Warriors, Witches, Women: Mythology's Fiercest Females

by Kate Hodges, Harriet Lee Merrion (Illustrator)

Warriors, Witches, Women is a guide to awe-inspiring mythical female creatures; from feminist fairies to bloodsucking, seductive temptresses, half-human half-bird harpies created from the wind, or protective  voodoo goddesses who still impact on African-American cultural feminism. 

The stories of fierce females from mythology and folklore are retold, placing women firmly at the centre of the narrative. Each powerful character will fire the imagination, entertain, and provoke debate.

Genres: Mythology, Nonfiction, Feminism, History, Audiobook, Witches, Historical

224 pages, Hardcover

First published February 4, 2020

About the author

Kate Hodges has written nine books that have been translated into nine languages. Her titles include biography collections Warriors, Witches, Women and I Know A Woman. She has also written guides to London, among them Little London, Rural London, Welcome to the Dark Side: Occult London and London in an Hour, and family activity book On a Starry Night.

She has over 25 years writing experience on magazines, having been a staffer on publications including The Face, Bizarre, Just Seventeen and Sky, and written for many more. She currently writes regularly for The Green Parent and Shindig! magazines. She has twins and lives in Hastings. In her spare time, she plays in bands Ye Nuns and The Hare and Hoofe.

Instagram: @theekatehodges
Twitter: @theekatehodges
www.katehodges.org

Reviews

[Chrissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diverse and feminist collection of characters from folklore and myths around the world, getting a brief overview of their origins and stories. Some you'll know, others you might not.

[Sumit RK · Rating 4 out of 5]

We are the granddaughters of the witches you weren't able to burn

Warriors, Witches, Women is a guide to the legendary mythical female characters which brings old myths and folktales to life by casting them in a modern light. From feminist fairies to seductive temptresses, from fearsome witches to little known goddesses, this book covers a large variety of mythological characters. Divided into five sections, ( witches, warriors, bringers of fortune, elemental spirits, and munificent spirits ) it is accompanied by a glossary and suggestions for further reading.

With beautiful illustrations and lots of information, Warriors, Witches, Women takes look at some of the prominent and some forgotten women in mythologies around the world. In all, Kate Hodges has collated 50 female lives covering the witches and warriors, spirits and benevolent goddesses. Each character profile contains a full-page illustration, their origin stories, and their relevance even in today's world. The illustrations by Harriet Lee Merrion are beautiful, capturing the essence of the character and bringing these fascinating characters to life. Medusa, Baba Yaga, Circe, Cassandra, Rhiannon, Kali, Cihuateteo, Ma ’at were some of the most interesting characters for me.

The choice of characters was really inclusive, with legends taken from all parts of the world, from different times and different cultures. There were a lot of women in this book that you would not be familiar about and it was fascinating to learn about them. The stories not only cover the legend of the woman but also an attempt to correct the negative stereotypes about them and restore their reputations. It does acknowledge all the different narrations over time- how the stories and the characters themselves evolved, with a change in time and culture.

Overall, this book was very informative and engaging. It had lovely illustrations, concise information and a mix of characters from diverse cultures. If you enjoy reading about mythologies from across the globe, then you will surely enjoy reading this book.

Many thanks to the publishers Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC.

[sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warriors, Witches, Women brings old myths and folktales to life by casting them in a modern light. The book would relate the tales to feminism, climate change and the Me Too movement. This made centuries old stories relevant and engaging.

This book tells the story of some of the countless women who have had their tale shrouded because they were Too loud. Too powerful. Too smart.
These women were either cast a witches, ugly and unloveable- cast as the villain, or erased from history, warning others to not follow their lead.

Not going to lie, the large majority of myths I know is from from Percy Jackson- so this was very informative and entertaining.
I know I, and many others have been given a very white washed version of mythology. This collection however brings women from all over the world to show women of all colours, sizes and sexualities.

The book is formatted with a beautiful illustration of the woman, followed by 3 pages of information about her.
The illustrations in this book were breathtaking, and I would recommend checking it out for the sole purpose of seeing some of the gorgeous pictures.

Some of the stories felt like a fairy tale.
“Behind her fly her three magical birds, said to sing songs that can heal all sadness, wake the dead from their slumber and send the living whistling happily to their doom” - Rhiannon, Celtic goddess/fairy

Some of my favourite stories, and ones I would recommend you learn more about include:
➽ Baba Yaga
➽ Cassandra
➽ Berchta
➽ Rhiannon
➽ Cihuateteo
➽ Baobhan sith
➽ Ma’at


However, for me it was not quite digestible. Big chunks of text tend to remind me of textbooks and my eyes immediately glaze over, which began to happen a few times while reading this.

Overall, this book was very informative and for the most part engaging. I would recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about mythological women from across the globe- those famous, infamous and largely unknown.
_____________________________________________________________
Thanks to White Lion Publishing for the ARC

Release Date: 4 February 2020

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovingly collated, this is a diverse and well written book on various goddesses of various ancient myths and legends. Everything from Medusa, Mami Wata and the gender fluid rainbow serpent are included, with details about their origins and their place in today's society. There's frequent discussion over how these dieties have been reclaimed by strong females of today and how they are helping to redefine what it is to be strong, powerful and feminine. There were also a lot of Gods I had never heard of before, and I learnt a lot that I want to go on and study further.

Although the illustrations aren't necessarily to my taste, I do like the muted colour palette used and thought that overall they fit in well with the books aesthetic.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Quatro Publishing Group- White Lion Publishing for granting my wish on NetGalley.

I enjoy reading about strong women in both fiction and nonfiction and this collection of fab women from different mythologies from around the world was a superb read. Divided into five sections( witches, warriors, bringers of fortune, elemental spirits, and munificent spirits) and accompanied by a glossary, suggestions for further reading, and a mythological women playlist, this book was a great reading treat. There were the women that I knew from the Greek/ Roman, Celtic, and Norse traditions, but so many more that were fresh and new to me. All-powerful women that were important to their cultural stories but faced the threat of being put in their place by men or organized religions. Each woman has been given her 1-2 page allotment which offers the origin stories and connection to both religious and historical context and their relevance even in today's world. About the artwork that accompanies the text, I thought it gave an idea of how each woman was sometimes portrayed in her culture.

