions.
Many thanks to the publisher for providing a free copy for me to review via NetGalley.
July 23, 2024
This book sucks so hard man. I really tried bc I’m not a quitter but yikes. It’s giving Bible fanfiction like the anachronisms don’t really add anything and it’s trying really hard. And the protagonist my god for girlboss feminism she literally doesn’t even try to girl boss, she’s barely girl employee-ing at this point. She’s girl unpaid interning. Like why should I see her as this awe inspiring goddess mother figure if she literally CANT DO ANYTHING. Watching girls get raped and murdered? Yeah. Not helping anyone? Yeah. Not killing any of the said rapists and murderers? Yeah. She gives boy mom too like does nothing to help that poor girl. Literally the whole Noah’s ark chapter was an exercise in futility and frustration. Like it made me actually hate our protagonist. Yeah 0/10 I just hated this a lot. And the women are also…not really painted well either??? Like why does this book try to gaslight me into thinking it cares about women? Weirdly an unsympathetic look.
If you wanna watch a protagonist literally do nothing help no one then this might be for you. There’s also….like no real goal? Like is it to return this goddess? Or to find a prophet? Couldn’t tell you we kinda just hop around and watch women suffer for no reason? Under comically stupid and evil men like girl if they’re stupid just kill them why are you here why are you so powerless? You had a grown ass lion following you around and didn’t think to…kill a man before he went and married a 14 year old? Yeah okay girl. She like didn’t even speak up for said 14 year old like why are you so fucking passive. Even with the whole Adam part…just kill him? Like not enough men killed in this novel.
Anyways I’m taking this book to a store that lets you exchange books for pickles because it is worth more to me as pickles than as a work of literature.
If you wanna watch a protagonist literally do nothing help no one then this might be for you. There’s also….like no real goal? Like is it to return this goddess? Or to find a prophet? Couldn’t tell you we kinda just hop around and watch women suffer for no reason? Under comically stupid and evil men like girl if they’re stupid just kill them why are you here why are you so powerless? You had a grown ass lion following you around and didn’t think to…kill a man before he went and married a 14 year old? Yeah okay girl. She like didn’t even speak up for said 14 year old like why are you so fucking passive. Even with the whole Adam part…just kill him? Like not enough men killed in this novel.
Anyways I’m taking this book to a store that lets you exchange books for pickles because it is worth more to me as pickles than as a work of literature.
March 14, 2024
Oh boy. (some spoilers)
Lilith was a lot less thought provoking and much more painfully redundant than I thought it would be. Its themes and messaging are lacking any kind of nuance or intrigue. I found myself bored, confused, and frustrated much more than I found myself excited to continue this story.
Lilith's character in itself is seemingly contradictory to the books central themes. Her agency is strange and sometimes completely absent. Her traits as a character are surface level and muted. I couldn't tell you much about Lilith as a person other than her goal in the story. The fact that she's immortal is handled poorly and makes the pacing of the book clunky. Either the story is slogging on, or I'm left completely deflated when I get to the next section where Lilith leaves whatever mortals she was accompanied by, and meanders for a couple hundred years again.
In its writing and its plot this story is fairly sterile. There's no edge to it, no soft embrace to it, it just kind of happens and I'm left with an absence of emotion or investment of any kind. Its too easily predictable, the world is too black and white. Although I recognize that the conditions for women especially in the ancient world were terrible, again I struggle with its lack of nuance. If a man is good in this book, he is more feminine, if a Woman is bad in this book, she is more like a man. It's tiring, and boring. Mamery's writing is also just missing something. That x factor, a distinct voice that makes it interesting to read. She repeats many of the same descriptions. A beautiful woman's hair is either 'coiled' or it 'tumbles' to her waist. By the 100th time I had to read the word coiled I almost threw the book across the room. The biblical writing she tries to imitate also falls completely flat. It's a ambitious and I have respect for that, but it is numbingly mediocre at best, and laughably terrible at worst.
Throughout this book there are many instances of laughably bad moments. The three angels that serve "God", that pursue Lilith throughout the story are straight out of a fucking Looney Tunes animation. If that was intentional or not, I don't know which one is worse. When a literal god basically says "if eve jumped off a bridge would you do it to?" I questioned why I even continued reading. When Lilith, the supposed first mother, feminist symbol in this book did nothing when a man beat his pregnant wife to death, and then actively went against trying to save another girl from suffering the same fate, I could've screamed. The authors obsession with describing women as holy because they birth life eventually starts to seem almost reductive, coming around the other end of the horseshoe.
