This book was a big surprise to me. I hadn't read the blurb, so I definitely wasn't expecting a somewhat urban fantasy that featured Gods from multiple religions. I would say that I'd rate this a solid 4.5, but I don't feel right bumping that up to a 5, because I wasn't emotionally invested in the characters or story.

The plot of this was actually super fun. It was a pretty normal murder mystery, but with a drug and Gods. I found it super interesting how so many of the Gods were like normal people, albeit with powers. The plot of this was action packed, and kept me guessing until the end. I never wanted to put the book down, which is always a good sign.

Now, the Gods in this stem from several cultures. We have Egyptian, Norse, Inuit, and I think Aztec Gods all shoved into one story. We get small pieces of myths, which were always super interesting, but that was about it for the culture aspect. Our main character was Inuit, but her culture was never acknowledged, which was slightly disappointed. I would've loved to learn something about a group of people I know nothing about.

I really liked all of the characters in this, with Nook being one of my favorites. They all felt real to me, and everything they did was somewhat logical. (they weren't getting powers conveniently added the entire time) I loved the way that Knight wrote Cairn. Instead of heaping blessings and powers onto her like so many fantasy books do, she left Cain with only her wits and a few friends. I felt like that really added suspense, because Cairn couldn't just burn her way out of any problems.

The romance in this was pretty lackluster, but that may just be because it doesn't receive much page time. Most of the it was just Cairn apologizing to Delphine. Delphine seemed pretty useless until the end, but then it made sense as to why she'd been included. I would definitely recommend this to any mythology lovers, because this spotlighted some religions that don't get much representation!

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This Eternity of Masks and Shadows by Karsten Knight sounded like it was going to be right up my alley. The concept behind it is pretty cool. In the end, though, it just wasn't for me. I was expecting something a little different than what we got. Plus, it could have gone through another round of edits or so and could have probably come through the other side and have made more sense. And I would have preferred to like reading at least one of the characters rather than actively disliking all of them.

Such an interesting premise, what if gods were reborn among us. I enjoyed learning about different gods in cultures I am not too familiar with.

For me, the. book dragged a little bit and did not capture my attention in a way that I would like. I also was not invested in the love story and think it didn't add to the story.

Ahna gives Cairn a kitten for her birthday. I liked the names. It's a lynx. Ahna tells the story of the goddess of sea Sedna.The gods are real and Ahna is a reincarnatio of Sedna. Delphine and Cairn have a special bond. I liked Cairns and Delphines relationship. Cairn finds a hidden costume of her mother's. I liked reading about the different gods. Tane alters Sednas autopsy. I liked all the action.

This ARC was provided for review, but in no way affects the following impartial and unbiased review:
•
4*
Pros: A perfect mix of murder mystery with mythology. Starring an Inuit and saphic lead. Introduces deities from all across the world, living in our contemporary times. Full of gore and awesome action-packed scenes. Stars the vigilante looking for revenge trope. Showcases many cultures and traditions. Includes many plot twists and ties all strands together by the end.
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Cons: Too fast paced. Protagonist, young and inexperienced, becomes suddenly an expert in investigation and covert operations. One-dimensional and trope-y characters.

I have SO many conflicting feelings about this one.

tw: character death, bad therapy depictions, trauma and discussions thereof, violence

Reader beware, here there be spoilers.

"That all the deities from every world mythology are reincarnated every century or so with no memories of their past lives. That they bleed and die just like us - it's just less permanent."


The concept was an interesting one - gods of all pantheons are constantly reborn as mortals, living their lives in as much anonymity or fame as they choose. When Cairn Delacroix's mother Ahna - otherwise known as Sedna, the Inuit goddess of the sea, sea-life, and the underworld - is murdered in front of her eyes, she decides to find the culprit on her own.

She's assisted by Nook, a detective who is the current reincarnation of the polar bear god Nanook, Themis, Greek goddess of justice, and Vulcan, Roman god of fire and forge.

On the face of it, the plot is interesting and promising. Where it goes sideways is in the execution.