Goodreads review published 02/01/20
Publication Date 04/02/20

[Maja - BibliophiliaDK ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

FEMINIST MYTHOLOGY = 👍👍

I have always loved mythology, it is one of my absolute favourite things. Even with all the time I have spent learning different mythologies, there were several amazing women here that I didn't know anything about.

"Yes we are angry, yes we are making a noise about it, and yes, we are hungry for change. We are harpies."

👍 WHAT I LIKED 👍

Rehabilitation: Many of the women in these books have besmirched reputations. They are vilified, slutshamed and turned into negative stereotypes. However, many of these women didn't start out as villains. This book goes a long way to restore their reputations.

Present day representations: One thing I really enjoyed about all the women was learning about their present day representations in pop culture, fashion, idioms and such. Not surprisingly, Game of Thrones was referenced a bunch of times.

Illustrations: Each woman is beautifully illustrated in a way that makes their stories come to life.

ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

[Dannii Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating 4.5/5 stars.

Circe. Medusa. The Furies. These, and many more, famed mythological women were equally as famed for their beauty as their monstrous qualities and, often too, their tragic endings.

This collated fifty of mythology's females and provided the reader with a brief understanding of their story, their fate, and their contemporary relevance. This empowered the women who remained voiceless, abused, marginalised, the moral of the story, or the villain to be slain in male-centric stories and sought to provide some measure of understanding for the dark deeds associated with them.

I highly appreciated the diversity inside of these pages, as many areas of the globe were covered, not solely those who feature inside Greek or Roman mythology, which were previously the most well-known to me. I just as highly appreciated the modern-day women they featured alongisde them. For example, green goddesses were likened to climate change activist Greta Thunberg and outspoken women to many female political leaders.

Harriet Lee Merrion's gorgeous and vibrant full-page illustrations accompanied Kate Hodges powerful words, making this a 200-page-long feminist celebration! I am fully obsessed with this art style and have discovered such a diverse array of mythological females to learn more about, in the future.

[Lois · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not much substance but fun.
Low rating because more than half of those presented are from various European folklore. Which is fine but then this needs to be labeled as European and not as women in general.
This quote at the start about earned this a 1 star rating, "We are the granddaughters of the witches you weren't able to burn"
I hate this fucking quote.
It's historically and factually untrue.
You, dear author, are the granddaughter of colonizers, thieves, enslavers and genociders.
Your grandmother's participated as much as their own oppression allowed.
I am the latest in a long chain of generations born under the oppression of your grandmothers, for the last 6 centuries.
We are not the same.
Our struggles are not the same.
The author goes on and on about feminism someone might want to send her the definition of white feminism because it fits.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate Hodges has put together a fine collection of mythology's fifty fiercest females. Some were familiar to me, but many were ones I had never heard of before.
Harriet Lee Merrion's illustrations compliment the text perfectly & this tour of mythological characters from all around the world was a very illuminating read. As well as delving into the history of each person Kate Hodges also puts them in context with society today, as well as their appearances in recent blockbuster films. An informative & eye opening read.

[amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

What kind of legacy do you want to leave behind? What do you want to be known for?

Warrior? Goddess? Monster? Witch? Queen?

Harbinger?

Ghost…

Uh, I think you all know what I would choose.

Witchy Ghost Queen remixed with Goddess

This world is made of mythos. History is laced with fact and fiction and they intertwine. We have prayed to the Gods and Goddesses, sent our strongest soldiers off to wars, we dare not speak the name of certain spirits in fear of invoking their wrath.

We learn to not repeat mistakes but we also learn because it is fundamental to know and it is FASCINATING. History is rich and it is sordid and it is messy and I absolutely love it.

I don’t think I have to hide the fact that I loved this book and how it highlights women: good and bad, fact or fiction.

Warriors, Witches, Women is an illustrated book that showcases women from all around the world. These are the women made up up legends. The first chapter?

Witches

I’ve never heard of Morgan Le Fay but I learned that she is a British Fairy and Enchantress. The book also provides us with a really handy description and her history which I…am crying over.

Another favorite entry of mine is The White Buffalo Calf Woman, an Indigenous American/Lakaotan Spirit who taught the Lakota Sioux Tribe tribes their most precious ceremonies their most precious ceremonies and environmental practices.


It is books like this I love the most because they go into such careful detail into teaching us important history.

Growing up, we always got a very white washed version of mythology and it was frustrating as a black child. All of these great people and they’re all…white. It’s stinging. This book does a great job in showcasing various figures of color such as Mami Wata, Cihuateteo, Yennenga , Futakuchi-onna.

Of course, my creepy ass is also happy in the ghost section. I nearly wept. SO MANY GHOST FIGURES I KNEW NOTHING OR NEARLY NOTHING ABOUT? I’M…so happy you guys.

This is a gorgeous book. The writing is impeccable and the artwork is amazing. Each entry has its own art and a lot of effort and love was put into it. You can absolutely tell. I plan to buy this when it’s available because an ARC copy doesn’t do it justice and I need my daughter to read this as well.

Luckily we live in a time where she doesn’t have to go through what I did and doubt that just because her skin is dark doesn’t mean that her history isn’t rich in mythology.

Her background is full of goddesses, strategists, elementals. Strong women past and present. It all leads back to her and she too will be known as legendary.

Thank you very much to publisher and Netgalley for this copy of my ARC. All opinions are my own,.

I wish I could give more than 5 stars.

[Liv · Rating 3 out of 5]

BOOK REVIEW - ⭐⭐⭐


Warriors, Witches, Women: Mythology's Fiercest Females by Kate Hodges

This book is a guide to mythical women and female creatures across history and across the globe. It's clearly a very feminist interpretation of these women's stories and for that reason I really liked it. Kate Hodges has several sections to the book that split the mythical female creatures into different categories: warriors, witches, bringers of misfortune, elemental spirits and munificent spirits. 