This book never challenged me, never surprised me, never transported me somewhere, or gave me a new special feeling with its atmosphere, it just happened. A broken record relaying a message that anyone who picked up this book would have agreed with before starting it. The writer wrote a coherent story, that for what its worth, is not offensively bad. More disappointing and boring than anything.
I do not recommend Lilith. If you're looking for something empowering, or feminist, look elsewhere.
p.s How the fuck does Lilith's immortality work? She doesn't age and she doesn't die, yet fears for her safety on multiple occasions. If someone cut her head off of would she die? Why does Asmodai die if he's the son of two immortal beings? Can Samael die? He's like an eternal being that existed before the gods. One of the angels try to kill him but can a mortal do that? If so, Lilith after what, 3000 years? Never once was attacked, robbed, or had an attempt on her life? In this horribly dangerous world for women? The more I think about this story the more my head hurts.
Lilith was a lot less thought provoking and much more painfully redundant than I thought it would be. Its themes and messaging are lacking any kind of nuance or intrigue. I found myself bored, confused, and frustrated much more than I found myself excited to continue this story.
Lilith's character in itself is seemingly contradictory to the books central themes. Her agency is strange and sometimes completely absent. Her traits as a character are surface level and muted. I couldn't tell you much about Lilith as a person other than her goal in the story. The fact that she's immortal is handled poorly and makes the pacing of the book clunky. Either the story is slogging on, or I'm left completely deflated when I get to the next section where Lilith leaves whatever mortals she was accompanied by, and meanders for a couple hundred years again.
In its writing and its plot this story is fairly sterile. There's no edge to it, no soft embrace to it, it just kind of happens and I'm left with an absence of emotion or investment of any kind. Its too easily predictable, the world is too black and white. Although I recognize that the conditions for women especially in the ancient world were terrible, again I struggle with its lack of nuance. If a man is good in this book, he is more feminine, if a Woman is bad in this book, she is more like a man. It's tiring, and boring. Mamery's writing is also just missing something. That x factor, a distinct voice that makes it interesting to read. She repeats many of the same descriptions. A beautiful woman's hair is either 'coiled' or it 'tumbles' to her waist. By the 100th time I had to read the word coiled I almost threw the book across the room. The biblical writing she tries to imitate also falls completely flat. It's a ambitious and I have respect for that, but it is numbingly mediocre at best, and laughably terrible at worst.
Throughout this book there are many instances of laughably bad moments. The three angels that serve "God", that pursue Lilith throughout the story are straight out of a fucking Looney Tunes animation. If that was intentional or not, I don't know which one is worse. When a literal god basically says "if eve jumped off a bridge would you do it to?" I questioned why I even continued reading. When Lilith, the supposed first mother, feminist symbol in this book did nothing when a man beat his pregnant wife to death, and then actively went against trying to save another girl from suffering the same fate, I could've screamed. The authors obsession with describing women as holy because they birth life eventually starts to seem almost reductive, coming around the other end of the horseshoe.
This book never challenged me, never surprised me, never transported me somewhere, or gave me a new special feeling with its atmosphere, it just happened. A broken record relaying a message that anyone who picked up this book would have agreed with before starting it. The writer wrote a coherent story, that for what its worth, is not offensively bad. More disappointing and boring than anything.
I do not recommend Lilith. If you're looking for something empowering, or feminist, look elsewhere.
p.s How the fuck does Lilith's immortality work? She doesn't age and she doesn't die, yet fears for her safety on multiple occasions. If someone cut her head off of would she die? Why does Asmodai die if he's the son of two immortal beings? Can Samael die? He's like an eternal being that existed before the gods. One of the angels try to kill him but can a mortal do that? If so, Lilith after what, 3000 years? Never once was attacked, robbed, or had an attempt on her life? In this horribly dangerous world for women? The more I think about this story the more my head hurts.
unfinished-or-abandoned
January 14, 2024I liked the sound (and pretty cover) of this book better than the reality... and I stopped reading at around 50%
the novel seemed to mix quite alot of mythologies and stories and histories up... and was pretty inaccurate in places/exercised ALOT of artistic licence...
