What do you think?
Rate this book
Queen of Shades #1
Queen of Shades
A wanderer. An outcast. A Queen.
Against the customs of the land, Kigal is amongst the few still willing to bury the dead. It is a life that has left her wandering, without friend or home, but she spreads her message of justice for the deceased wherever she can. However, when targeted by those who loathe her, she narrowly escapes execution and tumbles into the Underworld.
There Kigal is met with the impossible: the souls of the dead proclaiming her as their goddess, fated to be Queen of the Underworld.
Hurled into a world beyond her imagining, clashing with seductive gods and bringing demons to heel, she must fight to bring justice to the forgotten dead. Yet as an ancient evil rises in the Land of the Living, Kigal must not only fight for the lives of those who sought her ruin, but for their very souls.
Queen of Shades is the the first novella in a completed Mesopotamian fantasy series. Grab your copy and begin the journey today.
Against the customs of the land, Kigal is amongst the few still willing to bury the dead. It is a life that has left her wandering, without friend or home, but she spreads her message of justice for the deceased wherever she can. However, when targeted by those who loathe her, she narrowly escapes execution and tumbles into the Underworld.
There Kigal is met with the impossible: the souls of the dead proclaiming her as their goddess, fated to be Queen of the Underworld.
Hurled into a world beyond her imagining, clashing with seductive gods and bringing demons to heel, she must fight to bring justice to the forgotten dead. Yet as an ancient evil rises in the Land of the Living, Kigal must not only fight for the lives of those who sought her ruin, but for their very souls.
Queen of Shades is the the first novella in a completed Mesopotamian fantasy series. Grab your copy and begin the journey today.
104 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 30, 2020
123 people are currently reading
422 people want to read
About the author
Eli Hinze
15 books108 followersEli Hinze is a writer with an interest in ancient history and mythology, particularly when combined with the fantastical. She loves her day-job in tech, but also loves life as an author.
When not writing, Eli likes to read, draw, cook, and watch documentaries with her husband. If you’d like a free book, bonus content, or to stay up-to-date with her newest releases, you can subscribe to her newsletter here .
When not writing, Eli likes to read, draw, cook, and watch documentaries with her husband. If you’d like a free book, bonus content, or to stay up-to-date with her newest releases, you can subscribe to her newsletter here .
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
December 23, 2020
A wanderer. An outcast. A Queen.
Queen of Shades by Eli Hinze is fantastic from the first page to the last you can't put this book down . It is short , but not short on story and the ability to draw the reader in and not let them go .
The main character is fleshed out perfectly and before you know it your vested and you keep turning pages because you have to know what decisions are made and how they work out . When the writer makes you care about the main characters they are doing it perfect .
The world building is excellent and your drawed into the world feeling as if you are a part of it
So do yourself a favor and pick up this book you will not be disappointed at all . So get the book , read it , love it and review it the reviews help the author way more than you know .
Queen of Shades by Eli Hinze is fantastic from the first page to the last you can't put this book down . It is short , but not short on story and the ability to draw the reader in and not let them go .
The main character is fleshed out perfectly and before you know it your vested and you keep turning pages because you have to know what decisions are made and how they work out . When the writer makes you care about the main characters they are doing it perfect .
The world building is excellent and your drawed into the world feeling as if you are a part of it
So do yourself a favor and pick up this book you will not be disappointed at all . So get the book , read it , love it and review it the reviews help the author way more than you know .
Read
July 10, 2020This was such a great read! Novella-length and pacy, QUEEN OF SHADES tells the story of an outcast who finds out she's the goddess of the Underworld. Hinze draws on Mesopotamian mythology and a formidable (though never ponderous) bank of historical research and knowledge to spin a vivid and entertaining mythological yarn. The characters and themes particularly shone in this story. I found Ereshkigal extremely sympathetic in her reluctance to accept godhood, with all its implications of terror and force - and while I didn't expect the choice she made at the end of the story, I was surprised to find that Hinze had me entirely on board with her climactic decision.
With its fresh characters, thoughtful themes, vivid setting, and pacy plot, I thoroughly enjoyed QUEEN OF SHADES and look forward to reading the next two novellas in the trilogy. My inner line editor did have a couple of notes, but this was a supremely satisfying historical fantasy that kept me immersed from the first line to the last.
