This book dragged for me. At the beginning I found Gangas story heart breaking as she is forced to become a human and sacrifice her children in the river. However as the novel went on, a lot characters got introduced all at once and it felt hard to follow. I was constantly forgetting who was who and the story line keeps jumping from various narrators.

Thanks net galley for the free book. For those who are lovers of Indian lore you might like this but it was not my cup of tea.

I was blown away by the author's debut novel Kaikeyi, so I couldn't have been more excited to get my hands on this ARC from Netgalley. Kaikeyi was such a triumph of reclaiming an epic narrative by a character reviled for simply having more gumption and agency than the patriarchal structure of the Ramayana allowed. Much like Circe by Madeleine Miller. I was curious to see what the author would do with the voice of the Goddess Ganga (of the very real River Ganges), whose stint as a mortal queen was brief but impactful in that the story of Mahabharata begins with her son and his unshakeable oath to a kingdom. Mahabharata, in essence, has always been about the follies of the inaction of the powerful and revered few while the worst instincts of their progeny run rampant until it tears apart a family and a kingdom. Very much the Trojan War of the Hindu/Indian pantheon of epic narratives. So I perhaps shouldn't have been surprised but I was indeed frustrated at how much even this retelling from the POV of a goddess is SO incredibly passive and indifferent to the happenings in the mortal world. Unlike Kaikeyi's active participation in the machinations of Ramayana, beyond her birthing of Bhishma, Ganga remains ever the observer and occasional counsel for her son, the notable Grandpa "leave me out of this mess". Moreover, I was disappointed that unlike Kaikeyi, the POV actually shifts off of Ganga and alternates with Bhishma's POV, which is, to say the least, insufferable. There are other side characters that appear in the Mahabharata that I have always found more fascinating than Bhishma, such as Krishna, Shikhandi, some of Arjuna's wives that are NOT Draupadi -- all of whose stories could have been more vindicating as queer and female voices, whose own journeys in the epic got co-opted by a patriarchal caste system. Eventually, when the "war to end all wars" does get going, and everyone is faced with the horrifying result of how pointless their personal ideas of duty and justice are, it takes the same inevitable nosedive as the actual epic. The role of Ganga, the title character, remains rather unsatisfying in her epiphany about the value of her freedom from the mortal follies that led to this war, while also tethering herself to their world for eternity. Overall, this is a great perspective novel for those who may or may not already be familiar with the Mahabharata but somehow missed the critical point that there are literally no good guys in this, including the gods, and that there are no winners in upholding the ideals/evils of a toxic patriarchal caste system in the name of dharma and karma. But as someone who IS deeply familiar with AND grown up with the endless well of stories about flawed ideals that is the Mahabharata, this did not break much new ground for me the way Kaikeyi did.

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for the ARC!

This book is a lyrical and striking retelling of the Mahabharata from the River Ganga's perspective. This book follows the goddess Ganga as she descends from the heavens and becomes a river and provides for humans, animals, and godlings alike. When the godlings Ganga cares for are threatened because of their tricks on a sage, she is forced to step in. Ganga is cursed to become a mortal and become a mother to each of the godlings before they can return to their godling form. Ganga cannot become the river goddess again until she fulfills the terms of the curse.

To break the curse, Ganga marries King Shantanu and begins unraveling the curse by bringing the godling children into the world. However, just as her curse breaks and all but one of her children are restored to their godling form, she fails to save the last godling from first living a mortal life. The rest of the story follows her son, Devavrata, and his mortal life as Ganga watches from afar, forced to remain in her river banks. This book explores themes of motherhood, femininity, duty, and fate.

As a reader that is unfamiliar with the Mahabharata, I was a little intimidated when starting this book but it's very approachable for all readers and I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Vaishnavi Patel's writing flows like the Ganga herself and illustrates the setting of the book beautifully. Additionally, the different forces at play that Devavrata must contend with, as well as the struggles he faces as his family splits into factions and seems more and more intent on marching towards war, are compelling and complex. Whether you're looking for a retelling of the Mahabharata, a story about a mother and a son, or simply a stunning tale -- this book is for you.

I'm looking forward to Vaishnavi Patel writes next and I plan on reading Kaikeyi in the near future. I would highly recommend this book!

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Redhook. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Southeast Fantasy, Fairy Tale Retellings, Hindu Mythology
Content Warning: Harm to children and women, abelism, warfare, potential assault. More context is provided in the Content Warning, along with the location of the content in the novel.


After KAIKEY, I knew I wanted to read GODDESS OF THE RIVER.