• Cairn's inconsistent knowledge of the gods - despite Themis being named, well, Themis, she was unable to recognize her godly identity. Which wouldn't have been a problem if it weren't for the fact that she was easily able to identify a host of minor gods and goddesses, including minor Greek ones like Phobetor.
• Not remotely believable fighting abilities. Knight starts off strong by not making her instantly great at combat, but somehow in a 4-month timespan we're supposed to believe she's capable enough of a fighter to take down a goddess who has been training for 20-odd years.
• She dives into the ocean from a boat and swims to shore in a wetsuit, all the while wearing a tight updo under her swimmer's cap. Then gets dressed in the shadows in a formal gown she'd towed with her in a Ziploc bag. And is somehow put together enough not to look out of place at an exclusive gala hosted by a U.S. Senator. Do I need to explain just how unrealistic this is? (If you ever needed proof this was written by a man...)

And here we come to my biggest quibble (I say quibble) of all. The way therapy is approached in this book, my god.

Cairn meets Themis when she is pretending to be her mother's therapist. Themis is a licensed therapist, though she didn't serve that role for Sedna. While pretending to be a therapist meeting with a patient's bereaved daughter, Themis:
• Starts the meeting saying that they need to cut the bullshit (again, this is a person she has never met before)
• Tells her she values the client-patient confidentiality she had with her mother and in the same breath says she's willing to forego it is Cairn can 'survive one session' with her.
• During which she proceeds to psychologically bully Cairn, locking the two of them in a room, following which she shows her videos of her mother and tells Cairn (and I quote): "I'm here to free you - but first, I'm going to have to break you. Emotionally. Spiritually. Physically." as well as saying (quote, again): "Pain is the quickest path to enlightenment."
• Following which proceeds to literally attach her in the room (which is a dojo), an attack which includes physically tossing Cairn into a wall.

And this entire scene is within the first quarter of the book.

As someone who sees a therapist regularly, let me get this out of the way: THIS IS NOT HOW A DECENT THERAPIST GOES ABOUT THEIR JOB. We're meant to deal with it because handwave, gods! but the fact is that this is a terribly harmful depiction of therapy and should have been cut from the book in the first edit. Themis is meant to be someone we empathize with, but after this scene, it was all but impossible for me to care about her, and [I was actively glad when she was killed. (hide spoiler)]

I did keep up with the book despite my better judgment saying not to, and I did end up enjoying it.

Apart from the aforementioned issues, and some small editing issues - which I assume were fixed in the final copy, since I had the ARC - the rest of the story was honestly pretty fun.

I loved the fact that this book went beyond just the 'typical' Greek/Roman/Viking gods and brought others to the fore. Sedna and Nanook both play significant roles in the books, as does [Mami Wata (hide spoiler)]. It's always nice to see an expanded focus on world mythology in books, and that's what we get here.

Beyond that, the relationship between Cairn and Delphine is both cute and believable. It's a sweet 'first love' relationship complicated by their long friendship and Cairn's desire for justice and revenge, and Knight doesn't shy away from acknowledging the complications that can cause. Delphine is not the wordlessly accepting partner left behind that we so often see, and she has opinions on being left behind, and simply on Cairn's whole mission, making it a nicely realistic relationship.

As Sedna, Themis, et al.'s backstory is revealed, the book grapples with some interesting moral questions. Unfortunately, those are never fully developed thanks to [ a Themis ex machina, (hide spoiler)] but even so much as they are developed, they're a very fascinating inclusion in the book.

Though I have some issues with the whole 'gods living as mortals but publicly,' it was executed well. The tiny details like this made all the difference:

Instagram messages and unsolicited photos in Venus's inbox


Because honestly? SO. BELIEVABLE.

A dark shape congealed in front of her, the silhouette of a woman with long dark hair. Like everything else in this strange memory, she seemed to have been drawn in watercolors, her outline bleeding into the air around her.


There's so much to enjoy here, and even with the inconsistencies, I'd have loved to have given this somewhere between 3.5-4 stars. But for me, the depiction of therapy was utterly inexcusable and should have been caught somewhere in the editing and review process. But it wasn't, so here we are.

2/5 stars for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review of the book

I actually quit this book because I wasn't in the right mood for it at the time.

I don't have any issues, and intend to give it another try in the very near future!

Full review to come!