Although I MIGHT have been turning pages extra fast towards the end, so that I could get to the Good Stuff in the Historical Note ;)
With its fresh characters, thoughtful themes, vivid setting, and pacy plot, I thoroughly enjoyed QUEEN OF SHADES and look forward to reading the next two novellas in the trilogy. My inner line editor did have a couple of notes, but this was a supremely satisfying historical fantasy that kept me immersed from the first line to the last.
Although I MIGHT have been turning pages extra fast towards the end, so that I could get to the Good Stuff in the Historical Note ;)
April 4, 2023
Queen of Shades is a fantasy book I randomly chose to listen to because I was bored out of my mind.
⤏ What to expect:
∘ Adult
∘ Historical Fantasy
∘ Mythology
∘ Mesopotamian inspired story
∘ Magic & Monsters
It starts out with Ereshkigal who's one of the very few willing to bury the dead. She's an outcast that soon discovers she's the Queen of the Underworld. We follow Kigal as she struggles to accept her godhood and its terrifying implications.
For such a short book it is really well written, it is action-packed and fast-paced, but it doesn't feel rushed, and the characters all have flaws and strengths that make them engaging and relatable.
The plot managed to keep me interested enough until the end.
Not sure I will continue the series as it didn't manage to convince me, but this book was an enjoyable read.
⤏ What to expect:
∘ Adult
∘ Historical Fantasy
∘ Mythology
∘ Mesopotamian inspired story
∘ Magic & Monsters
It starts out with Ereshkigal who's one of the very few willing to bury the dead. She's an outcast that soon discovers she's the Queen of the Underworld. We follow Kigal as she struggles to accept her godhood and its terrifying implications.
For such a short book it is really well written, it is action-packed and fast-paced, but it doesn't feel rushed, and the characters all have flaws and strengths that make them engaging and relatable.
The plot managed to keep me interested enough until the end.
Not sure I will continue the series as it didn't manage to convince me, but this book was an enjoyable read.
March 8, 2021
This book gives life and background for Mesopotamian mythology, to which I was completely unfamiliar. It was fascinating and had great characters. I liked Ereshkigal as a character and only wished it were a little longer.
June 30, 2020
This long-awaited novella has been worth the wait! Drawing from a lesser-known tradition, QUEEN OF SHADES mingles historical research with mythology and imagination. I loved Kigal to bits (and Nergal and Gamil-An) and found myself slipping easily into the story.
An exciting, fast-paced story full of magic and monsters, this nonetheless got me thinking deep about death, grieving, and rituals surrounding grief. If you're looking for an evocative, thought-provoking story with girl power and just a dash of sass, give this a shot!
An exciting, fast-paced story full of magic and monsters, this nonetheless got me thinking deep about death, grieving, and rituals surrounding grief. If you're looking for an evocative, thought-provoking story with girl power and just a dash of sass, give this a shot!
June 30, 2020
Queen of Shades, by Eli Hinze, is a Mesopotamian fantasy story. It follows the journey of Kigal on what I can only describe as a fast-paced, wonderfully thought out adventure through the Ancient Near East. If you want something a little different to your traditional fantasy setting, while keeping what is enjoyable of the fantasy book genre, this might be for you.
The plot, which I don't want to spoil, follows Kigal, a woman who spends her life alone, travelling from village to village caring for the dead. She is an outcast to most, yet provides an essential role in society. As the story progresses, she is faced with challenges that force her to confront her place in the world and decide how she wants to live her life. As I say, I don't want to spoil anything, but if gods, demons and mythical creatures are up your street, you're in for a treat. There were definitely a few moments where the action took a completely unexpected twist.
As a novella, the action takes place over a slightly shorter space than a traditional novel, though it doesn't feel like it. It's pacey without being rushed. The world is built thoughtfully and effectively by someone who really knows their stuff. The book does a great job of transporting you to the desert sands and beyond. The setting really deserves further mention because it is so rare to find fantasy books that deviate from the traditional medieval European setting. Hinze does something different and she does it well.
