I was sent a copy of the Encyclopedia of Goddesses and Heroines to review a couple weeks ago. If you’re into mythology, it’s a nice resource on the many female characters found in mythology all around the world.

The book is divided by continent and then by region, allowing you to explore goddesses and heroines from a particular region if you so choose. If you prefer, you can also look them up by name in the index, very helpful if you aren’t entirely certain where to look for a particular name.

My oldest daughter was really excited when this book came. She loves mythology. She was a little sad that each goddess or heroine only has a little information, usually a couple of paragraphs, a quick story about her, not a full story, so I explained to her that that’s not how encyclopedias work. It’s a reference for who each one is, not a collection of stories. You do get a bit of the story of each, but not in the way my daughter wants her mythology. But then this isn’t for children; it’s a reference book.

There’s also a bit of information about how each one is celebrated in her region, as appropriate, such as which festivals she may be associated with.

If you enjoy mythology, and want a reference to help you discover more female deities to explore, this may be a good choice for you. If you enjoy celebrating the divine feminine, you may also enjoy it as a resource. You’ll be amazed at how many goddesses there are that you’ve never heard of, even from mythologies you have some familiarity with.