Unique, enchanting, and mystical read. I dived into this book not knowing what to expect and when I finished it, I was blown away! If you love fantasy with a bit of mystery vibes in it, you should definitely read this book.

A fun urban fantasy / murder mystery mash up. It was a quick and easy read and I enjoyed the incorporation of lesser known mythologies.

A quick word of advice for any budding urban fantasy authors out there... don't ever feel the need to hold back on the polar bear. If you have a cool, awesome, curmudgeoney polar bear in your cast - bring them to the foreground, no need to restrain or sideline them to the background or second chair. No reader EVER has said "you know what, there was too much polar bear." But I guarantee you, there have been many who said "I wish there was more angry, grumpy rampaging polar bear!!" A pawsome high five for Nanook!

Recommended for: good commuting or beach read, fans of GoneGodWorld, Unclean Spirits and Gods Behaving Badly

Thank you to Netgalley and Karsten Knight for the ARC.

Mystical, thrilling and keeps you on your toes. If you are into mystical reads then this would be a great one to pick up! Set in my hometown of Boston I was thrilled to review this one.

I had been looking for a while for a new mythological story and this here quenched my need greatly. It is a mythological, supernatural, action-packed, mystery filled novel.

The story centres on eighteen-year old Cairn Delacroix, who is out to avenge the death of her mother ultimately leading her to Boston's underworld of supernatural crime and political aspiration. All the while many secrets start to unravel.

I really enjoyed the way the characters and the stories all linked, how the gods lives are all intertwined, both friends and foes.

I really wish there was more of Emile in the story, Cairn's dad but I figured he wasn't so it could make way to build a strong character connection between Cairn and Nook, who make a really good team. Which I also love btw.

Power corrupts the best of us and in a city where Mortals and Gods co-exist, there's bound to be secrets and chaos. These Gods are from various mythologies, reincarnated into different mortal forms repeatedly. One such God is Sedna, the Goddess of the Sea and the Underworld. But when she takes her own life in what feels like a dream-like state, her daughter Cairn stumbles upon her mother's other secret identity, a vigilante who eliminated corrupt Gods.

Cairn's exploration and unearthing of the secrets is fascinating and thrilling. She is a naive child, but has a rage brewing within her heart and that is her driving force. Even after she loses so much, she stands strong in the face of every adversity and fights back stronger than before. But the story comes with it's own set of problems.

There's a story in there somewhere, that hasn't been explored to it fullest potential. I was fascinated by the concept of different Gods as Vigilantes or mastermind criminals and the underlying conspiracy but the author gave very little time to character development in a desperate attempt to turn this into a layered murder mystery. There are very few fantasy elements, mostly stories we have heard again and again. I felt detached throughout the book, as if a movie I am not invested in. The dialogues are sloppy at multiple places, Cairn is reckless and way too smart for an average girl with very little time to hone her talents.

This book is a for readers who want a thrilling and fun ride, without investing much.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed Karsten Knight's previous trilogy and so I was eager to read this new book of his with gods that walk among mortals in the world. They may be gods but they can die very easily and that is what has happened to Cairn's mother and others in this story. And it all dates back to a choice made 19 years ago. But not is all as it seems and that is what makes this story so good. I did not expect the twist at all! This is a fun murder mystery.

There is never a dull moment in this book and I enjoyed the whole ride. It is cool to meet some of the other gods and learn a bit about who they are, from Ra, to Ari, and Nook and Sedna. I do like this version of why there are people with powers, rather than just being superheroes. Also how they get reincarnated every hundred years and how they may be completely different each time, from living a quiet life to being a despot or a politician, or an actress.

And though this is a good standalone, I would not mind more books with the different gods living in the world. I think there could be many cool stories there!

Oh boy, where do we begin with this book? I thought if I could let my mind sit on it for a month I could come up with a better review for this book, but that is not the case. This book suffered from flat characters that might have had a moment or two of being human, but most of the time it felt like they were going through the motions.
I wanted something to happen that would break the characters out of this mold they seem to have gotten themselves into.
Cairn gets what she wants within the first three pages which had me being so disappointed (forget that it's an f/f relationship that was not even mentioned in the blurb) I hate when characters kiss within the first chapter because I find it hard rooting for them to be together unless it winds up being a vivid dream (it was not) and the character realizes that the kiss never happened. I struggled to root for the characters except for the chapters where the gods and goddesses were teenagers and on the island. I wanted more of that throughout the book because Sedna had to deal with her moral compass and her actions have set in motion the events of the present. Those chapters had characterization, some world-building, and plot. It is also the only saving grace from this book getting the lowest rating I could.
I feel like the dad could have been left out of the story and it would not affect the story (that is how often the father is in there). This book had so much potential, but it kind of fell flat until near the end when the characters became characters. There's also a lot of plot holes in this book. For my full review, check out my blog at http://bookgirlreviewsbooks.blogspot.com.
2 out of 5 stars