It's written in the same fairy tale style with a feminist understanding. I was so frustrated for Ganga and the way mortal and god-ish men controlled her life. This book stares directly at some of the darker things women face. It's very interesting to me to have it told from mythology from Southeast Asia.

I think if you loved the author's first book, you'll want to read this one too.

Happy reading!

I really wanted to love this and I did like it but I wished it had actually been more centered on Ganga and less on Bhishma. Maybe it’s because I know the story of the Mahabharatha but I felt like the book didn’t really have any forward motion. I think it's still a worthwhile read for people less familiar with the original story.

Thank you so much, NetGalley, and the Redhook & Orbit team for an opportunity to receive an electronic ARC of this book! I appreciate it so much 💛🥹 All opinions are my own in this review.

Goddess of the River, in brief, is the "Mahabharata" from the perspectives of the goddess Ganga and her son, Devavrata (later called Bhishma). For those unfamiliar, the Mahabharata is an ancient Indian epic revered in Hinduism. I was first introduced to this epic through some low-budget animated movies and further in Hindi classes as it was part of the literature syllabus. The book also includes Ganga Devi's emergence on earth and how some of her actions tie with the events of the Mahabharata. There are trigger warnings mentioned at the beginning of the book. Please check that out before picking this book up!


Onto my review ~~

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I've heard of the Mahabharata throughout my life in different forms and interpretations. This retelling is definitely my favorite! It was refreshing to see a woman's perspective of this epic. I loved the way Vaishnavi wrote Ganga and her son's relationship and how it impacted Ganga's divine form. Gods and Goddesses may possess power, but love is a gracious and underappreciated gift that mortals are capable of feeling. At least, that's what I interpreted from this book. One negative was in layout which probably is different now since I had an ARC, in the war chapaters it would have helped to have included who's perspective it is from as in earlier chapters. As I read the first few lines I understood if it was Ganga or Bhishma but an indicator would help more!

As someone who loved Circe, I love that there is a retelling of a story from my culture about this epic so many Hindu Indians were exposed to at a young age. One thing I wish was mentioned was the Bhagavad Gita just because I would have loved to see how Vaishnavi tackled that in her writing.

Overall, it was a great and educational read for me. I feel like I brushed up on my knowledge of the Mahabharata story 😅 the reason I docked a star is because I don't see myself picking this up again. It is a one-time read for me.

I'll definitely recommend to folks who are interested in historical fiction! 💙🪷

I had high hopes for this book but it fell a little flat for me. I overall enjoyed the story but some parts were too slow. I think if this story was 100 pages shorter, I would have enjoyed it more. I had trouble keeping names lined up with what their characters had done. If I had been more familiar with the story, I might have enjoyed it more. I thought it was well written, maybe just not my cup of tea.

Unfortunately I couldn't get into this book, that is why I dnf'd at 38%. At the beginning it looked promising and I really liked the writing style, but as it progressed I found myself becoming more and more disinterested in the story. I liked the portrayal of Ganga and the story of how she came to the mortal world, but as more characters were getting introduced, I was getting confused with all the names and relations of different characters, which made the reading experience more complicated than I wanted it to be. However, as I liked some parts of it and this book includes exceptional writing by Patel, I can't give this book less than 3 stars, because that would be unfair. I think I might just be wrong audience for this one and I'm sure there'll be plenty of people who will enjoy this book way more than me.

Thank you to Redhook Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions!

Ganga, goddess of the river, has been trapped in a mortal body, cursed by a sage to bear the Vasus as mortal children. When she is found upon the banks of her river by a young raja she is taken to his city to be his rani. Though she bears him many children, each child dies a mysterious death but for one—Devavrata. Freed from the bounds of the curse, Ganga becomes one with her river once more but still retains enough mortality to watch over her mortal son and the war that brews around him and his family.
Ganga is a rich retelling of the Mahabharata. Readers should read the trigger warnings at the beginning of the text as some chapters can be distressing, especially the depiction of infanticide.

I absolutely adored Vaishnavi Patel's debut 'Kaikeyi' and so I had to read 'Goddess of the River', a story of how Goddess Ganga came to be on earth and her son.

This is a retelling of the Mahabharata which I didn't have a lot of knowledge about but as soon as I started reading, it felt like I was transported to my childhood days. The book is told in dual POVs with Ganga and Bhisma as the protagonists. While we see the fierce Ganga mellow and develop, Bhisma is frustratingly stubborn. He is interested in his duty and oath and refuses to waver no matter what his personal choices may be.

The story covers most of the important aspects of the very long Mahabharata and even though it is not my most favourite tale in Hindu mythology, the author managed to hold my interest throughout. I'm even interested in reading the resources mentioned in the book and am looking forward to it.

I would recommend it to everyone as this is a feminist retelling that gives the women of the epic tale more power. Thanks to Netgalley and Redhook books for the advanced e-copy.

I can't wait for more by Vaishnavi Patel.

Goddess of the River is a retelling of the Indian epic, Mahabharata. It follows our main characters, Ganga, a river goddess and her mortal son. Having read the epic as a child, this retelling was certainly quite interesting! In the original epic, Ganga plays a minor role at the beginning. I enjoyed the angle that the author took with this book, with examining Ganga's roles and motivations further. I also found the themes regarding motherhood & duty to be quite interesting.

I really enjoyed the first half of the book where we learnt more about Ganga's life, the curse, and her life as a mortal. The second part of the book focused heavily on the war. While it was well-written, I wasn't as invested in this part of the book, especially considering how I already knew how things would end.

If you're looking for a feminist take on Indian mythology that tackles complex themes and platonic/familial relationships, please consider reading this book!

If you love mythological retellings like Circe by Madeline Miller or Ransom by David Malouf, you need to read this book!

Goddess of the River is a retelling of the Mahābhārata from the perspective the goddess Ganga. This novel is at times an intimate and poignant story about Ganga’s desire for autonomy and the bond between mother and child, and at others a sweeping epic portraying the brutality and destruction of war.

Patel is a gorgeous writer. The book is split into four sections: Headwaters, Confluences, Rapids, and Delta. Headwaters is told exclusively from Ganga’s perspective and tells the story of her fall from the cosmos and binding to the earth as the River Ganga. Confluences and Rapids are told from both Ganga and her son’s perspective and depict his childhood and the approaching war. Finally, Delta covers the war and the beginning of the Age of Darkness. The shift in perspective and subject matter throughout the book kept my attention and conveyed the truly massive scale of this epic.

My favorite portions of this book were the quieter chapters from Ganga’s perspective. Patel does an excellent job portraying Ganga’s emotions in a way that is distinctly god-like and yet completely relatable. My heart broke for her, cheered for her, and somehow related to her despite me being neither a goddess nor a mother. Goddess of the River is a must-read for all mythology fans.

Fantastic retelling of the Mahabharata expanding the story of Ganga, the river goddess who is forced into mortal form and becomes the queen of Hastinapur. Patel retains the Mahabharata's ruminations on righteousness, with additional maternal emotion that doesn't much get attention in the source material. For those familiar with the source material, this is a nuanced exploration of a marginal character, but readers not familiar with the source material will love this book just as much.

I think the main thing standing between me and truly loving this book was how passive both Ganga and Bhishma are in their own story. Of course from the perspective of the Mahabharata, they are not the driving forces, but so many times they each step back and witness things happening rather than performing any particular actions themselves, and as a reader I found that frustrating. Because of their distance, as well, it felt like we didn’t truly get to see many of the characters who DO affect change, except perhaps in brief flashes.

Also, what happened to the archer with no thumb? He’s built up to be important but he never resurfaced.

Vaishnavi Patel does it again! Loved this story. It was a fantastic read!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the ARC.

3.75 stars

I am a sucker for mythology retellings, even when I don't know anything about the original myth. Since this book is based on the Mahabharata, an epic I am unfamiliar with, I did a little research as I read. There are many characters and sometimes I found it confusing as to who was related to whom. The ARC did not include the family tree, which I believe will help a lot with the published version. Despite the difficulty I had with the names and relations, I did find learning more about the culture and history of Hinduism fascinating.

This story is split into two POVs. I found the way Patel wrote the view of a god being tainted with mortality intriguing and it made me enjoy Ganga's parts a little more compelling to read. Her pain as a god stuck in a mortal body and giving birth to godlings, losing her son, and the aftermath of her brush with humanity is woven well with her character development. These were definitely my favorite parts to read.

Reading Bhishma's POV was a little more difficult and I did not find them as captivating. I was always looking forward to what was happening next with Ganga. Part of this is because I did not like Bhishma's character or his choices. Obviously, this book follows the epic of Mahabharata, but still, he's not very likable when his choice leads to such devastating consequences.

This is a good book, but there were parts that were slow, and some of the themes Patel is trying to get across come off a little heavy-handed. I did like that it didn't shy away from some of the darker aspects of life and war. The reason for it not quite getting 4 stars is that I could easily put it down, and a little because I was easily confused by what was happening. I wished for a more linear timeline. Still, I do recommend this for those who like mythology retellings.

Thanks to NetGalley and Redhook Books for the ARC.

Goddess of the River is a lush, beautiful book that explores the purpose of oaths, the morality of humanity, and the love between mothers and sons. The struggle between duty and justice is a central theme of the book, and one that is explored with care and depth from the opening paragraphs through to the closing pages.

This is the story of Ganga, goddess of the river, and her semi-divine son, Bhishma. It’s also the story of Krishna, an incarnation of Vishnu. To complicate matters further, it’s also the story of a civil war between two rival factions, the Kauravas and the Pandavas. If you’re as unfamiliar with the Mahabharata as I was, you may find yourself getting very disoriented very quickly with all these names! The published version will include a family tree, and I can see that being immensely helpful. As it was, I definitely made use of Wikipedia as I was reading.

At the same time, however, the time devoted to each character is carefully considered: those who have a larger impact on the plot are given the time to develop. Ganga as a protagonist is exceptional and unique. I find it’s very difficult to write compelling deities, but Ganga absolutely shines. The journey of her character arc is exceptionally moving. While it took me a few chapters to get into the rhythm of the writing, by the end, I grew to love this story - and this world - immensely.

There’s a dreamlike quality about the language used which works to great effect. I’m reminded of a river, ebbing and flowing. This is absolutely a book you should read in multiple sittings - both to mull over the word choice and to give yourself time to sit with the shifting family dynamics and the toll of war. If you enjoy mythology retellings, this is not one to miss.

4.5 stars! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

The story of Ganga, the goddess of the river, is one that I was completely unfamiliar with until reading this book and it's a tale of motherhood, heartbreak, and duty. I was drawn in to Ganga and felt her pain when, over and over again, she was separated from the things she loved the most.

I look forward to reading more about this myth in the future!

I had no idea going into this that it was a retelling of the Mahabharata so that was a cool surprise! The story is from the POV of the river/goddess Ganga and her son, and explores how choices they made decades earlier affected the kingdom as it descended into war. I’m just such a fan of Patel’s writing—I got chills right on the first page. Even though I’m very unfamiliar with the Mahabharata and sometimes felt like I wasn’t comprehending what was going on, the story was able to help me orient myself better. I loved how Ganga’s character changed throughout the book and gained so much wisdom, and loved the conversations about how as the river, she IS change. Just so awesome! The feel of the book was very different from Patel’s debut, Kaikeyi, and I love them both for different reasons as they highlight different strengths of Patel’s skill.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Goddess of the River by Vaishnavi Patel is a dual-POV retelling of the Mahabharata from the point of view of Ganga, the personification of the Ganges River, and her youngest son, Bhishma. When Ganga is given a human form, a mortal king finds her and desires her for a wife. Ganga agrees to be his wife under one condition: that he never question her.

I’m familiar with parts of the Mahabharata, but not the parts relating to Ganga. The themes of motherhood, mortality vs immortality, and womanhood are threaded throughout each POV chapter and create a unique POV as we see the world through the eyes of both a river and a goddess. Ganga’s love for her son, and all of her children, is apparent, but she has to make difficult decisions because her children are godlings, not mortals.

Bhishma, on the other hand, was always aware that his mother is a river goddess but was raised among mortals. He values his oaths above all else, to the point of not seeing the ways in which they harm other people and how he’s not doing the right thing. In spite of this, he does genuinely seem to want to do the right thing and do what is right by both of his parents and his family as he watches over them and the empire. Bhishma is the last of the blood of the Kuru line and has multiple adopted relatives and he never treats them as lesser, devoting himself to them just as he does everyone else in his family.

The cover is so beautiful. It’s rich in its use of color, the pose is dynamic, and the little pops of warm colors with the silhouette just catch the eye and enhance the cooler tones. It’s an eye-catching cover that immediately sets a time and place and an idea for what the story is and I felt that it really matched what the book was about.

My favorite part was the rich character work between Ganga and Bhishma as they are compelled to do what their positions dictate of them while also having their own moral compasses and great love and devotion for each other. Ganga may not not agree with all of her son’s decisions, but she doesn’t want to see any harm come to him while Bhishma turns to his mother for advice even when she doesn’t agree with him.

I would recommend this to fans of retellings of classical cultural stories, readers looking for a story from the POV of a goddess from Hinduism, and those looking for Indian fantasy with strong themes of motherhood.