The Eternity of Masks and Shadows
This book was a wild ride. From the synopsis you'll think this is an emotional story with a serious tone. This isn't. It's a fun and irreverent story about reborn divinity, vigilantes, detective story and a story about identity.
Cairn Delacroix is the daughter of an Inuit goddess Sedna. Cairn lives in a world where gods and goddesses of different cultures are reborn every century and walk amongst mortals. Cairn's mother kills herself but soon it's revealed that she was killed by another god. Cairn comes to know that her mother had a second life as a bringer of justice to wayward gods. Desperate to find out her mother's killer, Cairn dives headfirst into this world of divinity.
The writing wasn't lush or spectacular but it suited this story. The dialogue was cringey at times but fist pumpingly good at others. The concept is cool if not unique. The inclusion of gods from different mythology was amazing. The best thing is Cairn is a mortal in this world. Watching a mortal without any power trying to take on gods was pretty cool. The plot was clever and engaging enough. You can see some of the twists coming but others leave you pleasantly surprised.
The book is not without its flaws though. The dialogue, as I mentioned, did get really cheesy and eye roll worthy. It took me out of the story sometimes. Cairn did turn out to be highly trained in combat in a couple of days. It had its fair share of plot conveniences, plot holes, unresolved plot points. One major thing that remains unresolved is why the perpetrator kill all these people. They could have reached their goal without most of the bloodshed.
This is the kind of escapist story that you need to read without thinking too much. Which is not a bad idea given what is going on in the world now. Read this if you want something fun and entertaining while you switch off your brain.

3,5 stars
I enjoyed this book and it really surprised me, even if at times it could have done better.
I appreciated the diverse cast, especially the fact that there were Inut characters with is something I never saw in any book I read before. Also, I love mythology and I love the fact that the narration didn't stick with the usual ones. Nook was hands down my favorite character, Cairn was a good MC. IThe f/f relationship was ok but I usually prefer m/m couples (just a personal preference!). While some plot twists were predictable, there were others that took me by surprise!
Now to the “meh“ things.
I want the world building to be explained when I read a book but here the whole reincarnation thing was pretty vague which is upsetting since it“s the base of the book! Why do the gods reincarnate in human bodies? When did it start? Was there a time when they didn't‘t have human bodies?
The strategy of hiding things from the reader is good for the sake of plot twists but sometimes it doesn't make sense because certain things should have come up before, you have to suspend your disbelief a lot about it. For example: should I really believe that Cairn didn't recognize Delphine, a person she had known all her life, in the vision?? That‘s impossible, so how come that she didn't have any reaction and just realized it at the end?! It was clearly made to keep the “wow“ effect but it‘s not realistic. And Cairn had a really an easy time for a normal human againist a bunch of gods, maybe too much!
Overall I don‘t think the book reached its full potential but I still enjoyed it and now I‘m really curious to read more from this author because he definitely has potential!

Thank you to NetGalley and Karsten Knight for the ARC.
As a fan of the Wicked + the Divine series, I was really excited when I heard about the premise of this book - though a little worried that it wouldn't have as much of the striking visuals that the graphic novel series has. However, I was happily mistaken; Knight's writing is vivid, original, and gripping. I found myself wanting to read slower to really absorb the atmosphere and the scene. I loved Cairn and Delphine, especially as I didn't know there would be a f'/f romance going in - always a lovely surprise - and Cairn's relationship with her father and Nook. There was also some great moments of humour:

"First my workplace. Now my home. Is there any sanctum of my existence you don't plan to violate?"
"I haven't joined your yoga studio yet," Cairn replied.'

While there were some points where I thought I knew what was coming, there were many others that surprised me. My only compliant is that this felt like a fully fleshed out world; there were so many avenues to explore that couldn't fit in a single standalone, and I think it really needs a sequel! I have questions!

To be honest, I really wanted to like this book. It had all of the elements that I loved in the YA genre. A strong female heroine, stories about mythological gods/goddesses, romantic partners saving each other, a beautiful cover, a riveting summary.

I started to read this book with excitement somewhere along the lines, things got lost in translation.

Slowly, but surely, the book started to become boring.

And no, it wasn't because nothing was happening in the book. In fact, the book was full of action; the dialogue and the back and forth fo the characters were amazing; and there were twists and turns in almost every chapter.

And when I say every chapter, I mean every chapter. Which made the book feel so... draggy.

There was so much going on it was hard to keep track of everything. Maybe it was me. I was just getting over my own book hangover and expecting too much from this book might have affected my interest in it (especially because I really liked the previous book I read). But I couldn't even bring myself to finish it because of how bored I was. Maybe someday, I'll come back to this book, reread it, and fall in love with it (as I often do when I feel like giving a book another chance) but as of now, it's a DNF.

