Queer Heroes of Myth and Legend: A celebration of gay gods, sapphic sirens

by Dan Jones

Hidden in the margins of history books, classical literature, and thousands of years of stories, myths and legends, through to contemporary literature, TV and film, there is a diverse and other-worldly super community of queer heroes to discover, learn from, and celebrate.

Be captivated by stories of forbidden love like Patroclus & Achilles (explored in Madeleine Miller's bestseller Song of Achilles), join the cult of Antinous (inspiration for Oscar Wilde), get down with pansexual god Set in Egyptian myth, and fall for Zimbabwe's trans God Mawi. And from modern pop-culture, through Dan Jones's witty, upbeat style, learn more about '90s fan obsessions Xena: Warrior Princess and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Neil Gaiman's American Gods and the BBC's Doctor Who.

Queer Heroes of Myth & Legend brings to life characters who are romantic, brave, mysterious, and always fantastical. It is a magnificent celebration of queerness through the ages in all its legendary glory.

Genres: Nonfiction, LGBT, Mythology, Queer, History, Gay, Audiobook

Audible Audio

First published January 12, 2023

Reviews

[Melindam · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 indulgent stars

Let’s get one thing out of the way first: this is not the Dan Jones, medieval historian & author of books like The Plantagenets or The Hollow Crown. This is a completely different author with the same name, and while Goodreads have now corrected the attribution and Audible promised to do so, too, it was listed incorrectly under the Dan Jones above when I bought it (and had been for quite a while). Sooo, this was a definite bummer when I started listening and found out.

As for the book: it’s entertaining and accessible, with super short chapters about mythological and legendary figures from a wide range of cultures. While the obvious Greek, Roman, and Norse mythologies -and Shakespeare!- are well represented, I really appreciated the inclusion of characters from Africa, Asia, and the Americas as well as from TV shows (Dr Who, Buffy), books (Lestat) and some Games (just don't ask me, I was completely out of my depth there). So far, so queer—as the author repeatedly says (and I mean repeatedly, to the point of slight irritation).

It's all very much "pop history lite": breezy, celebratory, and focuses on visibility and narrative. There’s little academic grounding, so don’t expect footnotes or rigorous sourcing apart from some stray mentions or the most basic ones.

The very first chapter, the story of Achilles and Patroclus is filtered through not so much Homer’s Iliad, but through Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles (where Patroclus is essentially reduced to an effeminate ninny, in my opinion anyway). So it is clear from the start that this is more about reimagining/claiming these figures for a modern queer POV than about engaging with history/literary studies.

I was mostly on board with many of the author’s ideas about the queerness of these characters, or I had some fun readjusting my ideas where I previously hadn't been. But while they often claim to avoid revisionist interpretations imposing queerness, I felt that in some cases they did exactly that particularly in the case of Sam and Frodo and I didn't like it. Those felt both unnecessary and counterproductive. Doesn’t queerness also include asexuality, or simply non-sexual intimacy? Not every close relationship needs to be sexualised to be valid or powerful.

Still, the book definitely has its charms and celebrates queerness and DEI as it should.

[Louis Muñoz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pride Month Book Read #13: 3.5 stars, rounding up to 4. Review to follow.

[Keelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting in parts and a nice balance of myth, history and pop culture, but the main detractor was the twitterification and simplification of language. I was more critical with the bits I knew the best (Greek and Egyptian mythology and pop culture) and I just don’t think that yassifying mythological and real people is the way to go. I get that the overall tone of the book is positive, hopeful and celebratory, but having elements that are like slayyyyy zaddy ✨💅I don’t think are all that helpful in the long run. The book positions itself as mildly academic pop history, so I wonder if the physical version has a list of sources or a bibliography (I couldn’t find a single academic article on the Order of Chaeronea). Also, an entire disclaimer section about the + in LGBT+ and a whole book with nary a mention of asexuality, polyamory, intersexuality or literally any of the other identities that fall under the + feels a bit redundant and frankly exclusionary for something that markets itself as an inclusive celebration of queerness

[Christine LaBatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a delightful look into mythical and fictional heroes through a queer lens. I love all the nicknames given to the characters like Achilles being called "the golden frat boy." I also loved that this went beyond myths into some pop culture characters. It also covers mythology from all over the globe, not just the standard Greek and Roman ones. Definitely would suggest! It is especially fun if you are familiar with the myths so that you can really appreciate the queerness of these characters!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Marnina Hornstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

so very cute and fun!!