The characterization is similarly strong. Kigal is written as a living, breathing person, not a two-dimensional hero or string of cliches. As this is the first of a multi-part series, this bodes well. The secondary characters are also well developed and 'bounce' off Kigal well in dialogue and action.
Though not a 200k word opus, Queen of Shades nevertheless tackles a number of themes, examining ideas of life, death and what we as people value. It raises questions of duty and freedom and the choices we must make where these things clash. This is a dense, rich book, with dense, well-drawn characters.
I like the novella form; it's a staple in the SFF world. Queen of Shades packs a lot into a (relatively) short space and does it in a thrilling, satisfying way.
The plot, which I don't want to spoil, follows Kigal, a woman who spends her life alone, travelling from village to village caring for the dead. She is an outcast to most, yet provides an essential role in society. As the story progresses, she is faced with challenges that force her to confront her place in the world and decide how she wants to live her life. As I say, I don't want to spoil anything, but if gods, demons and mythical creatures are up your street, you're in for a treat. There were definitely a few moments where the action took a completely unexpected twist.
As a novella, the action takes place over a slightly shorter space than a traditional novel, though it doesn't feel like it. It's pacey without being rushed. The world is built thoughtfully and effectively by someone who really knows their stuff. The book does a great job of transporting you to the desert sands and beyond. The setting really deserves further mention because it is so rare to find fantasy books that deviate from the traditional medieval European setting. Hinze does something different and she does it well.
The characterization is similarly strong. Kigal is written as a living, breathing person, not a two-dimensional hero or string of cliches. As this is the first of a multi-part series, this bodes well. The secondary characters are also well developed and 'bounce' off Kigal well in dialogue and action.
Though not a 200k word opus, Queen of Shades nevertheless tackles a number of themes, examining ideas of life, death and what we as people value. It raises questions of duty and freedom and the choices we must make where these things clash. This is a dense, rich book, with dense, well-drawn characters.
I like the novella form; it's a staple in the SFF world. Queen of Shades packs a lot into a (relatively) short space and does it in a thrilling, satisfying way.
August 19, 2020
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I picked up Eli Hinze’s QUEEN OF SHADES—Mesopotamian mythology is so very old that the bones left to construct with are pretty slim. But despite working with such sparse materials, Hinze manages to build a world that is rich and believable in its details, and compelling in its mythology. The book never loses a kind of charmingly other-wordly feel—reminding us that this is a deity-origin story—while still drawing the reader into the journey of the warmly human Kigal. The story does start a bit slowly, but the original worldbuilding carries it through until the tensions between Kigal’s human and divine blood take over and drive the plot forward. I especially enjoyed the details of Kigal’s vocation as a Corpse Hand, and the character of the unpredictable Nergal.
June 9, 2021
This was really enjoyable! When I started this book I couldn't remember what it was (look, I have *a lot* of books on my kindle right now) but it gripped me right away and I read it in one sitting. Can't wait to get to the next book. Loved Kigal and her journey.
Read
September 22, 2025I actually read this a few years ago (I think it was offered free somewhere?!) so I can't give a proper review but I did enjoy this retelling of Mesopotamian mythology and would try a longer work from this author.
October 8, 2020
Mythology and the making of goddess
A good pantheon of deities populate this tale of Erishkegal finding her way to her destiny. The author weaves an individual tale in and uses the readily available foibles of humanity as fodder for her plot, making them both villains and heroes.
A good quick read.
A good pantheon of deities populate this tale of Erishkegal finding her way to her destiny. The author weaves an individual tale in and uses the readily available foibles of humanity as fodder for her plot, making them both villains and heroes.
A good quick read.
Read
December 25, 2020Anyone who knows me knows I love stories about regular people (especially women) taking on power paradigms AND I love reluctant heroes. Loved reading Eli Hinze's mythological tale of a girl who didn't ask to become a deity absolutely never backing down in the face of injustice and learning how to use privilege to serve the vulnerable. It took me a while to get through it but that's just because I've had a hard time focusing on reading at various times this year (who hasn't?). I found Nergal to be an especially compelling (though of course not terribly likeable) character. Looking forward to the next installment.
April 15, 2021
Oh wow!
