Queer Heroes of Myth and Legend is a book all about different figures, both real and mythological, represented throughout history and often seen (or deliberately written) as queer characters. I loved the different world mythologies this book explored, as it allowed for a very diverse view of what different cultures believed with regards to LGBTQ+ identity. I also enjoyed reading about the different pop culture references, in particular, the Anne Rice characters Louis and Lestat, as I am a fan of the series and was pleased to see them being represented in this book as the queer characters they truly are. I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend this to anyone wanting to learn more about queer characters (and celebrities!) through the years.

This was an interesting read, but sadly I don't think I ended up being the target audience for this. I loved learning about queer icons, and I learned a lot about topics like art and literature, which I quite enjoyed. The stories are easy and accessible to read. But as I went ahead, I realized I would've liked more citations and references, which I realize wasn't really the point of this book (I also realize that I'm a minority in missing the frequent use of footnotes).

Intrigued by the title, I was curious as to who would be included in this book and I was surprised happy by a few of the inclusions in this book as we delve into queer myths and legends.

I think the terms myths and legends are pushed to the limits in this book, but what limits they are as we cover a range of LGBT stories that highlight pop culture moments but also ancient gods that really open your eyes to historical LGBT people which is never a bad thing - normalising that gay relationships have been around for centuries is incredibly important.

I do kinda like the tone of the writing, granted the use of daddy feels alot in this book but honestly, I do get that considering the circumstances, I mean how else can you describe some of these men to be honest but it is a fun read with a serious topic that handles the subject incredibly well.

A quick and interesting read, it has made me want to know more about so much that's mentioned in this book!

I enjoyed this informative, entertaining and well researched book. There's a lot of what we call "queerness" in the myths and the stories all over the world.
Dan Jones delivers an excellent book.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

A great little reference book touching upon Queer Heroes from history and fiction - a charming entry encouraging readers to delve deeper into the lives and works featured here

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.

Ugh, I LOVE THIS BOOK! With the renewed popularity of Greek mythology and related spinoffs, this compendium is exactly what I needed. Dan Jones covers heroes and gods across the globe and its history - from the better-known Greek and Egyptian characters, to the more obscure (and absolutely fabulous) Taoist “queer rabbit god” (Tu’er Shen).

Jones is both academic and entertaining. His sense of humour sparkles on the page, and he imbibes a feeling of recognition and representation within the queer reader.

I thought that sometimes, the author was being a little liberal with his definition of “myth and legend”, but that was easy to overlook. At times, a reader might feel that queer spaces are created where they never were - but isn’t that the whole point of queering history and literature?

Jones has a knack for social commentary within his text, pointing out inconsistencies and historical fallacies without appearing didactic.

This is the kind of book I want to own in hardback. I want to fill it with sticky notes; I want to peruse it again and again, making lists of the texts mentioned, the shrines and temples I want to visit, and the TV and film highlighted.

This is a book for reading, and cherishing, and sharing, and I can’t recommend it enough.

Just an all-round fabulous book: witty, erudite and informative. I considered myself relatively well-versed in mythology (especially Greek myths) but there was so much to discover, showing that #wehavealwaysbeenhere

A book I will also buy in physical form, with extra copies for friends. 5 ⭐️

I really enjoyed this book, but I specifically read about the people/ characters I was interested in or had heard about. It’s a good overview which I can see leading to much more detail if you went to do more research about certain icons.

This book is a fun overview of different 'queer' characters in myths from around the world. It's funny and beautifully illustrated, and it would be a wonderful gift!
The scope was a bit random, about a third of the characters are from Greek/Roman mythology, and there's some Norse, Egyptian, Maya characters, and then all of a sudden there's Zelda (the game character), which felt a little weird. It wasn't really clear to me why these characters were chosen, it felt a little random at times.

This a fascinating concept which has been much needed in understanding Queer History. I was previously familiar with some of the heroes, yet learned so much more from reading this book. My only criticism is the illustrations really don't add to the book and could have been left out.

A fun quippy look through ancient myth and legends for queer heroes. After having read The song of Achilles, I wondered if there were more queer stories I hadn't heard of. I remember learning about Zeus and his philandering and Aphrodite inspiring lust in all who saw her. So why not? This book provided exactly what I was looking for. The short profiles gave me an insight into where we might see indications of queerness, where previously these had been sanitised. An enjoyable read that I will definitely be referring back to!

This wasn't quite what I thought it would be. It seemed like it would be regaling me with tales of Queer heroes that had slipped under the radar, but in truth it was more of "what if we looked at this differently?" And I found that some of it was quite a reach. I was hoping for more that had always been there

This was a quick, entertaining read, covering both queer icons of mythology, from the fampus to a few more obscure, and some rather more tenuous 'myths and legends' from contemporary pop culture.

I enjoyed the quippy fun nature of these short bios, and I found about some very cool characters that I hadn't previously known about.

I would have liked a 'further reading' or similar list at the back of the book - various sources are mentioned throughout the book nit it would be easier to look up some of the things I was interested in if those sources were also collated somewhere.


*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC*

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!!)