[TheArtemisDuology · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ funny, cute, and explorative, this is a nice little book talking about queer subtext and rep in mythology and fantastical media.

I do wish though it was organized a bit better by like section. Like the first few chapters are all Greek mythology but the other mythology isn’t grouped together and you’ll get like queer fantasy book discussions too. I think it should’ve been organized by like ancient mythology (with each mythology being next to each other) then like classic lit, modern lit/comics and modern tv/film. And I think there should’ve been a closing chapter. The writing style can be a little shallow and unserious, but I guess it’s not meant to be too academic to just introduce you to these various queer myths / pop culture moments.

But it’s just a nice little ready to see all the queer subtext in mythology and media through history

[Kate Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is just brilliant! Such a quirky, fun (and also informational) book that doesn't take itself too seriously.
I love how Dan Jones using myths as well as academic research (don't let that put you off!) to bring out the queer ideas.
The images in my copy (electronic review copy) were black and white - not sure if they will be in the actual book - I do feel like the book needs a big burst of colour, so I hope so.

Overall this is a brilliant read! I recommend it for anyone and everyone (you don't have to be 'Queer' to enjoy this!!)

[Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only 4 starts because Dan here had the audacity to compare Sappho to Lin Manuel Miranda

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Short, easily digestible, and fun LGBTQ+ stories from ancient myths to modern pop culture.

The structure of the book (and the shallow shortness of the isolated chapters) felt, at times, as if the author just transformed their quick notes into proper text and called it a book.
I wanted to know more, get more details, and, especially for the myth section, was desperate for some references to fact check.

[Libby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I expected (and was deeply excited by) the discussion of queer figures from myths and legends around the world. What I did not expect was the attention given to how these figures have reappeared throughout history and modern pop culture. I don’t think I have ever googled so much while reading a book, but now I have a hearty reading and watch list along with several artists, photographers, and filmmakers to check out.

[mace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, this is one of my all time favorite topics and it was playfully written. Light and fun read for anyone looking to know more about queer mythology or sci-fi/fantasy characters.

[Dasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Succinct, witty and relativity recent; covers a broad and global range of myths, legends and fictional characters. Very insightful in outlining queer counter-narratives to traditional, heteronormative perspectives that we grew up hearing and believing.

[Meredith Gardner · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very light-hearted look at queer characters in both ancient and modern folklore. It reminded me more of a collection of crass, irreverent blog posts. While some of the chapters were interesting and I learned many new things, others were a big reach (and the author self-admits that this could be the case). I'd recommend it for adults.

[Niamh Julian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Guys I was real excited about this one, and it did spark some interesting research rabbit holes, but I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive Dan Jones for calling Sappho a 'Lesbian Lin-Manuel Miranda' I'm SORRY daniel you've gone TOO far

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review coming soon!

[Rowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the most amazing little fact file of queer heroes from mythology all the way to modern pop culture. It is witty and informative and has given me so many more characters I want to delve into.

[Tom Robert · Rating 1 out of 5]

The theme was interesting enough, the writing, the chapter names and the desperate trying to be edgy; not so much.

[Corey · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read, but skews too easily between academia and modern slang in a manner that's not quite to my taste.

[Sammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative, sometimes eye-opening and above all very entertaining!

Big thank you to Mel for enabling this one!

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely, quick and sweetly written comedic and historical look at Queer culture through ancient history and into modern media. It’s fun to read and made me smile. Would have loved TONNES more detail as each chapter is barely two or three pages of information.

[Tyler Zamora · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book helped me realize (again) that heterosexual people take their history for granted. It’s automatically filtered through their heteronormative viewpoint and requires zero deciphering. For the LGBTQ+ community the same cannot be said about their past. While reading Dan Jones’ fantastic collection of essays about famous historical, fictional, and pop culture icons who are queer, I realized how many of the characters had never registered as landing on the LGBTQ+ spectrum to me. I had a Mythology class in high school and college and NOT ONCE did the books mention Zeus turning into an eagle to seduce a young man. I’ve heard of his turning into a bull, swan, etc. to seduce women, but that was a new one to me. I had also never pictured Robin Hood as queer, but this book got me thinking about what a queer icon is.