I totally lost track of time reading this. Fortunately I started early so that I didn’t get a 3am bedtime. AGAIN.
The concept is magnificent. It was very interesting as I’ve not read anything based on Mesopotamian mythology end folklore before.
Kigal was a great MC - no-nonsense, practical and has no time for fusspots. I won’t spoil it any further because the best thing about this book was I didn’t know what it was about at all and it just swept me away on a fantastical ride.
KigalxNergal forever.
Making the first book in the series free is a great marketing strategy because I went ahead and bought the entire series! I wish more authors/publishers would do this as it really breaks my resolve to just stick to kindle unlimited haha
I totally lost track of time reading this. Fortunately I started early so that I didn’t get a 3am bedtime. AGAIN.
The concept is magnificent. It was very interesting as I’ve not read anything based on Mesopotamian mythology end folklore before.
Kigal was a great MC - no-nonsense, practical and has no time for fusspots. I won’t spoil it any further because the best thing about this book was I didn’t know what it was about at all and it just swept me away on a fantastical ride.
KigalxNergal forever.
Making the first book in the series free is a great marketing strategy because I went ahead and bought the entire series! I wish more authors/publishers would do this as it really breaks my resolve to just stick to kindle unlimited haha
July 18, 2021
An outcast woman feels called to perform specific rites on the dead, then finds that she is the rightful goddess of the dead. Lots of Mesopotamian mythology. I wasn't interested in Kigal as a character and there wasn't enough to hook me in and keep me wanting to know more.
May 24, 2022
A great telling of myth.
An obviously well-researched and awesome “origin” story of Godhood. This isn’t my normal genre but is so good I’m heading straight to the next in the series.
An obviously well-researched and awesome “origin” story of Godhood. This isn’t my normal genre but is so good I’m heading straight to the next in the series.
May 8, 2021
Um...
I...don’t know how I feel about this book. I don’t like the names (they’re long and awkward to say), and I don’t like the way everyone treats the main character. Towards the end the main character was trying to get people to listen to her so she could save them, and they were being rude and mocking her. I would have just turned around and left them to their doom.
The story doesn’t seem to have much tension. The main character gets her knowledge after eating some fruit. She didn’t have to work for it at all. In order to get her full powers she had to accept that she was a goddess. Yes, she had to contend with her feelings of inadequacy, but it didn’t feel like she had to actually struggle to grow at all. It felt like she was the only “good” person and everyone else was “bad,” which didn’t feel realistic. The god of diseases would have been a more interesting main character, I think.
There was one line in here that had me just staring at it for five minutes. “Right at Lamashtu’s unguarded throat, bare and pink as a filly’s stomach.” Um...what type of filly is being referenced here? The filly that comes to mind is a baby female horse. Horses have fur when they are born. Horses have black, brown, or yellow skin (unless they are albino, then they will have pink skin). So bare and pink is incorrect. Unless the author was referencing a disorder that affects the Akhal Teke breed called Naked Foal Syndrome, where the horse is born with no fur? But that seems to be a long stretch. I was really confused when I read that line.
Overall, the story was okay. It just felt flat to me. The main character didn’t have to struggle for anything, and the people she wanted to help reviled her.
The whole premise of the people being so scared of getting diseases from the dead that they will just leave corpses out to rot is interesting, but wouldn’t burying them actually be more effective in preventing diseases? Not to mention, near the beginning of the 1900s there were multiple tigers in India that became man eaters because the people were just dumping their dead in the forest out of fear of disease. These tigers killed and/or ate hundreds of people.
I...don’t know how I feel about this book. I don’t like the names (they’re long and awkward to say), and I don’t like the way everyone treats the main character. Towards the end the main character was trying to get people to listen to her so she could save them, and they were being rude and mocking her. I would have just turned around and left them to their doom.
The story doesn’t seem to have much tension. The main character gets her knowledge after eating some fruit. She didn’t have to work for it at all. In order to get her full powers she had to accept that she was a goddess. Yes, she had to contend with her feelings of inadequacy, but it didn’t feel like she had to actually struggle to grow at all. It felt like she was the only “good” person and everyone else was “bad,” which didn’t feel realistic. The god of diseases would have been a more interesting main character, I think.