Kate Hodges made these women much more relevant and accessible to the modern day as she discussed how these women stories came about, how their image changed due to patriarchal pressure. Hodges attempts to almost rehabilitate these mythical creatures to show how there were positive aspects to their stories. She also unpicks as to how some of them have been vilified because they've been the victim i.e. Medusa and Futakuchi-Onna. 

I really liked that Hodges included mystical beings from more than just Greek and Norse mythology which I feel like is generally the focus of these kinds of books. She had a gender-fluid Aboriginal god/goddess, Vietnamese goddess, Mesopotamian goddesses, Japanese beasts, African goddess, and Mexican spirits to name a few. Lots of these mythical beings I'd never even heard of.

There were 50 different mythical beings in the book and each one had 3-4 pages about them. Hodges included references to where their stories originated, how their stories changed over time and how that related to modern women. I think the major disappointment for me was that some of these names are in different languages or uncommon to me and just a reference to how to pronounce them would have been really helpful. 

I also think that Hodges attempts to bridge her stories to modern day were a little stretched at times. When she wrote about the Japanese being Futakuchi-Onna it felt very generic as to how women are expected to be silent, not expected to eat. However, this "beast" originated in Japan and I feel like Hodges didn't focus enough for me in many instances on why these mythical beings got distorted in these specific cultures. So whilst it was really good she included lots of different beings from across the globe, I still wanted more. 

Overall, this was enjoyable but I wasn't quite as immersed as I'd hoped. There was a little something missing from this book.

eArc provided by NetGalley.

[Erika Sarutobi · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

I enjoy reading mythology and was interested in this since it was written through a feminist lens. Though it was fun reading through them, I can't help but feel like it was getting a bit repetitive with the feminist aspects in each entry because there were many.

Each entry explained the history of each woman and the original story about them before the male authors of the past changed their description to be more wicked or weak and dimmined their strong aura so that people would not follow/worship these powerful women.

Overall, it was fun to read about these women from different culture though it had too many modern references to the point it was spoilery at times.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with the digital copy for an honest review.

[Mariah · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

“We will not wait to be offered leftovers from the feast. We will arrive in a whirl of wings and talons and pick off what belongs to us. Yes, we are angry, yes we are making a noise about it, and yes, we are hungry for change. We are harpies.”

I have always been fascinated by mythology, in all it’s iterations. From Disney’s Hercules, to Wonder Woman, Saint Seiya, Inu Yasha and countless others, I developed an early interest in all things mythological since childhood. And as a twenty something latina woman I have discovered the power in other women’s stories – to learn from those who carved the path for where we are today.

This books was the almagamation of those things for me. It is a true celebration of mythology’s fiercest females – the ones who we recognize at a glance, the ones that are still fighting not to be erased from the narrative and everything in between.

This book is a spark. For me it was a catalyst to seek out those figures that I wasn’t yet familiar with, those whose struggles I related to.

It acknowledged all the variations in the mythos – never claiming one true definite story, but recognizing how they changed over time and what that meant.

Among my personal favorites are the Pontianak, the Harpies, Medusa, Banshees, The Morai (The Fates) & the futakuchi-onna.

I love the idea of celebrating these stories and giving the back their power – from magazines claiming the name of Jezebel, Medusa’s luxurious comeback as – literally – the face of Versace, even Pokémon has claimed one of my new favorites and my inner nerd is so so happy.

If you need some fuel for your fire, I'd pick this up sooner rather than later.

[Greyson | Use Your Words · Rating 5 out of 5]

Content Warnings: Sexual Assualt: Rape. Violence: death, violence.
Representation: LGBTQIA+: Sapphic, lesbian, bisexual. POC. Religion.
Actual Rating: 4.5

A wonderful collection of women in mythology.

These figures don’t purely provide a comforting link to history, but make for powerful contemporary role models, their struggles, hopes and strength resonate. These fabulous women may be from the darkest past, but they’re leading the charge forward. And Thank goddesses for that.

I love mythology. As a kid I was fascinated with ancient Egypt and as I’ve grown older my interest has grown out into other myths and legends. I just always want to learn more.

I’m so glad I requested this book. It’s a fantastic learn about women from all over the world, from all different myths and look at their stories through a modern feminist lens.

I learned about so many different goddesses, deities and spirits I had never heard of and learned more about the ones I had.

This book is a celebration of them all and I loved every moment of it. This is another book I can’t wait to purchase a physical copy of to add to my collection.
—
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
___
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[Yasmin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Even though I gave up on it half way I'm going to have to mark it as finished. In all honest it reads as rather trite. To this reader it was rather amusing that she completely ignored the incest that either begot some of these women or they engaged in, i.e Morgan le Fay, rather ironic considering her favourite film is Excalibur from 1981 and it does get right into the nitty gritty of incest! and even though for another one she clearly states the mother and father were brother and sister. But! that wouldn't have fitted in the trope "fiercest female". It is also extremely tasteless to call White Buffalo Calf Woman "the original hippy". I rather doubt an Indigenous holy woman would want to be associated with white elites that we drugged out of their minds and engaging in so called "free love", lots of sex that most likely led to venereal diseases and only very few actually cared about the Earth. These finger nail snap shots of 50 historical women figures in an attempt to make them relatable to the modern reader does a disservice to the many cultures and histories these women came from. It is also odd that apart from very few exceptions all the women in the illustrations are identical but for skin pigmentation and hair colour.

[thewoollygeek (tea, cake, crochet & books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful mix of characters from mythology full of strength and character , all female. I absolutely adored this and I love all mythology but this was an extra special read, some tales in here I hadn’t read much about before. I loved it so much I need a copy in hardback as soon as it’s out, a wonderful read, perfect for the fan of mythology, feminism or just great strong women.


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

[Jifu · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Note: I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley)

I found myself majorly surprised twice by this book, both in the best of ways. First, while there is a sizable showing of figures from Greek mythology, they thankfully do not end up dominating the book as a majority, a phenomenon that I feel like I have unhappily encountered in too many mythological collections of stories and characters. Instead, they are just a fraction of a genuinely diverse and awesome array of mythological women who array who hail from faiths, tales, myths, and traditions from around the world.