I also noticed that some of these characters didn’t have to be explicitly queer. There were some that had a more ambiguous quality to them or their fanbase was predominantly queer or found characters that fit into the queer category. For instance the section on Frodo and Sam. I understand the bi-curious undertones that people speak to, but it does not make those characters queer, but rather queer friendly, in my opinion because they are two men not afraid to express their love for each other. It doesn’t mean they’re gay. There were one or two other entries in this book that I felt fell under a similar category.

But in the same instance, there are characters who are never confirmed queer, but the LGBTQ+ community knows they champion and represent them regardless. A good example of this would be Zelda. Whether Nintendo confirms the gender, sexuality, or whatever these characters identify as, the general LGBTQ+ community has already seen themselves in the themes and struggles of the characters, so in that way they take ownership of them. I do agree with these instances of the characters being deemed queer because they allow the community to see themselves represented in media and pop culture. And even if it isn’t always explicitly them, the themes and motifs of those characters are a strong reflection of the challenges that face queer individuals. Plus no one is going to take Xena and Gabrielle’s relationship away from us, despite the fact they were never explicitly labeled as lovers or lesbians. In my heart they will always be more than sisters. Sorry, not sorry, fight me! It’s characters like this that Jones makes a great and very valid argument for.

Overall, I felt this was a great representation of queer heroes, despite the couple stretches (like Sam and Frodo). I also loved the social commentary that many of these entries offered. For instance, the discovery of the tomb in Saqqara, Egypt that’s called the Tomb of Two Brothers, despite all signs pointing to the fact that they were buried together like a royal male and female couple, as lovers. It’s funny that Egyptian society could not and still does not want to equate for this. And this is exactly what I mean by queer culture having to really fight for its existence historically and carve out a space for itself in the history books. It would’ve meant so much to me as a young gay boy growing up to know that two gay Kings were buried together and celebrated or that the all mighty and powerful Zeus had gay lovers. All of these things would’ve meant my feelings, my identity, my existence wasn’t abnormal, but valid. Queerness has always been there. It’s always existed and sometimes, as Jones shows us, that queerness could be powerful and sometimes even accepted. Can I also just give a shout out to all the trans Gods that have existed throughout history. I think there’s such irony and dignity to the fact that one of the most marginalized, neglected and abused groups in history are also deities. It makes you think, the universe works in mysterious ways and maybe this is proof that you need to treat everyone with love. (Cue “What if God Was One of Us” by Joan Osborne haha.)

Some of my favorite queer characters from this book were Willow and Tara from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Sappho, Niankhkhnum & Khnumhotep, Tu’er Shen (the queer Rabbit God of Taiwan), Xena and Gabrielle, and so many others. I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone in the LGBTQ+ community, family and friends of those in the community, and even people who love “alternative” history, which is not really alternative, but more transformative (in many ways). It will make you see history differently and you may find some of your faves from history had queer undercurrents you never thought of!

[Lili · Rating 1 out of 5]

Alsooo es ist sehr lang geworden weil ich nach jedem Kapitel das Buch zu Seite legen musste um mich darüber aufzuregen und dabei sind folgende Punkte entstanden (und ich werde es nicht überarbeiten, meine Wahrheit kann nicjt zensiert werden)

"Queer heros etc." ist ein populär- (oder sagen wir pseudo-) wissenschaftliches buch, über queere Figuren in Mythologie und Geschichte. Jedes Kapitel stellt eine Person oder ein Paar in 3-5 Seiten vor.

-"pseudowissenschaftlich" weil verschwindend gering mit Quellen gearbeitet wurde. Das 1. Kapitel über achill und patroklos gibt einfach nur "the song of achilles" und ein bisschen Shakespeare wieder. Die Ilias wurde nur kurz erwähnt und es wirkt als hätte der autor sie nichtmal gelesen. Natürlich ist die Rezeption auch sehr spannend aber wenn du nur 3 Seiten für das Thema hast (so oder so viiiiiel zu wenig) dann fokussiere dich doch auf die antiken quellen. Ich könnte aus dem stehgreif 10 Seiten mehr schreiben, es gibt soviel was man zu den antiken quellen, der Beziehung von den beiden, der Linguistik, den kulturgeschichtlichen Aspekten etc. finden kann.