There was one line in here that had me just staring at it for five minutes. “Right at Lamashtu’s unguarded throat, bare and pink as a filly’s stomach.” Um...what type of filly is being referenced here? The filly that comes to mind is a baby female horse. Horses have fur when they are born. Horses have black, brown, or yellow skin (unless they are albino, then they will have pink skin). So bare and pink is incorrect. Unless the author was referencing a disorder that affects the Akhal Teke breed called Naked Foal Syndrome, where the horse is born with no fur? But that seems to be a long stretch. I was really confused when I read that line.
Overall, the story was okay. It just felt flat to me. The main character didn’t have to struggle for anything, and the people she wanted to help reviled her.
The whole premise of the people being so scared of getting diseases from the dead that they will just leave corpses out to rot is interesting, but wouldn’t burying them actually be more effective in preventing diseases? Not to mention, near the beginning of the 1900s there were multiple tigers in India that became man eaters because the people were just dumping their dead in the forest out of fear of disease. These tigers killed and/or ate hundreds of people.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 5, 2021
As a twenty-first century devotee of Ereshkigal, I approached this book with scepticism, but enjoyed it so much I ended up reading the entire series in two days. Hinze takes liberties with the very few ancient texts we do have which mention Ereshkigal - most notably having Her start out as a human - but I commend her for creating a sympathetic portrait of a goddess usually characterized as grim, fearsome, jealous, and even demonic.
The ancient texts are not clear about how Ereshkigal became the ruler of Irkalla, the Underworld, but they do remark on the transition. "Queen of Shades" imagines how that came about. Early Sumerologist Samuel Noah Kramer interpreted the text as describing Ereshkigal being kidnapped to the underworld by a dragon-like creature called the Kur, asserting that this was an early version of the Persephone myth. Hinze does not adopt this story, but she does provide us with an abrupt, even violent, transition for Kigal into the underworld, and a delightful giant dragon-like character called The Kur who becomes her guide and friend.
The theological foundation of the story is the importance of burial rites. Kigal-who-becomes-Ereshkigal is convinced of the necessity of burying the dead, even in the face of The Law of Decay which forbids it. No explanation is given for why she feels so strongly about this or chooses to live as an outcast to do this work, only that she is driven by a deep compulsion. (The reason becomes clear later in the series.) Reading about it, I could not help but think of Antigone, who was willing to die in order to ensure that her brother received proper burial rites.
Because the emphasis of this story focuses on how a mortal becomes a goddess, it was the least satisfying for me. But Kigal/Ereshkigal is a lovely character, and Hinze surrounds her with real-feeling challenges and supporting characters. I genuinely enjoyed reading her story.
The ancient texts are not clear about how Ereshkigal became the ruler of Irkalla, the Underworld, but they do remark on the transition. "Queen of Shades" imagines how that came about. Early Sumerologist Samuel Noah Kramer interpreted the text as describing Ereshkigal being kidnapped to the underworld by a dragon-like creature called the Kur, asserting that this was an early version of the Persephone myth. Hinze does not adopt this story, but she does provide us with an abrupt, even violent, transition for Kigal into the underworld, and a delightful giant dragon-like character called The Kur who becomes her guide and friend.
The theological foundation of the story is the importance of burial rites. Kigal-who-becomes-Ereshkigal is convinced of the necessity of burying the dead, even in the face of The Law of Decay which forbids it. No explanation is given for why she feels so strongly about this or chooses to live as an outcast to do this work, only that she is driven by a deep compulsion. (The reason becomes clear later in the series.) Reading about it, I could not help but think of Antigone, who was willing to die in order to ensure that her brother received proper burial rites.
Because the emphasis of this story focuses on how a mortal becomes a goddess, it was the least satisfying for me. But Kigal/Ereshkigal is a lovely character, and Hinze surrounds her with real-feeling challenges and supporting characters. I genuinely enjoyed reading her story.
September 1, 2023
Not knowing about mesopotamian history/myths I was very impressed with the creativity of the story. It is less impressive to me knowing it is based on existing history/myths, mainly because of the short nature of this story. With a bit more research and/or creativity it could have been fleshed out more and felt a bit more complete.