I didn’t really enjoy this book. The writing felt somewhat stilted to me, and there were lots of characters that made it difficult to remember who they were. I did like Cairn as a character, though, especially her love for her mother and Delphine.
However, the plot didn’t interest me as much because there was so much going on aside from Cairn’s goal of finding out the truth behind her mother’s death.

This was a difficult review for me to write. I enjoyed the concept and writing style immensely, but the execution just fell a bit flat for me. This story is about a girl whose mother is not only a reincarnated God but has been murdered. While attempting to uncover the truth, she stumbles upon a conspiracy two decades in the making and joins forces with a detective to figure it all out.

I really enjoyed the overarching storyline and it was definitely a book that I can see others really enjoying, and encourage those that are interested in the plot to read. However, there were things that I believe could have been a bit more fleshed out.

The world building was pretty non-existent, which I think was due to the author wanting us to envision modern day, but it made it difficult to grasp the concept of Gods walking among humans. For me, when I think of a God I don't really envision someone that is attempting to blend in with mortals or following mortal laws. I never understood why they were originally trying to hide in the first place, so it just didn't connect for me when they are all of a sudden celebrities and running for office.

The main character was also problematic for me. There was something off to where I couldn’t really relate to her. I think it is primarily because she was all of a sudden able to do everything and anything while trying to unravel what happened with her mother. For instance, I found it hard to believe that an 18 year old with no knowledge of crimes or Gods besides the myths her mother told her about, led her to outwit a detective and figure out evidence that he couldn't. I can understand her linking the deaths to different myths since her mother had told her those stories, but not her figuring out pretty much every aspect of each case.

Although the cast was very diverse, it was a LARGE cast! I had trouble remembering everyone and their stories behind them at times because there were just so many new characters introduced at once. I think if the author had slowly introduced a few characters every few chapters it would have worked a bit better.

Overall, this wasn't my favorite but it was a good read. The main character is definitely strong and independent, and I am hoping the next book will flesh somethings out a bit more for us.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary eARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes. I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me this opportunity!

Gods are real and they are also super-spies?
This book is full of drama, mistery and lesbian cuteness from page one. At first, it felt like everything was happening too fast and too dramatically--birthdays, love confeasions, accidents, all within the prologue. After I got used to the pace of this book, I started enjoying how crazy it was. Some scenes were very cheesy and full of TV tropes -- like the "therapy session" in a dojo -- which made the story seem more unrealistic than speculative. I think the parts that should have been more emotional and offer some insight into the character's experiences weren't written well enough to have the desired effect. Surprise reveals / plot twists didn't work, because they were hinted at too early and too clearly.
Even though I still believe that the book would benefit from slowing down the pace every once on a while, the middle part was much better than the beginning. The mistery was interesting and complecated, and even though I anticipated some plot twists, it was still surprising. Based on the first 30% of the book, I was supossed to give it 2 stars, but because the middle and the end were better, I'll give it 3.
The general idea was great! It was so good!

The Breakdown:

I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm still not sure how I feel about this book. I loved the premise and the beginning was an amazing and starts with the death of a parent.

My biggest hangup is I don't understand the world and how everything was so interconnected. I had a hard time relating to the main character and I feel that ultimately something was missing with the connection I had.

It wasn't my cup of tea, but I do think it is worth the read. The main character was definitely strong, no doubt about that, and the premise is amazing but I feel like there is something noticeably missing and I can't seem to put my finger on exactly what it is besides I feel like it wasn't fleshed out enough and I am looking forward to the next book and feel like it can provide a lot more depth. That all being said I would still recommend it and feel it's worth a read or two.

This Eternity of Masks and Shadows was a fantastic read with an engaging plot and an intriguing world.

When gods walk among us, the concept of celebrities takes on a whole new meaning. With various gods in Hollywood and the Capitol in addition to those hiding in plain sight, mortals are never far from the divine. But after a god murders Cairn Delacroix's mother, she uncovers a conspiracy involving the gods decades in the making. As Cairn investigates those connected with her mother’s dark past, she quickly discovers those involved are dying one by one. And when her path leads her to her mother’s killer, she’ll stop at nothing to avenge her mother’s death.