-Allgemein ist es ein häufiges Phänomen in diesem Buch dass sich auf eine (neuzeitliche) nacherzählung gestützt wird statt den diversen antiken quellen die sehr viel interessanter sind (im historisch-wissenschaftlichen kontext)
Und auch wenn eine Quelle erwähnt wird dann ist das nur "Ovid hat das geschrieben" wo? wann? wieso? Bisschen quellenkritik, und Zitate BITTE

-auch wenn die fakten größtenteils stimmten, habe ich der interpretation fast nie zugestimmt (in den folgenden Punkten kommen noch Beispiele)

- die formulierungen sind absolut schmerzhaft zu lesen (poseidon als "legandary sea-zaddy power top" antinous ist der "god of swole, lord of leg day and (...) six-packs", davon abgesehen dass beide Beschreibungen nicht passen, JEDER Satz in diesem Buch ist absolut millenial problematisch gay MANN Sprache iykwim)
Und in jedem Kapitel fielen mindestens einmal wörter wie "lusty" und "musclebound/muscly". was soll diese obsession mit Muskeln??

-übersexualisierung von ALLEM. Alle Männer haben krasse Muskeln und "thick thighs" und sind generell SUPER HOT, alle Frauen sind butch und power tops. Leute das tut so weh
Ein kapitel was mich sehr aufgeregt hat ist artemis: ein großer aspekt von artemis (griech. Göttin der Jagd u.a.) ist ihre Abneigung zu sex (nicht nur zu Männern wie der Autor behauptet). Dass sie ihre gefährtin callisto verflucht hat, war nicht weil "ihnen ein Mann dazwischen kam" sondern weil callisto ihren EID der jungfräulichkeit gebrochen hat (der btw überhaupt nicht erwähnt wurde). Artemis ist definitiv nicht straight und sicherlich homoerotisch zu lesen aber in erster Linie ist sie ein sexloses Wesen und dass sie mit dieser übersexulisierten Sprache degradiert wurde, hat mir körperliche Schmerzen bereitet
> basically fehlen mir hier Gefühle und zwischenmenschliche Beziehungen, queere Personen sind nicht nur sexuell wild und befreit und hot

-Ähnlich dazu: einige Kapitel hatten nicht einmal was mit queerness zu tun! Z.b. Baubo, die natürlich eine interessante Gottheit ist (v.a. in Bezug auf weibliche Sexualität) aber in dem Kapitel ging es absolut nicht um queere aspekte

-random Sache die mich nervt: warum gibt es ein Kapitel zu ANTINOUS aber nicht meinem ultimativen babygirl alexander?

-Und noch eine Kleinigkeit ist dass es nicht chronologisch geordnet ist!! Die ersten 80 Seiten (also fast die Hälfte des buches) ist über griechische Mythologie. Also wenn das schon zusammengepresst wird dann doch direkt chronologisch oder wenigstens einen Unterschied zw. Fiktiven und historischen Erzählungen.
Warum kommt eine griech. Gottheit vor antinous (dem echten Liebhaber eines echten römischen Kaisers im 2. Jh. N. Chr.) Und direkt danach kommt sappho (aus dem 6. Jh. V. Chr.) Und dann kommt Apollo like wtf ein bisschen Struktur BITTE
Oder auch reale ägyptische Männer und dann ZELDA

-nochmal bestärkt: die vermischung von fiktivem und historischem ist eine schlechte idee und war super verwirrend

-apropos zelda, ich bin sowieso schon zwiegespalten über den einbezug von Popkultur, aber an sich verstehe ich den gedanken. Aber zelda ist weder kanonisch queer, noch gibt es da eine großen fankult darum (wie z.b. bei sherlock oder so yk)
Es gibt doch so viele spannende kanonisch queere Figuren v. A. In der neuzeit

-generell gab es so viele Kapitel die man ganz weg lassen könnte (zelda, baubo und mehr) und dafür so viele mehr eindeutig queere Personen, die man stattdessen erwähnen könnte.