What proved to be just as unexpectedly rich were all the individual entries. Besides providing each woman's actual myth, they often included historical context and their cultural importance in both the past and present. There was even occasionally a thoughtful question or statement included just for readers to mull over.

Overall, this compendium does a marvelous job highlighting and honoring the great women tales from lands and cultures from all over, and lovers of all things mythology-related should not hesitate to go out and enjoy Warriors, Witches, Women at their first available convenience.

[Jacquie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Warriors, Witches, Women by Kate Hodges is like a who’s-who of the women of folklore who have influenced the women of the world. There are many that cross different regions and may be named differently in different locations. The details show that many were very independent until the male rulers modified the stories slowly. Often these women were used to try to influence women from trying to be too independent.

This book made me want to read more about each. This is our history. It’s too bad we don’t continue to share with our future generations. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn of these strong, and powerful women.

I received this book free of charge from Netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion Publishing but the opinions above are my own.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Whatever interesting stories about women that can be found in this book are overshadowed by the continuous under- currents of "men, bad; women, oppressed". The writer seems to have little inclination of historical context or seems to be trying to rewrite history for her own purposes. For example, stories of gods and goddesses were often meant to show what bad behavior looked like but the writer is continuously praising said bad behavior (behavior that would be bad regardless of gender) when it it's performed by a woman.

There are also feminist quotes throughout this book that are sometimes irrelevant to the content and sometimes just blatantly stupid quotes. The author chose to put in one quote that claimed that men were praised for being aggressive and violent while women weren't. Is that why we have prisons full of men who are in there for their aggressive and violent behavior?

The author also seems to take at least one shot at second wave feminists because, being an obvious third wave feminist with nothing legitimate to complain about, of course she does.

The 2 stars is purely because it's a good list of powerful, (mostly) mythological women and, if you can ignore the stupid (or if you're into the stupid), it is, generally speaking, an interesting and brief overview of each of these women's stories.

[Chloë · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warriors, Witches, Women makes an empowering collection about mythology's fiercest women. It's unapologetically feminist and incredibly diverse, as it features legendary figures from all over the world and of different sexual orientations. From Maman Brigitte to Futakuchi-onna, Kate Hodges tells you about these women's stories and their evolution through the years. She gave each one four pages, one of them filled with a stunning portrait. Their stories pique your interest without becoming overwhelming.

Grouped into five sections: these women are Witches, Warriors, Bringers of Misfortune, Elemental Spirits and Munificent Spirits. Their stories are retold and reframed. Even after millennia, they continue to inspire, to remind, to empower. Kate Hodges fights for the demonised and the overlooked. She gives those, taken from their roots, a place.

I want to thank White Lion Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Salomé Esteves · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to enjoy this book. I really did, but it felt short on so many levels. However, it did one great thing: to present many different characters from all over the world and time frames. But in doing that, it lacked editing. What truly bothered me was that each chapter ended with a girl-boss-style caption on how that specific character is a role model for our current everyday women. I think it failed to express the nuance and depth of many characters and elaborate on certain aspects.

[The Kawaii Slartibartfast · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This book is dynamite! Packed to the gills with mythology, Warriors, Witches, Women explores legendary female figures.
For having so much information it's a surprisingly quick read!

[ariel *ੈ✩‧₊˚ · Rating 3 out of 5]

**thank you to netgalley for the arc!**

this was a really interesting book that goes into detail about the different women in folklore and legend. the writing is good, and the illustrations are stunning. i know nothing about mythology, so i'm not sure how accurate this is but it was interesting to read about! i really liked that it talked about so many different mythical women from around the world - and gives detail attention to each. if you're at all interested in women's role in mythology and magic, i would recommend it.

[Bluebelle-the-Inquisitive (Catherine) · Rating 4 out of 5]

To ten-year-old me, whose only female superhero was Wonder Woman, these mythological creatures resonated hard. They fought, took revenge, were wild — some of them were even worshipped for it. And it's their quirks, their power, their fallibility that makes them fascinatingly relevant to women today. — Kate Hodges

The way I'm going to review this is an overview statement and then comments on the individual women. Some I knew, some I didn't before coming in. Warriors, Witches, Women is divided up into five overarching sections; Witches, Warriors, Bringers of Misfortune, Elemental Spirits, and Munificent Spirits, each section with its own tagline which is the core of that type. As far as I can tell each section starts with an archetypal woman to introduce some of the key points for example Warriors uses the Greek goddess Artemis. Unlike most books which feel like they are very Eurocentric this barely doubles up on the pantheon's included with the women coming from all over that globe.

The entries are each 4 pages long, a page dedicated to Harriet Lee-Merrion's illustration, three pages of writing by Kate Hodges. Each introductory page the woman's best-known name, culture or pantheon, other names they are known as and a short often humorous overview of them. Also included somewhere in each entry is a quote that Hodges associated with the woman, some are about them directly, others are by modern people. I've read quite a few books on mythology and women in mythology over the years but this is one of the few that is clearly aimed at an adult audience. As such these entries are written slightly differently from some others it covers the way myths can blend and alter through time and as they move through cultures.

Breifly on Harriet Lee-Merrion's illustrations. There are some flaws in the art but most are well interpreted and not pg with boobs out as appropriate (as in the case of Ame-No-Uzume). These illustrations are using simple enough styles and palettes. Perfect for encouraging the focus to be on the text. The most problematic illustration is Madam Brigitte, she is the exact opposite of whitewashed. I would say it's a minor thing but I'm not sure it is. It certainly means the art was done at the same time as or without the text. But either way, it's frustrating. Ma'at piece is a fantastic choice for those who know the basics beyond what is included here. The pose used is how she is presented in tomb carvings, actually, the whole thing feels like a replica of that. One one the best aspects of the art for me was its ability to give me total grabby hands for the outfits for cultures across the spectrum.