and I found Lilith more of an observer, rather than protagonist, than I expected... and to lack some agency, even within her own story 🤔🙃
bits of it were fun 🙂
bits of it were rather questionable 🤔🙃
the novel seemed to mix quite alot of mythologies and stories and histories up... and was pretty inaccurate in places/exercised ALOT of artistic licence...
and I found Lilith more of an observer, rather than protagonist, than I expected... and to lack some agency, even within her own story 🤔🙃
bits of it were fun 🙂
bits of it were rather questionable 🤔🙃
September 28, 2023
Lilith
by Nikki Marmery
Fiction Religion Mythology
NetGalley ARC
Publication Date: October 10, 2023
Alcove Press
Ages: 18+
A feminist retelling of Lilith, Adam's first wife.
This book is compared with the novel by Madeline Miller, and I agree with that comparison. I read the first 16% and then started to skim because it was boring, just like Miller's book.
While it was an interesting concept; Lilith is really a good person, and God actually has a female partner, but God and Adam are men and they have to control and what they can't control they abuse/lie about, and the things in the 'bible' weren't all true, women were intended to be equals but men... etc, etc...
But the story had no depth, as if written for middle/high school textbooks, with just enough detail so it could possibly keep kids' attention for more than five minutes.
I was expecting more details, more life to this character because she was supposed to be the first woman, powerful, but she and everyone else were all flat. Maybe if the author didn't rely so heavily on biblical references, they could have created a much more admirable character that women could believe in and start a real change in the controlling male dominated religions.
1 Star
by Nikki Marmery
Fiction Religion Mythology
NetGalley ARC
Publication Date: October 10, 2023
Alcove Press
Ages: 18+
A feminist retelling of Lilith, Adam's first wife.
This book is compared with the novel by Madeline Miller, and I agree with that comparison. I read the first 16% and then started to skim because it was boring, just like Miller's book.
While it was an interesting concept; Lilith is really a good person, and God actually has a female partner, but God and Adam are men and they have to control and what they can't control they abuse/lie about, and the things in the 'bible' weren't all true, women were intended to be equals but men... etc, etc...
But the story had no depth, as if written for middle/high school textbooks, with just enough detail so it could possibly keep kids' attention for more than five minutes.
I was expecting more details, more life to this character because she was supposed to be the first woman, powerful, but she and everyone else were all flat. Maybe if the author didn't rely so heavily on biblical references, they could have created a much more admirable character that women could believe in and start a real change in the controlling male dominated religions.
1 Star
May 13, 2023
This books is exceptional! Lilith is a must read for all you Madeline Miller loving… smash the patriarchy type of readers.
“For Women everywhere. Be your own gods. Your mother commands it.”
Although this book may have started off a bit slower for me by the middle of the book I was completely enraptured. This is a retelling on the Hebrew myth of Lilith, the first woman who was exiled from the garden for refusing to lie beneath Adam. This book’s touches on how religion was used to manipulate women into becoming subservient to men instead of equals and how Asherah was essentially glossed over. I really appreciate the feminine narrative and how that it reframes something that is so uniquely female, like creation, into something that was shifted into man being made in “his” image.
The book follows Lilith from her exile from the garden into present day; sharing stories of Noah, Jezebel, and Mary Magdalene without ever feeling disjointed.
“For Women everywhere. Be your own gods. Your mother commands it.”
Although this book may have started off a bit slower for me by the middle of the book I was completely enraptured. This is a retelling on the Hebrew myth of Lilith, the first woman who was exiled from the garden for refusing to lie beneath Adam. This book’s touches on how religion was used to manipulate women into becoming subservient to men instead of equals and how Asherah was essentially glossed over. I really appreciate the feminine narrative and how that it reframes something that is so uniquely female, like creation, into something that was shifted into man being made in “his” image.
The book follows Lilith from her exile from the garden into present day; sharing stories of Noah, Jezebel, and Mary Magdalene without ever feeling disjointed.
November 3, 2023
Dude... I'm only 5% in and I'm DNFing this. The writing is terrible. There is no depth to anything. No details or even attempts at character building. It's written so far like a fact sheet, this happened then this happened so I did this. And I'm over here like " these are pretty big points, don't you wanna expand on that a little?". Nope. What a shame. I was excited for a bad ass Lilith story.