-Einige tippfehler

-In der Hälfte ist mir aufgefallen, dass die Kapitel selber überhaupt keinen roten Faden haben. Man sollte meinen, es ist nicht schwer die queeren aspekte einer Person herauszuarbeiten aber scheinbar schon. Oft wurde zu viel kontext gegeben und die eigentlich zentrale Aussage viel zu kurz gefasst. Und auch die Reihenfolge der Infos war oft schwer zu folgen

-auch die zeitliche und räumliche Einordnung war etwas plump



Die objektiv ganz guten Sachen die ich anerkennen kann:

-Wenn man absolut gar keine Ahnung und nur oberflächliches Interesse an den Themen hat ist es sicher ganz spannend und man kann es definitiv schnell lesen und trotzdem was draus mitnehmen
ABER ich fand einige kapitel schwer zu folgen (vll. Wegen des fehlenden roten fadens) z.b. tu'er shen

-es gab einige Personen die ich noch nciht kannte und von denen ich ohne dieses buch nie erfahren hätte.
ABER die Kapitel waren so kurz dass ich eh nochmal außerhalb dieses Buches zu denen nachlesen werde
APROPOS eine spannende Geschichte habe ich auch gegoogelt und den Wikipedia Artikel gelesen nur um zu merken, dass in dem buch ein fehler gibt: "Dog and the sea" heißt eigentlich "dog in the sea".



Zugegeben, ich habe das meiste von diesem rant geschrieben als ich etwa in der Hälfte des buches war. Die letzten 50 seiten hab ich nur noch überflogen und auch wenn es noch viel mehr zu kritisieren gäbe, habe ich jetzt keinen nerv mehr weiter darüber nachzudenken yolo


Alles in allem, wenn euch das Thema interessiert, schaut euch einfach die Kapitelübersicht an und lest zu den einzelnen Personen die Wikipedia Artikel.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really interesting, humorous, and affirming book. I loved the variety in myths and legends, although I'm unconvinced that Willow and Tara from Buffy can be included in that category. Alongside poor categorisation, at times, the blog-post-styled writing was nothing short of irritating (and vaguely cringe), see below:

"from a contemporary perspective, we might wonder if it is Xena, Gabrielle, or us who is most transformed by the queerest love of all."

Still, I really enjoyed this book. Perfect to read through consecutively, or to use as a reference book.

[Saimi Korhonen · Rating 5 out of 5]

"But, if there's one thing I hope you take from this book it is that being a gay demigod, lesbian Valkyrie, trans literary creation, eight-legged flying horse, bisexual Knight of the Round Table, or teenage witch with 1990s mall-Goth styling is no barrier to greatness: we can (all) be heroes."

Queer Heroes of Myth and Legend is a collection of short essays on different famous mythological queer characters. It's a lovely celebration of queer storytelling in different cultures at different points in time, and a wonderful reminder of how myths and stories have always had queerness and queer characters imbedded in them - they might've been erased or ignored later, but when you look into the stories, there they are.

This collection was a blast to read. The writing is really witty, and I laughed out loud multiple times. But its humorous tone took nothing away from its informative nature: I learned so many new things, even about characters I am very familiar with: for example, I had never known that Pelops might've had a thing with Poseidon! I love mythology, both modern and ancient, and learning about all these intriguing, cool queer icons of the past was a delight. There were so many stories I desperately want to know more about. I also want more people to know these stories and I want these characters to be reclaimed and given the center stage they have, more often than not, been denied because of their queerness. It's important that people understand that mythologies are full of stories that bend the gender norms of their time, play with same-sex desire and even have explicit queer relationships. Historians, artists and writers etc. have just tweaked those stories to fit their sensibilities or flat-out ignored them in favour of a reading that suits their delicate sensibilities: mythologies have been used, retold and shaped by countless people, and while there is beauty in that wide range of interpretation, it can also be dangerous and result in loss of diverse voices and stories.