I appreciated the diversity of the pantheons, the diversity of the associations, the art and the writing style. While there were things I already knew there was undoubtedly some things included that I had no idea about, like the histories of the women I did know. Hodges does a fantastic job of bringing their stories to life and showing how the ancient in some cases goddesses are still relevant to modern women. These smart entries are accompanied by lovely art by Lee-Merrion. These illustrations are using simple enough styles and palettes. Perfect for encouraging the focus to be on the text. For those with an interest in mythology, it really is worth reading and I would recommend it. I really enjoyed this. The rest of the review will basically be notes I made while reading, something for each of the 50 women.

Witches
- Hecate — Hecate is such a strong start. Some of her history I didn't know such as her ties to Lilith. I also hadn't seen the corruption of her myth from the strong woman to the darker magic we have now.
- Morgan Le Fay — Okay so while I was reading this entry I stumbled on this line "Cistercians were crusaders, dedicated to eradicating heretics. The despised women - some even argued against the existence of a female soul - and used the Arthurian tales as propaganda for the Christian religion." (p.16). Oh Christianity... why? I have a reply to this. "This is what gets to me about some branches of Christianity. They worship Mary as a deity, make a woman one of their key religious figures, but then don't see women as worthy of equality on earth?" (William Edgar, The Coffin Confessor)
- Cirice — Cirice is called independence personified with her love of cats and need for knowledge she really is a Mythical figure for the modern woman.
- Baba Yaga — The illustration for Baba Yaga is wonderful. The splash of colour is perfect. The choice of story is a good one.
- Cassandra — I am a bit surprised Cassandra is here. We all know her negative gift of prophecy but I didn't know it was originally a positive gift removed after she said no to a man (god whatever).
- The Pythia — I really like this entry, it's fascinating. I like the line "Apollo was the musician, the Pythia a lyre and the gas emissions the musical ability (originally by Plutarch, p.33). The gas emissions have been archaeologically proven, which I didn't know. Nor did I know that the Oracle of Delphi had a proper name.
- Berchta — I'd never heard of Berchta but until recently I'd never heard of Krampus they are somewhat related.
- White Buffalo Calf Woman — I'm wondering if there is a little bit of disrespect in this entry. But that is not my call to make. There is a fantastic Cheyenne proverb included "As long as the hearts of our women are high, the nation will live. But should the hearts of our women be on the ground, then all is lost." (p.41). Honestly, I found this entry interesting if only for gender politics involved.
- Rhiannon — I appreciate Rhiannon. Though the right up as a few too many GoT references for my liking.

Warriors
- Artemis — I'm so glad Artemis is in here. Though the angle pursued by Hodges is not what I would have thought. Of note is the concept of virginity. For Artemis virginity meant unmarried rather the modern connotations. There are some characters mentioned as Artemis archetype, not all are obvious Katniss Everdeen, Princess Merida, Daenerys Targaryen and Lisbeth Slander.
- Anath — How had I never heard of Anath? Northwest Semitic goddess of love and war. Worshipped across Egypt and Canaan she is a badass bitch who flipped the script when it comes to gender roles.
- Divoká Šárka — Another woman I'd never heard of but she is my kind of woman, immensely brave and tactical. Also gotta love that the romantic additions have been rubbished because of course they have. Let us have nice things and by nice I mean extremely strong and capable warriors defending their home. Which happens to be an enclave of women.
- Freyja — I adore the art for Freyja. Lee-Merrion has done a brilliant job of illustrating the Norwegian Forest Cats (often the breed ascribed to pulling her chariot). The colour palette used is lovely. What I didn't know is that she is considered to be the last Norse god to be worshipped. She was worshipped, her name called upon during the childbirth process.
- The Furies — I didn't know the individual Furies have names and specialisations. I guess it's logical. Alecto or ' unceasing anger' in charge of moral crimes, driving perpetrators to madness. Megaera or the 'jealous one' punished those who committed adultery. Tisiphone or 'the blood avenger' punished those who committed murder, patricide, homicide and fratricide. (p.66)
- Cihuateteo — I wouldn't be at all surprised if more pantheons have goddesses like the Cihuateteo, goddesses honouring women who died in childbirth. Aztecs viewed labour (as in the act of childbirth) as war. I love that. These are stunning women put in an elevated position.
- Kālī — This is a goddess with so many faces, it can be hard to keep up but it is interesting.
- Yennenga — This is one of the real women included, her story passed through oral tradition. There is a line she reputedly said to her father... 'This field looks like how I feel. Here I am, my ovaries withering and dying, my soul crying out for someone, and you don't care.' (p.78). This said to try and get her father to let her have a balanced life, a life beyond her military prowess. She is a powerful woman, she weaponised every aspect of herself and history has taken notice.
- Jezebel — a good inclusion as an oft-misunderstood and slandered woman. She was so, so much more than is often shown.

Bringers of Misfortune
- Hel — Discussion of Hel as a triple goddess is new to me, as is the physical description. But like so many others her everything has been oversimplified for modern eyes.
- Morrígan — The idea of Morrígan as a template for Goth girls is appealing in some ways her truth doesn't change that. I'd never seen the name of her encompassing parts Badb, Macha and either Annan or Nemain. Annan is much softer than the battle furious Nemain. She has connections to Brigid through Tuatha Dé Danann.
- The Valkyries — This entry makes me want to read the Völsunga saga or at least Brynhildr's story. I never realised just how empowering Norse mythology is to women.
- Pontianak — A Malaysian ghost, I'd never heard of them. Like quite a few of the Asian women included they are still present in culture today, still powerful.
- Baobhan Sith — She is a great choice for the vampire. They are Scottish have a story to tell. I do appreciate the thought of trying to stretch this myth to Star Wars.
- Lilith — Judith Plaskow Goldenberg's idea of Lilith and Eve becoming friends in The Coming of Lilith sounds amazing. I kinda want to see it. They represent the two sides of womanhood it's not something I had ever considered.
- Loviatar — This Finnish goddess is the mother of 'all the plagues and ills in the Northland'. She's a dark goddess, dark almost to the point of irredeemable. She is a smart inclusion for her representation of humanity's resilience.
- Harpies — All I can say to this entry is... YES own the slur.
- Medusa — There was still something here I never knew. Such as her sisters also cursed by Athena, stood by her. Like the Harpies maybe this is a slur we need to own. Medusa is a strong female, she defeated many before Perseus got to her.
- La Llorona — This is a wonderful take on La Llorona. That idea of giving new Mothers a voice to their fears.
- Banshee — Banshee's are potentially another triple, I've never seen that take before. But in many ways, it works. That idea of Banshees as the origin of the British stiff upper lip is great and believable.
- Futakuchi-Onna — This entry acts as an introduction to the Japanese yōkai, spirits. They are quite adaptable and quite modern feeling. FYI this is the supernatural creature on the back cover (the front is obvious).

