I really like the idea of this book, but I feel like I was a little out of my depth here. The writing is lush, but I frequently found myself feeling lost and like the story didn’t really go anywhere. Also, while I know the basics of the Mahabharata, and retelling it sounds like a fun idea, I can’t help but feel like telling it from such a limited perspective as Ganga’s, with occasional peeks at Bhisma also made the story less interesting.

Just like in “Kaikeyi”, Patel’s writing is beautifully immersive, transporting you to a world of gods and destiny. 🌟 Thank you @orbitbooks_us @redhookbooks @netgalley for the gifted galley!

Vaishnavi Patel has woven a mesmerizing tale in “The Goddess of the River”, a poignant reimagining of Ganga’s story and her mortal son, Devavrata. 💫

From the depths of mythology emerges a tale of duty, destiny, and the undying bond between a mother and her son. Ganga, the joyful goddess of the river, faces a curse that binds her to mortality, leading her on a journey of love, sacrifice, and redemption. 🌟

Patel’s lyrical prose transports readers to ancient lands, where gods and mortals collide in a dance of fate. Through Ganga’s eyes, we witness the beauty and brutality of human life, as she navigates her way through the intricacies of mortal existence. 🌸

The character development is exquisite, particularly the complex relationship between Ganga and Devavrata. Their bond transcends time and circumstance, shaping the destiny of empires and the souls of men.

Highly recommended for lovers of myth, history, and the enduring power of love. 💖

Publication Date: May 23, 2024

— 2.5 ⚝

while i appreciate what vaishnavi patel was trying to do with this story, i have way too many qualms with it to rate it any higher. no one is more upset by this rating than me.

• first off, this might genuinely just be a me thing considering everyone else seems to love her writing but something about it just doesn't work as well for me. yes, her stories are immensely compelling but the writing itself just doesn't flow for me. that came accross in Goddess of the River way more than in Kaikeyi. it felt very detached and a little too showy for my taste. i wouldn't go so far as to call it purple prose and while i know many people might appreciate that, it just prevented me from being able to connect to the characters. i also saw a LOT of telling rather than showing which again, takes me away from the characters and makes me unable to root for them in any way because of how disconnected i feel to the story. kaikeyi read a little differently for me & i did really enjoy that book which is why this was one of my most anticipated releases of the year & im even more disappointed.

• secondly: this comes purely from being familiar with the epic so i won't dive too much into it because this is a retelling and it wouldn't be fair to criticize the creative liberties that the author has taken but some of the characters' portrayals don't totally work for me as was the case in Kaikeyi as well. i don't want to give any spoilers for those who are not familiar with the epic so i will keep this as vague as possible but certain things at the end of the war regarding bhishma were not accurate at all which is fine but something that was really crucial to his character was just never mentioned at all which is very strange because not only is it a significant fact but bhishma is literally a main character in this book and the fact that it wasn't even mentioned was very off-putting especially because it would have contributed greatly to the depth of his characterization. and while i applaud the author for trying to tell a 1.8 million word epic in 400 pages, a lot of the complexity of the story itself felt very diluted.

• lastly, it just felt way too ambitious to re-tell this huge epic but keep the focus on two characters not because it cannot be done, i just didn't feel like it was executed well. ganga didn't feel as important in the latter half of the story for me inspite of her being the literal main character in this book. the way it was plotted and paced seemed a bit off and was very confusing for me, someone who is familiar with the epic, so i suspect it might be even more confusing for people who are not. there are just too many plotlines and characters to keep track of in the latter half and combined with the confusing way the past present timelines were written, it made it very hard to follow along.

the only reason i gave this a 2.5 ⚝ is because i really appreciate the way the author writes dialogue. they feel very meaningful. it is so interesting to witness these characters conversing because of the way the dialogue is written. i am glued to my seat and the pages because im so riveted by the exchanges. (however if i never see the word besides again, it'll be too soon). while i didn't enjoy this book as much as i expected, i definitely recommend reading this because i know that a lot of people will love and appreciate the depth, characters and themes this book has to offer. and as a lot of other reviewers have said, her prose seems to be widely loved.

A big thank you to Redhook books and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book. all thoughts are my own and not influenced in any way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook books for the ARC of Goddess of the River in exchange for an honest review.

While I didn't love this the way I loved Kaikeyi, I did really enjoy it. I am so impressed at the way this author is able to take such long, dense, twisty stories and make them approachable and under 500 pages! This book definitely had A LOT of characters and the family tree was difficult to follow. But, that's just the way the story goes, it's a retelling and I honestly think a different author would have made the book much more unapproachable. I highly recommend pulling up the family tree to reference while reading. It really helped me and I think it made the story more fun and interactive.

This book is highly philosophical and my thoughts and opinions felt like they changed every chapter. There are many discussions on duty, loyalty, dharma, sacrifice, and honor. The characters all had good and bad qualities. I felt like I never knew who to root for. But, it definitely keeps you hooked and I came away from this book feeling like I became more educated and more empathetic.