One thing I also loved was how widely Jones interprets the concept of mythology. Jones introduces the reader to famous figures of mythology, like Achilles and Patroclus, Dionysos and Artemis from the Greek world, Odin and Loki from the Norse myths, Ila and Budha from Hinduist texts and Brigid, a figure notable in both Irish and Haitian folklore. But he also includes modern mythologies, like Tolkien's Lord of the Rings universe, Gaiman's Sandman, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Doctor Who - these are all modern stories (compared to ancient myths, at least), but they are all epic stories that have become so significant to pop culture that they have earned a (near) mythical vibe. I loved reading about Sam and Frodo's queer potential and the impact of Xena and Gabrielle's love to queer fans, while also learning about mythological queer tales like Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Jones also included historical figures, such as Pharaoh Akhenaten, because while these people did exist, their lives have become so infused with fantasy and fiction that it's hard to separate truth from fiction.

This book is not an in-depth look into these myths, but more of an introduction to these characters. So don't go into this book expecting pages upon pages of close analysis of the Gilgamesh, the Iliad or Legend of Zelda: most of the essays are only 2-4 pages. But that does not mean this book isn't valuable or that there isn't a lot to learn - I certainly learnt a lot about mythology, history, literature and culture!

[Megan Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Featuring 50 profiles and select B&W illustrated portraits, Heroes of Queer Myth & Legend is a celebration of gay gods and goddesses, sapphic sirens, misunderstood mermen, and lesbians of legend.

Hidden in the margins of history books, classical literature, and thousands of years of stories, myths and legends, through to contemporary literature, TV and film, there is a diverse and other-worldly super community of queer heroes to discover, learn from, and celebrate.

Be captivated by stories of forbidden love like Patroclus & Achilles (explored in Madeleine Miller's bestseller Song of Achilles), join the cult of Antinous (inspiration for Oscar Wilde), get down with pansexual god Set in Egyptian myth, and fall for Zimbabwe's trans God Mawi. And from modern pop-culture, through Dan Jones's witty, upbeat style, learn more about 90s fan obsessions Warrior Princess and Buffy the Vampire Slayer , Neil Gaiman's American Gods and the BBC 's Doctor Who .

Heroes of Queer Myth & Legend brings to life characters who are romantic, brave, mysterious, and always fantastical. It is a magnificent celebration of queerness through the ages in all its legendary glory.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Having greatly enjoyed Queer Villians of Myth and Legend, I did go into this book with high expectations, and Dan Jones delivers! He shows heroes, both well-known and in the shadows of time and fiction, through queer lenses. I also love how Jones sees through the pop culture versions of these heroes returning to their origins and puts his own spin on them with his humour, wit and tidbits of information that add to the mythos of each hero.

Overall, Dan Jones has created another fun and witty book about the queerness of history and mythology. Queer Heroes of Myth and Legend is perfect for any fans of Mythology and History.

Thank you, NetGalley and Octopus Publishing for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Sleigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't think this book was for me.
Not because of the topic, I was interested in the subject, but because of the style of writing and how short the stories were.
I would have probably been more interested in discovering more about all these "heroes"; I probably would´ve eaten up an in-depth book about any of those topics . The info here was very minimal for me personally .
Did enjoy getting a short overview of new mythological characters . If I had gone into this book more with a mindset of , "I´ll get this overview to find out what topic I wanna read more about " , and not like, "I´ll feel somewhat fulfilled after this book with the amount of info," .
Also the tone like the way it was written was giving off a bit too much (like not overt but still) like a middle-aged gay man in limp hand "stereotype" (quotation signs , since while I don't know how to else to explain the tone , I don't feel comfortable enough to call it a stereotype , since its not really much of a stereotype if the person doing it is part of the group the stereotype is about)
I guess its because maybe its target audience is more millennials ( I can imagine a millennial enjoying it , no offense for real) and I am Gen Z , so I enjoy a different tone ( like gay tones and way of talking is also different for Gen Z from my experience , so its not the gay thing, but I believe more of a generational difference ) . I did get a bit more used to the language by the middle of the middle of the book and I enjoyed the book a lot more by that part .
Had I not been a more in-depth type of girlie/person right now, especially for mythology, and more used to this type of tone and language , it would've been defo like 4 stars for me .
So like, if you feel like wanna get a relaxed overview of queer heroes in myth and legend and are prepared/have no problem ( I realize I might be a bit more nitpicky) or enjoy or are used to this language , then this is a must-read.

[Lizzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read an enjoyed Queer Villains of Myth and Legend earlier this year, I was excited to read Jones’ earlier book about the corresponding heroes.

We’re taken on a whistle-stop tour from antiquity through to Buffy, featuring mythological figures from different cultures around the world, and looking at how their queerness has been depicted and received over the years. There are some that most of us have heard of, some you probably haven’t, and overall a really great and varied selection.

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The tone is very light-hearted and sometime tongue-in-cheek, making it very accessible and the ideal book to dip in and out of. There are also a few illustrations which really enhance the book as a whole.

My biggest criticism is that there was no mention of asexuality, despite there being many opportunities too. There were multiple people – mostly women – where Jones concluded that their lack of desire was indicative that they were secretly gay, without even mentioning or considering asexuality. It would have been a great addition, not just because the asexual community are often passed over in any discussion of the LGBTQ+ community, but also that some of the characters were actually ones that many ace people identify with.

Jones is unable to resist the temptation to use modern terminology when looking at mythological figures (and some real people) from centuries ago, but given the light-hearted style of the whole book, if you can take this with a grain of salt it will be a very enjoyable and interesting read!

I received a free copy for an honest review.

[Paul Groos · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun book, written in conversational blog-post-language, about queer characters in myth and legend (and history and television series and movies and children’s books and other books). It’s a bit of a stretch to place all fifty characters under the title of myth and legend. And, while many of the characters mentioned are, or can easily be interpreted as queer, some require another stretch of the imagination. Jones really doesn’t succeed in painting the Valkyrie lesbian or the Wild Things gay (they might be, and more power to them, but the author discusses Maurice Sendak’s sexuality, not the Wild Things’). In other cases it’s not so much the character as the way that character has been received, reworked and interpreted at later times and often in different media. Jones makes these characters retroactively queer to begin with. Granted, one can find things in stories that weren’t put there by the creator or weren’t there at all to begin with, and every reader is welcome to find their own interpretation, but some interpretations require a lot more stretches than others.
That said, the book is a nice and fun collection of remarkable and interesting characters. While not very in depth, Jones has done his research, citing many and diverse sources. Minor mistakes remain (Teiresias was not used by Odysseus to consult the dead, he was dead himself, for instance), but none that take away from the overall point: there is way more queer in myth and legend (and history and etc.) than many people realise.

[Eva · Rating 3 out of 5]

I fully agree that queer readings of classic sources should not be the sole province of academics (especially as I'm one of them), but as something presenting itself as a fresh and modern insight into queer myths and legends, it falls a bit flat. There is no indication how the mentioned legends were chosen, cheerfully mixing mythology with pop-culture and actual real-life people or organisations, and try as I might, I still don't understand how the book was structured (I admit to not being well-versed in video games but is there a reason why Zelda is included between an ancient Egyptian couple and a Taoist deity?). The language is chatty and accessible, but the cultural references will be outdated in about five years, and the little profiles themselves get very repetitive after a while (introduce X. were X queer? historians/film producers/evil academics will tell you they were not but we know better!), and while the book includes a very short note on how it perceives queerness, it once again cheerfully ignores aspec anything (with a chapter on Artemis, no less). This would have worked really well as a personal exploration of the author's favourite queer icons as the passion and excitement clearly come through, but packaging it as a general text on queerness in myth and legend just doesn't work very well.

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was alright, a good primer for people who don’t know a lot about ancient myths and legends. Sadly as I’m more familiar with the topic (due to hyper-fixation 😂) I didn’t really learn much in those sections and felt some topics were really brushed over (personally I don’t feel you can talk about Greek myths with out discussing the sexual assault often carried out by the gods). I suppose this book was trying to keep things lighter and explore what queer joy there is, I just worry for people using this as an introduction getting a shock.

I loved that the author went on to include more modern “myths” that have impacted queer culture. However there was far too much modern speak mixed in with the discussion of all topics, which is just very jarring when discussing ancient myth. Could be just a personal thing, the narrator just read it flat so maybe that’s why the attempt at humour didn’t work for me.

I still think this is a very important book for understanding queer history, just more of an introductory level than I was expecting. For more on queer Greek myths I recommend the podcast Let’s Talk About Myths Baby she’s done a bunch of queer centric episodes for pride months before.