Elemental Spirits
- Tiamat — A goddess full of contradictions and relatable pieces. Her balancing act was well described, her ending brutal even if it is a creation myth, maybe, especially for a creation myth.
- Mami Wata — This entry felt a bit odd to me. But that could as much be because I have little interest in what she is relevant to in modern times... that money, money, Instagram-able lifestyle. Also, I've never been a huge fan of African mythos, I just get confused.
- Pele — Oh I like Pele. I think she feels so human with her temperament. I kind of knew of Pele's worship was ongoing, but seeing that confirmed is nice to see. But we do love to see ongoing worship.
- Selkies — I did not know the Selkie myth supported male selkies. It may be logical be mythology is never logical. I like the idea of selkies as a cautionary tale for times gone by. And as a reminder in the modern era for self-care.
- Mari — The art is fantastic, I really want that outfit. Mari is a goddess of the elements, her personality is in line with that and I like it. She is still around today, and not shy, she is happy to be seen in public though she is a chameleon. She feels unusual in the scope of things. For her life under Christianity hasn't been so bad.
- The Lady of Llyn y Fan Fach — This is another myth I'd never heard. A Welsh fairy with links to the Lady of Lake (of Arthurian legend fame). She is a spectacularly interesting woman. She has a lesson to teach the modern woman (and man) about agency, ownership and communication. Her real name is Nelferch, the name she is better known as comes from the lake she called home, Llyn y Fan Fach.
- The Rainbow Serpent — How had it never clicked that the Rainbow Serpent is gender-fluid? I'm not sure how accurate the culture is written about but you know I'm not sure I'm going to fight. Because let's be honest no one outside Australia (or let's be honest even it really) talks about the Indigenous mythos. Most of the language is current and handled with poise. More than I would have expected. The inclusion of the concept of Dreamtime is vital. I had not realised that Aboriginal culture is accepting of genderqueer people.
- Mazu — She is one of the most worshipped deities globally. Based on the real Taiwanese woman Lin Mo-Niang, as is seemingly the norm for many eastern religions. She's the patron goddess of the sea. Her tale is lovely with that necessary touch or trauma.
- Eglė the Queen of Serpents — Eglė is a Lithuanian woman. Eglė has an, as Hodges calls it, Romeo and Juliet type romance with a tree twist (look it gave me Gemma Doyle flashbacks). her story is a tragic one that will find an audience today with women who need it. But it doubles as a great origin myth.

Munificent Spirits
- Tārā — Tārā is varying across Buddism, presenting as a Buddha, bodhisattva and goddess. It explains why she has always been so hard to nail her down when looking her up, trying to figure her out. I never knew what the bodhisattva vow was before, useful information to have. This is possibly the best and most concise explanation I've read of Tārā. Lee-Merrion's art is fantastic with so many of Tārā's guises encircling what I guess is a play on Wisdom Moon.
- Madderakka — This entry is not just about the Sámi goddess Madderakka but her daughters as well Sarakka, Juksakka and Uksakka. A whole circle of women to support women during childbirth. The postnatal care aspect of the myth is possibly unusual for me.
- The Moirai — The iconic triple goddess, the gods that control birth, life and death using thread. I never knew their parentage before, Nyx and Erebus. Nor did I know when The Moirai appeared to a new child, 3 nights after the birth of a child. There is one line that appeals to my nerdy librarian self "They have been dressed in rags and dishevelled, but they were meticulous administrators." (p.185)
- Brigid — Brigid has an interesting aka Mary of Gael, it's so different to others. Her story just takes a turn from slight normal to slight body horror then a swerve into queer. And in a lesbian relationship and still sainted well, played my lady, well played. So, compassionate doctor, iconoclast, equal, equal right advocate, lesbian, bishop, resister of conventional lifestyles, it's this woman who is being reclaimed as an icon by modern women." (p.189). Yes, Brigid is an icon is only right.
- Erzulie Dantor and Erzulie Freda — This entry asks readers to chose where they fall between strong (female) proctor of women or almost powerful uber-feminine. Dantor is the adopted patron saint of queer women. Protector of women and children, especially those facing domestic violence. She is steely and fearless a fighter and a single mother. She is still so relevant today given the prevalence of domestic violence and well obviously queer women. Freda is bi, super (super) girly, and fu**ing fantastic. She uses what could be used as her feminine wiles to get what she wants, lovers and the finer things in life. As odd as it may sound she has some aspects in common with the Virgin Mary. Freda has is the guardian spirit of gay men.
- Bona Dea — I'd never heard of the Roman Bona Dea. She was worshipped and served by only female initiates, virtually heard of. Her associations are not known for certain but at best guess they were fertility, virginity and healing. Her entirely female focus even at the festival level feels so unusual.
- Ame-No-Uzume — This story needs to be read to be believed. It just made me smile. Ame-No-Uzume is a motivator, someone we all need and all wish we could be.
- Inanna — Her best also known as Ishtar, that is how I've always known her. She was the Mesopotamian goddess of sexual love and war, and I mean I know what pantheon she is from but how very Norse of her. Inanna's priests were to say the least a lot... would you like some BDSM with your worship? That said there is no denying it suits her.
- Ma'at — This is a wonderful entry, with a beautiful piece of art. I knew about the weighing of the heart but not so much that it was her laws they were measuring against. Like what changes the weight of the heart. Actually, I'm not sure I knew Ma'at was female.
- Liễu Hạnh — Princess Liễu Hạnh who has been elevated to godhood has another title, a title that I found kinda amusing Mã Hoàng Công Chúa (Golden Princess to Whom Sacrifices Are Made as to the God of War). If this doesn't say so, so much about her as a woman then nothing does.
- Maman Brigitte — As previous stated I love this illustration. I have total grabby hands over the outfit. What can I say the lady has style and serves as a reminder that not all good girls wear white. "These guardians of the dead have a strong look. They dress steampunk style — she favours, a low-cut Victorian-style, black-and-purple dress and veil, he sports a distinctive top hat frock coat and dark glasses, his neck is hung with heavy jewellery and crosses and his face painted like a skull." (p.215-6) The he of the quote is Baron Samedi, Brigette's partner in all things. Maman Brigitte is a brilliant last entry. She is an evolution of a previous goddess, Brigid. A survivor, a fighter like the people but she still retains the ability to guide and heal in ways passed down through ancestral knowledge.

