Inanna
The First of The Sumerians Trilogy
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5.0 • 4 Ratings
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
An enthralling and lyrical fantasy debut, and the first in an incredible new trilogy re-telling The Epic of Gilgamesh, perfect for readers of Madeline Miller's Circe and Jennifer Saint's Ariadne.
A tale brimming with warring gods, rebellious humans, and the goddess of love caught between them whose destiny has the power to transform the shape of the world.
Stories are sly things…they can be hard to catch and kill.
Inanna is an impossibility. The first full Anunnaki born on Earth in Ancient Mesopotamia. Crowned the goddess of love by the twelve immortal Anunnaki who are worshipped across Sumer, she is destined for greatness.
But Inanna is born into a time of war. The Anunnaki have split into warring factions, threatening to tear the world apart. Forced into a marriage to negotiate a peace, she soon realises she has been placed in terrible danger.
Gilgamesh, a mortal human son of the Anunnaki, and notorious womaniser, finds himself captured and imprisoned. His captor, King Akka, seeks to distance himself and his people from the gods. Arrogant and selfish, Gilgamesh is given one final chance to prove himself.
Ninshubar, a powerful warrior woman, is cast out of her tribe after an act of kindness. Hunted by her own people, she escapes across the country, searching for acceptance and a new place in the world.
As their journeys push them closer together, and their fates intertwine, they come to realise that together, they may have the power to change to face of the world forever.
The first novel in the stunning Sumerians Trilogy, this is a gorgeous, epic retelling of one of the oldest surviving works of literature.
BONUS FEATURE
An exclusive preview of Book Two of The Sumerians trilogy, book club discussion questions and more!
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Wilson's unfocused debut, the first in the Sumerians series, remixes The Epic of Gilgamesh and the myth of Inanna's descent to the underworld into one long and brutal epic. In this version of ancient Mesopotamia, the Anunnaki, while still treated as gods, aren't really deities but extraterrestrial beings with technologically advanced weapons known as mees, and a black powder, melam, that extends their lives in a kind of immortality. Inanna is the 13th Anunnaki, and the only one born on Earth. The goddess of love and war, Inanna's attempts to survive the machinations of the other Anunnaki and become Queen of Heaven and Earth are interspersed with sections from other characters' perspectives, including that of Gilgamesh, the womanizing mortal offspring of gods, who travels with his beloved "wild man" Enkidu; Ninshubar, who here is not a goddess but a fierce runner and hunter from what is now Mombasa; and Ereshkigal, the goddess of the underworld. Wilson, writing in stark prose that echoes the tone of Madeline Miller, plays fast and loose with the myths she draws from, but her changes often feel unmotivated by either plot or character. Meanwhile, her take on the Anunnaki flirts uncomfortably with conspiracy theories about ancient aliens. Lacking a strong hook, this doesn't stand out in the recent deluge of mythological retellings.
Customer Reviews
Blessed Are You, Queen of Heaven
I am very connected to Holy Inanna and experiencing Her persona brought to life like this has been riveting. I love that the author has infused plausible back-story and intimate, first-person narration throughout Sumerian translations, myths, and historical records. I am also fascinated by her take on Ereshkigal’s perspective! Each character’s destiny is intertwined with the others’ and I am eager to dive deeper into the growing relationships between the protagonists as the series progresses. Inanna has re-awakened in the hearts of Her modern-day Priestesses and is more relevant than ever as the Original Goddess Source Code. While a work of fiction, this book is anchoring ancient, Spiritual Energies that are very real indeed. Read, and remember.