I feel like that the author is knowledgeable about the material she based this story on but doesn't really bother to explain or enhance much. I would have liked to know more about the other characters and have some more interaction. There could have been a bit more world building and some clearer motive for the protagonist.
There is always something happening and the story never feels slow which I felt was great. However events seemed to happen and end very abruptly. Maybe I've read too much high fantasy lately to appreciate battles and hardships being solved in less than a page.
Lastly I wondered if English is the author's second language since the grammar often felt off or didn't flow very well. Some analogies the author made didn't make sense to me.
The story is short and lineair which makes it easy to read. I bought the collection book and will give the next story a read.
I feel like that the author is knowledgeable about the material she based this story on but doesn't really bother to explain or enhance much. I would have liked to know more about the other characters and have some more interaction. There could have been a bit more world building and some clearer motive for the protagonist.
There is always something happening and the story never feels slow which I felt was great. However events seemed to happen and end very abruptly. Maybe I've read too much high fantasy lately to appreciate battles and hardships being solved in less than a page.
Lastly I wondered if English is the author's second language since the grammar often felt off or didn't flow very well. Some analogies the author made didn't make sense to me.
The story is short and lineair which makes it easy to read. I bought the collection book and will give the next story a read.
September 5, 2025
Kigal goes through quite a bit of character development as she starts as a corpse hand, and rises to Queen of the Dead. I like that Hinze created a woman who has some of the best elements of humanity (humbleness, kindness, compassion, etc) and gave her the power of a goddess, only to have her try to throw away the power. I was cringing, because I had a feeling that choice would bite Kigal in the ass, but the journey to accepting herself as a goddess demonstrated a lot of personal growth on Kigal's part. It's the weak who still maintain their kindness who make the best figures of power.
Though this is both a retelling of a Mesopotamian myth and a pretty well used trope (girl becomes a Goddess and goes through trails with the help of a male God), it doesn't read like a well used bed time story. Instead, we see echoes of other stories, but the historical research and unfamiliarity of the original myth makes this a good story in its own right.
I went into this knowing it was a prequel, but I really can't tell what it's leading up to in the story itself (there is a teaser at the end for the next book). But I like that Hinze concludes the story with something of a HFN, which gives the reader the choice to read on.
Though this is both a retelling of a Mesopotamian myth and a pretty well used trope (girl becomes a Goddess and goes through trails with the help of a male God), it doesn't read like a well used bed time story. Instead, we see echoes of other stories, but the historical research and unfamiliarity of the original myth makes this a good story in its own right.
I went into this knowing it was a prequel, but I really can't tell what it's leading up to in the story itself (there is a teaser at the end for the next book). But I like that Hinze concludes the story with something of a HFN, which gives the reader the choice to read on.
July 11, 2021
"Queen of Shades" - 4⭐
I am a sucker for a fantasy, whether its about people or their bones. In this case, it's the second. Queen of Shades tells the story of someone, Ereshkigal, who tends to the dead, burying them and allowing them to pass the barrier to redemption.
One day, she's persecuted by the people in town, she's called witch and sorceress and when she can't escape, she falls to her death. Or so she thinks.
This book, while small, was fantastic and an enormous pleasure to read. There were almost no grammar mistakes and there were amazing scenes I lived in my head. I loved Nergal, the misunderstood God, who lives up to be the one who we love at the end. Ereshkigal, the Goddess of The Dead, as she comes to be known as, doesn't think so bad of him either.
This book is so underrated and so fast to read, makes me sad not more people are reading it!
I am a sucker for a fantasy, whether its about people or their bones. In this case, it's the second. Queen of Shades tells the story of someone, Ereshkigal, who tends to the dead, burying them and allowing them to pass the barrier to redemption.
One day, she's persecuted by the people in town, she's called witch and sorceress and when she can't escape, she falls to her death. Or so she thinks.
This book, while small, was fantastic and an enormous pleasure to read. There were almost no grammar mistakes and there were amazing scenes I lived in my head. I loved Nergal, the misunderstood God, who lives up to be the one who we love at the end. Ereshkigal, the Goddess of The Dead, as she comes to be known as, doesn't think so bad of him either.
