This was such a fun whistle-stop tour of queer villains through the ages!

The book is comprised of lots of short chapters, each one about a different figure. While the title specifies ‘myth and legend’, it actually takes a much broader scope, starting in antiquity but also discussing figures from literature, film and TV, and even some real people who have become legendary in their own right, such as Anne Bonny.

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While the majority of the characters mentioned in this book are explicitly LGBTQ+ - such as Carmilla, Dark Willow, etc – many are queer in the sense that they represent something outside the norm, or have become an icon to many in the queer community. A huge range of characters were explored, and I think it’s generally a good collection of those who have been villainised for their ‘otherness’.

The writing style reminded me a lot of tumblr back in the day: very chatty and witty, with a few sweeping generalisations here and there. While there were some points that I think would have benefitted from more nuance and depth, on the whole it made for a very entertaining read. It felt like the goal in this book is to celebrate as much as to study queer villains, and that came across in the best way!

Overall this was a fun read, that is a great go-to guide for queer villains. There are definitely some books and films I will be checking out after reading this!

I received a free copy for an honest review.