#netgalley #thiseternityofmasksandshadows

I had a hard time getting into this book, I almost didn't want to keep reading. I thought the pacing was a bit fast throughout. I usually like this genre, but this book left me wanting. I was having a hard time keeping characters straight and generally connecting with them. I would say that this book was okay, not great.

I wanted to read this book because I am a fan of the author's Bonegarden series. And I am glad that I read this one. It's an interesting story with interesting characters. It was hard to put down once I started reading it. The author combines a few different genres and creates a brilliant story. The story alternates from the present events and past events with twists and turns you won't see coming. One of the best YA novels I've read this year!

I was excited when I first read the synopsis of this book, the idea of Gods walking among mere mortals and altering our lives in ways we couldn’t expect or anticipate sounds thrilling and not only that, it was based on mythology from across the globe, not just focused on Greek mythology which we see too often. The premise of this is fantastic and the ideas Knight tried to introduce and battle with are admirable, however the execution of these ideas were not good enough and it all fell a little flat.

Truly it was a like a breath of fresh air to read a book focusing on mythology from across the world, and to learn about gods and myths from other cultures and countries rather than just the same ones we constantly see in fantasy novels. I learnt so much about different mythology from around the world, and I really do appreciate how Knight tried to include figures from different cultures and countries in his work. However, I would have liked to have seen more discussion on the God’s roots and their connections to their cultures. For example, Sedna is an Inuit goddess but there was little mention of her connection or her daughter’s, Cairn’s, to Inuit heritage; similarly Ra who was an Egyptian God made no mention of the connection he had with his heritage. I understand they were born into different bodies each time and did not necessarily live in the countries or cultures their myths originated from, but I think it would have been an interesting idea to explore how connected they felt to their heritage or countries/cultures their myths originated from, whether or not they felt a large disconnect or a great connection.

I also enjoyed the fact this was set in a world where humans were aware Gods walked among them, and whilst I think the explanation they knew this because of social media and the documentation of people’s actions was not the best explanation, it was an interesting premise to work with. It was particularly interesting towards the end when this explored how this could influence politics and also democracy, and whilst I would have appreciated more depth with this idea it was one I welcomed happily.

This book is also full of action, and the action is fairly good in my opinion. Knight does not overpower the villains or the heroes in this story, and is also not scared to point out there are consequences to battles e.g. death or injuries. Whilst I prefer character driven stories and this one was driven by action so it wasn’t my cup of tea, I can recognise it could be someone else’s very easily.

One idea that appeared to keep popping up in the narrative was one of grey morality, however I don’t believe it was fully explored. It was there but never mentioned by name, and personally I think it was a theme that was underdeveloped and needed more time to flush out fully for it to help carry the narrative. I think also sometimes conversations where we hovered around the concept of grey morality were rushed, and if those conversations had been flushed out Knight could have brought something that whilst not new would have been interesting to the story.

As well as this, whilst I appreciate the complexity of the plot and the reveals that ran within it, I did feel like at times I was being told rather than shown what was going on. None of the plot twists felt particularly exciting as I was often told rather than shown them, there was little hinting at the plot twists before they were revealed and so I felt little shock at them – because when looking back there wasn’t much to guide me to these revelations, and I wasn’t surprised that I didn’t see them coming. As well as this, I found at times we were told Cairn had done things rather than lived them with her, which was confusing when they were events that often impacted the narrative or her relationship with the other characters. I think if there is a plot point that impacts your story or the dynamic between the characters a great deal you should probably show it rather than tell us about it.

I think perhaps my biggest problem with the book is I didn’t connect with any of the characters. Cairn is left largely as a blank slate, and I think that’s been done to make her more ‘relatable’ to a young adult audience, it does mean I can’t describe her personality for the sake of this review however. As well as that, it does mean that her romance and relationships with other characters lacks any chemistry as she’s far too much of a standard character to bring any spark to this. Unfortunately a lot of the characters in this book meet the same fate, it’s hard to distinguish the characters at times as they all largely sound the same, and when they do sound different they sound almost like caricatures of their roles or stereotypes. I would say I think Ahna is a fascinating character and I wish we would have seen more from her, as I really enjoyed the chapters where she was heavily featured.