August 25, 2023
3⭐️
I owe Thanks to NetGalley, Alcove Press and Nikki Marmery for a Digital ARC in return for my honest review.
In Lilith by Nikki Marmery we follow Lilith from the beginning. It starts in the garden of eden, where Lilith and Adam are created by their gods Asherah and Yahweh (4004BC). From the beginning Lilith is set to an almost impossible mission to spread her wisdom and avenge Asherah. We read of her journey of this mission.
The writing is poetic. There are more scriptures in this than I had wished to read (knowing the context of the book, I did expect a few). I really couldn’t stand any man that was brought into the book, except for Samael.
Tragedy, disappointment, fury, and sometimes love and short lived happiness is all covered in the story of Lilith.
I owe Thanks to NetGalley, Alcove Press and Nikki Marmery for a Digital ARC in return for my honest review.
In Lilith by Nikki Marmery we follow Lilith from the beginning. It starts in the garden of eden, where Lilith and Adam are created by their gods Asherah and Yahweh (4004BC). From the beginning Lilith is set to an almost impossible mission to spread her wisdom and avenge Asherah. We read of her journey of this mission.
The writing is poetic. There are more scriptures in this than I had wished to read (knowing the context of the book, I did expect a few). I really couldn’t stand any man that was brought into the book, except for Samael.
Tragedy, disappointment, fury, and sometimes love and short lived happiness is all covered in the story of Lilith.
May 8, 2023
I know I am not the target audience for this book, which is why I chose to read this Advanced Read Copy. It's always good to read books that challenge your beliefs. I am pretty confirmed in my Judeo-Christian beliefs and this book takes a whole new look at how patriarchal roles have existed and formed since the literal beginning of creation. While it reads as a work of fiction, the end notes of this book reveal that a lot of research went into this book.
God had a wife, Asherah, whom the Book of Kings suggests was worshiped alongside Yahweh in his temple in Israel. Asherah's connection to Yahweh is found in an 8th-century B.C. inscription on pottery found in the Sinai desert at a site called Kuntillet Ajrud. It is from this union that both Adam and Lilith were created. However, according to the myth, Yahweh wanted to be God alone and so divorced his wife. Lilith mirrored her actions by wanting to be equal to her husband Adam and thus was cast from the Garden of Eden.
Lilith strives throughout the entire book to restore the goddess and bring back the dignity of women under the rule of men. Since Lilith is immortal, this struggle lasts millennia from Eve, Noah, and Jezebel, to Mary Magdalene.
Although this book is well-written and engaging, I really struggled with this content. There are portions of the book at the beginning that almost seem anti-semitic and misandrist. While I know the ultimate point of the book is to demonstrate that women have been and always will be equal to men, there are portions of this book that seem to argue that men are lesser because women are divine through their life-giving abilities. Traditional Jewish and Christian figures such as Adam, Noah, Jesus, and Peter are seen as weak or evil.
Ultimately this book ended up sounding like a radical feminist tirade, but perhaps that is the point of the entire book. Nikki Marmery makes it extremely clear that when women preach or go against the grain they are seen as radicals, whores, or demons. My negative gut reaction could only be emphasizing the point she is making all along.
While my religious beliefs stay the same, this book is great food for thought! I am glad that I took the time to read this and grateful to Nikki Marmery for taking the time to write this.
God had a wife, Asherah, whom the Book of Kings suggests was worshiped alongside Yahweh in his temple in Israel. Asherah's connection to Yahweh is found in an 8th-century B.C. inscription on pottery found in the Sinai desert at a site called Kuntillet Ajrud. It is from this union that both Adam and Lilith were created. However, according to the myth, Yahweh wanted to be God alone and so divorced his wife. Lilith mirrored her actions by wanting to be equal to her husband Adam and thus was cast from the Garden of Eden.
Lilith strives throughout the entire book to restore the goddess and bring back the dignity of women under the rule of men. Since Lilith is immortal, this struggle lasts millennia from Eve, Noah, and Jezebel, to Mary Magdalene.
