Before, Scopuli. It has been centuries since Thelia made the mistake that cost her the woman she loved—Proserpina, the goddess of spring. As the handmaidens charged with protecting Proserpina when she was kidnapped, Thelia and her sisters are banished to the island of Scopuli and cursed to live as sirens—winged half-woman, half-bird creatures. In luring sailors to their deaths with an irresistible song, the sisters hope to gain favor from the gods who could free them. But then ships stop coming, and Thelia fears a fate worse than the Underworld. Just as time begins to run out, a voice emerges, Proserpina’s voice, and what she asks of Thelia will spark a dangerous quest for their freedom.

Now, Roanoke. Thelia can’t bear to reflect on her last moments in Scopuli. After weeks drifting at sea alone, Thelia’s renewed human body—a result of her last devastating sacrifice on Scopuli—is close to death. Luckily, an unfamiliar island appears on the horizon: Roanoke. Posing as a princess arriving on a sailboat filled with riches, Thelia infiltrates the small English colony. It doesn’t take long for her to realize that this place is dangerous, especially for women. As she grows closer to a beautiful settler who mysteriously resembles her former love, Thelia formulates a plan to save her sisters and enact revenge on the violent men she’s come to despise. But is she willing to go back to Scopuli and face the consequences of her past decisions? And will Proserpina forgive her for all that she’s done?

In Those Fatal Flowers by Shannon Ives, she has written a novel that is lyrical and nuanced, the language provocative and pulling the readers into Thelia’s emotions, both in the past and in her present. This is an original and interesting mix of the mythology of Greece blended with the American legend of Roanoke. 

In the novel, part of what makes that twining of mythologies so compelling is that it pulls the reader into Thelia’s emotions. We see the groundwork for Thelia’s hatred of men, her love of Prosperpina the origin of her need for justice and forgiveness. Her love for her sisters but also caring for the human women around her allows Thelia to learn and grow, to find a way past her rage to find both a different kind of love but also a way to justice rather than revenge. And the way the novel flows between the past and the present is seamless and compelling. Thelia is nuanced and original as is this novel.

If you like lyrical and nuanced stories, this one is worth reading, especially with the original blend of Greek mythology and American legend. It is a story of justice, not just revenge and a tale of love, even when it feels hopeless or the wrong time. Thelia’s love, both in the past with Prosperina and in her current, in Roanoke, with Cora is the heart of this story. And love is always powerful. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 flowers

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