Overall whilst I thought the premise and ideas were ambitious and interesting, I believe not enough detail was placed on the intricacies of the plot nor on the personality of the characters, and therefore the narrative at times felt lacking. If more time had been spent fully fleshing out some of the ideas in here and also more time was spent on character study, this could have been very good – the potential is definitely there, unfortunately the execution is not good enough. However, there is an audience for it if you are interested in mythology and enjoy action driven narratives.

This book was so much fun! I love the clash of mythological & modern, and the character development is A+. If the good reads system would allow for it, I would give it a 4.5, as it was excellent but the end wrapped up to cleanly (this is totally a personal preference thing).

Imagine a world where the Gods and Goddesses from every pantheon across the world are real and walk among humans. Imagine them as mortals with extraordinary powers, who will die just like mortals, but are reincarnated every century with no memory of their previous lives. Imagine them living as humans, secretly and openly. Now, imagine what would ensue if some of these deities were not all benevolent beings. This is the story of just how nightmarish that world could be for humans. It follows 18 year old Cairn Delacroix, the human daughter of a Goddess who witnessed new mother’s murder at the hands of an evil deity. Cairn will face unspeakable horrors in her quest for vengeance.⁣
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A strong contemporary mystery, laced with ancient mythology, this novel moves at lightning speed and features unique characters. The supreme beings of old are reimagined with spectacular detail and are not your typical Greek, Roman, or Egyptian Gods. This novel also features divine beings from across the globe such as Sedna, Inuit Goddess of the sea , and Nagual, a Mesoamerican shape shifter God. This diversity of myths makes the story richer and helps it stand apart from average mythological depictions. The tensions between humans and the reincarnated beings adds a realistic element to the story telling. The deities aren’t accepted by all, nor are they vilified by all. There is an authentic wariness among humans that I presume would occur if something like this were to happen in reality.⁣
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I liked the swiftly moving storyline for the most part, but found that sometimes the fast pace was at the sacrifice of character depth. The motivations and scope of the main characters are well done, their actions and emotions ring genuine. But some of the supporting characters could have been fleshed out a bit.⁣
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I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, The unique spin on mythological beings, the exciting mystery, and the interesting characters all contribute to a great read.⁣

This Eternity of Masks and Shadows by Karsten Knight

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

This Eternity of Masks and Shadows was the first book I chose to read from NetGalley, and honestly I'm glad it was. It is fast paced, action packed and an all-round exciting novel set in a modern world where gods and mortals live amongst each other. If that sounds like something you'd like then you won't be disappointed! This review may include minor spoilers. If you want to read this book without any prior knowledge at all, this review may not be for you.
While I have never read any of Karsten Knight's other novels, it is immediately apparent by the style of writing that this is not his first. The writing is very clear and never sacrifices comprehension for any reason. It isn't poetic, but it is complex enough to stand above the crowd. I never failed to comprehend what was happening in the novel despite the complex arch that it tells. Everything tied together cohesively at the end which was satisfying as a reader.

This story follows two perspectives. Our main perspective is that of Cairn Delacroix as she unravels the mystery behind her mother's death. We also have the perspective of Ahna Delacroix, Cairn's mother. Ahna's perspective mostly comes from an event that happened 19 years in the past. Early in the novel we discover that Ahna Delacroix is a reincarnation of Sedna, the Inuit goddess of the sea. The story takes place in modern day Boston and in a world where gods and mortals live together. These gods are still ordinary people, however, and still die as such. Essentially, they're mortals with an extra edge to them, such as being able to change into an animal, make fire at the touch of a finger or the ability to communicate with sea creatures. Each god is reincarnated approximately every 100 years with no prior knowledge of who they were before.

One thing I was pleasantly surprised about in the novel was the how casual and natural the queer relationship unravelled. There was no discussion and no stress. It showed the relationship as equal to that of any heterosexual relationship which is important in this day and age. The relationship is not the main focus of the story and never overshadows the original story arch. This isn't a romance novel, but the romance was there just enough to add depth to the story in a natural and cohesive way.

Overall, I gave this book a 4 out of 5 star rating. There was a lot to the novel that I liked, but I feel as though the author could have added a little bit more to it. Some of the chapter breaks felt a little bit jarring and unnatural, but for the most part it worked well. If you are looking to read this story you won't be disappointed. It is a solid read and I look forward to seeing what the author produces in the future.