Although this book is well-written and engaging, I really struggled with this content. There are portions of the book at the beginning that almost seem anti-semitic and misandrist. While I know the ultimate point of the book is to demonstrate that women have been and always will be equal to men, there are portions of this book that seem to argue that men are lesser because women are divine through their life-giving abilities. Traditional Jewish and Christian figures such as Adam, Noah, Jesus, and Peter are seen as weak or evil.
Ultimately this book ended up sounding like a radical feminist tirade, but perhaps that is the point of the entire book. Nikki Marmery makes it extremely clear that when women preach or go against the grain they are seen as radicals, whores, or demons. My negative gut reaction could only be emphasizing the point she is making all along.
While my religious beliefs stay the same, this book is great food for thought! I am glad that I took the time to read this and grateful to Nikki Marmery for taking the time to write this.
May 25, 2023
This book haunts me. If you’re currently going through your “finding myself” phase as a woman or trying to understand your place with the patriarchy, it’s one that will haunt you as well.
As someone who grew up in Christianity, it was freeing to look into the mythology of another religion. Through the lens of the first woman, I was delighted to see why Christianity would want to erase Lilith. A woman who is head strong, self-assured, and intelligent. Exactly the woman I was not taught to be. At one with her decisions and her sexuality, I enjoyed her character even when she questioned herself and her actions.
I read this book as an ARC (advanced reading copy) from NetGalley, but this will definitely be one that I go and purchase to put on my shelf.
As someone who grew up in Christianity, it was freeing to look into the mythology of another religion. Through the lens of the first woman, I was delighted to see why Christianity would want to erase Lilith. A woman who is head strong, self-assured, and intelligent. Exactly the woman I was not taught to be. At one with her decisions and her sexuality, I enjoyed her character even when she questioned herself and her actions.
I read this book as an ARC (advanced reading copy) from NetGalley, but this will definitely be one that I go and purchase to put on my shelf.
June 14, 2024
Things to not do when writing a supposedly feminist story:
- include at least one paragraph every few pages talking about how mistreated women are and making it Explicitly Clear that This Is A Feminist Statement - if you do your job as a writer writing an inherently feminist story, you don't need to keep telling your audience that. We get it.
- make the female protagonist INSANELY dumb. Especially when part of the core story is that she gained godly wisdom. Literally every single choice she makes throughout the entire book is stupid
- define womanhood as the ability to carry and birth babies
- (slight spoiler here) have it end with the realization that she needs a man's help to save the world
- include at least one paragraph every few pages talking about how mistreated women are and making it Explicitly Clear that This Is A Feminist Statement - if you do your job as a writer writing an inherently feminist story, you don't need to keep telling your audience that. We get it.
- make the female protagonist INSANELY dumb. Especially when part of the core story is that she gained godly wisdom. Literally every single choice she makes throughout the entire book is stupid
- define womanhood as the ability to carry and birth babies
- (slight spoiler here) have it end with the realization that she needs a man's help to save the world
January 7, 2026
1.5/5 ⭐️
idk why I thought I’d like Bible fanfic but I hate it
idk why I thought I’d like Bible fanfic but I hate it
November 9, 2023
Loved it!
One of the best retellings out there! In my top 5 if not top 3. This is a very strong feminist retelling so it may not be for everyone. I found it beautiful and empowering. The story was great and held my attention. I'd sit to read just a little and end up reading for hours. I would definitely read more by this author.
One of the best retellings out there! In my top 5 if not top 3. This is a very strong feminist retelling so it may not be for everyone. I found it beautiful and empowering. The story was great and held my attention. I'd sit to read just a little and end up reading for hours. I would definitely read more by this author.
May 24, 2024
I want to give this book 10 stars.
The author recounts the story of Lilith, who was allegedly the first wife of Adam. She was banished from the Garden of Eden when she refused to submit to Adam both physically and emotionally. She is immortal and she tells her story over numerous millennia. Much of the book is her quest to find Ashera who was the wife of G-d.
Over the course of the book, we meet Adam, who was arrogant and boorish; Noah, a sorry drunk of a man; Samael, a fallen angel who loves Lilith; Jezebel, who has been unjustly vilified over the ages, and Mary Magdalene, who is another woman who has been besmirched and denigrated by the followers of Jesus.
Throughout the book, Lilith (and the author) take on the patriarchal nature of religions, especially Christianity. This book has a decidedly feminist and woman centered view of religion. The men in the book do not come off well, as they shouldn’t. Lilith espouses a loving mother of a female god, not a jealous, vindictive male god.