This book is so underrated and so fast to read, makes me sad not more people are reading it!
March 25, 2023
This novella was such a treat! It's the perfect blend of mythology, history, and fantasy. I'm honestly not sure how I found it (Amazon sale? Recommended books?) but I'm really glad I bought it and gave this indie novella a chance.
I don't think I've ever read a Mesopotamian mythology retelling, so that aspect was really fascinating and very unique, and it stands out among the current trend with Greek mythology retellings. I love reading about Mesopotamia in general (and going to museums to look at Mesopotamian artifacts) so maybe I'm biased.
Kigal, the MC, and Queen of the Underworld, was a really cool and strong female lead. It's a short read, but it hits all the right spots in the hero's journey.
I'm very excited to read more of Eli Hinze's work!
I don't think I've ever read a Mesopotamian mythology retelling, so that aspect was really fascinating and very unique, and it stands out among the current trend with Greek mythology retellings. I love reading about Mesopotamia in general (and going to museums to look at Mesopotamian artifacts) so maybe I'm biased.
Kigal, the MC, and Queen of the Underworld, was a really cool and strong female lead. It's a short read, but it hits all the right spots in the hero's journey.
I'm very excited to read more of Eli Hinze's work!
February 21, 2022
Queen of the Shades was a novella that surprised me. The plot was compelling and more engaging than I expected. I loved the use of Mesopotamian mythology as the foundation of the story. At the same time, the lack of familiarity with the Mesopotamian source material made parts of the story hard to follow and the characters weren’t always written consistently. I enjoyed the novella and I’m probably going to keep reading this series, to see where the story goes from here. It’s a fun, short read and different from a lot of other fantasy.
My full review can be found here
My full review can be found here
December 6, 2022
An interesting foray into past lore
Based on Mesapotemian gods this book tells the story of Ereshkigal's ascent from lowly corpse hand to goddess of the deep.
Where this book lacks some substance in some areas it is still a well written tale, introducing us to some interesting characters.
Based on Mesapotemian gods this book tells the story of Ereshkigal's ascent from lowly corpse hand to goddess of the deep.
Where this book lacks some substance in some areas it is still a well written tale, introducing us to some interesting characters.
April 2, 2024
Loved this
I loved this. I have never heard of these myths before, but I love the feel of the world she has created. The characters are interesting and coming into their own. I loved the interactions between the gods.
It is clean (no swearing, kissing, etc.).
I loved this. I have never heard of these myths before, but I love the feel of the world she has created. The characters are interesting and coming into their own. I loved the interactions between the gods.
It is clean (no swearing, kissing, etc.).
November 25, 2024
Short and sweet
This is a great short read for anyone who enjoys fantasy and/or mythology.
I'm not particularly familiar with the Babylonian pantheon, so meeting a few of them was an interesting change.
This is a great short read for anyone who enjoys fantasy and/or mythology.
I'm not particularly familiar with the Babylonian pantheon, so meeting a few of them was an interesting change.
August 21, 2025
It is incredible that so much story was fit into so few pages! If you love a good mythology tale with lovable and relatable characters, a short and sweet plot, and a little bit of the magical, you should give this one a try! Ready to pick up book 2 and see where the story goes from here!
June 15, 2021
Very interesting
I enjoyed this reading. Very interesting concepts and exciting. The characters are easily able to become visual in ones mind
I enjoyed this reading. Very interesting concepts and exciting. The characters are easily able to become visual in ones mind
December 12, 2021
I really enjoyed this. A nice introduction to culture and pantheon I hadn't encountered before.
May 18, 2021
For the record, I adored Stolen Sun so much that when I saw this series was starting I raced to buy books 1 and 2. There's this amazing original take on Mesopotamian mythology that the author clearly knows and loves so much, and being unfamiliar with it I was keen to try something other than your usual Norse/Greek gods bickering. You do get that here, but to me it seemed that, unlike with Stolen Sun, the writing felt drier and the characters harder to relate to.
