BLOG TOUR Review: Queer Villains of Myth and Legend by Dan Jones

I received an e-arc of this book as part of the blog tour organised by Random Things Tours. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.

Publisher: Octopus Publishing
Published: January 2024
Pages: 240

Description

Every good hero needs a villain! Explore the hidden world of magnetic and mysterious villains, often cast aside and misunderstood in tales of mythology and folklore. Through the pages of Queer Villains of Myth and Legend, discover a diverse community of fascinating characters, ranging from seductive and cunning to powerful and awe-inspiring.

Experience the dark allure of Circe and Medusa through to David Bowie’s Jareth in Labyrinth and delve into their complex and multifaceted personalities and motivations. Take a deep dive into the intersection of queerness and villainy, re-examine some of our favourite characters, and discover why so many ‘bad’ characters are queer-coded.

From ancient mythology to contemporary pop culture, Queer Villains of Myth and Legend celebrates the fascinating stories of these often-overlooked characters. Join Dan Jones on a journey of discovery, as he explores the hidden depths of queer villainy and sheds light on the queer identities of these compelling figures. It’s a powerful celebration of queerness through the ages in all its legendary complexity.

My Thoughts…

Clear, engaging and entertaining, Queer Villains of Myth and Legend is a fun and informative celebration of famous villains throughout the ages, exploring their impact on culture and the many different ways their identities developed.

These often-overlooked characters finally take centre stage, getting the recognition they deserve while accompanying us on a tour from ancient myths to modern TV and cinema. There is a truly wide range of characters on display here, some possibly slightly more famous than others, and I deeply enjoyed discovering villains I hadn’t previously heard of while catching up on bits of trivia and information on characters I had already encountered. Many of the characters are explicitly queer, while others are queer-coded and/or became particularly significant for the LGBTQ+ community, which made it a varied bunch of characters to explore.

While I enjoyed the free-flowing, friendly writing style (making this an easy read indeed), it felt slightly out of place at times and, coupled with the speed with which the characters were analysed, left me wanting just a bit more complexity and nuance than I got. The short chapters work very well to keep the reading flowing and fast-paced, but seem to leave little room for deeper reflections and discussions.

Overall, Queer Villains of Myth and Legend is an enjoyable read, and works especially well as an introductory text, sharing clear and accessible portraits of key characters, but may not fully satisfy readers looking for a deeper level of analysis.

Rating: 3.5/5

Huge thanks to the author, the publisher and Random Things Tours for having me on this tour! Be sure to check out the other stops as well for more great content.