Throughout the book men seek to control women, demean them, make them “less than” and certainly don’t regard them as equals. Sadly, we are seeing the same thing in our country as the religious right and the Christian Nationalists seek to take hard won rights away from women.
If you are a religious person who believes that everything you have been taught about G-d, Jesus and the teachings of your church is true, then you may not like this book at all, for it it will challenge your beliefs. For me, this book was a revelation, enlightening and a fresh way of view the religious myths that we have known. The author skewers some common perceptions. For example: why was it a sin for woman (and man) to eat from the Tree of Knowledge? Why is gaining knowledge sinful? What was G-d afraid of?
Women are deemed unclean by men when they bleed, but that blood is part of what offers life.
The book points out very clearly that our religious doctrines have been formulated and written by men, and discounts half the world’s population, yet we are supporting and following these doctrines blindly.
I won’t give away the ending, but it is so reassuring and affirming.
As good as the novel is, you must read the historical notes at the end. They as enlightening as the novel.
Good quotes:
“In the time to come, Eve would be reviled. Her disobedience, so it was claimed, the root of all Sin - the origin of Death itself. What power this one woman had! What an achievement to invent Death against the wishes of an ever-loving god! So, Eve’s sin would justify the abuse of women thereafter. As she succumbed to temptation, so would her daughters. As she led man astray, so would all women who followed. Henceforth all women would be punished for the sake of Eve. All must be ruled and restrained, kept close by their lords and masters. For females are the devils gateway.”
“To me, her one active disobedience was her saving grace. Not sin, but Wisdom and consciousness were her gifts to mankind. Knowledge of death, not death itself. But she threw it all away. That is why I reviled her.”
“Gods are made by belief and undone by disbelief.”
“ I told them of their ancestors, naked and unsullied, in the Garden of Eden. How Ashera had chosen women to receive the gift of Wisdom. That their foremother Eve brought reason into the world, not sin. That they must use their hard-won Wisdom to question, to improve an advance; not accept and endure. That men would have them believe disobedience was Eve’s vice, when it was her greatest virtue.”
“Women bring life into the world. To denigrate women is to degrade life itself. There must be equality, not domination. Harmony, not hierarchy. Compassion, not violence. Women must be cherished as we cherish this world it sustains us.”
“As a consequence, men were once again afforded all power, and none more so than those successors of Kephas (Peter), the rock on which the church was built: the papacy, which inherited unimaginable earthly power for 2000 years to follow! A tyrannous, judging power that required a tyrannous, judging god to uphold it.”
“Those inheritresses of Eve’s supposed sin responsible for all the evils of the world. Barred women for millennia from power and influence, demoted them as helpmeets, burned them as witches, exploited and exhausted them as breeding mares. Their bodies denounced is sinful, in need of binding, restraining, covering and mutilating to make them right. Their minds miscast as weak and polluting, open to evil, for which they must be silenced, denied leadership and voice.”
“Such a convenient religion, that affords all power to a heavenly Father, whose only desires accord with the earthly men who worship him.”
“Their message is the same: honor women, for they bring and sustain life. In searching, women find their own worth; cast off their shackles, reclaim their bodies, assert their right to power.”
“My fictional Maryam is a prophet in her own right, bringing a message of harmony and love for this physical world from a female deity. Equal in teaching, and in the movement she created with Yeshua, she is a female half of a whole that more truly represents humanity than a religion comprising a Father-God, a son, and a sexless ghost (who gets higher billing than any female). Of course, as a woman daring to assume authority, Maryam is denounced as a whore, just as Pope Gregory I pronounced the real Mary Magdalene a prostitute in 591 CE; the time-honored method used to diminish or malign women.”
“This conflict between Mary and Peter reflects the battle at the core of my novel: between a worldview of equality and harmony between the sexes - a desirable state coined as “gylany”by Riane Eisler -and the opposing urge of male supremacists to dominate women and brand them is inferior.”
An absolute recommend!
The author recounts the story of Lilith, who was allegedly the first wife of Adam. She was banished from the Garden of Eden when she refused to submit to Adam both physically and emotionally. She is immortal and she tells her story over numerous millennia. Much of the book is her quest to find Ashera who was the wife of G-d.