Overall, I gave it four stars because I felt like the pacing, flashbacks, and different POVs were a bit overcomplicated and hard to follow. But, I still had a really fun time with this book and I am excited to read more by this author!

*I do highly recommend checking the trigger warnings the author includes at the beginning of the book"

Goddess of the River is a beautiful retelling of the story of Ganga, a river goddess cursed to bear mortal children. It explores themes of choice, the bonds between mother and child, and the enduring nature of humanity.

I loved Ganga’s POV and chapters as she struggled to balance her godly nature in a fragile mortal world. For all her power and might, she is controlled both by god and man, and she struggles between her duty as a mother and doing what she believes to be right.

I found Bhishma’s chapters/POV confusing as there were so many characters to keep track of and I was not always sure why certain things were happening and to whom. I think the family tree in the published version will provide a lot of clarity for readers. The changing timeline also made it extremely hard to follow the order of events. I wish they were marked by some sort of date to help the reader keep track.

Overall, Patel has proven herself a masterful storyteller, giving agency to her female characters and putting a feminist spin on ancient Indian religious texts and myths. Despite some of the structural issues I had while reading, the story shines with lyrical prose and fully transported me into the world of Hastinapur. I eagerly await Patel’s next release!

Be sure to read the content warnings before picking up this book! Thank you to Netgalley, Redhook Books, and Orbit Books for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

A retelling of part of the Mahābhārata epic this story follows the Hindi Goddess Ganga and her mortal son. Cursed into human form Ganga marries a King, when her curse is broken she is forced to leave her son, behind and on the path to War.

The characters are complex and interesting. There is a theme of duty vs honour and how each character embodies them and allows Horus acts with the justification. Therefore there wasn’t a character or ‘side’ I was rooting for and infact was often quite frustrated with the main characters. There are also many characters we don’t spend much time with and know through their relationship with Bhishma not of their own accord.

This is a stand-alone story. However I didn’t like this quite as much as Patel’s first book, Kaikeyi. With the nature of the story that its harder for me to be endeared to a Goddess and her foolish son than a woman like Kaikeyi. It still was an engaging and well written story that is worth the read.

Content warnings include: infant death, sexual assault, child abuse, child neglect, violence, murder, war, ableism, classism animal death, and suicidal thoughts

My father always says the Ramayana teaches us what a person should be and the Mahabharata teaches what a person shouldn't. But reading Goddess of the River and Kaikeyi made me wonder whether it only ends there? I realised a person becomes who they are by their choices. It made me question what I've been taught by society since childhood, that my decisions should be faultless, always right. But this book reminded me there is no right or wrong choices, only actions that define your life.

Reading the book felt like the course of a river. The story started turbulent and gushing, trickling soundly like on rocks in the middle and ending serenely like river meeting ocean.

Another thing I liked about the book is how realistic it portrayed the brutal side of the war where countless people suffered because of a battle between opposing thoughts. It is so rare to read in mythological fiction booos!

I would immensely thank author @vaishnawrites for writing yet another fantastic, thought provoking book which I'll truly treasure. And thank you @netgalley and publisher Ellen Wright to give me the opportunity to read Goddess of the River!

After loving Kaikeyi a few years ago, I had high hopes for Goddess of the River. It's hard to put my finger on exactly what didn't work for me, but the writing style made it hard to connect with the characters and become invested in the story. I love the premise of what Patel is doing though and will happily try whatever she writes next!

I absolutely loved the first third of this book. The writing was amazing, and the story enthralling. But around the 40% mark, we are introduced to a host of characters that aren’t differentiated enough to keep track of every relationship. Once we find out how the two storylines intersect, it is much easier to follow. I did enjoy the ending, though I wish some of the realizations the characters had would have come a bit sooner.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book.

I actually felt like it as far more energetic than the author's previous work, Kaikeyi.

The River Goddess Ganga finds herself tricked by a man and cursed to birth her “godlings” into the world. The story follows Ganga as she fulfills the terms of the curse, but isn’t able to protect them all as she planned. She becomes a River once again and then the story becomes more of a history, following the River as one character and the remaining “godling” and many of the people around him.

I LOVED Kaikeyi and was looking forward to the next novel from this author, but I found myself disappointed. This story had so many characters and the constant time and perspective shifts made it difficult to follow. Several times I wished for a character breakdown to be included or that I had had the foresight to take my own notes on characters.

Overall, I still really enjoyed the story, but it was difficult to follow and that made me less likely to want to pick it up.

An extra note, please check the content warnings before reading. Cultural norms and mythology can take the reader by surprise and could be triggering to some.

While I didn't enjoy Goddess of the River quite as much as Kaikeyi, there's just something about Patel's writing that makes me actually enjoy mythology adaptations (which I normally am only pretty meh about or just straight up don't enjoy). I'm excited to add a physical copy to my shelves once it's published!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Spectacular retelling of one of the grandest epics in human history, with a feminist and human focus made all the more poignant with a divine main character. Vaishnavi Patel absolutely knocks your socks off with this one. For more of my thoughts/reactions, check out the linked YouTube video.