I had previously read and loved this author’s Wildefire series, so as soon as I saw he had another book centered around mythology, I knew I needed to pick it up. This book is different from that series in that in this one, the gods and goddesses are known to the public. I found the concept of gods/goddesses living among us for normal human lifespans to be an interesting one and I liked that they wouldn’t have knowledge of their previous lives each time they came back. That second aspect is one this book shared with the Wildefire series and is one I particularly enjoyed.

The plot in this book centers around Cairn looking into her mother’s death and a disastrous island voyage in her mother’s past. The book includes flashback chapters from the point of view of Cairn’s mother while on the island and shows the events that happened there. I liked that the events in the flashback chapters lined up with events and information Cairn was learning in the present. The events on the island are completely responsible for what’s happening in the present and there were several twists related to what happened on the island that I didn’t see coming. Ultimately I really enjoyed the way the book ended and I liked that it ends in a way that there could be more books set in this world.

Cairn was an interesting character, the daughter of a goddess who chose to live a normal life with her status as a goddess hidden. Cairn’s grief over losing her mother is palpable and her need to understand what happened made complete sense. When her quest leads her deeper into the world of the gods, Cairn always stood out as a human among the other. I liked that Cairn was out of her depth in the world of the gods and how she paired up with gods to help balance that out. Nanook, a polar bear god turned detective, was one of the characters she worked with closely and I really enjoyed his character as well as the father/daughter-esque relationship they formed. Another character I really liked was Delphine, Cairn’s on-off girlfriend. Cairn and Delphine’s relationship was messy and real and I enjoyed it immensely.

Overall I really enjoyed This Eternity of Masks and Shadows and reading it has made me want to revisit the Wildefire series. I highly recommend this book for fans of that series or for anyone looking for a story centered around mythology.

Oh what an incredibly fun jaunt of a book!

This is the tale of world in which the gods of old -- of all pantheons and traditions -- walk among mortals with their full array of divine powers. Some lead normal lives, some fight hidden fights, and some seek to use these strengths for personal gain.

Cairn Delacroix is a relatively normal teenager whose mother happens to be Sedna: the Inuit goddess of the sea and marine animals. Sedna's sudden death by apparent suicide leads Cairn and a growing cadre of friends and foes through a tumultuous spiral of power, half-truths, self-discovery, and intrigue.

I'm a total sucker for mythology and extraordinary powers stories, and this one hit all the right buttons. Karsten Knight masterfully weaves together the right dashes of grief, <i>noir</i>, the fallibility of the human (and superhuman) condition, and the struggles of modern life in this tale of justice and redemption. While there were a few storylines that I would have liked to have seen drawn out and expounded upon, I was, nonetheless, very pleased by the rollercoaster the story presented.

I would very much like to see more written in this world. The possibilities seem almost endless.

I requested an ARC of this book, and all opinions are my own.

The premise of this book was what caught my attention, and it had such potential but I don't think it lived up to expectations. The story was a bit all over the place until towards the end, and even that was hard to follow at times.

The basic story is based on the idea that Gods - from all cultures - live among us. Some choose to remain in the shadows, while others have embraced their identities out in the open, often taking mortal partners and having children. The caveat to this is that when the God or Goddess dies, they are reincarnated with no memory of their past incarnation.

In this story, Cairn Delacroix - daughter of the Inuit Sea Goddess Sedna - finds out her mother was leading a bit of a double (or triple) life after she dies mysteriously. Cairn is thrown into a world of vigilantes with secrets that could destroy life as we know it - unless she can bring an immortal killer to justice.

My biggest problem with the book is Cairn herself. She is supposed to be the spunky 18 year old protagonist who picks up her mother's mantle, but she mostly comes off as snarky and insincere. Plus, we really don't get enough character development to make you care about her one way or the other. The other characters get the same non-treatment - they are one-dimensional, and just not that interesting.

The other problem I had was the plot - the story kept jumping back and forth in time, which is not a bad thing when done well. I just don't think it was in this case.

Overall, this book was disappointing, and I would not recommend.

Apologies book wouldn’t download regardless what I tried but won’t leave a bad review because of this.

This Eternity of Masks and Shadows was a pleasant surprise of a book. I was not sure what to expect. It blends a few different genres and does it well. I really loved the Gods angle, it was so different from anything else I have read. The characters are well written, I especially loved Nook and Vulcan. The plot is unique and really interesting. I was genuinely surprised at a few reveals. It is a great story, with interesting characters, and an exciting plot, not much more you could ask for.