I thought the idea for this book was the kind of refresher that is needed in YA in regards to mythology, but the execution needed work.

I appreciated the attempt to bring the gods to a modern setting, especially when such a high standard is set with the popularity of Rick Riordan books and the ones introduces from other authors. I applaud the effort alone, since it seems many other YA instead trying to develop their own world or set it in the past when tackling mythology.

The problems I mostly have stem from the plot and the worldbuilding. Both could have served from a more refined and detailed telling. I have a lot of questions in regards to the mixing of mythologies and how everything fits together, as well as the actual plot itself. The book tried to blend genres and everything became confusing to read and understand at multiple points.

I think with better editing and a fleshing out of the narrative, this could be five stars easily with how well the writing itself is from the author.

Note: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

It takes a lot for me to give a five star read, but this blew me away. The amount of research that had gone into this book was outstanding, pulling from mythologies all over the world. It was a "curl up on the sofa and don't move for three hours" type book and I enjoyed every page. Well thought through, exceptionally planned, and a sheer delight to read, I will be recommending this to all of me fellow YA and / or fantasy lovers.

This Eternity of Masks and Shadows is a fast-paced mix of mystery, noir, vigilantes, and reincarnated gods and goddesses who walk the Earth mingling with mortals. Cairn Delacroix loses her mother Ahna, the reincarnated Inuit goddess Sedna, on a boat ride one evening but soon realizes that she was actually murdered. Cairn is drawn through the murky details of her mother’s past, working quickly to prevent further deaths from a mysterious foe. This book has a really interesting plot and is an exciting read. If you like vigilantes, superheroes, and mythology, this one is for you.

Firstly, thank you NerGalley for the ARC!

I thought the pacing was a bit fast throughout. I generally love consuming mythology-esque literature, but this book left me wanting. I was having a hard time keeping characters straight and connecting with them. Overall, an okay read.

I requested this book because I originally liked the sound of the premise, and thought it had good potential. Unfortunately, I felt that there were some things this book did well and some areas where it fell flat for me.

The characters: there were just too many of them to start with, and it felt like we didn't get much time with many of them apart from Cairn, Delphine and Nook. So it felt hard to connect with the characters, and it felt like they would just pop up and I'd be struggling to work out who they were and their relevance to the plot.

The plot: I felt like this book was trying to do too many thinks. It's pitched as a Fantasy but there are elements of crime thrown in there, and it was just almost like it couldn't be decided what it wanted to be. I liked the crime elements, but I thought the Fantasy elements were weaker and not as well developed.

Overall, a fast paced read, but I didn't feel gripped by the story.

This YA urban fantasy murder mystery with myths of SO MANY cultures, ticked all of the boxes for me before I even read the first page.

The story kicks off quickly with love professed, death of a loved one, and an action scene. It set the pace of the book (fast. It is super fast) I do love not having to sit through a fifth of the book being world-building info dumps. I would've like to have seen a couple more chapters of relationship and character building between Cairn and Delphine, and with her mum though.

The sapphic relationship between Cairn and her best friend wasn't specifically stated. It just was. This I appreciated as it didn't feel like the author was just adding it into the book because lgbtq+ representation is the "in" thing to do these days.

I liked that the pantheons in this story are lesser-known or minorities. To see my own pantheon (Maori) represented in this was more than amazing. I have never seen my culture showcased in a fantasy that is not solely about New Zealand or Maori so that was refreshing.

It took me a while to warm to Cairn. This was because she was different than the usual YA protagonists I'm used to reading but that didn't make her a bad character. As I stated earlier, I would've preferred to know her better, her pov. It is very rare we get an insight into her head which made it hard to connect with her.

The murder mystery aspect was cool to have in a book like this. It is definitely something I haven't read much of. However in saying that, I am only recently getting back into reading. I liked it. I am usually pretty good at picking who the bad guy was, it was NOT who I thought it would be and that was pleasantly surprising.

I found this was fast-paced and fun. It was easy to read and I would love to see these characters again. Especially Delphine! So I do hope it becomes a series.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!

I have to say that this is a really good book. The characters are very fully fleshed-out, and Cairn's struggle with loss is the element that makes her flawed-character memorable.

The fast pace plot is very exciting and doesn't fail to excite readers. The end of the book is nicely wrapped up and has foreshadowing for the next book in the series.

I really enjoyed this book, so it's a four star recommend!