This is a beautifully written story about Ganga, goddess of the River and her son set against the backdrop of the Mahabharata. Ganga is cursed to live a mortal life and the story is about how she escapes her mortality but also how it changed her. I’m not super familiar with the original story but I was able to keep up even though there are multiple characters involved. I know Ganga is not a huge part of the Mahabharata but I like how in this story she is weaved throughout with her small interactions with the characters that have effects later on. There’s themes of duty vs justice and complex family dynamics and the toll of war. I found the mother and child dynamics hit me hard and made me think of my own relations with my baby. The arc didn’t have the family tree added (it’s available online) but I think having it added to the published version will be a great help

Thanks to NetGalley, Redhook Books and Vaishnavi Patel for this e-ARC. Goddess of the River will be released on May 21

3.5

PUBLICATION DATE: MAY 21ST, 2024

CONTENT & TRIGGER WARNINGS: Killing of infants, casteism, ableism, attempted sexual assault, and graphic warfare. The author includes a content warning page at the beginning of the book along with what chapters to skip over.

First and foremost, this is a retelling of the Hindu epic and religious text the Mahabharata. I have not read the Mahabharata so my review will not be touching on any similarities or differences the author may have made.

This is the first book I've read of Patel's and was blown away by her writing. It created the perfect atmosphere to enjoy this tale and I was impressed on how Patel kept Ganga involved as she is a river. This book is told between different points of view and timelines leading up to the eventual war. The writing alone is five stars for me!

But I only liked the story. I like Ganga and Krishna. And they were about it.

Ganga was the primary female protagonist and her chapters were my favorite. Her journey from the beginning of the novel to the end was so fulfilling to read. I was very engrossed in the story up until the introduction of Bhishma's character and chapters. It was hard for me to care about Bhishma. He seemed to whine constantly about not being able to do anything while being in a position of power. But one of the themes in this was personal responsibility and individual choices, so I understand why it was necessary. This in turn, makes Ganga reflect upon her own thoughts and actions and her role in the war between the two cousins.

This is a story about family relations, justice, dharma, personal choices and in turn the consequences.

Thank you NetGalley and RedHook books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Thank you, NetGalley, Redhook Books | Redhook, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Ganga is a joyful goddess of the river, a caretaker to the godlings that roams her banks, but when their antics incur the wrath of the god Sengsa, she is cursed to become mortal and to be bound to a human body, until the end of the obligations of the curse. Wed to king Shantanu, becoming queen and then mother, she's determined to regain her freedom. As she is freed from her curse, though, she is forced to leave her infant son behind. Her son, prince Devavrata, has to carry the Ganga's curse aand when he made a deal, refusing to clam his father's throne, he will set in motion events that will end in a war. As the years pass, mother and son will be drawn to each other again and again, following a path unknown to them.

Achingly beautiful and wonderfully written, Goddess of the river is a tale of a mother and a son, of curses, loss, war, but also, love, feelings and growing up. In this reimagining, the author follows Ganga's curse and Devavrata's oath, between war and loss, love and a precious and fundamental bond between mother and son.
I loved the way it was written, you can feel the love and loss in Ganga's words, her determination, her willingness to break the curse and become a goddess again, her pain in leaving his son and the fate that push Ganga and her son close, again and again.
The writing style, the characterization and setting are so good, you can almost be there with them, between curses and war, weddings and loss and I loved every single thing.

After really enjoying the author's previous book, I was eager to read the next book they wrote. This is another standalone exploring traditional Indian myths through the lens of fantasy.

The narrative style was not entirely too my tastes, but I loved the underlying plot and themes.

Once again, this author has written a highly feminist tale filled with the struggle and oppression of strong women. The story is perhaps a bit on the nose but I was in the mood for that kind of story.

I would recommend this one to someone looking for an feminist fantasy tale that hits hard and doesn't flinch away from the darker sides of life.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

I was not familiar with the story of Ganga prior to reading this retelling. This is beautifully written, but I did have trouble initially getting into the story. However, once I familiarized myself with the characters, I was able to find myself fully-enveloped in the story.

Believe the hype. Patel is certainly cementing herself as an auto-read author for anyone who enjoys fantasy and mythology!

Patel’s ability to write heart wrenching feminist retellings does not cease to amaze me. Her books are so good and so deep. I hope that Patel’s Indian myth retellings find a very large audience

This retelling of Ganga's story was so beautifully written - this is my first Vaishnavi Patel book and I will definitely be checking out Kaikeyi some point soon. As someone not too familiar with the original tale or mythology, I can't comment on its accuracy. However, I can say that I don't believe you need any prior understanding or knowledge to enjoy this book! What a wonderful addition to the retelling genre.


Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the digital arc in exchange for honest review.