Drink and dance and laugh and lie,
Love, the reeling midnight through,
For tomorrow we shall die!
(But, alas, we never do.) — Dorothy Parker

A representative gif:

[Museofnyxmares · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I was provided with a copy of this book by the publisher, in exchange for my honest opinion.

4.5 stars

I really enjoyed this book, it just had everything in it! It had lovely illustrations, concise information and a diverse mix of individuals that it focused on, from race, to what these women actually were and meant to people. I am a huge fan of mythology and just reading about powerful women in general, but I don't think I've comes across a book with such an eclectic mix.

I really loved that the book was split into different sections, as it felt like you got a more in depth look at each woman and got to see the variations that existed within each section. For example, the witches section featured the more eccentric witches that really dressed and acted the part, according to our modern idea of a witch anyway, and then also featured a witch like Circe, who was most notably a witch in regards to her skills with herbs. It beautifully reflected the multifaceted nature of women.

It was very powerful how the author was spotlighting some very ancient figures, and diligently told their history, but still managed to link it to the modern world at the end of their piece. I found it fascinating to see how the author viewed their stories from a modern perspective and pointed out the influence that these figures had on the world, and most importantly, women today. Noting whether they were still of significant relevance or had sadly been forgotten with time.

There were a lot of women in this book that I was not familiar with and it was a pleasure to learn about them, but I also learnt new things about the ones I was aware of. The author took the time to acknowledge the different variations that are out there about them and what the reasons for these changes in their stories may be, making sure to try and leave you with how they are most recently/popularly viewed.

Along with noting if these women are still acknowledged today, came the recognition of how this goes hand in hand with feminism and the patriarchy. Certain figures, especially goddesses and witches, are viewed as symbols of feminism, often the ones who were freer, more assertive and were unconventional for the time period they lived/were worshipped in. It may not be the same time, with the same exact attitudes, but modern women still draw empowerment and inspiration from these figures.

Sadly, some of the issues that these women experienced are still issues that women are experiencing today and these shared struggles have given these figures an immortality, as they are called upon for support today, just as their followers of the past called upon them. Not all of these women had the smoothest ride in getting their stories told though, as there was religious and misogynistic interference in relaying them. Some of their stories were twisted to paint them as negatively and therefore, as off putting as possible, some were mixed with the stories of women of different religions to make them more acceptable and some were barely told at all.

In conclusion, I enjoyed this tremendously and can tell that a lot of hard work and passion went into this book, from the broad array of women featured from different backgrounds, the extensive knowledge and even the mythological women playlist included. Reading this will surely give you a boost of female power, as well as just appreciation of reading some very intriguing and entertaining stories, so I'd highly recommend it!

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book makes me want to go read more about these fantastic icons. I loved that we get such a wide variety of mythological woman from all around the world. I am so used to hearing the same myths and legends so it was a nice change and made me want to explore the entire mythology of countries I am not as familiar with. I especially want to look more into Irish folklore now, since I am part Irish and instantly was intrigued by Morrigan

I am also already super fascinated with Japan folklore, but wasn't as knowledgeable as I would like to believe and I loved the bit about Japanese yokai. I can't wait to read more stories about yokai in general! These woman are all so fantastic, strong and inspiring that you are bound to find new legends that you want to sink your teeth into.

I loved that all the stories were short and too the point to get a taste test, but they leave you wanting more so you can seek out the legends for yourself. Some of these stories even gave me a better perspective on these women, i.e. with the story of Jezebel. Unfortunately, coming from a Christian background I had only been fed one narrative about her and reading her chapter made me rethink the villainizing of so many of these women. I have gained such a respect for not only these mythical women, but the act of storytelling and how narratives can be twisted for an agenda. This is a phenomena I know of quite well and it was so fascinating to see it exemplified here with these stories.



The only reason this isn't a five stars is because there was a couple of parts that bugged me. It's my own prerogative, but for the gender fluid icons in here it felt weird to constantly refer to them as women, especially with the Rainbow Serpent. That chapter sticks out to me the most. I think it's great to have figures like that in here, but if you need to pigeon hole them into being a woman to fit the overall theme of the book, then maybe you shouldn't. That's my two cents on it.

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advanced reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

What an amazing book this is! Every page has been carefully researched and has an abundance of knowledge just waiting to be devoured!
This book is all about women - made up or real women? You decide.
So many powerful kind, good, evil, wicked women to find out about in this book and I was shocked that I had only heard of about 1/4 of the women and spirits listed in this book!
A fantastic read that i will be exploring again very soon.

[Eustacia Tan · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I was requesting the book on Thor, I also chanced upon Warriors, Witches, and Women. Requesting this book from NetGalley was a no brainer because I love mythology and I thought it would be very fun to have the spotlight on women in various myths from around the world. While I enjoyed this feminist take on various women in religions and myth overall, it failed to impress on several counts.

Warriors, Witches, Women looks at fifty different women that are grouped into five categories – Witches, Warriors, Bringers of Misfortune, Elemental Spirits, and Munificent Spirits. Each profile comes with an illustration, a quick biography and a short paragraph or two about their relevance to the modern world.

