940: Inanna was epic!
In this episode, I was immersed in a new mythology…
Friends, friends, friends.
Welcome back to Teatime Reading where there are books in progress.
When I was growing up, Greek and Norse mythology were both some of my favorite stories to read and listen to. As I got older, Indian and Egyptian traditions also captured my imagination.
My narration journey continues in 2025, so before we get to the review,
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Whether they’re translations or reinterpretations, I love being immersed in those different cultures and legends. It’s probably why I love the Riordan-verse of stories as well.
Anyway, Inanna by Emily H. Wilson. It took me a while to really click into this story. I started listening to the audiobook in the end of 2024, but when I switched to the ebook and actually decided to read it this February, I got hooked.
This story is a fantasy retelling of the Epic of Gilgamesh, and while it wasn’t automatically my type of pace and storytelling, it was incredible. There was something so wild and unique about the nature of the gods and the empires themselves.
The synopsis is what made me intrigued:
Stories are sly things…they can be hard to catch and kill.
Inanna is an impossibility, the first full Anunnaki born on Earth. 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 by King Akka who 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.
For me, reading this was easier because when I was listening, I got confused between the Inanna chapters and the Ninshubar chapters. That is absolutely my own fault, though. Reading each of their perspectives were fascinating.
Inanna as a book felt fresh and modern while feeling authentic and relevant to the ancient Mesopotamian culture of the characters.
Inanna was my favorite of the three leads, precocious, talented, and immensely powerful. The first new Annunaki born on earth, something is very unique about her, even compared to her own godly family.
Gilgamesh and Ninshubar were worthy perspectives as well, but I have to give the nod to Ninshubar in this first book. Her sacrifices and her journey was the most compelling to me. Gilgamesh, honestly, came off as both a little buffoonish and brutish.
Most of all, I liked that this wasn’t just the Epic of Gilgamesh. I appreciated that Wilson created her own full-fledged story, interweaving others like The Courtship of Inanna and Dumuzi and The Descent of Inanna into the larger picture. It was incredibly handy for Wilson to include a whole section of what is embellished, and what is real after the events of the book. It highlighted her creativity to enhance such an incredible world.
Inanna felt like a complete book, one with nuance, brutality, passion, and flawed characters living in a harsh world. It felt like the author understood that the best part of mythology is how the characters and adventures make you feel.
And my oh my, the propulsion into the sequel was perfect. That is for the next review though.
After reading it and its sequel Gilgamesh, I cannot recommend Inanna highly enough.
Until next time, keep your bookmarks close.
Peace, Love, Pages.
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