Over the course of the book, we meet Adam, who was arrogant and boorish; Noah, a sorry drunk of a man; Samael, a fallen angel who loves Lilith; Jezebel, who has been unjustly vilified over the ages, and Mary Magdalene, who is another woman who has been besmirched and denigrated by the followers of Jesus.
Throughout the book, Lilith (and the author) take on the patriarchal nature of religions, especially Christianity. This book has a decidedly feminist and woman centered view of religion. The men in the book do not come off well, as they shouldn’t. Lilith espouses a loving mother of a female god, not a jealous, vindictive male god.
Throughout the book men seek to control women, demean them, make them “less than” and certainly don’t regard them as equals. Sadly, we are seeing the same thing in our country as the religious right and the Christian Nationalists seek to take hard won rights away from women.
If you are a religious person who believes that everything you have been taught about G-d, Jesus and the teachings of your church is true, then you may not like this book at all, for it it will challenge your beliefs. For me, this book was a revelation, enlightening and a fresh way of view the religious myths that we have known. The author skewers some common perceptions. For example: why was it a sin for woman (and man) to eat from the Tree of Knowledge? Why is gaining knowledge sinful? What was G-d afraid of?
Women are deemed unclean by men when they bleed, but that blood is part of what offers life.
The book points out very clearly that our religious doctrines have been formulated and written by men, and discounts half the world’s population, yet we are supporting and following these doctrines blindly.
I won’t give away the ending, but it is so reassuring and affirming.
As good as the novel is, you must read the historical notes at the end. They as enlightening as the novel.
Good quotes:
“In the time to come, Eve would be reviled. Her disobedience, so it was claimed, the root of all Sin - the origin of Death itself. What power this one woman had! What an achievement to invent Death against the wishes of an ever-loving god! So, Eve’s sin would justify the abuse of women thereafter. As she succumbed to temptation, so would her daughters. As she led man astray, so would all women who followed. Henceforth all women would be punished for the sake of Eve. All must be ruled and restrained, kept close by their lords and masters. For females are the devils gateway.”
“To me, her one active disobedience was her saving grace. Not sin, but Wisdom and consciousness were her gifts to mankind. Knowledge of death, not death itself. But she threw it all away. That is why I reviled her.”
“Gods are made by belief and undone by disbelief.”
“ I told them of their ancestors, naked and unsullied, in the Garden of Eden. How Ashera had chosen women to receive the gift of Wisdom. That their foremother Eve brought reason into the world, not sin. That they must use their hard-won Wisdom to question, to improve an advance; not accept and endure. That men would have them believe disobedience was Eve’s vice, when it was her greatest virtue.”
“Women bring life into the world. To denigrate women is to degrade life itself. There must be equality, not domination. Harmony, not hierarchy. Compassion, not violence. Women must be cherished as we cherish this world it sustains us.”
“As a consequence, men were once again afforded all power, and none more so than those successors of Kephas (Peter), the rock on which the church was built: the papacy, which inherited unimaginable earthly power for 2000 years to follow! A tyrannous, judging power that required a tyrannous, judging god to uphold it.”
“Those inheritresses of Eve’s supposed sin responsible for all the evils of the world. Barred women for millennia from power and influence, demoted them as helpmeets, burned them as witches, exploited and exhausted them as breeding mares. Their bodies denounced is sinful, in need of binding, restraining, covering and mutilating to make them right. Their minds miscast as weak and polluting, open to evil, for which they must be silenced, denied leadership and voice.”
“Such a convenient religion, that affords all power to a heavenly Father, whose only desires accord with the earthly men who worship him.”
“Their message is the same: honor women, for they bring and sustain life. In searching, women find their own worth; cast off their shackles, reclaim their bodies, assert their right to power.”
“My fictional Maryam is a prophet in her own right, bringing a message of harmony and love for this physical world from a female deity. Equal in teaching, and in the movement she created with Yeshua, she is a female half of a whole that more truly represents humanity than a religion comprising a Father-God, a son, and a sexless ghost (who gets higher billing than any female). Of course, as a woman daring to assume authority, Maryam is denounced as a whore, just as Pope Gregory I pronounced the real Mary Magdalene a prostitute in 591 CE; the time-honored method used to diminish or malign women.”