For the most part, I liked that the profiles managed to give the readers a good sense of the woman being discussed, exploring their mythology and bringing out their relevance. The author did mention that she chose certain narratives over others, but they don’t always seem to the most traditional ones. For example, in the story of Uzume, it’s said that the mirror was hung so that it could reflect Uzume’s butt, whereas I’ve always read that the mirror was hung from a tree so that Amaterasu could see her face. I imagine that would be hard to do so if it was reflecting Uzume’s butt.

I’m also a bit iffy on the book proclaiming that Saint Brigid was a lesbian – while I agree that her origins are possibly pagan, the claim that Brigid was in a relationship with her ‘soul sister’ seems to a bit of a reach and from what I understand, not an orthodox interpretation. The concept of Anam Cara, which I assume is the basis of the ‘soul sister’ claim, reminds me of David and Jonathan’s friendship which was deep and true and without romantic implications, as well as the call to koinonia within the Church. We should be celebrating and encouraging intimate friendships because we need friendships that are deep and true and it frustrates me a little to see that everything interpreted in a romantic way. So that chapter was mildly annoying on two accounts – first because we don’t know for sure what Brigid identified as and what was presented as fact seems to be a more modern interpretation, and second, because I’m tired of all ‘deep’ relationships being seen in a romantic light because that is not the be-all and end-all of our relationships. The whole “you can only find true happiness and fulfilment in a romantic relationship” idea is a damaging one that leads women to seek happiness in a relationship but that is a rant for another post.

I also liked that there was a reading list and a playlist at the end of the book so that you can use it as a starting point to explore more about the women featured here.

But sadly, there were a few points that stopped this book from being truly impressive to me.

Firstly, there was the issue of diversity. The book definitely tries to be diverse, but it came across to me as not trying very hard. Out of the fifty women profiled,

10 were Greek and/or Roman
16 were from Europe (out of the 16, 4 were from the Celtic mythos)
6 were from Asia
6 from the African continent
2 from the continent of America
10 from the rest of the world

I did my best but the contents page freely jumps between classifying by religion and ethnic group and as someone familiar mostly with Western and Asian cultures, I have a gap in my knowledge with regards to other countries. But even this count shows that over half the women are from traditional Western myths, with the Celtic myths representing a quarter of the whole of Europe. I’d argue that Asia and Africa have equally rich mythic traditions, yet they take up just under a quarter of all the women profiled. It seems like no matter what, there’s still dominance by the traditional Western and Greco-Roman myths.

Secondly, the women chosen were kind of odd too. I mean, from China we only have Mazu, but what about Guanyin, Chang’Er, Mulan, the Huli Jin, or historical figures like the four great beauties? From Japan, there’s the Futakuchi Onna and Ame no Uzume but what about Ameterasu, Yuki-Onna, Murasaki Shikibu? Where are Korean women? Where are Cambodian women? Malay and Indonesian get lumped together in the Pontianak, which is described as a “Malay ghost” but whose Indonesian moniker, Kuntilanak, is also mentioned. I can only really comment on the Asian section but it felt rather random and unbalanced, especially compared to the amount of Green and Roman women mentioned. I can imagine that just reducing the number of Greek and Roman women (most of whom are already pretty famous) to three or four and then adding one or two women from other parts of the world would have made it so much more diverse.

And the parts that were diverse really were the best parts. My favourite bigoraphies were of women who were completely new to me, such as Mami Wata (African goddess) and Yennenga (Mossi, African Princess). If the book wanted to celebrate the lesser-known women figures, as it seems from the Asian selection, then I want to see more of them and less of the more mainstream names like Hel, the Valkyries, Freyja, Cassandra, Medusa, etc.

Finally, the illustrations were a bit odd too – the one about the Pontianak did not remind me of a pontianak at all. Perhaps it’s the lack of blood on her dress, perhaps it’s because her colouring was very similar to that of the selkies, but I did not get pontianak feels. The Japanese characters were better but I suspect it’s a lot to do with the kimonos.

Overall, I’m conflicted about the book. I really like the concept and I think that for the most part, the biographies are well done but I wasn’t impressed with some of the illustrations and while I really love the Greek, Roman, Celtic, and Norse myths, I would have loved to see more from other countries as well. I suppose this is a case of misaligned expectations – For some reason, the introduction made me think it would be a lot more diverse than I found it.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley.

This review was first posted at Eustea Reads

[The Resistance Bookclub · Rating 4 out of 5]

**I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
A powerful, informative and quick read for anyone interested in mythology and feminism.
Kate Hodges delivers a good overview of mythological women from all around the world (and not just Graeco-Roman, Nordic and Celtic like most mythology collections would). The chapters are short, which is a strong point of the book: you don't have to fight through a lengthy biography of each one, but instead get a to-the-point summary of who they are and why they are important. I can recommend reading one chapter a day before bed or after waking up for the ultimate feminist mythological inspiration.
Chapters end with a paragraph on the importance of myths in today's world, proving that just because a myth is thousands of years old, doesn't mean the overarching theme of it isn't relevant any more. Kate Hodges does not only retell myths, she gives them a place in the continuing struggle for equality.
The illustrations are simply gorgeous and really add to the magic. Furthermore, the book comes with a glossary, further reading and playlist section, three things I wish more books would do.

[Amy Layton · Rating 3 out of 5]

With beautiful, delicately-lined illustrations and a plethora of historical and modern information, Warriors, Witches, Women proves to be the multi-cultural and multi-faceted look at women in mythology for the decade. I appreciate the introduction of each personnage, what with an illustration, quotation, name spellings, and culture they’re from, and I even more appreciate the two pages filled with information on these women. However, I have to say that as much as I enjoy the information and illustrations, the humor and examples are very modern–oft referencing Game of Thrones and other like media to make a point–which makes me wonder whether this book will be as long-lasting as I hope it will be.

Besides that, I do think that it’s funny, and I do think that this is a great look at famous mythological women throughout cultures and centuries.

Review cross-listed here!