The story follows the wandering Ereshkigal, a girl alone in the world who acts as a Corpse Hand. These outcasts are the only ones brave enough to go against royal and religious decree to lay hands upon the dead in order to bury them. She seems destined to wander alone until events take a strange turn: she ends up, alive, in the realm or the dead. There she discovers her hidden destiny: she is the true ruler of Irkalla, the Goddess of the Dead. But how can a poor, reluctant girl accept such terrifying powers?
What I loved about this was the originality. It's mythology we don't often see, and offers a glimpse of something more than your usual. The difficulty though is that, being completely unfamiliar with the source material, when we're introduced to various named creatures, demons and gods, I knew nothing about them and the text didn't really help me. I couldn't understand why, for example, the Sun God Utu would one minute be kindly, the next cruel. Is he known for being difficult? Later an evil demon is named, but we aren't told she's a demon until we actually meet her in person, so I was confused as to the nature of the evil threat. Tell me "Loki walks into the bar" and I have a good idea of what he might be like (whether mythological or Marvel). Add "followed by Nergal, Lord of Disease" and I'm a bit more stumped about what to expect.
The other difficulty I had was understanding Kigal herself. She's a tough and stoic character, but can seem a little passive about events at times. She doesn't question her heritage despite commenting many times earlier that she doesn't really believe in the Gods. She accepts magic and strangeness as if it's a given. I didn't know why she was a Corpse Hand when it offered her nothing other than other people's hatred. If she didn't believe in the divine or the afterlife, why care about bodies when doing so could get her killed? Sorry to say I just didn't understand her motives beyond that some of them seemed logical. I just wanted her emotional response to things, to get a feeling of why she would do it rather than anyone else.
I really wanted to love this because of the originality and because of the evident love the author has for the source material. There's obvious talent and diligence in researching to bring us something new and unexplored in popular fantasy fiction. While I wouldn't rule out anything by this author because of how much I adored Stolen Sun, I'm just not sure this series will be for me because I found the writing style more like a traditional myth telling about events surrounding a character rather than the character being the emotional focus.
The story follows the wandering Ereshkigal, a girl alone in the world who acts as a Corpse Hand. These outcasts are the only ones brave enough to go against royal and religious decree to lay hands upon the dead in order to bury them. She seems destined to wander alone until events take a strange turn: she ends up, alive, in the realm or the dead. There she discovers her hidden destiny: she is the true ruler of Irkalla, the Goddess of the Dead. But how can a poor, reluctant girl accept such terrifying powers?
What I loved about this was the originality. It's mythology we don't often see, and offers a glimpse of something more than your usual. The difficulty though is that, being completely unfamiliar with the source material, when we're introduced to various named creatures, demons and gods, I knew nothing about them and the text didn't really help me. I couldn't understand why, for example, the Sun God Utu would one minute be kindly, the next cruel. Is he known for being difficult? Later an evil demon is named, but we aren't told she's a demon until we actually meet her in person, so I was confused as to the nature of the evil threat. Tell me "Loki walks into the bar" and I have a good idea of what he might be like (whether mythological or Marvel). Add "followed by Nergal, Lord of Disease" and I'm a bit more stumped about what to expect.
The other difficulty I had was understanding Kigal herself. She's a tough and stoic character, but can seem a little passive about events at times. She doesn't question her heritage despite commenting many times earlier that she doesn't really believe in the Gods. She accepts magic and strangeness as if it's a given. I didn't know why she was a Corpse Hand when it offered her nothing other than other people's hatred. If she didn't believe in the divine or the afterlife, why care about bodies when doing so could get her killed? Sorry to say I just didn't understand her motives beyond that some of them seemed logical. I just wanted her emotional response to things, to get a feeling of why she would do it rather than anyone else.
I really wanted to love this because of the originality and because of the evident love the author has for the source material. There's obvious talent and diligence in researching to bring us something new and unexplored in popular fantasy fiction. While I wouldn't rule out anything by this author because of how much I adored Stolen Sun, I'm just not sure this series will be for me because I found the writing style more like a traditional myth telling about events surrounding a character rather than the character being the emotional focus.
December 9, 2021
These are really good but to good to get fully invested in and I buy them through be audible and I do not feel like I get enough listen time for my credit. I wish these are books were combined.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews