A common woman. The governor she married. The king who loved them both.

Babylonia across the centuries has become the embodiment of lust, excess, and dissolute power. In this world you had to kill to be king. Or, in the case of Semiramis, an orphan raised on the outskirts of the empire: Queen.

Nothing about Semiramis’s upbringing could have foretold her legacy. But when she meets a young representative of the new Assyrian king, a prophecy unfolds before her, one that puts her in the center of a brutal world and in the hearts of two men.

Caught in the politics and viciousness of ancient Assyria, Semiramis trains in war and diplomacy. And with each move, she rises in rank, embroiled in a game of power, desire, love, and betrayal, until she can ascend to the only position that will ever keep her safe.

This book contains scenes that depict sexual assault, domestic abuse, and suicide.

My favorite historical fiction tends to involve stories from ancient times. It’s fascinating to read about eras so different from my own they might as well be fantastical. Babylonia takes place in Ancient Assyria, but it rivals the lushness and drama of any fantasy novel in this extraordinary retelling of the true story of Queen Semiramis, the first and only female ruler of Assyria.

In this imagined retelling, Semiramis is born out of wedlock and abandoned on the banks of a river when her mother takes her own life. After a childhood plagued by loneliness and abuse, Semiramis grows into a young woman as defiant as she is cunning, with plans to escape her village before her adoptive father finds a suitor to take her hand in marriage. But when a new governor arrives to rule over the war-torn region, Semiramis discovers a better way to change her circumstances. She marries the governor and accompanies him to the heart of the empire, where she will live in splendor alongside her husband and the king.

There are so many things to love about this story. The plot is exquisitely crafted, the writing is vivid, and the characters are both fallible and dimensional, with complicated dynamics and intriguing backstories. This book is steeped in a fascinating history, yet it is also a timeless account of a woman hellbent on determining her own fate in a cruel and ruthless world. For anyone hoping to get lost in a story this January, look no further.