“This conflict between Mary and Peter reflects the battle at the core of my novel: between a worldview of equality and harmony between the sexes - a desirable state coined as “gylany”by Riane Eisler -and the opposing urge of male supremacists to dominate women and brand them is inferior.”
An absolute recommend!
February 24, 2024
In short: I hated this. Lilith starts out on her high horse, blaming Eve for women’s lot just like all the men do, until she’s down in the trenches and becomes just as submissive to Noah as Eve was to Adam. I hated her attitude and didn’t get the feminist angle in this at all. Blaming Eve herself, calling all women but herself unhappy. It was just weird. And her source material seems to diverge quite a bit from mine or else it has logical lacks à la Twilight. Why does Lilith suffer in labour? Why was there lust, ambition and violence in paradise? And did Yem fuck a snake???
Read
January 12, 2024Wow! I’m not sure how to rate this one, I think I’m still thinking the plot through. This is very clever and it’s on line with a story with a twist ie. “Wicked “. The point of view no one ever looks at, Wow! It’s controversial but if you are the type who likes to look at a viewpoint standing in someone else’s shoes, this is a zinger!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2025
This was bad. Really bad. And before you cast my review aside as a ignorant attempt to preserve the patriarchy, hear me out. Nikki Marmery’s book is a feminist revison of some of the greatest stories in the Bible with the twist being that all the characters that the Bible portrays as good are mustache-twirling villians. And there is no worse villian in Marmery’s story than God himself—Yahweh—who is portrayed as a pathetically jealous, vengeful, bloodthirsty deceiver bent on being worshiped as the only god.
The world Marmery creates lacks nuance or detph of character. Let me break down the formula of “Lilith”: women = good, men = bad. The reader is subjected to 336 of this overly formulaic pattern that pervades the book as Marmery attempts to smuggle her feminist idealogy into the reader’s mind. Don’t get me wrong, every book has a worldview, an ideal to communicate, values it is trying to instill; but Marmey does this poorly. Her characters, Lilith most principally, do not embody the values of the book in a compelling way, but rather rely on perpetually repeating Asherah’s—the female equivalent to Yahweh whom he rids himself of—wisdom instead of showing the reader its substance. I don’t think she believes in the fiction principle: show don’t tell, because there is a whole lot of telling in this book.
It is a combination of Marmery’s propagandistic tone, poor writing, and incoherent characters that I am giving this book one star. This book is not thoughtful. It is a “preaching to the choir book” that makes excessive use of strawmen to push her point. Lilith’s victories, if you can call them that, are not satisfying. I can’t think of any genuine Christian who believes in the god she portrays in this book. Thus, the polemical edge of her work becomes dull. I am all for reading books I disagree with. That is one reason I return often to Nietzsche. But this work fails to effectively acheive its goal, and as a cherry on top, the goal is off from the start.
I would not recommend this pulp-like work that falls remarkably short to other attempts of recasting the biblical story. I.e. “Paradise Lost”.
The world Marmery creates lacks nuance or detph of character. Let me break down the formula of “Lilith”: women = good, men = bad. The reader is subjected to 336 of this overly formulaic pattern that pervades the book as Marmery attempts to smuggle her feminist idealogy into the reader’s mind. Don’t get me wrong, every book has a worldview, an ideal to communicate, values it is trying to instill; but Marmey does this poorly. Her characters, Lilith most principally, do not embody the values of the book in a compelling way, but rather rely on perpetually repeating Asherah’s—the female equivalent to Yahweh whom he rids himself of—wisdom instead of showing the reader its substance. I don’t think she believes in the fiction principle: show don’t tell, because there is a whole lot of telling in this book.
It is a combination of Marmery’s propagandistic tone, poor writing, and incoherent characters that I am giving this book one star. This book is not thoughtful. It is a “preaching to the choir book” that makes excessive use of strawmen to push her point. Lilith’s victories, if you can call them that, are not satisfying. I can’t think of any genuine Christian who believes in the god she portrays in this book. Thus, the polemical edge of her work becomes dull. I am all for reading books I disagree with. That is one reason I return often to Nietzsche. But this work fails to effectively acheive its goal, and as a cherry on top, the goal is off from the start.
I would not recommend this pulp-like work that falls remarkably short to other attempts of recasting the biblical story. I.e. “Paradise Lost”.
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