The first three books of the "Queen of Shades" series are fictionalizatons of the three surviving stories we have of Ereshkigal, Queen of the Underworld in ancient Sumerian religion. The title and cover of this volume obscure its focus: The Descent of Inanna, which is where most people first encounter Ereshkigal and form their opinions about Her.

The goddess Inanna was very popular in the Ancient Near East, and continues to be so among Pagans of today. Ereshkigal is too-often regarded merely as Inanna's foil or foe -- or Her Shadow Aspect for the psychologically-inclined. Cheers to Hinze for turning that dynamic around and illustrating just how out of line The Queen of Heaven and Earth was for trying to force Her way into Her sister's realm, and asserting that the two goddesses are not contrasting aspects of a single deity.

But this book is about more than the confrontation between the Sisters. Inanna's descent does not take place in a vacuum. The Ereshkigal of Hinze's series is still learning what it means to be a goddess and how to handle being part of a large pantheon of much older deities, as well as providing guidance to Her worshippers and ruling an ever-increasing population of souls. Inanna's invasion causes a crisis which has repercussions beyond the boundaries of the Underworld.

My biggest criticism about this book is that I believe Inanna could have been portrayed in a better light while still favoring Ereshkigal. It would have been more true to the adoration Inanna inspired/inspires while making the conflict even more interesting. This Inanna is a caricature of a Bitch Goddess, and She deserves better -- as does the plot of this book.

My second criticism is of Inanna taking a hostage, which - while providing a great deal of drama within the context of this series - is a huge diversion from the original myth and further undermines the character of Inanna.

Still: four stars from me for a compulsively readable story. ( )